Mind Controlling Magik part III: Meanwhile In Between Time.

When we last left Illyana in 1982's Uncanny X-men # 160, she was about to fall prey to Belasco in spite of the X-men's best efforts. She only disappeared for a second or two before Kitty Pryde managed to pull her free from the demon lord Belasco's grasp. However,those scant seconds in Limbo added at least 5 years to little eight year old Illyana's life...

Yeah, Limbo will do that to ya...  An hour of our time could seem like a decade, century or even an instant there. So it would make sense Illyana could have gained all those extra years within the space of a few of our heartbeats. But, what had happened to her in Limbo during that time?

That particular question would be answered in December of 1983 with the release of Magik: Storm and Illyana # 1, a four part limited series by Chris Claremont and John Buscema that set out to tell Illyana's lost years in Limbo. 

In Uncanny X-men # 160, this particular scene ended with Illyana in Kitty's hands... However, Illyana didn't simply hang there for five years before getting pulled out. Belasco actually pulled her in and closed the portal, but the time that took in Limbo was less than a second on Earth. So, this entire series takes place during that brief moment...

Mindboggling, to say the least. Or in the case of Illyana: mind controlling. Belasco had something very special planned for the lil' one.

Ah, yeah, quick reminder, Belasco might seem like a pretty potent baddie all by himself, he was actually a high priest of even badder people known as the Elder Gods. These ancient terrors were ready to invade Earth and Belasco figured Illyana would serve as the ideal gateway.

The best conduit for evil is sacrificing innocents. That's why Belasco actively used his magic to corrupt the soul of poor, innocent Illyana. Lobbing off a piece of her purity, Belasco magically converted it into a ball of, as he claims, gorgeous energy. Let's see how he uses it.

"She is bound to me... body and soul... and through me, to my dread lords. Forever."

Yes, it *is* 1983, which means Chris Claremont favorite mind control related staple is over three decades old. It's withstood the test of time, but then again master Chris wás talking about *forever*, right?

So, where was the elderly Storm while all this went down? Having a lie down, actually... sending the X-men home while holding of Belasco and his forces proved too much for her. She was forced  to look on as the demon lord defiled Illyana's innocence in creating the first bloodstone.

Summoning up her last reserves of strength, she grabbed Illyana and teleported them back to her sanctum, a Belasco-free pocket of Limbo that Storm had turned into a lush, gardenlike glade.

There, Storm tried to teach Illyana the power of white magic in an attempt to train the young girl in fighting the dark side Belasco had awakened within her after consuming part of her soul. Alas, Storm was too old and feeble to undo Belasco's mark on Illyana. Luckily, she had an ally in Cat, better known as 'our' Kitty Pryde. However, decades spent in Belasco's realm had changed her considerably.  

Belasco had subtly used his control over Limbo to influence and change the X-men that had been trapped there trying to get Illyana home. They all had pretty much fallen prey to Belasco's domineering presence. Wolverine and Colossus died fighting, while Storm and Cat managed to break free... And as for Nightcrawler? Well, we'll get to that...

Cat had her own ideas about how to deal with Illyana...

Offering a way home, Cat took the young Illyana on a journey of discovery, unaware this was all part of Belasco's bigger plan, Cat dropped them off in a desert like part of Limbo. There, she decided to teach the young girl some crucial survival skills, often getting quite a kick out of watching how her young ward humiliated herself by failing over and over again.

Over the course of her training, Limbo's warped temporal laws cause Illyana to age... Now at least 14 years old, she reaches Belasco's citadel headquarters in the heart of Limbo, just in time for Cat to explain her plan to return home.

Y'see, Belasco built his keep on the exact spot the dimensional barriers between Earth and Limbo are the weakest. Cat figures that she can reach Earth by using her phasing powers, because, well, just cos, sheesh...

Before she was able to execute her plan, Cat had to deal with her former teammate Nightcrawler. After getting stranded in Limbo, Kurt Wagner ultimately succumbed to his dark side and became Belasco's merciless, depraved servant. However, Cat knew how to take care of him...

Seconds after Kurt's killing, Belascos shows up to take matters in his own, erm, hand... That is, not before he allows Cat to try her phase & escape plan which fails horribly... Just like he'd planned. Belasco had planted the illusion of hope in Kitty's mind, only to yank her proverbial chain back to him so he could exact vengeance on the Cat who cost him a pet.

