PRIME SENTINELS versus X-MEN

First Blood - Operation: Zero Tolerance Prologue (Marvel)
Where: X-Men #65 When: June 1997
Why: Scott Lobdell How: Carlos Pacheco

The Story So Far...
En route from a mission to wrest the cure for the Legacy Virus from the clutches of both Sebastian Shaw and The Kingpin -- the X-Men find themselves under assault from yet another lurking threat!

Operation: Zero Tolerance has stoked the fires of anti-mutant sentiment in the wake of the devastating attack by Onslaught that seemingly cost the lives of Earth's Mightiest Heroes - The Avengers and Fantastic Four!

The X-Men are primed to become public enemies once again as they find their plane under attack from Operation: Zero Tolerance -- with TV cameras capturing the battle -- and Henry Peter Gyrich on hand to brand it an act of terrorists.

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Wolverine 3 (Athlete)
Intelligence: Cyclops 4 (Tactician)
Speed: Cannonball 5 (Super-Human)
Stamina: Wolverine 6 (Generator)
Agility: Storm 3 (Acrobat)
Fighting: Wolverine 6 (Warrior)
Energy: Cyclops 5 (Lasers)
Total: Wolverine 26 (Metahuman)

The Prime Sentinels are a unique breed of cybernetic soldiers created by Bastion for Operation: Zero Tolerance.

Unlike traditional Sentinel robots; Prime models are actually human sleeper agents outfitted with nanotech implants, which can be activated remotely to turn them into heavily armed, armored attack agents.

They possess greatly enhanced strength & durability, concussive force blasts, flight, and some ability to impede mutant powers, with the added benefits of being able to blend in with humans when not activated.

The X-Men are: Cyclops, Storm, Phoenix, Wolverine, and Cannonball.

All of these X-Men are well versed in battling mutant-hunting Sentinels. We saw Cyclops and Phoenix do some damage during a Christmas attack, with Storm making a vital save when things got a little out of hand.

Cannonball, who is a still recent call-up from X-Force, fought the Sentinels as a member of the New Mutants. His invincible blast-shield generated while in flight makes him a good hand against the classic robots, and he's still riding the high of a proving-moment against Gladiator shortly before this issue.

We don't have any of those moments recorded at time of writing, but we have seen Cannonball join X-Force against the armored Iron Man during the second Contest of Champions. Results were mixed.

Sentinels have a bit of a mixed history when it comes to combat: The Tri-Sentinel super-charged by Loki was no match for a cosmically powered Spider-Man, but when a malfunctioning model sprung out of a scrapyard -- Falcon was caught by surprise!

In an alternate future, we saw scrapped Sentinels become instruments of death for Magneto, and yet another possible future produced the deadly Nimrod: a time-travelling Sentinel that forced the X-Men and Juggernaut to team-up, and later resurfaced to overwhelm both the X-Men and Hellfire Club!

How will the X-Men fare in their first encounter with the Prime Sentinels? Let's find out!

The Tape: X-Men Ranking: Wolverine (#5)

What Went Down...

Over a previously undisturbed wooded Colorado valley -- a sophisticated Operation: Zero Tolerance aircraft is more than a match for the loaner jet it unleashes its hi-tech weaponry upon!

A direct impact blasts open the cabin, and snaps one of the passengers -- Jean Grey, aka; Phoenix -- out of an unexpected psychic episode that briefly communed her with the believed-dead, sub-dimensionally lost hero: Iron Man!

It seems Operation: Zero Tolerance's weapons have had an unexpected effect on Phoenix's telepathic abilities, making it even more difficult for her to assist the X-Men as Storm battles rapid decompression with her command of the winds.

Things are going from bad to worse as Cyclops discovers the controls of the plane almost completely unresponsive. It's up to Phoenix & Storm to keep them aloft!

In desperate need of a clean landing and facing further assault from two fast-moving aircraft -- Cannonball leaps from the cabin to take them on!

His kinetic forcefield keeps him safe as he rips through the outer hull of the attacking vessels, but from within springs two human-shaped bogeys!

Cannonball finds himself joined in the air by three strange, man-sized Sentinels!

The young X-Man is so startled by their unusual appearance -- he doesn't even realise they're steering him towards an attack from one of the airships! 

Fortunately, he has Wolverine and Cyclops watching his back! Cyclops unleashes an optic blast -- nailing the aircraft before it can attack!

Unfortunately, there's nobody to save Cyclops when the jet is hit from another aircraft and he's thrown from the opening in the cabin!

The irony of ironies is that Cyclops' life is saved by the Prime Sentinels that catch him unconscious in mid-air, to be flown to future internment.

Wolverine can see the X-Men are being picked off, one by one.

This time Storm takes the initiative, leaping from the plane to take the fight to the Sentinels, but she was expecting more energy blasts -- and completely failed to anticipate the deployment of a rapidly expanding polymer!

