From the Ashes (comics) | |
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![]() Cover of the 1990 trade paperback, art by Arthur Adams | |
Date | May 1990 |
Main characters | X-Men |
Publisher | Marvel Comics |
Creative team | |
Writers | Chris Claremont |
Pencillers | Paul Smith Walt Simonson (#171) John Romita Jr. (#176) |
Inkers | Bob Wiacek |
Letterers | Tom Orzechowski Joe Rosen (#176) |
Colorists | Glynis Wein Bob Sharen (#169) Janine Casey (#170) |
Editors | Louise Jones Danny Fingeroth (#168–173) Eliot Brown (#175) |
Original publication | |
Published in | Uncanny X-Men |
Issues | 168–176 |
"From the Ashes" is a trade paperback which reprints issues #168-176 of the comic book Uncanny X-Men , published by Marvel Comics in 1990. While most trade paperbacks of the time reprinted a single story arc, From the Ashes collected three different story arcs and three single-issue stories. The stories were all written by Chris Claremont and most of them were drawn by Paul Smith and Bob Wiacek, though Walt Simonson was a guest penciller on one issue and John Romita Jr. took over as regular penciller on the series towards the end of the collected set of issues. The stories introduced Madelyne Pryor, Lockheed, the Morlocks, and Valerie Cooper, and featured Rogue joining the team. Issue #175 was a giant-sized "20th anniversary of the X-Men" issue. [1] [2]
From the Ashes is an anthology of six different X-Men stories.
Kitty Pryde is upset that Professor X has transferred her from the X-Men roster to the New Mutants. After attending dance class with Magik, she detects an intrusion at the X-Mansion and discovers the alien dragon Lockheed in the maintenance tunnel leading to the sub-basement. Sidrian Hunters appear, having remained in the sub-basement since their last attack months ago to lay their eggs. [3] With the help of Lockheed and Colossus, Kitty defeats the Sidri and is reinstated in the X-Men on a provisional basis while Lockheed becomes her pet.
Warren Worthington III goes missing, and the X-Men search for him beneath the subways. They encounter the Morlocks, who abducted Warren for their leader, Callisto, to marry. During the battle between the X-Men and the Morlocks, Kitty falls ill after contact with the Morlock Plague. In order to save both Warren and Kitty, Storm challenges Callisto in a fight to the death. Despite having been infected by Plague prior to the fight, Storm defeats Callisto and assumes leadership of the Morlocks.
Rogue runs away from Mystique and the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants and arrives at the X-Mansion to ask Xavier for help, as she has difficulty controlling the powers she absorbed from Carol Danvers. [4] Despite distrust from the rest of the team, as well as a sudden attack by Danvers (who gained new powers as Binary), Xavier makes Rogue a probationary member of the X-Men.
The team travels to Japan for Wolverine and Mariko Yashida's wedding. The Silver Samurai and Viper plot to overthrow Mariko to take over the Yashida Clan. Wolverine initially distrusts Rogue for stealing Danvers' memories and powers, but when Rogue sacrifices herself to save Mariko from a lethal ray gun blast by Viper, he transfers his healing factor to her. The stresses of being an X-Man have caused Storm to lose finer control of her powers, producing violent weather without conscious intent. Mastermind uses illusions to make the problem appear worse than it is, and Storm takes solace in the carefree philosophy exhibited by her new Japanese friend Yukio. Storm sports a mohawk and a different outfit to reflect her new attitude. [5] On the day of the wedding, Mariko suddenly calls off the event under the control of Mastermind.
On a trip to his grandparents in Alaska, former X-Man Cyclops meets the pilot Madelyne Pryor, who seems physically identical to Jean Grey, who became the world-destroying Dark Phoenix before she died. A romance develops between Cyclops and Madelyne. She reveals to him that she was the sole survivor of a plane crash on September 1, 1980 – the same day Jean died. Cyclops digs through files on Madelyne's background.
Cyclops proposes to Madelyne, but when he asks her if she is Phoenix, she punches him and runs away. When he pursues her, he is knocked out by Dark Phoenix, who sends him back to the X-Mansion before rendering Professor X comatose and destroying Manhattan. Cyclops realizes the Dark Phoenix attack is an illusion by Mastermind, who plotted his revenge after Phoenix left him in a catatonic state. [6] Mastermind intends to trick the X-Men into killing Madelyne. When Cyclops tries to warn the X-Men of the scheme, Mastermind makes him appear to be Dark Phoenix and they attack him. Following a battle in the Danger Room, Cyclops makes Rogue take Xavier's powers so that she can telepathically confirm his true identity. Mastermind shoots Cyclops, but Storm defeats Mastermind with a monsoon. Cyclops discovers Madelyne drowned by the monsoon and resuscitates her. Several weeks later, Cyclops comes to terms with Jean's death and marries Madelyne.
