ATLANTIS ATTACKS!
Posted: Sat Jul 20, 2013 9:34 am
The 1989 Annual crossover Atlantis Attacks is a mess. Here’s a handy reference of the chapters with a Namor sub-plot and the appearing Brides of Set noted:
SS@ 2 (Chapter 1)
IM@ 10 (Chapter 2) (Namor “dies”)
UX@ 13 (Chapter 3) (Storm)
ASM@ 23 (Chapter 4) (She-Hulk)
PUN@ 2 (Chapter 5)
PPTSS@ 9 (Chapter 6) (Dagger)
DD@ 5 (Chapter 7)
A@ 18 (Chapter 8) (Invisible Woman, Scarlet Witch, She-Hulk)
NM@ 5 (Chapter 9)
XF@ 4 (Chapter 10) (Andromeda, Marvel Girl)
WOSM@ 5 (Chapter 11) (Invisible Woman)
AWC@ 4 (Chapter 12) (Andromeda, Dagger, Invisible Woman, Marvel Girl, Scarlet Witch, She-Hulk, Storm)
T@ 14 (Chapter 13) (Andromeda, Dagger, Invisible Woman, Marvel Girl, Scarlet Witch, She-Hulk, Storm)
FF@ 22 (Chapter 14) (Namor revealed as alive; Andromeda, Dagger, Invisible Woman, Marvel Girl, Scarlet Witch, She-Hulk, Storm)
An adult Storm appears in Atlantis Attacks. Storm is captured by Nanny and the Orphan-Maker in UX 246-248 (’89) and de-aged; she’s not re-aged until the X-Tinction Agenda (UX 270-272, ’90-91), so Atlantis Attacks has to happen before UX 246. UX 256-258 (’89-90) are Acts of Vengeance tie-ins.
Atlantis Attacks (adult Storm) -> UX 246 (de-aged Storm) -> UX 256 (AoV)
New Mutants #78 and X-Factor #43 happen concurrently; this is when X-Factor goes into space and the New Mutants kids go to Asgard. New Mutants Annual #5 (Atlantis Attacks) directly reference New Mutants #87 and X-Factor #43 (NM@ 5 happens between pages of NM 87 while X-Factor is in space), and New Mutants #88 and X-Factor #51 happen concurrently; this is when X-Factor returns from space. Marvel Girl appears in Atlantis Attacks in XF@ 4, so XF@ 4 (Atlantis Attacks) happens after X-Factor returns from space.
After XF@ 4, both Marvel Girl and an adult Storm appear in AWC@ 4, T@ 14 & FF@ 22 (all Atlantis Attacks).
NM 78 ~ XF 43 (X-Factor goes into space, kids go to Asgard) -> NM 87 ~ NM@ 5 (Atlantis Attacks, kids return from Asgard) -> NM 88 ~ XF 51 (X-Factor returns from space) -> XF@ 4 (Atlantis Attacks) -> AWC@ 4, T@ 14 & FF@ 22 (Marvel Girl, adult Storm, Atlantis Attacks)
Putting the two chains together, we get:
NM 78 ~ XF 43 (X-Factor goes into space, kids go to Asgard) -> NM 87 ~ NM@ 5 (Atlantis Attacks, kids return from Asgard) -> NM 88 ~ XF 51 (X-Factor returns from space) -> XF@ 4 (Atlantis Attacks) -> AWC@ 4, T@ 14 & FF@ 22 (Marvel Girl, adult Storm, Atlantis Attacks) -> UX 246 (de-aged Storm) -> UX 256 (AoV)
Avengers Spotlight #26 is the start of Acts of Vengeance (Loki causes a breakout at the Vault). This is referenced as in the past in New Mutants #84 (where Loki is BTS; Loki has Tinkerer send Vulture his wings, revealed in NM 86).
Adding this to the chain, we get:
NM 78 ~ XF 43 (X-Factor goes into space, kids go to Asgard) -> NM 86 (after NM 84, which is after ASPOT 26, so AoV) -> NM 87 ~ NM@ 5 (Atlantis Attacks, kids return from Asgard) -> NM 88 ~ XF 51 (X-Factor returns from space) -> XF@ 4 (Atlantis Attacks) -> AWC@ 4, T@ 14 & FF@ 22 (Marvel Girl, adult Storm, Atlantis Attacks) -> UX 246 (de-aged Storm) -> UX 256 (AoV)
This is a little strange, because the New Mutants are is Asgard in NM 78-87 and in UX 253, Moira is worried sick about the missing New Mutants. UX 253 really should be happening during NM 78-87, but whatever. Maybe she just hasn’t heard that they’re back yet.
