Marvel Read-Through: Brood
There’s no stopping Chris Claremont. Over six years into his X-Men run, he is still just as good as ever, giving us characters that have become Marvel staples, and stories that remain classics to this day. Claremont has defined the X-Men since 1975 for a reason: he is the best to ever do it.
Who could forget the travesty that was Avengers #200? I know I sure can’t. And thankfully neither could Claremont. He wrote Ms. Marvel from issue #3 until its untimely cancellation. Carol was his character. And then she was desecrated. So just one year later, Claremont did his best to fix the mistakes of Marvel’s past. Avengers Annual #10 features an all-star cast with guest appearances from Spider-Woman, Carol Danvers, and the X-Men, and follows up on the disgusting ending from the 200th issue. Spider-Woman rescues a woman from drowning, and soon learns this woman is the presumed-missing Carol Danvers. But she’s powerless and in a coma so Jessica asks Professor X for some psychic help. Charles discovers that Carol’s memories and personality have been locked away in her subconscious after being attacked by none other than Rogue. The very same Rogue who has just taken out multiple Avengers and is the newest member of Mystique’s Brotherhood of Evil Mutants. Spider-Woman and the remaining Avengers defeat the Brotherhood while Carol is taken in by the X-Men. When she receives a visit from her old team, they want to know what happened to Marcus and why Carol is back without her son/lover. Carol tells them off for abandoning her with her rapist. It is glorious.
Claremont leaves the Avengers with a lesson about consent and loyalty as they return home and contemplate their mistake. He also begins his saving of Carol as a character, adding her to the X-Men’s supporting cast as she embarks on a journey to regain herself. Nothing could ever redeem Avengers #200, but at least someone at Marvel saw how horrible it was and attempted to course-correct. Also, Rogue! She is established as a huge threat early on, using her power-absorbing abilities to cripple the Avengers and ending up with Ms. Marvel’s powers. Rogue is one of the main X-Men, and a face of the Marvel universe. I can’t wait for her to return and leave her life of villainy behind to become the Rogue I adore.
Avengers Annual #10 is a great issue. Claremont packs in action, emotion, and whole lot of fun to prove why he is, and always will be, considered one of the best writers. His imprint only continues to grow with Uncanny X-Men #150 where he gives us the first mention of Magneto’s backstory. The villain had a strong motivation, wanting to protect mutants from the bigoted humans, but by making him a survivor of Auschwitz, Claremont establishes Magneto as one of the most complex and complicated Marvel characters. This is how he became one of the greatest comic book characters of all time. Magneto has seen what hate does to a marginalized group, and he won’t rest until he can be sure it will never happen to mutants. Being a Jewish descendent of Holocaust survivors myself, I have always loved Magneto ever since the opening scene of the first X-Men movie when he bends the gate separating him from his parents in the camp. I’m proud to have Magneto as Jewish representation. I will always connect with his tragic backstory and characterization.
Although it is only briefly mentioned towards the end of the comic, this is still the first time that we learn anything about Magneto’s Holocaust experience. It is exciting to know that it will be further explored in the future, but for now I’m just happy to be one step closer to the true Magneto. The issue itself is pretty good, but not a standout. If it wasn’t for the major reveal, it would not be notable. It is the impact of one specific panel that makes this a must-read.
When he nearly kills Kitty, Magneto regains his humanity and realizes he has gone too far. He sees the Nazis in himself and relinquishes his dream of mutant supremacy. It is a poignant moment to see the confident zealot become a tearful and repentant mess. Seemingly abandoning his entire life’s work, Magneto doesn’t show up for quite some time now, save for a flashback in issue #161, so I’m looking forward to seeing how Claremont develops the character after this.
So where does Claremont go after rescuing Carol from editorial hell and revamping Magneto into a contender for best super villain? He gives us a cosmic adventure filled with Summers family drama, character development across the board, teases at a horde of new characters, and a mainstay of Marvel’s aliens races: The Brood. Claremont is a fountain of creation spouting new characters and concepts into the universe that have endured to this day. It’s wonderful to read the beginnings of such staples.
It all starts when Corsair comes to Earth seeking refuge from the Shi’ar after the Starjammers have been framed for a murder they did not commit. Deathbird is hot on their tail and she’s not alone: she has some insect-like alien friends who have a keen interest in the X-Men. The real meat here is that Corsair finally reveals to Scott that he is his father. The Summers family is all kinds of messed up, so his angry reaction is justifiable, but when Scott eventually comes around and even introduces Corsair to his brother, it’s a sweet family reunion moment. It is all such great characterization and a satisfying arc for all involved, even Storm who wrestles with the fact that she kept this huge secret from her friend.
In the end, internal corruption in the Shi’ar command is unveiled, the Starjammers are cleared, and the Brood are defeated, but it all comes at a great cost: Professor X is left in a catatonic state after a psychic rapport with the Brood. It’s a very fun four issues. Everyone gets a chance to shine, especially newest addition to the team Kitty Pryde while she and Nightcrawler stay aboard the Shi’ar’s ship as collateral. Her youthful spirit comes through; she may not be the most mature member of the team, but she is a lot of fun and doesn’t take everything very seriously. She is only fourteen after all.
