Operation: Zero Tolerance - 25 Years Later part 9: Iceman Steps Up and the Rest Fall Down

The real action of "Operation: Zero Tolerance" unfolded in X-Men and Wolverine. The plot threads running through Generation X, despite the series more or less kicking off the whole event, proved uninspired and there was the sense that new writer James Robinson was just trying to get through the whole thing so he could concentrate on the stories and characters central to the series.

X-Men writer Scott Lobdell and Wolverine writer Larry Hama, on the other hand, embraced the story in their series and delivered fast paced, high energy issues that advanced the plot at breakneck speed while including a great deal of character development. These issues would see the introduction of Cecilia Reyes, a mutant with no attachment to the X teams who provides the point of view of an ordinary person caught up in the assault on mutants. Iceman would move into a major leadership role, continuing the strong character arc that had been running through the X-Men books since before "Phalanx Covenant". And a number of big name X-Men would find themselves removed from the main thrust of the fight, pushed more into a position of needing to survive rather than fighting back against the primary threat.

And it all started with quite a bang.

The following contains major spoilers for X-Men 64-66 and Wolverine 115-116.

Open Fire

X-Men 65

The strongest "Operation: Zero Tolerance" issue of Generation X was 27 where Bastion interrogated Jubilee. At the end of that issue he gives the command for Zero Tolerance to begin. That carries over into the final pages of X-Men 64 when Cyclops, Jean, Storm, Wolverine, and Cannonball run into Zero Tolerance forces on their flight back from Japan.

The encounter between the X-Men and Zero Tolerance's new sentinels is barely a fight. Zero Tolerance's forces make short work of the team, knowing just how to disable Cannonball, Storm, and Cyclops. Jean has been rendered temporarily powerless thanks to burst of psionic power that sent her to the Heroes Reborn universe (part of a storyline that Lobdell was building but which was never resolved after his departure from the title). Wolverine's major contribution is to save Jean's life when the team's plane crashes.

The captured X-Men are taken back to Bastion's Hulkbuster base where he taunts Jubilee (he previously lied to her in Generation X 27 about having defeated them). The Zero Tolerance troops think Wolverine is dead and let their guard down as they prepare to dispose of his body (given Bastion's apparent knowledge of the X-Men's abilities, this seem unlikely). Wolverine seizes the opportunity and makes short work of getting the rest of the team out. At a key moment Jubilee, still being taunted by Bastion, slows him down just enough to help the X-Men escape.

Alone in the New Mexico desert, the five X-Men stumble on a small encampment and are greeted by a man Wolverine at first suspects is a sentinel. The X-Men don't know much about the sentinels beyond their new appearance as ordinary people with technological enhancements. The man explains that he was simply the survivor of a plane crash and is up and about thanks to a nearby doctor helping him with things like leg braces and metal plates. Wolverine, not sold on the story, investigates the doctor's facility at night and discovers that it's full of materials needed to transform people into sentinels.

X-Men 66

Welcome to the X-Men Cecilia Reyes, etc. etc.

Operation: Zero Tolerance isn't just interested in the X-Men; they're after every mutant. Shortly after the announcement that Zero Tolerance's forces have engaged the X-Men, Doctor Cecilia Reyes--after listening to several colleagues talk about how bad the mutants are and how much they approve of these moves against them--is attacked by a sentinel who she thought was an ordinary dead man. Her colleagues are horrified (both because they were working alongside a mutant and because the sentinel is threatening them to force Cecilia's surrender.

Iceman, back in action after taking time away to be with his father who was attacked in Uncanny X-Men 340, arrives just in time to save Cecilia. Iceman reveals that Xavier, after approaching Cecilia to train her and being told she wants nothing to do with the X-Men, charged him with protecting her if anything happened. 

Rubbing Xavier's Nose In It

X-Men 65

At the same time as the X-Men are being attacked and Cecilia is being outed, Bastion and his forces are securing the mansion. Using the information he received from Jubilee, Bastion accesses the secret portions of the mansion and gains access to the Danger Room files, the Xavier Protocols, and the mutant underground files. They're encrypted, but Bastion expects he'll be able to break the encryption.

Bastion also taunts Xavier with images of the captured X-Men.

Jubilee, File Shenanigans, Xavier's Not So Secret Secret, and an Unlikely Rescue

These issues are great overall but there are a few things that stretch believability. The first is Jubilee's appearance in Wolverine 115. Her portrayal in Generation X 27, an issue written by Lobdell, was one of a strong character. Even if Lobdell asserted that she wasn't an X-Man the issue before, he wrote her as a strong, defiant character. This was effectively undone by James Robinson in issues 29-31 where Jubilee appeared week and unable to contribute meaningfully to her own escape. Meanwhile here she resisted Bastion's efforts to break her down even in the face of the X-Men's capture, and she ultimately contributed to their escape. I specifically left this moment out of the Generation X entry because Larry Hama's writing was far more in line with Lobdell's characterization while James Robinson's effectively undid the strength she showed in Generation X 27.

