Moira MacTaggert: Moira X Appreciation 2019

[Tycon]

The whole “He’s been lying” thing seems to be getting a little stretched. On the podcast he’s talked about the pitfalls of destructive storytelling and how it’s plagued the X-Men for years. It’s a mission statement to be additive, not destructive. Lying about that is only putting his story in that same mindset of destructive over additive and what makes that any different than what we’ve seen in the past? I’m sure we’ll get shocks and twists and turns and hooplas but I doubt it will come at the cost of the era he’s just built.

[loke13]

https://www.google.com/amp/s/screenr...et-theory/amp/

So here's a theory that sounds fun.

The thing is, where does Moira fit?

This theory kinda takes a lot of assumptions and presents them as facts. And yeah I definitely agree with mega that this really follows a path that Hickman explicitly said he was against. It's the same narrative that plagued most of the discussions of HoX/PoX that this status quo wouldn't last, that this is an alternate reality, that the REAL 616 was gonna show up at any point now etc.

It's been really interesting to see a segment of the X-fans convinced that what they're seeing unfold in front of them. So many people are waiting for that other shoe to drop and take the concept of Krakoa with it.

[Rosebunse]

Because it's creepy! Tbe stupid island is creepy! It uses blood to make flowers, it's creating weird scary monsters, it's based around trees...and I find trees creepy and off-putting.

[loke13]

Because it's creepy! Tbe stupid island is creepy! It uses blood to make flowers, it's creating weird scary monsters, it's based around trees...and I find trees creepy and off-putting.

I mean. It's nature tho? Nature is supposed to be creepy and otherworldly lol but hey I'm a sucker for sci-fi "alien" ecosystems.

[tuck frump]

it's based around trees...and I find trees creepy and off-putting.

Maybe you should try going outside.

[sungila]

Maybe you should try going outside.

inside is also outside though to be honest because there's weather and I have no idea what the walls and floor think about life in the linear sense of now I am born and now I am dead and now I am I and such...but if you are afraid of the outside, maybe you could simply watch the spider for a bit instead of doing anything about it...and if it's not a dangerous spider (most aren't) you could maybe leave it alone or offer it a lift outside or into the basement or attic or hallway...

I am afraid of most things I don't do. Then won't do. Then can't do...etc...stuff and doings...driving on the highway in traffic, but when I was in my teens that was like, not even what I was doing when I was doing it.

Trees probably never liked many of the things adult humans and/or fictional mutants or comic books or industries use them for, if they do things like, like...I bet they wouldn't 'go indoors' at all.

[Rosebunse]

Dude, trees are scary! They're these creatures that experience time in a completely alien way to anything we can even think of and they can live for thousands of years just in one place! And they can communicate with chemicals and their root systems and all that!

Also, The Happening scared me as a child.

[sungila]

Dude, trees are scary! They're these creatures that experience time in a completely alien way to anything we can even think of and they can live for thousands of years just in one place! And they can communicate with chemicals and their root systems and all that!

Also, The Happening scared me as a child.

Yea but Trees never did or said these things. People did and do.

Do you like fruit? Flowers? Birds? The green part of the Earth from space?

How about comic books? All these are versions of trees. So is this: word and the fingers that type...and the type...the hand is shaped by a tree

[616MarvelYear is LeapYear]

Uncanny X-Men #127 Nov 1979
"The Quality of Hatred!"
Continued from last issue.
As Proteus closes in on her, intent on stealing her physical form, Storm risks flight once more,
but Proteus warps space around her and brings her back to the ground again, this time knocking her unconscious.
Just as Storm seems doomed, a sniper on a nearby ridge distracts Proteus.
The metal of the bullets are a real threat to him and forces him away from Storm.
The sniper is Moira, who is intent on finishing him off.
Cyclops, who does not want to use lethal force tries to stop her.
Moira knocks Cyclops out to get her shot but Proteus has already driven off
in the X-Men's jeep, not wanting to be vulnerable while he switches bodies.
Guessing correctly as it turns out where her son is ultimately heading, Moira takes off after him.

The X-Men regroup and patch up their wounds.
Wolverine has been badly shaken by his encounter with Proteus and is in a fragile state.
Cyclops provokes a fight in order to snap him out of it. Unaware of Cyclops’s intentions,
Colossus tries to intervene but Phoenix who has red Scott’s mind stops him.
As Cyclops planned, his taunting escalates into a brawl
and he provokes responses from Nightcrawler and Storm as well.
Finally, he sues for peace and explains his motivation:
to test their psyches to see if there was any other damage that was not immediately apparent.

Meanwhile to the south of them, Proteus claims his next victim:
a young woman named Jennie Banks whose car has a flat tire.
Jennie/Proteus hides the used-up policeman's body and fixes the flat
before continuing on his way, intent on killing "the one he hates".

In Edinburgh, Moira pays a visit to Joe MacTaggert, her estranged husband

who has repeatedly refused to divorce her. She tells him he has a son and that he's trying to kill him,
prompting an outraged response from him. Moira pulls a gun on him before leaving.

