X-Men: Inferno, Vol. 2

X-Men: Inferno #2

by Chris Claremont, Louise Simonson, Terry Austin (Writer / Artist)

Volume 1 was just the warm-up - things really get heated as Inferno kicks into high gear! As Manhattan burns, Sym, N'astirh and the Goblin Queen fan the flames! But the manipulative Mr. Sinister may be the most incendiary threat of all! Madelyne Pryor's secrets will be revealed, while Colossus and the New Mutants learn the truth about Illyana Rasputin! COLLECTING: UNCANNY X-MEN (1981) 241-243, EXCALIBUR (1988) 6-7, X-FACTOR (1986) 37-40, NEW MUTANTS (1983) 73, CLOAK & DAGGER (1988) 4, POWER PACK (1984) 44

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, X Men, Marvel, Supernatural

362 pages, Paperback

First published June 22, 2016

About the author

Chris Claremont is a writer of American comic books, best known for his 16-year (1975-1991) stint on Uncanny X-Men, during which the series became one of the comic book industry's most successful properties.

Claremont has written many stories for other publishers including the Star Trek Debt of Honor graphic novel, his creator-owned Sovereign Seven for DC Comics and Aliens vs Predator for Dark Horse Comics. He also wrote a few issues of the series WildC.A.T.s (volume 1, issues #10-13) at Image Comics, which introduced his creator-owned character, Huntsman.

Outside of comics, Claremont co-wrote the Chronicles of the Shadow War trilogy, Shadow Moon (1995), Shadow Dawn (1996), and Shadow Star (1999), with George Lucas. This trilogy continues the story of Elora Danan from the movie Willow. In the 1980s, he also wrote a science fiction trilogy about female starship pilot Nicole Shea, consisting of First Flight (1987), Grounded! (1991), and Sundowner (1994). Claremont was also a contributor to the Wild Cards anthology series.

Reviews

[Chad · Rating 5 out of 5]

Inferno comes to a head and a bunch of demons and Mr. Sinister get their asses kicked. I really like that Marvel has went back and collected all the Inferno related issues. Previous collections only collected the main X-Men / X-Factor / New Mutants issues. I like being able to read the lesser tie-in issues, especially from back in the day when editorial used to actually coordinate these crossovers so they didn't feel forced and unnecessary. I also had forgotten how much fun the Power Pack comic actually was back in the 80's.

[Stephen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Inferno! One of the final stops on my magnificent Marvel 1980s tour.

This volume is the wrap-up of the biggest mutant-centric crossover event of its time. The book includes Uncanny X-Men #241-243, Excalibur #6-7, X-Factor #37-40, New Mutants #73, Cloak & Dagger #4, and Power Pack #44.

This set of issues represents the culmination of 100 issues of set up in X-Men and over 50 issues of prep work in New Mutants. Practically the entire 40 issue run of X-Factor was building the framework for this event.

In X-Factor, Scott (Cyclops) is looking for his missing son from his (presumed) dead wife. In X-Men, Scott's (presumed) dead wife, Madelyne, is becoming something evil. In New Mutants, Illyana (Magik) has lost control of her realm of Limbo as the demons have taken over.

So, the demons have come to Earth (as seen in Volume 1). Their attempt to merge Limbo failed (also in Volume 1). But now Madelyne has learned her true origin. Her master, Mister Sinister, and his Marauders come to join her in an attempt to kill the X-Men and X-Factor and then steal Cyclops' son.

Lots of death and mayhem ensue. For the first time, X-Men and X-Factor actually cross over between titles and interact. It was a very exciting read.

Unfortunately, those who have not read the long build up from the Dark Phoenix saga, to the formation of X-Factor, to the origin of Magik. will be a little lost. Claremont and Simonson have no mercy on the uninitiated...sink or swim is the way it goes here.

Sadly, it seemed at the time that Marvel had "shot their whole load" on this crossover. The writers and creative team put all the unresolved plots into one BIG basket and wrapped it up all at once. Where could they go? The X-titles felt a bit directionless and lost for 6-10 issues after this event. With these major threads closed, X-Men, X-Factor, and New Mutants had to basically start over building interest.

For fans of Marvel comics and especially mutants, this is ESSENTIAL reading. It has so much that became the foundation for the next 20 years of X-Men related stories!

[Richard Schaefer · Rating 4 out of 5]

The second half of this long crossover event is better than the first, because it puts more focus on the X-Men, Madelyne Prior, and Mr Sinister. There is some interesting stuff here about identity and fate, and altogether it’s a very satisfying event.

[Judah Radd · Rating 4 out of 5]

Everything comes to a head!

