Friday 25 January 2013

Uncanny X-Men #223: More Character Moments

Uncanny X-Men #223 is another issue without a strong central focus. There is the ongoing adventures of Storm and Naze, who are looking for Forge. This gets quite a few more pages than usual, but nothing conclusive happens. Freedom Force get three new members, in the persons of the Super Sabre, Stonewall and Crimson Commando: the trio of older heroes that Storm and Wolverine had fought in #214. Most of the issue is taken up with a series of character moments for the X-Men, who have made a temporary base on an island in San Francisco (Alcatraz, specifically).

The chief of these is Maddy and Alex. They have both been let down by loved ones: Alex's girlfriend has been mindcontrolled into being evil (again); and Maddy's husband deserted her, her entire life was erased, and her son has been abducted. Alex finds Maddy very upset, and talks her down from a clifftop, by sharing his own tale of woe, and urging her to think of little Baby X. They find some solace. This is what, the third issue of X-Men or associated books dealing with suicide in about a year?

4 comments:

  1. who have made a temporary base on an island in San Francisco

    The more things change...

    I wonder where all the tourists are? Or does this predate Alcatraz becoming a tourist attraction?

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    1. The more things change...

      SF has definitely been the X-Men's second city, even before Utopia! I plan to write an article about this at some point.

      I suppose in 616 it must still be disused - there should be tourists.

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  2. By the way, you say this is the third X-related title to deal with suicide around this time. I know there was a Very Special Episodes of New Mutants 46 that dealt with this theme, but what was the other book/issue?

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    1. I think I'm referring to the backup in Classic X-Men #15 (linked on the sidebar).

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