STORY: "Crescendo" (23 pages)
Credits: Scott Lobdell (writer), Brandon Peterson (penciller), Terry Austin (inker), Chris Eliopoulos (letterer), Joe Rosas, Marie Javins (colourists), Bob Harras (editor), Tom DeFalco (editor-in-chief)

X-CUTIONER'S SONG - PART 9 Cyclops and Jean Grey try to escape Stryfe's headquarters. Stryfe shows them an infant resembling the young Nathan Summers, who is connected to his computer system, and challenges them to destroy the compound and him with it, simply by killing the child. Obviously they don't, which bemuses Stryfe. He sends the Dark Riders after them instead, and in the battle they blast a hole through the wall. This is an awfully bad move, since at that moment Wolverine, Cable and Bishop work out that Stryfe's HQ is on the moon.

What you need to know:

• Again, this is pretty much all to do with the crossover - there's not much here that really bears on the overall plot. There is plenty more hinting about Scott and Jean's relationship to Cable, but since it's all building up to a climactic revelation (Stryfe's the real Nathan Summers and Cable is a clone) which was reversed a few months later, it's not actually that important to the ongoing storylines.
• The story continues in X-Factor #86, X-Men #16 and X-Force #18, in which (very, very briefly) Apocalypse cures Xavier of the techno-organic infection Stryfe gave him; Cable, the X-Men and X-Factor trot up to the moon with Apocalypse and have a big fight with Stryfe, during which Apocalypse wanders off on his own and seemingly gets killed by the Dark Riders (he gets better, of course); Cable and Stryfe have a big fight in which it's revealed that Stryfe is the real Nathan Summers and Cable the clone (he isn't, because Marvel changed their minds a few months later); and Cable and Stryfe both disappear into the timestream in a big explosion (from which they both eventually come back). So not much that had a long-term effect, to be honest. Doesn't stop it being a fun story, though.

Comments: Even as someone who likes X-Cutioner's Song, I've got to admit this one is rather flawed. Aside from a bizarre sequence with Jean forming a "telekinetic line" to swing over a gap (the woman can fly, for heaven's sake!), it's also got Wolverine, Cable and Bishop working out the location of Cable's headquarters through a method best described as blind guesswork. Lobdell fudges it reasonably well, but it's hard to disagree with Peter David's mocking when he picks up the story in X-Factor #86. ("Well, of course. They could be anywhere, so naturally they're on a sphere of airless rock. Makes perfect sense, Logan, you're right.")

Feature characters: Professor X, Archangel, the Beast (all next in X-Factor #86, then in X-Men Vol 2 #16, then in X-Force #18); Storm, Jean Grey, Bishop (all next in X-Factor #86, then in X-Men Vol 2 #16, then in X-Force #18, then Jean in Stryfe's Strike File, then Jean and Storm in Wolverine #66, then Jean in X-Men Vol 2 #19, then Storm in X-Force #19, then all in issue #298); Cyclops, Wolverine (both next in X-Factor #86, then X-Men Vol 2 #16, then X-Force #18, then Cyclops in Stryfe's Strike File, then in New Warriors #31 f/b, then both in Wolverine #66-68, then both in issue #299 (Wolverine b/s))

Guest stars: Cable, the Professor (both last in X-Force #17; both next (the Professor b/s) in X-Factor #86); Polaris, Havok (both between X-Force #17 and X-Factor #86); Cannonball II (last in X-Force #17; next in X-Factor #86)

Supporting character: Moira MacTaggert (between X-Force #17 and X-Factor #86)

Villains: Stryfe, Apocalypse (both between X-Force #17 and X-Factor #86); Foxbat, Gauntlet, Barrage, Psynapse (b/s), Tusk, Harddrive (as the Dark Riders; all last in X-Force #17; all next in X-Factor #86 (all but Barrage and Tusk b/s)); Zero (between X-Men Vol 2 #15-16)

STORY: "Up And Around" (22 pages)
Credits: Scott Lobdell (writer), Brandon Peterson (penciller), Dan Panosian (inker), Chris Eliopoulos (letterer), Marie Javins (colourist), Bob Harras (editor), Tom DeFalco (editor-in-chief)

The Beast and Archangel reminisce about their schooldays while repairing Harry's Hideaway (the pub wrecked when Scott and Jean were abducted in issue #294). Professor X is briefly able to walk as a result of Apocalypse's treatment, and goes rollerblading with Jubilee. Rogue and Gambit discuss their relationship.