- X-Factor reunited with the X-Men

- Madelyne reunites with Scott

- We learn more about Mr Sinister

- We learn the secret truth about Madelyne Prior

- Ilyana’s story (the one that began in “Magick”) comes to a close

Secrets abound. This one is all about resolution, conflict and chickens coming home to roost.

And it’s AWESOME! Mister Sinister is a villain worthy of the name. Every page featuring him was riveting. Madelyne Prior proves to be an exceptional and tragic character. The clashes and resentments... this is probably the best Claremont has been since Dark Phoenix!

So, you ask, why four stars and not five?

::sigh:: the tie ins. Terrible. X-Terminators? Mildly amusing. Power Pack? Stupid. New Mutants? Boring. Excalibur? Why is this even a thing?!

This would have been a perfect volume if it was limited to X-Factor and Uncanny X-Men.

After a long boring stretch of subpar stories (especially Fall of the Mutants), this really brings it all home for me. What a relief.

[Neal]

“What If...?” “Use Your Illusion II” was the second half of “Use Your Illusion I” plus a bunch of b-sides and demos? You’d have something like this eldritch mess of a TPB.

The “Inferno” storyline was published when I was still relatively new to comics and I never read any X spinoff books so I decided to revisit the TPBs.

Volume I was fine, weaving through X-Men (awesome), X-Factor (cool), New Mutants (eh), X-Terminators (yeah, no) and Power Pack (whyyyyyyyyy) books to tell the complete “Inferno” story.

Volume 2 was a head scratcher - it starts halfway through Volume 1 (huh?), removes X-Terminators (ok), inserts Excalibur books (whyyyyyyyy), a single “Cloak & Dagger” issue that adds nothing and “Aftermath” issues of X-Factor and Power Pack (ugh). The whole thing is unnecessary.

Volume 1 was already 5,000 pages, if the epilogue was so damn important, jam it in there. If the Excalibur books were a vital addition, jam those in there, too. Strange decision making here.

[ribbonknight · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s hard for me to rate this lower than four stars simply because I’ve been so invested in Magik/Illyana Rasputin’s arc. I’m not sure I’m satisfied with how it resolved, but this was a long time in the making, and the characters in all the various x-related titles had a lot to react to.

[Budd · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one may have gone on a bit too long. Inferno is over, but wait! now it is over, but wait. Okay now it is really over, but here are some repercussions. It was almost as if every book in the crossover had to resolve the story. ;) This is essential reading for madelyne pryor origins and follow up to the Magik miniseries.

[Adam Stone · Rating 2 out of 5]

Even less intriguing to me than volume one, this volume focuses mainly on Excalibur's trip to NYC for the Inferno event, as well as giving us a sort of After Dinner Mint X-Men/X-Factor story, as they have their final final battles with Sinister and what's left of The Marauders, even though Inferno technically ended for them in the last volume. The Power Pack/Bogeyman storyline is also resolved with the help of The New Mutants and The X-Terminators. We also see Cloak & Dagger's involvement in the event, which is confusing if you haven't read the Cloak & Dagger series leading up to this, as I haven't.

Unlike many Giant Crossover Events in the Marvel 80s and 90s, there are major repercussions from this. Teams are rearranged, characters are altered. As far as resonance, this is an important event but it was so widespread and silly that I lost interest in most of the characters. There's a ton of expository dialogue that seems hacky, even for the late 80s. I don't blame the creators, apart from Chris "I Just Saw Ghostbusters And Nightmare On Elm Street" Claremont, I don't think any of the other writers wanted to be involved in this, and it shows.

There's no reason to read this if you haven't read X-Men: Inferno, Vol. 1, and no reason to read this if you didn't enjoy X-Men: Inferno, Vol. 1. But if you were rivited by that story, this should be a fun follow-up.

[Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

THIS is a superhero epic. This is how it should be done.

The ethos and pathos are oozing from the pages. I love the classic 1980s artwork from all involved artists, and Simonson and Claremont deliver some of the best storytelling of their careers in this volume. All of the work done in the first trade to set up the Inferno storyline pays off here. I have the benefit of a lot of history, but this is an X-Men story for the ages, and it holds up. The weak point for me is some of the tie-ins that are included - and yet not all of the tie-ins are included so I am left with a few nods at the back of this volume to want to go track down for completion's sake. Not all of the tie-ins needed to be here to complete the main story, and I found myself somewhat distracted by them. The main story is aces - I can see why it is held up as a highwater mark for the X-Men.

Manhattan Island has been overrun and transformed into a demonic hellscape, and only the X-Men can defeat the demons S'ym and N'astirh, and defeat the Goblin Queen. Great team ups, great dialogue, great action - this is not one to be missed!

