The Uncanny X-Men #145
☆ Be the first to review + Add to your collection — Join freeUncanny X-Men #145 is the opening chapter of the 'Kidnapped!' trilogy — the first major story arc of Dave Cockrum's second run on the title, which began immediately after John Byrne's celebrated departure. Beyond its place in the creative handoff, the issue delivers two genuine firsts: it is the first time Illyana Rasputina is given her name on-panel, a small moment that planted the seed for one of the 1980s X-Men's most consequential characters (future Magik), and it establishes the initial meeting between Storm and Doctor Doom, a pairing whose mutual fascination would echo across decades of Marvel storytelling. The issue also introduces Miss Locke, Arcade's ruthless personal assistant, who drives the story's blackmail plot and would recur throughout the Bronze Age X-Men. Sitting just months after the Dark Phoenix Saga and Days of Future Past, the issue captures a title in transition — still trading on the enormous dramatic momentum of the Claremont/Byrne era while charting a new creative direction.
In "Kidnapped!", the X-Men face a desperate mission when Dr. Doom captures Arcade, prompting Miss Locke to strike back by taking the team’s loved ones hostage. With Xavier calling in Havok, Polaris, and Iceman, Storm, Wolverine, Colossus, Angel, and Nightcrawler infiltrate the temporary Castle Doom in upstate New York, while the others race toward Murderworld. As Storm is unexpectedly treated as a guest by Victor, Arcade joins the fray—more ally than captive—while Doom’s fury turns deadly when he encases Storm in metal and turns his sights on the rest of the team. Written by Chris Claremont and illustrated by Dave Cockrum with inks by Joe Rubinstein, the cover by Cockrum and Rubinstein captures the tension of a team pushed to their limits.
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John Byrne left Uncanny X-Men abruptly after issue #143, and Marvel turned to Dave Cockrum — the co-creator who had launched the new X-Men lineup alongside Claremont in 1975 — to fill the vacancy. According to Cockrum's own account, his interest in returning was rekindled while working on a separate Marvel Fanfare story; he called Claremont on a Saturday to express his willingness to come back, and that following Monday Byrne announced his own departure, making the transition seamless. The title arrived at #145 having just lost its penciller/co-plotter, its longtime inker Terry Austin, and with a new editor (Louise Jones Simonson) freshly in place — a period during which the creative team was, by most accounts, finding its footing in the long shadow of the Phoenix and Days of Future Past storylines. Claremont wrote Doom's characterization as the genuine article, but John Byrne — who had moved to Fantastic Four — was so bothered by the portrayal that he retroactively declared the Doom of this arc to be a faulty Doombot in FF #258, a retcon editor-in-chief Jim Shooter confirmed Claremont neither approved nor was consulted about.
Trivia · 8 facts
- Published May 1981 (cover date); released February 17, 1981. Written by Chris Claremont, penciled by Dave Cockrum, inked by Josef Rubinstein, colored by Glynis Wein, lettered by Joe Rosen; edited by Louise Jones and Danny Fingeroth under editor-in-chief Jim Shooter.
- Marks Dave Cockrum's return as the series' regular penciller after more than 30 consecutive issues penciled by John Byrne — the title's only penciller change in its entire post-reprint history up to that point.
- First issue of the three-part 'Kidnapped!' arc (continuing in #146–147), in which Miss Locke coerces the X-Men into rescuing Arcade from Doctor Doom by holding their loved ones — including Moira MacTaggert, Amanda Sefton, Jean Grey's parents, and Illyana Rasputin — hostage in Murderworld.
- First time Illyana Rasputina (Colossus's little sister, future Magik) is given her name on-panel. She had appeared silently in Giant-Size X-Men #1 (1975) but remained unnamed for six years.
- First meeting of Storm and Doctor Doom, with Claremont depicting a palpable mutual attraction between them; this relationship is later referenced in Fantastic Four vs. the X-Men (1987) and other stories.
- The Doctor Doom depicted in this arc was later retconned by John Byrne (in Fantastic Four #258) to be a malfunctioning Doombot — a creative decision Claremont did not approve; Uncanny X-Men #197 subsequently validates the retcon.
- Professor X reassembles reserve X-Men — Havok, Polaris, Iceman, and Banshee — for the two-pronged rescue operation; Kitty Pryde (Sprite) is sidelined throughout the arc with the flu, a storytelling choice Cockrum reportedly made because he was still figuring out how to write the character.
- Reprinted in Essential X-Men Vol. 3 (2001/2010, collects #145–161 and Annuals 3–5) and in the Doctor Doom: The Book of Doom Omnibus (2022 oversize hardcover).
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Reprints
Reprinted in The Mighty World of Marvel #5 (1983), Spécial Strange #37 (1984), Superaventuras Marvel #48 (1986), Die Gruppe X #9 (1987), Die Gruppe X #14 (1989), L'Uomo Ragno #28 (1989), L'Uomo Ragno #29 (1989), X-Men Classic #49 (1990), X-Men Saga #19 (1995), Essential X-Men #3 (1998), X-Men : l'intégrale #1981 (2004), Marvel Masterworks: The Uncanny X-Men #6 (2008), Essential X-Men #3 [Second Edition] (2010), Marvel Gold. La Imposible Patrulla-X #3 (2012), The Uncanny X-Men Omnibus #2 (2014), Marvel's Mightiest Heroes #120 (2017), X-Men Epic Collection #8 (2021), De X-Mannen #13, La Patrulla-X #7, Les mystérieux X-Men #53/54
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