Marvel Masterworks: The Uncanny X-Men Vol. 12

Marvel Masterworks: The Uncanny X-Men #12

by Chris Claremont, Dave Cockrum (Illustrator), Jo Duffy (Contributor)

Collects Uncanny X-Men (1981) #194-200, Annual (1970) #9; New Mutants Special Edition (1985) #1; Nightcrawler (1985) #1-4; material from Bizarre Adventures (1981) #27.

Chris Claremont, together with an absolute dream team of art talent — John Romita Jr., Arthur Adams, Barry Windsor-Smith and Dave Cockrum — brings you an indisputable Marvel masterwork! Beginning with the earthshaking return of the Juggernaut, tensions rise as Professor X’s health fails, a crisis of faith strikes Nightcrawler and Storm ranges across the African savannah in the second “Lifedeath” masterpiece! Meanwhile, the X-Men and New Mutants are whisked away to Asgard to battle Loki and his minions in the all-time great “Asgardian Wars,” illustrated by the incomparable Arthur Adams! Finally, the day of reckoning arrives as an international tribunal tries Magneto for crimes against humanity. Also featuring a swashbuckling saga starring Nightcrawler by X-Men icon Dave Cockrum!

Genres: Comics, X Men, Marvel, Graphic Novels, Comic Book, Superheroes, Graphic Novels Comics

466 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 3, 2020

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

[Tom Ewing · Rating 4 out of 5]

The last volume ended with a celebration of a decade of the new X-Men; this one takes us only a few issues on, to the also oversized 200th edition of Uncanny. But the two landmarks point in different directions - one a knowing return to unfinished business from the earliest issues; the other a story that shifts the status quo and points forward. The X-Men used to be a comic about mutant heroes who fought villains; then it became a comic about the interpersonal relationships between those heroes and an ever widening supporting cast. But now it’s something else again - the story of mutants in general, with the core cast one of many factions negotiating a time of sharply rising prejudice. “The Trial Of Magneto” is a major realignment in that story: it completes the face turn for Magneto that’s been building - in theory - since his defeat in issue 150, a previous special issue.

The neatness of the round numbers might fool you into thinking Magneto’s story has been a focus of the comic since then, but that isn’t how 80s X-Men works. The trial is actually the first Magneto-centric issue since then, his story having played out mostly in single page subplots in New Mutants or in events like Secret Wars. Xavier’s sudden desperate handover of the comic to his old frenemy works dramatically because it feels sudden - it’s the act of a dying man whose faith in Magneto is shared by almost nobody else. It’s very much not the culmination of an arc, even if the issue is a strong one hammering home the idea that prejudice, not a dude in a purple helmet, is now the team’s biggest enemy.

That’s not to say the comic hasn’t been building to something - a reckoning with the Days Of Future Past timeline and how far Rachel will go to prevent it - but the shape of that is only just starting to become clear. And behind the scenes events are starting to overtake Chris Claremont. He handles the intrusions of Secret Wars II better than most, but his monopoly on the X-Books is about to end with the launch of X-Factor throwing even more chaotic elements into the plotting mix.

But if the Trial isn’t the triumph of longer term plotting it wants you to think it is, it’s still a strong comic, one of several in this collection, which give an impression of creative and editorial teams who still have bags of energy and ideas even if focus isn’t a priority. There’s only one dud - an Arcade one-shot - and the issues which carry the central prejudice/Xavier/Magneto/Rachel plotline (194, 196 and 199-200) are all good, with John Romita Jr coming into his own as a character artist as well as a reliable provider of crunchy, kinetic action scenes.

Set against this harder-hitting storyline is the side of Claremont that loves fantasy and myth, which also gets full rein here. A Power Pack guest appearance works more on fairytale principles - changelings and substitutions - than standard superhero logic. “LifeDeath II” - another Barry Windsor Smith showcase, more spectacular and impressionist than before - finds Ororo grappling with folklore and her place in it. And then there’s Claremont’s single greatest fantasy attempt, The Asgardian Wars.

In a lot of his previous fantasy workouts Claremont had chosen to reference pulp tropes or recast his standard characters in fairy story or science fantasy roles. But the Marvel Universe has a full-blown fantastic land on its doorstep in the form of Asgard, which was at the time enjoying a creative renaissance thanks to Walt Simonson’s Thor putting some of the emphasis back on its mythical and magical elements. The X-Men are a little more familiar with the territory; the New Mutants, on the other hand, are the perfect POV characters to make Asgard feel strange and fantastic again.