[Lance Grabmiller · Rating 3 out of 5]

Collects Uncanny X-Men #241-243, Excalibur #6-7, X-Factor #37-40, New Mutants #73, Cloak and Dagger #4, Power Pack #44 as well as a few other extras from February to May of 1989. This concludes a whole host of stories, which began in 1983 with the introduction of Madelyne Pryor but really took off with the Mutant Massacre events from 1986. Also concludes the story of Illyana Rasputin as Magick (for now) which began way back in 1983 as well. It really is too bad that Chris Claremont couldn't give Scott Summers and Madelyne Pryor the happily ever after story line he originally intended, but with Marvel's stupid decision to retcon the death of Jean Grey, Claremont made the most of it and gave us this truly epic and fitting finale to all of these various threads. One of the main drawbacks of this little epic is that Claremont and others are desperately trying to make Scott Summers good and there is just no way to save what he did to Madelyne. He really is to blame for this whole mess and no amount of noble speechifying or "it's all Mr. Sinister's fault" can erase that. Ugh, and how can Jean Grey stand to be back with him, especially after this mess?

[Greg Coleman · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are problems with Inferno for sure. It's bloated and the characters behave bizarrely until a few issues later there's an clumsy bit of dialogue trying to explain what happened. It's a massive undertaking though. The resolution of Madeline is painful and sort of handwaved. There's a lot of oh it's demons but they're gone now.

Some cool moments though. I remember it fondly from when it was published.

[Cameron H · Rating 5 out of 5]

And so Inferno ends and Scott Summers emerges completely unscathed as the very model of a perfect husband and father. Everything ended perfectly and there surely won’t be negative repercussions that extend to this very day. 😐

[Jase · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading the main Inferno issues with Madeline and Sinister.

[Jonathan Waugh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Waaaaaay better than volume 1, but still has some superfluous stuff

[Rudy Buehler · Rating 3 out of 5]

The art of the event steals the show. And the arrival of Mr Sinister turns up the intrigue even more for me in the second half. I’m excited for the sequel in Dark Web now in 2022.

[Alazzar · Rating 3 out of 5]

In my continued quest to learn more about Mr. Sinister (because, apparently, I'm still trying to justify my childhood decision to dress up as the big blue guy for Halloween), I picked up Inferno, Vol. 2. I'd been disappointed with the amount of Sinister in Volume 1 , but figured things were sure to pick up here.

The good news? More Sinister here than in the previous volume.

The bad news? Still not much Sinister.

Although we definitely do get more out of Nathaniel Essex this time around, it still didn't seem like enough to me. I think the biggest problem I had was when he was telling Madelyne Pryor about his diabolical plot: he outlined all the things he did, but never actually explained why.

What do I mean by that? Well, let's look at a made-up example (you know, to avoid spoilers from the actual book). Say you've got a villain boasting about his intricate plan to steal the radioactive material from the government facility. The hero, then, asks what the material is for. To which the villain replies: "Listen, don't worry about it. The important part is all the time I spent plotting this out."

It's possible this would make more sense with prior knowledge of Sinister's perpetual goals as a villain, but from what I've gathered, Inferno was one of his first major storylines--maybe even the very first. I'm sure his motivation for tampering with Cyclops and Jean Grey is delved into more later, but that doesn't change the fact that, in this volume, he was essentially "Evil for the sake of evil."

My other big criticism about the book is that it ended on issues of Power Pack and Cloak & Dagger, in an effort to tidy up some loose ends from the Inferno storyline. This is problematic for two reasons: 1) Neither Cloak nor Dagger had so much as appeared in a single other issue of the collected Inferno stories (though maybe they're somewhere in that Inferno Crossovers book I've heard about), and 2) Power Pack is horrible.

I skimmed the Cloak and Dagger issue and skipped Power Pack entirely. No one wants to read about kids.

All told, I give this collection three stars, which is the same rating I gave the first volume. Unfortunately, having read the books four months apart, I can't really remember which I like better. Ah well--I suppose it's all one storyline anyway, so if you're going to read any of it, you should probably read the whole thing.

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bit of a desperate attempt to bring together several plot threads not very well thought out for the long game, centered around Jean Grey, her clone, Scott Summer, two teams of X-folks and a couple different teams of X-youths. It's a bit like looking at a pyramid built upside down. There's a bunch of stuff piled upon one little thing and you know it only a matter of time before it all collapses.

By the end of the volume, with all that Mr. Sinester expositions-- that collapse is in full swing. It's all a bit ridiculous and it's easy to see that Claremont's had no master plan. He's just made it up as he's gone along. It worked better when the Uncanny series was young and fresh.

Here it's working better for Mrs. Simonson's younger X-Factor series. Walt Simonson's art saves the book. It's worth looking at if only for that. It gets the 3 stars all on it's own.