Changing Kitty into an actual, unthinking cat thing, Belasco focussed his attentions on Illyana. It was time for a new bloodstone ritual, after all... But why not have a little more soul corruption while we're at it?

Just read those lines... Belasco revels in debasing Kitty Pryde to her most primal urges, while the young Illyana looks on. A little scared, yes, but also quite excited about the prospect lord Belasco is offering... Hopes and dreams that become even more alluring after Belasco corrupted another part of her soul while creating the second bloodstone.

Luckily, the already cursed child still had an ally in Limbo...

More on the corruption of the innocent and the imminent vengeance of the elderly in part IV of Mind Controlling Magik: Salvation Is But A Stepping Disc Away

Mind Controlling Magik part I: Seduction of the innocent

Everyone's story has a beginning and this is how Chris Claremont started the corruption of Illyana Rasputin. Many a tale would flow from the humble beginnings in Uncanny X-men # 160, a story so rife with suggestive themes and downright offensive scenes it might as well have been sold in a discreet, brown paper bag.

The issue starts with 8 year old Illyana watching the X-men's first proper training in their temporary headquarters, formerly Magneto's island base in the Bermuda triangle. Nothing out of the ordinairy, until suddenly every parents' nightmare scenario comes true: a stranger lures the little girl towards him, urging her to tell no one, because it's their little secret. Luckily, Kitty notices her leaving.

So, that's both Illyana and the X-men's 13 year old member vanishing into thin air right under the team's collective nose. It takes the others a while to notice they are missing, mostly because the training had a rather unexpected aftermath. Especially Storm isn't quite herself, as the others note.

How's that for quick exposition? Storm was recovering from being mind controlled by Dracula, and was afraid to sleep, fearing she was still vulnerable to the curse of the vampyr... Worse yet: she might enjoy life as a vampire. Looking for a quick way to change the subject, Storm decided to take a little shower as only a weather goddess can...

"Would the rest of you care to join me? I can easily expand my micro-storm..."

Having your teammate get naked in front of you can be pretty distracting and a little risque even... But then she also invites the others to join in. Wolverine, judging from the dialogue, was open to it, yet why does the art show him lighting a cigar? Smoking and microp-storm skinny dipping don't mix, usually.

Colossus finally notices both Kitty and his sister are missing and the remaining X-men split up and search the island... They don't find either one of the girls, instead all of them are snatched away by light circles as well.

Speaking of Kitty, her light circle dropped her off inside a strange, dark cave system where she soon encountered a familiar face.

"KURT...?! How d-dare you... t-touch me like that!"

Ow yes, here we have a Nightcrawler counterpart fondling a 13 year old girl. And even when Kitty rebuffs his inappropriate advances, he smugly sneers that he was merely giving her a chance to show him just happy she was to see him. And as if that bit of dialogue wasn't evidence enough, the following panel truly hammers it home...

Running away from a Nightcrawler who claims she actually liked his three fingered probing, she trips and lands in the throne room of Belasco, ruler of Limbo. Let's just hope Belasco was wearing underwear, Kitty has been scarred enough for one issue. Oh, there's more?

"Would you like to... play with me, little snowflake?"

Urgh.

Thank heavens for Belasco. But the demon lord didn't just protect Illyana out of the goodness of his heart, no... He needed the little girl for something equally terrible as we'll see in part II of Mind Controlling Magik: Into A Limbo Far & Wide.

Diamonds are a man's best friend

"Yield me thy soul... so small a price for so great a gift..."

Owww brother... now even jewels do mind control.

In Uncanny X-men # 189, the Hyborean sorceror Kulan Gath was about to make a comeback.

Gath had been around to fight Conan the Barbarian. When his life seemed over, Gath used ancient magics to transfer his consciousness into a dark jewel of unspeakable evil. In recent times, the jewel came to New York City where a briefly revived Gath fought Spider-Man and Red Sonja (don't ask) in a very enjoyable Claremont/Byrne issue of Marvel Team Up. 

Now, Gath was about to claim a new host: Jaime Rodriguez, an honest, hard working Puerto Rican sailor who dregged the jewel from the bottom of the New York harbour. Pretty soon, Gath started to work Rodriguez, tempting him to give into his dark desires.

But he was getting nowhere, until this happened:

Gath quickly won over the already greedy crook and that led to all of Manhattan reverting into an Hyborean citystate ruled over by a revived Kulan Gath.

Sometimes, you just can't win...