So we have Acts of Vengeance starts, Atlantis Attacks happens, Acts of Vengeance ends.
Destiny (who appears in NM 78) dies in Uncanny X-Men #255, which is referenced as in the past in New Mutants #86.
NM 78 ~ XF 43 (X-Factor goes into space, kids go to Asgard) -> UX 253 (Moira worried about missing kids) -> UX 255 (Destiny dies, Storm already de-aged) -> NM 86 (after NM 84, which is after ASPOT 26, so AoV) -> NM 87 ~ NM@ 5 (Atlantis Attacks, kids return from Asgard) -> NM 88 ~ XF 51 (X-Factor returns from space) -> XF@ 4 (Atlantis Attacks) -> AWC@ 4, T@ 14 & FF@ 22 (Marvel Girl, adult Storm, Atlantis Attacks) -> UX 246 (de-aged Storm) -> UX 255 (Destiny dies, Storm already de-aged) -> UX 256 (AoV)
Wait, what? How can child-Storm appear in UX 255 before adult-Storm appears in UX@ 13, AWC@ 4, T@ 14, FF@ 22 & UX 246? She can’t, that’s how. But hey! UX 253-255 happen during NM 78-87 now, at least.
OK, more problems:
Avengers Island (or Hydrobase, whatever you want to call it) appears throughout Atlantis Attacks. Avengers Island is destroyed and sunk into the Atlantic in Avengers #311 (and a big deal is made that it’s never rebuilt). A 311 is an Acts of Vengeance tie-in. Captain America #365 starts immediately after Avengers Island is destroyed (A 311) and Namor is put into a coma. Hank Pym revives Namor in Captain America #367, and then Namor appears in the rest of Acts of Vengeance. Namor is believed to be dead by all the heroes throughout Atlantis Attacks (he “dies” in IM @10, everyone is shocked to see him alive in FF@ 22)
Let’s ignore Storm for a moment. If the above chain holds (Acts of Vengeance starts, Atlantis Attacks happens, Acts of Vengeance ends), here’s how it looks for Namor:
A 311 (Avengers Island destroyed) -> CA 365 (Namor in coma) -> CA 367 (Namor revived) -> Atlantis Attacks (Namor “dies” at start, alive at end, Avengers Island intact throughout) -> the rest of Acts of Vengeance (Avengers Island still at the bottom of the Atlantic)
OK, that clearly can’t work either.
Atlantis Attacks REALLY seems like it should happen entirely before Acts of Vengeance, doesn’t it? Namor-plus-Storm-plus-Avengers Island certainly points in that direction at least. So what’s the hold up?
NEW MUTANTS ANNUAL #5, that’s what the hold up is.
Let’s say we ignore the dialogue in NM@ 5 (Ship’s missing , X-Factor’s in space, the kids just got back from Asgard, etc.) that places Atlantis Attacks between pages of New Mutants #87. Where’s Dani in NM@ 5? Who cares? What are the kids talking about? I don’t know; maybe they’re drunk.
Atlantis Attacks (Namor “dies” and comes back, Avengers Island intact, Marvel Girl and adult Storm appear) -> UX 246 (de-aged Storm) -> NM 78 ~ XF 43 (X-Factor goes into space, kids go to Asgard) -> UX 253 (Moira worried about missing kids) -> UX 255 (Destiny dies, Storm already de-aged) -> NM 86 (after NM 84, which is after ASPOT 26, so AoV) -> NM 87 (kids return from Asgard) -> NM 88 ~ XF 51 (X-Factor returns from space) -> UX 256 (more AoV)
Now that looks a lot better.
There’s a precedent for this, by the way. Tigra appears in A@ 18 at a time when she can’t; she’d been shrunk by Hank Pym at the time in Avengers West Coast. John Byrne says this can’t be Tigra, and isn’t Tigra, in the AWC 56 letters page. If we can ignore an appearance by Tigra in A@ 18 then I think we can ignore the dialogue in NM@ 5 that’s WRECKING EVERYTHING.
