X-Men #116 (Dec 78): To Save the Savage Land
Creative Team: Chris Claremont, author; John Byrne, penciler; Terry Austin, inker; Tom Orzechowski, letterer; Glynis Wein, colorist; Roger Stern, editor; Jim Shooter, editor-in-chief
Starting Line Up: Cyclops, Pheonix (DNA), Nightcrawler, Wolverine, Banshee, Storm, Colossus
Guest Star: Ka-Zar
Synopsis: Ka-Zar is leading the X-Men towards Garrok's metropolis. They're attacked by Garrok's guards flying pterasaurs. Ka-Zar along with Cyclops, Banshee, and Colossus are taken prisoner. Wolverine tells Ka-Zar's pet sabretooth tiger, Zabu, to go back to the village and bring back warriors to help. The three remaining X-Men continue their way to the metropolis. Wolverine easily sneaks up and takes out the guards and they enter the city. They travel through the city's garbage dump and are attacked by small dinosaurs. One bites down on Wolerine's arm, but he takes care of it easily. Storm uses a flash flood to wash the other ones away. The three make their way to a large arena where the X-Men and Ka-Zar are being held ready for sacrafice. Colossus is being burned at the stake. While his armored form keeps him from being burned, the heat is still incredibly painful. Nightcrawler teleports in and starts freeing X-Men. Storm and Wolverine arrive, and the team takes on Garrok's guards. Garrok escapes, so Cyclops takes after him. He gets to an alter where he starts absorbing energy and grows more powerful. The two throw optic beams at each other and it causes and explosion that shakes the foundation of the city. A giant chasm that goes all the way to the center of the Earth opens up. Both Cyclops and Garrok fall into the pit. Banshee flies in and rescues Cyclops while Storm goes after Garrok. But the further Storm goes down, the more claustrophobic she grows. She almost has Garrok, but panics and flies out of the pit, letting him fall. She escapes just as the entire city colapses. Some time later, Ka-Zar leads the X-Men to the exit from the Savage Land. They board a small craft and they sail out into the Drake Passage, during one of the worst storms in over a hundred years.
Yeah, but is it good? Well... Again, I don't like all this mystic crap. Storm going to save Garrok, but pulling out and letting someone die because of her fear was a good moment. Moreso her devastated reaction. She didn't even need words.
Significata: Garrok falls to his death. Storm's fear causes her to let someone die. Wolverine mentions his fast healing for the first time. The X-Men finally leave the Savage Land.
