Uncanny X-Men #170 (Jun 83): Dancin' in the Dark

Creative Team: Chris Claremont, writer; Paul Smith, penciler; Bob Wiacek, inker; P Becton & J Casey, colorists; Tom Orzechowski, letterer; Louise Jones, editor; Jim Shooter, editor-in-chief

Starting Line Up: Storm, Cyclops, Nightcrawler, Wolverine (DNA), Colossus, Sprite

Guest Star: Angel

In New Mutants #4: Regrouping after the realization that Prof. X had been under Brood influence, the New Mutants set out to find the person who is threating Stevie on the telephone -- who turns out to be another student in Stevie's dance class, a victim of child abuse.

Synopsis: In Alaska, Cyclops is spending his time dating Madelyne Pryor, and the two are getting along extremely well. He's unsure of how to feel about her. He tells her about Jean and shows her a picture. She asks him if he likes her for who is or who she looks like. He doesn't know, but wants to get to know Madelyne. In the NYC sewers, Callisto is preparing for her wedding with Angel. Sunder gets too rough with Storm, so Nightcrawler and Colossus attack. Nightcrawler manages to capture Callisto and tells them he will trade her life for Angel's release. Plague then touches Storm and the condition becomes Storm's life for Callisto's. Nightcrawler gives in. The X-Men are captured again. Elswhere, Kitty wants to help the X-Men, but Caliban doesn't want to let her go. She promises to stay with him if he helps her rescue the X-Men or else she'll hate him forever (careful there, Kitty). Before he can make up his mind, Kitty collapses again. Elsewhere, Mystique is being hunted by Jason Wyngarde and Lady Jean Grey in a recreation of one of Mastermind's Phoenix illusions. Grey slits her throat. Mystique wakes up from her nightmare. She talks to Destiny about it. Destiny gets a precognition that Rogue is in danger. Mystique checks on her, but Rogue is gone. Rogue is on a bus, leaving DC behind her. Back in the sewers, Masque reveals his power is to rearrange anyone's face except his own disfigured one. Callisto offers Nighcrawler a spot in the Morlocks since he's as much a misfit as they. He prefers to gain acceptance from humanity despite how her looks rather than condemn them for not giving it right away. Caliban arrives with an extremely ill Kitty. The site enrages Colossus so much he breaks his bonds but Nightcrawler calms him. Callisto refuses to let them help their teammate. Caliban tells Nightcrawler the only way is for someone to challenger Callisto for leadership and win. Nightcrawler does so, but Storm, being leader of the X-Men, steps in to take his place. The challenger is a knife fight to the death, no mutant powers allowed. Storm shocks everyone by winning the duel... by stabbing Callisto in the heart. Storm did it because she knew Callisto would never expect it. The Morlock's healer prevents from Callisto from dying. Storm offers the Morlocks a place at Xavier's school, but they decline, not wanting to leave their home. The X-Men go home. Back in Alaska, Madelyne tries to take Cyclops' sunglasses, which causes him to freak out. When she asks for an explanation, he's actually quite willing to show her his mutant power. The two are still getting along quite well.

Yeah, but is it good? Pretty much like last issue. But what really bothers me is Storm is so willing to stab Callisto in the heart. This is following a story arc where she refused to kill a Brood embryo that would kill her because that would be taking a life. We are never given then rationale that Storm knew Callisto could be healed by the healer and not die, not are we given a reason like she was so enraged by seeing Kitty near death that she acted without thinking. All we get is Storm stabbing someone in the heart. There are changes happening in Storm, and it's going somewhere, but so far there is just no consistency to the character. The love story between Cyclops and Madelyne feels very rushed, but this story has to get somewhere in a short period of time... so what can you do? I'd like to point out Angel has appeared in two issues for this storyarc... and got absolutely no lines of dialogue. You'd almost think Claremont didn't care for the character. And since when did he become the world's prettiest man? That Thor is pretty dreamy. Caliban is less retarded, love starved Elmo. Rearranging someone's face is the stupidest mutant power ever.

Significata: Storm becomes leader of the Morlocks. Cyclops reveals his power to Madelyn Pryor. Their romance progresses. Rogue runs away from Mystique.  ¶ 8:34 PM