Creator
by Hades

Creator. Friend. God. Chris Claremont had held many different places in the hearts of his fans. No matter when you read his work, chances are you liked it. So what makes people like Claremont? Is he really as good as he seems? Could anyone be as good as he seems? The following article will take a look at these piercing questions about Chris Claremont from the view of an amateur psychologist.

So, what does make people like Claremont? It is my opinion that, unlike other mediums, with comics people don't like to get completely away from their lives. They want to see the sort of world where people can fly or fire energy blasts, sure, but they also want realism within that exaggerated world. They want adventure. Change. Danger. In the early days of comics you could not really be surprised. You know that in the end, the hero would return perfectly safe to his perfect home, greeted by his perfect girlfriend, and the two would fade happily ever after into the perfect sunset. " THE END" "Be sure to pick up next month's issue where our invincible hero will once again face a ridiculously simple task on his way to vanquishing the villain."

Perhaps more so than any other man before him, Chris Claremont changed all that. On his second issue the X-Men suffered their first casualty, Thunderbird. This stunning revelation sent readers reeling.

He... died?

Yes, he died.

How can he die? He's the super-hero?

Exactly!!! Suddenly, no one is safe. Your favorite heroes are at last truly walking down a dangerous path to uphold their beliefs. Characters you have known for years and may have even grown to love aren't safe, either. When your favorite mutants go through something like, say, the Mutant Massacre, it's hard NOT to be shocked. After all, these are the good guys, the ones you like. Maybe even ones you can relate to.

It is exactly this ability to make readers relate with these characters that makes his material so good. But, it's his willingness to shake their world to its very foundations that makes him great, and keeps fans coming back. Fans crave surprises the way I crave Aunt Fanny's Famous Funnel Cakes (sprinkled generously with powdered sugar).

So, is Claremont as good as he seems? For most X-Fans, seeing is believing. Who could forget the Mutant Massacre (UXM210-213)? Kurt in a coma. Kitty in a state of permanent phase. Storm powerless. Magneto playing healer to a fallen Colossus. A fallen Colossus! Not to mention more Wolverine butt-kicking action than you would dare to shake a stick at. And that's just the tip of the iceberg. Since Storm lost her powers (UXM #185) her character development was incredible. She was lost, confused, unsure of herself and her abilities within her new diminished capacities. Could she lead the team as well as a "normal" human as she did when she was one of the most powerful beings on the planet? Could she even come to terms with the loss of her powers, and thus a separation from nature? Well, there were many ways to find out, but Claremont's choice seems the best one. Have Storm challenge the X-Men's oldest, most experienced field leader for leadership of the X-Men. It was among the most incredible and memorable fights in Marvel History (UXM #201), even if it was later ruined by a poorly written ret-con. With these past events in mind, will Claremont's return bode well for the X-Men? Will Dr. Claremont be able to heal what ails the sagging X-Books? This writer, for one, hopes so. Alas, only time will tell.

Some of Hades' Favorite Claremont Issues include:

UXM #101 First appearance of Phoenix.

UXM #123-124 The X-Men square off against Arcade in Murderworld.

UXM #129 - 137 and UXM Annual #4 Kitty Pryde joins the X-Men and the X-Men face off against Dark Phoenix. The X-Men meet defeat at the hands of the Hellfire club and then Wolverine takes on the Hellfire club alone.

UXM #159 X-Men [Storm] vs. Dracula UXM #165 The Brood Saga begins.

UXM #183 Colossus has a throw-down with the Juggernaut

UXM #185 Forge nullifies Storm's powers.

UXM #201 The (powerless) Storm vs. Cyclops fight.

UXM #210-213 The Mutant Massacre

UXM #256 New look for Psylocke

UXM #277 Gambit leads the way as the surviving X-Men kick Warskrull butt.

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