The substance slowly twists its way along Storm's body until she's completely encased in the translucent substance -- helpless in a grip of claustrophobia and the inescapable encasement!

With the situation growing increasingly desperate -- Wolverine steers the shaking jet towards the trees and mountains below, urging the Operation: Zero Tolerance aircraft to follow as he takes Phoenix by the hand and plays for a hasty exit.

A holographic display shows the spectacular explosion of the crashing plane to Bastion, who relishes "... the X-Men's final flight from justice..."

While the Prime Sentinels carry a polymer-encased Storm back to their craft, more of their agents discover Cannonball unconscious in the nearby river, while others clasp a hi-tech cradle over Cyclops' head & eyes, and descend to retrieve Wolverine and Phoenix from rubble near the crash site.

The Hammer...

A shocking defeat for the X-Men as Operation: Zero Tolerance kicks off the full scale threat of Bastion and his Prime Sentinels!

As you might have noticed at the top of this entry -- we're back in 1997. A year I generally look back upon very fondly, and has come into vogue again thanks to the just-concluded first season of Disney's X-Men 97 animated series -- a revival of the classic X-Men cartoon.

I was still buying occasional X-Men issues from the newsstands around this time, and probably rewatching Season 1 videotapes of the cartoon as well, but the presumed grind of constant X-over events meant I was a little less focused on what was going on around this time. The end of the cartoon likely contributed.

It was probably another year or so before I really started to feel like X-Men's time had passed, and questioned their enduring place at the top of the monthly sales charts, but after the blockbuster of Onslaught, my focus was already transferred to the Heroes Reborn titles, most enduringly Fantastic Four - a perennial fave.

In 1997, the return to a meandering Sentinel-based danger, and purple-clad arch-villain, felt a little bit passe and "samey", but in hindsight, I think I'd be much more complimentary now. It was easy to be flippantly disinterested back then -- there were exciting things going on across pop culture, competing for time & dollars. There was a disposable exchange and we didn't always get it right.

Looking back on Operation: Zero Tolerance now -- it strikes me that it's a vibrant return to classic X-Men. A welcome centering after a couple of years of disruption, most notably with 1995's Age of Apocalypse, that moved things forward well after the drawn out mystery of Onslaught, and consequences of Heroes Reborn.

Artists like Carlos Pacheco and Salvador Larroca were giving tremendous energy to pencils amid the exit of Joe Madureira, and I'm also inclined to compliment the computer-assisted colours of Chris Lichtner, Aron Lusen, and Liquid!, however those duties might be divided. This work really pushes the nineties style to its apex, and is still very appealing.

The nano-tech twist on the classic Sentinels formula is also a fresh and topical of-the-time detail I overlooked. It would come back into focus brilliantly when Grant Morrison breathed new life into the whole thing with his 2001 New X-Men -- a welcome evolution of the X-Men that, at least as far as Nano-Sentinels are concerned, also further validates what was done here. A similar idea also consumed DC in 2006 with Project OMAC. If only I'd paid more attention in '97!

Then, and now, I have mixed feelings about the technology and concepts bridging the gap to Nimrod. At the time, the vague techno-connection was played up as a bit of a bigger deal than it really wound up being. A symptom of another push for a mystery identity ala Onslaught, with the trickiness of moving us closer to a future that was always presented as a bit more distant.

Here in 2024, that time crunch has been concluded, with Nimrod playing a big role in the recent Fall of X that has once again given us a re-centering moment, after a few years of the very niche Krakoa era. A moment that seems to have been rapidly overtaken by a slightly nostalgic revival, led by X-Men 97, and the influx of related merchandise into a market starved by Marvel Entertainment execs.

I have some slight misgivings about nostalgia, these days. It's been a steady few decades of inescapable, often vacuous, retreads of eighties and nineties pop culture icons in multiple mediums. We're starved for genuinely enjoyable, exciting, enduring things, but some of that comes from the tedium of post-millennial movements away from vibrant, colourful, enduring icons. In comics, this type of centered reset has felt overdue amidst the many deaths and distractions.

Whatever may come next -- I'm having a great time digging out those old X-Men back issues that have notoriously been neglected here on Secret Wars on Infinite Earths. The To Do List is always longer than the road, but I do feel like I especially left my X-Men fandom out in the cold for far too long.

If you'd like to help make it possible to dedicate more time to classic X-Men battles and curiosities - consider becoming a supporter on Patreon. I always appreciate seeing you hitting up our extensive back catalogue of articles, and it would help me tremendously to have your support for all that work.

Secret Wars on Infinite Earths has featured well over 700 fights and ranked more than 1,000 characters! You can find them all by diving into the Secret Archive for a complete index of battles in order of publisher, series, and issue, or by hitting up links to your favourites things found throughout each entry.

