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the Uncanny X-Men, Vol. 1 # 186 Page 01, illustrated by Barry Windsor-Smith, with Inks by Terry Austin, Colors by Glynis Wein and Christie Scheele, Letters by Tom Orzechowski, a Script by Chris Claremont, and Ann Nocenti was their Editor.

arguably one of the most objectively beautiful pages ever published in a comic book.

I found the inks in the Essential X-Men reprint of this issue. My guess is that the original Inks will never show up for sale - they’re in Terry Austin or Chris Claremont’s personal private collections, if I had to guess. The pencils were published in Barry’s first Opus book. The colors are attributed to both Glynis Wein and Christie Scheele.

Everyone involved KNOWS how good this book is, and they want to make sure their credit is properly attributed.

the Uncanny X-Men, Vol. 1 # 186 Page 01, illustrated by Barry Windsor-Smith, with Inks by Terry Austin, Colors by Glynis Wein and Christie Scheele, Letters by Tom Orzechowski, a Script by Chris Claremont, and Ann Nocenti was their Editor.

arguably one of the most objectively beautiful pages ever published in a comic book.

the Uncanny X-Men, Vol. 1 # 186 Page 01, illustrated by Barry Windsor-Smith, with Inks by Terry Austin, Colors by Glynis Wein and Christie Scheele, Letters by Tom Orzechowski, a Script by Chris Claremont, and Ann Nocenti was their Editor.

arguably one of the most objectively beautiful pages ever published in a comic book.

Look at the differences between the hair from the pencils to the inks.

Original Barry Windsor-Smith / Terry Austin art: a budding romance from X-Men #186 featured Storm and Forge (Marvel, 1984).

Barry and Terry had to rework Storm's hair in all these panels. It looks like they had her mohawk at first, but changed the style of it.

I’ll reblog the splash page here in a sec. Barry drew Storm’s Mohawk much larger and fuller.

the Uncanny X-Men, Vol. 1 # 186 Page 01, illustrated by Barry Windsor-Smith, with Inks by Terry Austin, Colors by Glynis Wein and Christie Scheele, Letters by Tom Orzechowski, a Script by Chris Claremont, and Ann Nocenti was their Editor.

arguably one of the most objectively beautiful pages ever published in a comic book.

the Uncanny X-Men, Vol. 1 # 186 Page 01, illustrated by Barry Windsor-Smith, with Inks by Terry Austin, Colors by Glynis Wein and Christie Scheele, Letters by Tom Orzechowski, a Script by Chris Claremont, and Ann Nocenti was their Editor.

arguably one of the most objectively beautiful pages ever published in a comic book.

Barry Windsor-Smith’s pencils for a panel from Uncanny X-Men # 186 ‘Lifedeath’ that was deemed by Jim Shooter to be too risque for publication. Barry cut the panel out of the page and redrew it for publication.

I think these are what eventually became of the panels/concept? (I have no additional info like publication date or issue number, besides what OP has stated. I just have these saved as reaction images)

Jim Shooter felt that Barry’s original pencil drawing showed too much cleavage. I believe the panel came from page 2 of the story, so it would either be the second panel you posted, or the one I just posted. In all cases, it’s beautifully elegant work. As usual with Barry. And give it up for Terry Austin and Glynis Wein for inking and coloring the published work.

Since we’re talking Storm I’m curious about peoples favorite Storm stories.

Mine would probably her fight with Callisto in Uncanny X-Men. Or her fight with Cyclops over leadership of the X-Men. Two great ones.

LIFEDEATH and LIFEDEATH II.

Seriously though, this will always be my most favorite comic of all time. 

Barry Windsor-Smith and Chris Claremont creates the double-sized Uncanny X-Men # 188 "LIFEDEATH", and I have yet to see it be equalled. It is primarily concerned with Ororo Munroe finding her inner strength again, and it is the most breathtakingly beautiful comic book ever created. Only Barry could draw a 40 page conversation and make you glue your eyes to it.

Barry Windsor Smith’s original pencils for the first page of the now legendary Uncanny X-Men #188 ‘Life Death’

It’s… Breathtaking. The guy gets heat for being protective of his own work. You know what? Rightfully so. His original art can go for $20,000.00 and up, easily. For pencils on a piece of cardstock paper. That’s pretty much all I need to say.

Lifedeath is the single best issue of Claremont's work. He and Barry clicked on it, and they knew they wanted a different tone. It took Barry a long ass time to draw it, but he turned in a double size issue about Ororo Munroe and Forge breaking up with eachother. Forge built a gun that could permanently remove mutant powers. Storm got shot with gun, and decided that after looking Forge in the eye for it, she would get on with her life. It is a beautifully illustrated conversation. Like I said, it is the best single issue that Chris Claremont wrote, and that is because Barry cowrote and plotted it, all done without the internet. Barry worked out of his house or the studio he participated in with Wrightson, Kaluta, and Jones.