The Flame : Lockheed Appreciation

[a0040pc]

Just to give you lot a heads up but Lockheed appears in Legendary Star Lord #6 and it looks like we'll see him in the next issue as well.

[JackalsIII]

Just to give you lot a heads up but Lockheed appears in Legendary Star Lord #6 and it looks like we'll see him in the next issue as well.

Thanks for the heads up! I won't get my issue until the end of the month

[a0040pc]

Issue Information
Title- Uncanny X-Men (Volume 1) #166
Release Date- February 1983
Writer- Chris Claremont
Artist- Paul Smith

Major Notes
Double sized issue, first appearance of Lockheed the Dragon

Brief Summary

Live Free Or Die

On the Brood Homeworld Madrizar a group of Brood are capturing another Acanti. They begin to infect it with a virus to make it more malleable to their will but suddenly they are attacked by Binary. She is able to destroy the group but when she goes to free the Acanti she realises that it is too far gone and mercy kills it.

Binary flies away but as she does she sees an astral form of Storm which deeply surprises her. Storm leads Binary to the nearby infant Acanti where the X-Men are waiting for them. On the way she explains to Binary how she and the Acanti have become one in the same and how it is recovering her from her exposure in space.

When Binary and Storm arrive in the Shi’Ar Yacht located within the Acanti the X-Men reunite with them and they are happy. Kitty Pryde however finds everything to be too happy since they are soon to transform into Brood. Wolverine admits that things do seem hopeless but they can at least stop the Brood from doing this to anyone else. Storm thinks that it is a futile effort and that there is a better way while keeping their values.

Storm begins to explain how the Brood originally overtook the Acanti and how she came to bond with the infant. Its mother had been infected with the Brood’s virus and she was forced to give birth to it prematurely. Unfortunately it wasn’t ready for life but it found Storm dying and floating in space. Their consciousness became one so that it had the awareness that it needed and Storm was healed back to health. The Acanti are a dying breed thanks to the Brood but if they are able to release the soul of the race that is being held by the Brood they can save the entire race.

The X-Men agree that they should free the soul of the Acanti and they discover that it is located in the skull at the base. They plan to use the infant to mask their approach and then attack the Brood. Originally all are to take part in the battle but Wolverine suggests that only he and Binary go since they are free of the eggs and the only ones who can be trusted. Cyclops in anger tells him to kill them now so to put an end to the threat, Wolverine reluctantly extends his claws to kill Cyclops but Kitty gets in the way. She is not prepared to wait and die and if there is any way of saving them that they can only do it as a team. Storm is somewhat reluctant with the plan since her actual body has not healed and she doesn’t want to put the infant in harm but she does whatever needs to be done.

A day later the infant Acanti flies down to the Brood homeworld and is attacked by Brood ships. It soon reaches the giant Acanti skeleton and the X-Men move into the yacht’s transport room. They prepare to teleport down to the skeleton and as they teleport down the infant flies into space with several Brood ships in pursuit.

Inside the catacombs of the planet the Brood Queen is preparing for the infant’s capture but suddenly she gets a telepathic link to one of the other Brood. This Brood reports that the X-Men are on the planet’s surface and the team are unaware that one of them has already started the transformation and is really working for the Queen. A taskforce is assembled to find and take down the X-Men.

The X-Men along with Lilandra land on the planet’s surface and they make their way into the catacombs. Wolverine’s senses begin to lead them towards the soul thanks to Storm’s efforts. At the same time in space Binary defends the infant Acanti from the Brood and even Storm who’s body is inside the infant uses her lightning bolts to defend it.

Inside the catacombs the X-Men are attacked by the Brood but they are able to fend them off. Wolverine does notice something odd about Cyclops during the battle. Kitty is attacked and phases through a wall where she finds herself in a nest alongside Brood skeletons. She carefully leaves the nest to find the others and is unaware that she is being watched.

In space the Brood are able to stun Binary and put pressure on the infant. All seems lost until the Starjammers ship appears and joins the battle.

On the planet the battle continues but Wolverine’s suspicions of Cyclops gets the better of him and he tackles him to the ground. He removes Cyclops’s visors to discover that the transformation has begun. In this form Cyclops can control his optic beams and uses them to take down Wolverine and Colossus. With them distracted a group of Brood come from behind and knock out Lilandra and Nightcrawler. The Queen soon arrives and congratulates the Brood for their efforts but they soon turn their attention to finding Kitty.

The young X-Man herself is running through tunnels. She trips and falls and is about to be captured by a hunting pack of Brood. They prepare to take her away but they suddenly turn and shriek in terror as they are attacked by a dragon like creature which burns them down to their skeletons. Kitty is unharmed and then goes to pet the dragon but a bright light grabs her attention. She feels it calling to her and she enters the light.

The other X-Men have been captured and are seemingly at the mercy of the Brood but Cyclops begins to keel over and loses control of his beams again. He accidentally strikes the Brood Queen and Wolverine takes the opportunity to attack. Cyclops is able to blast him but Wolverine survives and is able to take him down, he then moves his attentions to the Brood Queen and is able to hold her hostage causing the other Brood to drop their weapons.

Suddenly there is a flash of light and when everyone looks they see Kitty stepped through it. She has been to the soul and it judged her along with a Brood warrior. The warrior was unworthy and perished, she on the other hand survived. She is greeted by the team who then travel to the soul and take the Brood Queen along with them.

They enter the chamber of the soul which is made up of crystal. Unfortunately the Queen’s presence along with that of the eggs within the X-Men begin to corrupt it, the Queen takes the opportunity to strike Wolverine and inject him with Venom. He keels over and much to his horror he sees the X-Men begin to transform into Brood. The Queen laughs at him but before he can kill the X-Men he is grabbed by Binary and flown to one side.

