STORY: "The Nature Of Evil" (22 pages)
Credits: Scott Lobdell (writer), Joe Madureira (penciller), Tim Townsend (inker), Richard Starkings, Comicraft (letterers), Steve Buccellato, Electric Crayon (colourists), Bob Harras (editor, editor-in-chief)

Having failed to persuade Rogue to return to the team (in X-Men #45), Gambit is thoroughly depressed, and takes it out on the captive Sabretooth. Meanwhile, Professor X and the Beast stage an argument at a WHO conference on the Legacy Virus to try and undermine the media coverage, though the Beast has misgivings about the whole plan.

What you need to know:

• The Legacy Virus plot gets advanced very slightly in this story. However, subsequent comments by writers from this period make it clear that that X-books office had no clear idea of where they were going with the whole thing and often just shoved in ideas in the vague hope that it would lead somewhere. So really, anything you read about the Legacy Virus from this period is worth bugger all. But if you care, the story goes out of its way to suggest that the Virus acts like "a designer gene." And god alone knows what that was supposed to mean.
• However, one plot which does seem to have been more or less thought through is Gambit's secret, and there's quite a bit on that. Why is Gambit going to such efforts to make sure Sabretooth remembers his past? It seems that he's decided that if he's not allowed to put the Morlock massacre behind him and move on, he's damned if Sabretooth is going to get the same chance. Or, more charitably, perhaps he genuinely thinks that Sabretooth needs to be reminded of these events if he is to have a real chance of improving himself. In any event, this story makes a lot more sense in the light of issue #350's revelations that Gambit was himself associated with Sabretooth's team the Marauders and was peripherally involved in the massacre.
• Curiously, the Beast and Professor X wheel out Valerie Cooper to support their argument at the WHO conference. Although Cooper does have a doctorate and it's possible that she may have scientific qualifications, she's certainly not a practicing scientist, and there's something almost quaint about the way the story acts as if a statement from the US government is a reassuring thing.

Comments: Ah, now this is a good one - an all too rare example of the A and B plots both working well, fitting into the larger picture, complementing one another and raising some interesting ideas. Honest.

Gambit's rather enigmatic motivations provide the main interest in this story. There's a very well handled scene with Storm early on which almost manages to turn the absurd issue #325 into a virtue - she can only justify her killing of Marrow by claiming that "the true nature of a person cannot be changed", which is precisely what Gambit doesn't want to hear when he's trying to convince himself that he's left behind his time as an associate of the Marauders. Gambit's sudden interest in trying to get Sabretooth back on track, unfortunately filtered through a complete lack of subtlety or psychiatric ability on his part, also makes interesting reading.

The Legacy Virus plot, meanwhile, does contain some rather dull information about the Virus itself but is far more interesting for the Beast's moral qualms about manipulating the media in this way. Even though the position he's trying to get reported is simply that the Virus is a small scale thing and not something to panic about - not essentially misleading, although Xavier does throw in some complete lies himself - he's obviously unhappy about the methods he's being forced to adopt, rather than the message he's trying to send.

Which is not to say the issue is flawless by any means. Wheeling out Valerie Cooper as some kind of scientific authority just doesn't work, the Legacy Virus itself is as boring and poorly thought through as ever, and there are serious problems with Storm's reactions on finding Gambit tormenting Sabretooth. Although she does intervene, her sympathies evidently lie far more with him, and for her to respond by leaving Sabretooth in a tiny cell - drawn by Madureira as too small for him to stand - is far worse than anything Gambit was doing.

