Era #9, Part 26: Eve of Destruction

Grade: C-

The era comes to end with a final showdown. Era 09 starts with the Magneto War in which the Master of Magnetism becomes the leader of the island nation of Genosha. It ends with him preparing his mutant/mutate army for war against the world in the name of genetic superiority.

This collection starts with a standalone story (#391) in which Cyclops finally confronts his father, the Starjammer leader known as Corsair. Why didn't Corsair return to Earth for his sons? It isn't a bad premise, but Corsair was introduced in 1977, so this might have been something they resolved over the last 24 years. 

The Eve of Destruction starts with a recap (#111) as told by reporter Trish Tilby. It certainly isn't a bad idea to remind the readers of how we got to this stage, but I remember that this felt like a waste of money when I was buying individual issues. 

The main story unfolds in four issues. Cyclops leads Wolverine and Polaris into Genosha to save as many humans as they can from the growing death toll. Meanwhile Jean Grey forms a new X-Men team to support a final confrontation with Magneto and his army of mutant and mutate soldiers. 

I love the fact that the X-Men can easily add existing Marvel characters and introduce new characters to the roster, so it was fun to watch Jean Grey assemble an assault team. I just don't think It really flowed this time. I was surprised to see the unethical decisions like putting new, untested mutants into danger and altering the mind of an acolyte to join them. 

• Northstar: An established mutant from Alpha Flight, and one of the first openly gay characters in American superhero comics. I like his difficult personality.
• Dazzler: I am glad to see her again, but Scott really doesn't deliver with her backstory. He gives us a peek at what was happening in Mojoverse by explaining that Dazzler will need the X-Men's help against the Age of Apocalypse babies (who killed Longshot?), but the story ends with Dazzler voluntarily departing without the assistance. 
• Frenzy: I've always kinda liked Frenzy. She is one of Magneto's most loyal Acolytes turned Genoshan Ambassador, yet Jean somehow convinces her to switch sides? It is implied that Jean used her powers to make that happen.
• Paulie Provenzano: I liked Paulie as well. His Brooklyn swagger is a nice change to the normal mutant melodrama. This was his first appearance, and he doesn't make more than one since this story.
• Wraith (Hector Rendoza): Not my favorite of the new batch of inductees. In fact, I just don't get his purpose or origin. Like Paulie, this is his first appearance, and he hasn't made more than once since this story.
• Sunpyre (Leyu Yoshida): I have mixed feelings about Sunpyre. She is the sister of Sunfire, a well established mutant ally from Japan. What I don't like is that she is his sister that we've never heard of since Sunfire's introduction in 1970. She has the identical power set and identical personality traits with her more well-known brother, so I am puzzled why they didn't use Sunfire (or make her a little more distinctive). This is also her first appearance, but she does show up a little more often in the future.

Eve of Destruction has the makings of an epic clash between the X-Men and Magneto on a global scale. It marks the conclusion of Magneto's legitimate rule over a mutant nation (and his ambition to use that power against the entire world), but alas, it falls short. The build-up was hurried and the execution rushed. The character depictions are not quite right (which is a bit odd for Scott Lobdell), and the character development is non-existent. It feels like a basic comic book story to clear the slate for a new creative team.

[3-Stars] Uncanny X-Men (1963) #391

[4-Stars] X-Men (1991) #111 

[5-Stars] Uncanny X-Men (1963) #392

[5-Stars] X-Men (1991) #112

[5-Stars] Uncanny X-Men (1963) #393

[5-Stars] X-Men (1991) #113

Collected in X-Men: Eve of Destruction

Era #9, Part 25: Four Days

Grade: C

The Revolution reboot claims another title as Generation X also ends its run. This final story is a nice, low-key look at the students as they come to grips with the loss of Sync. While taking a day trip into New York, Chamber meets a young woman with similar interests (#71) while Jubilee and M bond over the loss of their mutual friend (#72). Skin spends the day with Banshee who is also mourning Moria's death (#73), and Husk investigates ghostly appearances in the empty school (#74). 