With Wolverine to one side Binary concentrates her powers and is able to generate enough power to release the Acanti soul. It flies up into space and strikes the Acanti infant but the effort takes a lot out of Binary. In the process the eggs inside the X-Men have been purged and they have reverted to normal although their costumes are torn. The Brood Queen has turned into crystal and is no longer a threat.

Before the team can celebrate they feel an earthquake. Binary’s efforts have disrupted the planet and they teleport away onto the Starjammers ship just before the planet rips itself apart.

On the Starjammers ship the X-Men are treated for their wounds. Everyone is happy that they are alive and even Storm walks into the room in her true body rather than an astral form. She has parted with the infant Acanti so that she can remain with the X-Men. They all think that the threat is over but Wolverine tells them that there is still one more Brood Queen egg and it is located within Professor Xavier who is still on Earth.

[a0040pc]

My Thoughts

And so we get to the big bang of the Brood arc. This technically is the penultimate chapter of the saga since the next chapter is the finale but this one feels like a finale since we have the downfall of the Brood Queen and the X-Men being free of the Brood eggs.

One notable character who is introduced in this issue is Lockheed the Dragon who becomes Kitty Pryde’s constant companion. Although he is not named in this issue Kitty will name him after the dragon in her fairy tale story from a year ago. It is tough to see Kitty without her trusted dragon by her side and he is the only thing she knows that will never betray her. In this comic he is also a lot smaller than the dragon in the fairy tale but then Kitty would have had a lot of problems housing him otherwise. They are definitely one of the best friends in the X-Men and probably the most well known partnership between a superhero and animal in Marvel history.

The overall story was really good and definitely had the suicide mission feel to it since the X-Men knew that they would most likely not survive the mission. They went anyway and saved an entire race of aliens at the same time. Sure they did feel guilty about the planet being destroyed but I think they would have hated the alternative a lot more. Each X-Men had their own role and even though Cyclops did turn traitor (through no fault of his own of course). It had a very Alien franchise feel to the end of this arc and it was an enjoyable read thanks to the writing of Claremont and Smith’s artwork.

The whole angle with Storm I did find a little confusing and it is something that I don’t think is really mentioned too much afterwards. It seems somewhat a shame since it would have been interesting for Storm to be able to project astral forms but she already has her normal mutant abilities. Maybe one day she’ll have a secondary mutation and gain those powers but somehow I doubt it.

The ending of the issue having the eggs purged from the X-Men was a welcome relief to read. Seeing them transforming makes the reader think that it is truly the end of the X-Men but Binary comes in and saves them all. I find it a little funny that it was the Brood’s experiments that caused Carol Danvers to transform into Binary and she was to tool of their destruction. The cliff-hanger at the end only adds to the readers appetite for more.

In conclusion I’m giving the issue a 9 out of 10. A great issue to more or less finish off a great arc.

Next Issue
Dazzler (Volume 1) #24

[JackalsIII]

Thanks for the review and bumping the thread! Uncanny 166 is such a legendary issue!

I'm not sure what is wrong with me using the search feature on this website but I have the hardest time finding threads.

Been meaning to update it with the awesome Lockheed sightings in Legendary Star Lord 6 & 7.

[a0040pc]

Issue Information
Title- Uncanny X-Men (Volume 1) #168
Release Date- April 1983
Writer- Chris Claremont
Artist- Paul Smith

Major Notes
Lockheed comes to Earth. First appearance of Madeline Pryor

Brief Summary

Professor Xavier Is A Jerk!

Kitty Pryde steps out of the X-Mansion and turns to her friend Illyana Rasputin and shouts ‘Professor Xavier is a jerk!’ She isn’t happy that Xavier is forcing her to leave the X-Men and join the New Mutants. Illyana wants to help but is a little annoyed about Kitty’s constant complaining but the two girls race to the bus stop so that they can get to their dance class. Neither realise that an alien being is watching them from inside the mansion.

Inside the mansion itself Wolverine prepares to leave for a short time. Nightcrawler is there and they both discuss about Kitty’s transfer. Nightcrawler believes that Kitty would be better suited with the New Mutants but Wolverine states that she has proved herself with the X-Men and that she deserves to be on the team.

In the Danger Room Xavier tries to use a beam to balance himself and walk. Lilandra is watching on and as Xavier stands up he is overcome by the phantom pain of what had been a broken spine. In his new cloned body he is the picture of health but the pain is too much and he collapses. Lilandra runs to his side and helps him back to his chair. She can see that he is in pain but she also tells him that she is leaving to restore the Shi’Ar Empire. She asks Xavier to come with her but he refuses stating that he is needed on Earth and how when last he left it resulted in Jean Grey becoming Dark Phoenix.

A short time later Kitty is going through a dance routine at Stevie Hunter’s dancing class. Kitty is not performing the dance well even though she has done it several times before. Kitty’s mind is not focused and she snaps at Stevie but quickly apologises. She tells Stevie about the situation at the mansion and Stevie convinces her that she can change Xavier’s mind and allow her to re-join the X-Men.

The following morning just before dawn Storm walks out onto the mansion’s grounds. She feels good to be back on Earth and she begins to use her powers. Suddenly a storm appears and she is unable to stop it, she feels the cold for the first time and when the storm dissipates. She wonders what has happened to her and what it means.

Over the next few days Kitty tries to convince Xavier to allow her to re-join the X-Men. She uses her intelligence, then her passion, then she is co-operative and finally she uses flattery. Unfortunately none of it works and Kitty thinks that her efforts are for naught.

In Florida Cyclops returns to the port where he first met Aleytys Forrester. She finds her working on her boat and she is happy to see him. They walk along the beach and he tells her about the X-Men’s recent adventures. Aleytys admits that her life when she was with Cyclops was a roller-coaster and that she could never get used to the life of a hero. She gives him a choice with his life, stay with her or the X-Men.