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Winners: Prime Sentinels
#368 (new) Prime Sentinels
#162 (-2) Jean Grey
#5 (--) Wolverine
#36 (--) Storm
#92 (--) Cyclops
#160 (-1) Cannonball

X-FACTOR versus FRENZY

"Trials and Errors" (Marvel)
Where: X-Factor #4 When: May 1986
Why: Bob Layton How: Keith Pollard & Joe Rubinstein

The Story So Far...
The revelation that Jean Grey had survived the death of The Phoenix -- and returned from suspended animation -- brings about a reunion of the original class of X-Men, with a purpose to continue Charles Xavier's dream of peaceful coexistence between humans and mutants.

Operating under the public facade of the mutant hunting X-Factor: the group uses Angel's fortune to investigate public tips into mutant activity, secretly parlaying their knowledge to offer assistance to young mutants in need of training and guidance.

X-Factor aren't the only clandestine organization interested in the fates of their young students. From the shadows, a new threat observes first recruit, Rusty Collins, with intense interest. After the failure of mercenary Tower, this mysterious group sends another powerhouse to capture the boy. A woman named Frenzy!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Frenzy 5 (Super-Human)
Intelligence: Beast 6 (Genius)
Speed: Beast 4 (Olympian)
Stamina: Frenzy 5 (Marathoner)
Agility: Iceman 7 (Unlimited)
Fighting: Cyclops 4 (Trained)
Energy: Jean Grey 5 (Lasers)
Total: Beast 26 (Metahuman)

X-Factor are: Cyclops, Marvel Girl, Beast, Angel, and Iceman, with Rusty Collins.

You might recognize X-Factor as the original X-Men, who fought Sub-Mariner and the Brotherhood in X-Men #6, and have a wealth of experience behind them -- if you ignore Marvel Girl's lost years after being cocooned by The Phoenix force.

Frenzy makes her first appearance in this issue, debuting as a mysterious power house with a "steel hard" body and super-human strength. Her true name is Joanna Cargill and at this early stage she's working as field-leader for the Alliance of Evil, answering in secret to Apocalypse!

Against X-Factor she's clearly out-numbered, but Frenzy's tough exterior means she can probably withstand a standard optic blast from Cyclops, and attacks from Iceman.

Her strength is also more than a match for all but Beast -- who's just re-joined the team after experiments reverted him to his earlier furless form, putting considerable strain on his heart, in the process. He's hit the Danger Room, but it remains to be seen if there are any lingering side effects.

Angel is inexplicably our best ranked of the classic X-Men, despite a reputation for not being especially suited to combat. He challenges this notion with aerial stunts against The Executioner, The Lizard, and in a daring solo contest against Peregrine.

Is Angel likely to be a difference-maker, or could this all actually add up to giving Frenzy a fighting chance? Let's get into it to find out what happened!

The Tape: X-Factor Ranking: Angel (#49)

What Went Down...

A presenting savior turns hostile as Frenzy reveals her intentions to take Rusty Collins from the street whether he wants it or not. Her powerful hands suddenly grab at his ribs and begin to squeeze the air from his body. It's all he can do to remain conscious long enough to summon a burst of flame!

The blast startles Frenzy into loosening her grip, but has little effect on her steel-hard exterior. Even her leather clothes are completely unsinged!

Intent on completing her mission she moves upon the startled boy and smacks him through the air with a powerful backhanded slap!

The young mutant manages to roll with the blow and runs for his life!

Alas, it seems no obstacle will stand in Frenzy's way. She smashes through a concrete wall -- cutting off Rusty's frantic path through the lonely streets.

With his back to the wall it seems as if there's no hope of escape, but Frenzy's mysterious benefactor isn't the only one interested in Rusty Collins.

To the rescue comes Beast with a high impact dive kick to Frenzy's back!

X-Factor was alerted to their trainee's peril by the insightful psionic pictograms of Artie Maddicks, but their element of surprise is quickly lost.

Frenzy stands her ground and delivers a haymaker to Beast that launches him into the air!

Marvel Girl catches her teammate in the air with a telekinetic cushion that brings him down safely.

Not about to abandon her objective without a fight -- Frenzy grabs hold of a chunk of the partially demolished dilapidated tenement and brandishes it overhead with malicious intent!

The quick thinking of Cyclops reduces the would-be concrete projectile to a shower of rocks with an optic blast shattering it in Frenzy's hands!

The X-Factor leader calls for a pre-made play, inciting Angel and Marvel Girl to action for "maneuver three". A combination assault that sees Jean Grey telekinetically holding Frenzy in place, while Cyclops blasts her -- and Angel delivers a two-fisted uppercut with the momentum of a dive-bomber!

Iceman takes the opportunity to lock the super-strong villain down -- encasing her in ice and telling Rusty to make a run for it.

The deep freeze doesn't last long. A simple flex of her super-humanly powerful muscles shatters the ice around her and frees Frenzy!

Seeing X-Factor are too powerful for her to face alone, she makes a run for it, pulling down a nearby burnt-out building to cover her escape with dust and debris!

The Hammer...

