Take a look at the picture above. That my friends, is the image that hooked me on comics. In November of 1989 I took my birthday money the the local smoke shop to buy a deck of baseball cards. Little did I know that I'd be leaving there with an addiction and 1 less dollar in my piggy bank.
Like any 6 year old I loved cartoons, but I had not yet discovered my four color destiny. My brother was 6 years older than me and like any younger brother, what he liked I liked and he loved baseball. So on that fateful Saturday morning after my favorite 'toons were over of course, my mother drove me to Sandy's Smoke and News (Sadly no longer in business), where my cousin Mike worked, birthday money in hand to hunt for the baseball card that was going to put me through college (remember when baseball cards actually held some value?)!
As I strolled past the cigars and magazines toward my future trust fund in the guise of an Upper Deck trading card, it hit me. Smack in the face like a runaway train. At first I noticed the Spider-Man mask on the white background that looked awkwardly out of place in comparison to the rest of the image. From there my eyes had a hard time figuring out how a picture with such lively shades of purple, blue and green could be so dark. Then I see it, boy did I see it. It was a man (Wolverine I would come to find out) crucified on an X! Being the son of a choir directory I knew what the Crucifixion was and if this summoned that image it must be BIG! And as I finally held this copy of Uncanny X-Men 251 in my very own hands I can make out the skulls laid at the feet of this man who was obviously in a tremendous amount of peril.
WOW! I mean WOW!
My mind was officially blown.
I abandoned all notions of trying to score my riches in cards and I had to have this book! I even left the shop with the rest of my money in hand because I had to have it and the sooner I purchased it the sooner I could get home and Marvel (no pun intend) at my birthday plunder. My mom being the supportive mother she was, looked upon it in horror (at the blasphemy before her I imagine) but let me buy it because it was my money and it's what I wanted. I should probably thank her for that next time I see her.
To this day I still have that book. And to this day I still couldn't tell you what it's about, I just can't get past that goddamn cover!
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