Thoughts?
SS@ 2 (Chapter 1)
IM@ 10 (Chapter 2) (Namor “dies”)
UX@ 13 (Chapter 3) (Storm)
ASM@ 23 (Chapter 4) (She-Hulk)
PUN@ 2 (Chapter 5)
PPTSS@ 9 (Chapter 6) (Dagger)
DD@ 5 (Chapter 7)
A@ 18 (Chapter 8) (Invisible Woman, Scarlet Witch, She-Hulk)
NM@ 5 (Chapter 9)
XF@ 4 (Chapter 10) (Andromeda, Marvel Girl)
WOSM@ 5 (Chapter 11) (Invisible Woman)
AWC@ 4 (Chapter 12) (Andromeda, Dagger, Invisible Woman, Marvel Girl, Scarlet Witch, She-Hulk, Storm)
T@ 14 (Chapter 13) (Andromeda, Dagger, Invisible Woman, Marvel Girl, Scarlet Witch, She-Hulk, Storm)
FF@ 22 (Chapter 14) (Namor revealed as alive; Andromeda, Dagger, Invisible Woman, Marvel Girl, Scarlet Witch, She-Hulk, Storm)
An adult Storm appears in Atlantis Attacks. Storm is captured by Nanny and the Orphan-Maker in UX 246-248 (’89) and de-aged; she’s not re-aged until the X-Tinction Agenda (UX 270-272, ’90-91), so Atlantis Attacks has to happen before UX 246. UX 256-258 (’89-90) are Acts of Vengeance tie-ins.
Atlantis Attacks (adult Storm) -> UX 246 (de-aged Storm) -> UX 256 (AoV)
New Mutants #78 and X-Factor #43 happen concurrently; this is when X-Factor goes into space and the New Mutants kids go to Asgard. New Mutants Annual #5 (Atlantis Attacks) directly reference New Mutants #87 and X-Factor #43 (NM@ 5 happens between pages of NM 87 while X-Factor is in space), and New Mutants #88 and X-Factor #51 happen concurrently; this is when X-Factor returns from space. Marvel Girl appears in Atlantis Attacks in XF@ 4, so XF@ 4 (Atlantis Attacks) happens after X-Factor returns from space.
After XF@ 4, both Marvel Girl and an adult Storm appear in AWC@ 4, T@ 14 & FF@ 22 (all Atlantis Attacks).
NM 78 ~ XF 43 (X-Factor goes into space, kids go to Asgard) -> NM 87 ~ NM@ 5 (Atlantis Attacks, kids return from Asgard) -> NM 88 ~ XF 51 (X-Factor returns from space) -> XF@ 4 (Atlantis Attacks) -> AWC@ 4, T@ 14 & FF@ 22 (Marvel Girl, adult Storm, Atlantis Attacks)
Putting the two chains together, we get:
NM 78 ~ XF 43 (X-Factor goes into space, kids go to Asgard) -> NM 87 ~ NM@ 5 (Atlantis Attacks, kids return from Asgard) -> NM 88 ~ XF 51 (X-Factor returns from space) -> XF@ 4 (Atlantis Attacks) -> AWC@ 4, T@ 14 & FF@ 22 (Marvel Girl, adult Storm, Atlantis Attacks) -> UX 246 (de-aged Storm) -> UX 256 (AoV)
Avengers Spotlight #26 is the start of Acts of Vengeance (Loki causes a breakout at the Vault). This is referenced as in the past in New Mutants #84 (where Loki is BTS; Loki has Tinkerer send Vulture his wings, revealed in NM 86).
Adding this to the chain, we get:
NM 78 ~ XF 43 (X-Factor goes into space, kids go to Asgard) -> NM 86 (after NM 84, which is after ASPOT 26, so AoV) -> NM 87 ~ NM@ 5 (Atlantis Attacks, kids return from Asgard) -> NM 88 ~ XF 51 (X-Factor returns from space) -> XF@ 4 (Atlantis Attacks) -> AWC@ 4, T@ 14 & FF@ 22 (Marvel Girl, adult Storm, Atlantis Attacks) -> UX 246 (de-aged Storm) -> UX 256 (AoV)
This is a little strange, because the New Mutants are is Asgard in NM 78-87 and in UX 253, Moira is worried sick about the missing New Mutants. UX 253 really should be happening during NM 78-87, but whatever. Maybe she just hasn’t heard that they’re back yet.
