Imperial Guard #14

The Imperial Guard #14 (October, 1977)
title: "Where No X-Man Has Gone Before!"
writer: Chris Claremont
penciller: Dave Cockrum
inker: Dan Green
colorist: Andy Yanchus
letterer: Joe Rosen
editor: Archie Goodwin
covers: Dave Cockrum, Art Adams (variant)

reviewer: Russell "Bilingual Boy" Burbage

Mission Monitor Board: 
Astra, Electron, Fang, Gladiator, Hobgoblin, Impulse, Midget, Nightside, Magique, Mentor, Oracle, Quasar, Starbolt, Smasher, Tempest, Titan

Guest Star(s):
Majestor D'Ken, Eric the Red

Opponent:
Majestrix Lilandra, alien groups The Ex-Men and the Fatal Four

 The Imperial Guard is summoned to a nondescript asteroid to help protect Majestor D'Ken from his traitorous sister, Majestrix Lilandra. Unknown to the Guardsmen, Lilandra has summoned a group of super-beings from Earth to aide her in her revolution against her brother: the Ex-Men! 

They attack ferociously, taking out Mentor and Hobgoblin almost immediately. 

Their feral member, Wolverine, is able to take-out Fang and due to Starbolt having incinerated HIS uniform, steals Fang's. 

The others are on the ropes while Gladiator, Nightside, and Impulse protect Majestor D'Ken. 

When faced with just the mutant team from Earth, the Imperial Guard appears to have the advantage (sixteen members versus seven Ex-Men).  

When the Guardsmen' worst enemies arrive, however, their powers are such that the balance shifts. Working together, the Ex-Men and the Fatal Four are able to defeat the Imperial Guard! 

They then work with Majestrix Lilandra as she attempts to usurp power using the awesome power of the M'Krann Crystal. To Be Continued---!  (in the pages of Legendary X-Men #37) 

It was a stroke of genius for Marvel to link the then-unknown Imperial Guard with the up-and-coming X-Men. Using the Marvel Mutants as special guests in this cross-over with a springboard for their revived series, the Imperial Guard became the "next big thing" and was able to maintain their popularity for more than eight years. Co-creators Chris Claremont and Dave Cockrum were at their best here, giving almost all of the characters their moments to shine.

I suppose I should complain that Fang doesn't get treated very well here, though. Not only does he get beaten by the third-rate copy, he gets his uniform stolen! And of all the Imperial Guards, Electron, Magique and Midget get the least amount of screen time. 

Long-time fans will also note that Starbolt calls Oracle "the woman he loves" when, of course, Tempest and Oracle are a couple and have been since the day they formed the Imperial Guard with Electron waaay back in Amazing Adventures #247. But with a cast of sixteen full-time members and a brand-new editor (the multi-talented Archie Goodwin), I guess mistakes like that are to be expected. Look for the three of them to address this editorial mistake in a fun little scene a few issues from now.

The art is, of course, the best part of the issue. Gladiator is drawn especially heroically; as is Smasher. Dave Cockrum clearly has a soft-spot in his heart for his creation, Impulse, who gets a whole page to himself against the human Cyclops. Unfortunately for The Imperial Guard, though, after completing the work on this issue Dave Cockrum left Marvel due to an argument about not getting the original artwork for the two-page spread returned to him. He went to DC, where he knew no one, and ended up overseeing their successful Blackhawks' revival.

Science Police Notes:  

• Eric the Red makes a cameo appearance here as one of the personal body-guards of Majestor D'Ken. He of course turned down membership in the Imperial Guard back in Amazing Adventures #98. 
• Hobgoblin's normal purple uniform is inexplicably colored green throughout this story. 

Status: 
This issue has been reprinted in Classic X-Men #14, Marvel Masterworks Vol 12 (Uncanny X-Men Vol 2), Essential X-Men TPB, and Uncanny X-Men Omnibus Vol 1. 

Milestone: 
This is the first re-appearance of the Imperial Guard in a new story after a thirteen year hiatus. Imperial Guard (the series) takes over the the numbering from the series Gladiator, which had made its debut a year before.