Era #7, Part 25: Onslaught Prologue

Grade: B-

The build-up to Onslaught ends here. This run actually sets up the next story line for Era #8 while finally revealing the identity of Onslaught. Scott Lobdell actually tries his best to wrap up other loose ends with this big reveal. We finally learn who betrayed the X-Men. As you may recall in the Bishop origin story in Uncanny X-Men #287, Jean Grey was in a video warning that the X-Men were betrayed from within. We now know who that was.

The build-up to Onslaught was fun, and this reveal actually caught me by surprise.

[4-Stars] Uncanny X-Men #333 - "The Other Shoe..." What a great introduction to a new threat that we will not see until Era #8! Professor X sends Gambit and Jean Grey into the Pentagon as undercover officers in order to learn more about a mysterious project called Operation Zero Tolerance. It is a international task force designed to pool resources to combat the mutant problem, and it is led by the enigmatic Bastion.

[2-Stars] X-Men (v2) #53 - "False Fronts" Onslaught pulls Jean into the Astral Plane in an attempt to recruit her. He shows her how flawed Professor X truly is.

[3-Stars] X-Men Unlimited #11 - "Adrift" Rogue is outed as a mutant destroying her chance at a normal life with armed soldiers of Bastion's Operation Zero Tolerance arrive. She finds an unlikely alley in the amnesiac Magneto who now goes by the name Joseph.

[3-Stars] Uncanny X-Men #334 - "Dark Horizon" The Juggernaut arrives at the X-Mansion looking for help. He knows Onslaught's identity, but he is unable to speak the name. He needs Jean Grey to reach into his mind.

[4-Stars] X-Men (v2) #54 - "Inquiring Minds" Finally, Onslaught is revealed!

Onslaught: X-Men -  "Traitor to the Cause" All of the X-Men versus Onslaught!

Era #7, Part 24: Generation X #12-17

Grade: B-

This run keeps the energy despite the somewhat mediocre stories (the return of Emplate and the C-lister villain the X-Cutioners?). The real fun is watching the teens bond as they learn more about each other.

[3-Stars] 12 - "The Return of Emplate" Emplate is back, and this time he has a team helping him capture Generation X.

[3-Stars] 13 - "It's All Relative" M remains free continuing to elude Emplate as she desperately tries to reach the X-Men for help.

[3-Stars] 14 - "Jubilee's Top Ten Reasons Why Emplate Is a Loser!" Bishop helps Generation X against Emplate and his motley team of mutant helpers.

[3-Stars] 15 - "Death In The Family" Sync is not only missing but under the thrall of Emplate. He has gone back home to St. Louise, and it is up to Generation X to help him before he hurts his family. Meanwhile, Chamber is feeling worse after a brief encounter with Onslaught.

[3-Stars] 16 - "Out of Sync!" In St. Louise, Generation X attempts to help Sync who is still under Emplate's influence. It is a difficult feat since he can "synchronize" with their powers anytime they get close to him. In Massachusetts, Skin decides that Chamber needs professional help from Professor X.

[3-Stars] 17 - "The Teeth of Our Skin" Special guest star Stan Lee narrates this tale of deadly cat and mouse. On their way to see Professor X, Skin and Chamber are attacked by the X-Cutioner who believes Skin murdered the real Angelo Espinosa.  

Era #7, Part 23: X-Force #52-56

Grade: B

X-Force continues to live up to their original mission of taking the battle to the enemy. Jeph Loeb has the right amount of 20-something drama mixed with a military squad mentality. The team takes on the Blob, the Externals, and S.H.I.E.L.D.! We also get to see a little more Deadpool while learning a little more about Shatterstar.

[3-Stars] 52 - "Bad Girls" Siryn, Domino, and Meltdown investigate another facility cleaned out by the mysterious Onslaught. They find the Blob standing guard.

[3-Stars] 53 - "Even An X-Ternal Can Die!" X-Force look for answers from the Gideon, but he is already dead when they arrive. The rest of the Externals arrive and believe X-Force is to blame.

[3-Stars] 54 - "Q & A" The NYPD interrogates each member of X-Force in an effort to learn what happened during their battle against the Externals.

[4-Stars] 55 - "Without a Net" X-Force is on a mission to infiltrate the S.H.I.E.L.D. helicarrier to rescue a mutant prisoner.

[3-Stars] 56 - "Crazy for You" Siryn suddenly remembers that she left Deadpool Weisman Institute. During the rescue attempt, Shatterstar finds a medical record that suggests he is actually a mutant from Earth and not an alien gladiator from the Mojoverse.

Era #7, Part 22: Road to Onslaught (Part 3)

Grade: B-

The X-Men continue to deal the looming dark signs of things to come in the Road of Onslaught, Vol. 3. Wolverine and Archangel start this run by looking for the mystical Ebony Vein to save Psylocke's life. We also see Dark Beast make a bold move to hide himself among the X-Men to avoid being detected by Mr. Sinister (who makes an appearance). We end by meeting a blind servant of Apocalypse name Ozymandius who records in stone the coming Onslaught.

[3-Stars] Uncanny X-Men #329 - "Warriors of the Ebon Night" Wolverine leads Archangel into Chinatown on a quest to find the Ebony Vein. The magical elixir can save Psylocke from her the near death encounter against Sabretooth.

[3-Stars] Uncanny X-Men #330 - "Quest for the Crimson Dawn" Gomurr the Ancient join Wolverine and Archangel on their quest to find the Ebony Vein.

[4-Stars] X-Men Unlimited #10 - "Need to Know" Dark Beast leaves a trail of destruction as he learns as much as he can about the life of our reality's Beast.

[4-Stars] X-Men (v2) #50 - "Full Court Press" Cyclops, Wolverine, Iceman, and Storm find themselves in another dimension being tested by Onslaught's herald -- a new threat who goes by the name Post!

[3-Stars] Uncanny X-Men #331 - "The Splinter Of Our Discontent" Iceman finally confront Emma Frost. She possessed his body back in Uncanny X-Men #314 and learned  how to use his powers much better than he ever did. He really needs to to push those limits after sustaining serious damage during his battle against Post.

[3-Stars] X-Men (v2) #51 - "Deathbound Train" Bishop, Gambit, and Dark Beast (disguised as Beast) attempt to stop a speeding commuter train in which all the riders are transformed into grotesque mutants.

[3-Stars] X-Men (v2) #52 - "The Agony of Memory" Bishop, Gambit, and Dark Beast (disguised as Beast) are captives of Mr. Sinister.

[2-Stars] Uncanny X-Men #332 - "The Road to Casablanca" Ozymandius was once a mighty king who paid for his crimes against Apocalypse by becoming his immortal recorder. Always carving into stone the fate of mutants, the blind Ozymandius defends his sanctuary from the X-Men.
NOTE: This issue actually resumes from Wolverine #100 and continues into Wolverine #101 which I do not own.