In Excalibur #23, Claremont revisits one of his greatest character projects: Illyana Rasputin. Rather than take the AU story in the direction of the better-life-not-led, however, Claremont adds depth to Illyana’s 616 sacrifice by showing us the alternative. #xmen#Magik 1/8
In the pages of UXM, Magik, and The New Mutants, Claremont built Illyana up as a deeply symbolic character, exploring childhood trauma through an abstract metaphor of surviving hell and having to integrate back into a more innocent world. 2/8
It was Louise Simonson, however, who wrote Illyana’s ending (with some co-ordination from C) in which Illyana sacrifices the life she’s struggled to build to prevent the hell of her making from overtaking others. It might be the finest writing of Simonson’s storied career. 3/8
Thus, visiting an AU Illyana in Excalibur provides a simple opportunity to pull on the reader’s heartstrings with a tale of the hero alive and well (as later writers will do), but Illyana is only one of those things here. 4/8
This Illyana is depicted as fully corrupted by the Darkchylde. Where 616 sacrificed herself for the world, this Illyana would sacrifice the world for her aims. The depth of her corruption is, of course, most poignantly symbolized in her betrayal of her world’s Kitty Pryde. 5/8
It takes the Phoenix to defeat this Illyana (and purge the Darkchylde again) in this broken world that Illyana built. The message, thus, becomes clear: that Illyana’s 616 sacrifice was necessary for both the safety of the world, and for the preservation of her soul. 6/8
The natural quote to insert here would of course be from The Dark Knight: “You either die a hero or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain.” Illyana chose the former, and her portrayal in Excalibur #23 just solidifies this. 7/8
Through this approach, Claremont actually enhances (rather than cheapens) Simonson’s resolution to Claremont’s long-built and obviously much-beloved character story. It’s a very interesting example of effective shared-universe storytelling, something comics can struggle with. 8/8
For reference, we did a video essay on Magik's overall narrative and symbology over the years:
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The Wolverine/Storm relationship, in all its facets, is one of the most complex and longstanding in the entirety of Claremont’s run, focusing on his two most foregrounded characters as they mutually support each other’s development and growth as characters and as people #xmen 1/7
The pair is defined through mutual respect, intimate trust (something that does not come naturally to either), romantic subtext, and an implied casual sexual relationship that gets interrupted by circumstance, but could easily have been happening the entire time, off-panel. 2/7
Author Miles Booy argues that in early portrayals, Wolverine is symbolic of a primitive masculinity (through “ferocity”) while Storm symbolizes, in contrast, “feminine grace” through her primitive closeness to nature (26). Sort of Adam and Eve of the X-Men. 3/7
If read in the context of the queer metaphor of X-Men (what scholar Ramzi Fawaz calls “queer mutanity”) UXM’s repeated exploration of parental estrangement and possible reconciliation can hold a particularly poignant resonance. #xmen 1/6
Character arcs built around reconciliation w parents are extensive in the Claremont run and feature prominently in the stories of major characters such as Cyclops, Rogue, Storm, Wolverine, Nightcrawler and Rachel. 2/6
These arcs consistently explore themes of familial estrangement and the emotional fallout that results, whilst building tension toward a possible reconciliation and even sometimes resolving with an actual reconciliation and the catharsis it can produce. 3/6
In “Mutant Mutandis: The X-Men’s Wolverine and the Construction of Canada,” scholar Vivian Zenari explores the portrayal of Canada within the X-Men narrative and how that portrayal informs the character of Wolverine (and vice versa). #xmen#wolverine 1/7
Zenari sees Logan’s nationality as a somewhat lazy product of international market-building, with Wolverine’s Canadian-ness generally underconsidered in terms of its connection to his character/identity. 2/7
"The imagined Canada of Wolverine is for the most part the imagining of another country. At the level of language, a Canadaphile will notice factual errors, such as misspelled place-names…and incongruous terminology… that could be chalked up to a careless copyeditor.” 3/7
Amidst the chaos of UXM #272, Claremont gives Gambit a moment to shine at a time when he was still largely an unknown to both the X-Men and the readers. In addition to saving the team, Gambit’s actions relay a ton of information about his character. #xmen 1/7
Gambit plays an essential role in the X-Men’s escape, first by perceiving and supporting Cable’s own attempt, then by using that as a ruse by which he can obtain the means to execute a secondary escape attempt thereafter, at great personal cost. 2/7
Cable attacks their jailers and Gambit immediately follows suit. Cable is, however, talked down by Hodge threatening Psylocke. When Hodge fires at Cable anyway, Gambit heroically dives to save Cable, taking a spike to the thigh in the process. 3/7
One of Claremont’s goto strategies for character-building revolves around creating conflict out of character dualities in which their superpowers put them at odds with their personal goals and ambitions, ultimately distancing them from their own sense of humanity. #xmen 1/7
This strategy is very very old. Nietzsche identified something similar in Ancient Greek Tragedy. It’s also quite foundational to Marvel (and other) comics of the era, most easily recognized in the Spider-Man aphorism of “with great power…..” 2/7
Claremont’s approach, however, is individualized. So Logan is animal/man, Storm is goddess/woman, Kitty is child/adult, Colossus is muscle/imagination. Havok is raw power/pacifism, Dazzler is fame/normality, Cyclops is mission/well-being. On and on. 3/7
Despite the expectations that come with a young cast of characters (but also because of them), The New Mutants is a deeply dark, highly traumatic series. New Mutants #37 takes this to a new level by portraying -on panel- the violent deaths of each character. #xmen 1/6
Woven into the critically maligned “Secret Wars II” event, the New Mutants have rejected the indoctrination of the Beyonder and, insulted by this, the Beyonder arrives to claim their lives if he can’t have their loyalty. As Dani astutely observes, it’s no contest. 2/6
The Beyonder toys with the team before killing them in nightmarish ways. Rahne’s death, an execution while she kneels in her prayer, is particularly horrific, while Doug’s casual death while espousing the value of friendship is symbolic of the lack of plot armour. 3/6