The Uncanny X-Men #249
☆ Be the first to review + Add to your collection — Join freeUncanny X-Men #249 marks the first appearance of Whiteout, a new member added to the Savage Land Mutates roster during the celebrated Australia era of Claremont's run — a creative period widely regarded as one of the most emotionally raw and unconventional stretches in X-Men history. The issue deepens the Malice-possessed Polaris subplot that had been building since the Marauders saga, using Polaris's desperate plea for help as the mechanism that pulls a depleted, grieving X-Men squad into a fresh crisis before they've recovered from their recent losses. It sits squarely in the Claremont–Silvestri partnership, which bridged the John Romita Jr. and Jim Lee eras and gave the title its distinctive late-Copper Age visual identity. The issue also continues the serialized deconstruction of the Australia-era roster — Storm and Rogue reduced to flashbacks, Wolverine absent — making it a meaningful structural beat in the slow unraveling of that line-up heading toward 'X-Tinction Agenda.'
In "The Dane Curse," the X-Men face a grim mystery when they bury Storm and are suddenly drawn to Punta Arenas, Chile, by a desperate call from Polaris. With Havok answering her plea and both the X-Men and the Savage Land Mutates converging in a storm of tension, the hunt for Polaris turns into a dangerous confrontation. Written by Chris Claremont and illustrated by Marc Silvestri, with Dan Green’s inks and Glynis Oliver’s colors, this pivotal issue features a cover by Marc Silvestri and Dan Green.
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Written by Chris Claremont and penciled by Marc Silvestri — who had been the book's regular artist since issue #218 in 1987 — the issue was inked by Silvestri's frequent collaborator Dan Green, colored by Glynis Oliver, and lettered by Tom Orzechowski, the same creative unit that defined the look and feel of the Australia era. Edited by Bob Harras and Daryl Edelman under Editor-in-Chief Tom DeFalco, the issue was part of the title's fortnightly summer publishing schedule that Marvel ran from 1988 through 1990, which placed the book on stands in late September/early October 1989. It also contains a backup Dazzler story written by Ann Nocenti, a common feature of the period that allowed writers and artists outside the main team to experiment with supporting cast members.
Trivia · 8 facts
- First appearance of Whiteout, a Savage Land Mutate whose power is the ability to project a blinding flash of white psionic light that temporarily renders opponents unable to see.
- Story title is 'The Dane Curse'; written by Chris Claremont, penciled by Marc Silvestri, inked by Dan Green, colored by Glynis Oliver, lettered by Tom Orzechowski.
- Published October 1989 (cover date); part of the title's fortnightly summer shipping schedule during the Copper Age.
- The plot centers on a weakened Malice — possessing Polaris — contacting the Australian-based X-Men for help, leading the team to Punta Arenas, Chile, where they clash with Zaladane's Savage Land Mutates.
- Storm and Rogue appear only in flashback or as photographs; Wolverine and Longshot are absent from the active roster, reflecting the deliberate thinning of the Australia-era line-up.
- Contains a backup Dazzler story written by Ann Nocenti, with art by Kyle Baker, colors by Glynis Oliver, and letters by Bill Oakley.
- The issue has been reprinted in Marvel Masterworks: The Uncanny X-Men Vol. 17 (2025).
- A Mark Jewelers insert variant of this issue exists, as was common for direct-market comics of the late 1980s distributed to military personnel.
Cast · 23 characters
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Reprints
Reprinted in Spécial Strange #71 (1990), Gli Incredibili X-Men #40 (1993), Essential X-Men #9 (2009), X-Men by Chris Claremont & Jim Lee Omnibus #1 (2012), X-Men Epic Collection #17 (2019), Marvel Masterworks: The Uncanny X-Men #17 (2025), De X-Mannen #93, La Patrulla-X #94, Ryhmä-X #3/1992, X-Men #3/1992
Key issues in The Uncanny X-Men
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