In New York City Amanda Sefton opens the door of her apartment and discovers that it has been lit up by candle light. She enters cautiously and discovers Nightcrawler lying on her sofa along with a stuffed toy of Bamf. He is there to give her a good evening and she seems to be happy to see her.

In her room Kitty realises that her efforts aren’t working. Colossus and Illyana walk past her window and invite her to come with them to chop some firewood. She turns the offer down so that she can concentrate on her grades. They walk away and she goes on her computer to scan the mansion just so that she can see everyone on the screen. She also picks up a strange reading and she knows that it isn’t a glitch. She gets changed into her costume but she doesn’t feel the same connection to it as before since it is the same costume that the New Mutants wear and she phases down to the subbasement where the strange readings originate.

When Kitty arrives in the subbasement she discovers a cable has been chewed. She uses her thoughts to communicate with Xavier but he cannot pick up any other thoughts. Eventually Kitty comes across the dragon that she met on the Brood home world and she is very happy to see him. She feared that he had perished when the planet was destroyed. She picks him up and gives him a love.

Suddenly she notices a small group of Sidrian Hunters coming her way. Xavier tells her to run but she is hit by an energy beam from one of the Sidrians. This makes her unable to phase for a short time but she uses the fighting skills that Wolverine taught her to gain the upper hand. The dragon now being called Lockheed helps Kitty in the battle. She is knocked down again and she seems to be in trouble but before she is blasted again an armoured Colossus gets in the way and destroys the Sidrian. She hugs him and when they turn around they see Lockheed leaving a storeroom after burning the Sidrian nest that located there.

A short time later Kitty explains to Xavier what had happened and she wishes to keep Lockheed. Xavier allows her to and above all he sees that her skills are beyond her age. He allows her to re-join the X-Men much to Kitty’s delight.

In Anchorage Alaska Cyclops is with his father Corsair and they wait for the arrival of his grandparents at a small airstrip. A plane lands and it is carrying Cyclops’s grandparents but much to his surprise he meets the plane’s pilot. It is a woman who introduces herself as Madeline Pryor and she has an uncanny resemblance to the deceased Jean Grey.

My Thoughts

Now we are back to the Uncanny X-Men with what is one of the most famous quotes in comic book history. The very first page is a full size panel with Kitty Pryde calling Professor Xavier a jerk. I think she is probably the only person who has gotten away with something like that without having her brain turn into mush.

The most focused on X-Man in this issue was definitely Kitty as she tried to convince Xavier to allow her to be with the X-Men rather than the New Mutants. Although she got what she wished the outburst caused a rift between her and the New Mutants which will be somewhat focused on in the New Mutants series. This is also the last issue where Kitty uses the codename Sprite as her actions promoted her to being a full X-Man and have the right to an individual costume.

Lockheed more or less joined the X-Men in this issue as he somehow travelled through the endless gulf of space to the X-Mansion. Maybe he had a ride on the X-Men’s ship but even at this point in time we see that he has a deep connection with Kitty and it is a partnership which has been ongoing for over thirty years.

Wolverine leaving the mansion is him going off to Canada and Japan that was the focus of the Wolverine Limited Series. This shows that the events took place just after this issue and it also means that Wolverine will be absent from the X-Men for the next few issues and it will be a good opportunity to see how the team get on without him.

The issue also marks the first appearance of Madeline Pryor who for the next several issues will become an important support character to the series and will actually become Cyclops’s first wife. There will be a lot to do with her over the next few years but I will speak about that later on.

The part with Storm did raise a few questions, what exactly is going on with her and it is something that I believe that we’ll find out over time. Are her powers beginning to lose touch or is it something else entirely.

There was a moment with Xavier and Lilandra that was very thought provoking. Xavier actually turned down her offer even though he had only just gotten her back from the business in space. He sees that his work on Earth isn’t completed and that he must help many more mutants. He is sacrificing his happiness so that he can help others, that is something that many people can’t do.

Cyclops’s scenes in this issue were great to read and it was nice to see him reunited with Aleytys Forrester. Their walk together was somewhat sad in a way and I don’t believe that they meet again.

In conclusion I’m giving the issue a 9 out of 10. A great issue that should be picked up by any X-Men fan.

Next Issue
New Mutants (Volume 1) #2

[JackalsIII]

168, the issue Lockheed is named and joins the X-Men! It really is when the X-Men become a thing that I love, going forward. All the pieces of Shadow & Flame are in place, now

[a0040pc]

Here is a little something I found while surfing the net. There was a figure of Magik from the late 90's and it featured Lockheed with her. I somewhat wonder why they had the pair together and maybe it has something to do with NM #63 (Which brings a tear to my eye when I read it). It is a great figure of both characters and I really wish I had it but the only person I've found selling it wants too much (I am not going to try a US seller since I don't want to pay sky high rates for postage).

[a0040pc]

Issue Information
Title- Uncanny X-Men (Volume 1) #181
Release Date- May 1984
Writer- Chris Claremont
Artist- John Romita Jr. and Dan Green

Major Notes
Tie-in with Secret Wars. First appearance of Puff the Dragon and Amiko Kobayashi.

Brief Summary

Tokyo Story

In Japan five children look into the sky as a giant green dragon flies above them. They look through their monster book to try and identify it but they see that it is a new monster. Suddenly the X-Men appear right underneath it and they fall down to the ground. The children go to the team and they watch as the huge dragon flies away.

