“Yesterday’s” Comic> X-Men #1 (1991)

Back when they still hated each other because Logan wanted Cyclops’ wife.

X-Men #1

Marvel Comics (October, 1991)

“Rubicon”

WRITERS: Chris Claremont & Jim Lee

PENCILER: Jim Lee

INKER: Scott Williams

COLORIST: Joe Rosas

LETTERER: Tom Orzechowski

ASSISTANT EDITOR: Suzanne Gaffney

EDITOR: Bob Harras

This is one of…those covers, where you need to buy multiple copies OF THE SAME @%%#$^%@#$ ISSUE!!!!!! to get the full image. Luckily the digital version I currently has did the work and gave us the full image. I’m going to miss ComiXology. More on that tonight. Here’s the full collection of all five covers.

It’s been FIVE HOURS, Scott! Maybe try something else!

SHIELD agents chase mutant terrorists in suborbital combat, stumbling upon Magneto’s new Asteroid M. While the terrorists want to pay service to his cause, Magneto really isn’t interested in attacking humanity anymore and just wants to be left alone. One of the agents is a bit overzealous (and probably anti-mutant), and shoots one of the terrorists, with Magneto not really interested in either of their activities. Knowing the Russian government is concerned given Magneto’s history they plan to blow them up but Nick Fury convinces them to send in the X-Men instead. Magneto attempts recovery of a Russian sub he once sank, but only to get their nukes. The X-Men misinterpret what he’s doing (self defense only), with Rogue the only one willing to hear him out. When the Russians send planes anyway and Rogue is hurt, she washes up on Genosha, now a free haven for human and mutant alike. The terrorists are convinced it’s still evil and tries to “rescue” Rogue, with the X-Men coming in to defend the no longer mutant slave state. Magneto arrives to recover his acolytes and tries to apologize, but all of this has just made him look worse. But why does Moira think all of this is her fault?

What they got right: I’m not all that up on X-Men lore but I could follow some of what was going on. Xavier returned after some of the New Mutants died, there were two teams (probably the reason there were now two X-Men b0oks, including Uncanny X-Men), and then there’s everything in the plot and Magneto’s time WITH the X-Men. The art…it’s the 90s. I’ve seen worse even if I have seen better.

What they got wrong: Everything is the result of misunderstandings and paranoia. I know that’s normal for the Marvel Universe, even between heroes, but that doesn’t mean I’m a fan of that constantly happening in the Marvel Universe. At some point I wanted to see someone smack everyone upside the head and get everyone’s facts straight. Yes, I know about the real world. I live in the real world. Why does the fake world have to always be “our cynical view of real world, accurate or not, but with superpowers”? They just overdid it, with Rogue and Nick Fury being the only voices of reason. It got to be a bit much.

What I think overall: You do have to judge my review accordingly. There are reasons I never got into the mutant parts of Marvel specifically and why I was more DC than Marvel until recent years where I’m not into either one. I totally admit my biases in this regard, unlike a lot of other reviewers, but this just isn’t my kind of series.

Now I’m officially out of Marvel comics physical and digital. I’m not sure what’s taking its place for the Tuesday edition of “Yesterday’s” Comic. I am considering using the…questionable site to finally examine the Ultraverse since Marvel doesn’t seem to care what happens to it or they’d at least give the characters back to their creators. They only raided Malibu for their coloring process anyway and make up questionable excuses for doing nothing with the Ultraverse itself. If you like that idea, let me know in the comments. Otherwise we’ll find out together next week what I end up doing.