Carol Danvers' Binary has a Small Cameo: Uncanny X-Men Vol 1 #201 – January, 1986
Uncanny X-Men Vol 1 #201: "Duel"
Carol Danvers' Binary has a very small role in this issue.
After the events of the previous issue of "Uncanny X-Men," the X-Men return home. They find out that Madelyne Pryor had given birth to a baby. The father, Cyclops - Scott Summers, didn't even know and wasn't there for the happy event. The X-Men are having a blast teasing each other and tackling and tickling one another.
Pryor wants to talk to Storm, so she leaves her baby boy with Kitty Pryde. They talk about Pryor's health and Storm confirms that Charles won't be coming back, and that Magneto wants to take his place. Then Pryor gets into a rage. She explains that she was hoping that she and Scott will have a happy ending as a family. But he felt obligated to return to the X-Men to save Storm from Asgard, so she returned with him and he left. But, then they showed up in Paris and everyone called her, everyone expect her husband. Storm comforts her and explains that Scott does love her, but in his privet manner. But Pryor wants proof, Storms words are not enough.
Meanwhile, Kitty and Rachel bond with the baby. Rachel is technically this baby's older sister, though only Kitty knows that. Older sister from the future in a different timeline, that kind of comic book stuff.
Scott is outside mopping. I mean he is happy, but he cannot be fully happy without the professor.
In a galaxy far far away the Starjammers and their ship are still in trouble. Like the middle issue of Marvel Fanfare Vol 1 #24 didn't exist. Binary flies outside the ship to assess the damage which is pretty bad. They are lucky that the ship isn't breached. Xavier blames himself for the Starjammers' current problematic situation. They have to make repairs so Corsair explains to a much healthier looking Xavier that they can’t make it back to Earth. He is not sure if they ever will be able to return. Xavier is worried about the X-Men and Lilandra tells him to stop tormenting himself with thoughts and focus on the now.
Back at the mansion, all of the X-Men are having fun in the sun. Kitty has had enough. She's tired. She walks through the walls into the mansion, where she finds a distressed Sam, Cannonball, from New Mutants, as his computer deleted his work. She fixes his computer and heads to her room to take a shower. On the way she runs into Storm who asks her to use the gym shower. Kitty's room is now being used. In a fight between Pryor and Scott.
They are having a relationship fight. Scott wants to stay and lead the X-Men and Pryor wants them to return to their old life together. He doesn't trust Magneto and Storm has no powers so she cannot lead during a battle. That is his reasoning. He thinks that having a baby changed everything for her, but not for him. That suddenly she won't care about her career or her life. She accuses his of being afraid that the X-Men will be just fine without him and that his self-worth is dependent on them. She is fully committed to him, but she feels that he is not fully committed to her.
Storm walks into the room and announces that a decision must be made. She challenges Scott to a duel in the danger room. Even though she has no powers. Unless he wants to step aside. Despite all of his arguing with Pryor, he decides to accept the challenge. He leaves Pryor and their child behind and follows Storm to the danger room.
They kick the New-Mutants out of the danger room to have it all to themselves. But all of the X-Men, New-Mutants and Magneto are watching. Despite Cyclops' powers, he can't hit Storm who is too fast and agile for him. Wolverine tells everyone that Cyclops' heart is no longer in the role of the X-Men and he is right. Cyclops is totally distracted, he is torn between his commitment to the X-Men and his commitment to Pryor.
Pryor wants Scott to loss and come home with her. But she also wants him to choose her. Losing will only break his heart. Suddenly, a Storm starts out of nowhere.
Storm wins the duel by breaking Scott optic-beam glasses. He believes that because he has lost, there is no more room for him with the X-Men, which is totally not true. He is just no longer their leader.
In the Epilogue Rachel Summers breaks into her grandparents' house with a memory crystal. She manages to fix it, it is like holding her mother at the palm of her hand. She pours her heart and soul and some of her phoenix powers into the crystal. This energy vibrates through the universe to the place where her mother sacrificed herself.
This issue is all about the X-Men. Binary just has a small cameo in which she flies outside the Starjammers' ship to access the damage, as she can fly outside without any oxygen or equipment. Which was impressive the first few times she did it, but now I see that she has no arc of her own and that she is with the Starjammers for no apperant reason other than plot convenience. There is no outer space big adventure for her here. I do not think that she has found her home.
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