As the X-Men recuperate they are confused to why they have not returned to New York where they had been taken from. Thanks to the children Wolverine learns that the team is in Japan and are only a few miles away from Tokyo itself. Cyclops is missing from the team and the X-Men identify the huge dragon as the one that Lockheed had fallen in love with on Breakworld. It seems when returning to Earth the dragon had somehow grown to monstrous size. Professor Xavier learns by reading the minds of the children that a week has passed since they left. The team decide that they must stop the dragon from going on a rampage but Rogue heads back to the X-Mansion so that she can check if Kitty Pryde and the New Mutants are alright. Wolverine notices that there are some leadership issues between Xavier and Storm, he remembers when this happened between Cyclops and Storm and he thinks this could have caused her recent change in personality.

At the War Room at the National Command Centre the defence forces are surprised by the sudden appearance of the huge dragon. They prepare the defences against such a monster and in the War Room itself Mariko Yashida is there along with her cousin Sunfire. When she hears that the X-Men have also been spotted she sends Sunfire help with the defence efforts. At first he questions her command but since she is the head of the Yashida Clan he has no choice but to accept.

In Downtown Tokyo the dragon has ripped part of a skyscraper causing rubble to begin to fall. The X-Men begin to protect civilians from the falling rubble but there is too much for them to stop completely and
people get crushed. Xavier commands Wolverine to find survivors and he tries to tap the mind of the dragon to learn why she is acting in this manner. Unfortunately the dragon takes this as an attack and causes the entire skyscraper to fall. Xavier is about to be crushed but Sunfire intervenes and destroys most of rubble. Unfortunately he doesn’t get it all and Xavier has to take cover as the rubble topples onto him. By now the National Guard has appeared and starts attacking the dragon while the X-Men look on powerless.

In Tahiti Madelyne Pryor is sitting at the steps of a hotel worried about Cyclops who disappeared a week earlier. Suddenly Cyclops himself appears out of thin air and lands on the ground right besides her. She is happy to see that he returned but is angry that he disappeared right out of her arms. She tells him how worried she has been but he tells her that because of his powers things like this can happen. They hug and try to put the whole event behind them.

Back in Tokyo the Dragon is carrying rubble and using her wings to create strong gusts of wind that topple the tanks. Storm tries to combat her but accidentally creates a tornado that shoots her up into the sky. It causes her to fly too high and she eventually loses consciousness.

Meanwhile Xavier tries to recover from being struck by the rubble but he can’t feel his legs. In his panic he fires out mental distress signals. This is picked up by both Wolverine and Colossus, as the Russian mutant frees his mentor Wolverine continues his search for survivors. Xavier points him in the right direction but his injuries are not serious and he feels ashamed that he panicked. He can see now that he isn’t fit to lead the X-Men on the field.

Wolverine locates a mother who has been crushed by the rubble. She is dying and she has a baby daughter in her arms. She asks Wolverine to care for her daughter and Wolverine accepts this responsibility. With the knowledge that her daughter is safe the woman slips away as Wolverine holds her daughter.

Elsewhere Sunfire has caught Storm before she falls to her death and attacks the dragon. His blasts seem to have no effect on the monstrous beast and she beats him down with her wing. He and Storm both fall to the ground but Sunfire takes the brunt of the fall. They are back on the hill where the X-Men first landed and the children are still there. They tend to the two mutants but the shadow of the dragon appears above them. The dragon goes in for the kill but then Lockheed flies up to her eye stopping the attack.

The pair begin to communicate as Lockheed denounces her in his own way and breathes fire on her nose. This does no damage physically but mentally she is distraught. She flies away and at the War Room she is picked up on a radar. There is a flash of light and her blip disappears.

A short time later the X-Men help more survivors and begin to think of what to do with the baby girl that Wolverine has agreed to care for. This is watched on a screen by Mariko who is happy to see that Wolverine has survived without injury. She still loves him but she is duty bound to her position and cannot marry him until her task is completed.

Later on the hill the X-Men regroup as Sunfire explains that the dragon’s energy disappeared. Xavier can’t use his mental probes on Lockheed to discover what happened to the other dragon. He thinks that
Kitty is the only one who has any chance of truly communicating with him. Xavier does know that the enormous dragon loved Lockheed and on a nearby hill the team see that she was using the skyscraper rubble to build a nest.

In Washington DC Senator Robert Kelly brings forth a bill to his fellow Senator Phillip. Senator Kelly reminds his colleague about the dangers of mutants but Phillip thinks the bill is more or less legalising slavery. The Bill is that of the Mutant Registration Act which will have the government controlling mutants.

My Thoughts

Now we return to the Uncanny X-Men which comes later in this blog than the norm since New Mutants actually came out before this issue in the same month. This issue is basically the aftermath of the Secret Wars Limited Series which at this point has only had one issue so far). It didn’t reveal that many spoilers from the series, it only revealed that Lockheed fell in love with a dragon that he met on Breakworld. It also reveals that Colossus lost his love on Breakworld and since Kitty Pryde is still on Earth we know that he must be referring to someone else.

It was nice to see that the title didn’t get bobbed down in the company wide crossover event of the Secret Wars. In all the comics that featured the heroes who were involved one issue had them going to Breakworld and then the next issue would be them returning. In big crossover events today you have a lot of tie-in issues and LSs to go with the crossover. Back then there were no real tie-ins and so made the original Secret Wars LS very easy to follow and it didn’t get overly complicated.

The issue introduces a dragon who is nicknamed Puff after the song about the magical dragon. She is a green dragon that was roughly the size of Lockheed but when they were transported to Earth she somehow grew in size. She was much like Lockheed but even though it appears that she died in this issue she does pop up again in the Kitty Pryde: Shadow & Flame Limited Series which was released around twenty years later. By then she had shrunk back down to her original size and was peaceful once again. Just to note as well that although it is listed that her first appearance was the last issue of Secret Wars, chronologically that is true but when it comes to release date this is actually the first. It is like saying Origin #1 was the first appearance of Wolverine rather that Incredible Hulk #180.

