Uncanny X-Men #164 (Dec 82): Binary Star!I already typed this up once, but my computer ia PIECE OF FUCKING SHIT and now I have to retype it. I may give less detail out of being PISSED OFF.
Creative Team: Chris Claremont, writer; Dave Cockrum, penciler; Bob Wiacek, inker; Joe Rosen, letterer; Janine Casey, colorist; Louise Jones, editor; Jim Shooter, editor-in-chief
Starting Line Up: Storm, Cyclops, Nightcrawler, Wolverine, Colossus, Sprite
Guest Star: Carol Danvers
Synopsis: The X-Men are escaping the Brood in Lilandra's yacht. They are attacked by the Brood, but the Brood are under orders from teh Queen Mother to capture them unharmed. The X-Men man the weapons and start fighting back. Storm is using her power to create cosmic storms, but accidentally kills one of the Brood's living spaceship. She is so upset she refuses to attack anymore. The ship is hit and has to be externally repaired. Kitty volunteers since she can phase through and shots that come at her. Cyclops reluctantly agrees. During her repair, the ship is hit again and she's cut pretty bad by shrapnel, but refuses to quit until her task is finished. Inside, Carol starts to feel funny and is soon overcome with cosmic amount of energy. She uses her new power to destroy all the Brood ships. Back on Earth, in the newly rebuilt mansion, Xavier is alone with Illyana. He explains mutants to her. She hints she may have gained some powers while in Limbo. Xavier finds her mind shielded from him, but doesn't care to investigate why. He just wants to be left alone. Back in space, Nightcrawler is taking care of the injured Kitty while Carol uses her new powers to fully restore the ship's engines. This causes her to reach a limit in her power. Colossus takes Kitty's place in repairing the ship and Carol joins him (without a space suit). He asks her to join the team, but she says she's rather use her new powers to explore the universe. He renames herself Binary. Inside, Nightcrawler finds Kitty has recovered fully from a very bad wound. He voices his concern to Cyclops. Wolverine snaps and tells him to stop asking questions. Storm tries to relax after killing the space beast, but has a severe pain attack (like Wolverine did a few issues ago). Cyclops tries to help her, but she goes off on a rant about how much she hates being in space, away from the Earth. She then senses a life growing in her, and knowing what it is, takes off in a one man fighter aboard the yacht (convenient). Cyclops wants to go after her, but Wolverine suggests letting her go. Cyke demands Wolverine tells them what he knows. Reluctantly, he tells the team that they have all been impregnated with a Brood embryo and will soon die. Binary is so upset she tears off towards the Brood homeworld for revenge, busting a hole in the side of the ship. The X-Men start to get blown into space.
Yeah, but is it good? A bit of a drop from last issue. This suffers from being the middle chapter of this Brood epic tale. A couple of things bother me. First, Storm. She got on my nerves in this issue, and I don't think that was Claremont's intention. She hates being trapped in space? Yeah well I'm sure the rest of the team does too. And how does she detect the lifeform growing in her? Her powers are weather related. Oh, right, she's a "goddess of life", whatever that is. Seems like a convenient plot point to me. And I don't buy her creating cosmic storms. I know that's been a part of her character since the early days. I'm not meteorologist or cosmotologist, but I'm sure planetary weather patterns and radiation in a vaccuum are two completely different things. Yes, I AM allowed to expect a little bit of reality from an X-Men comic. It's not a Dr. Strange comic where you have to take a huge leap of faith to enjoy the stories. Second, Binary. This was Claremonts attempt to recreate Phoenix. The difference is, Phoenix came from Jean Gray, a member of a rejuvinated super hero team who existed in that self same title. Binary comes from Carol Danvers, who's Ms. Marvel title was cancelled and has no title of her own to move on to. It's almost pointless. She does kick around still in whatever "cosmic" comics exist. But this comic has some good points, especially Wolverine. He spends the issue debated on telling the team they're going to die. He feels guilty that his power saved him, but they're doomed. And Kitty gets a nice moment of bravery fixing the ship, showing how far she's come. And Xavier brooding over the X-Men's "death" does lead somewhere... important... and industry changing.
Significata: Carol Danvers becomes Binary. Possible mutant and mystical powers for Illyana are hinted at. Xavier broods (npi) over the "death" of the X-Men.