What you need to know:

• Again, not much. This is the unofficial epilogue to X-Cutioner's Song and it's really characters chatting to one another rather than a normal story.

Comments: Conventional wisdom has always had it that Scott Lobdell is at his best in the quiet, post-crossover issues. This is the classic example, a wonderful issue which puts Professor X and Jubilee together (two characters who'd rarely spoken to each other for any length of time before) and just lets them chat. Okay, it's got this rather contrived idea about Xavier getting the use of his legs back for a night, and the scenes where Hank and Warren rebuild a completely wrecked building in one night defy credibility. But the scene at the end, where Xavier loses the use of his legs a minute or so earlier than he'd expected and has to be helped back to his wheelchair by Jubilee, is just perfect.

Feature characters: Professor X (next in Wolverine #66-67, then in X-Men Vol 2 #17, then in X-Force #19), the Beast (next in X-Men Vol 2 #17, 19, then in issue #299), Jubilee (next in Wolverine #66-68, then in X-Men Vol 2 #17-21, then in Wolverine #69-71, then in X-Men Vol 2 #23, then in issue #302), Archangel (all last in X-Force #18); Rogue, Gambit (both last in X-Force #17; both next in X-Men Vol 2 #17, 19, then Rogue in X-Men Vol 2 #20-21, then Wolverine #69-71, then in X-Men Vol 2 #23-24, then in issue #304)

STORY: "...For The Children" (22 pages)
Credits: Scott Lobdell (writer), Brandon Peterson (penciller), Al Milgrom (inker), Chris Eliopoulos (letterer), Marie Javins (colourist), Bob Harras (editor), Tom DeFalco (editor-in-chief)

A new team of Acolytes attack Our Mother of the Sacred Heart School, intending to recover a mutant child and slaughter pretty much everyone else. Fortunately Tom Corsi and Sharon Friedlander (long forgotten supporting characters) are now working at the school, and Sharon telepathically calls the X-Men. The X-Men fight the Acolytes and manage to rescue most of the children. The Acolytes storm off in disgust on finding that the mutant they were after has Down's Syndrome. In the proud tradition of such stories, the X-Men get blamed for everything.

What you need to know:

• Sharon Friedlander and Tom Corsi are now working at a convent school. Sharon is killed by the Acolytes (it's slightly ambiguous in this story, but Storm confirms it next issue).
• A new team of Acolytes debuts. We see far more of them in issue #300, but for the moment the story introduces Carmella Unuscione (who has a force field), Joanna Cargill (who we've seen before - she was a member of Apocalypse's ultra-obscure original henchmen, the Alliance of Evil, under the name Frenzy) and Sven, Harlan and Eric Kleinstock (triplets who merge bodies and do some generic flying and shooting stuff as well). Eric thoughtfully gets himself killed in this issue, which is one less interchangeable Acolyte to keep track of. The Acolytes also obligingly mention that Fabian Cortez is still running the show.
• Cargill and Gambit talk as if they know one another. Apparently this will (finally) be picked up on in upcoming issues of Gambit.
• Charlotte Jones gives a stolen coroner's file to the X-Men. A passing reference in the second story in issue #300 reveals that this is Xavier gathering information about Legacy Virus victims.
• Incidentally, the letters column of this issue also contains a spectacularly wrong- headed letter from one Jami Johnson who wrote in to complain that in issue #294, Xavier's plea for tolerance included a passing reference to gay people as well as black people which is, apparently, somehow racist. It's one of those letters that's hilarious until you realise the author has the vote. There's also a laugh-a-minute editorial from Tom DeFalco reminding us all of Marvel's great triumphs of 1992. Who could forget Idol, Kid 'n Play, Mutatis or that all-time classic Dinosaurs: A Celebration? Of thirty new titles mentioned, precisely one (Cable) is still going.