Also first appearing in this issue was Amiko Kobayashi who although not named in this issue becomes kind of like Wolverine’s adoptive daughter. He has been seen as a father figure to different young women over the series but this girl he is like her father. I think she isn’t seen again until a few years later and I believe that eventually she might become a ninja like character although I’m not entirely sure.

It was funny to see that the Japanese National Guard was actually used to fighting giant monsters. Well the country is infamous for creatures like Godzilla and I’m pretty sure that he has had his own Marvel
series at some point. They actually joke about the giant monster business and it gives you a sense of absurdity with the entire situation.

Although many of the X-Men fought valiantly in this issue it was Lockheed who truly saved the day as he was able to stop the much larger dragon from destroying the city and killing the X-Men. We might not fully know what he said to Puff there’s no doubt that he saved Tokyo and when Kitty finds out I think she’ll give him the biggest hug in the world. It would be like heaven to him.

We also saw that Professor Xavier isn’t above going into a panic. When he thought that he had become a paraplegic again he panicked and almost lost control of his powers. It can be understandable and it also shows that the most powerful mind on the planet isn’t above having moments of weakness.

One other thing that we saw for the first time is the Mutant Registration Act which is a bill that Senator Robert Kelly is trying to push forward. It basically means that every mutant in the country will be named and you can imagine just what kind of backlash there will be if such an bill was pushed through.

In conclusion I’m giving the issue an 8 out of 10. It was a good read which was simple yet entertaining.0

Next Issue
Secret Wars (Volume 1) #2

[a0040pc]

Issue Information
Title- Uncanny X-Men (Volume 1) Annual #8
Release Date- September 1984
Writer- Chris Claremont
Artist- Steven Leialoha

Major Notes
Features the New Mutants

Brief Summary

The Adventures of Lockheed the Space Dragon and His Pet Girl Kitty

In the woods just outside of the X-Mansion Wolverine is telling an old Japanese Samurai story to the X-Men and the New Mutants before a burning fire. The story is of a female Samurai who could have had love but chose to stay with her principles and remain a Samurai. As the story ends a cracking sound makes a couple of the New Mutants jump but it is only Storm returning with more firewood. Many members of the group have noticed that Storm has been acting differently since losing her powers.

Amanda is there with Nightcrawler and she notices that Colossus is feeling down. When she goes over to him and he tells her that he still misses the woman that he loved and lost but the others see it as a betrayal to Kitty Pryde. A short distance away Wolverine and Kitty are talking a little about their adventure in Japan while Professor Xavier states that it is time to go back. The others are not feeling tired however and want one more story before going back. Illyana decides that it is her turn to tell a story as she remembered the one that Kitty told her some time before.

As Illyana starts her story she is calling it ‘The Adventures of Lockheed the Space Dragon and His Pet Girl Kitty’ and it is set in outer space. A Starliner named the Chicago is being attacked by a squad of space pirates and although the crew are putting up a brave fight they are hopelessly outmatched. In the confusion the young daughter of the shipmaster named Kitty Pryde is captured by a robot.

Kitty is brought before the feet of a woman calling herself the White Queen (who has a striking resemblance to Emma Frost) and her King (Who looks much like Sebastian Shaw). She states that Kitty belongs to her since she possesses an ability which is useful to her. Kitty doesn’t believe that she will be like the White Queen who then commands the young girl to give her, her hand. Kitty reluctantly does and part of her arm is turned into crystal as the White Queen states that they are now bound to one another. In her panic Kitty phases through the ground and the White Queen commands her recapture. Suddenly she hears word that the ship has been boarded by another group.

Elsewhere on the ship a being called Wolverine ambushes the pirate forces while his friend Nightcrawler also helps out with the efforts. There is another being there with them and not too far away Kitty sees the battle take place. Unfortunately she is found by the White Queen and for her escape attempt she has Kitty’s parents within her power. She then turns the couple into crystal and shatters them before Kitty’s eyes. The White Queen commands Kitty to take her place by her side but suddenly a breath of fire separates them. The White Queen has no choice but to retreat and at first Kitty is terrified of the monster that is coming her way. That is until it licks her nose and when she looks she sees that it is a small space dragon,

By then Wolverine and Nightcrawler have caught up with them and tend to Kitty. The ship is totalled and almost everyone on board has either been killed or captured. Kitty cries thinking that her parents’ death was her fault but Nightcrawler is able to convince her that it wasn’t. She is reluctant to leave the ship but they have no choice and within moments they teleport back onto their own ship. Kitty also discovers that Lockheed is the leader of the group and she is also introduced to the ship’s living computer named Illyana. They then leave the area as the Chicago is destroyed and the villains take their place.

Over the course of a few years Kitty ages and matures into a young woman. She has become a full-fledged member of Lockheed’s crew and has great success with them. All the while though she still has the White Queen on her mind and is still after her revenge.

Sometime later Nightcrawler informs Kitty that the crew of the ship have been invited to King Xavier’s Jubilee ball. She is concerned that she has nothing to wear but Illyana states that she has a device that will allow Kitty to wear anything that she likes. She uses this to create several outfits but Lockheed doesn’t notice since something in space has drawn his attention.

When the ship lands a Xavier’s enormous palace the crew are greeted by Xavier, his queen Lilandra and his Imperial Guard. Xavier welcomes them and Kitty has taken a shining to one of the guards. The crew pay their respects to Xavier but Lockheed suddenly flies away without explanation. Xavier is able to pick up that Kitty has feelings for the guard named Peter and he offers to introduce her to him. Wolverine flies away knowing that something is wrong because of Lockheed’s sudden dismemberment.

