X-Men #130 (Feb 80): Dazzler

Creative Team: Chris Claremont, writer; John Byrne, penciler/co-plotter; Terry Austin, inker; Tom Orzechowski, letterer; Glynis Wein, colorist; Roger Stern, editor; Jim Shooter, editor-in-chief

Starting Line Up: Cyclops, Pheonix, Nightcrawler, Wolverine, Storm, Colossus

Synopsis: Cyclops, Pheonix, and Nightcrawler arrive in a sleazy part of Manhattan to look for the other mutant. The Hellfire Club is spying on them as well. Cyke and Pheonix go inside the club while Nightcrawler stays with the car. The club is a really dirty disco. Cyke uses a portable Cerebro to search, while Pheonix mind scans the club. She picks up tons of disgusting thoughts, but finds herself somewhat attracted to them. The Hellfire guards report to Sebastian Shaw, with Jason Wyngrade, that they are ready to attack. Shaw checks in with the White Queen. She has the other X-Men prisoner and have mutant inhibitors to prevent them from escaping. Kitty is hiding out of site in the corner. She quietly approaches Storm, and Storm, in a daze, gives her a phone number to call for help. The guards spot Kitty and Frost orders them after her. She phases through the floor so they can't follow. Back at the disco, Pheonix runs into Jason Wyngarde in person. She's instantly transported back in time again. This time, it's her wedding day. She's marrying Wyngarde with Shaw as the priest and (as we will later find out) the rest of the Inner Circle as the guests. Once they are pronounced man and whife, she is revealed to be the Hellfire Club's new Black Queen. She kisses her new husband... and then snap back into her own time just as Cyclops watches her kiss Wyngarde in this time. She tries to explain, but then on the stage, Dazzler makes her debut. Cyke instantly recognises her as the mutant they've been searching. Outside, Nightcrawler answers the car phone. It's Kitty Pryde telling him all about the other X-Men being captured. Before he can get any more info, he's attacked by one of the dude's in battle armor. Inside the club, two more battle armored fellows smash in. Pheonix changes her and Cyclops' street clothes into their uniforms and they go in to battle. Dazzler helps them out and the X-Men get the better of the bad guys. Nightcrawler and his adversary enter the fray and the battle is soon over. Nightcrawler tells Cyke of what Kitty told him and they head off, with Dazzler. On the way, Cyke sees Wyngarde standing on a street corner casting a familiar shadow on a building...

Yeah, but is it good? The intrigue is getting better and better. More action than last time, but at the same time keeping the plot moving. By splitting up the team into two halves in two issues, more time can be spent on a less complicated battle. Both Kitty and Dazzler are being treated as important figures right off the bat, although Dazzler so far is just a disco ditz. Kitty, on the other hand, is fairly well rounded right off the bat. She would become Claremont's favorite character. He has a flair for writting teenage girl parts. At least as far as the predominantly male audience is concern. As the series goes on, more teenage girls pop up in the team.

Significata: Dazzler debuts. Wyngarde is once again physically showing up in Jean's life. She's no longer fighting the time shifts when they happen. She's finding the dark side of people's souls attractive. Sebastian Shaw's face is finally shown and it's nothing worth waiting for. Wyngarde's plan to make Pheonix his Black Queen is revealed. And Wyngarde casts a familair shadow...  ¶ 7:15 PM