A pretty good effort from Frenzy, all things considered. She held her own, and escapes to fight another day thanks to a messy, but effective exit strategy.

Next time she'll be able to even the odds with X-Factor by bringing The Alliance of Evil to back her up!

If you don't remember the Alliance of Evil - that's probably fair enough. They all skew a little generic, and are overshadowed soon enough by more enduring Horsemen of Apocalypse, who hadn't even stepped into the light at the time he was relying on the Alliance's services.

So why the sudden interest in Frenzy? Like Tempo a couple of years ago; Frenzy has emerged as one of the more intriguing candidates eligible for Marvel's 2023 X-Men Vote!

Just like Tempo she faces some pretty stiff competition, up against high-profile and seasoned former members already familiar with the team. There's Cannonball, Dazzler, Jubilee, Juggernaut, and Prodigy.

The fan-decided election will select the final member of a refreshed upcoming X-Men team: democratically elected to the Protectors of Krakoa. Former winners were Polaris and Firestar -- proving there's a chance for the second tier.

Jubilee might have the most compelling momentum right now, with a recent nuclear-explosion of her powers in X-Terminators, and an imminent nostalgia-sodden return to animation in Disney+'s X-Men 97.

The bubblegum princess of the X-Men makes sense, but there's just something interesting about a more punk rock option. Not that Frenzy is quite the same character she was when she debuted in X-Factor #4.

Her journey took her through various allegiances, from Superia's Femizons, to Magneto's Acolytes, and perhaps inevitably The Marauders. Along the way she lost a little bit of the flavour that made her original leather design a more interesting style simpatico with the ragtag mutant-killers working for Mister Sinister. She really did always look like a Marauder who strayed from the herd!

Eventually circumstances conspired to bring Frenzy into the fold with the X-Men in the late 2000s, and it feels to me like the character, although gaining greater complexity, has lost some of that tough-as-nails persona that I like about this first appearance. She might throw down with Paibok as SWORD Ambassador, but she's been softened in ways that don't quite feel right to me.

If Frenzy returns to the X-Men with the next Hellfire Gala announcement, I'd kinda like to see a makeover taking her back to this classic look. C'mon. The eighties are so hot right now, and leather and buckles feels perfect for a new Hellfire Gala look -- and maybe a new Frenzy.

Of course, maybe I just need to dig deeper into her appearances to gain greater appreciation for the nuance of her evolution. You can find future entries about Frenzy, or any of the other topics covered in today's feature, by following links throughout this post, or by checking the Secret Index.

Secret Wars on Infinite Earths has featured well over 700 battles and ranked more than 1,000 iconic characters! You can make sure there are many more to come by becoming a supporter on Patreon. As a thank you for your patronage you'll find additional updates and multiple tiers to sponsor your own special selections!

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Winner(s): Inconclusive (Draw)
#49 (--) Angel
#55 (--) Beast
#89 (+1) Cyclops
#149 (+4) Iceman
#155 (+1) Marvel Girl (Jean Grey)
#488 (new) Frenzy
#489 (new) Firefist (Rusty Collins)

SENTINELS versus CYCLOPS & JEAN GREY

Merry Christmas, X-Men... (Marvel)
Where: X-Men #98 When: April 1976
Why: Chris Claremont How: Dave Cockrum

The Story So Far...
A white Christmas in Midtown Manhattan is a time for love and joy for the merry mutants of Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters. The X-Men gather on Fifth Avenue as civilians, parting ways to enjoy their yuletide exploits.

For Scott Summers & Jean Grey it's a chance to rekindle the flickering flame of romance with a romantic date at Rockefeller Center. The rare opportunity to let their hair down comes to a harrowing end when the top floor Rainbow Room is torn open confirming the worst: The Sentinels have returned!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Sentinels 5 (Super-Human)
Intelligence: Draw 4 (Tactician)
Speed: Cyclops 3 (Athlete)
Stamina: Sentinels 5 (Marathoner)
Agility: Cyclops 2 (Average)
Fighting: Cyclops 4 (Trained)
Energy: Jean Grey 5 (Lasers)
Total: Cyclops 24 (Champion)

Sentinels represent the extreme in anti-mutant hysteria. Originally designed and conceived by Dr. Bolivar Trask; first generation Sentinels were destroyed by their creator when he realized his fears for a "mutant menace" were unfounded, and his Master Mold artificial intelligence sought to enslave all of humanity.

Working from the Trask family's incomplete files: Dr. Stephen Lang created a third iteration of Sentinels as part of the government funded program: Project Armageddon. These are the robots in pursuit of Cyclops and Jean Grey!

This generation of Sentinel is outfitted with powerful concussive energy blasts, knock-out gas, projectable atmos-sphere suspension bubbles, and a durable body that's shown to be water resistant while submerged in the ocean.