Contrary to popular belief:

• Tom Corsi doesn't die in this story. He was outside the building when it exploded. Since he wasn't seen again for years, though, this story was widely interpreted as killing him off. This has finally been laid to rest now that Corsi has shown up in Generation X.
• Although it's generally assumed that Carmella Unuscione must be some kind of relation to the very similar Unus the Untouchable (whose surname was also Unuscione), this has never been established in any stories. One of the ever-unreliable Marvel trading cards series declared that she was his daughter, but that doesn't mean anything. This might have been the creators' idea, but eight years down the line they've probably forgotten about it.

Comments: And here come the Acolytes again. This version of the Acolytes is really something of a mess, for reasons I'll go into when we get to issue #300. As it is, the point of this story is to build them up as a credible threat by letting them slaughter a few innocents. So far as that goes, it's reasonably successful, but there's only so much mileage you can get out of a bunch of ranting psychos like the Acolytes.

Scott Lobdell has always been fond of arguing that stories like this are more realistic than you might think, pointing to the atrocities committed in civil wars around the world. He's right, of course, but it doesn't necessarily make it a good story. This is really a matter of personal taste, but I prefer X-Men stories where the villains are a little more down to earth, or are at least in the moral grey zone. The Acolytes here are just straightforwardly evil, and they don't have any particularly interesting motivation beyond hate. This can work in a horror story, sometimes, but it doesn't really work for me in this genre.

Feature characters: Professor X, Storm (both last in X-Force #19), Bishop (last in X-Force #18), Archangel, Jean Grey, Gambit (next in X-Men Vol 2 #20-24, then in issue #304; the latter two last in X-Men Vol 2 #19)

Supporting characters: Sharon Friedlander (dies), Tom Corsi (next in Generation X 50 (b/s); both last in issue #278); Trish Tilby (next in X-Men Annual Vol 2 #2), Charlotte Jones (both last in issue #294); Robert Kelly (last in issue #281)

Villains: Joanna Cargill (last in issue #315 f/b), Carmella Unuscione, Sven Kleinstock, Harlan Kleinstock (all next in issue #300), Eric Kleinstock (dies; first appearance of the latter four), Fabian Cortez (b/s; last in X-Men Vol 2 #3; all as the Acolytes)

Other character: Teddy Matson (first appearance)

STORY: "Nightlines" (22 pages)
Credits: Scott Lobdell (writer), Brandon Peterson (penciller), Dan Panosian (inker), Chris Eliopoulos (letterer), Marie Javins (colourist), Bob Harras (editor), Tom DeFalco (editor-in-chief)

Professor X and the Beast appear on a chat show with Graydon Creed, leader of the hate group The Friends of Humanity, and Senator Robert Kelly. Lots of other stuff happens while they're on the air - see below...

What you need to know:

• Magneto has survived his apparent death in X-Men Vol 2 #3 - not exactly a surprise, but it does complicate matters enormously for Fabian Cortez, whose entire scheme hinges on setting himself up with the Acolytes as Magneto's heir. It seems that the Acolytes who were with him in that story have survived as well, but frankly it's rather vague.
• Graydon Creed makes his debut appearance, as leader of the Friends of Humanity.
• The Gamesmaster announces that "the mutant Fitzroy has been molding for membership" will be the final addition to the Upstarts. This sounds promising, but be warned - when she finally shows up she's an awful, awful character.
• Illyana Rasputin - now living with the X-Men following X-Men Vol 2 #19 - has a cough. There was a time when characters would just have a cough, but this being the early nineties, it's obviously a plot point.
• Bishop recognises one of the waitresses in Harry's Hideaway (yes, it's back in business already). This plot was thoroughly ignored for several years and finally tied up years later in a breathtaking chronological pretzel of retroactive writing. Apparently she's Fatale (a character who wouldn't be created for another three years), who's working for the Dark Beast (another character who wouldn't be created for another three years), and she's keeping an eye on Bishop because the Dark Beast has somehow twigged that Bishop is the same character he met in his own world (the Age of Apocalypse, which wouldn't be invented for - you guessed it - another three years).
• Jean is contacted telepathically by Senator Kelly's aide. This character is later revealed to be Noah DuBois, an agent of the interdimensional organisation Landau, Luckman and Lake. He's not usually telepathic (so presumably he's using some kind of technology) and it's not at all clear why he's hanging around with Kelly, but honest - that's him, and this is his first appearance. He goes on to be a much more important character in Deadpool.

