Talking about comic books, TV shows, movies, sports, and the numerous other pastimes that make us Gentlemen of Leisure.

Wednesday, November 17, 2021

X-amining X-Men (vol. 2) #60

"Night"
January 1997

In a Nutshell
Storm returns to Egypt to battle Candra

Story: Scott Lobdell
Script: Ralph Macchio
Guest Pencils: Cedric Nocon
Guest Inks: Chad Hunt
Letterer: Richard Starkings & Comicraft
Colorist: Joe Rosas
Enhancements: Graphic Colorworks
Editor: Bob Harras

Plot
Storm is attacked in her attic room by Cyclops, but she quickly realizes he is being possessed by Candra, who says she wants something Storm stole from her before releasing him. Storm tells Cyclops of the time when, as a child thief, she stole a gem which her mentor, Achmed El-Gibrar, later told her was the heart-stone of Candra, housing her soul. She then leaves to confront Candra. Meanwhile, Jean and Cannonball meet in Washington DC and discuss the recent assassination of presidential candidate Graydon Creed. In New York, Storm arrives at a museum housing a replica of an Egyptian temple. Candra emerges, holding hostage Karima, the young girl who took over from El-Gibrar. She also reveals it was Jamil, another former student of El-Gibrar who joined Candra's side, who discovered Storm possessed the heart-stone. Jamil uses his mental powers on Storm, distracting her long enough for him to obtain the gem, at which point he reveals himself to be the Shadow King!

Firsts and Other Notables
This issue is a follow-up to X-Men Unlimited #7, featuring the return of Candra as well as Karima and Jamil, the two street urchins who worked with Storm's former mentor Achmed El-Gibrar before Jamil threw in with Candra. 
 

Candra's appearance here means she survived Selene's massacre of the rest of the Externals in X-Force #54. She is after her "heart-stone", a gem containing her soul that Storm stole when she was young. It's suggested but not entirely clear here if the gem is meant to be the one that was at the center of the tiara Storm wore as part of her original X-Men costume.  

The issue concludes with Jamil seemingly revealed to be the Shadow King, though next issue will reveal this is just an illusion (as is Jamil himself). 


This issue is set after the events of X-Factor #130 and Graydon Creed's assassination, with Jean consoling Cannonball for not being able to stop the attack (Cannonball is perhaps more cut up about it than he should be...). 


A Work in Progress
Storm is able to transform her clothes into her uniform thanks to unstable molecules. 


In telling Cyclops of her theft of Candra's heart-stone, Storm also provides a recap of her "origin". 


Young Love
Jamil distracts Storm with an illusion that she's been reunited with her childhood flame, Black Panther, a reference to the second story in Marvel Team-Up #100.


Austin's Analysis
The most surprising thing about this issue is that it isn't written by Howard Mackie. Aside from its connections to X-Men Unlimited #7, it features the return of Candra (a character who, near as I can tell, no one except Howard Mackie has ever cared about) and the pair of young mutant thieves from that story. In doing so, it marks the point at which this series officially enters time killing mode before the arrival of Carlos Pacheco as the new regular penciler (and, to a larger extent, before "Operator: Zero Tolerance" starts in earnest). As fill-in-ish stories go, following up on a previous story's plot threads and bringing back the Shadow King aren't the worst things to do, but the abruptness of the plot (none of this has anything to do with "Onslaught", "OZT", Creed, the Legacy Virus, or any other more prominent subplots) and the way it very pointedly sends Storm out on her own without any other X-Men just underscores how tossed off the whole thing feels (to say nothing of the reveal next issue about Shadow King's true involvement). Technically, this issue is written and drawn well enough, workmanlike if not exciting, but it's hard to escape just how much it feels like a book killing time before something better comes along.  

Next Issue
Tomorrow, Wolverine #109. Next week, Rise of Apocalypse #1-4!

Like what you read? Then support us on Patreon & gain access to exclusive reviews of Classic X-Men, X-Men: The Animated Series, and more!

3 comments:

  1. I don't remember if I caught it when I read this issue way back in the day, but I was also trying to figure out if the gem from Storm's original costume was meant to be Candra's "heart". Weird that the story doesn't outright state it, though perhaps the intention was for the artwork to be more explicit on the subject, and Cedric Nocon didn't realize.

    (Speaking of Nocon, he seems to be one of the better fill-in guys of this era. He has a decent, if unpolished, grasp of anatomy and perspective, something a lot of the other Joe Mad impersonators lacked.)

    "She then leaves to return to Egypt and confront Candra."

    I think you may have missed something in the narration... Storm doesn't actually go to Egypt in this issue. She's at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, fighting Candra in a reconstruction of the Temple of Dendur.

    "Storm is able to transform her clothes into her uniform thanks to unstable molecules."

    Didn't Chris Claremont ret-con away her ability to do this? In the CLASSIC X-MEN reprints, he changed narration and/or dialogue so that it's always something else that turns her costume into street clothes and vice versa. And this is the first time I can remember seeing her do it in the comics in forever! But she did do it in the cartoon which was airing at this time, so maybe Marvel was just following suit.

    As I think about it, it's kind of weird how much this feels like an episode of the show. I can't quite put my finger on why, though. Something about the formula of one X-Man going off on a solo "adventure of the week", with brief cameos from a few other members of the cast, just screams "cartoon episode" to me. Plus, Macchio (who was the regular writer of the X-MEN ADVENTURES adaptation series) gives Storm some overly flowery dialogue when she uses her powers at one point, which is also reminiscent of her animated counterpart.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Storm doesn't actually go to Egypt in this issue. She's at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, fighting Candra in a reconstruction of the Temple of Dendur.

      Yeah, that's what I get for re-skimming quickly when writing up the plot summary.

      Didn't Chris Claremont ret-con away her ability to do this? In the CLASSIC X-MEN reprints, he changed narration and/or dialogue so that it's always something else that turns her costume into street clothes and vice versa.

      Oh, I don't recall this, but I'm gonna watch for it as I make my way through those issues.

      As I think about it, it's kind of weird how much this feels like an episode of the show.

      Yes! I had a whole bit written up in my head about how this story felt like an episode of the animated series because it featured Storm fighting Shadow King which was more or less an invention of the show, but given how this isn't *really* the Shadow King, I dropped it.

      But that vibe is still there, and you're right that the quasi-solo nature of it and some of Storm's dialogue are contributing factors.

      Delete
  2. I honestly have no memory of this issue. Usually seeing the art will bring it back a little. But here? I got nothing. It's entirely possible that I somehow didn't read it when I intially bought it I suppose.

    I can see Sam being distraught at having failed to protect Creed from assassination. At this point, most of the X-Men still had a conscience and high regard for human life. Even their enemies.

    I agree that Candra, like most of the X-Ternals, isn't that interesting. These should be boss level characters but they come across as petty thugs with delusions of grandeur. I suppose they must have fans somewhere.

    Otherwise, this a perfectly, *ahem* cromulent issue with both serviceable writing and art. I can't wait until you get to the Shang-Chi arc to see if it still holds up.

    ReplyDelete

Comment. Please. Love it? Hate it? Are mildly indifferent to it? Let us know!