Era #7, Part 21: X-Force #49-51

Grade: B-

We haven't seen Sebastian Shaw and Tessa since Era #5, Part 02: Uncanny X-Men #244-250, and they return with a new ally in the Age of Apocalypse refugee Holocaust (fresh from his battle against Exodus that destroyed Avalon in the recent Road to Onslaught (Part 1)). They have a plan to take Cable by using his own students.

This short run ends with a transformation. She started as Boom Boom the fast talking, street wise teenager. She became Boomer the dedicated soldier with a comment to every command. Sabretooth's betrayal triggered a new direction as Tabitha Smith becomes the risk taking Meltdown.

[3-Stars] 49 - "Target: X-Force" Sebastian Shaw and his longtime aide, Tessa, provide their new ally, Holocaust, with new armor. The three set their sights on taking each member of X-Force.

[3-Stars] 50 - "Target: Cable" Sebastian Shaw, Tessa, and Holocaust brainwash the members of X-Force and set them against Cable and Domino.

[3-Stars] 51 - "Reflections in the Night" In the last post (Road to Onslaught (Part 2)), we read that Sabretooth escaped because he doped Boomer into using her powers on him. She is now hiding in her locked room dealing with the how he used her, and her teammates are unable to reach her. 

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.

Era #7, Part 19: Generation X Classic, Vol. 2

Grade: B

Issues collected in Generation X Classic, Vol. 2 continues the great feel of teenagers trying to cope with being different from the world and from each other. They are growing more comfortable as a team, but new questions and issues begin to surface. Husk's pressure on herself leads to a small breakdown; M (arguably one of the most powerful mutants around) sometimes freezes in an immovable catatonic state; and Penance remains an impenetrable mystery.

We also see the instructors begin to address their personal demons now that they have the added responsibilities. Banshee confronts his past as it returns to haunt him in the form of Omega Red, and Emma Frost realizes that her "ends-justify-the-means" method may not be appropriate.

This starts with a great story involving Gene Nation, devolves into some inter-dimensional silliness, and ends with a battle against Omega Red that I still don't quite understand. I am glad to see Artie & Leech come home!

[4-Stars] 5 - "Don't Touch That Dial!" Emma Frost takes Jubilee, Synch, M, and Skin into New York City. She is there to pick up two more mutants for the school (none other than Artie & Leech!) while the student enjoy their winter field trip. An easy day turns deadly with the arrival of Gene Nation.

[4-Stars] 6 - "Notes from the Underground" Emma Frost is a hostage of Gene Nation, and it is up to Jubilee, Synch, M, and Skin to save her.

[3-Stars] 7 - "Nights and Bolts" Generation X takes a day to be teenagers. Skins and Sync build a tree house for Artie and Leech while Chamber and Husk deal with their feelings for each other.

[3-Stars] 8 - "What Happened to Cassidy Keep?!" Cassidy Keep has disappeared leading Generation X to an inter-dimensional adventure full of fairies, trolls, and a dragon.

[3-Stars] 9 - "Someplace Other Than Here" Generation X must repair and ignite the Glamour Machine to return home.

[3-Stars] 10 - "Death Wail" Generation X welcomes Mondo to the team with a party -- crashed by Omega Red?!

[3-Stars] 11 - "Death Wail Part Two" Generation X versus Omega Red.

Era #7, Part 18: X-Force #44-48

Grade: C+

X-Force starts the post-AoA (Age of Apocalypse) with a new creative team of Jeph Loeb and Adam Pollina. You may see Jeph Loeb's name in the TV credits now that he is Executive Vice President of Marvel Television, but his body of work on both the small screen and comics is impressive. I am not as taken with Adam Pollina's artwork, but we will attribute that to personal taste.

X-Force undergoes some changes. They move back into the X-Mansion and essentially become Professor X's mutant strikeforce. They also begin to dress in uniforms, and Cable starts pushing them to use their powers and skills in other ways. The roster also changes as Cannonball "graduates" to the X-Men and Rictor quits. A surprise addition is the mutant hunting behemoth Caliban, and Sunspot is back after Cable uses Askani techniques to exorcise Reignfire from the young mutant's mind (all off panel with promises by the editor that it will all be explained later).

It isn't a bad run capturing some of the early young adult angst and rebelliousness that attracted me to the title. It probably helped that I was also a young adult at the time.

[3-Stars] 44 - "Already in Progress" Cable and Professor X have a long meeting to discuss the future of X-Force leaving the young members to anxiously wait to hear what will happen to their team.

[3-Stars] 45 - "Under the Roof" Caliban's first act on the team is to get his revenge on Sabretooth. As you may recall from their earlier battles (most notiably in Era #5, Part 7: X-Factor #51-59), Caliban holds Sabretooth responsible for the Mutant Massacre (even further back in Era #4, Part 5: Mutant Massacre). Caliban breaks into the Danger Room where a now docile Sabretooth is being held for treatment, and X-Force must protect the former murder from their newest member.

[3-Stars] 46 - "Behind Closed Doors" X-Force travel to Siberia. Professor X lost contact with a research station and asked Cable to investigate. They find the facility obliterated and only one survivor -- Mimic. The former X-Man (a long, long time ago) has been hiding out at the research station at the recommendation of Professor X. Mimic can not control his ability to absorb the powers of nearby mutants (that is in addition to permanently having the powers of the original five X-Men). X-Force must get to the bottom of the incident while defending themselves against a very angry Mimic who blames them for the destruction of his safe haven. Meanwhile, Boomer begins to bond with the pet-like Sabretooth, and Siryn is on a secret mission as a psychiatric patient of the Weisman Institute.

