InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "Bloo!"

sandoz_iscariot (sandoz_iscariot) wrote in scans_daily,
@ 2009-08-22 21:23:00

Entry tags:

char: beast/hank mccoy, char: cyclops/scott summers, char: havok/alex summers, char: iceman/bobby drake, char: marvel girl/phoenix/jean grey, char: polaris/lorna dane, creator: neal adams, creator: roy thomas, era: silver age, publisher: marvel comics, title: uncanny x-men

Uncanny X-Men: The Sentinels...LIVE!
Here's a classic Silver Age X-Men storyline by Roy Thomas and Neal Adams. In which the Sentinels return, Alex and Lorna meet for the first time, crazy '60s jewelry is worn, and Scott out-robots a robot.

(Got to love the "Oh no, my powers have inexplicably faded!" exposition. How else to explain why robots were able to capture a mutant who controls metal?!)

The X-Men are in Egypt, trying to save Scott's newly-introduced brother Alex from the Living Monolith. While alone, Alex is captured by another Sentinel.

The X-Men hear of Lorna's kidnapping. Bobby (who's infatuated with Lorna) and Hank hurry back to the States to investigate.

The Sentinels attack. (This issue has the wonderfully Silver Age title "Mission: Murder!")

Bobby is captured and taken to Larry Trask's secret base.

Larry's laughing because he's sent Sentinels to capture the Living Monolith. The Sentinels quickly apprehend nearly all-known mutants (Scarlet Witch, Quicksilver, Toad, Mastermind, Blob, etc.) while Jean, Scott, and Hank hurry to the rescue.

Larry's associate, Judge Chalmers, is becoming wary of Trask's vendetta against mutants. He tries to reason with him. Larry cries about his manpain and terrible taste in jewelry.

Banshee breaks free, attacks Larry, and is subdued by a Sentinel. This pushes Larry over the edge.

Jean, Scott, and Hank reach the captive Scarlet Witch, Quicksilver, and Toad, and switch costumes. That way, they can take the Sentinels by surprise with their powers. (Jean and Wanda had a history of swapping clothes long, long before X-Men: First Class.)

The Sentinels follow Scott's logic and decide to fly into the ultimate source of mutant life--the sun.

The captured mutants are freed, Larry falls into catatonic shock, and the X-Men take the wounded Alex to a doctor who turns out to be Sauron. Just another day in the life of the X-Men.

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	punishermax 2009-08-23 02:32 am UTC (link)
	COPS COPS COOOOOOOPPPPSS COPS AMERICAN STYLE TRUER THAN THE RED WHITE AND BLUUUUUUEEE COPS AMERICAN STYLE, THAT'S ME AND YOOOOOOUUUUU (Reply to this) (Thread)

	taggerung301 2009-08-23 05:23 pm UTC (link)
	haha, yeah, I'm definitely going to make an icon out of "Police! American Style This Time!" (Reply to this) (Parent)

	volksjager 2009-08-23 02:56 am UTC (link)
	My God , Neal Adams could draw. He had no equal. Anyways after the conversation about Cosmic Boy's Bustier costume, anyone know history of Havok's uni ????? (Reply to this) (Thread)

	sandoz_iscariot 2009-08-23 03:33 am UTC (link)
	Neal Adams could draw. He had no equal. He's still alive... (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	volksjager 2009-08-23 05:19 am UTC (link)
	I know he dumped a sprite on me 2 years ago at NYC Cimiccon. he doesn't work much tho... (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	jlroberson 2009-08-23 06:19 am UTC (link)
	He long since stopped depending on comics, or even illustration, for his money, and mostly does covers just 'cause he wants to, when you see them. That Nasonex commercial with the bee? That was made by Continuity, his studio. So he's getting work, just not that interested in comics. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	foxhack 2009-08-24 12:56 am UTC (link)
	Dude, what HIS STUDIO CREATED THAT HORRIBLE NIGHTMARISH THING?! Say it ain't so! (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	jlroberson 2009-08-24 02:08 am UTC (link)
	http://www.wizarduniverse.com/041008nealadamspr.html http://www.606studios.com/bendisboard/showthread.php?t=58115 It's true. (Reply to this) (Parent)

	icon_uk 2009-08-24 01:36 pm UTC (link)
	And ever so slightly... eccentric. His "Expanding Earth" theories are a trifle outré to say the least. His art is still pretty though! (Reply to this) (Parent)

	xamda 2009-08-23 07:25 am UTC (link)
	I know! That 'Diaster! Disaster!' panel made me go all gooey in the art appreciation gland. :3 (Reply to this) (Parent)

	btravage.livejournal.com 2009-08-23 04:41 am UTC (link)
	Neal Adams drew the X-Men? I never knew that, cool. I hope these atrocious costumes weren't his designs. P.S. I cannot express in words how infinity baffled I am that the story which introduced Havoc was not called "Cry Havoc and Let Slips the Dogs of War!" I mean, this is silver age Marvel</s> we're talking about. (Reply to this) (Thread)