Claremont’s exceptional characterization continues as we take a break from the cosmic side and leave the Brood behind for a bit. Senator Kelly returns and spouts his mutant hate, prompting a trip to the Pentagon for Wolverine, Storm, and Carol. Coincidentally, Carol stumbles upon records of herself as an Air Force pilot, but she still cannot remember her past. Carols’ healing is a lingering thread that plays out in the background of every issue. It’s a wonderful connective tissue to keep readers coming back every month. This book is extremely serialized, missing an issue could result in missing a lot of pertinent information.
We are also introduced to Colossus’ little sister, Ilyana, better known to modern readers as Magik. She is my favorite mutant, but there’s a long way to go before we get there, for now she’s just a small child. Until she goes missing in a demonic realm and returns as a thirteen-year-old. How this happens is left unanswered, but I know it will be explored in her miniseries not long from now (she spends years in the realm fighting demons along with an alternate universe version of Storm). This is Claremont’s genius move to tie all his books and plans together; to make them all intertwined and essential reading. It’s a hell of a marketing ploy from Marvel, but if you wanted to keep up with all things mutant, you had to read Claremont’s other (upcoming) books. Personally, I’m very excited to reach that prolific era of the X-Men. Following the whole Claremont saga through multiple titles sounds like fun as more classic characters join the fray. The seeds are being sown already.
Also, Storm has a run-in with Dracula and nearly becomes a vampire. Weird issue but Claremont’s writing makes it worth it.
Issue #161 delves into Charles’ and Magneto’s pasts while Charles relives parts of his life as he is still in a coma. It informs both characters even more, building on Magneto’s backstory. We get to see a flashback of the two of them as friends and even teammates against Baron Strucker. By the end of their adventure, their diverging philosophies tear them apart. Charles still believes in mutants and humans living together, but Magneto begins his descent into villainy, his encounter with Hydra hardening his soul. Claremont continues to excel at developing these characters, making them three-dimensional and much more interesting than their 1960s versions.
Charles recovers and the X-Men celebrate with the Shi’ar in space, until Deathbird and the Brood return. And here is where things went from great to phenomenal. The final part of this saga is five-issue arc full of incredible character moments and awesome action. Issue #162 focusing on Wolverine fighting his way through the Brood leads to a surprise reveal that is one of the most twisted things to happen in Marvel: the Brood have implanted eggs in each X-Man (and Carol). Their bodies will soon be taken over by the Brood, who will gain their powers. Only Wolverine will survive since his healing factor killed the egg inside him. It is a brutal issue. Wolverine gets to let loose on the aliens which ramps up the violence, and the devastating ending is emotionally heavy. It is mature, intriguing, and a, excellent showcase of why Wolverine is the most popular mutant.
Perhaps the most notable thing to happen is Carol’s transformation into Binary. The Brood experimented on her, resulting in some latent Kree-altered genes to awaken in a moment of desperation to save Kitty. Now even more powerful, Binary becomes a powerhouse fighting the aliens alongside the X-Men. Claremont did it; he saved Carol Danvers from her mistreatment in Avengers #200, revamped her character completely, and made her one of the strongest characters in the entire universe. I love modern-day Captain Marvel Carol so it was a pleasure to read one of the biggest steps on her journey to becoming the superhero I call one of my favorites.
I miss John Byrne’s art. After six years drawing Claremont’s X-Men, he left the book and was replaced by Dave Cockrum. A legend in his own right, Cockrum is a skilled artist, but something about his art on this book has not clicked with me. I found some panels, especially action sequences, to be unclear. There was a sharpness to Byrne’s art that is missing. I do, however, have to give major credit to Paul Smith who replaced Cockrum starting with issue #165. His vision of the Brood’s living starship is as haunting as it is beautiful, but he truly shines when it comes to the creatures themselves and especially with the transformations. It is a level of body horror I never expected from an early-80s Marvel comic. It is gruesome and shocking in the best way.
Meanwhile, Charles on Earth believes the X-Men to be dead and falls into a depression, until he learns of some young mutants in need of guidance. This is the true setup for Claremont’s next project: The New Mutants. I am consistently impressed at the plots that are brewing in the background of Claremont’s work. He had so much planned out long before it ever came to fruition, and it makes the payoffs that much more satisfying for the reader.
As is standard in a superhero book, the villains are defeated. But this time it is not without help from a small dragon — yes the first appearance of Kitty’s pet Lockheed! He only shows up for a page or two before disappearing so I’m curious how he ends up being an integral member of the team on Earth. I didn’t know much about this part of the X-Men history going in, but between Binary, Lockheed, New Mutants, and more it is a truly important part of Claremont’s run. Also Colossus and Kitty kiss and I hate it because he is eighteen. I had no idea their romance started like this. It’s much better now that they are adults, but this was definitely an uncomfortable read.
Next time: Marvel’s first crossover event, the Contest of Champions!
Issues Read:
Avengers Annual #10
Uncanny X-Men #150, #154–166
Favorite issue: Avengers Annual makes a strong case for itself, but Wolverine’s solo adventure in #162 gets the win