Lockheed’s search leads him to a very old part of the city. Wolverine follows but he sees Lockheed get attacked by several space dragons but before he can help his friend Lockheed and most of the dragons disappear in a flash of light. He is able to capture one of them but he is suddenly bathed in a beam of light as well. The next thing he knows he is encased in a crystal and the White Queen is before him. She states that both he and Lockheed will tell her everything.

In the ball room Kitty is dancing with Peter when a hologram of the White Queen suddenly appears. She demonstrates that she has Lockheed in her possession and that she has not forgotten about her. She offers Kitty a choice of serving her or watching her companions die. With that she turns Lockheed into crystal and shatters him as Kitty is powerless but to watch. Kitty swears to find the White Queen and avenge the deaths of her loved ones.

A short time later Kitty, Xavier, Nightcrawler, Peter and Illyana meet up at the spot where Wolverine and Lockheed disappeared. Illyana has picked up their trail but it leads off into outer space. They decide to follow the trail and Peter decides to join them while Xavier remains behind.

In her own ship the White Queen she discovers that the dragon originated from a different dimension and the energy she absorbed from him was great. She decides to try and find that dimension so that she can absorb enough power to challenge Xavier. She also learns that Kitty’s ship has taken off so she orders her crew to follow it at a discreet distance.

A short time later Kitty finds herself in a dive bar looking for a pilot since the trail leads into a black hole and they need someone who can get them through safely. She has been directed here to find the best pilot in the galaxy in the form of a woman named Ororo. She finds the poor excuse for a pilot drinking at a table. Kitty tries to convince her to pilot for Lockheed’s sake but she’s not listening. A being named Rogue grabs Kitty from behind but this doesn’t stop her from trying to convince Ororo that sitting alone wallowing in her own sorrow will get her nowhere. Rogue goes to throw Kitty out of the bar but her words have moved Ororo and she agrees to pilot for her.

This is picked up by the White Queen who is watching their every move. Ororo soon pilots Kitty’s ship towards the black hole but the power that she once had has gone from her and she doesn’t have the nerve to go through with it. Kitty tries to comfort her but when Ororo speaks of her loss Kitty shows her, her crystal arm and states that she wasn’t the only one to lose something. She is able to convince Ororo to keep going and the ship soon flies into the black hole.

They soon reappear on the other side where space is white and the stars are black. They follow the trail which leads them to a planet with multiple non-human life signs. The planet itself is made of crystal but then Illyana’s sensors pick up a familiar signature. This is more than enough for the team to teleport down to the planet’s surface as they discover the signature belongs to Lockheed.

As they teleport down they find themselves in a cavern filled with small female space dragons. Lockheed is in the middle of all of these females since he is the only male dragon left in existence. They are happy to see Lockheed alive and well but suddenly the ship is attacked and before they know it the team is surrounded by the White Queen’s troops.

Kitty goes to attack but suddenly a huge dragon appears and is attacked by the White Queen’s army. They are able to defeat her but not without sustaining a lot of losses themselves. The team battle what is left of the army but they know as long as the White Queen’s ship stays above them they can’t escape. This leads Kitty and Lockheed to fly up to the ship itself. They are too small to be targeted by the weapon systems and they get inside by phasing through the hull.

Inside the effort has tired Kitty out as she falls to the ground as more troops converge on their location. Lockheed is able to burn them all and as Kitty comes too she sees the destruction caused. She feels a small amount of guilt but carries on anyway knowing that they are butchers. They then split up so that she can sabotage the computers while Lockheed goes to find Wolverine.

The King beams back up to the ship after hearing of the ship being boarded. He is able to defeat Lockheed with an energy blast but Wolverine has already been freed and there is nothing stopping him from attacking the King.

[a0040pc]

On the ground the White Queen discovers her link with the King has been severed but she also sees that Kitty, Lockheed and Wolverine have returned. Kitty points up to the sky as the White Queen sees that her ship has been destroyed but she doesn’t think that it matters. She fires at Kitty but Lockheed gets in the way and takes the hit for his mistress. Kitty is able to knock the White Queen down but as she gets closer the villainess tries to use her powers to take over Kitty’s body. Kitty is able to resist and states that she is no longer a child and is able to force the attack back at her making the White Queen fall. Kitty has the golden opportunity to finish the villainess but decides not to stating that she doesn’t need to take her life anymore. The White Queen believes that this means that Kitty will let her go but she is then attacked by the female space dragons while Kitty walks away from the villainess’s death screams.

With the battle over Kitty holds the seemingly lifeless body of Lockheed. She is greatly saddened that her revenge has cost him his life. Peter wishes to comfort her but she tells him that she thought that she loved him but she actual doesn’t and she apologises for leading him astray. She is sorry that Lockheed is gone and how he helped her but now she can’t help him. She cries for him and as her tears trickle onto Lockheed he wakes up and much to Kitty’s delight he is still alive. Ororo reveals that she has found her spark again and is not willing to give it up. The team also discover that Lockheed’s disappearance was so that he could help the female dragons reproduce after all the male dragons died of a plague.

The team soon prepare to leave but Lockheed is seemingly staying behind. While saddened by this Kitty understands and the ship flies off. Inside she talks to Ororo and reveals that she is miserable that Lockheed stayed behind. She knew that she would hate herself if she forced him to stay, Ororo does try and cheer her up like Kitty did for her in the bar. Kitty wonders if she will be able to fly through the black hole so that she can visit Lockheed. She then feels a lick on her face and discovers that Lockheed has decided to stay with her since she is his one true love.

As Illyana concludes the story stating that Kitty and Lockheed lived happily ever after. The New Mutants have gone to sleep and the rest decide to head back to the mansion since it is late. Everyone has enjoyed the story, especially Storm who sees what Illyana was talking about and decides that has to leave for a short while to get her head straight.