The result is New Mutants Special Edition 1, a wildly successful 64 page portal fantasy in which the New Mutants are scattered across the Nine Realms and undergo magical and moral trials. Splitting the group makes Claremont’s habitually restless focus shifting into a virtue, as almost all the cast are placed into fascinating and revealing situations. Art Adams’ work, looking back to P Craig Russell but forward to McFarlane and Lee, is spectacular, and perfect for establishing an atmosphere which genuinely feels like no previous New Mutants comic (OK, bikini bondage Illyana is icky but I doubt Adams is completely to blame for that). Lightning doesn’t quite strike twice in the concluding, X-Men focussed part, but Adams’ art is just as enjoyable and the whole story is a deserved classic. It also seems to get the fantasy kink out of Claremont’s system for a while (though a lot of his worst whimsical impulses transfer elsewhere).

Rounding out the collection is another piece of whimsy, Dave Cockrum’s 4-issue Nightcrawler miniseries. This is Cockrum getting to realise his fantasy-swashbuckler version of his favourite character, and it’s a light-hearted romp that reads better than when Claremont tries the same sort of things. Diminishing returns set in as the silliness rises, but the first issue full of sky pirates and derring-do is the definitive take on this recurring vision for Kurt.

[Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.7 stars

[Alice · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read most of the issues in this collection on Marvel Unlimited.

I was bored for a lot of this. I'm only bumping up a star because it includes the wonderful second part of Storm's Life Death arc in Africa. That was something special. And there was a Juggernaut story! And I'm glad Rogue is growing out her terrible hair cut and working towards a less offensively ugly costume! she calls people "sugar" with increasing frequency too!

There was one story with the Power Pack in it.. which I hated! I just don't like stories with kids in n.

Also an arc where The Beyonder came back and NIMROD is about, but nothing very interesting has come of either yet. In general the anti-mutant sentiment in the world is reaching boiling point, that's in the background of every story.

But ... I'm really not into the Rachel Summers plot! I don't like her as a character, it's really dragging and I cannot wait for this whole thing to be over. How does Scott still not know?! I hate the latest development of her taking on the Phoenix name and costume.

I am honestly also just missing Scott on the team! It isn't he same without him. I look forward to this Madeline story coming to an end (I hope soon.. she's fit to burst with their baby ...!)

I'm still struggling with the insertion of New Mutants into so much of the X-Men. You just can't make me care about them! The only one I find interesting is Warlock, and that's because he's not a human teenager!

I felt like I had to go off and read the New Mutants Special and X-Men Annual #9 because it it might explain how the hell Storm went from hallucinating and wrestling with a poisonous snake in Africa to on holiday with the new Mutants in Greece... but no. I found the messing about in Asgard quite tedious, mostly because it was 90% the New Mutants who I don't know or care about!

Back in Uncanny X-Men #200 it ends with Magneto's trial, fighting the Striker twins and then Prof X at deaths door handing over the school to him.

[Adam Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are two or three forgettable issues in here (the Beyonder and Power Pack stories), but they're more than made up for with classics like Lifedeath II and the Trial of Magneto. The New Mutants/X-Men Annual crossover is pretty epic, with great art. The Nightcrawler mini by Cockrum is inessential but calls back to a few earlier stories in fun ways, and of course Cockrum always does great work on X-Men art.

[Frédéric · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some not too interesting stuff in this volume- the Power Pack issue or the Nightcrawler mini series- but the rest remains very good.

It notably includes Barry Smith's exquisite Life Death and Arthur Adam’s epic Asgardian two-parter (with a great part of the New Mutants issue’s pencils almost as bonus, a real treat indeed).
It ends with oversized issue 200 and Magneto taking over ailing Xavier’s reins of the X-Men.

[Tomás Sendarrubias García · Rating 5 out of 5]

Para empezar, este tomo trae una de las mejores historias que se ha contado nunca en el mundo del cómic. Sí, esto son palabras mayores en un mundo donde hemos leído Watchmen, Born Again, Batman Año Uno, etc, etc... Pero sí. Y es que los anuales de la Patrulla-X y los Nuevos Mutantes en el que ambos grupos viajan a Asgard, con guion de Claremont y dibujo de Arthur Adams, van a ser palabras mayores que suben este tomo a cinco estrellas, aunque es verdad que el resto de las historias, sin ser flojas ni mucho menos, forman parte de una etapa de la Patrulla-X que nunca me ha llegado a encandilar, que es la de John Romita... y creo que no es culpa ni de Claremont ni de Romita, sino de la interrupción de las historias que estaban contando por la presencia del Todopoderoso, que siempre me ha resultado un personaje muy incómodo. Pero en fin. A lo que íbamos.