Cyclops and Madelyne fly to the South Pacific on their honeymoon. A storm disables the plane's engine and forces them to land on the ocean. While the couple repairs the engine, they are attacked by a giant squid. After losing his glasses during the attack, Cyclops kills the squid with the full power of his optic blast. He and Madelyne get the plane fired up and fly off to safety. Cyclops decides to decline his father Corsair's offer to join him on his spacefaring adventures, opting to settle down and enjoy a peaceful life with Madelyne. Freed from Mastermind's control, Mariko returns Wolverine's honor blade to him, but tells him that while she was under Mastermind's control, she reverted her clan back to a criminal organization. She feels she cannot marry him until she restores her clan's honor.
The 1980 storyline The Dark Phoenix Saga was one of the most acclaimed stories in comics. [7] The central character, Jean Grey, dies at the end of the storyline, and when she was revived it was without the Dark Phoenix powers and persona. However, illusionary resurrections of Dark Phoenix were prominently featured in The Uncanny X-Men #157 and 174-175, enabling Marvel Comics to market a trade paperback collection incorporating the latter two issues as a sequel to The Dark Phoenix Saga. To this end, the collection was assigned the title From the Ashes, referencing how in the phoenix mythology, a phoenix rises to new life from ashes.
In The Uncanny X-Men #173 Paul Smith, having replaced Dave Cockrum as the regular penciller in issue #165, gave Storm a mohawk and a black leather outfit, which became her signature look for the majority of the 1980s. Smith's design was inspired by an incident when his colleague Walter Simonson shaved his beard and his daughter was upset by his new appearance. [5] The front cover for the issue [8] inspired Arthur Adams to draw his iconic Wolverine art, which became a bestselling poster and was used on t-shirts, standees, and other merchandise. [9]
The splash page for issue #168, featuring Kitty Pryde in a ski jacket sharply turning towards the reader while yelling, "Professor Xavier is a jerk!", has been the subject of numerous homages and imitations. [10] [11]
The story arc presented in issues #172 and #173 is a sequel to the Wolverine miniseries written by Claremont and drawn by Frank Miller. They are usually collected together with the miniseries. [12]
Jean Elaine Grey-Summers is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in The X-Men #1. Jean Grey is a member of a subspecies of humans known as mutants, born with superhuman abilities. She was born with psionic powers. The character has also been known as Marvel Girl, Phoenix and Dark Phoenix at various points in her history.
Rachel Anne Summers is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by writer Chris Claremont and artist/co-plotter John Byrne.
The X-Men are a superhero team in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer/editor Stan Lee and artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby, the team first appeared in The X-Men #1. Although initially cancelled in 1970 due to low sales, following its 1975 revival and subsequent direction under writer Chris Claremont, it became one of Marvel's most recognizable and successful franchises. They have appeared in numerous books, television shows, 20th Century Fox's X-Men films, and video games. The X-Men title may refer to the superhero team itself, the eponymous comic series, or the broader franchise, which includes various solo titles and team books, such as the New Mutants, Excalibur, and X-Force.
Cyclops is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics and is a founding member of the X-Men. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in the comic book The X-Men. Cyclops is a member of a subspecies of humans known as mutants, born with superhuman abilities. Cyclops emits powerful beams of energy from his eyes and can only control the beams with the aid of special eyewear, which he must always wear. He is typically considered the first of the X-Men, a team of mutant heroes who fight for peace and equality between mutants and humans, and one of the team's primary leaders.
Rogue is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, commonly in association with the X-Men. Created by Chris Claremont and Michael Golden, she first appeared in Avengers Annual #10 (1981). In her comic book appearances, Rogue is depicted as a mutant, a subspecies of humans born with an "X-gene" that grants superhuman abilities. She is capable of absorbing the life force, attributes, memories, and superpowers of anyone through physical touch. She may then use these powers, abilities, and knowledge as her own for a period of time after releasing her target. Rogue is initially portrayed as a reluctant supervillain, but she soon joins the X-Men as a superhero and has since endured as one of its most prominent members.
Colossus is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Len Wein and artist Dave Cockrum, he first appeared in Giant-Size X-Men #1.
