Uncanny X-Men #173 (Sep 83): To Have and Have Not

Creative Team: Chris Claremont, writer; Paul Smith, penciler; Bob Wiacek, inker; Tom Orzechowski, letterer; Glynis Wein, colorist; Louise Jones, editor; Jim Shooter, editor-in-chief

Starting Line Up: Storm, Cyclops, Nightcrawler, Wolverine, Colossus, Sprite, Rogue

Guest Stars: Havok, Polaris

In New Mutants #7: Prof. X, suspecting foul play in Karma's disappearance, sends the New Mutants to Rio de Janiero with Sunspot's archaeologist mother, who is captured by the Hellfire Club; the New Mutants rescue her, unaware that Sunspot's father is plotting against her.

Synopsis: Wolverine and Rogue go hunting through scumbags to find information on Nabatone Yokuse, head of the Yakuza. They finally scare up some information. Elsewhere, Storm and Yukio look for a place to hideout, but they both have a Yakuza deathmark on their heads. Some thugs come to collect. Yukio gleefully obliges them in a fight. Storm finds herself enjoying the prospect as well. Wolverine and Rogue arrive at Nabatone's and get past all his safe guards, but the place is deserted. They find Nabatone's body, but he's been dead for a week. Someone has been impersonating him. And they realise it's a diversion for an attack on Mariko and the X-Men at the hospital. Storm and Yukio win their battle, and Storm is reveling in the wild freedom. Viper leads some assassins into the hospital, but they are stopped by Rogue. Wolverine finds Silver Samurai alone and the two go into battle. After a brutal fight, Wolverine is ready to make to end Samurai with his claws, but is stopped by Mariko, wishing to spare her half-brother his life. Wolverine tries to argue the point, but Viper arrives with a gun. They Samurai return to her. Before Wolverine can get Mariko out of the room, Viper fires. Rogue busts on the scene, outraces the bullet, and harmlessly takes it for Mariko. Viper then fires with a blaster. It doesn't hurt Rogue at first, but Viper keeps firing, and the compound effect does a lot of damage. She fires until the blaster overheats and explodes. Having no other option, she and Samurai teleport away. Rogue thinks she's going to die, but Wolverine lets her touch him and use his healing factor. A week later, it is Wolverine's wedding day. Mariko is having a private moment in the garden beforehand when a mysterious stranger interrupts her and wishes her well the leaves. Mariko is stunned for a moment, then forgets she ever saw anyone. Inside, the recovered X-Men (Rogue is still in bad shape) without Storm, along with Xavier and Lilandra, greet other guests arriving, Havok, Polaris, Corsair, Cyclops, and, for meeting for the first time, Madelyn Pryor. Lilandra assumes it's Phoenix and rushes at her, to be stopped by Colossus. Lilandra appologizes for her reaction. Storm arrives in a complete leather punk girl outfit and mohawk. Kitty is extremely upset by Storm's new look and the rest of the X-Men are stunned. Kitty, who is in the wedding party, asks Madelyn to watch Lockheed for her. It's at this point Madelyn realises just how strange Cyclops' life really is. As the wedding begins, Mariko walks to Wolverine's side. Then stops the wedding. She tells Wolverine he is not worthy, then walks off. As a myserious stranger (ok, Jason Wyngarde) looks on, Wolverine sheds a tear.

Yeah, but is it good? There is so much going on in the wedding sequence alone. But the one major action scene, Wolverine vs Silver Samurai, is beautiful. It's done in all art. No dialogue, no thought bubbles, no narration. And it's extremely well done. Wolverine would of course be the first one to accept Rogue into the group, letting her take his power. I believe this was used in a movie or something :) Then in the last six pages, we get the X-Men reacting to Madelyn Pryor, the X-Men reacting to Storm, and Wolverine reacting to Mariko breaking off the wedding. This is pretty powerful stuf. The last page alone, divided in four panels with no words, is fantastic. First it's Mariko walking away from Wolverine, then Mariko leaving while Jason looks on, then a closeup of Jason smiling, then Wolverin sheding a tear. This is building to something, alright.

Significata: Mariko leaves Wolverine. Wyngarde is behind it somehow and for some reason. The X-Men meet Madelyn Pryor. Storm changes her look. Kitty is upset by it. Wolverine accepts Rogue as an X-Men.  ¶ 1:15 AM