X-Men

[Fist and Faith]

Hadn't realized there wasn't a thread for them.

Back around 1980, I found a book of small posters from Marvel. One page per character/group, with a little blurb. I was at the very very beginning of my collecting days, and didn't know some of the characters. In particular Shang Chi and the X-Men stood out, did to their unfamiliarity. Both seemed intriguing. I went to the corner store and found the current X-Men issue. It happened to be Wolverine in the sewers, tearing the Hellfire Club's goons apart. As they say, timing is everything. Those who know who would agree that the middle of the Dark Phoenix Saga is a heck of a good place to be introduced to the X-Men.

Shortly after, I met Alpha Flight, and watched Wolverine fight Wendigo.

And on and on. Claremont & Byrne were amazing.

[Fist and Faith]

What made me post is that I just read the X-Men Red series of a few years ago. (As opposed to the current X-Men Red series.) There have been a lot of changes to the X mythos in the last several years. So many different teams, yet somehow all the same people. But is this Jean Grey the same as the other Jean Greys in other titles? I don't know how many retcons have taken place since the original one - that Phoenix/Dark Phoenix want really Jean. But anyway, she's often very cool, and she is in this series.

The villain is Cassandra Nova. If you don't know her, she's kind of a bizarre twin of Xavier. Pretty much the same level psionics as Jean. I had only ever read about her, but this is the first time I've read comics with her. She is a piece of work. Nasty nasty.

Other characters I've never known. I don't know how many Wolverine clones there are, but I guess a couple other characters are.

All in all, I very much enjoyed it.

[sgt.null]

Last reason was when they found
Jean Grey at the bottom of some
Body of water. John Byrne did that.

Its one convoluted mess.

[Fist and Faith]

Right. That's the first one, when it turns out Phoenix/Dark Phoenix wasn't the real Jean. Because the real Jean was at the bottom of that body of water.

[sgt.null]

Then we had the clone. Madeline Pryor.

[Fist and Faith]

Right. Which I only just learned about. I knew about her. I saw their wedding. But didn't know about her origin until now. And now I also learn about a five issue mini series called Phoenix Resurrection? Where she really comes back? I don't know what the heck that's about, but I thought she already came back. I guess not. Or maybe now.

[sgt.null]

Phoenix Resurrection

Synopsis
A light in the darkness is not always welcome.

Kitty Pryde, Old Man Logan and Cyclops are leading teams of X-Men all across the globe, chasing events connected to the Phoenix. But with teammates disappearing and familiar enemies returning, the X-Men are fighting a losing battle. Beast doesn't know how or what shape it will take, but he knows they are running out of time before the Phoenix makes its true presence known. Meanwhile, a young woman named Jean is starting to go insane in her peaceful, suburban life. Nightmares and daydreams are spilling over into the world and revealing cracks in her reality. Jean's life and everything in it may just be a facade, but made by who? And why?

Jean needs to escape. The X-Men need to stop the cycle of death the Phoenix brings. Their worlds will violently collide as Jean searches for an opening and the X-Men fight for closure. But when they are brought together, will the X-Men be reunited with their long-lost teammate – or something darker?

[Fist and Faith]

But what's with the "young woman named Jean"? Who doesn't know who she is?

[sgt.null]

I dont read X-Men. Sorry.

But I interested in the new Sabretooth series..


Bleeding Cool understands that
Marvel Comics will be publishing
a much-teased and anticipated
Sabretooth & The Exiles comic
book spinning out of the current
Sabretooth series, renamed as
Sabretooth: The Adversary in the
upcoming collection. That series,
by Victor LaValle, Leonard Kirk
and Rain Beredo followed on from
the -Men storyline that showed
that the bloodthirsty mutant
Sabretooth had been condemned
to The Pit of Krakoa, for his crime
of murdering humanity. They are
Box, Oya, Melter, Nekra and Third Eye.

The series saw other people, also
condemned to the Pit for their
crimes against Krakoa, meeting
up telepathically in a hell created
by Sabretooth and his many
personalities. Since then they
have been planning their escape,
manifesting themselves on the
island of Krakoa using their combined
gifts. Previous Exiles comic books
from Marvel have focused on
characters from other parallel
dimensions banding together,
this iteration of the team is made
up of those who have been exiled
from the mutant island of Krakoa
and home for mutantkind on Earth.

[Fist and Faith]

Sabertooth never did much for me. Although it was nice when Iron Fist beat him up long ago.

[High Lord Tolkien]

Hadn't realized there wasn't a thread for them.

