Uncanny X-Men 106 Review

[OldGuy]

Uncanny X-Men 106

By Brian Rempel

August '77

Cover Art: Dave Cockrum featuring Dave Cockrum featuring Colossus, Nightcrawler, Cyclops and Storm vs. Angel?

Writer: Chris Claremont

Interior Art and Inks: Bob Brown & Dave Cockrum

Story Title: Dark Shroud of the Past

Summary

This book is, for the most part, a giant flashback in time to just after issue 96. In this issue we are addressing the whole "Professor X has bad dreams" sub plot that's traceable all the way back to issue 65 of the Silver Age X-Men. It's more then just a little confusing how this story has anything to do with anything, but more will be revealed and I'll do my best to help make it understandable.

The splash page picks up where we left off in our last issue, with Firelord crying about getting his butt kicked by Phoenix and demanding that the Professor tell him where she's gone. The Professor fills him in on what took place in our last issue (see the review of 105 for details) just before he lapses into some sort of an unconscious/dream/hallucination state.

As he's loosing consciousness, with Misty Knight by his side, he starts to hallucinate that Misty is Moira MacTaggert and he pleads for her to help him, claiming that he "can't fight it much longer". With that, he looses consciousness and we pick up the action in his dream with the X-Men in the Mansion's Danger Room.

The next couple of pages bring up a typical scene in a lot of these early new X-Men books, with a confrontation between Wolverine and the other X-Men (Colossus and Cyclops in this case). Wolvie starts to go psycho for no reason and Cyclops threatens him with an optic blast if he doesn't chill out.

Banshee and Storm are attempting to defuse the situation with some words of wisdom when all of a sudden there's a voice from overhead…

It's Angel from the original X-Men! Everyone is shocked to see him. Cyclops is wondering what he's doing here and why he's wearing his old costume.

Angle: "Don't knock the threads pal. Once upon a time, you were proud to wear 'em. But that was when being an X-Man meant something….Before you turned the team into a real-life edition of 'Creature Feature'."

Cyclops is a little dumbfounded by Angles harsh statements, and while he's questioning him as to what the problem is, he's picked up into the air by his waistband by none other then Beast (also from the original team). Beast is also spouting off about how the X-Men have turned to [!@#%^&^] with the new members. Needless to say, Wolvie is none to happy about the way these two are talking and he starts to get a little agitated… Meanwhile, Nightcrawler can't understand why Beast is in his non-furry form, when back in issue 94 he was covered with blue hair (remember?).

Now Iceman joins the scene and he's none to happy with the new group either. Storm is having a hard time understanding what the problem is, because not to long ago the old and the new groups parted as friends (issue 94). Now Marvel Girl chimes in claiming that Storm is no friend of hers and she let's her know that the old crew is back and they intend to reclaim their rightful position as the X-Men.

Nightcrawler reminds the old team that it was their choice to leave (issue 94) and that no one forced them out.

Iceman: "We changed our minds, Fur-face. So why don't you pack the Psycho (Wolvie) here into his portable padded cell an' butt out."

Wolvie: "Who're you callin' a psycho punk?!"

Iceman: "If the shoe fits, shrimp…"

Wow, them there's fightin' words if I ever heard em! Nightcrawler attempts to restrain Wolverine, only to be greeted with a right cross by Beast. Cyclops attempts to quell the hostilities, but to no avail, the fight is on!

Ok, I've just spent 20 minutes trying to put this 12-page fight sequence into words and I'm not even coming close to doing it justice. I'm going to make a slight departure from my regular style of reviewing panel by panel and just try to sum up these pages in a couple of paragraphs.

The fight starts off with the "old school" crew beating up on the "still wet behind the ears" team fairly handily. It all comes down to the fact that the veterans are fighting as a team and the rookies are all going at it as individuals. Cyclops notices the problem right away, but for some reason doesn't bother to try and do anything about it.

As the fight wares on the new team starts to realize that there's something wrong because the old team is relatively unaffected by things like Banshee's scream or Cyclops' optic blasts. As Cyclops starts to put the pieces together he realizes that they aren't actually fighting the old team……

Cyclops: "….We're not fighting people at all! We're fighting images!"