Como decía antes, la historia que da portada a este tomo el viaje a Asgard de los dos grupos de mutantes debido a las manipulaciones de Loki, que entre otras cosas, intenta convertir a Tormenta en una diosa del trueno bajo su control (en estos momentos Thor andaba convertido en una rana), y que tiene escenazas y momentos épicos, además de un diseño de personajes de Arthur Adams que es una gozada, y que va a aportar algunas subtramas interesantes, como el primer amor correspondido de Loba Venenosa (el príncipe lobo Hrimhari) o la transformación de Espejismo en una Valquiria, en la que será la consecuencia más duradera y de toda esta trama. De vuelta a la Tierra, la Patrulla va tener que vérselas con una historia que se venía gestando poco a poco desde su enfrentamiento con Kulan Gath, y es que para deshacer el dominio del hechicero sobre Manhattan, el Doctor Extraño y Magik habían tenido que manipular el tiempo, lo que había provocado la llegada de Nimrod, el "supercentinela" del futuro. y que va a revelar su presencia con un encuentro con Juggernaut y la Patrulla-X que, con Tormenta en África (viéndoselas con los gemelos Fenris), va a estar formada por Coloso, Rondador, Lobezno, Pícara, Gatasombra y Fénix. Este encontronazo con Nimrod será solo el primero, y en los siguientes números, tendremos a Lobezno y Gatasombra tratando de rescatar a los Power Pack de los Morlocks (habían sido secuestrados y desfigurados por Máscara para reemplazar a los niños que Annalee había perdido en una de las historias anteriores), y luego, tendremos una historia sobre odio contra los mutantes, en una de esas historias de trasfondo que de vez en cuando Claremont hacía reflotar. Seguiríamos con un nuevo encontronazo entre la Patrulla-X y Arcade (en concreto, Coloso y Gatasombra, parece que Claremont parecía decidido a contar historias con pocos X-Men), y de hecho, luego llegaría Muerte Viva 2, con Barry Windsor Smith de nuevo a los lápices y centrado en la experiencia de Tormenta haciendo frente a los gemelos Fenris, para luego volver a las tramas principales, y en los números 199 y 200, desarrollar el Juicio de Magneto.

En esta historia, veremos como la Hermandad de Mutantes Diabólicos de Mística se convierte en la Fuerza de la Libertad, un equipo de mutantes al servicio del gobierno de Estados Unidos cuya primera misión va a ser precisamente detener a Magneto y llevarlo a juicio por crímenes contra la humanidad. El juicio tendrá lugar en París, y allí, además de hacerse un repaso a la vida y crímenes de Magneto, nos encontraremos con la parte culminante de un arco de redención que Claremont había iniciado mucho tiempo atrás. Y es que el juicio será atacado precisamente por Fenris, recién llegados de África, y en el combate, Xavier, que ya llevaba algún tiempo sufriendo de una profunda debilidad desde una paliza recibida por unos estudiantes unos números antes, estará a punto de morir, y será llevado al espacio por Lilandra y los Saqueadores Estelares para recuperarse. Y justo antes de irse, Xavier hace que Magneto le prometa cuidar de su equipo de sus estudiantes, por lo que tendremos aquí a Magneto convertirse en el nuevo director de la Escuela Xavier para Jóvenes Talentos, lo que iremos viendo tanto en la Patrulla-X como en Los Nuevos Mutantes.

[Michael Emond · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really fun collection which encompasses the era where I gave up on this book. I will say the stories are better than I remember from the main book (although there are only about 6 issues from that) anf then you have the Arthur Adams annuals (X-Men and New Mutant crossover) which are two of my favourite issues ever because of the art and the story. You also have the 4 issue Nightcrawler mini series written and drawn by Dave Cockrum (who loved the character) - it isn't great but I have a soft place in my heart for it. I enjoy it a lot and somehow I lost my original comics I had so I loved rereading it.

The stories from the X-Men series are written by Claremont (obviously) and drawn by John Romita JR. As I said - this was the era I gave up on the X-Men. While I came to like JR JR's art as he got better (his Daredevil run was my fav and his Spider-man (with JMS) was very solid) I never liked his fit with the X-Men. And he could not draw a woman in side-profile to save his life. The art is actually better than I remember but coming off iconic artists like Byrne, Cockrum and Paul Smith he couldn't compare (also Arthur Adams was drawing the annuals to make it look even worse by comparison). The one issue drawn by Barry Windsor Smith is a delight to see.

