X-Men #20-#21: The Return of Lucifer

X-Men #20 - the first to be written by Roy Thomas - further plays with the problem of secret identities by having the Blob and Unus (who have teamed up after meeting at a circus) rob a bank while dressed as X-Men. The X-Men's attempt at distinguishing the real X-Men from the impostors is not entirely succesful. Unus and Blob are being manipulated behind the scenes by Lucifer, who has recovered from his apperance in issue #11, and we are now shown in flashback how he caused Xavier's paraplegia. Lucifer has a larger plan - he wants to subjugate the Earth's population using a machine, Dominus. After his defeat by the X-Men he is exiled to the so-called "Nameless Dimension" by his bosses.

Meanwhile, Cyclops - perhaps inspired by his encounter with Mimic's machine in the previous issue - briefly tries to leave the X-Men to seek out a doctor to help him control his optic blasts. At this point his powers are actively dangerous - #11 had him be unable to control his optic blasts when his glasses are removed - he couldn't even close his eyes to stop it. This plot thread gets forgotten by the end of the story, with Cyclops forced by events to team up with the rest of the X-Men.

Continuity

There's a new Cerebro after Magneto destroyed the first one in #18. Lucifer is identified as an alien, using the name "Agent One" with his people. New jet appears, apparently having been purchased before the Sentinel arc but not used yet.

X-Men #8: "I'm resigning from the X-Men!"

X-Men #8 opens with Professor X still gone and Scott in charge. He's driving himself and the rest of the team hard, as is his wont. And although we've seen isolated examples of anti-mutant hysteria before, we get our best one yet, where Beast rescues a child trapped up on top of a water tower, and for his trouble gets mobbed. Together, that's enough for Beast - he quits the X-Men (and not for the last time) - and becomes a heel in pro wrestling! As with the coffee bar last issue, this is an environment he can show a bit more of himself, and have it assumed to be a performance by others, making it a kind of mutant drag. Scott takes it badly, realising that Beast quitting the X-Men means he as failed as leader (something that will also hit hard in several hundred issues from now). He contacts Xavier, who is busy in Europe on a mission we will learn more about in issue #9.

The X-Men Season One OGN by Hopeless and McKelvie (coming out later this month) is apparently based around this issue, and as Hopeless points out it's an important moment in Beast's character development, as he uses science to solve the plot for the first time (although he's been portrayed as a bookworm since #3). I will make no attempt to further summarise the events, but will note it is as mad as a hat of frogs.

Continuity notes

First appearance of Unus. Mention of Sue Storm by name. Though bubbles clearly indicate that Jean likes Scott and Scott likes Jean, but neither dare tell the other. Beast temporarily leaves the X-Men to take up pro wrestling.