Era #8, Part 04: X-Force #59 - 66

Grade: D+

If every title goes through ups and downs, then this set is decidedly near the bottom for me. Jeph Loeb ends his tenure with one of the most bizarre origin stories that I've ever read (and I've read some extremely weird ones). I think I understand the Shatterstar reveal told in X-Force #59-61, but I doubt I could explain it to anybody.

There is a fill-in issue that reintroduces Karma's twins Nga & Leong Coy Manh who have been missing since New Mutants #46 (Era #4, Part 04). This sets up the Beast limited series.

John Francis Moore takes the helm here. I liked his work with X-Men 2099, and while he doesn't do a bad job with X-Force, it is clear that he is a comic book fan who is going to write standard comic book stories.

[2 Stars] X-Force #59 - "Are You Now or Have You Ever Been?" This issue begins an arc explaining Shatterstar's origin. It starts strong as Cable looks for clues on how Shatterstar can be both an arena warrior from another dimension (Mojoverse) and a teenager named Benjamin Russell in a coma at the Weisman Institute as hinted throughout Loeb's run. Rictor returns to the team in time to help X-Force battle Gog and Magog.

[2 Stars] X-Force #60 - "I Know You Are But What Am I" Cable and Shatterstar are captured leaving X-Force to find a way to Mojoworld. They reach out to Dr. Strange (really?). Other guests include Longshot and Dazzler which makes a little more sense.

[2 Stars] X-Force #61 - "Ask Me No Questions and I'll Tell You No More Lies" X-Force versus Mojo. Shatterstar dies but his soul enters the comatose body of Benjamin Russell. I think. Seriously, this one was confusing for me, and I am not sure I want to think too deeply about it.

[1 Stars] X-Force #62 - "Human Nature" X-Force investigates some reports of suspicious activity from Shinobi Shaw. They discover that he is developing a machine to turn mutants into humans, and he is using Karma's long-lost twins Nga &  Leong Coy Manh as guinea pigs. Shaw's body guards are two new characters (that we will never see again) named Mindmeld and Clear-cut. During the battle, Spiral arrives and takes the twins setting up the storyline in the upcoming Beast limited series.

[3 Stars] X-Force #63 - "Wish You Were Here" Dr. Doom disappeared with Marvel's heroes during Onslaught, so X-Force and Nathaniel Richards go to Latveria to secure Doom's technology stored in Castle Doom. They find agents of SHIELD lead by G.W. Bridge already in the castle with the same goal in mind.

[3 Stars] X-Force #64 - "The Haunting of Castle Doom" A scuffle with SHIELD sends G.W. Bridge and his agents, Nathaniel Richards, X-Force, and Castle Doom back to World War II. They are out of sync, so they appear as ghosts unable to directly interact with the people. Instead, they watch Baron von Strucker and his Nazi soldiers prepare a machine that will harness the power of the cosmos.

[3 Stars] X-Force #65 - "Lower East Side Story" Risque is back and on a secret mission. She needs to get close to Warpath, so she invites him to go dancing with her. Once at the club, however, the two find the Blob and Mimic waiting for them.

[3 Stars] X-Force #66 - "Tragic Kingdom" Risque delivers a drugged Warpath to the mysterious Sledge in order to pay her debt. She immediately goes into hiding choosing a public place -- Florida's Wackyworld. It is not enough. X-Force easily finds her with Caliban's mutant-hunting ability, and they have no qualms about exposure. They are hellbent on finding Warpath!