X-Men #121 (May 79): Shoot-Out at the Stampede!
Creative Team: Chris Claremont, author; John Byrne, penciler; Terry Austin, inker; Diana Albers, letterer; Glynis Wein, colorist; Rogr Stern, editor; Jim Shooter, editor-in-chief
Starting Line Up: Cyclops, Pheonix, Nightcrawler, Wolverine, Banshee, Storm, Colossus
Guest Stars: Misty Knight, Colleen Wing
Synopsis: Cyclops and Colossus are busting down the entrace to the Calgary Exhibiton Grounds, home at the Calgary Stampede. Once inside, their start searching for the missing X-Men. They're spotted by Shaman, so he creates a magic barrier to keep anyone else from entering. Storm spots them in a field, so the three head off towards that area. They find Nightcrawler and Wolverine unconscious and tied together in the middle of the field. As the three approach them, Alpha Flight arrives. Meanwhile, outside, Banshee, Misty Night, and Colleen Wing try to get in, but are stopped by the magic barrier. Inside, the two teams try to reason with each other. Vindicator tells them he only wants Wolverine and the rest are free to go. Colossus senses a possible sneak attack on Cyclops and jumps to his aid. Alpha Flight takes it as an act of agression and the fight is on! Nightcrawler and Wolverine were only playing possum and join the fight. The two teams pair off and battle. Meanwhile, the storm Shaman has created before is still raging and getting out of control. The two teams battle it out until the storm becomes obvious and a threat to the entire city. They stop so Storm can use her powers to stop it. It takes her quite a while, but she eventually does it. As she's done, Alpha Flight tries to restart the fight, but Wolverine doesn't want to see the X-Men possibly hurt on his account, so he gives himself up. He's taken away in a caged van made specifically to contain him, while the X-Men are escorted on their jet out of Canadian air space by fighter jets. Once their across the border, Cyclops orders the pilots to turn the jet around so they can go back for Wolverine. But sitting in the co-pilots seat is Wolverine himself. He escaped. The X-Men then finally head home.
Yeah, but is it good? While I usually like good old mutant on mutant violence, this one is a bit of disappointment as far as action goes. It's not a bad issue, just not as super duper exciting as I might hope. As far as Alpha Flight goes, the only one that you come away hating is Northstar for being such a dick, but he's a Quebecer, so what did you expect? Wolverine is finally easing up, as is apparent in the past few issues. It might have been the apparent death of Pheonix or it might be that's finally accepted somewhere (although he does mention here how Vindicator and his wife, Heather, tried to accept him into their family years before). First he gets all tender with Mariko Yoshida, then he gives himself up so the X-Men can get away safely. Our little psycho is growing up!
Significata: Wolverine sacrafices himself, albeit temporarily, to save the rest of the X-Men. Vindicator reveals he tried to take Wolverine in before, but Wolverine resents him for trying to force him in joining Alpha Flight. The X-Men finally return to the States.
