Uncanny X-Men #266 continues the Storm plot so directly that I think I made a mistake not just making one post about the entire mini-arc. Oh well. Either this is much more coherent than the last issue, or I wasn't giving it enough credit for me taking a hiatus and losing track.
But anyway, let's say hello to Gambit, who makes his first appearance in the issue (presumably this is the reason I wasn't able to track down a physical copy at a decent price, had to buy a digital download!) Gambit is a thief, who has the power (presumably mutant) of kinetically charging stuff that he threw. He peppers his speech with French phrases, here and there.
In the first ish, Gambit is thieving the same house that Storm is; together they escape the Shadow King. In the second ish, they're on the run from the same; they then confront Nanny and Orphan-Maker.
Gambit is mostly the Gambit we know and love, but a few rougher edges; he's not drawn particularly pretty-boy (bit more angular and blocky - perhaps that's just the art style, though), and his humour is not quite there yet. Storm is, thank god, returning to be the Storm we know and love and, even though that involves nightmares of her past, by the end of the issue remembers the X-Men.
Meanwhile, the Shadow King continues controlling Val Cooper, and Destiny left a warning to Mystique of her upcoming assassination attempt. This is our first hint of the idea of Destiny's Diaries, something that will be a major driving point when we come to Claremont's return.
presumably this is the reason I wasn't able to track down a physical copy at a decent price
ReplyDeleteIt took me forever to find an affordable yet decent copy of #266 - it was one of the last non-Silver Age issues I got, even after some of the early Claremont/Byrne stuff.
bit more angular and blocky - perhaps that's just the art style, though
Yeah, the art in these two issues is just awful - as much as I can appreciate the first appearance of Gambit, I'd probably enjoy this story a lot more if the art was better.