Era #6, Part 9: Fatal Attractions (Part 1)

Grade: B-

This small run is the beginning of the Fatal Attractions storyline. Professor X has been taking a much harder position on Magneto's followers who call themselves the Acolytes. It looked like they were destroyed in X-Men #3, but they return with many more followesrs. Xavier sees this misguided religious sect as creating a dangerous new threat to mutants in their attempt to protect mutant rights. The Fatal Attractions will result in two big shocking moments, but no spoilers!

[3-Stars] 298 - "For The Children!" Professor X sends the X-Men to the private school Our Mother of the Sacred Heart. One of the special needs children is also a mutant of substantial power. The young boy with Down Syndrome is being quietly watched by two members of the staff who also work for the Xavier: Tom Corsi and Sharon Friedlander. They called for the X-Men's help when a new team of Acolytes arrive to "recruit" the boy. This issue is actually pretty interesting in the sense that the Acolytes abandon such a powerful mutant because he has Down Syndrome. Their dogma of protecting mutants does not include those with special needs.

[3-Stars] 299 - "Nightlines" A new political figure is on the scene representing "normal humans" with his grass-roots movement Friends of Humanity. The firebrand Graydon Creed joins Professor X, Beast and Senator Kelly in a televised debate. Xavier and Kelly realize that they have more in common than they first believed. Unbeknownst to them, Creed is also the newest member of the Upstarts.

[3-Stars] 300 - "Legacies" Xavier tracks the Acolytes to an estate along the northern coastline of France. Forge designs a mini-cerebro unit that will penetrate the cloaking devise that surrounds the secret liar, but he will not join the X-Men in their attack. The Excalibur leader Nightcrawler does agree to help. The X-Men also receive assistance from a young Acolyte named Neophyte. The faithful follower of Magneto discovers that Fabian Cortez is using the Acolytes to further his own ends as a member of the Upstarts.