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

Wednesday, April 27, 2022

X-amining Deadpool #2 - Patreon First!

"Operation: Rescue Weasel! (or: Operation: That Whacky Doctor’s Game!)"
February 1997

In a Nutshell
Deadpool battles Taskmaster in defense of Weasel!

Writer: Joe Kelly
Penciler: Ed McGuiness
Inkers: Nathan Massengill & Norman Lee
Letters: RS/Comicraft/DL
Colors: Chris Lichtner
Enhancement: Digital Chameleon
Editor: Matt Idelson
Editor-in-Chief: Bob Harras 

Plot
Deadpool watches a sleeping Siryn through a window at the X-Mansion, then teleports away, lamenting that his feelings for her aren't reciprocated. Meanwhile, Weasel is kidnapped. The next morning, Blind Al teases Deadpool about his unrequited love for Siryn. When he seeks out a more comforting ear in Weasel, he discovers his friend is missing. Thanks to a special homing beacon, he tracks Weasel to a training academy run by the super-villain instructor Taskmaster. Deadpool is captured and reunited with Weasel, who isn't being held captive: Taskmaster has offered him a job, and he's considering taking it. Hurt, Deadpool agrees to fight Taskmaster as part of a class, and is soundly between, thanks to Taskmaster having copied Deadpool's fighting moves. Deadpool counters by using techniques he's never used before, giving him the edge over Taskmaster and humiliating him in front of his students, who leave the school. Taskmaster swears revenge on Deadpool, and Deadpool gets Weasel to agree to come back to work with him in exchange for the benefits Taskmaster promised him. 

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Tuesday, April 26, 2022

X-amining Classic X-Men #15 - Patreon First

"Starjammers Aloft!"
December 1987

In a Nutshell
Corsair encounters the future Starjammers on a Shi'ar prison world. 

Writer: Chris Claremont
Artist: John Bolton, Chuck Patton (additional pages)
Inker: Terry Austin (additional pages)
Letters: Tom Orzechowski, Diana Albers (additional pages)
Colors: Petra Scotese, Glynis Wein (additional pages)
Editor: Ann Nocenti
Editor-in-Chief: Jim Shooter

Plot
Christopher Summers is a broken man. Captured by the Shi'ar emperor in an attack that sent his sons plummeting to the Earth, only to watch his wife be slain by the emperor shortly thereafter, he has lived out his time since doing hard labor on a Shi'ar penal planet. He is so broken he doesn't even help when a cat-like woman is accosted by two guards. But when he's later questioned about the incident by two of the woman's friends and fellow prisoners, Ch'od and Raza, he finds a defiance within himself and decides to fight back. Using the fact that the guards consider him beneath their notice, he helps free the woman, and together, the foursome slay the guards who had taken her. The woman cautions that they'll continue to be hunted unless they can leave the planet, but for that, they'd need a pilot. Christopher tells them he's a pilot, and offers to join them, if they'll have him. The other three agree and ask his name; he responds that it is "Corsair".

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Wednesday, April 20, 2022

X-amining X-Force #63

"Wish You Were Here"
February 1997

In a Nutshell
X-Force is pulled into a conflict over the legacy of Doctor Doom!

Writer: John Francis Moore
Penciler: Anthony Castrillo
Inkers: Mark Morales with Chad Hunt
Letterer: Richard Starkings & Comicraft
Colorist: Lee Ann Clark with GCW 
Editor-in-Chief: Bob Harras

Plot
Meltdown awakens in a strange town and eventually runs into its only other resident, a man named Dimitri Fortunov who has been in the town for a week. Meltdown thinks back to how she got there: X-Force had been tasked by Nathanial Richards to acquire Doctor Doom's time traveling technology before it fell into the wrong hands. After infiltrating his castle, X-Force was attacked by Doombots and in the ensuing fight, Meltdown was knocked out and woke up in her current situation. Dimitri explains that he is the heir to Latveria following Doom's death, at which point a looming image of Cable in the sky reveals the truth: they've had their consciousnesses transferred into miniature synthetic clones and placed in Doom's artificial miniature city of Liddleville. Outside the castle, Sunspot, Warpath and Caliban wait as backup with a tribe of Romani whom Cable knows. When a woman named Sofia touches Warpath, she faints. Inside the castle, Cable restores Meltdown and Dimitri's minds to their bodies, and they proceed to Doom's time platform, only to find GW Bridge and SHIELD waiting for them. SHIELD wants the tech for themselves, while Dimitri wants to use it for the benefit of Latveria. During the ensuing fight, Dimitri is knocked into the platform's control panel. Outside, Sofia's mother explains that Sofia has precognitive abilities, and something in Warpath's future scared her enough to knock her out. Just then, the group is stunned to realize Castle Doom has suddenly disappeared! 

