Uncanny X-Men (1963) #231

"...Dressed for Dinner!"

Colossus is plagued with nightmares about his sister Illyana being dressed for a regal event before being pushed into a massive oven to be cooked alive, leaving him to wonder if his sister is in trouble. Going into the Outback to let off some steam, Colossus becomes red hot under the Australian sun and when Rogue comes to check on him she burns her hand on his armored form. She cautions him to be careful as he could possibly burn someone if he's not careful. When he goes to look at his sketchbook of his sister, his worries increase when suddenly to his horror his super-hot body causes the sketchbook to go up in flames. He rages, and when he sees Gateway watching him, he wonders if the mute Aboriginal is mocking him. He is soon cooled off by Storm who summons a rain cloud to lower his temperature. After discussing his apparent increases in power, Peter expresses his concern for Illyana's well being. Storm denies his request to go and see her, telling him that in order for the X-Men to protect their loved ones and be able to strike at their enemies, they must continue the illusion that they are deceased. Upset by this, Colossus pushes aside his worries telling her that she is probably found, but can't help but wonder for certain.

Later, as the X-Men wash up after supper, the team notes how miserable Colossus has been and convince Storm that they should let him go and check on Illyana. As soon as Storm agrees to allow this, Gateway appears as if he read their minds and leads the X-Men to the hill where he meditates. There he opens a portal to send Colossus to check on his sister. Peter goes alone, with his comrades wishing him luck.

Colossus appears in Limbo, the demonic realm ruled by Illyana. There Illyana is attempting to cast a necromantic spell to summon her brothers supposedly dead soul to help her with her current crisis. While she is doing so, S'ym mocks her telling the young Darkchylde that he will soon usurp control of Limbo from her and rule it over her. When Peter appears, Illyana believes that her spell has worked, little realizing that Peter is not really dead. Colossus, seeing this as an ideal opportunity to maintain the X-Men's cover, decides to use this as a ruse. When S'ym once more mocks her, Colossus goes into a fury and jumps down to attack him, smashing his technorganic form to bits. Illyana is surprised that a "necromantic shade" could act so independently, however, Colossus covers for this telling her that he is the "essence" of her brother, so why wouldn't he act as he would. He then asks why he was summoned to her, and she tells him that he needs his strength to help save the New Mutants.

Teleporting them both to Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters, Colossus sees that it is slowly going through some kind of transformation. Illyana explains that one day she was struggling to study and write a paper on Mikhail Bulgakov's story the Master and Margarita when she was suddenly attacked by the characters from the book. Namely Azazello, Hehemoth and Koroviev. Easily captured, she was taken to their leader, the witch known as Baba Yaga who had all the other New Mutants captured and bound. She explains that she intends to cook them and eat them. When Illyana attempted to summon her Soul Sword, she found her magics block and so she teleported away to Limbo, but was unable to rescue her friends. It was at this point she thought to summon Peter's "spirit" to help, as mystical beings have a natural weakness to iron his armored form would be an ideal weapon to use.

Soon, Colossus is teleported above the school and he smashes through the school's roof and into the lap of his enemies who are working on fattening up the captured New Mutants. Baba Yaga sends her minions on Peter while she absconds with the children so that she can toss them in her oven. Colossus easily overpowers his attackers and follows after Baba Yaga. When a pathway to her kitchen is too small for his Colossus form, Peter forces himself to revert back to his human form to fit through. In his vulnerable state, Yaga is able to easily overpower him, however before she can rip out his throat Peter returns to his organic steel form. Contact with the steel of his body causes Baba Yaga to seemingly explode, ending her threat. After Illyana uses her powers to restore the mansion, she teleports the Colossus and the New Mutants back to Limbo to reverse the spells Baba Yaga cast on the Mutants.

There Illyana acts ashamed of her demonic nature, telling him her brother that the only reason why she is good is that she chooses to be. Peter tells his sister that's the point, and that he is proud of her, and that with work she can become something greater than a demon sorcerer and that he will always love her. When she remarks that he is "dead", he tells her that nobody is ever truly dead as long as they are remembered. When Gateway's portal opens up again Peter leaves his sister telling her to remember him. Not willing to let her brother go, Illyana considers casting the spell again, but considers that she was lucky as the spell should have made her Darkchilde side take full control, and dares not risk it again. She instead frees her friends from Baba Yaga's magics and return the Mutants home so that they can follow her brothers example.

Down below, one of the Right soldiers banished to Limbo earlier believes S'ym to be dead and decides to take over as leader of the demon hordes. However, S'ym has managed to reconstitute himself and kill the soldier. He laughs about how the barrier between Earth and Limbo are growing thinner and that "Baba Yaga" was really a Limbo demon who broke through, and soon they all will and take over the Earth.


The events from this issue take place after New Mutants #66.

The Baba Yaga that appears in this issue is not the true Baba Yaga that first appeared in Captain Britain (Vol. 2) #11, but rather a manifestation derived from Illyana's subconscious mind.