Feature characters: Professor X (last in X-Force #47; next in X-Men Unlimited #8, then in X-Force #48, then in X-Man #10-11, then in X-Men Vol 2 #47, then in X-Men: Clan Destine #1-2, then in issue #328); Storm (last in Wolverine #93; next in X-Men Unlimited #8, then in X-Force #8, then in Annual '95); the Beast (last in X-Force #47; next in X-Men Unlimited #8-9, then in X-Men: Clan Destine #1, then in issue #328); Gambit (last in Marvel Versus DC #2; next in Wolverine/Gambit: Victims #1-4, then in Ghost Rider Vol 3 #67-68, then in X-Men Unlimited #8, then in X-Men Vol 2 #46-47, then in X-Men: Clan Destine #1, then in X-Force #51, then in X-Men Vol 2 #48, then in issue #330)

Guest star: Sabretooth (between Wolverine #92 and X-Force #47)

Guest appearances: Renee Majcomb (between Cable #23 and #40); Moira MacTaggert (between Wolverine: Knight of Terra and Generation X '95); Nightcrawler (last in Wolverine '95), Douglock, Meggan (the latter two last in Excalibur #89; all three teamed as Excalibur; next in Excalibur #91); Valerie Cooper (between X-Factor #114 and #116); Boomer (between Wolverine '95 and X-Force #47)

STORY: "Growing Pains" (44 pages)
Credits: Terry Kavanagh (writer), Bryan Hitch (penciller), Bob McLeod (inker), Richard Starkings, Comicraft (letterers), Glynis Oliver (colourist), Kelly Corvese (editor), Bob Harras (editor-in-chief)

Cannonball's younger sister Joelle falls in with a survivalist anti-mutant group called Humanity's Last Stand, and runs off to join them together with Preacher, a disturbed artist plagued by hallucinatory visions of the Age of Apocalypse. Cannonball, his younger sister Husk (from Generation X) and the other X-Men investigate Humanity's Last Stand and discover that it is a paramilitary organisation armed with Sentinel robots, causing Joelle and Preacher to leave the movement.

What you need to know:

• This story introduces Preacher, a character who crops up in next year's Annual as well before being totally forgotten about. Perhaps understandably, as he's really a one idea character (the one idea being that the Age of Apocalypse is so over the top that he writes all his genuine visions off as inspiration for particularly grim paintings). There are a couple of passing references to Bishop's equally confused memories of the Age of Apocalypse storyline (which were given to him by his Age of Apocalypse counterpart in X-Men Omega).
• So far as I'm aware, this is the only story where Joelle Guthrie gets a major part.
• And it's also the first appearance of Humanity's Last Stand. They're a rather strange group, who seem to be the Friends of Humanity's survivalist counterparts. Subsequent stories reveal that both groups have connections with the Operation: Zero Tolerance conspiracy. Humanity's Last Stand are really just a footnote in continuity - they go on to appear in one mildly significant X-Men story, and then wander off to bother the Punisher for a few issues of his series.
• The HLS leader shown in shadow and referred to as "Trask" is identified in the Punisher stories as Simon Trask. Although he's a relative of Bolivar and Larry Trask (characters previously associated with the Sentinels and now dead), he's not somebody we've seen before.
• Bizarrely, the rather generic robots that HLS send against the X-Men are referred to as Nimrods. Actual Nimrods are far, far more powerful than this bunch, and this really just has to be written off as an error.

Comments: Writer Terry Kavanagh is best known to X-books fans as the writer of many rather mediocre X-Man stories and the scripter on Alan Davis's later X-Men stories. He also edited Excalibur for a while. He's not a particularly highly regarded writer, but this issue is actually rather good. Although Preacher is nowhere near as interesting a character as Kavanagh seems to think (he used him in the next year's annual as well), the story has many other things to recommend it, including some excellent use of Husk and some wonderful pieces of dialogue - "I am Ms Frost to you, young lady. Or sir." Husk's inexperience is dealt with well, and the whole thing is helped enormously by some excellent artwork from Bryan Hitch. And it's one of the few X-Men stories where Cannonball is used correctly. All told, pretty good.

