Era #9, Part 15: Powerless

Grade: B

The run marks the end of the Alan Davis's tenure on the X-Men titles. It is an interesting concept that will be revisited again in more detail: what if the mutants lost their powers?

The X-Men are starting to deal with the loss of Cyclops when the High Evolutionary broadcasts a message to the entire world. He has decided that eliminating mutants will stop conflict with humans. He uses his satellite array to send an energy pulse that removes the x-gene from every mutant on the globe. It is a blessing to some and a curse to others, but while the X-Men learn to live normal lives, Genosha's civil war intensifies. The bloody conflict also reveals a dangerous, hidden aspect of the High Evolutionary's plan, and that sends the powerless X-Men to space to confront the High Evolutionary and his old colleague, Mr. Essex (a not-so-disguised Mr. Sinister).

The story itself does not feel true to the X-Men ethos. The team seems to initially accept what is happening to them and every other mutant in the world rather than immediately confront the High Evolutionary for making the decision for them. Maybe it is because of their recent battle and losses, but they aren't being the heroes that defy the odds. In the end, the twists are not surprising, and the conclusion feels unsatisfying.

What really makes this stand out, however, is watching the characters really deal with "being normal". Wolverine hides his pain to allow his friends to enjoy their new lives. Meltdown watches a kid who defined himself with powers try to hold onto what made him special. Nightcrawler must get used to a normal body with agility a trained acrobat might have. Each story is unique, and it would've been very interesting to see some more.

I guess I am reading a little too much into the story, but this set got me thinking about how we often define ourselves by something we believe is unique to us. We can see that special quality as something that set us apart from everybody else, or we may accept it as an integral and celebrated aspect of our identity. What if that one thing is suddenly taken?

[3-Stars] Uncanny X-Men #379 - "What Dreams May Come..." Professor X leaves Earth to lead mutant Skrulls, but after he leaves, the High Evolutionary turns his attention, and considerable technology from space, towards ending the mutant/human struggle by eliminating the x-gene from the entire population. No more mutants.

[4-Stars] X-Force #101 - "Learning To Fly" Mutant powers are gone, and that has left Cannonball in bad shape. He fell from a considerable hight while flying over the San Fransisco Bay. The team waits for his recovery, but Meltdown watches the unintended consequences of a young boy who believed that his new-found powers made him special.

[3-Stars] X-Men #99 - "Oh, the Humanity" The X-Men learn to live as normal humans. The High Evolutionary and his mysterious partner, Dr. Essex, prepare for the next phase of their plan to accelerate the mutations across the entire globe.

[3-Stars] Uncanny X-Men #380 - "Heaven's Shadows" The powerless X-Men race to the High Evolutionary's satellite station to stop Dr. Essex's global experiment before it causes permanent damage.

Era #9, Part 14: Generation X #59-62

Grade: C

Jay Faeber's run ends with some more run-of-the-mill stories. We finally get some answers about Mondo's relationship with Black Tom and Juggernaut, but I am not sure I could explain it accurately. Monet left the team to attend a private boarding school in the Swiss Alps -- run by a vampire.

This is another case in which it is probably a good thing that I am a neurotic completionist. I would have dropped this title, but I really liked the characters and hoped that things would get better. It does, but not here.

[3-Stars] Generation X #59 - "Artie & Leech's Day Off" It is a field trip to the Big Apple that goes a little awry when Artie and Leech sneak away to find their friend Franklin Richards.

[3-Stars] Generation X #60 - "Christmas Fear" Cordelia Frost crashes Christmas with Mondo hot on her trail.

[3-Stars] Generation X #61 - "Christmas Fear Part Two" Generation X versus Mondo, Black Tom Cassidy and the Juggernaut.

[2-Stars] Generation X #62 - "Prey" It is a Monet solo story as she looks for ways to eliminate a vampire that preys on the boarding school students. This is more Buffy without the fun dialog or character development. 

Era #9, Part 13: X-Force #92-100

Grade: D

This run is one of the cases where I like the writer and I love the characters, but I can't figure out why. I will confess that it was a struggle to finish this run. The stories are really uninspired. John Francis Moore tries to make the Domacles Foundation a major threat that has been around for years. You sprinkle in some more well-known villains like Selene, Hela, and Blackheart for random (and confusing) appearances, and you have a title that is clearly winding down. It wasn't necessarily a bad set, but it would not be one that I would recommend -- or attempt to reread again.

[2-Stars] X-Force #92 - "Strange Interlude" Domino meets Halloween Jack in what feels like a fill-in issue. John Francis Moore created Halloween Jack in the pages of X-Men 2099 along with other recent story elements such as the Mutant Underground Support Engine (MUSE)). It seems he wanted to bring those characters into the mainstream x-mythos, but alas, none of them made it beyond these issues.

[2-Stars] X-Force #93 - "Temple of the Dying Sun" X-Force is tricked into unleashing an ancient power upon the world by two unknown Eternals attempting to steal Dani's newfound energy powers.

[3-Stars] X-Force #94 - "Artifacts and Apocrypha" Pete Wisdom recruits X-Force for a dangerous mission that requires them to sneak into Magneto's Genosha.

[3-Stars] X-Force #95 - "Magnetic Distraction" Magneto finds X-Force helping Pete Wisdom on a mission to retrieve a sentient satellite that crashed on Genosha soil.

[2-Stars] X-Force #96 - "Family Secrets" In Genosha, Cannonball learned that his father may have covered up a murder. He breaks his uncle out of prison in order to get some answers, but the story leads X-Force to Sledge, Odysseus Indigo, and the Damocles Foundation.

[2-Stars] X-Force #97 - "Cracked Foundation" Selene has been spending the last few issues forming an uneasy alliance with Sunspot in order to stop the Damocles Foundation from merging the Reignfire essence with a Celestial Gatherer.

[2-Stars] X-Force #98 - "Temptation" Selene tempts Sunspot into joining Hellfire Club by promising to bring back his first love, Juliana Sandoval, from the dead. Meanwhile, Hela attempts to convince Blackheart into releasing Dani Moonstar.

[2-Stars] X-Force #99 - "Bad Company" The Demon Bear is back and destroying San Fransisco. Arcadia has been haunted by Dani Moonstar's legendary nightmare and raced to find X-Force to get to the bottom of their uncomfortable psychic connection.

[2-Stars] X-Force #100 - "Dark Cathedral" Unable to cope with the Demon Bear attack, Arcadia unleashes her reality warping powers transforming herself into the Queen of the Star Swords. She separates X-Force into different dimensions each guard by a past version of Dani Moonstar.