Besides the art why did I give up? Chris was waaay too into his "future where Muties are hunted" and the addition of time travelling Rachel Summers irritated me. His Colossus centred story (captured by Arcade) showed, once again, he couldn't develop the Ruskie's personality. Also - Magneto goes from "most evil villain" to Xavier wanting him to lead the X-Men. I didn't mind Magneto being reformed but it was too sudden and jarring and having him LEAD the X-Men? Too much too soon. It is a case where the writer (Chris) decided he wanted Magneto to be good and forcing his characters to go along with it - logic be damned. My feeling is, without artists like Byrne and Cockrum tempering him, Chris went for very, very dark stories. And I lost my interest in the series.

Having said that - the annuals, mini series and even the X-Men stories are a lot of fun and they capture the last stories before (I feel) the series really got dark.

[Bill Coffin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chris Claremont's legendary run on the Uncanny X-Men is largely collected in a 12-volume (and counting) set in the Marvel Masterworks series that takes us through some of the most pivotal stories in X-Men lore. (As of volume 12, it gets up to Uncanny X-Men #200.) Here we see the launch of a new X-Men team that includes, over time, Cyclops, Jean Grey/Phoenix, Storm, Colossus, Nightcrawler, Wolverine, Kitty Pryde, Rogue and many others. The stories include some of the most iconic in X-Men history, including the Hellfire Club saga, the Dark Phoenix saga, Days of Future Past and the Trial of Magneto. All told, the Marvel Masterworks - Uncanny X-Men series is must-read material for anyone who wishes to dive deeply into the rich (and often difficult to navigate) history of the X-Men. It is must-read material for anyone who wants to get a taste for what it was like during a period of time when the X-Men grew from an also-ran Marvel title into one of the greatest superhero tentpole franchises of all time. And if all that isn't enough, within these volumes are some of the most enjoyable writer/artist pairings you'll find from this era of Marvel comics, including Claremont's epic collaborations with John Byrne, Dan Green and John Romita, Jr. Within these volumes are stories that continue to resonate today, tales that beyond beyond people in colorful tights punching each other out and into an ongoing commentary on what it means to be hated for one's nature, on what it means to protect those who see you as an enemy, and what it means to live with heroic dignity in a world committed to stripping that very thing from you. These are some of the finest comic book stories ever published. They are deeply fun to read, and most of all, they are an important chapter of a beloved medium.

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some would call the issues of uncanny collected here before #200 a slump, but I actually believe their “normalcy” speak to the power of the ongoing nature of Claremont’s extensive time on the book. It can mutually feel the space to breathe even while it moves its characters in multitudinous ways rather exclusive to the monthly comic form.

To get it out of the way, the Nightcrawler mini collected here is the one drawback of this collection. Cockrum is locked into his Barsoomian swashbuckling phase and he takes his favorite creation through a few of his favorite ‘crawler oldies, while doing mostly nothing. After the success of the Wolverine mini and even the lesser import of the Kitty/Wolvie mini, this one stands out as a fluff piece.

But the rest of this collection is golden.

The New Mutants/X-Men adventures in Asgard are some of my favorite funs of this era.

Lifedeath II may be better than the first.

Rachel. Probably annoys some, but these are key moments for her before her unceremonious ejection next collection.

And #200. Not the highest peak of Claremont, but it balances ending with beginning. This really is a pivotal moment in the book in profound ways. If Claremont had gotten his way, it would still stand as such. But the new guard will come in and revert the status quo to devolve back to the familiar.

[Lisandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

Unc X-Men 194 a 198: ta em Saga dos x-men 9: 3,69 estrelas

Unc X-Men 199 + Nightcrawler 1 a 4: 4,5 + 4 estrelas: formam em Saga dos x-men 10 (la tem tb a bizarre adv 27 q não reli pois li em saga 7 e não curti lá), mas a do Noturno foi interessante, primeiro enfim admitir q ele tem uma cauda... talvez ate demais, claramente alguém esta obcecado ksks o negócio do conto d fadas a la alice no pais das maravilhas foi divertido pelas referencias e pelo wolverine estilo taz mania ksks

Unc X-Men 200: nao li pois vou ler em Saga dos x-men 12

New Mutants Esp Ed. 1 + X-men Annual 9: formam saga dos x-men 11 (tem mais 2 la tb mas não estão aqui): 1 + 2 estrelas, sim, terrível, nossa, o suco de td d ruim dos anos 60 a 80, começando c a gordofobia, passando pela tortura desnecessária da iliana (pelo menos foi feita por uma mulher??) e do loki babando e controlando... desculpa, "influenciando" (sarcasmo) numa/uma ororo sem poderes mas ao menos não foi tão ruim quanto poderia, então... thanks, I hate it. mas agora ao menos entendi pq li logo essa edição e desisti da saga como um todo ate o vídeo do QnS me fazer dar outra chance.

