STORY: "Mortal Coils" (22 pages)  Archangel takes Jean Grey to his mountain retreat for the weekend, and they find his dead girlfriend Candy Southern waiting for him. She is now a techno-organic being linked to his archenemy Cameron Hodge, and she commits suicide to defeat Hodge.

What you need to know:
After Cameron Hodge killed Candy Southern (in X-Factor #34), she was re-created as a techno-organic copy. (Probably. The story's a bit ambiguous as to whether she's the original or a copy, but seems to lean towards the latter.) She kills herself again.

Cameron Hodge is now also a techno-organic being, which is quite a change since we last saw him as a severed head at the end of the X-Tinction Agenda crossover. (Hodge can't be killed because of a magical charm of sorts which he acquired during his time as an X-Factor villain.)

All of the above is, of course, to do with the continuing development of the Phalanx, and things have come on enormously since the tissue people from the previous issue. Although since Candy is apparently able to tear out her techno-organic components, these people still aren't quite there yet. For some reason, the Phalanx are taking an interest in turning allies of the X-Men into Phalanx members, though quite why they'd want to go to so much effort to do that is a bit perplexing.

Professor X starts training in the Danger Room to fight Magneto personally. The Beast and Quicksilver both express concern at this development in his personality, probably because it suggests the Professor isn't approaching Magneto with quite the detachment he ought to.

Forge and Storm go on a date and have a reconciliation. This never really heads anywhere, actually, but there you go.

Comments:
More development of the ongoing Phalanx plot, serving mainly to reintroduce Cameron Hodge as a major villain. Since Hodge is primarily Archangel's nemesis, it makes sense to play this largely as his story and to drag in one of his old supporting cast, and Lobdell does get some mileage out of Archangel's angst.

On the other hand... it's all a little neat that the cast should all end up at this rarely seen house on the same day, which also just happens to be the first anniversary of Candy's death. Lobdell also goes overboard on the "witty" comments for Hodge, and gives him some very wordy dialogue which doesn't really make him work as a real threat. The art is having a mixed time as well - Romita does some wonderful visuals for the techno-organics, but makes a bit of a hash of the closing fight scene. There's also a garish piece of colouring on the flashback (dayglo pastel is perhaps the best way of describing it). An okay story, but flawed.

 

FEATURE CHARACTERS
Professor X (next behind the scenes in Wolverine: Evilution, then in X-Men vol 2 #25, then in Wolverine vol 2 #75, then in Excalibur vol 1 #71, then in X-Men Annual vol 2 #2, then in Avengers vol 1 #368, then in then in X-Men vol 2 #26, then in Avengers West Coast #101)
Storm (next in X-Men vol 2 #25, then in Avengers vol 1 #368, then  then in X-Men vol 2 #26, then in Avengers West Coast #101)
Bishop (next in X-Men vol 2 #25, then in Wolverine vol 2 #75, then in Avengers vol 1 #368,  then in X-Men vol 2 #26, then in Avengers West Coast #101)
The Beast (last in issue #304; next in X-Men vol 2 #25, then in Wolverine vol 2 #75, then in X-Men Annual vol 2 #2, then in the second story in X-Men Annual vol 2 #2, then in Avengers vol 1 #368, then in X-Men vol 2 #26, then in Avengers West Coast #101)
Jean Grey (last in issue #304; next in X-Men vol 2 #25, then in Wolverine vol 2 #75, then in Excalibur vol 1 #71, then in X-Men Annual vol 2 #2, then in Avengers vol 1 #368, then in X-Men vol 2 #26, then in Avengers West Coast #101)
Archangel (last in issue #304; next in X-Men vol 2 #25-26, then in Avengers West Coast #101)

SUPPORTING CHARACTER
Candy Southern II (first appearance; dies)

VILLAINS
The Phalanx (next in issue #308)
Cameron Hodge (last in X-Factor vol 1 #62; first appearance as a member of the Phalanx; next in issue #313)

GUEST APPEARANCES
Quicksilver (last in issue #304; next in X-Men vol 2 #25)
Forge (last in X-Factor vol 1 #95; next in X-Men vol 2 #25)

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