In Meta-Messages, I explore the context behind (using reader danjack's term) "meta-messages." A meta-message is where a comic book creator comments on/references the work of another comic book/comic book creator (or sometimes even themselves) in their comic. Each time around, I'll give you the context behind one such "meta-message." This time around, based on a suggestion from reader "idig," we're looking at a comic where the X-Men mock a DC comic book crossover event!

DC's 1989 crossover event (written by Keith Giffen and Bill Mantlo, in his first major work for DC Comics) was Invasion! (the exclamation mark was to evoke classic invasion stories of Giffen's childhood). It involved a group of aliens deciding that Earth and its multitude of superheroes were going to be a problem for the rest of the universe, so they figured they needed to step in and take control of all of the power that is involved with these superheroes (in the first issue of the series, they captured a bunch of Earthlings and tested them until they found six with the metagene that gave them superpowers). Todd McFarlane drew the first issue and then Bart Sears and Giffen handled the rest.

invasion #1

They invade Earth with an armada of alien ships...

alien armada

They then demand that the Earth surrenders all of their superheroes to the invaders or else, you know, war. The world gets together and comes up with a response that the Daily Planet covers...

Daily Planet Invasion
Daily Planet Invasion

So they invade Earth. Captain Atom is put in charge of Earth's superheroes and they manage to fight off the Invasion. However, in an attempt to wrest victory from the clutches of defeat, the invaders then drop a "Gene Bomb" on Earth, a device which attacks anyone with a metagene on Earth (as it turned out, it also ended up affecting people with dormant metagenes, as well).

Invasion Gene Bomb
Invasion Gene Bomb
Invasion Gene Bomb
Invasion Gene Bomb

Led by Martian Manhunter (who is naturally immune to an attack one metagenes, since he is not from Earth), a group of alien heroes (along with some heroes without metagene-based powers) team up to hunt down the invaders and find out enough information from them that the heroes could come up with a cure for the Gene Bomb. They come back to Earth and cure the stricken heroes, and at the same time, a number of people with dormant metagenes suddenly saw their powers become active (the Gene Bomb also brought Metamorpho back to life after he had died during the PREVIOUS major DC Crossover event, Millennium).

So that's how DC handled their major crossover event of 1989. How, then, did Chris Claremont handle the event when he decided to poke some fun at it in Uncanny X-Men #245? Read on to find out!

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The comic book was the second part of a set of one-off issues where the women of the X-Men had their own adventure and now the men of the team had THEIR own adventure. Rob Liefeld and Dan Green provided the art (it is interesting that Rob Liefeld actually beat Jim Lee to drawing an issue of Uncanny X-Men). It opens with Claremont and Liefeld's take on the Alien Alliance...

alien alliance
alien alliance

Note that Lifeld sprinkled a bunch of famous aliens into the alliance, like Boba Fett, Yoda and more.

Anyhow, the alien armada shows up, just like in Invasion...

armada arrives

Only this time, "Not Perry White" decides to blow off the story...

not perry white

The aliens also have their own JEAN Bomb. At the time, this scene caused a bit of controversy over its perceived use of nudity.

jean bomb

In the end, Wolverine saves the day by defeating the alien commander in a game of Poker (Havok also tricks them into thinking that all Earthlings have powers like Havok's powerful blasts)...

wolverine wins

A very cute commentary by Claremont on his Distinguished Competition's event.

Thanks to idig for the suggestion! If anyone else has a suggestion for a good Meta-Message, please drop me a line at brianc@cbr.com!