Although very strong, Sentinel bodies house sensitive computer and electrical systems that can be fatally damaged with enough blunt or penetrating force. At approximately 30 feet tall, they make very large targets for the likes of Cyclops, whose optic plasma is perfect for blasting them to smithereens!

At full power Cyclops can rattle even mighty Thanos [Infinity Gauntlet #4] and Juggernaut [Unlimited Access #3]. Jean Grey is no slouch either, developing her telekinetic powers exponentially over the years. We've seen her mangle metal in her early days against Executioner [Marvel: Heroes & Legends #1], and unleash the Phoenix force against Xorn [New X-Men #150].

We know specialists like Nimrod and the Tri-Sentinel can pose a serious threat, but the iconic Sentinels are kind of famous for being destructible cannon fodder. Is that a fair reputation? Let's dive in and find out!

The Tape: Cyclops & Jean Grey Ranking: Cyclops (#83)

What Went Down...
Scott Summers takes his date's coat as he and Jean Grey saunter toward their table for a night's fine dining. Their romantic evening is soon ruined as the very building begins to shake and the high rise restaurant is peeled open like a cheap tin of sardines: The Sentinels have returned!

Two titanic Sentinel robots climb through the gaping hole they've made in the building. Terrified patrons run for their lives, but not the out-of-uniform X-Men the machines have come for! They rush bravely towards the danger!

Cyclops makes the first move, firing an optic blast that barely scratches the mechanical menace. It coldly claims resistance is futile for the erstwhile Cyclops and Marvel Girl, having been designed to negate all the X-Men's abilities.

Not having gone by "Marvel Girl" for quite some time, Jean speculates the Sentinel may have outdated data unaware of her greatly improved telekinetic powers. She  thrusts her hands forward to test the theory.

Sentinel A7 is knocked off balance by the intangible push of Jean's powerful mutant mind! Her mental shove takes out an ankle and shunts its chest, setting up Cyclops to unleash the fullest extent of his eye blast!

The powerful plasma beam explodes into the night through the Sentinel's torso!

Even as it does, the accompanying Sentinel takes "extreme action", plucking Jean Grey from the restaurant floor with one of its giant metal hands. With the other it fires a concussive blast that destroys the ground beneath Cyclops' feet!

Fearing for her lover's life: Jean prepares to attack -- but before she can act the Sentinel floods her lungs with knockout gas!

Spraying the chemical agent from its free fingertips, the machine confirms the death of Cyclops as Jean slips into nightmarish unconsciousness.

Sentinel A7 rockets into the New York City sky via "ultra-linear leap" as it carries its helpless captive toward her fate at Project Armageddon.

Despite the robot's assessment, Jean's fellow X-Man has survived -- but for how long? The blast of the Sentinel's rocket powered boots inadvertently blows wreckage and Scott Summers away from the exposed Rainbow Room floor!

Cyclops manages to catch a bent radio tower, dangling precariously more than sixty stories above the street! With none of his X-Men comrades present, he can only wonder how long his grip will hold before the inevitable plunge.

The Hammer...
This wasn't the end of Cyclops, so you won't be surprised to find Storm came to his rescue. She rides an updraft at the vital moment, carrying him safely to the ground.

Banshee and Wolverine also noticed the commotion caused by the giant-sized Sentinels, but apparently met a grim fate on their way to attempt assistance. This was elaborated upon in an inserted page for the Classic X-Men #6 reprint, but doesn't appear in the original issue. Instead, they show up later as captives of Dr. Stephen Lang, with Jean Grey.

Another Sentinel shows up to attack Cyclops and Storm on the street, which is a skirmish I'm sure we'll take a closer look at some time in the future.

For rankings purposes we're treating the Sentinels as a mutually programmed gestalt entity, but keep an eye on Sentinel A7. That particular unit has been given special consideration because, despite being blasted through the chest by Cyclops, this won't be the last time we see it.

A7 will return at a later date to cause malfunctioning trouble for another hero in a very memorable appearance.

It's a continuation that very much reminds me of the way the eviscerated Hellfire Club goons from X-Men #133 were brought back as the cyborg Reavers for Uncanny X-Men #205, and other future appointments. Wonderful examples of the way comics can take an incidental moment or detail, and create something real and lived out of it!

Of course, the reintroduction of the Sentinels is itself another, more common brand, of lived experience. It revived a threat that hadn't been seen in new stories for around seven years. Quite a long time for such a classic adversary, but due in part to the X-Men lapsing into reprints for 26 issues in five years.

Sentinels have been redesigned many times in the years since, to accommodate new technology and ideas, but the central appeal of monolithic mutant hunting robots always seems to come back around.

I think they just have the right combination of over-the-top visual appeal and philosophical dread.

Giant robots are cool! Just look at the endless appeal of an early example like Gort in 1951's The Day The Earth Stood Still, all the way to current iterations of Japan's extensive and storied giant mech tradition. Sentinels seem to owe their creation to the former, sharing in its existential dread, .

