Era #10, Part 17: Storm - The Arena (X-Treme X-Men)

Grade: D-

Another mutant gladiator story? This time, Storm finds herself part of a Tokyo Arena where she quickly reaches the top, but she needs to continue winning in order to maintain her freedom. It becomes more challenging when she learns that the Arena is led by former Morlocks Masque and Callisto.

There are just too many inconsistencies in this collection to make it enjoyable. We get to see both Yukio and Guido again, but both don't really feel right in their roles. Callisto is the former, strong-willed leader of the Morlocks, but it is Masque who is controlling her -- and the entire sophisticated, black-market business operation. Not bad for somebody who has always been the lackey. I am not even sure how Masque changed his appearance since he can't alter his own appearance, and why is he presenting himself as a woman without explanation? And to top it off, Chris Claremont continues to inject slaver Tullamore Voge in what feels like an attempt to make this uninteresting character relevant. 

Perhaps the biggest oddity is how much Storm loves being in the ring. While she frequently engages in reckless thrill-seeking activities, it has never been portrayed as a pathological need. Her desire for the cheers of the crowd overrides her normal concerns about exploitation. She abandoned her values and that makes this unpleasant run irreconcilably bad. 

[4-Stars] X-Treme X-Men (2001) #36

[3-Stars] X-Treme X-Men (2001) #37

[3-Stars] X-Treme X-Men (2001) #38

[3-Stars] X-Treme X-Men (2001) #39

Collected in  X-Treme X-Men (Vol 7): Storm - The Arena