	sandoz_iscariot 2009-08-23 04:46 am UTC (link)
	Yep, Adams was the last artist before X-Men was canceled. Then it was years of reprints and the Giant Size X-Men relaunch. Havok's costume is the only Adams creation, IIRC. Well, Havok does get a "Cry Havoc!" in the dialogue at least. (Reply to this) (Parent)

	rab62 2009-08-23 06:00 am UTC (link)
	Seeing these pages reminds me of a time when I got those issues at the newsstand and fervently believed they were not only the finest comics that had even been, but the finest comics would or could ever be. Many wonderful comics have come along since then...but it's not at all unpleasant to be reminded of feeling that way. (Reply to this)

	midnightvoyager 2009-08-23 06:09 am UTC (link)
	cracks up Sorry, I can't stop seeing Bobby as the Silver Surfer in this and... ahahaha, that one little change makes this surreal and hilarious. (Reply to this)

jlroberson
2009-08-23 06:22 am UTC (link)

On one, hand, really love Adams and these particular stories, which are about a billion times better than the kind of thing in X-Men previously.(excepting Kirby, as usual)

On the other: GEEzus, calm down guys! They're all so constantly angry! They look like they're going to burst a blood vessel at any moment and after a while it gets monotonous.

Also: here's a reason I don't like Cyclops. He's not as smart as he thinks, and is lucky that the Sentinels were that dumb. What made him think that they couldn't destroy the sun? Lucky for him that in fact they couldn't. But HE didn't know that.

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	bj_l 2009-08-23 10:49 am UTC (link)
	Kirby's work on X-Men is pretty average. Hell until Adams, and then the revival the book was mostly a waste that never clicked. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

jlroberson
2009-08-23 01:20 pm UTC (link)

I'd agree, but...still, it's Kirby. Even middle-level Kirby is better than most artists.

But when I picked up the first Essential volume, and finally saw these Werner Roth stories that were supposed to be so great, I realized I liked Allred's much-better take on the style than the real thing. So. Incredibly. Bland. (And stories that go nowhere that pulls me along) I'm assuming nostalgia would compensate for this had I grown up with them. Thankfully, I was born just late enough to realize it's just boring.

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	ashtoreth 2009-08-24 01:59 am UTC (link)
	Oh, the Sentinels are still up there, working on a 9-year plan to alter the sun's rays. Then Scott'll be sorry.. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	jlroberson 2009-08-24 02:06 am UTC (link)
	Actually...that's the germ of a good idea. Just what HAVE they been doing all that time? Just because Roy Thomas said they were destroyed doesn't make it so. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

sandoz_iscariot
2009-08-24 02:12 am UTC (link)

Roy Thomas actually brought these Sentinels back in an old Avengers two-parter. Their new plan for wiping out mutants involved kidnapping the Scarlet Witch so that they could use her hex powers to sterilize all humanity and prevent the birth of future mutants. Quicksilver kidnapped Larry Trask for help, and Larry pointed out that their exposure to the sun's radiation had mutated their thinking process, so as mutants, they should exterminate themselves (which they did, and Larry Trask got squished, poor bastard).

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	magus_69 2009-08-23 06:36 am UTC (link)
	Mmmmm.... Speedo!Bobby... (Reply to this) (Thread)

	timemonkey 2009-08-23 11:42 am UTC (link)
	Speedo!Bobby makes everything better! (Reply to this) (Parent)

	geoffsebesta 2009-08-23 06:38 am UTC (link)
	That page where the Beast falls out the window is completely unreadable, but it's still pretty cool somehow. Neal Adams was great. That Scarlet Witch thing is awesome...there's so much good stuff here. (Reply to this) (Thread)

	kenn_el 2009-08-23 02:52 pm UTC (link)
	The Scarlet Witch and the Spanish Inquisition: nobody expects them. (Reply to this) (Parent)

	icon_uk 2009-08-23 07:27 am UTC (link)
	Ah happy memories of going on holiday in the early 1980's and up picking the black and white reprint of this that came out in the Marvel Superheroes Monthly to read on the overnight train. Such beautiful work. Cemented the Sentinels as THE giant robot design for me. (Reply to this)

	zordboy 2009-08-23 12:29 pm UTC (link)
	There's something wonderful in terms of gender-reversed-roles in the fact that Iceman's super-hero costume is a pair of boots and his underwear, and he fights evil-doers pretty much naked. sigh Oh sweet Bobby. Anyway. (Reply to this)

	squirle 2009-08-23 08:45 pm UTC (link)
	This was an awesome read. The story itself it horrendously dated, and all the character (Even the robots!) are chewing the scenery like there's no tomorrow, but the gorgeous and increadibly over the top art really make it work. (Reply to this)

	proteus_lives 2009-08-24 05:05 am UTC (link)
	Classic X-Men never goes out of style. I've always loved that Sentinels flying into the sun page. (Reply to this) (Thread)

	icon_uk 2009-08-24 01:42 pm UTC (link)
	My liking of Alex Ross stems from the page he did in "Marvels" showing what a flight of Sentinels patrolling overhead must have looked like to an ordinary schmuck in the street, and you realise anew what an awesome design Adams gave them. (Reply to this) (Parent)