They are usually emotionless, yet they reflect the very worst of us. They are an inexhaustible army of agents servicing human spite, fear, and bigotry. A philosophical challenge, as much as a mechanical one. No matter how many are destroyed, they return as long as humanity has the capacity to loathe them into existence.

The metaphors behind the Sentinels echo through time, elevating them beyond your average innumerable destructible horde, but there is always that simple appeal of seeing giant purple robots get smashed up by super-powers. Just get a load of that panel of Cyclops' red optic blast ripping through A7!

If you want to get the full experience from this classic Sentinel story you can find it collected in X-Men Epic Collection: Second Genesis and as part of Uncanny X-Men Omnibus Vol. 1.

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Secret Wars on Infinite Earths has featured more than 650 battles and ranked well over 950 characters! You can find them all by diving into the Secret Archive for a complete index of battles in order of publisher, series, and issue. Or follow on Twitter and Facebook to get daily links to battles inspired by current events!

Winner: Sentinels
#340 (new) Sentinels
#591 (new) Sentinel A7 [+1 assist]
#83 (--) Cyclops
#142 (-5) Jean Grey

X-MEN versus MAGNETO

Showdown! (Marvel)
Where: X-Men #113 When: September 1978
Why: Chris Claremont How: John Byrne

The Story So Far...
With his nemeses The X-Men held captive deep within his volcanic subterranean base in the Arctic; Magneto is free to stage an unopposed attack on the Royal Australian Aerospace Research Facility in Woomera, South Australia!

The X-Men are reduced to the physical capacity of infants in the nightmarish care of the android called Nanny! That is, until Storm manages to use the lock-picking skills she learned as a thief to free herself and the team from their elaborate shackles!

Awaiting their greatest foe's return, the X-Men scramble to devise a plan to ambush the Master of Magnetism and defeat him once and for all!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Colossus 6 (Invincible)
Intelligence: Beast 6 (Genius)
Speed: Beast 4 (Olympian)
Stamina: Wolverine 6 (Generator)
Agility: Nightcrawler 5 (Cat-Like)
Fighting: Wolverine 6 (Warrior)
Energy: Magneto 6 (Mass Destruction)
Total: Magneto 28 (Metahuman)

The X-Men are: Cyclops, Phoenix, Storm, Banshee, Nightcrawler, Colossus, Wolverine, with Beast.

Despite occasionally working alongside the team; Magneto arguably represents the X-Men's ultimate arch-nemesis! His mastery of magnetism challenges Charles Xavier's dream on both a physical and philosophical plane, shaking the Earth to its very core with the influence of magnetic fields, and dangerous ideas!

There are obvious issues for some of the X-Men who're facing Magneto at a time when he's firmly positioned as a ruthless villain. Wolverine's adamantium laced skeleton is famously susceptible to magnetic influence, most devastatingly demonstrated when the metal was ripped from his body in X-Men #25!

There are also concerns surrounding the organic steel of Colossus. He can choose to remain in his unaltered human form, but this also negates the asset of his super-human strength, rendering him a vulnerable target for Magneto.

Nightcrawler always offers interesting tactical possibilities with his agility and ability to teleport. We saw him strike a decisive blow against Dracula in X-Men Annual #6. He might be able to get the drop on Magneto, but penetrating his magnetic force field seems unlikely. Coordinating with teammates is best.

Cyclops and Storm are strong tactical leaders who can call shots on a team strategy. Cyclops' optic blasts also offer a strong ranged attack that can help pin Magneto down. Storm's control of weather is less suited to their confined arena deep within a volcano, but a well timed gust could help and hinder tactically.

As unlikely as it seems, Banshee could be an ace in the hole. His sonic scream was potent enough to stun Invisible Woman in X-Men Annual #14, and might be able to penetrate Magneto's defenses! The confined space of the arena may just enhance his offensive potential, but there is the risk of hurting his teammates.

The obvious powerhouse here is Jean Grey, who at this time is entwined with the Phoenix force. Cosmically enhanced telekinesis and telepathy are just the tip of the iceberg. In theory, Phoenix would have no trouble defeating Magneto on her own, but the use of her powers at this time appears in flux.

An uncharacteristic act of psychic violence by Charles Xavier famously reduced Magneto to a mindless state in X-Men #25. He was also matched by a cosmically enhanced Spider-Man in Amazing Spider-Man #327.

Magneto has the benefit of confronting the X-Men within his subterranean Arctic lair, and even though they have some element of surprise, they're also recovering from prior hardships. This is a classic - let's see how it went!

History: X-Men (1-0-1)
The Tape: X-Men Ranking: Wolverine (#4)

What Went Down...
Descending into his darkened lair: Magneto tends to his malfunctioning Nanny robot, fully aware the X-Men have likely escaped their shackles. He plays the fool, inviting a sudden assault from Cyclops, Banshee, and the other X-Men!

