Uncanny X-Men #95 promises a character death right on its cover. That in itself isn't a big deal. Comics have a way of making big claims and then not having to live up to them. When everything from super powers to character motivations don't have to follow any particular logic, life and death aren't so, well, life and death anymore. What makes this issue so stunning is that it not only delivers on its promise, it sets the stage for a series where the stakes really are as high as they seem. In 1975 and beyond, X-Men would prove to be a very different kind of comic.

X-Men after Claremont and Wein's reinvention was a series with a tragic arc. Unlike super heroes of old who had arbitrary weaknesses, the mutants of the Marvel universe had character flaws. Take the case of John Proudstar, an individual who had an almost laughably short run. Spanning no more than three issues, the sole purpose of this character seems to have been needless death. At the end of Issue #95, an excellent comic in all respects, Thunderbird finally gets consumed by his downright suicidal behavior.

There are a lot of layers to Thunderbird's death. From a pure business perspective, he just wasn't a very good character and he didn't have much of a future in any comic. His super power was ill-defined at best and his obstinacy kept him from forming any meaningful role on any team. One way or another he was going to have to go. It's clear in #95 who the more interesting characters are and, frankly, which characters the people making the book enjoy above the others. Thunderbird was not long for this world even from his first panel in Giant Size #1.

But Proudstar also serves a narrative purpose. The X-Men, unlike any other team of super heroes, depend on unity just to survive. Unlike the squeaky-clean saviors in The Justice League, the previously associated members of The Fantastic Four or the de facto government project of The Avengers, the X-Men are aimless and even hated when they're alone. Solidarity is survival for most of them and it's clear how much each character needs by how hard they fight. Nightcrawler, for instance, literally can't survive in the outside world so he gives it his all. Compare that to Colossus and Banshee, who are really just there for a more interesting life and thus don't try nearly as hard. John Proudstar not only rejects this solidarity, he actively fights it. The meaning in his death is clear. Rejecting the only allies you have is tantamount to suicide.

Chris Claremont and Len Wein use Issue #95 to prove a point. Uncanny X-Men is a comic for a more troubled time and no character is immune to loss. The world these mutants live in is hostile and with no clear sense of good and evil. The best the ostensibly good guys have is mistrust and a thin veneer of professional duty.