The X-Men #114

Published in October 1978, The X-Men #114 serves as a pivotal chapter in the celebrated run by writer Chris Claremont and artist John Byrne. This issue continues the team's journey through the Savage Land, building upon the narrative momentum established during the group's transition into the modern era of the franchise. It reflects the creative team's commitment to character-driven storytelling, focusing on the team's internal dynamics and survival against the harsh, prehistoric environment of the Antarctic preserve.

The visual direction of this period, helmed by John Byrne, is widely regarded as a high point in Bronze Age comic aesthetics. Byrne sought to provide a grounded, cinematic sense of scale to the X-Men's adventures, moving away from the more abstract tendencies of earlier decades. The issue was received as a solid entry in a run that would eventually define the team's global status, praised for its tight pacing and the subtle evolution of the mutants' personal relationships under the pressure of their increasingly perilous missions.