The Master of Magnetism is forced to fall humbled to the floor as the concussive force of their ranged attacks overwhelms him! Even braced for impact, the combined power was nearly more than he could handle!

Wolverine is the first to emerge from the dark, with claws at the ready, but Cyclops psychically calls him off. The X-Men have a game plan and Wolverine must wait his turn -- or have none at all!

Wolverine obeys -- while Storm struggles to initiate the next phase of their plan: extract the humidity from the air around Magneto.

Though fatigued from the effort of orchestrating their earlier escape, Storm works at her invisible offensive. Not that he knows it! Magneto rises, gloating that he's had time to recover. He doesn't hear Banshee coming up behind!

Gliding through the darkness, Banshee delivers an intensely focused sonic scream directly to Magneto's back! As soon as the blast hits, Cyclops gives Wolverine the telepathic signal to go for broke!

Striking mercilessly from behind - Wolverine rips through Magneto's cape and rakes unbreakable adamantium claws against his back!

Magneto yells in agony, lashing out with a sudden wave of his hand that sends Wolverine hurtling across the pitch black arena! Even as he dispatches one X-Man - another steps forward, igniting the lair with the light of the Phoenix!

Magnetic shields offer a defensive buffer as Jean Grey blasts Magneto with the Phoenix's flame, but the force of her power pushes him into a nearby console!

The lair's control centre explodes at his back as Magneto begins to feel the dehydrating effects of Storm's efforts -- and perhaps the encroaching heat of the volcanic magma surrounding the underground facility.

There's little time to contemplate temperature as Colossus barrels down upon Magneto! The steel-skinned mutant wasn't part of the plan, but his efforts prove none the less effective as he silences Magneto with a devastating right hand!

Colossus buries his fist in Magneto's mid-section, desperately fighting to keep the Master of Magnetism off-balance enough to avoid becoming a metallic pawn under his powers!

The affront works, but his teammates conspire to lend a helping hand -- much to Nightcrawler's chagrin! Beast swings him by the tail like a human wrecking ball and lets him loose -- to teleport with momentum straight at Magneto's head! The acrobat collects his helmet while Colossus winds up for a kayo!

The punch Colossus delivers would've destroyed any normal man -- but Magneto defiantly clings to consciousness like iron to a magnet!

At that moment Nightcrawler notices lava seeping through the ceiling. The damaged control console has triggered an irreversible sequence that will open the roof and flood the chamber with the volcano above!

Precious seconds tick away as Cyclops searches for a way out. Magneto mocks the X-Men, blaming their dire predicament on the reckless actions of Phoenix. He is fast becoming their only hope for survival -- and with that he seizes his opportunity, throwing Colossus and the others away with a magnetic wave!

The X-Men scramble to avoid the searing touch of pouring lava! Banshee glides along sonic waves to snatch Wolverine clear of harm. Jean Grey narrowly avoids a dice with danger when Beast tackles her clear.

Magneto summons his helmet back to him and takes leave, using magnetic fields to repel the magma and safely forge his way toward the surface! He leaves the X-Men desperately fighting to survive as the facility collapses.

The Hammer...

Things looked pretty dire for a while there, but Magneto's ability to take a licking and keep on ticking gave him the chance to make full use of his home ground advantage. If they hadn't been encased in volcanic lava, the X-Men might not have snatched defeat from the hands of victory! Whoops!

As this issue comes to an end we see Phoenix explode from the ground, carrying Beast to the snowy surface above. The rest of the X-Men are presumed dead, but the next issue will reveal they tunneled their way into the Savage Land.

Magneto escaped, but he lost a valuable base of operations housing a wealth of data collected over many months. Anyone who's lost a hard drive without backups knows how that stings! I presume whatever information was gained by attacking Australia was for, and stored safely, on board Asteroid M.

I've been eager to feature more Magneto and the X-Men on Secret Wars on Infinite Earths, so this one's been on the docket for quite some time. It's the earliest in the Chris Claremont/John Byrne run we've looked at so far, but not the earliest meeting between arch-foes. X-Men #6 still holds that distinction.

The creative team doesn't feel quite as sharp as they eventually will, but there's still so much to like about this issue! I was particularly drawn to its depiction of Colossus -- another mutant I've been hoping to spend more time with.

I'm a little leery on Magneto's ability to withstand heavy blows dealt by the Russian hero, but I suppose you can presume he's dampening the hits with his magnetic powers. It's worth it for some great Byrne drawn action!

Their head-on collision is a great moment that obviously looks cool, but also adds dramatic tension as Colossus runs the risk of submitting his metallic body to exploitation by Magneto. He was supposed to hang back, but as in a lot of early Colossus appearances, there's a determination to prove himself as the powerhouse every fan wants him to be. His relentless fighting does the trick!

Of course, it's really a classic case of an X-Men team effort. Their ability to work together is a key element that nearly wins them the fight. Each member gets a moment to shine, including Beast, who only recently reunited with the team after leaving the Avengers to answer a distress call from Polaris, and help his old teammates out of a jam. His team-up with Nightcrawler is a real treat! Two agile, furry blue heroes I love, but don't remember seeing together a whole lot.