Storm is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Len Wein and artist Dave Cockrum, the character first appeared in Giant-Size X-Men #1. Descended from a long line of African witch-priestesses, Storm is a member of a fictional subspecies of humans born with superhuman abilities known as mutants. She is able to control the weather and atmosphere and is considered to be one of the most powerful mutants on the planet. Storm is a member of the X-Men, a group of mutant heroes fighting for peace and equal rights between mutants and humans. She was the most prominently featured X-Men character in the 1980s, at which time it was the best-selling comic book in America. During this decade, she also acted as the acknowledged leader of the team.
The Brotherhood of Mutants is a fictional group of mutants appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The Brotherhood are among the chief adversaries of the X-Men.
Nightcrawler is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, commonly in association with the X-Men. Created by writer Len Wein and artist Dave Cockrum, he debuted in the comic book Giant-Size X-Men #1. By the time of his creation, there was already another Marvel character with the same name, but with a hyphen (Night-Crawler), which was later changed to Dark-Crawler to avoid confusion.
Madelyne Jennifer Pryor is a supervillain and occasional antihero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Chris Claremont and artist Paul Smith, the character first appeared in Uncanny X-Men #168. Primarily featured off-and-on as an antagonist of the X-Men, Madelyne Pryor is a clone of Jean Grey, the ex-love-interest and first wife of Cyclops, and the mother of Cable. She was a long-standing member of the X-Men supporting cast until a series of traumas eventually led to her being manipulated into becoming the Goblin Queen.
Katherine Anne "Kitty" Pryde is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, commonly in association with the X-Men. The character first appeared in The Uncanny X-Men #129 and was co-created by writer-artist John Byrne and writer Chris Claremont. A mutant, Pryde possesses a "phasing" ability that allows her to pass through objects, hence she is intangible while using this ability. This power also disrupts any electrical field she passes through, and lets her simulate levitation.
Mister Sinister is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Chris Claremont, the character was first mentioned as the employer behind the team of assassins known as the Marauders in The Uncanny X-Men #212, and later seen in silhouette in The Uncanny X-Men #213, with both issues serving as chapters of the 1986 "Mutant Massacre" crossover. Mr. Sinister then made his first full appearance in The Uncanny X-Men #221. His appearance was designed by artist Marc Silvestri.
Uncanny X-Men, originally published as The X-Men, is an American comic book series published by Marvel Comics since 1963, and is the longest-running series in the X-Men comics franchise. It features a team of superheroes called the X-Men, a group of mutants with superhuman abilities led and taught by Professor X.
X-Treme X-Men is the name of two comic book series published by Marvel Comics, the first from 2001 through 2004, and the second from 2012 through 2013. All 46 issues of the first series were written by Chris Claremont, and featured a globetrotting X-Men team led by Storm. The first 24 issues were drawn by Salvador Larroca, and the final 22 issues were drawn by Igor Kordey.
Mastermind is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, commonly as an adversary of the X-Men. The original Mastermind was a mutant with the psionic ability to generate complex telepathic illusions at will that cause his victims to see whatever he wishes them to see. He was a founding member of the first Brotherhood of Evil Mutants and later a probationary member of the Lords Cardinal of the Hellfire Club, where he played an important role in "The Dark Phoenix Saga".
The Marauders refers to one of two teams of fictional characters appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The original Marauders team included mutant warriors and assassins employed by the X-Men's enemy Mister Sinister, a mad scientist villain often intent on creating a perfect race of superhumans. At different times, the Marauders have been tasked by Sinister to perform kidnappings, assassinations, mass murder, or simply fight Sinister's enemies. At different times, Marauders have been killed in combat, but often Mr. Sinister later uses his cloning technology to re-create them. This team of Marauders has appeared in many different stories of the X-Men franchise, as well as stories featuring other Marvel Comics heroes.
"The Dark Phoenix Saga" is an extended X-Men comic-book storyline published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Chris Claremont and artist John Byrne, the storyline first appeared in X-Men #129. It focuses on the superhero Jean Grey and the cosmic entity Phoenix Force. The storyline commonly refers to the story in Uncanny X-Men #129–138 of Jean Grey's corruption by the power of the Phoenix and the Hellfire Club, the destruction she causes, and ultimately her death. Sometimes included is Jean Grey's assumption of the Phoenix power and the repair of the M'Kraan Crystal in Uncanny X-Men #101–108.
X-Men: The End is a 2004-2006 trilogy of miniseries published by Marvel Comics, detailing the last days of the X-Men and their adventures in an alternative future. The series, which was part of Marvel's The End line of books, was written by Chris Claremont and drawn by Sean Chen, with cover art by Greg Land and Gene Ha.
"The Twelve" is a comic book crossover storyline published by Marvel Comics in March 2000. The storyline was continued and concluded with the Ages of Apocalypse crossover.