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1992-11-01 01:05:10
Previous:
X-Force #16
Up:
Main

1992 / Box 35 / EiC: Tom DeFalco

Next:
X-Factor #85

Uncanny X-Men #295

Issue(s): Uncanny X-Men #295
Cover Date: Dec 92
Title: "Familiar refrain"
Credits:
Scott Lobdell - Writer
Brandon Peterson - Penciler
Terry Austin - Inker
Lisa Patrick - Assistant Editor
Bob Harras - Editor

Review/plot:
Apocalypse, still weak from having been woken from his regenerative bath too soon, returns to his base to find his Horsemen defeated and the X-Men (and Quicksilver) waiting for him.

Apocalypse manages to access some technology in the building's floorboards that re-powers him. A narration caption says, "Although he would never admit it to another living being -- there is very little Apocalypse understands about the alien technology at his disposal". Apocalypse manages to blast the X-Men into unconsciousness (being a little too Scott Lobdell-y about it in his dialogue), and then teleport away.

Meanwhile, X-Force are being kept in a makeshift prison in the Danger Room. They've even been put in New Mutants costumes, surely a humiliation for those that were former New Mutants.

Also meanwhile, Psylocke is debating mercy-killing Professor X, since she also knows what it's like to be transformed against her will. Luckily Moira summons everyone to the war room before she does it.

In the war room, Val Cooper tells everyone that Mr. Sinister pointed the finger at Stryfe, and she tells them what X-Factor and X-Men's combined data says about Stryfe. This doesn't get Cable off the hook, though, especially after Jubilee raises the possibility that Stryfe is Cable under the helmet.

Cannonball (only!) is let out and allowed to be an equal partner with the other X-heroes if he'll lead them to the MLF so that they can get at Stryfe.

Wolverine and Bishop didn't make the war room meeting, because they are busy illegally breaking into Canada's Department K to get information on Cable's safehouses. Wolverine chose Bishop because he's already wanted by the police, so adding some breaking and entering into a top secret government base is no big deal.

Scott Lobdell's sense of humor often grates on me, but i found most of the scripting in this story to be genuinely funny.

Instead of info on Cable's safehouses, they find Cable himself.

Stryfe continues to drop hints about who he is, but Jean isn't in a state to understand.

Quality Rating: B+

Historical Significance Rating: 1

Chronological Placement Considerations: This is part five of X-Cutioner's Song. Part six is in X-Factor #85.

References:

  • The X-Men (and Quicksilver) locate Apocalypse at the building that he used in X-Factor #6.
  • Psylocke was "sculpted into another form entirely" in Uncanny X-Men #258-258 (no footnote!).
  • Mr. Sinister told the X-Men that Apocalypse was indirectly responsible for Jean and Scott's disappearance in X-Force #16, but Iceman is misunderstanding what Sinister meant by that when he cites it here.
  • Strong Guy wonders if Stryfe is upset because X-Factor got his glove in X-Factor #77.
  • Bishop is wanted for the murders he committed in Uncanny X-Men #287.
  • Cable says that if he spent any more time at Department K, he might as well rent a room. The footnote points to the Cable miniseries. I didn't really notice Cable being at Department K in that series, but maybe he and Kane went there to get information between issues #1-2. In any event, from Cable's point of view that was eleven months ago (as seen in X-Men #14).

Crossover: X-Cutioner's Song

Continuity Insert? N

My Reprint: N/A

Characters Appearing: Angel, Apocalypse, Beast, Bishop, Boom Boom, Cable (Adult), Caliban, Cannonball, Colossus, Famine (Horseman of Apocalypse), Feral, Gambit, Havok, Iceman, Jean Grey, Jubilee, Madrox the Multiple Man, Moira MacTaggert, Polaris, Professor (Prosh), Professor X, Psylocke, Quicksilver, Rictor, Rogue, Shatterstar, Siryn, Storm, Strong Guy, Stryfe, Sunspot, Valerie Cooper, War (Horseman of Apocalypse), Warpath, Wolverine

Previous:
X-Force #16
Up:
Main

1992 / Box 35 / EiC: Tom DeFalco

Next:
X-Factor #85

Comments

I've always liked that "combined with my ability to read" line.

Posted by: Red Comet | May 6, 2016 2:24 PM

This issue opens with a ridiculous scene that suggests that Apocalypse *swam* to his American hideout all over from Egypt. Doesn't he have teleporters???

Posted by: Piotr W | May 6, 2016 4:08 PM

I didn't think he swam all the way from Egypt.

Posted by: Michael | May 6, 2016 7:59 PM

Well, the scene has him emerging from the sea and climbing a cliff. For no reason altogether...

Posted by: Piotr W | May 7, 2016 1:04 PM

I think Apocalypse lost his ability to teleport from anywhere when he gave Ship to X-Factor. We see a little further ahead that he has to crawl to a specific teleportation device to escape from Stryfe. The idea here is that Apocalypse was woken up too soon and he's weak, which is why he's going to this base, which has technology that can power him up. He didn't have to swim all the way from his last location; the idea is just that he's not operating on full power, so he's staggering along. He may have flown most of the way but crash landed in the water near his destination.

Posted by: fnord12 | May 7, 2016 1:21 PM

But Apocalypse *had* a teleportation device in his temple. So, why didn't he use it teleport to his hideout..?

Posted by: Piotr W | May 7, 2016 2:17 PM

The house from X-Factor #6 was pretty trashed during the fight there. Not sure if the teleport pad wasn’t damaged or at least covered in rubble.

Posted by: Jay Demetrick | June 1, 2018 1:20 AM




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