Cage! and 1979 X-Men

[Leoparis]

I'm doing a new analysis from scratch:

Synopsis:
#1
"1977 New York. City of big buildings, big shoes, big shirts and big crime."
Misty Knight is late at the restaurant and Cage goes to look for her at the police station.
The heroes around town have been disappearing. Luke goes to Misty's apartment where he's attacked by Cyclops "Where is Jean Grey?" Cage "She moved out months ago!"
Note from 70s Tom referring to X-Men 137.
Nightcrawler and Wolverine arrive, "Scott!!! Jean's gone! She's gone!" Wolverine is drawn in the costume from X 139 but the colors are ambiguous.
Cage is attacked by old villains, flees and is KOed by unidentified adversaries.

#2
He escapes from his captors' boat, swims to a tropical island where he goes through a psychedelic episode.

#3
He wakes up captive with Brother Voodoo, Dazzler, Iron Fist, Misty, Ghost Rider and Black Panther. They have to face anthropomorphic animals in a martial arts tournament. Misty and Danny lose. Cage wins.

#4
Cage keeps winning. Dazzler, Brother Voodoo, Ghost Rider lose. Cage wins the final bout versus Dr. Soos.
In New York a few days later, a party is organized for Cage: Hawkeye, Colossus, Scarlet Witch, Spider-Man, Captain America, Iron Fist, Dr. Strange, Black Goliath, Moondragon, Mr. Fantastic, Iron Man, Misty, Human Torch, Beast next to Cyclops, Invisible Girl, Brother Voodoo, Thing.

Analysis:
The story, the setting, the "1977" date, the signature on the note "70s Tom" are consistent with the period. The characters on the island are typical 1970s tropes: blaxploitation, kung fu craze, disco, horror, stunt riders.

The reference to X 137 sent the placement to 1982, after Cyclops returned to the X-Men. This 1982 placement doesn't fit Moondragon, who was traveling in space with Drax, nor Black Goliath (going by Giant-Man since 1979).

Cage does not know Jean Grey is dead, only that she moved out, which she did in X 117, Jan 79. Scott attacking Cage is odd as they teamed up in PMIF 57, Jun 79. Once Scott has reunited with Jean, he knows she's left the apartment and has no reason to go there, especially in 1982, once he got involved with Lee Forrester.

As for Wolverine's costume, the colorist made the shoulders bluish, possibly trying to correct an art error.

The missing heroes comment echoes late 1970s storylines such as the capture of the Avengers by the Collector, the disbanding of the Fantastic Four and the absence of the X-Men from NYC between X 111, Jun 78, and X 120, Apr 79.

Early 1979 is a much more sound placement, before MTIO 55, Sep 79, where Bill Foster adopts the look and the name of Giant-Man. Preferably right after 121, May 79, as Scott has been in denial (cf. X 114 & 118) and checking Jean's apartment on his return to NY is a natural expectation.

The last page with Beast and Cyclops together at the party needs to happen after X 125, Sep 79, where they find out the other is alive and after X 129, Jan 80, page 6 because there's no break for a party in NY. For that reason placing Cage! just before X 125 is also possible. (The X-Men stay for a few days in Scotland.)

Dazzler is not at the party so this doesn't mess the X-Men finding out about her in X 130, Feb 80.

Claremont is careful to keep the X-Men adventures abroad or confidential so as to keep their continued existence secret from Jean and Hank. But Hank has some public interventions in A 182-184, Apr-Jun 79, MTIO 51, May 79, A 190-191, Dec 79-Jan 80, MTU 90, Feb 80, which should have reached the X-Men. The more of those can be placed after X 125, the better.

[StrayLamb]

Here's a link to the previous discussion.

The missing heroes comment echoes late 1970s storylines such as the capture of the Avengers by the Collector, the disbanding of the Fantastic Four and the absence of the X-Men from NYC between X 111, Jun 78, and X 120, Apr 79.

I'm pretty sure the missing heroes reference is self-contained within the frame of the story. It's refering to the other heroes who are captured along with Cage. At the end, the newspaper Cage is using to keep the rain off reports on the heroes' return.

The reference to X 137 sent the placement to 1982, after Cyclops returned to the X-Men. This 1982 placement doesn't fit Moondragon, who was traveling in space with Drax, nor Black Goliath (going by Giant-Man since 1979).

Personally, i'm not convinced this shouldn't be placed straight after UX 137, as per the editorial footnote. For me, the whole situation with Cyclops clearly being psychologically disturbed over the death of Phoenix takes precedence over misdrawn costumes. There's not really anything preventing Moondragon from appearing at this point in time, between A 181 & DEF 76. The situation with Cyclops in Cage! adds impetus to the X-Men taking Scott out to the desert in BICM/W. I would place the party in CAGE! 4 (21 - 22) between this and Jean's funeral in UX 138.

Part of the problem is that we all have their own favorite place for CAGE!, based on the priorities each of us places on certain aspects of the story.

[Leoparis]

I was aware of that first analysis and had cast my doubts earlier. The more I looked at it, the more I revised that post until I thought an organized formal review was preferable.

There is an unmistakable 1970s tone to that story. You will note I used "echoes" not "refers to." I'm pointing at the visible intention to evoke the late 70s. The presence of Moondragon and Black Goliath are not mistakes but characters from that time period.

Cyclops can just as well be disturbed over the death of Jean he believed happened in X 114. He demonstrated a denial unshared by his teammates and even explains it to Jean in X 129. By X-Men 137 this is the third time he experienced a death of Jean (X 101, 114, 137) and has learned how to cope better.

I'm disappointed by the comment about having a favorite place. I never start with a preconceived idea. I just make an inventory of all the elements and then note the contradictions and then see which can be explained or glossed over.

