Issue(s): Uncanny X-Men #109
Cover Date: Feb 78
Title: "Home are the heroes!"
Credits:
Chris Claremont - Writer
John Byrne - Penciler
Terry Austin - Inker

Review/plot:
The X-Men return home (after spending some time in New York City, as we saw in Iron Fist #15) from their trip to outer space. About half the issue depicts the X-Men settling back into their lives. Then some of the group - Moira, Banshee, Colossus, and Storm - decide to go on a picnic. Wolverine decides to accompany them.

While Wolverine is off hunting, he is attacked by Weapon Alpha, who is under orders from the Canadian government to re-collect their Weapon X.

The fight takes them back to the main picnic area, and the other X-Men get involved.

During the fight, Moira gets hurt, and with an angry Banshee (much later, Scott Lobdell will actually introduce a Major Mapleleaf as a World War II era character; i don't know if he didn't get the joke or was just riffing on it)...

...as well as the super-powerful Storm pursuing him, he teleports away, thinking to himself that next time he'll bring Alpha Flight with him.

I'm sure this issue was very tantalizing for people interested in Wolverine's mysterious past. I first read this reprinted and abridged in Alpha Flight #17, so it's hard for me to get the full sense of what was new information and what was already known (plus the Classic reprints make any sort of historical analysis difficult due to its dialogue revisions). Still, it's a good story and Byrne's art is top-notch here. It's also nice, as always, to see the X-Men during their downtime.

A few extra pages in the Classic X-Men reprint fill in some of the detail from James Hudson's side. The back-up story tells the tale of a young Banshee competing with Black Tom for the love of a girl.

Quality Rating: B+

Historical Significance Rating: 6 - first Guardian (now Weapon Alpha, soon Vindicator, but eventually Guardian) and hints of Alpha Flight

Chronological Placement Considerations: Nightcrawler is planning a date with Amanda Sefton, and he invites Colossus to go along and double date with Betsy Wilford. Colossus declines. Amanda will discuss her date in Power Man & Iron Fist #50.

References:

• Jean reveals her identity as the Phoenix to her parents. The reveal occurs from Scott's perspective, looking through a window, so we don't get to hear the discussion first-hand, but a reference to Jean's transformation in Uncanncy X-Men #100-101 is made.
  
• Wolverine reminds Weapon Alpha that he quit the Canadian agency in Giant-Size X-Men #1.

Crossover: N/A

Continuity Insert? P - (Classic X-Men reprints add new material)

My Reprint: Classic X-Men #16

I love that punch Guardian tags Wolverine with! Great artwork!

Guardian is actually Wolverines cousin

It's interesting how James Hudson is much more antagonistic here and is pretty one-note. Then when he returns with Alpha Flight he's more like an anti-villain or an anti-hero, such as rushing off to find a doctor for Banshee.

Amazing Heroes Preview #5 stated that Guardian's reaction over nearly killing Moira was supposed to be the actual backup story in Classic, not merely extra pages.

fnord when will you get around to Power Man & Iron Fist #50?

It's already here: http://www.supermegamonkey.net/chronocomic/entries/power_man_and_iron_fist_50.shtml

Thanks fnord:)

The splash page has a hilarious bit of Wolverine anxious to get out of Fang's uniform. Really? I know your costume was destroyed in outer space, but there was nothing else you could wear?

"Nightcrawler is planning a date with Amanda Sefton, and he invites Colossus to go along" Is that the time where Peter tries to write a letter home and has the awesome line: "Dear Mama and Papa. I am sorry I have not written but my comrades and I were busy saving the universe."

Also, Nightcrawler is going to see Star Wars in an issue cover-dated 1978. It might be hard for people to comprehend now exactly how long Star Wars stayed in theaters, but I saw it the first time with my brothers in May of 77 and our whole family went for my sister's 2nd birthday in August of 78. Ah, the days before VCRs when films stayed in theaters forever if they were successful.

Just simply a great, great issue. Especially the way Byrne draws Peter's transformation mid-punch.

That first scan is ridiculous. "I am sorry I misjudged you, Wolverine. I should have guessed when you say 'hunt' it means something completely different from when anyone else in the world says it. I shouldn't have made assumptions just because you carry six razor-sharp blades that you use at the slightest provocation. Also, I'm totally cool with you discounting my deeply held beliefs and calling me 'broad'."

Andrew, that was funny!

Maybe 'broad' is a compliment in Kenyan...who knows?

Fnord, the reprint of #109 occurred in Alpha Flight #17, by the way. And I'm in agreement - the dialogue revisions were unnecessary. Byrne made it as clear as day what was happening.

Thanks Vin.

Note how Wolverine is holding his mask in the first panel of the first scan. It appears rigid, and he’s cradling it as though it were a motorcycle helmet. I wonder if it wasn’t supposed to initially be a form of armor rather than a cloth cowl that he could slip in and out of.

Or it could just as easily be a penciling error. Either way, it’s noteworthy

I wonder if Mac was originally meant to be a cyborg. His battle armor is certainly slim enough, and it would dovetail nicely into the comment in either #132 or #133 that Wolverine "almost became one" himself.

The implication would be that Department H was investing in cyborg agents and Wolverine was spared when his mutant powers were found out - or when he was mutated from an actual Wolverine.

Interesting that they retconned such hints away in Alpha Flight #33 when the idea that Wolverine has memory blanks was introduced.

First appearance of Guardian/Vindicator - happy Canada day!

So big, yet so fast alert: "With surprising-- unexpected-- speed for so large a man, Peter throws his arm forward. And as his fist flies toward its target, he...changes!"