Era #6, Part 5: The Coming of Bishop (Part 2)

Grade: C+

Slow! After a short period of action and excitement that started this era, the core titles lose their traction. The impact of Jim Lee and Whilce Portacio's departure is felt as both titles loose momentum. There is certainly a more distinctive "soap-opera" feel that makes this run less appealing despite the anti-climatical end of the Morlocks.

[3-Stars] 288 - "Time and Place" Bishop continues to struggle with being an X-Man in the modern era. He is tested when he finds the final (and most vicious) of the criminals from the future.

[3-Stars] 289 - "Knots" Storm, Forge and X-Men continue to struggle with Mystique's presence in the X-Mansion. Iceman introduces Opal to his parents, but the meeting is interrupted by Hiro and the Cyberai (last seen in X-Factor #64).

[3-Stars] 290 - "Frayed" Hiro joins Bobby to protect Opal from the Cyberai. Forge leaves the X-Men to help and support Mystique. Storm is too late to stop him. 

[3-Stars] 291 - "Underbelly" The Morlocks attack Callisto as revenge for turning "pretty" and leaving them. She manages to escape with the help of the Healer and reaches the X-Men. Storm leads the Gold Team into the tunnels to investigate. Meanwhile, Colossus's brother, Mikhail, has been showing signs of being unbalanced. He finds a kindred spirit in a vengeful Callisto who is returned to her former, less attractive appearance. 

[3-Stars] 292 - "The Morlocks Take Manhattan" The X-Men Gold Team tries to contain the Morlocks as the underground mutant society escapes into New York City's Time Square through a large hole accidentally created by Storm. Mikhail and Callisto reveal their newly formed alliance to Iceman, the only X-Man left guarding them.

[3-Stars] 293 - "The Last Morlock Story" The X-Men follow the Morlocks back into their tunnels only to learn that Mikhail is their new leader. Colossus's deranged brother reveals that he is the new Morlock leader with a plan for their salvation.

[3-Stars] 12 - "Broken Mirrors" Dr. Ryking is dead (by Maverick in the back-story found in X-Men #10 & #11), but we learn that there is more to the story. Dr. Ryking was a colleague of Professor X's father on a top secret genetic research project. Dr. Ryking also had a mutant child, Carter, that he hid away in a private hospital. When Carter learns of his father's death, he escapes and crashes the funeral attended by Professor X (Carter's boyhood friend). Carter wants answers.

[3-Stars] 13 - "Hazardous Territory" Carter Ryking takes Professor X to the top secret facility from which their fathers conducted their top secret research. The X-Men follow, but not before everybody learns that their might be a connection between that top secret research and Wolverine's own mysterious past.