Unfortunately, the final issue is exceptionally disappointing. It feels like the creators just learned that the title was being canceled and concluded six years of storytelling and character development with "and then they all suddenly decided to go their separate ways." After spending so long with these characters, I couldn't help but feel sad to see their departure so unceremoniously rushed.  

[6-stars] Generation X (1994) #71

[6-stars] Generation X (1994) #72

[5-stars] Generation X (1994) #73

[5-stars] Generation X (1994) #74

[3-stars] Generation X (1994) #75

Collected in Counter X: Generation X - Four Days

Era #9, Part 24: Rage War

Grade: C 

The Revolution reboot comes to a close for X-Force, and with it, the end of the title (for me) This final collection continues the super-spy direction with two stories from Ian Edgington. In Rage War, the team investigates several cases in which normal families suddenly turn into monsters. The team learns that these families are Soviet-era sleeper agents finally being activated by a rogue scientist with an agenda. In Epitaph, X-Force finally discovers who has been after them, and it is someone close to Pete Wisdom.

This new espionage premise wears thin quickly. The exaggerated spy cliches (like a super-secret black-ops organization beyond the touch and even knowledge of the world's powers that happens to be run by Pete Wisdom's sister) is beyond over-the-top. The sleeper agent angle was interesting but didn't really go anywhere. To make it less appealing, Jorge Lopez's art adds to the overall messiness of the run. 

This set ends the original X-Force lineup. The title continues with a new team of media-centric heroes. I wasn't interested in following along, so this marks the end of an era that started with the New Mutants in 1983. Fortunately, the characters have "graduated" from here to become even more integrated into the core X-Men books.   

Rage War

[5-Stars] X-Force (1991) #110

[5-Stars] X-Force (1991) #111

[5-Stars] X-Force (1991) #112

[5-Stars] X-Force (1991) #113

Epitaph

[4-Stars] X-Force (1991) #114

[4-Stars] X-Force (1991) #115

Collected in Counter X: X-Force: Rage War

Era #9, Part 23: X-Men Unlimited #30-31

Grade: C

I remember being excited when X-Men Unlimited first came out in 1993. It was an interesting concept in which any creator could tell a unique, self-contained X-Men story. This anthology series runs from 1993 to 2003 (ending with issue #50), but I decided I had enough here. I found that I was buying the title simply because it bore the "X", and that wasn't enough to support the higher cover price per issue. I didn't find the tales original enough to keep me engaged, and none of them were especially relevant to the overall mythos (or the main on-going storyline).

These last two comics of my collection include seven stories from Andi Watson, Jim Mahfood, Joe Pruett, John Czop, John Ostrander, Mike Lilly, Steven Grant, Charlie Adlard, Micheal Golden, and Brian Steelfreeze. There are some recognizable names in there, but not enough for me to keep this in my pull list.

I think so much more could've been done with X-Men Unlimited, but alas, it was time for me to bid adieu.

[5-Stars] X-Men Unlimited (1993) #30

[5-Stars] X-Men Unlimited (1993) #31

Era #9, Part 22: Uncanny X-Men #389-390 & X-Men #109-110

Grade: C

This can be best described at the definitive end of the Claremont Era and the beginning of the definitive end of the Lobdell Era. I would normally split this set into two parts because it really has two different scribes, but the stories were all so similar in nature that I felt that they should be grouped together. This entire set is deeply reflective in an attempt to tie up loose ends that both writers have dangled over the years. 

Chris Claremont addresses Dr. Cecilia Reyes's addiction to the mutant performance-enhancing drug called Rave, and he delves deeper into Destiny's Diaries first found back in Era #9, Part 07. This leads to Storm forming a new secret team (and another upcoming X-Men title). Chris Claremont is pulled from the core X-Men books and given X-Treme X-Men that will start in Era #10.

Scott Lobdell returns to clear the slate as well. He ends the relationship between Angel and Psylocke and explains where Kitty Pryde has been this entire time. Perhaps the biggest thing to call out in this small set is that we finally get the cure for the Legacy Virus he first introduced at the end of the X-Cutioner's Song (Era #6, Part 7). A sacrifice is needed to save all mutants from this devastating disease. Yes, it is a bit contrived, but who volunteers for this last act makes sense and the memorial is more touching than I expected.

