STORY: "Hands Across The Water" (23 pages)  Storm, Gambit and Yukio have a big fight in New York with the Phalanx, Part II.

What you need to know:
Steven Lang is revealed to have been assimilated as a leading member of the Phalanx. A footnote confirms that he was the lunatic seen in issue #291 (yes, a subplot from almost two years previously which hadn't been referenced since).

This story features the first appearance of the character later known as Douglock, although Lang addresses him as "Ramsey." Lang claims that Douglock is a "program" based on the late Douglas Ramsey (Cypher of the New Mutants) and Warlock. After much retconning, Marvel eventually settled on Douglock being an altered version of Warlock himself, with aspects of Doug overlaid on him.  Anyhow, being an amalgam of two heroes, Douglock is resisting orders.

It's revealed that in issue #311, Iceman and Emma Frost swapped bodies. Emma wakes up in Iceman's body at the end of the issue.
Jubilee and the Banshee both have little scenes which are pretty blatant foreshadowing for their upcoming move to Generation X.

Comments:
See Comments for issue #312. It's also worth noting that this issue picks up after a gap during which some moderate important plot mechanics go on (big explosion, people thrown into the water, etc, etc). A footnote cheerily assures us that this is because they had so much to fit in this issue. It is, nonetheless, annoying.

FEATURE CHARACTERS
Professor X, Bishop, Iceman and Storm
Gambit (next in X-Men vol 2 #33-34, then in Daredevil vol 1 #330, then in Cable #16, then in issue #318)
The Beast (next in X-Men vol 2 #33-34, then in Uncanny X-Men Annual #18)

SUPPORTING CHARACTERS
Yukio (next in Wolverine vol 1 #82)
The Banshee (last in X-Force vol 1 #35)
Jubilee

VILLAINS
The Phalanx (next in issue #316)
Cameron Hodge (last in issue #306; next in X-Men vol 2 #36)
Steven Lang (last in flashback in X-Factor vol 1 #106; next in X-Men vol 2 #36)

GUEST APPEARANCE
Douglock (first appearance in this form; last in flashback in X-Factor vol 1 #106; next in Excalibur vol 1 #77)

back | next