X-amining Excalibur #103

"Bend Sinister Reprise"

November 1996

In a Nutshell

Shadowcat, Colossus, and Nightcrawler are confronted with manifestations of their darker selves by Belasco

Writer: Warren Ellis

Artist: Carlos Pacheco

Inkers: Scott Koblish & Bob Wiacek 

Letterer: Richard Starkings

Colorist: Ariane Lenshoek

Editor: Matt Idelson

Editor-in-Chief: Bob Harras

Plot

Kitty, Nightcrawler and Colossus wake up in a village populated by no one except alternate versions of themselves. Exploring the village, Kitty realizes they are all darker alternate selves, representing the sides of themselves they try to repress. As the three teammates make their way through the town, they come to realize they are trapped in Limbo, and only emerge once they've affirmed the attributes which have enabled them to survive all the darkness they've faced recently. They begin to fade away, much to Belasco's delight, who had been watching alongside a captive Margali, the three heroes having endured the test he administered to them ahead of a likely confrontation. Back on Muir Island, the rest of Excalibur is relieved to have their missing teammates home, and Wisdom declares his love for Kitty. 

X-amining Excalibur #98

"Fireflies"

June 1996

In a Nutshell

Excalibur takes out a Black Air base in search of Douglock

Writer: Warren Ellis
Penciler: Carlos Pacheco
Inker: Bob Wiacek 
Letterer: Richard Starkings & Comicraft
Colorist: Ariane Lenshoek

Separations: Malibu Hues 
Editor: Suzanne Gaffney
Editor-in-Chief: Bob Harras

Plot

In the wake of Douglock's abduction by Black Air, Nightcrawler decides it's time for Excalibur to strike back. Wisdom reasons that Black Air would have either taken Douglock to their acquisition station, or directly to their London headquarters. Nightcrawler proceeds to plot out a surgical strike on the acquisition station, which the team carries out efficiently & effectively. They discover Douglock isn't there, but do confirm he is at the London HQ. Meggan then uses her elemental powers to destroy the station. Meanwhile, Brian Braddock is briefed on the Inner Circle's recent activities by the Black Queen, after which he meets with Scribe, who is scared of the club's plans and tells him of the strange behavior of the Red King following the arrival of the Red Queen, prompting Brian to wonder if the Red King is Mountjoy in disguise. Just then, strange lights appear in the skies over London, which Scribe days is a glimpse of what is about to happen. Elsewhere, two Black Air techs begin dissecting Douglock and discover files about the Legacy Virus buried in his programming.  

X-amining Excalibur #96

"Fireback"
April 1996

In a Nutshell

Shinobi Shaw asks Captain Britain to infiltrate the London Hellfire Club as its Inner Circle puts their plans in motion. 

Writer: Warren Ellis
Artist: Carlos Pacheco
Inker: Bob Wiacek
Letterer: Richard Starkings & Comicraft
Colorist: Ariane Lenshoek

Separations: Malibu Hues
Editor: Suzanne Gaffney
Editor-in-Chief: Bob Harras

Plot

In Westchester, Jean Grey finds Alistair Stuart at the gates of the X-Mansion, asking for help in reaching Excalibur, before they are all killed. Meanwhile, at the New York Hellfire Club, Shinobi Shaw laments his lack of agents inside the Inner Circle of the club's London branch, and reluctantly decides to reach out to Brian Braddock. At Muir Island, Nightcrawler is showing off his new look to Kitty & Colossus while practicing soccer, when Meggan interrupts to tell him he has a phone call. At the London Hellfire Club, the Black and Red Kings verbally spar as they discuss their plans for Black Air. Back on Mur Island, Nightcrawler, Kitty, and Colossus take a call from Alistair, who warns them of trouble afoot involving Black Air. Nightcrawler says he will take the Midnight Flit to retrieve him. Meanwhile, Sebastian Shaw meets with Black Air agent Scratch, trading him a mysterious box for files, before departing for a rendezvous with Tessa. Back on Muir Island, Nightcrawler departs in the Flit as Brian receives a call from Shinobi, who asks him to infiltrate the London club, warning him that the Inner Circle has a new member: Mountjoy. Outside, Douglock contemplates his being, and decides to put aside logic in favor of chaos. Later, as the Midnight Flit crosses into British air space with Alistair aboard, it is attacked by Black Air attack helicopters, which send it crashing to the ground. 

X-amining Excalibur #95

"Amplified Heart"
March 1996

In a Nutshell
Nate Grey gets yelled at by Moira.

