Era #7, Part 20: Road to Onslaught (Part 2)

Grade: B

The Road to Onslaught, Vol. 2 continues the X-Men's march through Era 7. I can't help but give this a good grade with the cute X-Babies leading the way. We dip down into a strange Wolverine story; learn about what happened to Magneto; watch as Bishop continues to struggle with his visions after the Age of Apocalypse; and witness an epic battle between Sabretooth and Psylocke. I especially enjoyed the poker game hi-jinx in which Cannonball finds his place on the team. Not a bad read at all.

[4-Stars] X-Men (v2) #46 - "They're Back..." Gambit and Bishop try to enjoy a night on the town. They visit a seedy gambling club, but their time is cut short by the crazy antics of the X-Babies. Iceman and Jean Grey find more X-Babies at a local bookstores where heroes learn who is after the adorable little clones.

[4-Stars] X-Men (v2) #47 - "Big Trouble in Little Italy!" The X-Men must save the X-Babies who are on the run from Gog and Magog. The two Mojoverse henchmen are on orders to cancel the pint sized heroes.

[2-Stars] X-Men Unlimited #9 - "Horse Latitude" Wolverine, Psylocke and Beast travel to Florida to help Lee Forrester deal with the vampire turned pirate Bloodscream. They uncover a deeper plot that includes Belasco and the N'Garai.

[3-Stars] Uncanny X-Men #327 - "Whisper On The Wind" Magneto awakens with amnesia in a Guatemalan orphanage run by Sister Maria de La Joya. He takes the name Joseph and begins to help out doing odd jobs until a local politician threatens to children's sanctuary.

[4-Stars] Uncanny X-Men #328 - "Precipice" Professor X finally admits that he is unable to "cure" Sabretooth of his blood lust. Boomer is devastated to learn that she has been duped by Sabretooth and confronts him, but the professional assassin easily gets under her skin and goads her into using her power on him. He is free, and only Psylocke is there to save Boomer from the savage killer with nothing left to loose.

[3-Stars] X-Men (v2) #48 - "Five Card Studs" The Thing joins Gambit, Beast, Storm, and Cannonball for a night of poker. Archangel watches over a heavily injured Psylocke, and Bishop seeks advice from Cyclops and Jean Grey about the visions he has been having. He is one of the few people that came out of the Age of Apocalypse with some memories of the alternate reality. Two others, Dark Beast and the Sugar Man, watch Bishop worried that he may accidentally reveal their existence to Mr. Sinister.

[3-Stars] X-Men (v2) #49 - "Eyes of a New York Woman" Bishop befriends a woman he has noticed watching him over the last several weeks only to learn that she actually has been spying on him. Her name is Fatale, and she secretly works for Dark Beast. Fortunately, Beast is nearby to help Bishop survive the deadly encounter.