Feature characters: Storm, Cannonball II (both last in X-Force #48; both next in Wolverine #96, then Cannonball in X-Force And Cable '95, then both in X-Men: Clan Destine #1, then Storm in X-Men: Clan Destine #2, then in Sabretooth (first one-shot), then in X-Force #51, then in X-Men Vol 2 #48, then Cannonball in X-Men Unlimited #10, then both in X-Men Versus The Brood #1-2, then Storm in Storm #1-4, then both in X-Men Vol 2 #50; after the above, Storm appears in Cable #29, then in Annual '96; Cannonball appears next in Wolverine #99-100, then in Cable #32 b/s, then in issue #332); Wolverine (last in Wolverine #94; next in Wolverine #95-96, then in X-Men Unlimited #9, then in X-Men: Clan Destine #1-2, then in issue #329); Bishop (last in Wolverine '95; next in X-Men Vol 2 #46-47, then in X-Men: Clan Destine #1, then in issue #328)

Guest star: Husk (between Wolverine #94 and Generation X '95)

Supporting characters: Joelle Guthrie (last in New Mutants #42; no further appearances); Lucinda Guthrie (next b/s in Generation X #23), Joshua Guthrie (both last in X-Force #36, Jedediah Guthrie, another Guthrie sister (both last in New Mutants #42; no further appearances for all)

Villains: Humanity's Last Stand (first appearance; next in X-Men Vol 2 #53); the Shepherds (first and only appearance); Garibaldi (real name unrevealed; first and only appearance); Simon Trask (first appearance; referred to by his surname only; first name revealed in Punisher Vol 3 #15; next in X-Men Unlimited #11); Mark II Nimrods (first and only appearance)

Guest appearances: M I, Skin, Jubilee, Chamber, Synch (all teamed with Husk as Generation X), Emma Frost (all between Wolverine #94 and Generation X '95)

Other character: Preacher (real name unrevealed; first appearance; next in Annual '96)

STORY: "Whispers On The Wind" (23 pages)
Credits: Scott Lobdell (writer), Roger Cruz (penciller), Tim Townsend, Al Milgrom (inkers), Richard Starkings, Comicraft (letterers), Steve Buccellato, Electric Crayon (colourists), Bob Harras (editor, editor-in-chief)

A man seeming to be a younger Magneto is found and taken in by Sister Maria, the nun in charge of a South American orphanage. "Magneto" has no idea who he is, and Maria names him Joseph. At first she thinks he may have a chance for a fresh start, but when he uses excessive force to protect the orphanage against threats from the corrupt government, she sends him to the USA to search for the X-Men.

What you need to know:

• This story begins the long running Joseph plot, eventually tied up some years later in a way that was almost certainly not intended by Scott Lobdell when he started it off. X-Men Vol 2 #86 finally reveals that Joseph is a copy of Magneto created by his enemy Astra to defeat him. Magneto has defeated Joseph and left him for dead. This is therefore Joseph's first appearance. Consequently, this issue has the unusual distinction of being the only issue of the series in which no present or former members of the X-Men appear.
• It's also the first appearance of Sister Maria de la Joya, who crops up in a few later issues as well, but isn't anybody particularly important.

Comments: By all accounts, Scott Lobdell was a writer with a rather cavalier approach to long term planning. Certainly he knew what he was trying to achieve by de-aging Magneto (and when this story was started, it seems clear that he intended Joseph to be Magneto). The idea was to take away all the nasty memories that had made Magneto the man he was, and do some stories on the eternal theme of nature versus nurture. As for quite why Magneto was in his twenties again, he hadn't really worked that one out in detail, but no doubt it would come to him. It never really did, and eventually the next set of X-Men writers ended up writing Joseph out of the series altogether while they tried to work out what the hell they were going to do with him.

Fortunately, for all that the wider plot is a mess, the theme remains an interesting one, and the eventual explanation that was given for Joseph's existence leaves the points made more or less valid. This issue isn't too bad on that basis, introducing Joseph as a basically nice character but making clear the potential for him to be somebody rather less likeable. The art is a slightly shaky effort by Roger Cruz, an uneven mixture of good storytelling and dreadful Joe Madureira pastiche. Overall, though, an okay issue.