Comments: Mainly a set-up issue, with a slender story about Xavier's TV appearance serving largely as an excuse for loads of subplots. Since most of these didn't go anywhere - or at least, not in any way Scott Lobdell could have intended at the time this story was written - it's a rather missable issue. Perhaps the most important thing here is the introduction of Graydon Creed, although Creed is one of those villains who never really worked. Although we're asked to buy Creed as a credible and persuasive politician, he doesn't come across that way. He starts off alright, but degenerates into a total fool as the story goes on. Letting the other participants in the debate pretty much humiliate Creed may be satisfying for this issue, but in retrospect the character needed to be far more in control - and therefore credible - in his inroductory story. He never really recovered.

Feature characters: Professor X, Storm, Jean Grey, Archangel, Colossus, Bishop; Iceman, the Beast (next in X-Men Vol 2 #20-23, then in the Infinity Crusade crossover, then in X-Men Vol 2 #24, then in issue #304; both last in X-Men Vol 2 #19); Cyclops, Wolverine (b/s; both last in Wolverine #68)

Supporting characters: Forge (last in issue #290); Robert Kelly (next in ...); Illyana Rasputin (last in X-Men Vol 2 #19; next in issue #300/2); Charlotte Jones (next in issue #322)

Villains: Anne Marie, Harry Delgado, Chrome (as the Acolytes; all last in X-Men Vol 2 #3); the Gamesmaster (last in issue #283); Shinobi Shaw (between issue #283 and X-Men Vol 2 #21), Graydon Creed (first appearance), Trevor Fitzroy (last in Annual #17/2; both next in issue #301), Fabian Cortez (all as the Upstarts); Fatale (first appearance; next in X-Factor #112)

Guest appearances: Henry Peter Gyrich (...), Noah DuBois (first appearance; unnamed, appears in this story as Kelly's aide; next in issue #322)

Other character: Elton Cayer (a TV host)

FIRST STORY: "Legacies" (48 pages)
Credits: Scott Lobdell (writer), John Romita Jr (penciller), Dan Green (inker), Chris Eliopoulos (letterer), Steve Buccellato (colourist), Bob Harras (editor), Tom DeFalco (editor- in-chief)

Fabian Cortez has his Acolytes capture Moira MacTaggert. He hopes to learn the technique she used to brainwash the X-Men [in X-Men Vol 2 #1-3] and use it to recruit new Acolytes. The X-Men and Nightcrawler rescue her. One of the Acolytes has a crisis of faith and runs away; another turns out to be an old acquaintance of Professor X.

What you need to know:

• An awful lot of new Acolytes appear, most of them crap. In particular, there's Neophyte (yes, I know it sounds like his job title but it later turns out to be his real name), who's a teleporter; Katu, a one-armed human satellite dish (no, really) whose origin story is later dealt with in Cable; Spoor (who makes people angry); Milan (who can turn images from people's minds into TV pictures - I told you they were crap); Senyaka (who has "psionic whips"); Scanner (who does astral projection and is one of the few characters here who eventually develops a proper personality); Javitz (big, strong, dull, dull, dull); and Seamus Melloncamp (turns into a big monster). Rarely can one issue have introduced quite so many boring characters at once.
• Much more important is the debut of Amelia Voght, a kind of reluctant Acolyte who is shown here as a former acquaintance of Xavier. Interestingly, it's obvious that Lobdell hadn't quite thought the character through at this stage. She calls him "sir", suggesting a relationship entirely different to the one eventually revealed in issue #309.
• There's a flashback sequence which takes place during issue #1, revealing that Xavier had the "new" X-Men recruited in 1975 in mind from the start. Quite what this is supposed to add to anything has always baffled me.
• This is a double-sized issue with one of those annoying gimmick covers the comics industry was so keen on in 1993.

