Issue - 145

Title - Kidnapped

Writer - Chris Claremont

Art - Dave Cockrum

 

Summary:

Storm accompanies Kitty Pryde's friend Stevie Hunter to a ballet at the Metropolitan Opera House. As the to watch the performance, a woman calling herself Miss Locke enters their box. Locke tells Storm that she has captured those nearest to each of the X-men and holds them hostage within Murderworld. There they will remain unless the X-Men agree to rescue her boss Arcade from Dr. Doom. Doom holds Arcade prisoner for insulting him. After confirming that Locke has indeed taken prisoners, Storm returns to the X-Mansion with a plan. Storm enters Doom's New York castle and asks for Doom to release Arcade to her. Doom does not agree, instead he asks her to discuss the matter over dinner. While Storm distracts Doom, the X-Men sneak in to try and free Arcade. Instead of finding their quarry, the team find armored troops whom they promptly defeat. Meanwhile, Doom reveals to Storm that Arcade is his guest. Feeling that she has led her team into a trap, Storm attacks Doom. His reprisal physically transforms her into chrome. As the other X-men break in, Doom defeats them all quickly and easily.

 
 

Notes:

  • Doom's castle in the Adirondack Mountains was turned into an amusement park the year before by the mutant Toad. See Marvel Two-in-One #68. In that issue, Toad received money from an "underworld" financier to renovate the castle so he could use it as a base for his operations as an assassin. The X-man Angel later gave him money to instead turn the castle into Toadland. Although Arcade does not appear in that issue, Toad refers to his backer as "Mister A"
     

  • The Doctor Doom who appears here was retroactively "retconned" into being a Doombot by John Byrne in Fantastic Four #258. Claremont later reaffirmed this in Uncanny X-men #197.
     

  • Reprinted in Classic X-Men #49 (pictured below). Collected in Essential X-Men volume 3 (pictured at bottom of the page).

 

Issue - 146

Title - Murderworld

Writer - Chris Claremont

Art - Dave Cockrum

 

Summary:

While one group of X-Men have been captured by Dr. Doom in his castle, another group breaks into Murderworld in an attempt to rescue the hostages. However upon entering the base, the four X-men are separated and thrown into specialized death traps. Havok must survive a killer rollercoaster, Iceman plays against an evil hockey team, Polaris is shot by a robotic duplicate of Colossus' little sister, and Banshee faces a showdown in an old west town. Meanwhile, back in Castle Doom, Doom has also separated the X-Men and left them in chambers designed to test their abilities. For Storm however, Doom has left her in a organic chrome state. Storm's claustrophobia causes her unconscious mind to react to being confined in the chrome shell. Her weather powers begin to create violent weather conditions around the world. Back in Murderworld, Havok and his X-Men successfully break out of their traps and defeat Miss Locke, thereby freeing the prisoners. Upon exiting Murderworld, they are surprised by the freak weather conditions. At Castle Doom, Arcade reveals to Doom that Nightcrawler has managed to escape from his cell.

 

 
 

Notes:

  • Doom does not eliminate the team immediately because this is the first time he has met the X-Men and wishes to learn about them.
     

  • Reprinted in Classic X-Men # 50 (picture below). Collected in Essential X-Men volume 3 (pictured at bottom of the page).

 

Issue - 147

Title - Rogue Storm

Writer - Chris Claremont

Art - Dave Cockrum

 

Summary:

After teleporting his way out of his cell, Nightcrawler makes his way back to Castle Doom amidst the torrential weather being conjured up by Storm. Inside, Wolverine, Colossus, and Angel each break out of their own respective cells. Sensing the change in weather, Wolverine heads for where Doom holds Storm. The adamantium boned mutant manages to overwhelm Doom with assistance from Nightcrawler. With his claws bared, Wolverine demands Doom to release Storm from her chrome prison, which he does. Once free, Storm reacts violently as a result of her prolonged imprisonment. She lashes out at both and Doom and the X-Men. Colossus reaches out beyond her rage and reminds her of what happened to Phoenix. Reminded of her friends recent fate, Storm regains her self-control and disperses the weather patterns she created. Back to normal again, she asks Doom to release Arcade into their custody explaining that lives depend on upon it. Doom agrees and the two part neither as friends or foes.

 
 

Comments:

I think its a real shame John Bryne made this a Doombot. Doom is pretty much neutral here. The X-Men invade his castle really without explaining why, so he did act naturally. The spark between Doom and Storm is...interesting. It would have been nice to see where that would have gone. I like how Claremont is always trying to do new things with Doom. My only objection is that Doom puts up with too much insolence from Arcade. He's blasted people for less. Also, he hardly seems to be making Arcade pay for appropriating his castle for Toad's use. Odder still is that I would think Doom would want to punish Toad, not Arcade. Arcade only supplied the money, Toad was the one who actually set up house there. Also, Toad was the one who turned the castle into "Toadland." By all accounts, Doom should also want Angel's head for funding Toad as well. Aside from these plot holes, I enjoyed the story and Claremont's characterization of Doom.

Bottom Line: * * * * out of 5

 

Notes:

  • Reprinted in Classic X-men #51. Collected in Essential X-Men volume 3.

 


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