[4-Stars] Uncanny X-Men (1963) #389

[4-Stars] X-Men (1991) #109 

[5-Stars] Uncanny X-Men (1963) #390

[6-Stars] X-Men (1991) #110

Era #9, Part 21: Dream's End

Grade: C-

It is pretty unfair of me to rate this, but it is part of the collection. I never picked the other two issues in this storyline. Reading the bookend issues hasn't changed my opinion that was yet another mediocre crossover. 

Senator Robert Kelly is running for President on a platform to deal with the mutant threat, and the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants plan to assassinate him before he can get into office. The X-Men realize how real the threat is to Senator Kelly and secretly plant Cable into the campaign as a bodyguard. The X-Men's investigation into Mystique's plan, however, reveals a much more sinister plot to unleash a mutation of the Legacy Virus on the human race. 

The elements of past stories are all blatantly visible. An anti-mutant presidential nominee being secretly protected by the X-Men in order to (unsuccessfully) prevent an assassination. Mystique and the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants attempting to murder Senator Robert Kelly. The Legacy Virus used as a weapon. 

Unoriginal, uninspiring, and unexpected from the great Chris Claremont.

[4-Stars] Uncanny X-Men (1963) #388 

[Missing] Cable (1st series) #87

[Missing] Bishop: The Last X-Man #16

[5-Stars] X-Men (1991) #108 

Era #9, Part 20: Maximum Security (X-Men)

Grade: C

Company-wide crossovers can play havoc with creators trying to tell their own stories. It is clear that Chris Claremont was going in a specific direction with his Revolution arc, but this set doesn't seem to really fit. Maximum Security is such a big event that it is a little hard to follow if you didn't read the many different issues. The X-Men had only three tie-in issues.

In short, most of the alien civilizations that have previously interacted with Earth join forces to prevent humans from interfering further with galactic affairs. To accomplish this, they designate Earth as a penal colony. 

Uncanny X-Men (106) #387 is the most interesting of the set. Four former members of the Shi'ar Imperial Guard are expelled and imprisoned on Earth for unknown treasonous activities. They agree to help Starhammer get his revenge on Jean Grey for the Phoenix' genocide of the D'Bari people. It is a reminder of what she did, and I liked the unexpected ending.

Professor X and his Skrull mutants (called Cadre K) are back, and they have a plan to return Bishop to the X-Men. It is a little unclear why they need to do this (or what happens to the Cadre K in the aftermath). I imagine the answers are in other issues that I don't have. As a stand-alone read, X-Men (1991) #107 and X-Men Unlimited (1993) #29 simply mark the return of Bishop and Professor X. 

[6-Stars] Uncanny X-Men (1963) #387 

[5-Stars] X-Men (1991) #107 

[4-Stars] X-Men Unlimited (1993) #29

Collected in X-Men: Revolution by Chris Claremont

Era #9, Part 19: Counter X (Vol 2)

Grade: C+

Revolution reaches the Massachusetts Academy with devastating results. Warren Ellis and Brain Woods use the X-Men reboot to take Generation X into a new direction with another set of grim stories. It is clear from the start that something tragic occurred in the six months since the events of Powerless (Era #9, Part 15). The team no longer shares a school with normal students, much of the campus is destroyed, and something happened to Everett (Synch). Banshee and Emma Frost continue to mentor the otherwise traditional team lineup of Chamber, Husk, Jubilee, Monet, and Skin. 

There are two separate arcs in this collection. In Correction, Generation X learns that teenagers exhibiting any sign of anti-social behavior are being abducted. Their investigation leads them to a government program run by Warden Coffin, a well-connected authoritarian figure with a long history of incarcerating young people who challenge society. 

Come On Die Young reveals what happened over the six months between issues #62 and #63. Adrienne Frost sets in motion a plan to exact her revenge on Emma and Generation X for foiling her original plot against her younger sister back in Era #9, Part 06. She manages to create panic in the school full of privileged students by revealing to them and their rich parents that there may be mutants among them. Tensions escalate leading to a horrific conclusion. 

