WOMEN OF MARVEL: Appreciation for all the heroines in comics (and behind the scenes)

[616MarvelYear is LeapYear]

Storm representing Winter!

[616MarvelYear is LeapYear]

Uncanny X-Men #238 Nov 1988
"Gonna be a Revolution!"
When Madelyne Pryor managed to manifest psi-powers to kill the Genoshan psi-probes,
the Genegineer demands to review the recordings of the psi-probe.
The footage shows a young Madelyne picking flowers when she is confronted
and demanded answers by a psychic representation of the Genegineer and the Magistrates.
When she refuses to answer and he lashes out, she is reborn in a blaze of glory that destroys the island.
The "Genegineer", decked out in a Mr. Sinister costume then would run into Madelyne in her Goblin Queen form.
She warns them about igniting the match that will bring about an inferno.

This display shocks all gathered who watched the video and the real Genegineer
demands to know how Wipeout failed to eliminate her mutant powers.
Wipeout is as shocked as they are, telling them that he detected no mutant powers
-- latent or otherwise and therefore there was nothing to wipe out.
The Genegineer then goes to Madelyne's cell and demands to know who she is,
however Madelyne is not forthcoming with anything but mocking answers.
She begins chastizing him for enslaving mutants, and the two debate on the use of mutants as workers in Genoshan society
until Chief Anderson reports to him telling him they have word on his son.

In the Genoshan Highlands, Logan and Rogue (with the psyche of Carol Danvers in full control of her body)
show Phillip Moreau the facilities where the mutant slaves are kept after their days work.
Seeing it's concentration camp style layout, Phillip is shocked at the reality of Genosha's mutant population.
They are soon confronted by Chief Anderson who has come to arrest all three,
pointing out to Logan and Carol that their cover was blown due to the fact none
of the security systems picked up the two "Magistrates" who came in with the Genegineer's son.
They are promptly arrested and flown back to the Citadel for final processing.
Anderson tells Phillip that due to the fact that he saw things that none save the Magistrates
and the director are supposed to see he will remain in custody until his situation is sorted out.

As they fly back to the Citadel they are suddenly hit by some freak weather, making both Logan and Carol smile to each other.

While inside, Madelyne listens to Jenny's lamentations of her situation telling her cellmate
that all she ever wanted to do was to heal people and now she will be forced as a slave.
Madelyne tells the girl to be strong, and endure when she is taken away by the Magistrates for final processing.
As she is being led away, Madelyne watches coldly, telling the guards that she will see them all burn.
Elsewhere in the facility, Logan and Carol see the baby that was captured in Australia being led away
and learn that it's mutant parents found a way to nullify their skin suits and managed to procreate and have since been killed.
When the three are brought before the Genegineer, Phillip demands to know
why his father is part of a government that would enslave part of it's population.
Believing that this is wrong, he tells his father that the rest of the Genoshan people would not stand for it.
When David tries to explain to his son that this is for the better good of his country,
Phillip realizes that both he and his father have a very different opinion on the future of their homeland.

Meanwhile, the X-Men -- having stolen Magistrate uniforms use the cover of a massive storm created by Storm to sneak into the Citadel facility unnoticed.
Logan and Carol are told that they are going to be sent for final processing.
Logan tells Chief Anderson that he would rather die first and feigns succumbing to his illness to pop his claws.
This causes enough distraction for both Logan and Carol to fight off their captors.
As this is happening, the X-Men are making their presence known and storming through the Citadel
with their powers blazing, easily fighting their way through the ranks of the Magistrates.
The X-Men first go looking for Madelyne but Havok finds it empty.
When he comes across Phillip Moreau, who is looking for Jenny, the two agree to work together.

Madelyne however has stripped off her skin suit and come to the Creche, a place where mutant babies are genetically bred for work.
She is confronted by the Genegineer who threatens her at gun point. She calls his bluff telling him she could kill him in an instant.
However before he can try to shoot her he is stopped by his son and Havok. Phillip points the gun at his father and demands to be brought to Jenny.
With the X-Men reunited with Logan and Carol and the Magistrates standing down due to the X-Men's hostage,

they find Wipeout and with Psylocke's aid force him to restore both Logan and Rogue's powers, saving Logan's life.

When Logan tells the X-Men they should tear down the Genoshan government and put the island in ruins,
Phillip begs for the chance to reveal the truth to the Genoshan people and make them revolt against the government.

The X-Men decide to allow Phillip the opportunity, but warn the Magistrates
that should they not change their treatment of mutants, they will be back.
Havok shows what the X-Men mean by using his powers to destroy the Citadel.
However when he realizes that Madelyne and the mutant children might have still been inside,
he is surprised when Madelyne shows up alive and well and kisses him.
She tells him not to worry about the mutant children in the Creche as thy have been taken care of.
Storm tells Phillip that his fight to free the mutants of Genosha would be better done outside the country
and he and Jenny join the X-Men in leaving through Gateway's portal. Wolverine reminds the Genegineer
that if they do not change their ways on their own, the X-Men will be back and there will be blood.

Story by Chris Claremont. Art by Marc Silvestri and Dan Green.