Feature characters: None

Supporting character: Joseph (first appearance; last in X-Men Vol 2 #86 f/b; next in X-Men Vol 2 #53)

Villain: Colonel Ramos and his soldiers (first appearance for all; most killed)

Other characters: Sister Maria de la Joya (last in X-Men Vol 2 #46; next in issue #344; first name and title revealed); Father Helcio (first and only appearance); Migdalia, Umberto, other children (first and only appearance for all)

STORY: "Precipice" (22 pages)
Credits: Scott Lobdell (writer), Joe Madureira (penciller), Tim Townsend (inker), Richard Starkings, Comicraft (letterers), Steve Buccellato, Electric Crayon (colourists), Bob Harras (editor, editor-in-chief)

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 temporarily 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: Professor X (last in X-Men: Clan Destine #2; next in Sabretooth (first one-shot), then in X-Men Vol 2 #48, then in X-Man #12, then in issue #330); Psylocke (last in X-Men Unlimited #9; next in X-Force #51, then in X-Men Vol 2 #48, then in Excalibur #96 b/s); Phoenix III, Cyclops (both next in Sabretooth (first one-shot), then in X-Men Vol 2 #48, then Cyclops in X-Men Unlimited #10, then both in X-Men Versus The Brood #1-2, then in Storm #1-2, 4, then in X-Men Vol 2 #50, then in Cable #29, then Phoenix in Cable #31, then in Wolverine #97, then in Wolverine #98 f/b, then both in issue #331), Bishop (next in X-Force #51, then in X-Men Vol 2 #48, then in Generation X #13-14, then in X-Men Vol 2 #49, then in X-Men Versus The Brood #1-2, then in X-Men Vol 2 #50, then in issue #331), the Beast (next in Sabretooth (first one-shot), then in X-Force #51, then in X-Men Vol 2 #48, then in issue #330), Archangel (next in Sabretooth (first one-shot); all last in X-Men: Clan Destine #1)

Guest star: Boomer (between X-Men Vol 2 #47 and X-Force #51)

Villain: Sabretooth (between X-Force #48 and Sabretooth (first one-shot))

Guest appearance: Valerie Cooper (between X-Factor #117 and Sabretooth (first one-shot))

STORY: "Warriors Of The Ebon Night" (19 pages)
Credits: Scott Lobdell, Jeph Loeb (writers), Joe Madureira (penciller), Tim Townsend (inker), Richard Starkings, Comicraft (letterers), Steve Buccellato (colourist), Richard Chu (computer effects), Bob Harras (editor, editor-in-chief)

Wolverine, Archangel and Doctor Strange enlist the aid of annoying mystic Gomurr The Ancient in order to gain access to the mystical Crimson Dawn and thereby save Psylocke's life.

What you need to know:

• This story introduces the rather annoying mystics Gomurr and Tar, who appear in this storyline and the later X-Men Unlimited #12. It also brings in the rather ill-defined concept of the Crimson Dawn, which is elaborated on a bit (but not enough) in the next issue. The Crimson Dawn later forms the basis of several stories by Ben Raab in Excalibur and the Psylocke And Archangel: Crimson Dawn miniseries.
• Archangel spends this issue and the next making repeated references to his injured wing. That's something that happened in the Sabretooth one-shot.
• Doctor Strange's references to "catastrophic magic" are to do with an ongoing plot in his own title at this time. I have a vague feeling it was something to do with chaos theory, but maybe not. It really makes no difference to this issue. Strange's appearance in this story is somewhat unusual for this period in Marvel history, at which point the Marvel Universe had effectively partitioned into various groups of titles (of which the X-books were one), with very little interaction between them.
• Oh, and if you've ever wondered why Jeph Loeb is occasionally referred to as a former X-Men writer... this and the next issue are the stories in question.

Comments: Issues #329-330 are the two part Crimson Dawn storyline, which were rather poorly received at the time and haven't aged that well either. The plot is the ever-serviceable quest storyline, as Wolverine and Archangel go off to look for the mystical plot device that will save their friend from death. Unfortunately, it's all rather obvious. Take two characters who traditionally don't get on that well and put them in a story together. Bring in a painfully unfunny comic relief sidekick (although his explanation that "not just anybody can be Gomurr the Ancient. First you have to be called Gomurr..." is pretty good, admittedly). Throw in a significant amount of pseudo-mystical bullshit. Have the power of love save the day. Vomit copiously.