I like the direction. It is a departure from Jay Faerber's more typical comic book approach. There are still some hard to believe elements, but the dialog, costumes, and interactions are closer to the original Generation X run. I think Correction had an interesting core concept (social worry over troubled teenagers), but the execution felt underdeveloped. I especially connected with the sinister, more subtle plot that unfolded Come on Die Young. It was one of the more memorable Generation X stories that I enjoyed -- except for the art of one issue and the rushed finale.

Correction

[6-Stars] Generation X (1994) #63

[5-Stars] Generation X (1994) #64

[5-Stars] Generation X (1994) #65

[4-Stars] Generation X (1994) #66

Come On Die Young

[6-Stars] Generation X (1994) #67

[6-Stars] Generation X (1994) #68

[5-Stars] Generation X (1994) #69

[6-Stars] Generation X (1994) #70

Collected in Counter X (Vol. 2)

Era #9, Part 18: Counter X (Vol 1)

Grade: C+

The Revolution reboot brings a new creative team to X-Force. Warren Ellis and Ian Edgington shift the title from a para-military strikeforce to a shadowy covert-ops team. X-Force continues their mantra of taking the fight to the enemy, but their attention is more focused on international, rogue, behind-the-scenes intelligence agencies. 

Revolution introduces a few other changes. As with the X-Men titles, the stories start six months after the events of Powerless (Era #9, Part 15). The lineup is down to four: Cannonball, Bedlam, Proudstar, and Meltdown. Mutant super-spy Pete Wisdom becomes their new coach and leader. They also swap out their spandex for a new look. 

There are two distinct arcs in this collection. In Games Without Frontiers, X-Force returns to San Fransico to stop a horrific experiment long-ago abandoned by the CIA. The original director, Dr. Niles Roman, orchestrates his new world vision as every resident of the city is turned into a monstrous mutant. Domino returns in Murder Ballads, and she needs X-Force's help. She was has a mysterious, intelligent growth on her back and a mutant assassin, Marcus Tsung, hunting her for it. 

I really like the new look and the new direction, but it isn't without some issues for me. The foremost is the heavy reliance on exaggerated spy cliches. It takes itself too seriously to be a caricature but remains too small in scope to be intriguing for the genre. The villains, Dr. Roman and Tsung, are only plot devices. What little character exposition we get is over-the-top cardboard cutout version of super-spy villainy. 

One big bonus: Whilce Portacio! Another one of my favorite artists back on the X-Books.

Games Without Frontiers

[6-Stars] X-Force (1991) #102

[6-Stars] X-Force (1991) #103

[6-Stars] X-Force (1991) #104

[5-Stars] X-Force (1991) #105

Murder Ballads

[5-Stars] X-Force (1991) #106

[4-Stars] X-Force (1991) #107

[5-Stars] X-Force (1991) #108

[5-Stars] X-Force (1991) #109

Collected in Counter X (Vol. 1)

Era #9, Part 17: Revolution (Part 2)

Grade: C-

Chris Claremont continues his run by introducing even more new villains. That normally isn't a bad idea, but it is important to remember that the X-Men movie was just released. New readers were looking for something a little more familiar with what they saw on the big screen. Instead, they got a set of completely new stories that do not comfortably fit within the established X-Men mythos.

This run opens with both X-Men teams independently investigating intergalactic slave trading on Earth. It is a much bigger operation led by Tullamore Voge and his hired help the Goth and the Crimson Pirates. Later, Angel and Psylocke are attacked by the Twisted Sisters after an undisclosed bounty, and the X-Men race to save Lee Forrester and her crew caught in a hurricane off the coast of New Orleans.  

The run ends in a final showdown with the Neo. We left the last post with Dr. Cecilia Reye and Detective Charlotte Jones stuck in the Neo's stronghold. The X-Men finally find a way into the sealed compound to save their allies and confront the angry invaders.

It is sad to say that Chris Claremont's return was a forgettable event. I applaud the attempt to try something new with the X-Men, but Revolution introduces elements and characters that never go anywhere (and are often forgotten).