In my inventory, there are two elements against my conclusion: the editorial note referring to X-Men 137 and Wolverine's costume.

Both of these are undermined. Brevoort's note intradiegetically contradicts the 1977 date and 1970s theme from the author and extradiegetically Tom himself signs as "70s Tom." You and I recently agreed against the editorial note in Magneto Vol 3. Just as there are misdrawn costumes, there are erroneous notes.

Wolverine's shoulders are colored blue and the colors do not match the brown costume. (Which also shows that I don't make determinations primarily on costume mistakes.)

Elements leading to my conclusion:
1977 date & 1970s era (big shoes, big shirts)
1970s trends (kung fu, disco, blaxploitation)
"70s Tom"
Scott showing up at Jean's apartment (post X 129, he knows she moved out)
Cage saying she moved out months ago (rather than "she died") (cf. X 117)
Scott and Cage not recognizing each other (first team-up in PMIF 57, Jun 79)
Scott's denial matching his previous lack of grief X 114 & 118
Moondragon's presence on Earth with Avengers (cf. A 181, Mar 79)
Black Goliath

In order to place it after X 137, you have to ignore the 70s clues, imagine that Scott is so disturbed he forgot Jean had moved out & who Cage was, figure Cage ignores Jean died, and dismiss Black Goliath. But in X 137-138 we don't see such signs from Cyclops. In X 137 he knew they were facing death, they had the time to exchange words, he sees her die and examines rationally the events leading to her death. In X 138 "I'm alone--but that doesn't bother me anymore."

Based on that review, I identified two likely places:
a. on their arrival from Canada after X 121 (they're still in costume, being back in NYC causes a mental breakdown as there are too many memories, Scott goes straight to Jean's apartment).
b. before X 125 the X-Men are in Scotland during the days when Cage was brought to the tropical island.

I will figure out the revised listings at a later date to complete this review. But I'm not adverse to anyone proposing post X 137 placements as any attempt to move out of the current 1982 placement is worthwhile

[Russ Chappell]

There is an unmistakable 1970s tone to that story. You will note I used "echoes" not "refers to." I'm pointing at the visible intention to evoke the late 70s.

Elements leading to my conclusion:
1977 date & 1970s era (big shoes, big shirts)
1970s trends (kung fu, disco, blaxploitation)
"70s Tom"
Scott showing up at Jean's apartment (post X 129, he knows she moved out)
Cage saying she moved out months ago (rather than "she died") (cf. X 117)
Scott and Cage not recognizing each other (first team-up in PMIF 57, Jun 79)
Scott's denial matching his previous lack of grief X 114 & 118
Moondragon's presence on Earth with Avengers (cf. A 181, Mar 79)
Black Goliath

In order to place it after X 137, you have to ignore the 70s clues,

To an extent, I think the Directors have an obligation to protect the integrity of the Project.

If an editorial footnote specifically says the story takes place after X 137, and we place it before that, at some point in the future, someone's going to point out that discrepancy. If our defense is "Well, it just feels like a 1970's story, because of the kung fu, and the disco, and the blaxploitation," that's weak sauce.

The Project can override Marvel if Marvel is wrong, but changing what Marvel says because we disagree with it is a slippery slope, one that practically begs Brevoort to say publicly, "They're just a fan site; that doesn't mean anything." It would be nice to have a much better reason, before we override Brevoort, or any editor.

*we = not the editorial we; just "we" as in everybody here at the Project.

[StrayLamb]

Part of the problem is that we all have their own favorite place for CAGE!, based on the priorities each of us places on certain aspects of the story.

I'm disappointed by the comment about having a favorite place. I never start with a preconceived idea. I just make an inventory of all the elements and then note the contradictions and then see which can be explained or glossed over.

That was in no way implied to be a criticism of your methodology or conclusions. I clearly included myself in the "we."

[dimadick]

There's not really anything preventing Moondragon from appearing at this point in time, between A 181 & DEF 76.

The nature of Moondragon's appearance in DEF 76 implies that she was already on Earth. Hellcat calls for help, and Moondragon immediately responds and arrives to join the battle.

[dimadick]

Claremont is careful to keep the X-Men adventures abroad or confidential so as to keep their continued existence secret from Jean and Hank. But Hank has some public interventions in A 182-184, Apr-Jun 79, MTIO 51, May 79, A 190-191, Dec 79-Jan 80, MTU 90, Feb 80, which should have reached the X-Men. The more of those can be placed after X 125, the better.

*A 182 has the Avengers fighting Django Maximoff in the Bowery neighborhood. Nothing that would attract much publicity. A 183-184 feature them in combat against the Absorbing Man.
*MTIO 51 has the Avengers and the Thing defending SHIELD from an attack by General Pollock. Beast narrates a tale about rescuing the X-Men from Mesmero, in reference to X-Men #111.
*In A 190, the Avengers defend the nature of their activities in a Senate hearing. Plenty of publicity, with "a mob of reporters" turning up. The hearing is interrupted for a battle against the Grey Gargoyle, and Daredevil decides to help the Avengers.
*A 191 continues the battle with the Grey Gargoyle, who learns that his apartment has a new tenant. The Senate committee rules in favor of the Avengers, and Henry Gyrich is no longer able to control the team through his regulations.
*MTU 90 has the Beast and Spider-Man joining forces against the Killer Shrike and the Modular Man. The heroes kill the Modular Man, though they find the experience disturbing. There is a subplot that Beast is surrounded by "adoring coeds" at the Empire State University, and that Cissy Ironwood (Peter Parker's current love interest) is one of the Beast's female admirers. Spidey is envious because the Beast is far more popular with the ladies than Spider-Man. Reflecting the Beast's celebrity status in this period.