Comments: This is a slightly unusual anniversary issue in that not a great deal of importance happens. It basically wheels out the Acolytes for a big fight and lets them get down to it. This is the first sight we get of the Acolytes' new incarnation, and there's a bit of a problem with it. The problem is, there's bloody tons of them, and they're all supposed to be individual characters. In practice, since most of them are just raving zealots, there's not much to distinguish most of them.

The story would have worked rather better if the Acolytes had been played as a group of almost generic characters, with the individual characters being drawn out in future stories if the plot called for it. As it is, the story is clogged up with a lot of introductions of minor characters. This is a story about Cortez, Neophyte and Voght. Why clutter it up by having eleven other characters running around when a load of thugs would have served as well? Another rather curious aspect of this story is the guest starring role of Nightcrawler, which doesn't seem to serve any purpose at all. Reunions of former team members are a staple of anniversary issues, but bringing back just the one seems rather superfluous.

Despite all this, it's not such a bad story. The plot is pretty simple, but the disillusioned Neophyte gets some decent scenes and Cortez is still coming across as a credible villain. This issue also marks the return of John Romita, Jr to the title (he previously drew the series in the late 1980s). Although some of his later issues in this run aren't his best work, this issue looks great.

Feature characters: Professor X (also in f/b between pages of issue #1), Colossus (both next in issue #300/2); Storm, Jean Grey (both next in X-Men Vol 2 #20-21, then in Annual #17); Archangel, Iceman, Bishop (all next in Annual #17); Cyclops (next in X-Men Vol 2 #20-23, then in X-Men Unlimited #1, then in the Infinity Crusade crossover, then in X-Factor #93, then in issue #302); Wolverine (next in X-Men Vol 2 #20-21, then in Wolverine #69-71, then in X-Men Vol 2 #23, then in the Infinity Crusade crossover, then in X-Factor #93, then in issue #302)

Guest star: Nightcrawler (between Excalibur ...)

Supporting characters: Forge; Moira MacTaggert (last in X-Factor #86; next in issue #300/2; also in f/b following issue #273 f/b and preceding Classic X-Men #2); Stevie Hunter (last in X-Force #16; next in ...)

Villains: The Gamesmaster, Fabian Cortez, Amelia Voght (last in f/b in issue #309; all three next in issue #300/2), Neophyte (between f/b and story in issue #315), Katu (last in Cable #10 f/b), Spoor (both next in ...), Milan, Senyaka, Scanner, Javitz, Seamus Melloncamp (first appearance for the latter nine), Carmella Unuscione, Sven Kleinstock, Harlan Kleinstock, Joanna Cargill (all four last in issue #298; the latter nine next in X-Factor #92; the latter fourteen as the Acolytes)

SECOND STORY: "Epilog" (8 pages)
Credits: Scott Lobdell (writer), Brandon Peterson (penciller), Dan Panosian, Al Milgrom (inker), Richard Starkings (letterer), Glynis Oliver (colourist), Bob Harras (editor), Tom DeFalco (editor-in-chief)

Fabian Cortez is rescued from hospital by Amelia Voght, while Illyana Rasputin is dying of the Legacy Virus.

What you need to know:

• It's confirmed that Illyana Rasputin has the Legacy Virus.
• More interestingly, Amelia Voght strongly suggests that she knows Cortez is a fraudster taking advantage of the Acolytes.

Comments: A bit of subplot advancement and not much more. Nothing special.

Feature characters: Professor X (next in X-Men Vol 2 #20-21, 23, then in X-Men Unlimited #1), Colossus (next in X-Men Vol 2 #20, then in Annual #17)

Supporting characters: Moira MacTaggert (last in issue #300/1); Illyana Rasputin

Villains: Fabian Cortez, Amelia Voght (both last in issue #300/1; both next in X-Factor #92); the Gamesmaster (last in issue #300/1)

FIRST STORY: "The Gift Goodbye" (44 pages)
Credits: Scott Lobdell (writer), Jason Pearon (penciller), Mark Farmer (inker), Chris Eliopoulos (letterer), Kevin Tinsley, Ericka Moran (colourists), Bob Harras (editor), Tom DeFalco (editor-in-chief)

The X-Men visit the dying Mastermind on Muir Isle. Jean, Iceman and Bishop are drawn in to his mental illusions as he tries to make amends for his crimes before he dies. Meanwhile, the other X-Men prevent the vigilante X-Cutioner from killing Mastermind, and Colossus is injured in the fight.