Back around 1980, I found a book of small posters from Marvel. One page per character/group, with a little blurb. I was at the very very beginning of my collecting days, and didn't know some of the characters. In particular Shang Chi and the X-Men stood out, did to their unfamiliarity. Both seemed intriguing. I went to the corner store and found the current X-Men issue. It happened to be Wolverine in the sewers, tearing the Hellfire Club's goons apart. As they say, timing is everything. Those who know who would agree that the middle of the Dark Phoenix Saga is a heck of a good place to be introduced to the X-Men.

I think I "discovered" the X-Men shortly after you.
The Dark Phoenix saga was over by then though.
I just missed it but that's all the X-Men books after were referencing back to.
Eventually, when comic book stores became I thing, I picked up back issues and, wow, it really was awesome.
The story, the art, just incredible.
Bryne is a master.
I didn't fall in love with Bryne's art until he did the FF series and then when I went hunting for back issues of the X-Men I was happily surprised he did them too at that time.

I tried flipping through some recent X-Men books the other day.
Didn't like it and had no idea what was going on.
Not to sound like a grumpy old man but I remember when any idiot could pick up a comic and get up to speed in a page or two.
I think Stan the Man said that being able to do so was vitally important to enjoying a comic book.

Think about it, you wouldn't buy a novel and start reading on chapter 23 and hope to figure it out eventually.

That Wendigo fight in the woods was awesome.
It was back when Wolverine was afraid of being outmatched and killed.
Kurt was scared too if I remember right.
Great issue!

[sgt.null]

Fist - I believe it was Sabretooth & Constrictor?
https://marvel.fandom.com/wiki/Power_Ma ... t_Vol_1_84

Yes, my memory isn't so shot.

I was a fan of the series, Power Man & Iron Fist.

HLT - did you like Byrne's Fantastic Four run?

[Fist and Faith]

Fist - I believe it was Sabretooth & Constrictor?
https://marvel.fandom.com/wiki/Power_Ma ... t_Vol_1_84

Yes, my memory isn't so shot.

I was a fan of the series, Power Man & Iron Fist.

Yeah, love PMIF. Happy to have every issue. But I meant this, which was Sabertooth's first appearance:
https://marvel.fandom.com/wiki/Iron_Fist_Vol_1_14

IF also beat him here:
https://marvel.fandom.com/wiki/Power_Ma ... t_Vol_1_66

IF's series was also Claremont/Byrne, so there was some crossover with the X-Men. Jean and Misty shared an apartment. And Danny beats up Wolverine, Nightcrawler, and Colossus here:
https://marvel.fandom.com/wiki/Iron_Fist_Vol_1_15

[Fist and Faith]

HLT, you are quite correct about Byrne. And his FF stuff was incredible. Truly one of the highest points in comic books.

And I know what you mean about the grumpy old man thing. But I can't blame them for trying to do create something vast, rather than just a bunch of one-shots and relatively small story arcs. Still, the things we remember most are those small story arcs. The Dark Phoenix Saga. The LSH's Great Darkness Saga. Daredevil's Born Again.

[High Lord Tolkien]

Fist - I believe it was Sabretooth & Constrictor?
https://marvel.fandom.com/wiki/Power_Ma ... t_Vol_1_84

Yes, my memory isn't so shot.

I was a fan of the series, Power Man & Iron Fist.

HLT - did you like Byrne's Fantastic Four run?

Oh yeah!
Especially the first dozen issues or so when he did everything, like inking and....whatever else is involved.
It was so unique and detailed.
And the way he drew Sue.....mmmmmmm...

[Fist and Faith]

Byrne was brilliant in FF with Terrax, Galactus, Blastaar, and others.

[sgt.null]

Also check out Byrne' Superman.
When he first started it was a team
Up book. Great stuff.

Fist - unfortunately under current
Marvel editorial there is now way
The IF beats Sabretooth.

[Fist and Faith]

Yes, Sabertooth seems to have evolved.

Fun watching Danny beat up the X-Men, though. . Of course, every halfway decent fighter knocks Wolverine around. He just doesn't get hurt.

[sgt.null]

Iron Fist should be everybody up
To about Luke Cage's level.

He seems to be the lowest level
Tank out there. Captain America
Is right above Luke.

[Fist and Faith]

Cap is way more skilled than Luke, and better suited and reflexes. I'd say Luke is a good deal stronger, and he's got the invulnerable thing going on. So Danny was all over Luke, but just couldn't hurt him. But he couldn't lay a finger on Cap.