About the best thing that can be said about this storyline is that Madureira does turn in some decent artwork, and the computer graphics on the weird ninja creature made entirely from steam are excellent. But the story itself is simply very bland.

Feature characters: Wolverine (last in X-Men: Clan Destine #2), Archangel (last in Sabretoth (first one-shot), Psylocke (last in Excalibur #96 b/s)

Guest star: Dr Strange (last in ...)

Villains: Tar (Proctor of the Crimson Dawn; first appearance; last in X-Men Unlimited #12 f/b); A steam ninja (first appearance; destroyed)

Other character: Gomurr The Ancient (first appearance; a sorceror; last in X-Men Unlimited #12 f/b)

STORY: "Quest For The Crimson Dawn" (19 pages)
Credits: Scott Lobdell, Jeph Loeb (writers), Joe Madureira (penciller), Tim Townsend (inker), Richard Starkings, Comicraft (letterers), Steve Buccellato (colourist), Bob Harras (editor, editor-in-chief)

Wolverine, Archangel and Doctor Strange fight their way to the Crimson Dawn, whose guardian Tar is sulking and refuses to help. Archangel surrenders the part of Psylocke's soul which she has entrusted to him, and she is healed by the Crimson Dawn.

What you need to know:

• Archangel saves Psylocke's life by giving to the Crimson Dawn "that part of [Psylocke] which she has entrusted to you", which we're rather confusing told is a part of her soul. This bizarre literalisation of their love affair is the springboard for Psylocke to develop several new and rather curious powers, start acting weirdly again, and generally be a bit mysterious until it all gets resolved in the Psylocke And Archangel: Crimson Dawn miniseries.
• Gambit is kind of hoping Psylocke doesn't make it, although he's very conflicted about the whole thing. He's worried Psylocke might have found out what he was keeping from the other X-Men when she scanned his mind in issue #324.

Comments: See issue #329 above, basically.

This storyline was apparently seen by Scott Lobdell as an attempt to refocus Psylocke as a character to save her from being overshadowed on a team with two telepaths who were more powerful than she was. He thought it would be a good idea to focus on the martial arts aspects of her character. So far, so sensible, but unfortunately it all goes a bit pearshaped. For one thing, this story does not herald a refocusing on Psylocke's martial arts skills. It drags in something altogether new instead, and turns her into an unfathomable character with vaguely defined mystical powers. For another, it means that the focus of the character has drifted hopelessly. Now shoved through two physical and mental transformations, it's very difficult to put your finger on quite who she's supposed to be any more. For all the good intentions, many would argue (myself among them) that this is the storyline that finally put an end to Psylocke as a usable character.

Feature characters: Professor X (last in X-Man #12; next in X-Men Unlimited #10, then in X-Men Versus The Brood #1, then in Storm #1, then in X-Men Vol 2 #50, then in Cable #29, then in issue #331); the Beast (last in X-Men Vol 2 #48; next in X-Men Vol 2 #49, then in X-Men Unlimited #10, then in X-Men Versus The Brood #1-2, then in Storm #4, then in X-Men Vol 2 #50, then in X-Men Unlimited #10, then in X-Men Vol 2 #53-54, then in X-Factor #125/2-126, then in Fantastic Four Vol 1 #416, then in Avengers 1999 f/b, then in issue #337); Wolverine (next in X-Men Versus The Brood #1-2, then in Storm #1, 4, then in X-Men Vol 2 #50, then in Wolverine '96/2, then in Wolverine #97-100, then in issue #332); Gambit (last in X-Men Vol 2 #48; next in Storm #1-4, then in X-Men Vol 2 #50); Archangel (next in X-Men Vol 2 #50); Psylocke

Guest star: Dr Strange (next in ...)

Villains: Tar (next in X-Men Unlimited #12); Undercloaks (first appearance in the mainsteam timeline; others last seen in Generation Next #2; next in X-Men Vol 2 #61)

Other character: Gomurr The Ancient (next in X-Men Unlimited #12)