Rachel and Magneto

[xdoop.insanejournal.com]

This is from Uncanny X-Men #192, #193, and #196. It's by Chris Claremont and John Romita, Jr.

In #192...






In #193...




In #196, Xavier is teaching his class when he overhears one of his students thinking "We've got no choice-- he knows who we are, he knows what we did-- we've got to kill him!" Since he is still weakened and recovering from the attack, he is unable to probe his students' minds and find the guilty party. He doesn't know it's one of the students who had attacked him.

Xavier gets the X-Men (along with Magneto, who's joined the team) to help prevent the murder. Meanwhile, Rachel runs into the Beyonder (who's pretending to be human) and recognizes his presence from an earlier encounter.

Xavier's attackers plant a trap in his office. Later, Kitty runs into them in the physics lab while she's investigating. When they realize she attends Xavier's private school they try to kill her.

Comments

[sandoz_iscariot.insanejournal.com]

"Kitty! My Kate!"

Mmmm, femslash.

I don't care for the rattail, but I'll always love Rachel's tattoos and Hound costume.

[beoweasel.insanejournal.com]

Hooooy, Rachel should have stayed in her Dark Phoenix outfit (At least I assume it's Dark Phoenix...) 80's fashion is not easy on the eyes. X_x

[mugiwara.insanejournal.com]

No, i believe it's her doggy outfit. The one she was wearing in the future when she was hunting mutants.

[icon_uk.insanejournal.com]

That's the uniform of a Hound, a brainwashed mutant-hunting mutant from the Sentinel controlled future she hails from.

[perletwo.insanejournal.com]

"Remember team, it's imperative we blend in when we're out there in Normalsville."

"Right! I'll go get my purple leotard, extraneous belt and bright red legwarmers!"

"Good girl, Rachel! Don't forget to wear your high heels under them!"

[queenrikki.insanejournal.com]

Oh, I enjoyed this era. Also, I totally shipped Kitty/Rachel throughout this period and in Excalibur.

[tavella.insanejournal.com]

It really was an excellent era.

[sianmink.insanejournal.com]

and why not?

How did X-writers completely forget after they brought Rachel back that the two were inseparable?

Rachel should totally be hounding the starjammers to mount a rescue mission.

[kd_the_movie.insanejournal.com]

Oh 80's.....

[thanekos.insanejournal.com]

oh, so this is where that one out-of-context bit came from.

you know, the one that goes something like:

" What's wrong, Pryde, are you a mutie? "
" I dunno, Phil, are you a nigger? "

[jupiterrhode.insanejournal.com]

Charles Xavier in bondage gear in canon. Well, now I've seen everything.

[sianmink.insanejournal.com]

I think it's just what Callisto had on-hand.

And I'm sure she couldn't resist playing Xavier-Dress-Up.

[aaron_bourque.insanejournal.com]

When Claremont was writing, in the 80s, it was an even chance that at least one cast member would be trussed up somehow.

He has a thing. Not as bad as Marston, but there.

[tacobob.insanejournal.com]

You gotta love the fact that she even took the time to pierce his ears. And geez, for an old bald guy in a wheel chair, Chucky was buff.

[crinosg.insanejournal.com]

That has to be one of fifteen things I've never wanted to see.

[starwolf_oakley.insanejournal.com]

Hard to imagine *Magneto* of all people talking Rachel down from killing the men who almost killed Xavier and were going to kill Kitty.

[perletwo.insanejournal.com]

Those were halcyon days for ol' Maggie. He was fully a part of the Xavier Program at that point, and boss of the New Mutants. Had a very 'Lion in Winter' feel about his personality, too. Who new 30 years later he'd still be kickin' and crazier than ever?

[fredneil.livejournal.com (from insanejournal.com)]

I would definitely read a book about this Magneto. Something tells me that won't happen for a very long time, though.

[aaron_bourque.insanejournal.com]

There's always back-issues.

Okay, two things.

[nefrekeptah.insanejournal.com]

1) Where in the hell did a bunch of random punks get a piece of tech like that "thought-bomb" thingy?

2) What is it with the Morlocks and bondage wear? Do they live under an S&M shop or something?

Also, this is really good illustration of why I have a problem with the whole "mutants as a stand in for persecuted minority" thing, besides that it's done to death; Rachel very nearly murders a whole group of people here, who are really powerless to resist, and the only thing that stops her is her own conscience. The thing about prejudice is that it's defined by hating a group for no good reason, and "being able to kill you by thinking about it" seems like a pretty damned good reason.

Re: Okay, two things.

[xdoop.insanejournal.com]

Where in the hell did a bunch of random punks get a piece of tech like that "thought-bomb" thingy?

When they're planting the bomb, one of the guys mentions they stole the materials for it.

Also, they go to Kitty's computer physics class and they take advanced psychology, so it's not like they're brainless hoodlums.

[carolcarolcarol.insanejournal.com]

bottom left panel, page 19: That's the Magneto I fell in love with lo these many years ago.

Say what you will about Claremont, when he was good, he was very very good, and he gave good Magneto. His Magneto is why I'm still an apologist for the character, and predisposed to think of him on *this* continuum, not the batshit crazy one that, unfortunately, seems to be his default state.

Also love Rogue's hair and further proof that if it's a Claremont comic, someone's in bondage gear.

[fungo_squiggly.insanejournal.com]

Xavier: "Good grief, woman, what have you DONE to me!?"

Callisto: "Saved your life, for starters. And then stripped you naked. And then dressed you up in bondage gear. And then--"

Xavier: "Nevermind, I'm happier not knowing."

[sir_mikael.insanejournal.com]

Good thing this was before tentacle-Callisto.

[magus_69.insanejournal.com]

The bondage gear reminds me of a fanfic I once read. The title is thus, "Charles Xavier, Barbarian Sex God."

[bariman1987.insanejournal.com]

Also, he can make you orgasm with his brain.

[sir_mikael.insanejournal.com]

Oh Claremont at the top of his game.

I've always really loved Rachel, although for some reason more in these early days where she kept going off in her vengeful and insanely powerful modes. Her anger was interesting to read about. A girl who has been abused in horrible ways, forced to do unspeakable things, now having power and not constantly being under the sentinels or Ahabs ever watching control. She's a perfecly nice girl and she tries to go on with this new life that's miles better than her previous, and from time to time pondering her existance and the family that's not quite her own etc. But man, when she gets angry, she gets ANGRY. And she will protect anyone she cares for from suffering, and she will avenge or frankly just lash out at bad guys, no matter how small and pitiful or huge and godlike they are.
She's been through alot despite her age, and it shows.
Fascinating contrast with Magneto here too.
And now I kind of want a later Magneto somehow meeting Mother Askani. See how far they've come. :P

Wish we still had this Magneto

[steverodgers5.insanejournal.com]

I'll always remember this era fondly...Claremont was at the height of his game, and this Magneto was an interesting character, with actual depth. And now of course the most recent Magneto we've got is Loeb's Ultimatum maniac...Dammit Marvel!

Well, to be fair...

[nefrekeptah.insanejournal.com]

The Magneto in Ultimatum wasn't the mainstream Magneto, if it's any consolation.

[menagerie.insanejournal.com]

I miss this era. Magneto as non-insane, non-drug addled, and seeking redemption. I mean yes he's a fantastic villain too, but I kind of liked the idea of him turning away from that.