First Failure
Somehow, not only have the X-Men gained some sort of notoriety in New York for fending off Magneto down in Florida, but also the populace knows their code names. Why the Angel is a favorite among the ladies is unclear, considering his face is covered by a mask like Scott's and Hank's - perhaps the '60s girls liked the wings. The beginnings of limitations on their powers, as has been noted by other reviewers, is a good development especially this early in the series - despite their overconfidence (perhaps because of), it wouldn't be good to have a group of teenage mutants with no limitations beyond inexperience. Bobby Drake is still the source of humor; his riding in the back of an ice cream truck (and stealing three chocolate chip pops) is a highlight that is missing these days. Hank's linguistic style is starting to form, which is another nice development into the more-familiar versions of the characters, but it's definitely in the early stages - he's still more brute muscle with a touch of ego than physicist at this point. The X-Men still do not function well as a team; their antagonisms toward each other drive them more than following Xavier's Dream, as well as their desire (the guys, at least) to impress Jean. The Vanisher is an oddly-designed villain. Though he at least wants something tangible, as byzantine noted already, his ability to vanish shouldn't make him that much of a threat, which is probably why he has hired hooligans to take care of things just in case. He certainly can't teleport things he can't carry, so if the government just stopped keeping secret plans on tabletops, he wouldn't be much of a problem. The FBI liaison Fred Duncan is an odd addition as well, considering Xavier is supposedly the strongest mind on the planet. Why he'd need a special machine to amplify his thoughts (especially since he piloted a plane with all X-Men aboard from New York to Florida in the first issue without one) from New York to D.C. makes little sense. Certainly the most intriguing aspect of the issue is Professor Xavier's willingness to mindwipe the Vanisher with little to no moral hesitancy - it took the mutilation of Wolverine for him to do it to Magneto in Fatal Attractions 30 years later! Well, it's still early yet. Lee is still working out who they are and why they do what they do. We can take comfort in the fact that moral implications for their actions will become a more palpable aspect of these characters and their stories, especially when Chris Claremont takes the reins.