Tuesday, April 19, 2022

X-amining X-Men: The Animated Series 3x14 - Patreon First

"The Fate of the Phoenix"

Original Airdate
November 26, 1994

Writer
Brooks Wachtel 

Plot
With the Imperial Guard poised to take Jean Grey into custody in response to Dark Phoenix's actions, Professor X hastily invokes a Shi'ar right to a duel for Jean's life: the X-Men and the Guard will battle for Jean's fate. Everyone is transported to Lilandra's ship, and after conferring with her galactic allies, Lilandra agrees. The next morning, both groups are teleported to the habitable Blue Area of the moon, and the duel commences. The X-Men hold their own but are largely overmatched. Soon, only Cyclops and Jean are left standing, and when Cyclops is hit, Jean unleashes the Phoenix Force, reverting to Dark Phoenix. Lilandra opens fire and Xavier telepathically revives the X-Men to attack Phoenix, while Jean is able to assert enough control to hold Phoenix back slightly. She then turns one of the Shi'ar ship's weapons on herself, obliterating herself. However, the Phoenix Force is unharmed and, free of its connection to Jean's human form, far more rationale. It offers to revive Jean in exchange for the life force of another, and each of the X-Men volunteer a bit of their "fire" to bring Jean back to life. The Phoenix leaves to once more roam the cosmos, while the X-Men return to Earth to begin grappling with their recent experiences. 

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Wednesday, April 13, 2022

X-amining Generation X #24

"Home for the Holidays"
February 1997

In a Nutshell
Emma and the girls celebrate Christmas in Monaco!

Writer: Scott Lobdell
Penciler: Rick Leonardi & Mitch Byrd
Inker: Bud Larosa and Jason Martin
Letterer: Richard Starkings & Comicraft
Colorist: Steve Buccellato
Editor: Bob Harras

Plot
Emma Frost loves Christmas, and she has taken Monet, Jubilee, and Paige to Monet's home in Monaco for the holiday. In the interest of camaraderie, Jubilee suggests they all share something about themselves the others don't know, leading each woman to share how the experience of their powers first manifesting. Meanwhile, back at the school, Mondo trudges through the snowy grounds to meet a mysterious figure; when he asks if its time yet, the figure tells him to be patient; the time will come - sooner than he thinks. 

Tuesday, April 12, 2022

X-amining Classic X-Men #14 - Patreon First!

"What Stuff Our Dreams Are Made Of"
October 1987

In a Nutshell
After receiving a psychic transmission from Charles Xavier, Lilandra heads towards Earth to seek the help of her beloved!

Writer: Chris Claremont
Artist: John Bolton, Chuck Patton (added pages)
Inker: Dan Green (added pages)
Letters: Tom Orzechowski, Diana Albers (added pages)
Colors: Glynis Wein, Michael Higgins (added pages)
Editor: Ann Nocenti
Editor-in-Chief: Jim Shooter

Plot
Captured by forces loyal to her brother, the Emperor D'Ken, Lilandra is about to be executed. Just then, a group of Shi'ar Pathfinders loyal to her attack, allowing her to escape in a small scout ship. As she races away from her captors, she suddenly becomes psychically connected to an Earthling named Charles Xavier. Struggling to regain her sense of self as Xavier's mind merges with hers, she discovers that the Pathfinders were all killed by the Shi'ar forces. Alone, she decides her only hope of stopping her brother's mad plans is to seek out Xavier and his X-Men, and thus sets out for Earth. 

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Wednesday, April 6, 2022

X-amining Cable #40

"Into the Dark"

February 1997


In a Nutshell

Cable, Domino & Douglock rescue Rene Majcomb from First Strike!


Writer: Todd Dezago

Penciler: Scott Clark

Inker: Chris Carlson

Letterer: Richard Starkings & Comicraft

Colorist: Mike Thomas

Editor-in-Chief: Bob Harras


Plot

Cable, Domino and Douglock creep through the woods surrounding a house, seeking out Renee Majcomb. Their presence is detected by a group of masked soldiers called First Strike who work for Bastion and who are also seeking Majcomb. Cable thinks back to how Moira MacTaggert sent Douglock to the X-Mansion in order to recreate Xavier's files on the Mutant Underground, including the location of Majcomb, whom Moira learned was in danger. Meanwhile, inside the house, Majcomb's mutant protector Abyss discovers First Strike's presence. He attacks, absorbing one of the soldiers into his void, but is surprised when she almost dies. Cable manages to take one of the other soldiers hostage, triggering a standoff, at which point he determines that the First Strikers' armor reacts poorly to Abyss' void. He convinces them to give up their fight and return to base, then tries to extract Majcomb. But she insists she is safe enough with Abyss, who is better off being alone with her anyway as they continue her work to cure the Legacy Virus, given he is infected with it himself. 

Tuesday, April 5, 2022

X-amining X-Men: The Animated Series 3x13 - Patreon First!

"The Dark Phoenix"

Original Airdate
November 19, 1994

Writer
Larry Parr

Plot
In the wake of the Inner Circle club's defeat, Dark Phoenix attacks the X-Men, their battle spilling out into the nearby Central Park. She easily overpowers them all, but is unable to kill them. Instead, she flies off into space. Hungry for more energy, she devours a star, thereby destroying an uninhabited system, but her actions are observed by a Shi'ar research vessel, which informs Empress Lilandra of the new danger posed by the Phoenix. Back on Earth, Cyclops is aware of Dark Phoenix' actions through his psychic rapport with Jean, and declares that she's heading back home. Beast proceeds to build a mnemonic scrambler in the hopes of disabling Dark Phoenix' mind long enough for the X-Men to overpower her. Dark Phoenix returns to Earth and goes to Jean's childhood home, where the X-Men are waiting. Gambit manages to get the scrambler on Dark Phoenix, but she quickly burns out it. Just then Xavier enters Dark Phoenix' mind and with the help of Jean, is able to telepathically contain the Phoenix Force, restoring Jean's control of her body. The X-Men cautiously celebrate their victory, just as Lilandra and the Imperial Guard arrive, declaring their intent to arrest Jean. 

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