[4-Stars] X-Men (1991) #103
[5-Stars] Uncanny X-Men (1963) #384 
[5-Stars] X-Men (1991) #104
[4-Stars] Uncanny X-Men (1963) #385 
[5-Stars] X-Men (1991) #105 
[4-Stars] Uncanny X-Men (1963) #386 
[5-Stars] X-Men (1991) #106 

Collected in X-Men: Revolution by Chris Claremont

Era #9, Part 16: Revolution (Part 1)

Grade: C+

Chris Claremont is back! After a decade away, the legendary X-Men scribe (and my favorite writer) returned to the team that he placed at the top of every fanboy's read pile. He took both of the core titles just as the X-Men movie hit the theaters. The comic stars aligned, and I was excited. Alas, my enthusiasm was tempered when this first set of books reached the racks. I still had hope, but these were not the X-Men tales of my youth.

Marvel reset the X-Men franchise with a reboot they called Revolution. The new direction starts six months after the events of Powerless (Era #9, Part 15) in which the X-Men manage to stop the High Evolutionary and Mr. Sinister. This first set does a nice job of telling two separate stories (a problem that plagued the Alan Davis run).

In the X-Men, Colossus, Psylocke, Rogue, Shadowcat, and the newest member Thunderbird (whose origin is told in X-Men Unlimited #27) work to rebuild the High Evolutionary's space station to hand over to Dr. Peter Corbeau and NASA. A new threat emerges to sabotage their efforts. Another advanced branch of humanity was decimated by the High Evolutionary's energy pulse. They call themselves the Neo, and they plan to take their revenge on everybody.

The X-Men also follows Nightcrawler who left super-heroics behind to become a student priest, but he is nearly killed by a Neo ambush. He turns to Dr. Reyes for immediate medical attention. She again finds herself back into the world that she thought she had left behind. Archangel and Detective Charlotte Jones are dragged into the growing confrontation outside the Church of St. Michaels.

In the Uncanny X-Men, Beast, Cable, Phoenix, and Storm meet in Europe to reluctantly help Gambit pay back a Thieves Guild debt owed to Russian spymaster Colonel Alexei Vazhin. The trip brings the team face-to-face with Neo Shockwave Riders, the Neo Lost Souls, and a rogue Neo slave trader. 

Chris Claremont creates an entirely new society that has been secretly living amongst us without anybody noticing. That is a tricky thing to pull off (even in comics), and it does not work here. We never really get an understanding of who the Neo are or what makes them different from humans and mutants. The most mind-boggling unanswered question to me: where have they been living this entire time? We get a glimpse of the tribal dynamics but there a lot of inconsistencies. For example, they appear both low or high tech. The only thing we know for sure is that they are in pain from what the High Evolutionary attempted to do, but that is about as deep as we get. I thought maybe the Neo would be an unfolding mystery over the next year, but that was not the case.

Claremont does a good job of getting into the characters. Nightcrawler left the X-Men for the priesthood. Kitty found love and looks to a future outside the X-Men. Pyslocke deals with her newfound power (and the loss of her primary abilities). His excellent handling of Dr. Cecelia Reyes really stands out and is reminiscent of his style with strong women. She never wanted to be an X-Men, but she is forced to learn new ways to use her powers to survive the Neo and to protect Nightcrawler. Claremont really captures her personality, and we see her dealing with a life she still dislikes under extreme circumstances. On the downside, Claremont introduces a new character with the confusing codename Thunderbird (did we really need another one?). He is an introductory character for us to see the new team from an outsider's point of view, but Thunderbird isn't explored as much as I would've expected in that role.

I am a huge fan of Leinel Francis Yu's and Adam Kubert's artwork, and I had enough faith in Chris Claremont to give this batch a read. It was almost there, but not quite.

[5-Stars] X-Men Unlimited (1993) #27
[6-Stars] X-Men (1991) #100 
[6-Stars] X-Men (1991) #101
[6-Stars] X-Men (1991) #102 
[5-Stars] Uncanny X-Men (1963) #381
[5-Stars] Uncanny X-Men (1963) #382 

[5-Stars] Uncanny X-Men (1963) #383
[5-Stars] X-Men Unlimited (1993) #28

Collected in X-Men: Revolution by Chris Claremont