Era #7, Part 1: Toy Soldiers

Grade: B-

X-Force finally has a little down time after 25 issues of action and mayhem, but another mission threatens to tear the team apart. This is a good run as Fabian forces the team to finally slow down and reflect on their lives since joining Cable's paramilitary squad. The mission is also good reminder of what the book is suppose to be -- a mutant strikeforce willing to take action when the X-Men can't (or won't). As an added bonus, we see the the possible return of a New Mutant favorite.

[3-Stars] 26 - "Shadows on the Rock" Cable finally awakens after weeks in a coma from the events of Fatal Attractions. The team is still recovering. Cannonball and Sunspot leave for Madripoor to Xi'an of Illyana's death. It is revealed that Siryn is drinking heavily with Warpath quietly taking care of her. Cable is unsure how to proceed with soldiers that are so young yet processing so much death. Meanwhile, a new threat emerges. Reignfire makes his first appearance breaking the MLF out of prison for a special operation.

[4-Stars] 27 - "Liberation Through Subjugation" Reignfire sets the MLF's sights on Henry Peter Gyrich. They breach his highly secure estate, and it is up to X-Force to launch a rescue mission. The team discovers two new members of the mutant terrorist groups: the teleporting sadist Locus and -- Moonstar?

[4-Stars] 28 - "The Axe Falls" Cable leads his team on a mission to rescue Henry Peter Gyrich from the MLF. Some of the members X-Force are not pleased to be saving an ungrateful and unapologetic anti-mutant government agent. The tension leads to a surprising defection.

[3-Stars] 29 - "Toy Soldiers" Shatterstar walks the streets of Phoenix in an attempt to get accustomed to our dimension (he still needs to acclimatize after two years on Earth?). His private time is rudely interrupted by Marvel's flamboyant assassin for hire Arcade. To survive, Shatterstar must find his way out of Murderworld.

[3-Stars] 30 - "Something Worth Fighting For" Shatterstar and Adam-X are forced to fight each other in Arcade's Murderworld.

[3-Stars] 31 - "Cry Uncle!" Warpath joins Siryn on her trip back to Cassidy Keep. She reveals that she is still having a difficult time dealing with the trauma of the Muir Island Saga (again, two years ago?) which has torn open old family wounds regarding her father (Banshee) and uncle (Black Tom Cassidy). The later is also back in Ireland demented from the experimental surgeries that saved his life (he was shot and believed killed by Cable back in the X-Force #4). Both Juggernaut and Warpath look for a way to save their friends.