Kitty goes to Colossus and they talk a little about the relationship they once had and the alien he fell in love with. They are able to reconcile and remain friends. Illyana watches them and she is happy with what she has seen. She asks Kitty to walk with Lockheed while she douses the fire. Kitty is happy to be reunited with Lockheed and in their minds
they see each other as the person of dreams. As Kitty walks away she thanks Illyana for the story and calls her, her best friend.

My Thoughts

And now we come to Uncanny X-Men Annual #8 which is like a sequel to the fairy tale in Uncanny X-Men #153 (which happens to be one of, if not my favourite issue of the series ever), but instead of being a swords and sorcery setting this time it is a sci-fi epic. I would say this is in the spirit of UXM #153 rather than a direct sequel. Also what’s different is that it is Illyana telling the story rather than having the story told to her. Like before the story picks up on certain issues that the X-Men are having but resolve them in a happy, fairy tale ending.

One thing I picked up from the very beginning is that this annual takes place a fair few months after the current issue of the Uncanny X-Men. One is that there is a particularly important event that has taken place with Storm which happens in the next issue of Uncanny X-Men. Also it takes place after the Kitty Pryde and Wolverine LS (and is the basis of Wolverine’s story at the beginning), I think it takes place around Uncanny X-Men #192/193.

The story itself was really enjoyable to read. You could tell that it was based around the Star Wars franchise, but then again Star Wars is awesome and it definitely was a different setting to the other fairy tale story. I admit that this one wasn’t quite as good as the previous one but it was still a really enjoyable read where we saw space age versions of our favourite X-Men. The story is also somewhat based on a space adventure with Illyana and Lockheed that was first hinted in New Mutants #21 but not actually seen until #63 (one of my favourite issues of that series).

Once again Emma Frost is the villainess of the story and I think she played the role really well. I could say things like ‘I can’t see her turning herself around after such villainous acts’ but this time around it is not actually her so I can’t say that. Although this story version of her was mainly based on Emma Frost I could see a bit of Selene in her as well with the life force absorption. Also I did notice that there is a bit of a hint towards her future diamond form mutation as she transformed part of Kitty’s arm into crystal.

Kitty was definitely the lead character of the story as she went from scared little girl into a mature young woman. We saw her lose her parents and bounce back on it to confront the one responsible for their deaths. Lockheed also played a large role in the story and it also cemented the fact that the pair are bound together. They do love each other in a way that Kitty could never do with a man but it shows that they are truly inseparable. I do also believe that this is the first that they’ve been together (in the real world, not the fairy tale) since Kitty left the X-Men after her breakup with Colossus.

We also did see a down in the dumps Storm but the story showed her coming out of her depression and finding herself again. Something that the real Storm soon took on board and has decided to do the same. What exactly happened will be revealed in the next issue of the Uncanny X-Men which I will talk more about then.

The other characters like Wolverine, Nightcrawler and Rogue didn’t have as prominent roles as their counterparts but they still felt important enough. Colossus was basically the same to Kitty in the story but she realised that she didn’t love him the way that she had and in a way it was the reverse of what happened in reality. At least in the real world after the story was finished Kitty and Colossus were able to talk and have become friends again.

Lockheed choosing Kitty over his own species was somewhat surprising but also very heart warming. He will probably go there every now and again to mate with some of the females but he will spend the majority of his time with her since they love each other so dearly. Kinda brings a tear to my eye.

In conclusion I’m giving the issue a 9 out of 10. A good issue to read as a standalone story and is definitely the best annual I’ve read so far. Too bad this space adventuring X-Men was never continued on.

Next Issue
New Mutants (Volume 1) #19

[petrefax]

A fully grown Lockheed is on the cover of years of Future's Past #2 Battleword cover solicitation for July

[Derek Metaltron]

So happy to see Lockheed so prominent in both DOFP and Master of King Fu, he looks awesome here.

[petrefax]

From this weeks X-Position some interior art of Lockheed taking out DoomSentinels from Years of future's Past #3

[a0040pc]

Issue Information
Title- Nightcrawler (Volume 1) #1
Release Date- November 1985
Writer- Dave Cockrum
Artist- Dave Cockrum

Major Notes

First Nightcrawler solo comic. Features Kitty Pryde, Illyana Rasputin and Lockheed.

Brief Summary

How much is that Boggie in the window?

Nightcrawler is training in the Danger Room in a session where he is forbidden to teleport. Kitty Pryde, Illyana and Lockheed are watching from the control room and Kitty herself is at the controls. She uses it to fire missiles at Nightcrawler which he is able to dodge and use the obstacles to destroy them.

A short time later in the control room Kitty asks Nightcrawler why he had the session without using his powers. He explains his misadventure that he had with the Vanisher and how he ended up in a dimension without his powers. He even tells her about the Well at the Centre of Time. This gives Kitty an idea and using his description is able to use the systems to recreate the well. It looks so realistic that the group actually go to it to take a look. A tentacle appears from the well and Lockheed flies towards it but it grabs him. It is only then that they realise that the simulation is actually real. Nightcrawler leaps in to try and rescue the small dragon but he too is caught. Much to the dismay of the two girls the well disappears taking Nightcrawler and Lockheed with it.

In another dimension Nightcrawler and Lockheed are at the mercy of a flying creature with tentacles. The landscape around them is vast and they are high up in the air and can’t see the ground below them. Nightcrawler tries to decide what to do but Lockheed is able to free himself and he breathes fire on the creature. It causes the creature to flee but in the process it drops the pair. Nightcrawler begins to fall bit Lockheed grabs his tail and tries to keep him afloat. They continue to fall but they see what seems to be an airship approaching them.
With little choice Nightcrawler teleports to the deck of the ship and after falling through the floor finds himself and Lockheed surrounded by alien pirates. They mistake him for a creature called a Boggie and attack him. They are able to fend them off but eventually Nightcrawler comes face to face with the Captain who threatens to shoot him. Nightcrawler tries to explain what has happened to him and asks to know where he is. Since Nightcrawler knows that he isn’t going anywhere soon he asks if he can stay on the ship. The Captain accepts.

