COMIC DETAILS
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Comic Description:
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Uncanny X-Men 278 Modern
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Grade:
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9.8
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Page Quality:
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WHITE
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Certification #:
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0351371020
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Owner:
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Colossus Keck
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SET DETAILS
Owner's Description
"The Battle of Muir Isle"
Chris Claremont (writer), Paul Smith (penciller), Hilary Barta (inker), Joe Rosas (colorist), Tom Orzechowski (letterer), Bob Harras (editor), Tom DeFalco (editor in chief)
Brief Description:
The Shadow King and Dr. Lian Shen watch various forms of hate taking place across the world, before the Shadow King vows that he will destroy Xavier and the X-Men once and for all. At the WHO headquarters, Brigadier Alysande Stuart is all but helpless as an intruder breaks into the hangar where Excalibur’s Blackbird jet is kept. The full-armored intruder takes down various personnel, and displays some psionic powers, though limited due to the static on the psychic plane that the Shadow King is currently causing. Once a safe distance from the WHO, the intruder takes off his armor - revealing himself as Professor X, who then meets up with the X-Men - Wolverine, Storm, Banshee, Forge, Psylocke, Jubilee and Gambit. They discuss recent events, and plan to check in on Muir Island. Currently at Muir Island, Dr. Moira MacTaggert, various members of the Muir Island X-Men - Amanda Sefton, Siryn, Multiple Man and Legion - and other mutants residing at Muir Island are watching Rogue and Guido battle in the Arena, Muir Island’s very own Danger Room. Rogue eventually defeats Guido, much to the pleasure of several of the others, though Rogue is somewhat confused by the barbarity of the Arena. Later, in the shower room, Rogue still has confused feelings, before she is confronted by the Shadow King, and they kiss. The X-Men arrive near Muir Island, and Xavier drops them off, while he takes the Blackbird to New York. Banshee makes his way through Moira’s private home and recalls recent events, while Psylocke finds all of Muir Island’s residents at the Arena. Storm and Forge, linked telepathically thanks to Psylocke, discuss the Arena, while Forge discovers a large amount of power being diverted to a lower level holding pen on Muir Island. Suddenly, Storm is confronted by the deranged Legion, who brutally attacks her. Psylocke is rendered unconscious due to the backlash. Banshee sees Storm fall towards the ocean, and goes to rescue her, when he is attacked by his daughter, Siryn. Confused, Banshee is rendered unconscious. Gambit is confronted by the Multiple Man, while Wolverine eventually finds Rogue - they begin to fight, though Jubilee attempts to break them up, until another Amanda Sefton of the Muir Island X-Men attacks her. At the ruins of the X-Men’s Mansion in Salem Center, Xavier is upset at the destruction caused by Mr. Sinister, when a car speeds towards him, with someone on top of it, then crashes into the pillars at the front of the ruined Mansion. The car goes up in flames, and Xavier finds the driver to be his ally Stevie Hunter, who was fleeing the Shadow King. The Shadow King shows Xavier an astral image of the X-Men all taken down by the Muir Island X-Men, before the other person emerges from the flaming car - Colossus, possessed by the Shadow King, and charged with ripping Stevie Hunter apart, before doing the same to Xavier!
Characters Involved:
Banshee, Gambit, Forge, Jubilee, Psylocke, Storm, Wolverine, Professor X (all X-Men)
Colossus, Rogue (both former X-Men)
Tom Corsi, Sharon Friedlander, Legion III, Dr. Moira MacTaggert, Multiple Man, Amanda Sefton, Siryn (all Muir Island X-Men)
Brigadier Alysande Stuart
Guido
Stevie Hunter
Shadow King
Dr. Lian Shen
Unnamed Residents of Muir Island
Demons
Soldiers
Ms. Wilson
Hateful Civilians
In Photographs:
Moira MacTaggert & Charles Xavier
Sean Cassidy
Story Notes:
This is part one of the “Muir Island Saga”, and continues in Uncanny X-Men #279.
Lila Cheney teleported the X-Men across the universe in Uncanny X-Men #273.
The War Skrull debacle took place in Uncanny X-Men #273-277.
Excalibur are currently tied up with their own problems, as seen in “The Prometheum Exchange” [Excalibur (1st series) #37-39].
X-Factor’s Ship exploded in X-Factor (1st series) #67.
The X-Men were believed dead in Uncanny X-Men #227, part of the “Fall of the Mutants” storyline.
Banshee began to notice things were strange on Muir Island, and with Moira, back in Uncanny X-Men (1st series) #253-255.
Amanda’s use of demons is clearly due to the fact that she is under the influence of the Shadow King, as in her previous appearances she has often stated that she has never learned or been taught black magic.
Mr. Sinister demolished the Mansion in Uncanny X-Men #243, it was previously destroyed by the Sidri Hunters in Uncanny X-Men #154.
Stevie Hunter was confronted by a possessed Colossus in Uncanny X-Men #277.
This issue marks Amanda Sefton’s last appearance for some time (although she appears “behind the scenes“ in the remainder of the “Muir Island Saga“), until March 1994 Excalibur (1st series) #75, where she returns to Muir Island and joins Excalibur, taking the code-name Daytripper and remaining a starring character in that book until Excalibur (1st series) #108).
In several scenes on Muir Island, a rather large man is shown near Moira and the others on pages 11, 14 and 29. Despite the resemblance, this is not the Morlock Sunder, who was pronounced dead after being killed by the Reavers in Uncanny X-Men #254.
The remaining three parts to the “Muir Island Saga” fail to live up to what is set out in this issue. That is due, in part, to Chris Claremont’s controversial departure from the title. Facing a similar situation to the also-departed long-time X-title writer Louise Simonson (also Claremont’s good friend), Claremont was faced with a barrage of popular artists at Marvel, who, in an attempt to keep these artists on board, were given co-plotting duties by X-editor Bob Harras. [Among these artists - Rob Liefeld, Jim Lee, Whilce Portacio] Claremont eventually handed the reigns over completely, and departed the new adjectives X-Men title soon after.
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