[616MarvelYear is LeapYear]

Uncanny X-Men #176 Dec 1983
"Decisions" First appearance of Valerie Cooper.
Scott and Maddie are flying to a remote island in the South Pacific for their honeymoon when a storm catches them and disables the engine.

In Japan, Wolverine sneaks into Mariko's chambers.
He's come to return the honor blade, which was delivered to him 2 days after he last returned it.
We find out that Mastermind forced Mariko to call off the wedding,
and that while under his control Mariko also involved the clan in criminal pursuits again.
She loves Logan, but won't allow Wolverine to be with her until she has expunged the stain upon her clan's honor.

In the South Pacific, Scott is working on the engine. He loses his balance while leaning over for a kiss,
and a large shark leaps at him. He stuns it with an eye-blast. Unnoticed by either he or Maddie,
the stunned shark becomes something else's meal before it can recover - something with long powerful tentacles!

Washington D.C. Henry Gyrich has arrived to a briefing that has already started - a briefing on mutants!

Frank Lowell of the CIA is discussing Magneto's most recent threat, a threat that was never followed through on for unknown reasons.

Following him is Valerie Cooper. She presents evidence that mutants are no longer primarily a U.S. phenomena,
but now a broadly global one - the U.S. must take steps to defend itself against foreign spies and assassins possessing mutant powers!
Gyrich objects - he thinks to do so would be to prove Magneto right.
But Dr. Cooper thinks mutants present a 'clear and present danger', and must be dealt with.

The South Pacific. The main part of the Storm is starting to move over them as they try the engine, but it catches fire and Scott has Maddie turn it off.
They get back to work, neither noticing the sinister tentacle reaching out of the water!

The Alley. Caliban returns to his chambers to discover Masque, Callisto, and Sunder there.
He orders them out but Callisto is concerned because she hasn't seen him much.
They accuse him of mooning over Kitty, and he admits to being sad because she promised to stay with him if he helped the X-Men, but she didn't.
Callisto tells him she means to see Kitty keep her promise!

The South Pacific. Scott finally has the engines working, and Maddie is pulling in the sea-anchor when she's grabbed by a monstrous tentacle!
Scott jumps in after her, and blasts the squid, freeing Maddie. It grabs him, but he gives it an eyeful. However, he's lost his glasses.
Getting to the surface, Maddie steers him towards the ship with her voice, but it grabs him again.
Getting his bearings from the direction its pulling him, he lets the squid have it full power.
They get back onto the plane, and after a few moments of panic, the second engine finally catches and they're off.

Scott decides he's not interested in going off to fight a war with his father as a member of the Starjammers.

Story by Chris Claremont. Art by John Romita, Jr. and Bob Wiacek.

[9th.]

s/o to Finesse and Hazmat

[Frontier]

s/o to Finesse and Hazmat

The former now appearing in the pages of Unstoppable Wasp (although she's now more of a bad girl then a hero) with the latter will be appearing in the pages of the upcoming (3rd? 4th?) Captain Marvel relaunch.

[616MarvelYear is LeapYear]

Uncanny X-Men #239 Dec 1988
Inferno: Prologue - "Vanities!"
In Manhattan the Empire State building starts to grow, demons possess many technical things like elevators and telephones.

In a secret hideout, Mr. Sinister thinks about the X-Men as Malice rushes in.
She tried to separate from Polaris’s body and discovered that they are permanently bonded.
Sinister says, that this was the reason why he ordered her to possess Lorna Dane.
He knew that the woman’s hidden hate, combined with the interaction of the unique energy matrices, would lead to such a result.
Malice is very angered, but Sinister convinces her, that this is for the better,
for now she is the only unique and irreplaceable member of the Marauders.

In Australia, Dazzler uses a day off to do the single thing she loves most – singing.
She and Longshot enter a bar and Alison is allowed to sing with the band.
The audience loves her.

Havok thinks about how much rejoining the X-Men changed his life, not only did he have to fight the woman he loves,
he also had to use his powers to kill, even if it were only Brood. Madelyne comforts him.

Storm researches some video footage, and discovers the interview with X-Factor's Cyclops and Marvel Girl.

She is shocked to see her best friend alive.
Immediately she tells Wolverine, who said he already knew; twice he caught her scent.

He did not say anything, because he did not trust his senses. He thought he was going mad to smell the woman he loved.

In an underground cave Psylocke fights Rogue and Colossus in a training session.
At first she does good, distracting them with her telepathy, but with teamwork she is defeated.
Rogue holds her and Psylocke asks her to let her go, yet Rogue refuses with a "Make me".
Psylocke gives Rogue a mind-blast and knocks her out. Rogue gets up, again the eye colour change from green to blue occurs.
While Rogue is out of the picture Carol has taken over again. Psylocke decides to take a bath in an underground lake.

Now that their tempers have cooled down, she and Carol talk it through.
Carol touches Betsy with her bare hand and is able to hold Rogue’s absorption powers in check.

Slowly Madelyne and Alex seem to fall in love.
They both lost the loves of their lives and now are all they have left.
They spend a night together.
Later Madelyne calls N'astirh and makes a bargain. Madelyne wants the Marauders found
(who nearly killed her and stole the baby), but most of all she wants her son.

Story by Chris Claremont. Art by Marc Silvestri and Dan Green.