X-amining X-Factor #131

"Brotherhood"

February 1997

In a Nutshell

Havok tracks down the captive Dark Beast and invites him to join his new Brotherhood!

Writer: Howard Mackie
Penciler: Jeff Matsuda
Inker: Art Thibert
Letterer: Richard Starkings & Comicraft
Colorist: Glynis Oliver
Editor: Kelly Corvese
Editor-in-Chief: Bob Harras

Plot

Havok is being haunted by dreams of his past in which he is dominated and controlled by others, including Professor X, Mister Sinister, and Dark Beast. Deciding to take control of his own life, he locates Dark Beast, who is being held in a government facility. He attacks the facility, freeing both Dark Beast and the teleporter Fatale. Dark Beast thinks Havok is there to kill him, but instead, Havok offers them both a place with his new Brotherhood. Faced with no other options, they accept, with Dark Beast seeing in Havok something of his reality's counterpart. 

X-amining Classic X-Men #13 - Patreon First!

"Lifesigns"

September 1987

In a Nutshell

Misty Knight & Phoenix save a family...of dolphins. 

Writer: Chris Claremont
Artist: John Bolton, Bob Layton (added pages)

Letters: Tom Orzechowski, Diana Albers (added pages)
Colors: Petra Scotese, Evenlyn Stenin (added pages)

Editor: Ann Nocenti
Editor-in-Chief: Jim Shooter

Plot

Jean is spending the weekend with her roommate Misty Knight, along with Misty's boyfriend Danny Rand and her partner Colleen Wing, at Danny's beach house. Misty remains uneasy about Jean's newfound increase in power, a sentiment Jean shares. Suddenly, Jean telepathically senses a family in danger, and flies out over the ocean. Misty follows in Danny's boat and discovers a shark circling the water where Jean entered. Misty fights off the shark, after which Jean emerges from the water and reveals that the family in danger was a pod of dolphins. Misty is incensed that she risked her life for a group of animals, but when Jean allows her to telepathically hear the dolphins' thoughts, she gains a newfound respect for the balance of nature and all things in it, including Phoenix. 

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X-amining Wolverine #110

"Lesser Beasts"

February 1997

In a Nutshell

Wolverine and Shaman battle a demonically possessed bear!

Script: Tom DeFalco
Pencils: Joe Bennet
Inks: Joe Pimentel 
Letters: Richard Starings & Comicraft's Emerson Miranda
Colors: Joe Andreani, Paul Becton, Graphic Colorworks 
Editor: Bob Harras

Plot
Inside a cave, a bear knocks over a clay pot, becoming possessed by an evil spirit. Elsewhere, two crooks rob a convenience store, then hide in a nature preserve. Canadian Mounties enlist the aid of Shaman and Wolverine to track them down. Shaman warns Wolverine that he senses the revival of a Great Beast having occurred nearby. When Mounties cordon off the preserve and blocks the Totebind family from conducting their camping trip, Catherine berates her meek husband Bob into sneaking onto the grounds. Inside, they encounter the crooks, who take them hostage. Wolverine intervenes, ordering the crooks to release the family, but just then the bear possessed by the Great Beast attacks. Catherine and the crooks flee, but Bob stays behind and helps Wolverine fight the creature. Doing his best to control his own animal instinct to kill, Wolverine knocks out the bear, after which Shaman exorcises it of the Great Beast's possession. Elsewhere, the crooks decide to kill Catherine, but Wolverine and Bob catch up to them. Wolverine knocks out one of the crooks and Bob, finding his courage, knocks out the other one. 

X-amining X-Men: The Animated Series 3x12 - Patreon First!

"The Dark Phoenix Saga Part II: The Inner Circle"

Original Airdate

November 12, 1994

Writer

Steven Levi 

Plot

At the X-Mansion, Professor X tries to use Cerebro to locate the X-Men, but is blocked by the White Queen. As the Inner Circle, including their new Black Queen, Jean Grey, celebrate in front of the captive X-Men, Wolverine emerges from the sewers beneath the Circle Club and begins to make his way upstairs. With the Inner Circle fighting amongst themselves, Cyclops uses his psychic link with Jean to enter her mind and try to shake Mastermind's control. But the White Queen senses his move, and sends Mastermind into Jean's mind as well. There, the two men duel until Jean appears, hitting Cyclops with a mental blast, declaring she's been set free. In the real world, Cyclops collapses, seemingly dead. Just then, Wolverine burst into the room. Jean attacks him, but when she sees him in pain, she is shocked free of Mastermind's control. She proceeds to free the X-Men, who attack the Inner Circle as Jean chases after Mastermind. As the X-Men gain the upper hand, Cyclops follows Jean to the roof, where Mastermind attempts to regain control over her. But Jean declares that Phoenix is in control, and attacks Mastermind's mind, driving him insane, anointing herself Dark Phoenix. 

