X-Men Vol 1 118 | Marvel Database - Fandom

X-Men #118LGY: Uncanny X-Men #118

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X-Men #117	X-Men #119

Marvel Unlimited

Available

Release Date

November 14, 1978

Cover Date

February, 1979

Issue Details

Editor-in-Chief

Jim Shooter

1. "The Submergence of Japan"

Appearances · Synopsis

Writer(s)

Chris ClaremontJohn Byrne

Penciler(s)

John Byrne

Inker(s)

Ric Villamonte

Colorist(s)

Glynis Wein

Letterer(s)

Tom Orzechowski

Editor(s)

Roger Stern

I am Moses Magnum, Master of the Magnum Force! This is my ultimatum, Prime Minister. You have 24 hours to acclaim me sole, absolute ruler of your precious island nation... or, at midnight tomorrow -- I will sink Japan!

—Moses Magnum

Appearing in "The Submergence of Japan"

Featured Characters:

• X-Men
  • Cyclops (Scott Summers)
  • Storm (Ororo Munroe)
  • Wolverine (James "Logan" Howlett)
  • Colossus (Peter Rasputin)
  • Nightcrawler (Kurt Wagner)
  • Banshee (Sean Cassidy)

Supporting Characters:

• Professor X (Charles Xavier)
• Empress Lilandra Neramani
• Mariko Yashida (First appearance)
• Sunfire (Shiro Yoshida)
• Daughters of the Dragon
  • Misty Knight
  • Colleen Wing

Antagonists:

• ⏴ Moses Magnum ⏵
• Moses Magnum's minions
  • Jake (First appearance)
  • Greg (First appearance)
  • Number Three
  • Unnamed others

Other Characters:

• Iron Fist (Danny Rand)
• Crewman of the Jinguchi Maru freighter
  • Matsunaga (First appearance)
  • Captain Hama
• Osama (First appearance)
• Unnamed Japanese civillians
• Prime Minister Takeo Fukuda (First appearance)
• Unnamed Shi'ar lieutenant
• Tadeo (First appearance)
• Agama (First appearance)
• Jean Grey (Mentioned)
• Warren Worthington III (Mentioned)
• Bobby Drake (Mentioned)
• Henry "Hank" McCoy (Mentioned)
• Power Man (Luke Cage) (Mentioned)
• Amaterasu (Invoked)
• Avengers (Mentioned)

Races and Species:

• Humans
• Mutants
• Shi'ar

Realities:

• Earth-616

Locations:

• Earth
  • Asia
    • Japan
      • Honshū
        • Miyago Prefecture (First appearance)
          • Agarashima (First appearance)
            • Yoshida Manor (First appearance)
        • Tokyo (Mentioned)
  • Earth Orbit
  • Drake Passage (Referenced)
  • Antarctica (Referenced)
  • Cairo (Referenced)
  • Kenya (Mentioned)
  • Fort Knox (Mentioned)

Items:

• Ruby-Quartz Sunglasses
• X-Uniforms
• Cyclops' Visor
• Banshee's Wings
• Wolverine's Suit
• Adamantium (on Wolverine's claws)
• Mandroid Armor MK I
• Cerebro (Mentioned)

Vehicles:

• 'Jinguchi Maru'[1] freighter
• Shi'ar spaceship

Synopsis for "The Submergence of Japan"

Continue from last issue...

The X-Men arrive in Japan aboard the ship Jinguchi Maru, where they find that the city Agarashima is ablaze with a great firestorm. The ship cannot dock at port due to the disruption, so the X-Men transport themselves to land. Wolverine reads a local newspaper and relates that most of the city was evacuated in advance of a strange and unnatural earthquake. Cyclops suggests they find their old ally Sunfire and see what they can do to help while at the same time contacting Professor X and letting him know that they are alive.

At that very moment, however, the Professor is aboard a starship en route to the Shi’ar galaxy headed to Lilandra's world, having decided to leave Earth because he believes the X-Men to be dead[2].

In Japan, Storm creates a mist to enable the X-Men to sneak into the Yashida estate. But they are exposed when Sunfire creates a flare. The team is surrounded by soldiers and Sunfire orders them to surrender. There is a short but tense confrontation, which is halted when Misty Knight shows up and tells Sunfire that the Prime Minister wants the X-Men's help.

Meanwhile, a freight truck pulls up near to the Yoshida estate. The driver alerts his partner that they strike at Midnight.

In a conference with Cyclops, the Prime Minister and Colleen Wing, Sunfire demands (in Japanese) that the Prime Minister allow him to deal with the crisis alone and not allow Misty, Colleen or the X-Men to interfere. Despite his angry demands, the Prime Minister does not change his decision much to Sunfire’s chagrin. Unable to follow the conversation, Cyclops searches for a phone to can call Professor, so he can relate that they're still alive and that (as far as he knows) Jean and Hank are dead. Lost in thought about Jean, Cyclops is unaware of Colleen eyeing him while thinking how attractive he is.

Cyclops finds Misty on the phone (to her boyfriend Iron Fist). When Misty is done, Cyclops calls the school and is surprised to find that the phone has been disconnected. When Cyclops tells Banshee that they need to check back on the mansion, he's told that Colleen is looking for him.

Outside the estate, the two truckers unlock their hauler, revealing armored suits.

In the estate’s gardens, Wolverine comes across young Mariko Yashida. The gentle woman is at first frightened by Wolverine's sudden appearance, but she’s made easy by the fact he is able to speak fluent Japanese and knows much about their culture. The two begin to bond when suddenly the palace is struck by another earthquake.

Wolverine takes Mariko to safety as the other X-Men and residents run out of the house. In reality, the house is being attacked by a platoon of soldiers dressed in Mandroid armor. Sunfire leaps to the P.M.’s defense, but is easily knocked out. The X-Men, however, take them out with relative ease, smashing their armor and preventing their escape. Colossus prevents the driver and his partner from escaping in their truck.

In the aftermath of the battle, a hologram of the Mandroid's leader appears, he introduces himself as Moses Magnum and demand that the government of Japan name him the ruler of the country in the next 24 hours or he will use his “magnum force” to sink the island of Japan.

This story is continued next issue...

Notes

• As with last issue, the story here contains an inexplicable lapse in that Misty (who knows Scott is Cyclops and involved with Jean Grey) does not bother to mention that she JUST SAW Jean at the airport en route to Japan. Nor does Cyclops, who knows Misty was Jean's roommate and very close to her, bother to say that Jean is (as far as he knows) dead. At this point, the miscommunication seems to qualify the story as an "idiot plot" (a story that can only work if the characters within it act in ways that would be considered idiotic in real life). To be fair, a reader letter in a future letter column remarked on this point and Claremont conceded that it was a highly unlikely gaffe, but let it go to keep the story (the separation of Scott and Jean) going.
• In this issue, Wolverine reveals that he can speak Japanese. He remarks about having been Japan years earlier when he was "a dumb punk kid."

See Also

• 10 image(s) from X-Men Vol 1 118
• 6 reprint(s) of X-Men Vol 1 118

Links and References

References

1. ↑ Name misspelled as Jinguichi Maru in this story