Issue(s): Marvel Team-Up annual #1
Cover Date: 1976
Title: "The lords of light and darkness! / The nest! / Day of the demons! / Into... Hellpit! / A gathering of gods!"
Credits:
Chris Claremont, Bill Mantlo, & Bonnie Wilford - Plot
Bill Mantlo - Script
Sal Buscema - Penciler
Mike Esposito - Inker

Review/plot:
The credits say Bill Mantlo is the writer, and the story is "From a plot by Bill Mantlo, Chris Claremont, and Bonnie Wilford". Wilford was mainly a colorist at Marvel.

This terrible story is only noteworthy because of the headache it gives Marvel chronologists (see the note in the entry for Uncanny X-Men #98-101 for details).

As far as this issue's plot, a group of scientists from around the world decide to meet in a jumbo jet floating around the America south west to discuss mutation. One of the people on the plane is Senator Turner, a character from the Skull The Slayer series.

Peter recognizes him because his son went missing in the Bermuda triangle and is currently under investigation for improper use of military funds.

Reed Richards was unable to attend but he sends Professor Xavier in his stead. Xavier brings his 'students'. Peter Parker is also there covering the event for the Daily Bugle.

The jet is attacked by a group of scientists who have been experimenting with radiation and have become like gods from ancient Hindu mythology.

After a fight, Spidey and the X-Men help the gods leave the planet using a bizarre combinaton of the X-Men's powers - Phoenix creates a mindlink with them, and then sends Nightcrawler a series of coordinates to teleport to, and Cyclops shoots his eyebeams at... ummm..., and then Banshee shouts into Cyclops' eyebeams, and Storm does something while Colossus and Spider-Man hold hands...

Whatever, at this point i was willing to accept just about anything as long as the comic would end.

Quality Rating: D+

Historical Significance Rating: 1

Chronological Placement Considerations: Takes place between Amazing Spider-man #170-171, and during Uncanny X-Men #101 (unfortunately). See the Chrononological Consideration note in the entry for Uncanny X-Men #98-101.

References:

• Spider-Man met the X-Men most recently in Marvel Team-Up #4.
  
• Spider-Man helps stop the damaged plane from crashing in a method similar to how Mr. Fantastic prevented a plane crash in Fantastic Four #166, except he uses his webs instead of his own body.
  
• Xavier has been having visions whenever he tries to use his powers starting with Uncanny X-Men #97.
  
• Spider-Man and Nightcrawler met previously in Amazing Spider-Man #161-162.

Crossover: N/A

Continuity Insert? N

My Reprint: Marvel Tales #235, Marvel Tales #236

In mythology and all other media, Shiva is female.

Bill Mantlo (or whoever) got the idea for this story from the popular novel Lords of Light by Roger Zelazny.
The novel is quite good, don't be fooled by this comic going so wrong.

Mark, you may be thinking of Kali, who is also a destroyer.
Chris, I agree that Lord of Light is excellent. I also recommend Creatures of Light and Darkness, which has even less in common with this story, though it also inspired the title.

Mark, yeah Shiva is male. In mythology and all other media.

try this: http://lmgtfy.com/?q=shiva

Shiva's male in the Hindu faith, but you can't say that's the case in all other media. Final Fantasy consistently portrays Shiva as an ice goddess.

Really? Wow, that's dumb of FF.

Up until the “gods” make their appearance, the story resembles that of a ‘50s Sci-Fi “B” movie, the kind that might have played along with “Them!” The opening reads like a bad film noir, and we of course find out that the narration of chapter 1 was from the point of view of one of those who died in the explosion of a bunch of nuclear rocks. The idea that a multi-day conference would take place on a jet that never lands is ludicrous, and both the character of the blowhard Senator and the way in which the X-Men are introduced on that jet again wreak of atomic-age Sci-Fi movies. The story itself is passable until the dead scientists from chapter 1 are revealed to have returned to quasi-life in the form of Indian gods who have stars inside of them. (as shown when Wolverine slashes one) It quickly goes downhill from there, and I shared fnord12’s wish that the comic would just end as the whole “suspension of disbelief” thing went out the window due to the preposterous nature of the second half of the storyline, let alone its ultimate ending.

As for the continuity disaster, this comic is bad enough that it’s worth simply putting in the “out of canon” box. However, since I don’t collect Spider-Man comics, I merely moved this story between X-Men #109 and X-Men #110 and ignore the fact that there is a panel showing Xavier’s strain while using his powers. I told myself that he merely left Lilandra at home with Moria and maybe he had a headache that day! Moving the comic creates a two year shuffle from publication, but it helps out with the Phoenix continuity, which to me is the main problem with this issue. (other than the horrible story) I have no idea what how this shift would impact Spider-Man, but it works for me in my X-Men-centric collection.

I can not stress enough just how awful the second half of this comic is. If you do not already own it, steer clear of it.

Too bad this story notoriously sucks. I do dearly love Zelazny's Lords of Light.
Colorist Bonnie Wilford is also Mrs. Claremont around this time. Despite her standing as a Wiccan High Priestess in the NYC occult scene, there's virtually nothing about her online- not even when she and Claremont divorced- save for a NY Press.com eulogy/reminiscence on the scene in those days from her fourth husband.

Did Cockrum redraw the heads here?

Putting together my own reading order, I just have this happening between UXM #103 and 104, and say that Xavier summons the X-Men back from their holiday, then they head back to Ireland again afterwards. It's as likely as Jean popping in and out of hospital, and doesn't require shoving it in the middle of another issue.

If not for the Xavier nightmare remark, I also would also put this between X-Men 109 and 110. Since X-Men 101-109 take place really close together and there’s a time gap between 109 and 110 it would be really simple to either push 101-109 forward or back as one chunk (actually 98-109). You could even write off the Xavier nightmare comment as “past tense” and head canon it as he’s still recovering from the ordeal.

Unfortunately X-Men Epic Collection vol. 5 has text that places this issue during 101 so I guess that’s Marvel’s stance. Boo.