New X-Men? #118 (Japan-A-Go-Go)

The Uncanny X-Men #118

“The Submergence Of Japan!”

Chris Claremont and John Byrne

Synopsis

The X-Men reach Japan to find the city of Agarashima virtually destroyed. With Sunfire’s help they investigate the tragedy, but what’s really going on here?

Rolling Commentary

Pages 2 and 3. You ever notice that in comics horrific destruction of cities happens a lot more often in other countries than in America? Or is it just me?

Page 5. Everybody say it with me: Wolverine rules.

Page 8. I like how the sheer staggering number of coincidences leading up to this point is barely noticed. “What’s she doing here?” indeed.

Page 10. Logan and Mariko’s first meeting. This will prove of some importance later.

Page 13. Mandroids™! Oh my god, that is amazingly lame- I WANT ONE. I mean, those are some pretty tough looking battle suits, plus, lame name! Yay!

Page 16. Colossus, dude… that was pretty awesome.

Page 17. Moses Magnum!?! Oh Jesus Christ, we couldn’t have called the Smurfs or something? No villain is more irritating than Moses Magnum!

Post Mortem

Man, and I was really enjoying this issue until the last page, too! Moses freaking Magnum. He’s a self-important asshole who, while powerful, never does anything creative with his powers. Plus, he’s got, like, the single worst name for a supervillain ever. Gah.

Anyway, yay for the return of Sunfire! I knew he’d be back eventually, but it’s nice to see him here for the finale of “Season One”. Even though no one involved was even considering these Essential Volumes when they were originally created. Still, Sunfire! Yay! He’s probably in my top 10 favorite X-characters. Even if his personality is simply “jerk”.

So, is Misty Knight like the secret character of the mid to late seventies binding all the Marvel Universe together? She lives with Jean Grey (which I didn’t know until I read this book), she’s snogging Iron Fist (which I did know before), she’s working for the US government and she’s hip enough to bitch Sunfire around. Is she with SHIELD? I should probably look that up.

Also, it’s good to see Wolverine and Cyclops slowly starting to not completely hate each other. I like to assume that Professor Xavier knew all about Wolverine’s vast assortment of talents before he signed him up. Colossus was pretty hardcore there at the end too. Like I said, up to the last page this issue is good.