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X-amining X-Men (vol. 2) #61

"Bolt"

February 1997

In a Nutshell

Storm defeats Candra and learns the truth about Jamil!

Writer: Scott Lobdell
Pencils: Cedric Nocon
Inks: Hunk & Miller
Letterer: Richard Starkings & Comicraft
Colorist: Joe Rosas
Editor: Bob Harras

Plot

In Manhattan, Archangel returns home to the sound of Psylocke in a fight, but when he bursts into the apartment, he finds her calmly sitting. Just then, Gomurr the Ancient appears, and tells them there is a price to pay for the Crimson Dawn having saved Psylocke's life. Meanwhile, at the museum, Storm battles Jamil for Candra's heartstone, as Jamil manifests both the Shadow King and Juggernaut. But when Cable appears and offers to help Storm, she realizes something is amiss: it is the young girl Karima manifesting everyone, including Jamil. Her mutant power is the ability to give form to people's desire, in this case, Candra's desire to attain the stone and Storm's desire to stop her. Outside, as the X-Men race to help Storm, Jean Grey briefly finds herself completely alone on the street. Back at the museum, Karima explains how Storm's old mentor taught her to manifest Jamil in order to disguise her power and give herself a companion. As Jamil and the other villains fade away, Candra lunges for the stone, but Storm simply tosses it at her. However, the X-Men arrive at that moment and Cyclops blasts it, destroying the stone and with it, Candra. Storm admits she knew the X-Men had arrived and were confident they'd back her up. Meanwhile, Sebastian Shaw is in Hong Kong, plotting to retake control of the Hellfire Club. 

X-amining Classic X-Men #12 - Patreon First!

"A Fire In the Night"

August 1987

In a Nutshell

Magneto dreams of the events which led to the death of his daughter and loss of his wife. 

Writer: Chris Claremont
Artist: John Bolton
Letters: Tom Orzechowski 

Colors: Glynis Oliver

Editor: Ann Nocenti
Editor-in-Chief: Jim Shooter

Plot

In Paris, the recently returned-to-adulthood Magneto dreams of his past, of escaping Auschwitz with Magda, how the pair married and built a life for themselves before settling in the Soviet Union with their daughter, Anya. Years later, Magnus' previously-unknown mutant powers subconsciously manifest when his boss cheats him out of work, with Magnus hurling a metal crowbar through the air. He flees to the inn where his family is staying, only to find it ablaze. He is able to use his nascent powers to rescue Magda, but when he attempts to return for Anya, still trapped inside, he is arrested for his earlier attack, forced to watch helplessly as his daughter burns to death. In a rage, he uses his power to kill everyone present save Magda, who flees from him in horror of what he's done. Magneto then awakens and realizes a nearby building is on fire. He proceeds to rescue a family trapped inside, and when the relieved husband and father asks to repay him, Magneto says he should simply tell the world that in this instance, Magneto the terrorist and villain, chose life over death. 

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X-amining X-Man #24

"First Noel"

February 1997

In a Nutshell

Nate and Spider-Man battle Morbius!

Writer: Terry Kavanagh
Penciler: Roger Cruz 
Inker:  Bud LaRosa
Letterer: Richard Starkings & Comicraft
Colorist: Mike Thomas

Separations: GCW
Editor: Jaye Gardner

Chief: Bob Harras

Plot

Peter Parker is spending Christmas with Mary Jane at her aunt Anna's house. He senses a disturbance in the neighbor's garage; investigating, he finds Nate Grey, who says he's been attacked. Peter realizes Nate has been bitten by Morbius, and promises to help. Meanwhile, Threnody wanders through a hospital, harvesting the energies of the dying patients. Elsewhere, Madelyne Pryor seduces Sebastian Shaw in the wake of her confrontation with Tessa. Later, Threnody visits an abandoned tenement, harvesting the energy of the dying there, and is unknowingly stalked by Morbius. Visiting her mother's grave, Threnody is confronted by Morbius, who says they have a lot in common. Just then, Nate and Peter, as Spider-Man, arrive in the graveyard and attack Morbius, but Threnody defends him. As Threnody fights Spider-Man, Nate battles Morbius, managing to break the vampire's hold over him, at which point Morbius retreats. Nate then tells Threnody he knows what she's been doing, and says he won't take her back until she stops. Nate and Spider-Man leave, after which Threnody is visited by Madelyne, asking if she's seen anyone matching Nate's description. 

