Two Sweet Covers

Sitting on my table are the 1984 Uncanny X-Men #185 and the 2011 Uncanny X-Force #13, the latter received just last month in the mail, and the former a veritable antique that I happened to pull out of my collection in the wee hours of the last night.  The covers are strikingly similar-

The one, some may recognize, is notorious for Storm's crippling at the hands of Henry Gyrich (a surname with a legacy in the Sentinel business), Dr. Val Cooper (U.S. liason to mutant affairs), and Forge (mutant, self-styled U.S. gov't inventor).  Having only recently sought the X-Men for therapy, mental and mutant, Rogue has at this point posed as super-villain against the Avengers, the X-Men, and the U.S. government under the direction of foster mothers Mystique and Destiny (that's a story for another time).  The cover of this story, though, is misleading; Rogue has no malicious intent.  In a moment of compassion and friendship yet unknown to young Rogue, Storm offers her the experience to "see the world through [her] eyes."

Rogue has a wonderful time getting acquainted with Storm's elemental powers, but in the moment of Storm's weakness, Gyrich's operation is underway.

Though Rogue is struck by Forge's invention, designed to nullify superpowers (ground-breaking, yes, but merely a plot device-- the weapon doesn't come up again, as far as I know), the weapon turns out to have been on a minimal setting.

In the short skirmish that ensues, Rogue basically fights drunk, unable to tame Storm's elemental powers and woozy from Gyrich's initial shot.  Storm awakens and tries to restore order while Gyrich recalibrates for full power!  Inevitably, Storm is struck and stripped of her mutant power.

The effect is essentially permanent-- though as with anything in comics (see previous post), nothing really is-- anything can be undone.  By the turn of the decade, a weathered Storm is bestowed her former power and continues her leadership of the X-Men.

In the other, AoA Wolverine, thought by his peers to have been deceased, has ascended in Apocalypse's stead, who's reign had finally been ended.  Essentially, Apocalypse cannot be quelled; he is a natural force that can be kept in check but never silenced.  The cover to this story is more representative; Jean is in the worst conflict with this Apocalypse, her former husband, and X-Force is present but tragically impotent.

I suppose the gesture common between covers indicates the one character being at the mercy of the other, though, for their similarity, the context of the each could not be more unique. 

The Fuzzy Elf is back!

It's been recently revealed Nightcrawler will return to X-Men comics this December, after having passed away in April, 2010.  How, you ask?  Well, calling it a return is somewhat misleading. Kurt Wagner remains deceased.  Kurt Darkholme, hailing from the alternate universe commonly referred to as Age of Apocalypse (AoA), has been alive and well for several decades. 

 In this universe, Professor Xavier is deceased and the archvillain Apocalypse reigns supreme, enforcing a natural culling of the weak to catalyze Darwinian evolution.  The X-Men, led by Magneto, represent most of the minimal resistance to Apocalypse's power.

 

In 2011, Earth-616 (the main Marvel universe), Xavier is alive and well, though mutants have become an endangered species, numbering less than 200.  Though the X-Men normally refuse to kill, their survival as a species is at risk to the point that Wolverine leads a clandestine force of assassins committed to removing threats before they make themselves known.  

Recently, the title "Uncanny X-Force" illustrates the team's struggle to prevent the rise of Apocalypse, who's presence may be inextinguishable (coincidentally convenient for a monthly comic book title).  To that end, our heroes journey to the AoA (yes, it's an alternate dimension, but, yes, with the right resources, you can do that) in essentially a reconnoissance mission.  Here, we see versions of legendary mutants just slightly unlike those we are familiar with, including versions of the deceased Nightcrawler and Jean Grey.

Though months away, Marvel promotes a roster for December's Uncanny X-Force featuring Kurt Darkholme and lacking a certain James Howlett (i.e. Wolverine).  How that comes about, we've yet to find out.  Writer Rick Rememder writes some of the best X-Men stories being published right now, though, and I'm confident it will make a great story. Either way, here's to the return of our favorite Fuzzy Elf (or something like that)!

More details to follow-