Issue(s): Uncanny X-Men #197
Cover Date: Sep 85
Title: "To save Arcade?!?"
Credits:
Chris Claremont - Writer
John Romita Jr. - Penciler
Dan Green - Inker
Pat Blevins - Assistant Editor
Ann Nocenti - Editor

Review/plot:
Despite the fact that things are heating up in this series, with Xavier's concern over the Beyonder, his life-threatening injury, and the fact that Magneto is now an ally, this issue continues the "themeless" period and gives us a Colossus and Kitty Pryde team-up. It's the two of them trying to save Arcade from Dr. Doom.

Love that Doomtrain.

They get to team up with an army of robot duplicates of their teammates (and themselves).

I also love the two Wolverine robots talking to each other.

Arcade reveals that the Dr. Doom that Colossus faced previously was really a Doombot. Arcade says that even he didn't know it at the time. Considering that reveal was part of some infighting between Claremont and Byrne, it's big of Claremont to go along with it here without any kind of snarky commentary or worse.

The "Doom" in question this time turns out to be Arcade's assistant Miss Locke.

Apparently every year on his birthday she tries to kill him; it's all just part of the fun.

The issue also gives Peter and Kitty the opportunity to work out the issues between them. They haven't been talking since they broke up after Secret Wars, but they end this issue "friends".

It's done really well and this is a great issue all around. The plot is simple, there's plenty of action, and good character moments for the two former lovers. This is Claremont at his best, in my opinion. He's got some subplots bubbling (see below) but this is largely a straightforward story with no major reveals. A single-issue adventure with great characterization. And, of course, great JRJR art.

The book opens up with a nasty nightmare sequence as Colossus' various doubts and fears mess with his head.

In the subplots, Nimrod continues to make a name for himself as an extremely violent "hero"...

...Cyclops is called back to the X-Men...

...and we learn that Storm survived the shot she took last issue.

Quality Rating: B+

Historical Significance Rating: 1

Chronological Placement Considerations: N/A

References:

• Zsaji died in Secret Wars.
  
• The scene where he rescued his sister from a tractor in Giant-Size X-Men #1 is also part of Colossus' dream sequence.
  
• Kitty was sick when the X-Men previously faced Dr. Doom(bot) in Uncanny X-Men #145-147.
  
• That Doom was revealed to be a Doombot in Fantastic Four #258 (no footnote provided).

Crossover: N/A

Continuity Insert? N

My Reprint: N/A

This was one of the first issues of Uncanny I read. I didn't fully understand what was going, but like you said - it's a good, fun, action issue with some really nice moments between Kitty and Peter.

Leave a tender moment alone.

Sorry dere JC. Yer right. I'll just let myself out the back door.