COMIC DETAILS
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Comic Description:
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X-Men Annual 10 Signature
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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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4286805001
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Owner:
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Colossus Keck
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SET DETAILS
Owner's Description
Chris Claremont (writer), Arthur Adams (penciler) Terry Austin (inker), Petra Scotese (colorist), Tom Orzechowski (letterer), Ann Nocenti (editor), Jim Shooter (editor in chief)
Brief Description:
After an extreme version of tag in the Danger Room between the X-Men and the school’s current Headmaster, Magneto, everyone receives quite an unexpected surprise in the form of an unconscious stranger named Longshot, who is transported right into their midst via teleportation. His arrival consequently leaves anyone within the direct vicinity of the transfer warp covered in ectoplasm. Little do they all know that this latest surprise has been sent to them directly by none other than Mojo, who has more in store for the X-Men, as the school’s novice team, the New Mutants, soon discover when they awake the next morning to find everyone who came into contact with the ectoplasm (mainly the X-Men, Magneto, and the new arrival, Elizabeth Braddock) growing younger and younger at an incredible rate - with the mentalities and attitudes to match! With Longshot regaining consciousness and apparently being completely amnesiac, Betsy picks up an image of the creature responsible for this from Longshot’s memories and these younger X-Men decide to rush into battle, only to be held back by the New Mutants, who urge them to consider their actions. Meanwhile, back in the Danger Room, Doug and Warlock have figured out that Mojo is responsible and run to tell the others. In a moment of distraction, Magneto, one of the few X-Men still old enough to possess powers, takes out the entire team and these “X-Babies” move on to their intended destination, Central Park. There, they come across Mojo, who invites the team, which have now all grown so young that none of them have any powers, to come play with him. When the New Mutants awaken, they decide that they must attempt a rescue mission, but the stakes are too high for them to enter the field as children. With this, they find their graduation costumes and prepare themselves to go into battle as the new X-Men. Magik attempts to teleport the team to the X-Babies’ last known location, Central Park, but become sidetracked by Spiral in mid-jaunt, only to end up on a stage in the middle of a play now being run by Spiral and Mojo. Shockingly, the X-Men have now been indoctrinated as Mojo’s slaves and are quickly growing older, regaining their powers one by one. The New Mutants and the X-Men face off but the tide turns, as one by one the X-Men break the hold Mojo has on them. Together, the two teams manage to defeat Mojo, who escapes, and capture Spiral whom they barter her freedom in return for the service of her returning everything to normal, which she accepts to do. Mojo, back in his dimension, is quite pleased as this latest production (the events being broadcast back to Mojoworld via Betsy’s bionic eyes) is a huge success, and he promises something even better for next time.
Characters Involved:
Colossus, Magneto, Nightcrawler, Rogue, Shadowcat, Storm, Wolverine (all X-Men)
Psylocke
Lockheed
Cannonball, Cypher, Karma, Magik, Magma, Mirage, Sunspot, Warlock, Wolfsbane (all New Mutants)
Longshot
Mojo
Major Domo
Spiral
Citizens of Mojoworld
Central Park police
New York police
Darla, Butch, Alfy “Alfalfa” (all Bratpack)
Unnamed Bratpack
Unnamed theatre attendees
Weezie
Walter
Carrie
Queen Greensong
Uncle Puddlegump
Central Park frogs
Story Notes:
This story occurs between Uncanny X-Men #210 and issue #211.
Magneto was asked by Charles Xavier to become headmaster of his school in Uncanny X-Men issue #200, where Magneto was brought to trial for his crimes. Charles, suffering from a heart attack, was taken back into space by his lover, Lilandra, and the Starjammers, where they believed they could help him.
Elizabeth Braddock was blinded during a battle with Slaymaster in Captain Britain (2nd series) #13. She was first brought to the mansion by the New Mutants who saved her from the clutches of Mojo in their own adventure with him in New Mutants Annual #2, referred to by Major Domo in this issue as the “Wildways Debacle.”
Queen Greensong and Uncle Puddlegump are ordinary frogs that live in Central Park, but were met and aided by Thor, during a time when Loki had transformed him into a frog. [Thor (1st series) #364-365]
The ‘Bratpack’ are a group of kids who befriended Longshot in his own limited series (Longshot #4-5). They subsequently appeared New Mutants Annual #2, before this annual. They became reoccurring characters in Daredevil (1st series) for a brief time.
This annual marks the first appearance of the concept of the “X-Babies.” While this version are the actual X-Men, de-aged, the following versions are constructs by Mojo, trying to recreate the concept under his control. The next version appears in X-Men Annual #12 and Excalibur: Mojo Mayhem. Another version appeared in X-Men (2nd series) #46-47 and yet another in Pint-Sized X-Babies #1.
In many ways, the New Mutants’ new costumes are reminiscent of the “graduation” costumes the original X-Men received in X-Men (1st series) #39. The New Mutants return to their school uniforms after this adventure, but create new “graduation” costumes for themselves in New Mutants (1st series) #61.
The Delacorte Theatre is a real, open-air theatre located in Manhattan’s Central Park. It is known for its Shakespeare productions.
The cover to the annual is, of course, one of many homages to the cover of Giant-Sized X-Men #1.
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