Total: 3,69 + 4+ 4,5 + 1 + 2 = 3,03 estrelas

[Crazed8J8 · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has a lot of fun, fantasy, and some amazing stories to boot! The X-Men (proper) issues are all solid, some better than others, culminating with the Trial of Magneto. Epic stories that play a part in the X-lore for years to come.
The highlight for me though is the Asgardian Wars... spanning 4 books with some of the best and most notable artwork ever seen in X-pages! This is by far the best story, art, and EVERYTHING at this time!
The Nightcrawler mini was a lot of fun (it took an issue or so to get into it), but it was cute. Not a great or necessary read, but fun all the same.
All said, this is a great collection!

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Lifedeath II" some heady stuff for a mainstream comic of the '80s. Nice nostalgia trip. Nightcrawler 4-part limited series included in this. Not sure what I think of it. Nightcrawler was my favorite back when. The series I think I bought the first one and saved my money for other books subsequently, back when it was first published. I think it's "cute" now that I've finally read it. But...not what I like about Nightcrawler. Ah well. Storm/Asgard New Mutants stuff the real meat of this volume. And Magneto.

[Trevor · Rating 3 out of 5]

Most of these issues are setting up a major status quo change where Xavier leaves the X-Men and chooses Magneto as his successor. It's a well told redemption story and a welcome change of pace.

This collection also includes a solo Nightcrawler miniseries. Written and drawn by Dave Cockrum, it's a comedy fantasy series and a sequel to the classic issue Kitty's Fairytale (Uncanny X-Men #153) but unlike that issue, this series didn't work for me.

[Jefferson · Rating 5 out of 5]

While the X-Men do have a well-earned reputation for being mopey and melodramatic, this volume demonstrates the wider range of stories Marvel was willing to do in the 1980s. It's a great reminder of a time when comics were a lot more fun.

[Shoumik Hassin · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Nightcrawler mini-series is nothing to write home about and parts of this definitely feel like Claremont's lost the plot a bit. Still, there are a lot of high points, including a really darn good New Mutants story.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

Art Adams, Paul Smith, John Romita Jr. Asgardian battles, New Mutants and Magnetos Trial... what's not to love in this collection? Well maybe the Cockrum Nightcrawler fever dream but aside from that I loved this.

[Kris · Rating 3 out of 5]

As I am finding with a lot of these mid-80s X-Men, a bit of a mixed bag. Some outstanding stories, like the Trial of Magneto, middling tales, such as Nightcrawler in Kitty's fairytale, and some dull adventures, such as the return of Arcade.

[Jonathan Lim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good stuff in here apart from Nightcrawler mini.

[Jo El · Rating 4 out of 5]

I REALLY enjoyed this, especially the Asgardian story line. the first two comics and the Nightcrawler issues are filler, but the rest are dynamite!

[Jack · Rating 3 out of 5]

The main series stuff is great as per usual, but the Asgard crossover issues and the Nightcrawler miniseries stink. Such are the perils of comics, though. Crossovers and spinoffs are rarely good!

[Rob Marney · Rating 4 out of 5]

This volume suffers from the Masterworks desire to collect every appearance. The tone is all over the place: high-minded moral questions in Uncanny, wacky adventures in Nightcrawler, and a trip to Asgard in the annuals. The JRjr run is dynamite - only Claremont can write drama between Cyclops, Rachel and Madelyne about who's wearing what costume and make you care - but this juxtaposition does it no favors.

[Roybot · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a four star book bumped up to five for being just overflowing with Nightcrawler extras, from his four issue mini, to the black and white story presented in the larger magazine format special, there's lots of cool Nightcrawler stories. This volume also includes a huge amount of Loki ridiculousness (which is maybe a little wordy, but still a treat), and some major progress on the Nimrod front. A very solid volume that brings a lot of threads together and pushes the book ever closer to the Mutant Massacre volume.