Marvel Database
Register
Advertisement

Quote1 She could have a concussion - or worse! An' ye - Major Maple Leaf, or whatever ye call yerself - ye're the man responsible! Quote2
Banshee

Appearing in "Home are the Heroes!"

Featured Characters:

Supporting Characters:

Antagonists:

Other Characters:

Races and Species:

Locations:

Items:

Vehicles:

Synopsis for "Home are the Heroes!"

The X-Men at last return home after their adventure in the Shi’Ar galaxy. Wolverine is in a hurry to shed Fang’s uniform as he finds the alien fabric distinctly uncomfortable. They are accompanied by Lilandra, who is shown around the school. Phoenix reminisces about a moment that occurred just prior to returning to Earth: a brief conversation with Corsair in which he asked her to never tell Cyclops that he is his father. Phoenix agreed but stated that she feels she is betraying Scott by keeping such a secret from him. Storm, who overheard their conversation, warns Jean about keeping such vital information from the man she loves.

In the present however, Phoenix has a heart-to-heart with her parents. She reveals to them her recent experiences and her new identity as the Phoenix. From a distance, Scott observes them and thinks to himself that Jean now seems like an entirely different person. Nightcrawler sees Scott and tries to break him out of his funk, but Scott snaps at him angrily. Nightcrawler then retorts at how difficult it is being born blue and furry.

The X-Men take a well-deserved day off. Moira tells them of a lake in upstate New York where Charles and she once visited during their courtship. Moira, Sean, Ororo and Peter prepare for an outing. Misanthropic Wolverine elects to tag along in order to do some hunting. Storm is appalled and criticizes him for wishing to kill defenseless animals. Wolverine responds sharply that it "takes no skill to kill..." and that he does not intend to use lethal measures. Storm apologizes, but Wolverine couldn’t care less.

Meanwhile in Canada, James-MacDonald Hudson, an agent of a Canadian government-sponsored defense program (Department H) dons a high-tech battlesuit and becomes Weapon Alpha. He flies to the United States on a mission to capture and retrieve a rogue agent: Wolverine. James and Wolverine have a long history together, and he knows that he will be in for the fight of his life.

At the lake, Storm and Colossus relax on the shore, taking in the sun, while Banshee and Moira play around in the water. Wolverine skulks about the surrounding area, tracking a small deer. Just as he comes in close enough to touch it, Weapon Alpha appears before him. Hudson refers to Wolverine as "Weapon X" and states that he is still the property of the Canadian government. Wolverine has no intention of returning to his former employers. He lunges at Weapon Alpha, slashing at him with his claws. The electromagnetic fields of Hudson's battlesuit protects him, however. He blasts the feisty mutant away with his repulsor weapons, sending him flying through the trees.

Wolverine lands close to the lake and the other X-Men snap to attention. Weapon Alpha engages Peter, who transforms into Colossus and punches him back through the trees. Regaining control of his suit's flight systems, he turns back and unleashes a volley of electro-blasts against Colossus. One of his shots ricochets off of the hero's steel frame and hits Moira. Banshee goes berserk and pummels Weapon Alpha with a concentrated sonic scream. Hudson realizes that he cannot take on Wolverine AND his teammates by himself. Promising a rematch, he flies off and returns to Canada.

Notes

Trivia

  • As the story begins, Wolverine is anxious to get out of Fang's costume as its alien fabric feels strange to him and puts on his old uniform (or an identical uniform, since the one he wore on the M'Kraan world was shredded.) Originally, artist Dave Cockrum had intended Wolverine to keep Fang's outfit and use it as his main hero costume. But incoming artist John Byrne HATED the design of the Fang costume and had him go back to his old one immediately. Curiously though, Byrne would redesign Wolverine's costume a few years later using the same color motif as the Fang costume.
  • Although Department H is never mentioned by name in this issue, it is the Canadian agency that both Weapon Alpha and Wolverine were associated with.
  • Due to the accidental injury that he gives to Moira MacTaggert, Weapon Alpha soon changes his code-name to Vindicator, swearing to vindicate any innocents that are injured due to his negligence. This is revealed in Alpha Flight #2.
  • Wolverine is still wearing Fang's Imperial Guard costume from X-Men #108 in the beginning of this story.
  • On page 5, Cyclops remarks about how different Jean Grey has become in recent weeks. Originally, writer Chris Claremont intended Jean Grey and the Phoenix to be the same person. It wasn't until years later that it was revealed that the Phoenix entity and the true Jean Grey were completely separate characters. However, Cyclops' dialogue in this issue helps to support the retroactive continuity as it relates to the Phoenix storyline.
  • Storm reveals she talks to her plants.
  • Editing mistake - While Banshee and Storm are flying above the lake, Banshee tells Storm it is time to go. Although they are the only two people flying around Storm agrees with him and then advises Banshee that "Banshee" has signaled them back to the lake.

See Also

Recommended Reading

Links and References

References

Advertisement