| From the Ashes (comics) | |
|---|---|
 Cover of the 1990 trade paperback, art byArthur Adams | |
| Date | May 1990 |
| Main characters | X-Men |
| Publisher | Marvel Comics |
| Creative team | |
| Writers | Chris Claremont |
| Pencillers | Paul Smith Walt Simonson(#171) John Romita Jr.(#176) |
| Inkers | Bob Wiacek |
| Letterers | Tom Orzechowski Joe Rosen(#176) |
| Colorists | Glynis Wein Bob Sharen(#169) Janine Casey(#170) |
| Editors | Louise Jones Danny Fingeroth(#168–173) Eliot Brown(#175) |
| Original publication | |
| Published in | Uncanny X-Men |
| Issues | 168–176 |
"From the Ashes" is atrade paperback which reprints issues #168-176 of thecomic bookUncanny X-Men, published byMarvel Comics in 1990. While most trade paperbacks of the time reprinted a singlestory arc,From the Ashes collected three different story arcs and three single-issue stories. The stories were all written byChris Claremont and most of them were drawn byPaul Smith andBob Wiacek, thoughWalt Simonson was a guestpenciller on one issue andJohn Romita Jr. took over as regular penciller on the series towards the end of the collected set of issues. The stories introducedMadelyne Pryor,Lockheed, theMorlocks, andValerie Cooper, and featuredRogue joining the team. Issue #175 was a giant-sized "20th anniversary of the X-Men" issue.[1][2]
From the Ashes is an anthology of six different X-Men stories.
Kitty Pryde is upset thatProfessor X has transferred her from the X-Men roster to theNew Mutants. After attending dance class withMagik, she detects an intrusion at theX-Mansion and discovers the alien dragonLockheed in the maintenance tunnel leading to the sub-basement.Sidrian Hunters appear, having remained in the sub-basement since their last attack months ago to lay their eggs.[3] With the help of Lockheed andColossus, Kitty defeats the Sidri and is reinstated in the X-Men on a provisional basis while Lockheed becomes her pet.
Warren Worthington III goes missing, and the X-Men search for him beneath the subways. They encounter theMorlocks, who abducted Warren for their leader,Callisto, to marry. During the battle between the X-Men and the Morlocks, Kitty falls ill after contact with the MorlockPlague. In order to save both Warren and Kitty,Storm challenges Callisto in a fight to the death. Despite having been infected by Plague prior to the fight, Storm defeats Callisto and assumes leadership of the Morlocks.
Rogue runs away fromMystique and theBrotherhood of Evil Mutants and arrives at the X-Mansion to ask Xavier for help, as she has difficulty controlling the powers she absorbed fromCarol Danvers.[4] Despite distrust from the rest of the team, as well as a sudden attack by Danvers (who gained new powers as Binary), Xavier makes Rogue a probationary member of the X-Men.
The team travels to Japan forWolverine andMariko Yashida's wedding. TheSilver Samurai andViper plot to overthrow Mariko to take over the Yashida Clan. Wolverine initially distrusts Rogue for stealing Danvers' memories and powers, but when Rogue sacrifices herself to save Mariko from a lethal ray gun blast by Viper, he transfers his healing factor to her. The stresses of being an X-Man have caused Storm to lose finer control of her powers, producing violent weather without conscious intent.Mastermind uses illusions to make the problem appear worse than it is, and Storm takes solace in the carefree philosophy exhibited by her new Japanese friendYukio. Storm sports a mohawk and a different outfit to reflect her new attitude.[5] On the day of the wedding, Mariko suddenly calls off the event under the control of Mastermind.
On a trip to his grandparents in Alaska, former X-ManCyclops meets the pilotMadelyne Pryor, who seems physically identical toJean Grey, who became the world-destroying Dark Phoenix before she died. A romance develops between Cyclops and Madelyne. She reveals to him that she was the sole survivor of a plane crash on September 1, 1980 – the same day Jean died. Cyclops digs through files on Madelyne's background.
Cyclops proposes to Madelyne, but when he asks her if she is Phoenix, she punches him and runs away. When he pursues her, he is knocked out by Dark Phoenix, who sends him back to the X-Mansion before rendering Professor X comatose and destroyingManhattan. Cyclops realizes the Dark Phoenix attack is an illusion by Mastermind, who plotted his revenge after Phoenix left him in a catatonic state.[6] Mastermind intends to trick the X-Men into killing Madelyne. When Cyclops tries to warn the X-Men of the scheme, Mastermind makes him appear to be Dark Phoenix and they attack him. Following a battle in the Danger Room, Cyclops makes Rogue take Xavier's powers so that she can telepathically confirm his true identity. Mastermind shoots Cyclops, but Storm defeats Mastermind with a monsoon. Cyclops discovers Madelyne drowned by the monsoon and resuscitates her. Several weeks later, Cyclops comes to terms with Jean's death and marries Madelyne.
Cyclops and Madelyne fly to the South Pacific on their honeymoon. A storm disables the plane's engine and forces them to land on the ocean. While the couple repairs the engine, they are attacked by agiant squid. After losing his glasses during the attack, Cyclops kills the squid with the full power of his optic blast. He and Madelyne get the plane fired up and fly off to safety. Cyclops decides to decline his fatherCorsair's offer to join him on his spacefaring adventures, opting to settle down and enjoy a peaceful life with Madelyne. Freed from Mastermind's control, Mariko returns Wolverine's honor blade to him, but tells him that while she was under Mastermind's control, she reverted her clan back to a criminal organization. She feels she cannot marry him until she restores her clan's honor.
The 1980 storylineThe Dark Phoenix Saga was one of the most acclaimed stories in comics.[7] The central character, Jean Grey, dies at the end of the storyline, and when she was revived it was without the Dark Phoenix powers and persona. However, illusionary resurrections of Dark Phoenix were prominently featured inThe Uncanny X-Men #157 and 174-175, enabling Marvel Comics to market a trade paperback collection incorporating the latter two issues as a sequel toThe Dark Phoenix Saga. To this end, the collection was assigned the titleFrom the Ashes, referencing how inthe phoenix mythology, a phoenix rises to new life from ashes.
InThe Uncanny X-Men #173Paul Smith, having replacedDave Cockrum as the regular penciller in issue #165, gave Storm amohawk and a black leather outfit, which became her signature look for the majority of the 1980s. Smith's design was inspired by an incident when his colleagueWalter Simonson shaved his beard and his daughter was upset by his new appearance.[5] The front cover for the issue[8] inspiredArthur Adams to draw his iconic Wolverine art, which became a bestselling poster and was used on t-shirts, standees, and other merchandise.[9]
The splash page for issue #168, featuring Kitty Pryde in a ski jacket sharply turning towards the reader while yelling, "Professor Xavier is a jerk!", has been the subject of numerous homages and imitations.[10][11]
The story arc presented in issues #172 and #173 is a direct sequel to theWolverine miniseries written by Claremont and drawn byFrank Miller. They are usually collected together with the miniseries.[12]