Outside, she crumbles in tears at the situation, unaware that Proteus is near her.
Proteus closes in for the kill on his quarry: his father.

Phoenix detects Joe's psychic death scream and feels his pain physically.
She also warns that with each new host body that Proteus consumes, his mutant ability to warp reality increases exponentially.
Now knowing his location, she telekinetically flies the bulk of the team to him while Storm and Polaris fly on their own power.
Scott secretly notes with some concern the new extent of Phoenix’s powers
As Marvel Girl, Jean’s telekinesis would never have been strong enough to transport so many people so far.

Having possessed his father’s body, Proteus confronts Moira. She grabs for her gun, but he transforms it into a snake.
Proteus displays a blatant Oedipal complex as, having killed his father, he seems to sexually accost his mother.

The X-Men arrive on the scene to find reality going wild. Proteus foils the team’s initial assaults on him and uses Moira as a hostage.

Banshee, who is in love with Moira, begs Cyclops not to let her get hurt. Cyclops however says that their opponent
has grown too powerful and they can no longer afford to pull any punches, even at the cost of Moira’s or their own lives.

Story by Chris Claremont and John Byrne. Art by John Byrne and Terry Austin.

[616MarvelYear is LeapYear]

I've always loved Moira as a character and so glad she's back appearing in X-Books.

And whilst I'm really enjoying House/Powers I can't help but dislike the retcon that she was a mutant all along.

What happened to all those great supporting X-Characters who are human? Not everyone needs to be Abigail Brand style retconned into a mutant.

I'd rather she was alive appearing in books and a mutant, than be a dead human but still.

They were told to f### off? "WE ARE MUTANT! SEGREGATION FOREVER!"

[616MarvelYear is LeapYear]

Uncanny X-Men #253 Nov 1989
"Storm Warnings!"
A de-aged Storm is found by FBI Agent Reisz, and she is brought to a hospital where she is put under the care of Dr Lian Shen,
who soon believes that Ororo is a mutant as none of their medical or video equipment registers her. Dr Shen later rings Agent Reisz,
who seems to be possessed by some unknown being, and Reisz tells Shen that he will come and collect Storm, which Storm overhears.

Moira MacTaggert and Magneto argue it out on Muir Island, over numerous subjects
including the current missing New Mutants and Magneto’s responsibilities.

Magneto warns Moira that there is a war coming,

and tells her that as long as people are after him, no one will be after her.
Magneto leaves Muir Island, refusing Banshee’s hand in friendship.

Banshee consoles Moira, who decides that they find the New Mutants, then safeguard Muir Island against any possible attacks.
Moira sends Callisto to the remains of Xavier’s School to seal off the underground complex from any intruders who may want its secrets.

Later, Banshee and Moira pick up a distress call, and Banshee recognizes the voice as Polaris.
Despite the recent Marauder affiliation that Polaris held, Banshee goes to rescue his friend,
who is currently at the mercy of angry sailors aboard a freighter in rocky water.
The sailors attack Polaris, who is without her magnetic powers, but finds herself with increased strength and invulnerability,
before the freighter is snapped in two.Banshee rescues Polaris just in time, his powers recently restored.

Amanda Sefton arrives at Excalibur’s lighthouse, in search of Nightcrawler, but finds only
Brigadier Alysande Stuart, who explains that Excalibur is missing, and offers her assistance.

Elsewhere, Forge enters a meditation, and is confronted by Amahl Farouk, and learns that Storm is alive, and in grave danger.
In Australia, the Reavers go about their business, while Lady Deathstrike claims she cannot find Wolverine,
when in fact she watches the gravely wounded X-Man make his way past her.
She doesn’t want to kill him when he cannot put up a fight.
Bonebreaker’s body is repaired, and Donald Pierce announces that the Reavers’ next mission is to destroy
Muir Island and kill everyone there, as Banshee and Moira MacTaggert represent a major threat to them.

Story by Chris Claremont. Art by Marc Silvestri and Steve Leialoha.

[Zelena]

Uncanny X-Men #127 Nov 1979
"The Quality of Hatred!"
Continued from last issue.
As Proteus closes in on her, intent on stealing her physical form, Storm risks flight once more,
but Proteus warps space around her and brings her back to the ground again, this time knocking her unconscious.
Just as Storm seems doomed, a sniper on a nearby ridge distracts Proteus.
The metal of the bullets are a real threat to him and forces him away from Storm.
The sniper is Moira, who is intent on finishing him off.
Cyclops, who does not want to use lethal force tries to stop her.
Moira knocks Cyclops out to get her shot but Proteus has already driven off
in the X-Men's jeep, not wanting to be vulnerable while he switches bodies.
Guessing correctly as it turns out where her son is ultimately heading, Moira takes off after him.

