Issue(s): Uncanny X-Men #331
Cover Date: Apr 96
Title: "The splinter of our discontent"
Credits:
Scott Lobdell - Writer
Bryan Hitch - Penciler
Paul Neary - Inker
Ben Raab - Assistant Editor
Bob Harras - Editor

Review/plot:
Digital review warning.

Dark Beast concocts and explosion in his lab as his way of completing his infiltration of the X-Mansion. He successfully fools X-Force.

But the main story has Iceman confronting the White Queen. He's been having visions of her lately, and also he was terribly wounded by Post in X-Men #50 and has to go on a quest for the Crimson Dawn needs her help in healing himself, since she's been shown to have a better handle on his powers than he has (note .

That "interior decorating" line is sometimes used as part of the evidence that Iceman was repressing his sexuality. In context, it clearly wasn't meant that way, and i think there are better ways to support the revelation that he is gay than using a bad stereotype.

Regarding the need to expand the use of his powers, i thought we were past this. Iceman's been using his powers in a spikey - more 90s! - way (there was even an action figure!) for a while now, and he's gone back to fully freezing his body, not just covering it with ice. It seems he's still lacking in confidence. So, after pages of getting yelled at and filling the panels up with ice, Bobby gets the confidence to heal himself.

Banshee and Jubilee look on but don't interfere.

Emma says that she's been so hard on Iceman because she wants him to take it seriously. After the death of her Hellions, she's angry that Iceman has always only seemed to be "'playing' at being an X-Man".

Meanwhile, Cyclops and Jean Grey return to the site of the battle with Post and find no evidence of the fight.

Paul O'Brien thought that this was an art error by guest artist Bryan Hitch that the script is covering for. It's also possible that this is yet another build-up to Onslaught clue that was dropped without any idea of what it was meant to be (and it's effectively that anyway, even if it was an art error). Any way you look at it, as Jean says, it "doesn't make sense".

Quality Rating: D+

Historical Significance Rating: 1

Chronological Placement Considerations: Takes place after X-Men Unlimited #10 and X-Men #50. Some of the X-Men (Xavier, Gambit, and Bishop) are at Angel's house in Colorado while Psylocke recovers there; she doesn't appear on panel but should be considered behind-the-scenes.

References:

• Dark Beast replaced Beast in X-Men Unlimited #10.
  
• White Queen took over his mind in Uncanny X-Men #314. Iceman asked her for help previously in Uncanny X-Men #318.
  
• The X-Men fought Post, Onslaught's "herald" in X-Men #50.
  
• The Hellions were killed in Uncanny X-Men #281.

Crossover: N/A

Continuity Insert? N

My Reprint: N/A