X-Men #99 (Jun 76): Deathstar, Rising!
Creative Team: Chris Claremont, writer; Dave Cockrum, artist; Frank Chiara, inker; Irving W., letterer; Michelle W., colorist; Marv Wolfman, editor
Starting Line Up: Cyclops, Nightcrawler, Wolverine, Banshee, Storm, Colossus
Guest Star: Marvel Girl
Synopsis: Banshee, Wolverine, and Jean are floating is mid space after escaping Stephen Lang's base. The Sentinels recapture them before they die or suffer any major damage from extreme exposure to space. Meanwhile, back at the mansion, Cyclops and Dr. Corbeau are using Cerebro, with help from NORAD, to scan space orbiting Earth. They discover the missing X-Men on SHIELD's abandonned orbital platform. Corbeau uses his connections with NASA to get them aboard a space shuttle in the guise of a regular scientific launch. Colossus freaks out during take off, deetoying his pressure suit, revealing his brother, Mikhail, was a Russian cosmonaut who died in a space shuttle crash. Meanwhile, on the UN's Starcore space station, scientists are recording the worst solar storm in recorded history. Meanwhile, in Ireland, Mr. Flaherty, the Cassidy family a lawyer, is desperately trying to send some message to Banshee in America. He is killed by a force blast from mysterious figure for his trouble. Meanwhile, back in space, the shuttle is attackd by Sentinels as they approach the platform. The ships hull is breached and Colossus is at first of exposure to space. Corbeau crashes the shuttle into the platform for a surprise entry. Storm flies into space and finds she can control the solar storm to destroy the Sentinels. Inside the base, the rest of the X-Men are busy fighting Sentinels and guards. Once they're taken care of, Jean mentally contacts Cyclops and alerts him to where everyone is being held. Cyc orders Storm, Nightcrawler, and Colossus to go rescue Banshee and Wolverine, while he'll take Corbeau with him as he rescues Jean and Xavier... and finds Lang, which he does. Cyclops almost kills him until he's stopped by Jean. Cyclpops is then zapped from behind by a mysterious figure that Jean recognises. Lang then reveals the Sentinels were only phase 1 of Project Armageddon and he has something much more sinister for the X-Men. The rest of the team, with the now freed Wolverine and Banshee, are on their way to find Cyclops when they discover what that sinister plan is... It's the original X-Men, with Xavier ordering them to kill the new X-Men.
Yeah, but is it good? Oh yeah. The battle with the Sentinels is brief, but loads of fun. Cyclops going nuts on Lang was fun too, but I'd rather he'd get a few more blows in and saying he's doing for endangering the woman he loves than just because Lang is a coward. We get a little more insight into Colossus in this one. Slowly, but surely, the new X-Men are becoming "real" people rather than just a bunch of costumed heroes with powers. My two complaints are 1) Storm controlling solar storms is just lame 2) Claremont used the "attacked by a shadowy figure to be revealed later" TWICE in this issue. Who killed Mr. Flaherty? We'll find out later on. (another story to come, on top of Eric the Red, Xavier's dreams, and the other mysterious figure... or are they all elements of the same story? Hmm...) And who blasted Cyclops? Well... it was Cyclops. Confused? Tune in next issue!
Significata: We find out about Colossus brother, Mikhail, who wouldn't become relevant until the Age of Apocalypse story... 20 years later. Xavier is revealed to have clearance to highly guraded govenment facilities, like NORAD's computers. Storm can manipulate solar storm as well as Earth's. Colossus is overjoyed to see Storm didn't die fighting the Sentinels in space, a brother/sister type of relationship that will be expanded on in later issues. Cyclops almost loses it and kills someone (and he gets on Wolverine's case...) And something is a foot in Ireland that affects Banshee.