[3-Stars] 47 - "Breakout" Siryn was sent to the psychiatric Weisman Institute by Professor X. His colleague, Dr. Weisman, has not returned any of his calls leading to some concern that something is amiss. Siryn's cover is blown, and the only person she can call to help is more insane than the patients. She calls Deadpool!

[3-Stars] 48 - "Intervention" It is midnight, and Boomer is on her way to give another bowl of milk to her new friend Sabretooth when her teammates confront her with an intervention. They are worried about her relationship with the former murderer, but she argues that the X-Men give former villains like Rogue and Caliban a second chance.

Era #7, Part 17: Road to Onslaught (Part 1)

Grade: B

The Road to Onslaught starts with Gene Nation! This is a great read that introduces the grown Morlock children who are not only unafraid of their mutant heritage but ready to take on the upper world as terrorist. We also see the fall of Avalon, and the (kinda) resolution of Rogue's fateful kiss with Gambit. Tension continues to mount for the X-Men as the Legacy Virus is revealed to the world with the fear fanned by Graydon Creed. On top of all that, we begin to see signs of a new, more powerful threat on the horizon -- Onslaught! There is a lot packed into this run that was eventually collected into X-Men: Road to Onslaught, Vol. 1.

[3-Stars] Uncanny X-Men #322 - "Dark Walk" Detective Charlotte Jones calls Archangel to a bloody crime scene to show him a gruesome message. Patrons of the dance club were brutally murder as a warning to the world -- Gene Nation is here! Meanwhile, Beast and Bishop receive another type of ominous portent of danger. The two X-Men's night relaxing at the movies ended with the dangerous impact of Juggernaut's unconscious body. The unstoppable was stopped and tossed out of Canada by Onslaught!

[3-Stars] X-Men (v2) #42 - "Heaven Can Wait"  Acolytes find a mysterious creature floating in space. Exodus feels the immense power in the hibernating mutant and demands it be brought aboard Avalon. Unfortunately for them, it is Holocaust from the Age of Apocalypse, and newly awakened mutant powerhouse remembers both Magneto and Exodus as enemies.

[3-Stars] X-Men (v2) #43 - "Falling from Grace" Voght teleports both Cyclops and Phoenix to Avalon to help save the Acolytes from the destruction caused by the epic battle between Exodus and Holocaust.

[3-Stars] X-Men (v2) #44 - "Lost and Found" The X-Men find Phoenix and Skids after the two escape the destruction of Avalon, but they are unable to any other survivors. Cyclops was able to save Cargill, the Kleinstock brothers, Scanner, and Unuscione. They land in the Australian outback, and the lone X-Man must lead the bickering group to safety. Colossus lands in the Antarctica where he is saved by Callisto.

[4-Stars] Uncanny X-Men #323 - "A Nation Rising" Iceman and Rogue continue their "no-powers" road-trip. Rogue is still unsure what to make of what she saw during her kiss with Gambit (in Era #7, Part 16). It must be a deep secret because when Gambit finally wakes from his coma, he immediately wants to find Rogue. The mutant massacre of humans at the dance night club along with the public revelation of the Legacy Virus is beginning to add pressure to the mutant community. Beast expresses his disappointment to his former girlfriend and reporter Trish Tilby. He believes that her coverage of the Legacy Virus is fanning the flames of fear and hate. Graydon Creed, leader of the Friends of Humanity, makes a public statement adding to the anti-mutant rhetoric to the growing tension. Storm takes a Cannonball and Wolverine to help Detective Jones investigate the cause of murders.

[4-Stars] Uncanny X-Men #324 - "Deadly Messengers" The X-Men find Gene Nation hiding among the dead at the morgue. The violent mutant terrorists reveal that they are the children of the Morlocks and ready to take the revenge on humans and other up-worlders. The battle between the two mutant teams takes place above the Graydon Creed press conference contributing to even more bad coverage of mutants.

[4-Stars] Uncanny X-Men #325 - "Generation of Evil" The X-Men and Generation X enjoy a friendly game of baseball. After the respite, they are back to work when Colossus teleports Callisto inside the X-Mansion. The former leader of the Morlocks brings a message about a new bread of Morlocks who call themselves Gene Nation. They plan to take a hundred lives for every Morlock killed during the Morlock Massacre (way back in Era #4, Part 5). Storm leads the X-Men into the tunnels to stop Gene Nation and save their human hostages.

[3-Stars] X-Men (v2) #45 - "The Enemy of My Enemy..." Gambit catches up with Rogue and Iceman in Seattle. He wants to know what Rogue learned and to convince her to move on, In the shadows, Mr. Sinister watches the drama unfold.

[3-Stars] Uncanny X-Men #326 - "Nature of Evil" Professor X and Beast hold a press conference in an attempt to calm some of the public's fears over the mutant Legacy Virus. Gambit takes the opportunity alone with the seemingly docile Sabretooth to make the former savage murderer confront his violent past through holograms of his past victims.

[3-Stars] X-Men Unlimited #8 - "First Contact" The X-Men help a young mutant come to grips with his new power. Chris Bradley manifests his abilities on the first day of school, and needs help controlling them while learning what it means to be different.