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Classic X-Men Vol 1 16

Sean was on his way here, Maeve. He was run off the road. He'll be all right, I think-- but he asked me to come and explain why he couldn't be here. I thought, by keeping, silent, I could turn your heart from him to me. But I reckoned without my own heart. Even though you'll probably hate me for it... I find I cannot lie to you. Even about this. Do you hate me, Maeve, for what I've done?

—Tom Cassidy

Reprint of the 1st story from
X-Men #109

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Reprint of the 1st story from
X-Men #109

The X-Men at last return home after their adventure in the Shi’Ar galaxy. Wolverine is in a hurry to shed Fang’s uniform as he finds the alien fabric distinctly uncomfortable. They are accompanied by Lilandra, who is shown around the school. Phoenix reminisces about a moment that occurred just prior to returning to Earth: a brief conversation with Corsair in which he asked her to never tell Cyclops that he is his father. Phoenix agreed but stated that she feels she is betraying Scott by keeping such a secret from him. Storm, who overheard their conversation, warns Jean about keeping such vital information from the man she loves.

In the present however, Phoenix has a heart-to-heart with her parents. She reveals to them her recent experiences and her new identity as the Phoenix. From a distance, Scott observes them and thinks to himself that Jean now seems like an entirely different person. Nightcrawler sees Scott and tries to break him out of his funk, but Scott snaps at him angrily. Nightcrawler then retorts at how difficult it is being born blue and furry.

The X-Men take a well-deserved day off. Moira tells them of a lake in upstate New York where Charles and she once visited during their courtship. Moira, Sean, Ororo and Peter prepare for an outing. Misanthropic Wolverine elects to tag along in order to do some hunting. Storm is appalled and criticizes him for wishing to kill defenseless animals. Wolverine responds sharply that it "takes no skill to kill..." and that he does not intend to use lethal measures. Storm apologizes, but Wolverine couldn’t care less.

Meanwhile in Canada, James-MacDonald Hudson, an agent of a Canadian government-sponsored defense program (Department H) dons a high-tech battlesuit and becomes Weapon Alpha. He flies to the United States on a mission to capture and retrieve a rogue agent: Wolverine. James and Wolverine have a long history together, and he knows that he will be in for the fight of his life.

At the lake, Storm and Colossus relax on the shore, taking in the sun, while Banshee and Moira play around in the water. Wolverine skulks about the surrounding area, tracking a small deer. Just as he comes in close enough to touch it, Weapon Alpha appears before him. Hudson refers to Wolverine as "Weapon X" and states that he is still the property of the Canadian government. Wolverine has no intention of returning to his former employers. He lunges at Weapon Alpha, slashing at him with his claws. The electromagnetic fields of Hudson's battlesuit protects him, however. He blasts the feisty mutant away with his repulsor weapons, sending him flying through the trees.

Wolverine lands close to the lake and the other X-Men snap to attention. Weapon Alpha engages Peter, who transforms into Colossus and punches him back through the trees. Regaining control of his suit's flight systems, he turns back and unleashes a volley of electro-blasts against Colossus. One of his shots ricochets off of the hero's steel frame and hits Moira. Banshee goes berserk and pummels Weapon Alpha with a concentrated sonic scream. Hudson realizes that he cannot take on Wolverine AND his teammates by himself. Promising a rematch, he flies off and returns to Canada.

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  • Sergeant Damien McLanahan (First appearance)
  • Deputy Charley Sandy (First appearance)

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  • Cassidy Keep's housekeeper

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  • Maeve Rourke's motorcycle

Many years ago:
In Ireland, a police sergeant named Damien McLanahan and a deputy named Charley Sandy stop a young Sean Cassidy on the side of the road. McLanahan mistakenly suspects that Cassidy is running guns to the Irish Republican Army and prepares to take him into custody. Suddenly, a leather-clad woman on a motorcycle speeds by and scoops Sean up before racing down the canyon. McLanahan and Sandy give chase and run the cycle off of a ravine. Sean is forced to use his mutant powers to fly the cyclist and he to safety.

He takes her to Cassidy Keep where he learns that the young woman's name is Maeve Rourke. He introduces her to his brother, Tom Cassidy, and both men begin to vie for Maeve's affections.

Over the span of several months, Maeve dates both Sean and Tom respectively, never promising a commitment to either one. One night, Sean decides to ask Maeve to marry him. He goes to meet up with her, but runs into Sgt. McLanahan. McLanahan runs Sean off the road, greatly injuring him.

Sean survives, but he is greatly injured. He stumbles back to Cassidy Keep where he tells his brother what has transpired. He asks Tom to find Maeve and explain why he cannot show up for their date tonight. Tom takes advantage of the moment and takes Maeve out in Sean’s place. He eventually confesses the truth however, and Maeve is grateful for his earnestness.

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Back cover pinup.

Main Story Notes[]

  • Although it is never mentioned by name in this issue, the Canadian agency that both Weapon Alpha and Wolverine associated with is called Department H.

Dearest Friend Notes[]

  • The final page of this story continues on the inside back cover.
  • First known appearance of Maeve Rourke. Following events from this story, Maeve and Sean eventually get together and have a child named Theresa.
  • This is the first comic book issue where Wolverine is referred to as Weapon-X.
  • Wolverine is still wearing Fang's Imperial Guard costume from X-Men #108 in the beginning of this story.
  • On page 5, Cyclops remarks about how different Jean Grey has become in recent weeks. Originally, writer Chris Claremont intended Jean Grey and the Phoenix to be the same person. It wasn't until years later that it was revealed that the Phoenix entity and the true Jean Grey were completely separate characters. However, Cyclops' dialogue in this issue helps to support the retroactive continuity as it relates to the Phoenix storyline.