Uncanny X-Men #174 Splash Page by Paul Smith and Bob Wiacek (Marvel 1983)

Splash page from Uncanny X-Men #174 (1983) by Paul Smith and Bob Wiacek. “Romances” was a fun story in which Chris Claremont paused from the breakneck pace of multiple intersecting X-Men storylines to focus on the personal relationships of the characters. Those were heady days in which Claremont wrote the Uncanny X-Men as a veritable soap opera: Scott Summers and Madelyne Pryor’s new romance was about to take an ominous turn. Kitty’s crush on Colossus was blossoming into young love. Princess Lilandra was nursing Professor Xavier back to health after the Brood Saga. Nightcrawler’s relationship with Amanda Sefton was in full swing. And Wolverine was struggling to make sense of why Lady Mariko left him at the altar. Paul Smith’s art was a perfect complement to Chris Claremont’s plot and scrip and their run together on Uncanny X-Men nos. 165-175 remains one of the best in the title’s long history.