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Issue Review
New Mutants #30

Direct Market Release Date: April 2, 1985

Credits

Title: The Singer & Her Song
Scripter: Chris Claremont
Artist: Bill Sienkiewicz
Letterer: Joe Rosen
Colorist: Glynis Oliver
Editor: Ann Nocenti

Summary

Driven to the brink of madness after the Beyonder transformed her into Demonchilde, Ilyanna Rasputin has teleported herself and the New Mutants into Limbo. As ruler of Limbo, Ilyanna's emotional state has a terrifying effect on the dimension, distorting and twisting her teammates in the process. Kitty Pride wrests Demonchilde's Soulsword from her grasp, and uses it against her. It's magic disrupting properties cause Demonchilde to revert back to being Ilyanna, and everyone returns to reality. The New Mutants quickly phone the Avengers hotline to report their recent encounter with the Beyonder, but aren't taken seriously by the operator.

Meanwhile, Sunspot and Magma are currently involved with a mutant gladiator ring, believing that if they try to escape, several children being held hostage will be killed. Dazzler and Shadowcat infiltrate the arena to rescue them while the rest of the New Mutants monitor the situation from outside.

The Beyonder, intrigued by the Demonchilde he sees inside of Ilyanna reappears and approaches the group. Ilyanna threatens him with her Soulsword, and is restrained by Rachel Summers. Summers, a telepath, decides the only option they have is to communicate with him, and she opens her mind to him. The two minds become one, and she sees within him serene majesty, but also insatiable curiosity - a search for the meaning of existence.

Worried that the intense experience would kill her, Cannonball flees with Rachel and Ilyanna, causing the Beyonder to disappear.

Quotes

Cannonball: He possesses the sort of power only the Lord's supposed to have.
Magik: Maybe that's who he is.

Caption: He is power beyond comprehension, a being who has learned all there was for him to learn, done all there was to do -- only to find it not enough. He exists. he is aware -- But why? To what end? If he cannot die, he must continue to grow -- But how? In which way? There must be a meaning -- and he has come to Earth to seek it out.

Commentary

New Mutants #30 was the first book to carry the Secret Wars II crossover banner, and is not a very good first step. The big cliffhanger to Secret Wars II #1 (the transformation of Magik into Demonchilde, and the teleportation to Limbo) is handily wrapped up in the first 3 and a half pages, after which the New Mutants literally just shrug their shoulders and carry with what they were doing last issue.

On the plus side, the regular story in the book is interesting enough, focusing on Dazzler's struggle with fame, and the liberation of Sunspot and Magma from the mutant gladiator games. Claremont also does a good job introducing Rachel to the Beyonder, who will have a few more interesting moments together in Claremont's titles as Secret Wars II continues.

Bill Sienkiewicz's art is fantastic, even if his rendition of Sam Guthrie's forehead makes him appear as though he is being seen in a fun house mirror.

Up next...

Secret Wars II continues in Captain America #308!