Angle (fake): "Go to the head of the class Scottie. We were wondering when you'd put it all together. Not that it'll do you any good. Sure, we're images, but we're also real. We can hurt, we can kill, and we never get tired. It's only a matter of time before we wear you down. Heck Scott, you don't even know who, or what is creating us. You can't stop us."

Wow sounds bad, real bad. But wait! Professor X to the rescue!

Professor X: "Break off this battle, X-Men! For as I created both the old and new teams….created both sides of this insane conflict…so shall I destroy them!"

Gulp.

With that, all of the old team just up and disappear! That's convenient.

Needless to say the X-Men are having a hard time understanding what's going on. Just as the Prof. is starting to explain things, there comes the sound of laughter…..

Banshee: "Hold up, troops! If Xavier's behind all this, how come I hear someone laughin,?"

Evil Xavier Lookin' Bad Dude: "Because your mentor is not the mastermind of this entertainment, little man, it is I!………….suffice it to say that I'm the deadliest foe you've ever faced…"

OH NO! Not the "deadliest foe you've ever faced" guy again! The X-Men fight him just about every issue it seems. You'd think the mighty Marvel bullpen could have come up with something more original then that by now…

After a few vain attempt to attack "Evil Xavier Lookin' Bad Dude" (we still don't know who it is…), Xavier starts to play some mind games of his own. He makes it appear like the old X-Crew is back and they attack "Evil Xavier Lookin' Bad Dude". Then all of a sudden "POP!" the old X-Men and "Evil Xavier Lookin' Bad Dude" just disappear.

Prof. X: "The Sanctity of my mind is very precious to me. I'll not have it usurped by anyone, least of all myself. That was my evil self, X-Men. The Charles Xavier who would use his powers for personal gain and conquest, the Mr. Hyde to my Dr. Jekyll."

Well of course! It was Xaviers evil self, I should have known. Hehehehe, whatever. The Prof. finally starts to wake up in front of the star-gate where we last left off from reality. As he comes to he's very relieved to have that part of his dream over with (me to). Well, that's it for this issue kiddies.

In our next issue get ready for The Starjammers!

Review

The GoodThe fight scene that lasted for 12 pages was one of the coolest ever. Part of it has Colossus grabing Nightcrawler in one hand and performing what may well be the first "fastball special" to date (correct me if I'm wrong). Of course he manages to perfect this technique with Wolverine later on in their carriers.

The BadWhy did Bob Brown pencil this book? Was Cockrum on vacation or something? I guess Bob did an OK job, but nothing to write home about.

The UglyI personally just wasn't invested in this story. It just seemed like filler between the last issue and the next one. The entire "Xavier has bad dreams" plot is kind of thin if you ask me.

Best LineI like just about every line that's not politically correct. There are several comments about Wolverines height, Storm gets called "Honey-bunch" by the fake Angel and he also calls Colossus a "Russkie". There are others, but those are the best.

Cheesiest LineThis is a pick 'em. There are so many barbs thrown around between the old (fake) and new team that picking just one isn't even an option.

RATINGS

Plot: 5 (Face it, this issue was filler material.)

Dialogue: 8(Anything this non-pc is cool even if it is mostly silly.)

Art: 6(Sorry Bob, I knew Jack Kennedy and you're no Jack Kennedy……)

Overall: 6.3 (Good book to read "just for fun", but the books before and after make this one seem weak.)

[realitytrip]

Well, yes, this was a filler issue. If I remember correctly, Claremont even says so in the letter page, something about Cockrum falling victim to the "Dreaded Deadline Doom". I can sort of understand it, what with all the characters that would show up in 107, but still a bimonthly 17 page book and he couldn't do it in time? Cockrum was ahead of his time, I guess, it would take 15 years before the Image artists made him look quick. And the letters page also mentioned the story had been in the can for a long time, which was why the characterizations seemed so dated (around Xmen 95-96) and I guess it gave them a chance to give a tribute to Bob Brown who had recenly passed away. More than you needed to know about a fill in book from the late 70s, I know.......

[OldGuy]

That's good info, thanks for posting it.