Uncanny X-Men #268 (Marvel Comics, 1990)
Uncanny X-Men #268 (September 1990), published by Marvel Comics, titled "A Small Loss". A standalone, character-driven story set shortly after the fall of the Berlin Wall. Chris Claremont and Jim Lee craft a tense Cold War epilogue that pairs Captain America and Black Widow in a final reckoning with old enemies.
Uncanny X-Men #268 Story Summary
When an aging former Nazi war criminal resurfaces in Eastern Europe, Black Widow confronts the ghosts of her espionage past. Captain America joins her as the pair tracks the fugitive through a rapidly changing political landscape where former allegiances are collapsing. What begins as a mission of justice becomes a deeply personal confrontation, forcing Natasha to reckon with the moral compromises of her earlier life as a spy.
Though branded as an X-Men issue, the mutants appear only briefly at the story’s framing moments. Instead, the issue functions as a sharp, mature thriller, blending action, historical reflection, and character study, while showcasing Jim Lee’s dynamic early Marvel artwork.
Uncanny X-Men #268 Creative Team
- Writer: Chris Claremont
- Pencils: Jim Lee
- Inks: Scott Williams
- Colorist: Glynis Oliver
- Letterer: Tom Orzechowski
- Editor: Bob Harras
- Executive Editor: Tom DeFalco
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