The X-Men regroup and patch up their wounds.
Wolverine has been badly shaken by his encounter with Proteus and is in a fragile state.
Cyclops provokes a fight in order to snap him out of it. Unaware of Cyclops’s intentions,
Colossus tries to intervene but Phoenix who has red Scott’s mind stops him.
As Cyclops planned, his taunting escalates into a brawl
and he provokes responses from Nightcrawler and Storm as well.
Finally, he sues for peace and explains his motivation:
to test their psyches to see if there was any other damage that was not immediately apparent.

Meanwhile to the south of them, Proteus claims his next victim:
a young woman named Jennie Banks whose car has a flat tire.
Jennie/Proteus hides the used-up policeman's body and fixes the flat
before continuing on his way, intent on killing "the one he hates".

In Edinburgh, Moira pays a visit to Joe MacTaggert, her estranged husband

who has repeatedly refused to divorce her. She tells him he has a son and that he's trying to kill him,
prompting an outraged response from him. Moira pulls a gun on him before leaving.

Outside, she crumbles in tears at the situation, unaware that Proteus is near her.
Proteus closes in for the kill on his quarry: his father.

Phoenix detects Joe's psychic death scream and feels his pain physically.
She also warns that with each new host body that Proteus consumes, his mutant ability to warp reality increases exponentially.
Now knowing his location, she telekinetically flies the bulk of the team to him while Storm and Polaris fly on their own power.
Scott secretly notes with some concern the new extent of Phoenix’s powers
As Marvel Girl, Jean’s telekinesis would never have been strong enough to transport so many people so far.

Having possessed his father’s body, Proteus confronts Moira. She grabs for her gun, but he transforms it into a snake.
Proteus displays a blatant Oedipal complex as, having killed his father, he seems to sexually accost his mother.

The X-Men arrive on the scene to find reality going wild. Proteus foils the team’s initial assaults on him and uses Moira as a hostage.

Banshee, who is in love with Moira, begs Cyclops not to let her get hurt. Cyclops however says that their opponent
has grown too powerful and they can no longer afford to pull any punches, even at the cost of Moira’s or their own lives.

Story by Chris Claremont and John Byrne. Art by John Byrne and Terry Austin.

And exactly at this point, my brother stopped buying X-men comics… (before buying the first issue of Excalibur years later)
I didn't realise then how much I liked the human Moira, the woman who had mutants friends and stood up against the unpredictable and dangerous Magneto.
For me, she was the real feminist in X-men universe.

[616MarvelYear is LeapYear]

Well stated!

[616MarvelYear is LeapYear]

Uncanny X-Men #128 Dec 1979
"The Action of the Tiger!"
Continued from last issue.
Proteus’s reality-warping powers is affecting an ever-increasing radius of Edinburgh.
The X-Men, including Havok and Polaris, are hard-pressed to rescue innocent civilians from the bizarre effects,
let alone confront their opponent Proteus, who reflects on the events leading up to this standoff.

Meanwhile, Proteus amuses himself by sadistically toying with his mother, Moira.
He transforms her into grotesque animal forms as punishment for keeping him in captivity for years.
But while he is preoccupied with Moira, he is caught unawares when Banshee fires a bullet into his shoulder.
Cyclops remarks that he asked the now-powerless Banshee to hang back.
Sean retorts that Moira is the woman he loves and he will do anything to save her.

Proteus fights back by creating a deep pit directly beneath Banshee’s feet and he plummets into it. Nightcrawler teleports in to rescue him.
As he’s climbing out with the now unconscious Banshee in tow, he realizes that Proteus is warping space around him, entombing him.
Nightcrawler is forced to teleport out, despite it being a strain to teleport while carrying someone.

Proteus makes a tactical withdrawal and takes Moira with him.
Phoenix catches up and nails him with a powerful psychic attack, but he successfully retaliates.

Wolverine has caught up as well and tears into him with his deadly adamantium claws.
Cyclops and Havok then let Proteus have it with both barrels. But while these attack weaken Proteus,
he still manages to escape from them with Moira as his prisoner. He retreats to the ramparts of Edinburgh Castle.

Colossus scales the castle walls in pursuit. Hoping to catch the evil mutant unawares,
he initially attacks Proteus while in his human form. As his current physical form is rapidly decaying,
Proteus prepares to steal Moira’s form when Colossus intervenes and tosses him away from her.
The host body shatters against the wall, reduced to ashes by the blow, and Proteus is revealed as a being of pure energy.
He takes delight in torturing Colossus's psyche as he slowly roasts him with fire and then prepares to take possession of his form.
But Proteus hasn't figure in Peter's ability to transform himself into organic steel.
Colossus transforms and thrusts himself into the heart of Proteus's energy form, dispersing it and killing him.

The scattered members of the team convene on the castle ramparts, where Colossus is consoling a distraught Moira.
Even despite Proteus’s evil and her husband’s terrible treatment,
she still loved both of them and is devastated by their deaths.
When Banshee arrives, she collapses into his arms.

The X-Men quietly depart, leaving Sean to comfort Moira as best he can.

Story by Chris Claremont and John Byrne. Art by John Byrne and Terry Austin.