On Earth Kitty is trying to recreate the well so that Nightcrawler and Lockheed can return but time is moving faster for Nightcrawler. To the girls it has only been moments but to him it has been a week. He is in the ship’s hold and playing poker against other members of the crew. He is winning but suddenly a ship is spotted nearby. The Captain commands the crew into action and they see that the ship is very fancy and that most likely a member of the royal family is on board. They fire from a shock cannon at the royal ship and Nightcrawler realises that what he and the crew are doing is wrong. He tells the Captain to stop this but he refuses and commands that Nightcrawler returns to his post.

Instead Nightcrawler teleports to the shock cannon and is able to commandeer it. He fires at the main mast which cripples the ship and he threatens to destroy the ship if the crew get too close. Before he leaves Nightcrawler threaten to do more damage to the ship even further if they decide to continue the attack. He teleports away with Lockheed but the Captain swears revenge.

Nightcrawler and Lockheed reappear on the royal ship where once again he is mistaken for a Boggie. He is able to explain to him their situation and he needs a ride to port. They allow him to stay but he turns to see the beautiful Princess Jinjay. He bows to her and tries to introduce himself but she is ushered away by her bodyguards since no one is allowed to approach her. He is allowed to ride on the ship to port but he isn’t allowed to see Jinjay.

Hours later they arrive at the floating city of Bel Amee Anora and Nightcrawler is taken aback by what he is seeing. The ship docks at the port and Nightcrawler sees Jinjay leaving and he teleports down to her to try and patch things up. Once again she is ushered away and the Lord Chamberlain is the one who mainly stands in his way. The Lord thanks Nightcrawler for saving the ship even though Nightcrawler believes that this means he can see Jinjay. Instead the Lord goes to give him a pouch of gold and tells him to be off. Nightcrawler smacks it out of his hand in disgust and teleports away. At that moment the Lord is informed that Jinjay has been abducted.

Nightcrawler and Lockheed teleport into a market where once again he is confused for a Boggie. This scares the people so he teleports out of view, he knows his appearance will lead to trouble but he is able to find a hooded robe which will disguise him.

Nightcrawler is able to walk around now and Lockheed is also hidden underneath his hood. He is trying to figure out a way to get home but suddenly he is approached by a woman who claims that her brother has been set upon by thugs and needs his help. Believing the girl Nightcrawler follows her to an alley, there he is struck in the back of the head and knocked unconscious. The pirate crew are the ones responsible and although Lockheed tries to attack he too is quickly knocked out.

When they awaken they find themselves on another ship. He sees the creature that brought them there is powering the boat and he finds himself before a creature in a hooded robe and carrying a staff. The pair have been sold to him and as he reveals his identity Nightcrawler tries to flee but the master uses his staff to cast a spell which stops them dead in their tracks. The master is a shark like creature named Shargreen the Sorcerer who claims that Nightcrawler is his in both body and soul.

My Thoughts

And now we begin with the first issue of the original Nightcrawler Limited Series. It will not be his first solo series but in my mind this is the best one (most of the time the original is the best). This is a very enjoyable series overall but for now we will concentrate on this issue alone.

The first thing to point out is that this issue is not only drawn by but is also written by Nightcrawler creator the late Dave Cockrum. It is great to see him drawing the character once again but this is the first time he’s written him. I don’t think that he has written him in the past but I could be mistaken. Anyway it is fitting that the creator of the character write and draw the series and it was great to have the events of Bizarre Adventures #27 as the starting point.

The issue also heavily features Lockheed who seems to be the co-star of the series. I would say that his role is a little more than a supporting character but not too much that he can truly be considered Nightcrawler’s equal in the story. Nevertheless Lockheed’s role in the issue is of importance and it is great to see him in action. His mistress Kitty Pryde and her BFF Illyana Rasputin do play supporting roles. Kitty does have importance to the story since she is really the one responsible for what has happened to Nightcrawler and Lockheed while Illyana just seems to be there.

The setting of the other dimension reminds me a lot of the old Flash Gordon serials from the 1930’s. Of course you have the old Errol Flynn films as well but is still has a Flash Gordon appeal to it as well. Obviously it is a world that we haven’t seen before in Marvel Comics but it is one that Nightcrawler has found himself in.

The story itself was fun to read as at first Nightcrawler is enjoying being a pirate but when he realises that what he is doing is wrong. He does the noble thing but you can kind of understand why he enjoyed the life of a pirate. It was something that he had fantasied for a long time. It was easy for him to get lost in the whole culture but unfortunately when reality slapped him in the face he knew what he had to do.

This Princess Jinjay seems to be the next damsel in distress that Nightcrawler is going to have to go and rescue. I do question how she could have gotten captured so quickly but it definitely moves the story forwards. The ending to the issue leaves us wanting to ready the next issue since we want to learn whether Nightcrawler and Lockheed can escape from the clutches of Shargreen.

The story itself is extremely fun because it is not bobbed down by events taking place around the issue. Secret Wars II is taking place at the time and it completely ignores it. It also ignores what is taking place in the X-Men series at the time. So if a reader just wants to sit down and read a basic story without having to read other issues to fully understand this issue and the series as a whole is what you’re looking for.

In conclusion I’m giving this issue a 9 out of 10. A great start for this fun little series which was enjoyable from start to finish.

Next Issue
Uncanny X-Men (Volume 1) #199