Uncanny X-Men (1963-2011) #150

Uncanny X-Men (1963)

by Chris Claremont, Dave Cockrum (Artist)

The X-Men take on their greatest nemesis Magneto, but will they have to resort to killing him once and for all?

Genres: Comics, X Men, Marvel

40 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 1, 1981

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

[Sophia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actual rating 3.5 stars.
This issue continues a story line I didn’t read the beginning of.
Magneto wants a better world however, the way he's going about it is SO very wrong. I was surprised at the end; how Magneto came to see himself as like those who slaughtered his family and how quick he changed his tune. I’m interested to see how his character develops from here.

[Kerry Paksoy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Picked this up in my hometown over the holidays. Overall great issue. This is likely the classic Chris Claremont writing he's revered for. It starts out pretty cliché, with Magneto threatening to destroy the world if he's not given control of its governments. Lots of twists after this though. Magneto wields lightning and even Nightcrawler kicks ass. The X-men have to defeat Magneto sans powers. The ending of the story sets the stage for Magneto to have the depth I remember him having in the 90s.

[Britt Halliburton · Rating 5 out of 5]

A foundational issue for the X-Men lore, finally this is “true Magneto”, not only in power but also personality and depth of motivation. This is the first mention of Magda and of the concentration camps. While prior issues had done some work to establish his admiration of the X-Men, here it is really on show, front and centre. His conviction in his actions, that he is saving all mutants, including them. This issue’s enduring legacy through Magneto is why the X-Men comics deserve the status they have and why Magneto is probably the greatest villain of all time - because he barely is a true villain, and certainly not evil.

Kitty’s practical joke really did steal the issue though, hahaha.

Of course, we do also get a lot of content for Ororo as she actually considers killing Magneto in his sleep, thinking of how Wolverine might have dealt with the situation and how he may be right. Ultimately, as Xavier points out, not killing Magneto and, instead, him seeing himself and his actions as bad is the greater victory.

One negative for the issue is Carol Danvers. Corbeau has featured in the series before and has helped ferry Xavier around in his boat, but Carol is here with zero introduction and only the most meagre of explanations. She should really have had a proper introduction for readers that only read this series.

[Sam · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Krista · Rating 4 out of 5]

This double-sized issue is a key episode in Magneto's redemption arc. It's the first place where he is shown to be a more sympathetic character and seen by Ororo as someone who is fundamentally "not an evil man". It's also where it's established that his family, was all wiped out in WWII, and that he had been held in Auschwitz, herded with his family towards the gas chambers, that he had revealed his powers to his wife Magda, when trying to avenge their murdered daughter, and she ran away.

The issue opens with Magneto contacting world leaders demanding both nuclear disarmanent and putting him in charge. He later expresses that his motivation is to make a world safe for mutants. As the X-men confront him in his Bermuda triangle base, he knocks Kitty Pryde unconscious and is horrified to realize that she is a child. This sends him into PTSD flashbacks of the death of his own daughter along with general depression. Ororo suggests that his vision of a world where mutants could be happy is good, but that he's become corrupted in how he's tried to enact it. Believing himself too old for personal redemption, he turns Kitty over to her and Ororo allows him to leave.

[Nicholas Descalzi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just Wonderful. Magneto's breakdown at the end of the issue is why the X-Men has always been the absolute peak comic book series. So much depth is given to many different characters in these X-Men books.

[zach · Rating 4 out of 5]

“If you have a deity, butcher, pray to it!”

we love to see the start of magneto’s redemption arc. we live for that.

[E Alexander · Rating 5 out of 5]

we read about magnetos past and internal conflict.

[⛧⸸ dennis ⸸⛧ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finished it at night while waiting for my melissa tea to kick in and my heart broke for Magneto by the end, poor baby 💔🫂

[Etienne · Rating 1 out of 5]

That's it. I'm out!