Issue(s): X-Force #31
Cover Date: Feb 94
Title: "Cry uncle!"
Credits:
Fabian Nicieza - Writer
Antonio Daniel - Penciler
Jon Holdredge - Inker
Lisa Patrick - Assistant Editor
Bob Harras - Editor

Review/plot:
This issue addresses Siryn's alcoholism, and it does it by way of delving into the backstory of Siryn, Banshee, and Black Tom. Chris Claremont dropped a lot of random info about Banshee's history into various comics (including the main X-Men series, the Classic back-up stories, and Spider-Woman) but in typical Claremont fashion it was all delivered slowly and haphazardly. I don't know how carefully Fabian Nicieza went through all of the source material, but to his credit he comes up with a coherent timeline here, showing us exactly why Banshee and Black Tom had a falling out, when Banshee became an Interpol agent, and how he could have abandoned his daughter to be raised by Black Tom. It's very un-Claremontian to lay it out so explicitly, but it's nice to have it all in one place.

Banshee and Black Tom both competed for the love of a woman named Maeve Rourke, and Banshee married her. "No one" was aware that Banshee was an Interpol agent or a mutant, but his duties with Interpol kept him away from home for months at a time. During one of those missions, Maeve had Siryn and then died (how she died is unspecified here). So Tom raised Siryn (Siryn says that Tom is Banshee's cousin, but she nonetheless calls him uncle). When Banshee returned and discovered that his wife was dead, he took his anger out on Tom before Tom could tell him about Siryn. Tom's leg was broken thanks to Banshee's attack, requiring him to use what became his signature cane.

After the attack, Tom decided to keep Siryn a secret. Acting as an Interpol agent, Banshee later arrested Tom for illegal activities. Siryn was away at a boarding school at the time. Tom met the Juggernaut in prison.

Letting Siryn believe that she was an orphan is what gave Siryn her emotional problems that have driven her to drinking. She began at school, and it got worse when she learned that her "uncle" was involved in illegal black marketeering.

In the present day, Black Tom is on the run from the police due to having attacked his family lawyer last issue. We learn that the process that turned him into a tree wasn't complete when Juggernaut "rescued" him, which is why his body and mind are now deteriorating. Between that and the fact that Siryn thinks that Tom might never have turned to illegal activities if he wasn't burdened with raising her, Siryn wants leniency for Tom.

We learn a lot of all the above thanks to a reporter and childhood friend of Siryn, Kelvin Doneghann, who has conversations with Warpath and Juggernaut. Warpath gets Juggernaut to agree to get Tom to turn himself in to Interpol and/or SHIELD, where he'll serve time but also get treatment. Doneghann thinks that a reckoning between Siryn and Tom will resolve both their problems. They arrange for Tom to meet Siryn at Maeve's grave.

Tom agrees to turn himself in, and Siryn quits drinking.

Juggernaut is allowed to walk, despite being as wanted as Black Tom, and even though Juggernaut says that he can always spring Tom if he wanted to. Juggernaut also tells Warpath that once Siryn quits drinking she may not "need" Warpath anymore, but Warpath is willing to accept that risk.

The story is no Demon In A Bottle, but it's a decent character driven story.

Statement of Ownership Total Paid Circulation: Average of Past 12 months = 572,892. Single issue closest to filing date = 409,300.

Quality Rating: C+

Historical Significance Rating: 1

Chronological Placement Considerations: Last issue we saw Siryn and Warpath deciding to go to Ireland, and Black Tom and Juggernaut returning to their Irish castle (and attacking their lawyer when they arrived; in this issue it's said that the lawyer didn't die). It's said in this issue that Siryn and Warpath have been in Ireland for two weeks (and they didn't necessarily leave for Ireland the moment after they decided last issue). Next issue will show Siryn and Warpath in Kentucky and Siryn will say that she saw her mom's grave in Ireland a week ago.

References:

• Warpath empathizes with Siryn's pain due to the death of his brother in Uncanny X-Men #95.
  
• Juggernaut "rescued" Black Tom in Deadpool #1-2. Also in those issues, Black Tom and Juggernaut hijacked a plane, one of the crimes they are wanted for.
  
• Another crime is the blowing up of the World Trade Center in X-Force #2 (which is also the storyline where Tom got injured, necessitating the treatment that turned him into a tree).

Crossover: N/A

Continuity Insert? N

My Reprint: N/A