What you need to know:

• Quite a lot of developments in the world of minor villains, starting with the death of Mastermind. Who was actually a pretty major villain in his day. He's another character sacrificed in the name of building up the Legacy Virus, of course.
• The X-Cutioner makes his first appearance. He's an FBI agent who worked with the X-Men's original government liaison, Fred Duncan, now missing presumed dead. He's kitted himself out with a load of equipment nicked from sixties X-Men villains and he's now going out to execute mutant murderers. The 1993 annuals had a running theme of introducing new characters; in this one, it's him.
• And just to round things off, Tower dies. You know, Tower. Fought X-Factor once along with the Alliance of Evil. The Alliance of Evil. Come on, somebody out there must remember the Alliance of Evil... Anyhow, he gets X-cuted.
• Colossus gets a head injury which is apparently part of the explanation for his rather erratic actions in future issues.
• Also rather important is that Bishop's hallucinations include a debut appearance (of sorts) by his sister Shard. She's just a hallucination, but she's there.

Comments: This one's fun. Okay, so it's got the X-Cutioner, who's not (at this stage) a great character. And he's got a terrible, terrible name. On top of that, the story uses the rather cliched plot where our heroes have a series of hallucinations which not-very-subtly point up key character points. But for all that, it's fun. There's some wonderfully silly images in the hallucination sequences (an eight-year-old Cable with a full-size Liefeld firearm is a classic), and the sequences involving the usually bland Iceman are less obvious than you might expect. On top of that, Mastermind comes across as a pathetic but quite sympathetic character.

This story also has very stylised art from Jason Johnson. It won't be to everyone's taste, and there's a couple of slightly dodgy panels, but on the whole it really works.

Feature characters: Jean Grey (next in issue #302), Iceman, Archangel, Colossus, Storm (all last in issue #300), Bishop (last in issue #300/2; the latter two next in X-Men Unlimited #1 then the latter five in issue #301)

Villains: The X-Cutioner (Carl Denti; first appearance; last in Gambit #5 f/b; next in issue #310); Mastermind (last in Excalibur #...; dies); Tower (last in ...; dies)

SECOND STORY: "Of Kings And Queens And Promises" (8 pages)
Credits: Scott Lobdell (writer), Tom Grummett (penciller), Al Milgrom (inker), Steve Dutro (letterer), Glynis Oliver (colourist), Bob Harras (editor), Tom DeFalco (editor-in-chief)

Trevor Fitzroy recruits wild child Siena Blaze into the Upstarts by showing her an alternate future where she ends up a prisoner of the Sentinels.

What you need to know:

• This is the first appearance of Siena Blaze, the final member of the Upstarts. Awful, awful character.

Comments: This story is a short trailer for X-Men Unlimited #1, in which Siena tries to kill Professor X, Cyclops and Storm. On that level, it gets the job done, I suppose. Unfortunately, Siena Blaze turned out to be a dreadfully misconceived character. The idea was that every time she used her powers she could inadvertantly destroy the planet, and she didn't really care. Obviously this creates big difficulties, since we all know the planet can never be destroyed, and so the more she came back and it didn't happen, the less seriously anyone could take her. Ultimately, Siena was one of the unwanted characters dumped in the Malibu Ultraverse in the dodgy (and now possibly out of continuity) series All-New Exiles. I have heard it said that the X-office were offered the character back whenAll-New Exiles was cancelled, and they politely declined. The right decision.

Feature character: Trevor Fitzroy (between issues #283 and #299)

Supporting characters: Bantam (between issues #282 and #301); Siena Blaze (first appearance; next in X-Men Unlimited #1)

Other characters: Wallace Benton (Siena's boyfriend; first and only appearance; killed by Fitzroy); Siena Blaze (of the Days of Futures Past timeline; first and only appearance)

Following this story is a Bishop pin-up by Michael Bair (signed).