The lineup of X-Men featured in the issue is right up there with the best. Magneto is also in fine form as a formidable villain, too. The white knuckle nature of the fighting means there's little time for any of the hokey villainy he sometimes dips into. Byrne's rendering of the classic design, especially when the helmet casts solid shadow over his face, is really thrilling!

I noticed in the time while I was working on this entry Rob Liefeld kicked X-Men #113 back into discussion. He used the opening page as an example of Magneto's days as a definitive Marevl villain. Regardless of how you might feel about contemporary examples, it's definitely a period worth investigating, if you haven't.

You can find this issue and many more collected in the first Uncanny X-Men Omnibus. Use the Amazon links provided to get yourself a good price and help support Secret Wars on Infinite Earths in the process!

You can find more from the characters featured in today's battle by following links throughout this post, or dive into the Secret Index for a complete archive of featured fights in order of publisher, series, and issue number!

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Winner: Magneto
#138 (+270) Magneto
#4 (--) Wolverine
#49 (-1) Beast
#51 (-1) Storm
#81 (-1) Cyclops
#131 (-9) Phoenix (Jean Grey)
#354 (-77) Banshee
#405 (-7) Colossus
#929 (-33) Nightcrawler

HERO OF THE WEEK: PHOENIX (Marvel)
Real Name: Jean Grey
First Appearance: X-Men #1 (September, 1963)
Fight Club Ranking: #121

Featured Fights:
- vs BROTHERHOOD OF EVIL MUTANTS: X-Men #6 (Jul 1964)
- vs AHAB & THE HOUNDS: X-Men Annual #14 (1990)
- vs MAGNETO: X-Men #25 (Oct 1993)
- vs ONSLAUGHT: Onslaught: X-Men #1 (Aug 1996)
- vs EXECUTIONER: Marvel: Heroes & Legends #1 (Oct 1996)
- vs SHI'AR IMPERIAL GUARD: New X-Men #124 (May 2002)
- vs XORN: New X-Men #150 (Feb 2004)

I finally got around to watching the new Hellboy trailer, and as tempting as it is to talk about that, I'd just be echoing sentiments I already shared last year. I'd rather look ahead to something more exciting and positive, and in FOX's Dark Phoenix - there is tremendous hope in its great unknowns!

By and large this is being viewed as a swansong for the world begun with 2000's X-Men. The Disney acquisition of Fox Studios will be complete some time next year, and there's significant anticipation for how the X-Men will be renewed as part of Marvel Studios' shared cinematic universe.

That it's all seemingly ending on a cosmic stage with Phoenix seems perfect for blending the X-Men into the bigger Marvel picture, but the powers-that-be have repeatedly told fans there are no such plans, and I think it's probably best to assume there aren't. After all, it's very rare that Marvel films actually go for the jugular when it comes to world-building, or cool comic book-style surprises.

Truth be told, it's probably a good thing. For one: any future incorporation of the X-Men into the MCU should be well considered. More importantly: Dark Phoenix is a story that's part of its own continuum and should be watched and enjoyed by those terms. It warrants our undivided attention.

Of course, there's still plenty to speculate about within those parameters. Where there's Dark Phoenix, there's the emotionally charged confrontation with the Shi'ar Imperial Guard. Given Bryan Singer's propensity for Star Trek, it seems hopeful that an intergalactic alien space empire might have a shot of making it to the big screen, and with Singer out of the director's chair - it might even be a fun, colourful experience, more in keeping with the highlight that was X-Men: First Class.

I know I probably shouldn't, but I'm getting excited for the prospect of Gladiator. There don't seem to be any powerhouses in the film's 1992 line-up, so the presumption that the uber-powerful praetor might square-off with Phoenix herself is a pretty enticing notion.

There isn't much of anything to support the notion that the X-Men will go up against aliens in Dark Phoenix. The regrettable X-Men: The Last Stand already told us Jean Grey's dark manifestation in the movies was psychological in nature. Yet, the assertion that next year's movie aims to do the story better justice inevitably leads one to think about what Chris Claremont and John Byrne put on the page. The ambiguity surrounding Colossus actor Daniel Cudmore's return also tickles at a Gladiator theory.

It feels like there's still so much unknown about Dark Phoenix - and that's exciting! I haven't loved everything about FOX's tenure as keepers of the X-Men, but their willingness to branch out into weird and wonderful extensions has been a thrill that distinguishes from Marvel's formulaic repetition. 2011's sleeper X-Men: First Class turned out to be an unlikely highlight for all superhero cinema. Movies like Deadpool and The Wolverine showed promise for where it was all going.

I'm looking forward to finding out more about Dark Phoenix in the new year, before it's theatrical release in July. Here's hoping it's worthy of providing our Hero of the Week!

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