STORY: "Precipice" (22 pages)  Giving up hope of being able to cure Sabretooth's insanity, Professor X decides to hand him over to the government.  However, Sabretooth tricks X-Force member Boomer into freeing him, and flees the mansion, seriously injuring Psylocke on the way.

What you need to know:
This story finally ends the long-running subplot in which Sabretooth is held prisoner by the X-Men and supposedly given psychiatric treatment by them (well, Xavier claims they treated him, but we never saw it). What actually happens after this issue is that the X-Men recapture Sabretooth in the first Sabretooth one-shot, and the character is then handed over to the US government where he's shoved onto the membership of X-Factor, as documented in various (generally very bad) issues of that team's book.

Sabretooth reveals that the temporary release from his homicidal tendencies which he used to get from telepathic attacks no longer works.

Bishop makes another reference to the memories he was given of his life in the Age of Apocalypse, which of course make no sense to him. Curiously, he says that "Professor Xavier seems unable to help me at this time." It would be tempting to say that this is some kind of foreshadowing for the impending Onslaught storyline (which we'll come to shortly), but in fact that plot still hadn't been finalised at this stage.

Cyclops and Phoenix empathise with Bishop's plight, and take the opportunity to tell us that they recall their time in the future raising Cable in much the same way.  While annoying, this does at least explain why they don't seem very changed by their experience.

This is actually an X-Force plot, but never mind.  Sabretooth makes a very oblique reference to the effect that Boomer's boyfriend Cannonball might not feel the same way about her "if he knew what [she] used to be."  There are a small number of similar references in X-Force.  Since Cannonball is well aware of Boomer's white trash background (and her brief period as a career thief in Fallen Angels), and her life has been documented in stories from the age of 13 upwards, it's hard to imagine what the creators could have had in mind here.

Comments:
A strong case can be made that this issue is the turning point leading into a dodgy few years.  This story does have some things to recommend it, such as a few interesting bits of moral debate between Xavier and Sabretooth, and some effective pieces of artwork from Joe Madureira (though he draws Xavier at least twenty years too young).  But it's mainly remembered for a frankly idiotic scene in which Psylocke completely ignores the sensible option of subduing Sabretooth with those handy telepathic powers of hers in favour of having a stab at beating him in hand to hand combat.  Not surprisingly, he rips her to shreds, which is precisely what the plot demands. But surely there had to be a less silly way of achieving the same aim.

Also slightly disappointing is the artwork of Psylocke's injuries, which is really a Comics Code problem.  When the script is insistently telling us this is some of the most horrific stuff the other characters have ever seen, something far more visceral is called for to make it work.  Still, this isn't as bad an issue as it's often made out to be.  While this story is let down by poor plot mechanics, and Madureira's infuriatingly overblown Sabretooth, it does have its moments.

FEATURE CHARACTERS
Archangel (last in X-Men/ClanDestine #1; next in Sabretooth: In the Red Zone)
The Beast (last in Age of Innocence; next in Sabretooth: In the Red Zone, then in X-Force vol 1 #51, then in X-Men vol 2 #48-49, then in X-Men Unlimited vol 1 #10, then in issue #330)
Bishop (last in X-Men vol 2 #47; next in X-Force vol 1 #51, then in X-Men vol 2 #48-50, then in issue #331)
Cyclops (last in Spider-Man Team-Up #1; next in Sabretooth: In the Red Zone, then in X-Men vol 2 #48, then in Cable #29, then in X-Men Unlimited vol 1 #10, then in X-Men vol 2 #50, then in issue #331)
Phoenix III (last in Spider-Man Team-Up #1; next in Sabretooth: In the Red Zone, then in X-Men vol 2 #48, then in Archangel, then in Cable #29 and #31, then in X-Men vol 2 #50, then in issue #331)
Professor X (last in X-Force vol 1 #48; next in Sabretooth: In the Red Zone, then in X-Men vol 2 #48, then in issue #330)
Psylocke (last in Spider-Man Team-Up #1; next in X-Men vol 2 #48)

GUEST STAR
Boomer (last in X-Force & Cable '95; next in X-Force #49)

VILLAIN
Sabretooth (last behind the scenes in X-Men vol 2 #47; next in Sabretooth (first one-shot))

GUEST APPEARANCE
Valerie Cooper (between X-Factor vol 1 #114 and Sabretooth: In the Red Zone)

back | next