So we have Acts of Vengeance starts, Atlantis Attacks happens, Acts of Vengeance ends.
Destiny (who appears in NM 78) dies in Uncanny X-Men #255, which is referenced as in the past in New Mutants #86.
NM 78 ~ XF 43 (X-Factor goes into space, kids go to Asgard) -> UX 253 (Moira worried about missing kids) -> UX 255 (Destiny dies, Storm already de-aged) -> NM 86 (after NM 84, which is after ASPOT 26, so AoV) -> NM 87 ~ NM@ 5 (Atlantis Attacks, kids return from Asgard) -> NM 88 ~ XF 51 (X-Factor returns from space) -> XF@ 4 (Atlantis Attacks) -> AWC@ 4, T@ 14 & FF@ 22 (Marvel Girl, adult Storm, Atlantis Attacks) -> UX 246 (de-aged Storm) -> UX 255 (Destiny dies, Storm already de-aged) -> UX 256 (AoV)
Wait, what? How can child-Storm appear in UX 255 before adult-Storm appears in UX@ 13, AWC@ 4, T@ 14, FF@ 22 & UX 246? She can’t, that’s how. But hey! UX 253-255 happen during NM 78-87 now, at least.
OK, more problems:
Avengers Island (or Hydrobase, whatever you want to call it) appears throughout Atlantis Attacks. Avengers Island is destroyed and sunk into the Atlantic in Avengers #311 (and a big deal is made that it’s never rebuilt). A 311 is an Acts of Vengeance tie-in. Captain America #365 starts immediately after Avengers Island is destroyed (A 311) and Namor is put into a coma. Hank Pym revives Namor in Captain America #367, and then Namor appears in the rest of Acts of Vengeance. Namor is believed to be dead by all the heroes throughout Atlantis Attacks (he “dies” in IM @10, everyone is shocked to see him alive in FF@ 22)
Let’s ignore Storm for a moment. If the above chain holds (Acts of Vengeance starts, Atlantis Attacks happens, Acts of Vengeance ends), here’s how it looks for Namor:
A 311 (Avengers Island destroyed) -> CA 365 (Namor in coma) -> CA 367 (Namor revived) -> Atlantis Attacks (Namor “dies” at start, alive at end, Avengers Island intact throughout) -> the rest of Acts of Vengeance (Avengers Island still at the bottom of the Atlantic)
OK, that clearly can’t work either.
Atlantis Attacks REALLY seems like it should happen entirely before Acts of Vengeance, doesn’t it? Namor-plus-Storm-plus-Avengers Island certainly points in that direction at least. So what’s the hold up?
NEW MUTANTS ANNUAL #5, that’s what the hold up is.
Let’s say we ignore the dialogue in NM@ 5 (Ship’s missing , X-Factor’s in space, the kids just got back from Asgard, etc.) that places Atlantis Attacks between pages of New Mutants #87. Where’s Dani in NM@ 5? Who cares? What are the kids talking about? I don’t know; maybe they’re drunk.
Atlantis Attacks (Namor “dies” and comes back, Avengers Island intact, Marvel Girl and adult Storm appear) -> UX 246 (de-aged Storm) -> NM 78 ~ XF 43 (X-Factor goes into space, kids go to Asgard) -> UX 253 (Moira worried about missing kids) -> UX 255 (Destiny dies, Storm already de-aged) -> NM 86 (after NM 84, which is after ASPOT 26, so AoV) -> NM 87 (kids return from Asgard) -> NM 88 ~ XF 51 (X-Factor returns from space) -> UX 256 (more AoV)
Now that looks a lot better.
There’s a precedent for this, by the way. Tigra appears in A@ 18 at a time when she can’t; she’d been shrunk by Hank Pym at the time in Avengers West Coast. John Byrne says this can’t be Tigra, and isn’t Tigra, in the AWC 56 letters page. If we can ignore an appearance by Tigra in A@ 18 then I think we can ignore the dialogue in NM@ 5 that’s WRECKING EVERYTHING.
Thoughts?