Era #10, Part 13: Riot at Xavier's (New X-Men)

Grade: A-

What a story! Grant Morrison captures the tumultuous generational transition of a group already marginalized by society. It is a departure from the approach seen with the New Mutants and Generation X in which the students often complained about their elders but accepted their teachings. We see how differently a new generation sees the world, and how unpredictably they respond.  

Telepathic prodigy Quinten Quire has had enough. Mutant fashion icon Jumbo Carnation is murdered by humans, and the U-Men continue to hunt mutants to harvest their powers for themselves. The X-Men teach a growing number of mutants how to use their powers and preach peaceful coexistence, but where are they against all the injustices? Quinten has finally had enough after learning that he is adopted, so he begins acting out and soon forms his own gang. Fueled by a new addictive drug called "Kick", their crimes escalate to a full riot at Xavier's School. The world watches the chaos that leads to the death of a student.

Quinten does not come across as a villain but as angry and misguided. He is done with being lied to and told what to believe. He even outfits his revolution with a counter-culture "uniform" that pays homage to A Clockwork Orange. The question isn't if the X-Men can end the riot, but how they will deal with a new generation that has a completely different perspective. 

[7-Stars] New X-Men (2001) #134
[7-Stars] New X-Men (2001) #135

[7-Stars] New X-Men (2001) #136

[7-Stars] New X-Men (2001) #137

[7-Stars] New X-Men (2001) #138

Collected in New X-Men (Vol. 4): Riot at Xavier's