Writer; Warren Ellis
Artist: Carlos Pacheco
Inker: Bob Wiacek
Letterer: Richard Starkings
Colorist: Joe Rosas
Separations: Malibu Hues
Editor: Suzanne Gaffney
Editor-in-Chief: Bob Harras

Plot
Following an explosion, Excalibur converges on Muir Island's communications room, where Nate Grey is accusing Moira MacTaggart of running a shady operation to experiment on mutants. But Moira stands up for herself, and admonishes Nate for consistently reacting to half-truths from untrustworthy sources. She opens her mind to him, and he sees the truth: that his own powers - not Moira or Xavier or anyone else - will kill him before he turns 21. Excalibur then tries to calm him down further, allowing him to read all their minds to show him their commitment to helping mutants and improving the world. Convinced he was in the wrong and that neither Moira nor Excalibur is out to get him, he flies off, leaving Moira to wonder if he'll live long enough to ever return.

X-amining Starjammers #1-4

"Cepheid Variable" / "Nebulae" / "Collapsar" / "Nova"
October 1995 - January 1996

In a Nutshell
The Starjammers are caught in a war between the Shi'ar and the Uncreated!

Writer: Warren Ellis
Penciler: Carlos Pacheco
Inkers: Cam Smith, Mike Miller (issue #2), Mike Christian, Art Nichols & Andew Pepoy (issue #3),  Bob Wicek, Dan Panosian & Mark Pennington (issue #4)
Letters: Richard Starkings & Comicraft
Colors: Joe Rosas
Computer Color: Malibu
Editor: Suzanne Gaffney
Editor-in-Chief: Bob Harras

Plot
Following the annexation of the Kree Empire by the Shi'ar, the Starjammers have been helping resettle Kree refugees on worlds of the Clench, a loose confederation of worlds independent of the Shi'ar, operating out of a Clench world called Standing Still. Meanwhile, planets - both Clench & Shi'ar - are being wiped out by the alien Uncreated who, having killed the being they believed to be their god, are wiping out all worlds which practice any sort of religion. When a small fleet of Shi'ar battlecruisers engage the Uncreated, they discover they only possess three ships, despite their massive power. During the ensuing fight, one of the three craft is damaged, though the Shi'ar sustain heavy losses. The Starjammers get caught in the crossfire, and end up hiding inside a nearby nebula. As Lilandra orders her Minister of Peace, a former supporter of her mad brother, to assemble an armada to face the Uncreated, the Starjammers discover the damaged Uncreated ship is hiding in the nebula as well. They manage to destroy it - gaining access to valuable intel about the Uncreated in the process - but the Starjammer is badly damaged and stalled as the Shi'ar close in.

X-amining Excalibur #90

"Dream Nails Part 3: Blood Eagle"
October 1995

In a Nutshell
Kitty & Pete Wisdom take down the Dream Nails base.

Writer: Warren Ellis
Artists: Ken Lashley, David Williams, Carlos Pacheco & Larry Stroman
Inkers: Tom Wegrzyn, Mike Miller, Cam Smith & Larry Stroman
Letterer: Richard Starkings
Colorist: Joe Rosas, Ariane Lenshoek & Malibu
Editor: Suzanne Gaffney
Editor-in-Chief: Bob Harras

Plot
A captive Wisdom awakens to find himself being tortured by Shrine, a telepath who intends to trigger painful memories of Wisdom's past which will stress him out, thereby activating the Blood Eagle virus Black Air has created which causes physical pain tuned to stressful reactions. Elsewhere, Kitty searches Dream Nails for Wisdom. Meanwhile, Wolfsbane arrives on Muir Isle. Back at Dream Nails, Kitty discovers specimens of alien species encountered by Black Air, and runs into the escaped Uncreated, the aliens whom Black Air weaponized to create Blood Eagle. At Muir Island, Rory assures Amanda Sefton he has no intention of letting anything happen to put him on the path to becoming Ahab, but when he resumes his treatment of Spoor, Spoor reveals he knows that Rory has run out of the mood stabilizers which make him immune to Spoor's powers. At Dream Nails, Kitty phases past the Uncreated while Wisdom turns the tables on Shrine, overwhelming him with the horror of Wisdom's memories, allowing him to escape. At the same time, Spoor goads Rory into attacking him, which triggers the defensive laser grid, slicing off Rory's leg. At Dream Nails, Wisdom & Kitty reunite, then trigger an explosion which destroys the base. Flying back to Muir, they set the Midnight Runner on autopilot as they succumb to their romantic feelings for one another.