X-amining Wolverine: Evilution

"Evilution"
1994

In a Nutshell
Wolverine & Boom-Boom team-up when a teen cult raises a demon.

Writer: Ann Nocenti
Layouts: Mark Texeira
Penciler: John Royle
Inkers: Phillip Moy & Andrew Pepoy
Letterer: Dave Sharpe
Colorist: Monica Bennet
Editor: Suzanne Gaffney
Group Editor: Bob Harras
Editor-in-Chief: Tom DeFalco

Plot
A strange dream leads Wolverine to the small town of Prescott, which is dealing with the pollution caused by a recently-closed nuclear power plant in town. Boom-Boom is also in town, as she periodically visits the mall there, and they both encounter members of the Devos, a cult of young people dedicated to destroying technology and returning the world to a more primitive state. Using rituals involving animals & technology, the Devos manage to summon an ancient demon. Wolverine tells Boom-Boom to leave town, but she doesn't, and is captured by the Devos. With the help of a local, Red Water Fall, Wolverine tracks the Devos to the abandoned power plant, where they intend to sacrifice Boom-Boom. Wolverine & Red Water Fall rescue her, and then Wolverine & Boom-Boom team-up to defeat the demon and shut down the Devos, but the demon swears he will return.

X-amining New Mutants Summer Special #1

"A Mutant in Megalopolis"
May 1990

In a Nutshell
The New Mutants are transported to a strange world built around personifications of media. 

Writer: Ann Nocenti
Artist: Bret Blevins
Letterer: Bill Oakley
Colorist: Greg Wright
Editor: Bob Harras
Editor-in-Chief: Tom DeFalco

Plot
Upset by the horrible state of the world she sees on TV, Rahne runs outside, chased by Boom-Boom, only to discover the nearby river is horribly polluted. Overhearing them, a group of local children resolve to clean up the river. Meanwhile, the TV-obsessed Warlock picks up what he believes to be a new TV channel, but is actually a signal generated by the alien Vidiot, who proceeds to transport Warlock, Boom-Boom, Rahne and Roberto into a strange world inside the TV. The New Mutants are immediately bombarded by personifications of media theorems like situational ethics, mutually assured destruction, and constant, blaring advertisements. Eventually, they journey to the center of the world, a city named Megalopolis, and help oust the leader, the Mediamogul, thereby freeing the people of Megalopolis. Back on Earth, the local children stage a sit-in at the river, creating enough of a spectacle to attract the local news, which then forces the company which polluted the river to clean it up in the name of publicity. Returning home, the New Mutants gather up their TVs and prepare to destroy them but, learning how the kids were able to use the media to clean up the river, they relent. Conflicted, the New Mutants ultimately decide to keep their TVs, if only to keep watching their favorite show, Twin Peaks.

X-amining Daredevil #269

"Lone Stranger"
August 1989

In a Nutshell 
Daredevil fights Blob & Pyro. 

Writer: Ann Nocenti
Penciler: John Romita Jr. 
Inker: Al Williamson
Letterer: Joe Rosen
Colorist: Max Scheele
Editor: Ralph Macchio
Editor-in-Chief: Tom DeFalco

Plot
Blob and Pyro of Freedom Force, tasked with bringing in an unregistered mutant, arrive in a small town, teleported there by Spiral. They find the residents of the town less than welcoming, but their mutant powers and federal authority give them the run of the place. Meanwhile, Matt Murdock arrives in town and, feeling that the Mutant Registration Act is a violation of civil rights, decides to find the mutant before Freedom Force can. After getting Blob and Pyro drunk, he overhears one of the locals selling out the mutant to Pyro, and races to her location ahead of Freedom Force. As Daredevil, he gets the mutant, a young woman named Amanda, out of the bell tower where she's hiding just as Pyro attacks, but he's overwhelmed by Pyro's flames and passes out.

X-amining Beauty and the Beast #1-4

"Beauty and the Beast / Heartbreak Hotel / Showtime / Checkmate"
December 1984 - June 1985

In a Nutshell
Beast and Dazzler fall in love and get caught up in an underground mutant fighting ring. 

Writer: Ann Nocenti
Pencils: Don Perlin  
Inker: Kim DeMulder
Letterer: Joe Rosen
Colors: George Roussos (issue #1), Petra Scotese
Editor: Michael Higgins
Editor-in-Chief: Jim Shooter

Plot
Issue #1: In Latveria, Dr. Doom receives word that a boy claiming Doom is his father has reached adulthood and is living in Californa. Doom decides to keep an eye on him. At that moment, Beast arrives in Hollywood, on vacation, while Dazzler mourns the loss of her singing career following her outing as a mutant. She is approached by Alexander Flynn, who wants her to perform in an experimental underground theater for his boss, Hugo Longride. Eager to be back in the spotlight, she agrees. Beast runs into her at a party, and is turned off by the new company she's keeping. However, when her power suddenly goes out of control and she runs off, Beast tracks her down to the Heartbreak Hotel and promises to take care of her. Issue #2: As Beast tends to Dazzler, the pair grow closer and fall in love amongst the other mutants living at Heartbreak Hotel. Flynn finds Dazzler and offers to help her get her power under control if she honors her contract and performs in his theater. She agrees, over Beast's objections. He nevertheless attends her first performance, but is horrified to discover the theater is actually an arena in which mutants fight one another for sport. Flynn claims the whole thing is staged, despite the death of a mutant in the arena, but Beast doesn't buy it, and urges Dazzler to leave. But feeling a kinship with the other misfit mutant performers, she decides to stay.