X-amining X-Men: The Animated Series 3x11 - Patreon First!

"Dazzled"

Original Airdate

November 12, 1994

Writer: Jan Strnad

Plot

On Muir Island, Professor X and Moira MacTaggert study the newly-returned Jean Grey, trying to determine why, with the M'Kraan crystal safe, the Phoenix Force still resides in Jean's body. Meanwhile, Cyclops and Gambit visit the mutant singer Dazzler at a nightclub, considering asking her to join the X-Men. When Dazzler is attacked by agents of the Circle Club, the two X-Men help Dazzler fight them off. As Jean and Xavier arrive back at the mansion, the Inner Circle of the Circle Club meets, with the telepathic Emma Frost telling them of the raw power of Phoenix. Hoping to control it for themselves, they task Mastermind with using his power of illusion to gain control of Jean. At the mansion, Phoenix continues to assert its dominance over Jean. As Cyclops leaves to check on Dazzler, Emma Frost puts Mastermind in Jean's mind, where he creates a complex illusion that he and Jean are married and living in the Victorian era. When her psychic connection to Cyclops shatters the illusion, Jean flies to the club where Dazzler is performing. When she sees a grateful Dazzler embrace Cyclops, however, Jean slips back into Mastermind's illusions and leave the club with him. The X-Men track Jean to the Circle Club and break in, searching for their teammate. A fight between the Inner Circle and the X-Men breaks out, which only ends when Jean turns on her teammates, declaring that Phoenix has taken full control of her mind and body.

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X-amining Uncanny X-Men #341

"When Strikes a Gladiator"

February 1997

In a Nutshell
Cannonball fights Gladiator!

Writer: Scott Lobdell
Penciler: Joe Madureira
Inkers: Tim Townsend
Letters: Richard Starkings & Comicraft
Colors: Steve Buccellato & Team Bucce
Editor-in-Chief: Bob Harras

Plot

The X-Men are in New York during the holidays. As Beast and Trish Tilby depart for dinner, Joseph tells Rogue he has a surprise for her, prompting Gambit to sulk away alone. Bishop wants some time to himself as well, leaving Cannonball to head to a toy store to finish his Christmas shopping alone. At the toy store, a portal suddenly emerges and Gladiator, leader of the Shi'ar Imperial Guard, steps out, looking for the X-Men. Meanwhile, Joseph takes Rogue on a horse drawn carriage ride, using his magnetic powers to lift the animal and vehicle into the air. Back at the toy store, Cannonball assumes Gladiator is there to attack the X-Men, and attacks him first in an effort to get him away from bystanders. Elsewhere, Joseph brings Rogue to the top of the World Trade Center, where he's placed the modified Z'Nox chamber on which he's been working. Turning it on, he explains it will create a field which nullifies her powers, then proceeds to kiss her on the forehead before wishing her a merry Christmas. Below, Cannonball holds his own against Gladiator, managing to shake Gladiator's confidence, which weakens him, enabling Cannonball to knock him out at a construction site just as the rest of the X-Men arrive. Gladiator emerges from the rubble and explains that the Shi'ar Empire is in danger, but he's been forbidden to help, so he's come to the X-Men instead. Just then, he summons a teleportation field which sends all the X-Men except Cannonball away. When he asks Gladiator where they've gone, Gladiator explains they've been sent to Sh'iar space. 

X-amining Classic X-Men #11 - Patreon First!

"Hope"

July 1987

In a Nutshell

Storm intervenes in the life of a suicidal writer. 

Writer: Chris Claremont
Artist: John Bolton

Penciler: Dave Cockrum (additional pages)
Inker: Sam Grainger (additional pages 

Letters: Tom Orzechowski, Bill Oakley (additional pages)
Colors: Glynis Oliver, Evelyn Stein (additional pages)

Editor: Ann Nocenti
Editor-in-Chief: Jim Shooter

Plot

Famous fantasy writer Phil Halloran finds himself struggling with writers block. In the midst of an ongoing attack by an escaped serial killer, he wanders the streets of London, eventually climbing to the top of the tallest tower in the city. There, he contemplates suicide, but is spotted by Storm. A fan of his work, Storm takes him flying, telling him the world needs people like him who can express its beauty to other people. Landing back on the tower, Storm is knocked out by the serial killer. As the killer drags her away, Phil hesitates, worried Storm will stop him from killing himself, but ultimately intervenes, attacking the killer, which gives Storm time to recover and blast the killer with a lightning bolt. Weakened, she begs Phil not to kill himself, saying as long as he lives, there's always hope. But Phil just leaves to call an ambulance and the police, still unsure what he'll do afterwards. 

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