Nothing terribly kinky, sorry. But it’s still interesting.
X-Men #193 celebrated the 100th anniversary of Chris Claremont’s debut on the book. #94, by Len Wein, Claremont and Dave Cockrum, had the new X-Men, fresh off their debut in Giant Size X-Men, battling Count Nefaria, who’d taken over a key US Air Force base.
The X-Men defeat Nefaria the following issue but at the cost of Thunderbird’s life. In the opening scene of #193, Thunderbird’s brother James Proudstar, AKA Warpath, takes Banshee hostage and holds him somewhere in the same base. He tells the X-Men they either fight through security to save Sean Cassidy or Warpath whacks him. That’s bad enough; Warpath’s fellow Hellions, Roulette and Empath, plus new Hellion Firestar, join the fight to make things worse for everyone.
By 1985, when #193 came out, I was still buying the book but I wasn’t enjoying it at all. This issue is an exception: it’s action-packed and fun. Then there’s the bondage gear.
The dreadful preceding two-parter had the ancient wizard Kulan Gath (originally Melnibonean but as Marvel didn’t have rights to Elric of Melnibone, they retconned him into a Conan foe) transform NYC into an ancient city more suited to his taste, working similar transformations on the residents. He fused Caliban and Charles Xavier into a single living Cerebro which I imagine explains why, according to Callisto, the end of Kulan Gath’s spell left Xavier in dreadful shape.
The transformation wracked the Prof’s innards to the point he’d be dead if the Morlock healer hadn’t intervened. The bondage gear? Callisto never does explain that.
Chris Claremont used bondage gear a lot in his comics, which he brushed off in one Q&A with “I’m English.” In most cases his use of bondage seems tied to his interest in mind control and non-consensual dominance and submission in hit stories (as noted here). It may also tie in to the way Claremont characters turned to the Dark Side invariably get hypersexual: Tom Corsi and Sharon Friedlander, after becoming slaves of the demon bear, got zapped into super-randiness by Empath and wound up — well, look below.
This always seemed squicky to me, and more so when I reread the scenes now. Xavier’s plight, though, has a very different feel. It doesn’t suggest he’s been subjugated or assaulted while comatose; Callisto just dressed him up that way to embarrass him. Which implies that she, or someone in the Morlock tunnels, happens to have bondage gear lying around.
That tickles me. Claremont usually portrayed the Morlocks as tragic, pissed-off outcasts; I love the implication they’re tragic, pissed-off outcasts with active sex lives. While we’ll never know the details, as far as I’m concerned, whoever owned the bondage gear had a perfectly healthy, fully consensual B&D relationship with one of the other Morlocks. Who know, maybe half the tunnel residents are banging like there’s no tomorrow.
Or is it just my imagination?
#SFWApro. Art by John Romita Jr. (t), Gil Kane and Romita again; don’t know the New Mutants artist (my apologies).
That cover to #94 couldn’t be more Gil Kane if it tried – that big head, and the way it’s drawn…
Claremont has included BDSM themes and imagery since very early on. George Perez included lots of BDSM imagery, over the years, particularly in Sachs & Violens, but also in New Teen Titans and Wonder Woman and other illustrations. Howard Chaykin included BDSM and other erotica throughout his career. The difference between Claremont and Perez & Chaykin? The latter two were pretty open about their own interests and how it filtered into their work (and that they also knew it attracted fans).
You don’t keep returning to something like that unless you have an interest in it.
By the by, you can’t have a 100th Anniversary for the debut of a writer on a title of a book that has barely been published for 50 years, and said writer didn’t debut on the first issue. It would be the 100th installment. By definition, “anniversary” is an annual reference to an event on a particular date. It was actually Claremont’s Tenth Anniversary on the title.
Y’know, I’m not sure I want to think about all this, or anybody’s sex lives or interests…
“The dreadful preceding two-parter had the ancient wizard Kulan Gath… transform NYC into an ancient city”
I’ve always liked that two-parter, frankly. Maybe because it’s one of the ones I read when young (at least, one part of it), maybe because I’ve always liked fantasy, maybe because I’ve always liked alternate-reality stories like it as slight twists on existing characters.
“The bondage gear? Callisto never does explain that.”
Isn’t that basically how the Morlocks all dress?
I’ve always interpreted it as, she had to dress him after the events (I don’t know what happened to his clothes, but being combined with somebody else often leaves those stains that ordinary detergents just can’t reach), and all the Morlocks had leather and stuff.
“his interest in mind control and non-consensual dominance and submission”
Dominance / Submission? Maybe he’s part of a cult? A Blue Öyster Cult?
Does Claremont fear the Reaper though?
The Morlocks don’t all wear leather though quite a few of them do.
I’m not sure what it is about the Kulan Gath two parter that doesn’t work for me, but it never has.
I know he’s worked with Godzilla.
There’s no reason why we should both like the same things, of course.
Truth. I’m not sure any of our posts on this blog has ever generated unanimous agreement about liking the same things.
Often wondered how Chris Claremont & co got away with the BDSM stuff in Hellfire Club, Morlocks and so on. Were the CCA members so sheltered and naive they weren’t aware of the subtle, and frequently not so subtle, subtexts?
Granted, BDSM-type subjects weren’t as ubiquitous in the pre-internet 1970s and 80s; although no doubt Claremont’s generation were influenced by the 60s sexual/social revolution and by the sudden “mainstream” porn pull of Deep Throat, etc.
Still, were the CCA not in a dreamworld/denial where Dark Phoenix/Black Queen, she couldn’t possibly be wearing fetish gear? Must be accidental or unintentional!
P.S. Chris C.: I’m English, and I’m not wearing spiked collars…
The Avengers: War Across Time by Paul Levitz (writer), Alan Davis (artist), Rachelle Rosenberg (colorist), Cory Petit (letterer), and Jennifer Grünwald (collection editor). $17.99, 120 pgs, Marvel
Sorry, that Avengers: War Across Time bit at the bottom was a self-reminder to post a reply in Greg’s “What I consumed…” You can’t delete, edit or correct posts, is that right?
They can be edited, usually shortly after they’re posted. I’m getting an (Edit) option on both your posts – but maybe you need an admit for that?
I’m sure somebody can cut out that part, if you’d like.
I’ve never looked at those costumes and had my mind leap to BDSM. It’s just not the way I’m wired.
Having been told it many times, I don’t disagree that it’s there, it’s just not something I thought of when seeing it.
I can’t tell from this comment – do you know the origin of the Hellfire Club in the X-Men? I’m sure you do, but I’ve got to check.
“I’m English, and I’m not wearing spiked collars…”
So what’s wrong with you?
Le M: Yeah, as in I know the Avengers TV show origin of the Hellfire Club. I’m sure what Diana Rigg as Emma Peel was wearing made a big impression on young Claremont!
Maybe it’s my subsequent knowledge, and the fact I read Dark Phoenix as an older teen or adult, that is imprinting upon the original material. You can’t totally return to that 8 to 12 year–old mindset, can you?
Maybe they were more innocent times, 40 years ago!
I was a faithful Avengers viewer but I was too sick to catch “A Touch of Brimstone,” the Hellfire Club episode. I went to bed thinking of the line in TV Times “Emma becomes a queen of sin” — even at seven years old I knew that was something special.
“I know the Avengers TV show origin of the Hellfire Club. ”
I thought you would… heh… I was just checking.
You must be young. Like shorts and ties, spiked collars were required wear when I was in elementary school.