Chris Claremont’s classic run on X-Men books started unexpectedly, became a sensation, but ended not with a bang, but with a whimper. And what came next, you ask? Your Major Spoilers Retro Review of Uncanny X-Men #281 awaits!
UNCANNY X-MEN #281
Writer: Jim Lee/Whilce Portacio/John Byrne
Penciler: Whilce Portacio
Inker: Art Thibert
Colorist: Joe Rosas
Letterer: Tom Orzechowski
Editor: Bob Harras
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Cover Price: $1.00
Current Near-Mint Pricing:
Release Date: August 13, 1991
Previously in Uncanny X-Men: After finding that his former lover Moira MacTaggart and everyone who lives on Muir Island with her were under the control of The Shadow King, Professor X called upon his five founding students to return to the fold. The X-Factor team ends up battling the other X-Men, as well as Xavier’s son, Legion, who blew most of the island to smithereens. In the aftermath, a new X-Factor was formed, Colossus rejoined the X-Men fold, and Xavier’s spine was re-injured, leaving him once again partially paralyzed. With five new X-Men, the team’s ranks swelled enough to split into two squads: The Cyclops-led Blue team, and the Gold team, led by Storm, with Jean Grey as her seasoned second.
This issue opens with an interlude in the Australian Outback, where mutant nemesis Donald Pierce and his mercenary idiots, The Reavers, are torn to shreds by an unseen foe. Cut to New York City, where the X-Men Gold team has come to the Hellfire Club, to parley.
Both Storm and Jean are uncomfortable, given the history they have with this particular building and its role in setting Jean down a slippery slope to Dark Phoenix. But Professor Xavier has requested that they connect with The White Queen Emma Frost, who requested that he send his charges to her office. The reason?
Multiple attempts on her life by a person or persons unknown, possibly having just returned from Australia. The mutants have no idea who is behind it all, but we readers are immediately introduced to Shinobi Shaw and Trevor Fitzroy, a pair of Upstarts (rimshot) who have decided that the mutant old guard has gotten complacent, making it time for some new blood at the top of the proverbial power charts. For her part, Emma is happy to peel the mind of her would-be assassin, creating psychic feedback that causes Jean Grey great distress. The X-Men and The Hellions nearly come to blows, but pull back at the last second when Jean and Emma declare that no one will be dying today.
They’re very wrong about that.
Jetstream dies horribly at the hands of Fitzroy and his amazing Tupperware armor, followed by Beef, who honestly deserved it with a nom de guerre like that. Fitzroy manages to hold off a dozen mutants all by himself, but things get immediately worse when Donald Pierce teleports in from the prologue, seeking shelter… and bringing a squadron of Sentinels with him. The White Queen falls, and then Tarot of the Hellions is torn to ribbons by a Sentinel attack. Then, they turn their attention to Jean, the most powerful hero in the room.
The Sentinels declare that Marvel Girl is dead, and Fitzroy takes a moment to make a joke about how it’s not the first time. It’s one of the moments that reminds me that, for the first time in many years, the X-Men are under the pen of inexperienced writers rather than Claremont, who would know not to lampshade a dramatic moment like that. Portacio’s art is remarkable throughout the battle sequences, but as the smoke clears, and Fitzroy and the Sentinels suddenly leave, we get a crowd scene that doesn’t quite have the same oomph.
Despite the chaos, despite the occasional moments that don’t quite land, it’s a very dynamic story, and Portacio’s art makes for some really attractive moments. Uncanny X-Men #281, in concert with X-Men #1 is the spearhead of a new era for Marvel’s mutant population, something that happens every year or two now, but was very much unexpected in 1991, earning 4 out of 5 stars overall. The cracks in the foundation that would lead to the industry’s near-collapse in 1996 were showing here, but it was easy to ignore them amid the explosions and dramatic pronouncements.
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UNCANNY X-MEN #281
When this issue came out in 1991, I didn't realize what was happening, but it's one of the first modern "New Writer, New Status Quo, All Hell Breaks Loose" moments in comic book history, and Portacio's art is a revelation.
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Writing7
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Art9
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Coloring8
Once upon a time, there was a young nerd from the Midwest, who loved Matter-Eater Lad and the McKenzie Brothers... If pop culture were a maze, Matthew would be the Minotaur at its center. Were it a mall, he'd be the Food Court. Were it a parking lot, he’d be the distant Cart Corral where the weird kids gather to smoke, but that’s not important right now... Matthew enjoys body surfing (so long as the bodies are fresh), writing in the third person, and dark-eyed women. Amongst his weaponry are such diverse elements as: Fear! Surprise! Ruthless efficiency! An almost fanatical devotion to pop culture! And a nice red uniform.