In all of this, Moira breaks down perceptual barriers. Male scientist heroes were plentiful at the time (especially at Marvel), and allowed to be both heroic and desirable. Women were not welcome in this portrayal, or in STEM at the time, but Moira isn’t moving. 6/6

Despite being identified as a Nobel Prize winner, at a time when only 17 women had received that honour in real life, Moira has a sex life to go with her brilliant mind. She isn’t “de-sexed” as LeGuin notes is the norm. 5/6

The first reaction to Moira’s first on-panel appearance is immediate sexual attraction. We later learn that she has had a torrid affair with Charles Xavier, and has a son by another father. She is neither virginal nor uncomplicated in her sexual history. 4/6

At the approximate time of her debut, “women represented only 7.5% of the faculty in physical sciences and less than 1% in engineering” (Dearman & Plisko, 1979). In this sense, Moira was an anomaly just as a female scientist. 3/6

In her 1975 essay “American SF and the Other,” legendary author Ursula Le Guin notes that SF tends to represent female scientists as “old-maid scientists de-sexed by hypertrophy of the intellectual organs” Moira debuted in UXM #96, in December of that same year. 2/6

In her portrayal of a female scientist, Moira MacTaggert operates against the grain of media norms of the time that have been said to restrict women’s access to the STEM fields by perpetuating perceptual barriers about femininity and the hard sciences. #xmen 1/6

Frank Miller’s back-catalogue is littered with the conversion of pre-existing characters into samurai, and just as with Daredevil and Batman, the effect of this conversion on Wolverine was enormous and creatively productive in ways that are still unfolding today. 7/7

Symbolically, the pursuit of honour maps nicely to Logan’s pursuit of a gentler way, while the aspects of duty and loyalty speak to his profound relationship with the X-Men as a collective, and the extent to which being a part of that team means everything to him. 6/7

What the samurai (or more specifically, the ronin or bushido) mythology offer Wolverine that cowboys do not, however, is an ability to integrate concepts of honour, duty and loyalty in a way that the cowboy mythology doesn’t account for as easily. 5/7

Due to similarity, the shift from emphasis on cowboy to samurai mythology is pretty easily executed (as evident by many great Westerns based on Samurai movies). Thus the transition from cowboy to samurai is easily accepted in Wolverine’s case. 4/7

We can also throw the sword and sorcery barbarian tales into that same pot, a genre that Wolverine stories also sometimes draw from, but let’s avoid complicating this more than necessary and just focus on the two for now. 3/7

Cowboy and Samurai mythology share a few key attributes, most notably, a symbolic engagement with a specifically masculine nostalgia that offers a lament for the old ways in the face of a modernizing world that has no place for them. 2/7

With the help of Frank Miller in the 1982 Wolverine mini-series, Claremont aligned Wolverine’s character with samurai mythology (on top of the previous cowboy association), a decision that greatly altered and advanced Logan toward new storytelling horizons. #xmen #wolverine 1/7

In this, Claremont’s X-Men empowers marginalized readers to feel the frustrations created by social inequity, rather than encouraging some variation of noble suffering for the sake of subservience. X-Men preaches tolerance, but also clearly understands the toll that takes. 10/10

The portrayal of weariness and frustration in X-Men represents an important evolution of the series’ heroic paradigm, one that enhances the relatability of the characters to an audience that feels marginalized yet are often taught to never let that frustration show. 9/10

Perhaps this idea is most directly explored through Magneto, however, and his struggle to see X’s cause as noble, despite constant reminders of how hated mutants are, how unappreciated. This makes his turn at the end of the run all the more disheartening. 8/10

We see this exhaustion manifest in a number of characters, such as in Storm’s hardening of her character in order to lead effectively, or Rachel’s frustrated turn to a murder attempt, or even Wolverine’s accelerating death wish. 7/10

The cultivation of this theme separates the X-Men from self-interest in compelling (and perhaps realistic) ways, accelerating their heroism to the level of true altruism, whilst portraying a society that is blinded by prejudice. 6/10

This leads Claremont to further develop the theme of ingratitude, of suffering heroically without karmic reward. Some characters express this more than others in the run: they don’t all suffer equally, but all of them suffer. 5/10

This idea builds quite directly on earlier themes of X-Men comics, but takes it a step further by exploring the mental and emotional toll of bigotry and the exhaustion of walking the righteous path in spite of that. 4/10

“Because they’re outsiders trying to fit in and getting no credit for all the good that they do but not losing faith in the struggle. Still determined that the goal is worth the effort and the sacrifice. And that has a resonance.” 3/10

In a recent interview, Claremont asks: “Over the last thirty-five years, how many people of extraordinarily varied persuasions have come up and said, “The X-Men speak to me”? I’m gay, I’m black, I’m Asian, I’m an immigrant. Why?” 2/10

In advancing the X-Men theme of protecting a world that hates and fears them, Claremont cultivates the idea of mental and spiritual exhaustion for his marginalized group, as a result of their desire to contribute to a society despite being excluded from it. #xmen 1/10

All combined, the series has too many characters to juggle and too much story to explore for such a confined space, but such is the burden of most crossover events, and Claremont still finds room to add some nuance and character work in the midst of that chaos. 9/9

We also get an interesting bit of an insight from the empathic Raven, who reads the auras of the various X-Men and reflects on the purity of Storm’s spirit in contrast to the abysmal darkness of Wolverine’s. 8/9

The key scene in all of this is the Phoenix force inhabiting Cyclops, (not his last time hosting it), and essentially self-destructing through recognition of its inferiority to what the original was, a recognition spurred by Scott’s enduring love for Jean. 7/9

C also takes another opportunity to add hindsight pathos to the Dark Phoenix Saga. The Phoenix we get is a flawed recreation, but still shows glimpses of the original, still affects the X-Men profoundly (re-opening old wounds) and still dies tragically. 6/9

In this, the series moves beyond simple fan service, though there’s a whole lot of fan service here. We get: Wolverine vs Deathstroke; Kitty flirting with Beast Boy; Starfire kissing Colossus; Robin & Cyclops co-leading; Darkseid teaming with Dark Phoenix, and more. 5/9

Claremont’s character work with the Titans shows C’s in-depth knowledge and appreciation for Wolfman’s roster. C is able to find the character’s distinct voices, for the most part, and speak to the various themes that define each Titan’s character. 4/9

Simonson’s work on the series is exceptional, combining his own dynamic style with the looks of both Kirby’s New Gods and Perez’s New Teen Titans, and thus providing something of a glimpse at the cosmic Asgard adventures he’d be producing on Thor one year later. 3/9