COMIC DETAILS
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Comic Description:
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X-Men Annual 4 Signature
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Grade:
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9.6
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Page Quality:
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OFF-WHITE TO WHITE
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Certification #:
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1187236009
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Owner:
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Colossus Keck
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SET DETAILS
Owner's Description
Story Title:
Nightcrawler’s Inferno
Staff:
Chris Claremont (writer), John Romita Jr. & Bob McLeod (artists), Tom Orzechowski (letterer), Glynis Wein (colorist), Louise Jones (editor), Jim Shooter (editor-in-chief)
Brief Description:
At a surprise 21st birthday for Nightcrawler, the X-Men are all having a good time, until Kurt is apparently killed by a mysterious gift. Professor Xavier calls in Dr. Strange to see if he can determine any mystical reasons for what happened to Kurt. While examining Kurt, Strange and the X-Men are „visited" by Margali of the Winding Way who attacks the X-Men, capturing Strange, Wolverine, Storm, Colossus and Nightcrawler’s body, bringing them to Hell. After determining that they are in the hell described in Dante’s Inferno, the five heroes make their way through it to solve what happened to Nightcrawler, who is able to walk around freely in this Hell. Minos, the guardian of the gates, hints that Kurt is here because he has committed a horrible crime and when Kurt is thrown from Minos’ castle, Storm flies up to help him. After a difficult aerial battle Storm is knocked out, while Kurt returns to the others. The four remaining men make their way through Hell, while Dr. Strange slowly begins to think that this is not the real Hell, until they finally rescue Storm.
Reaching the final level of Hell, the heroes are greeted by Satan, who Dr. Strange quickly reveals as really Margali. Margali seems confused as to what the X-Men are doing here, until her daughter Jimaine appears, but as Jimaine tells her mother that this was all her doing to try and prevent her from killing the man she loved, Margali imprisons her daughter in ince. Strange and Margali battle, and she reveals that Kurt killed her son. The X-Men try to defend Kurt, until Strange suggests they use the Eye of Agamotto. Margali easily uses Dr. Strange’s tool as if it were her own, and they are all witness to what happened many years ago – that Kurt, Margali’s foster son, and her son Stefan made a pact that Kurt would kill Stefan if he ever became evil, which unfortunately for everyone involved is what happened. Margali returns everyone to the X-Men’s home before apologizing to Kurt and leaving. Jimaine, Kurt’s sister, now free of her prison, reveals this was all her plan to get the X-Men to her mother’s fake Hell to sort everything out before Kurt was really killed. Next, she reveals another blow, that she is also known as Amanda Sefton, Kurt’s girlfriend! Kurt and Amanda reconcile as the X-Men celebrate, Kitty officially joins the team and Dr. Strange decides he must learn more about Margali.
Characters Involved:
Colossus, Nightcrawler, Sprite, Storm, Wolverine, Professor Xavier (All X-Men)
Amanda Sefton / Jimaine Szardos
Dr. Strange
Margali Szardos
Minos, guardian of the gate of Hell, Charon, ferryman , Cerebus, Harpies, and other beasts of Hell (Creatures in Margali’s facsimile Hell)
In Flashback
Nightcrawler (as a boy and grown-up)
Jimaine Szardos (as a child and grown-up)
Margali Szardos
Stefan Szardos (as a boy and grown-up)
Story Notes:
First appearance of Margali Szardos who is Amanda Sefton’s mother and Nightcrawler’s foster mother.
This issue presumably takes place between Uncanny X-Men #138 (after Cyclops took a sabbatical in the wake of Phoenix’s death) and #139 (when Kitty officially joins the team and Wolverine displays a new costume)
Dr. Strange fought for the lovely Clea’s life in Doctor Strange (2nd series) #16.
Jimaine first appeared as Amanda Sefton in Uncanny X-Men #98 where soon after she began a relationship with Kurt.
Dr. Strange does in fact met Margali again, when she sends Amanda to petition to be Strange’s new disciple, though he was not in search of one. After battling Margali again, Strange reveals that Margali’s wand played a part in corrupting her, before Amanda and her mother helped him find out who spread the word he was seeking a new disciple. [Doctor Strange (second series) #57,58]
The names Minos, Cerebus, and Charon are all derived from mythological Greek beings. Though Minos was actually a king whose wife Pasiphaie mated with a bull, and gave birth to the Minotaur, while Charon and Cerebus are as they were depicted in this story.
A towering figure of world literature, the Florentine poet Dante Alighieri is best known for his allegorical work La Divina Commedia (The Divine Comedy), which traces his imaginary journey through hell, purgatory, and heaven during which he encounters historical and mythological creatures, each symbolic of a particular fault or virtue. Dante’s Divine Comedy is one of the great works of world literature.
Dante's realms are subdivided: in the case of the Inferno, it is composed of nine levels, the vestibule makes a tenth.
In the Inferno, sinners are organized by three vices -- Incontinence, Violence, and Fraud -- and further subdivided by the seven deadly sins.
The only one capable of opening the gate of the city of Dis is Christ.
There are accounts that Mystique tossed Kurt from the cliff [X-Men Unlimited #4; Uncanny X-Men # 428] while here it says Margali found Kurt with his dying mother.
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