Wolverine 115

Connected to the Jubilee story thread was Bastion's ability to get into the X-Men's facilities in the mansion and access the encrypted files. Cable 40 established that much of the mutant underground files had been deleted (and were continuing to be deleted) which was the reason he went looking for Renée Majcomb. Moira was worried Majcomb might be unreachable once the files were gone. And including the Xavier Protocols required a bit of slight of hand. While previous X books established that the Xavier Protocols were stored on Muir Island (seemingly only on Muir Island) and that they were sealed after an attempt to steal them, they are now conveniently available in full at the mansion necessitating further security measures (as seen in a future entry). As we'll later see, Bastion's announcement to Xavier that he has access to the files seems purely for dramatic effect in the story as they ultimately play a limited role.

While on the topic of Xavier, it's important to remember that at this point in time Xavier's status as a mutant was not generally known. This was one of the most frustrating aspects of Onslaught Epilogue. Larry Hama presented Bastion as though he couldn't quite decide whether Bastion knew Xavier was a telepath or not. He definitely didn't seem to know Xavier was Onslaught. And at no point in any issue leading up to this did he give an indication that he knew Xavier was associated with the X-Men. As a result his clear awareness of Xavier's relationship with the X-Men and his telepathic abilities (now lost) seems to come out of nowhere.

X-Men 66

The final criticism isn't a revision of previous stories but a simple exercise in convenience. That Xavier would charge Iceman with the protection Cecilia Reyes in the event of some kind of attack doesn't really pass the smell test. Did Xavier assign various X-Men to protect every mutant that refused his offer to join up. Does Iceman have a responsibility for other mutants (he doesn't mention it). Unquestionably I'm in favor of Iceman's continued development, but this is a little difficult to believe.

Checking in with Bastion

It's worth noting that there is variation between these issues in how Bastion is portrayed. He ranges from being certain of his purpose to reconsidering it (though ultimately deciding it is the right course of action). That he's certain of his purpose is consistent with his origin as later revealed. Second thoughts are absolutely not. But it's unclear whether Lobdell knew what Bastion's origin was at this point and even if he did, Lobdell had left the X books by the time it was revealed so there's no way of knowing if his origin was changed.

Despite the criticisms listed here, these four issues are a strong beginning to "Operation: Zero Tolerance", and they do a very good job establishing the stakes and subverting expectations by removing the major characters from the primary conflict.

Additionally, the art is top notch. Carlos Pacheco handles the X-Men issues and (in concert with with Art Thibert's inks and assorted colorists) creates high energy issues that accompany the urgency of the script These issues are fun and go quickly. The Wolverine issues are rougher by comparison. Leinil Francis Yu applies a great deal of detail to the characters. Edgar Tadeo's heavier inks and Joe Rosas's subdued colors make the issues feel a little more desperate and in some ways more intense. These are the A-list X-Men, and they aren't really in a position to fight back. The art reflects the dark times they are facing.

Like "Onslaught" before it, "Operation: Zero Tolerance" has a surprisingly strong beginning considering the state of Marvel's writing at the time. The question is...will it fare any better than "Onslaught" when it ends?

~~~

For an index of the entries in this "Operation: Zero Tolerance" retrospective, jump back to the landing page here. And for an issue-by-issue commentary check out Twitter @theroncouch #CompleteOZT.

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The Kids Aren't Alright

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Immortal X-Men #4: Spoiler Free Review

Writer: Kieron Gillen

Art: Michele Bandini

Colors: David Curiel

Letters: VC’s Clayton Cowles

Design: Tom Muller & Jay Bowen

Cover: Mark Brooks

Variant Covers: Phil Noto; Meghan Hetrick; Betsy Cola

Publisher: Marvel Comics

Price: 3.99

Release Date: July 13th, 2022

By day she’s the elegant head of the Hellfire Trading Company and a member of Krakoa’s Quiet Council. By night she’s…a diamond? Emma Frost is front and center this issue, recovering from the Hellfire Gala and dropping a bombshell revelation on the council. Plus–more machinations with Mister Sinister!

A.X.E. Eve of Destruction #1: Spoiler Free Review

Writer: Kieron Gillen

Art: Pascual Ferry

Colors: Dean White

Letters: VC’s Clayton Cowles

Cover: Carlos Pacheco, Rafael Fonteriz & Rachelle Rosenberg

Variant Cover: Ashley Witter; John Cassady & Laura Martin; Lucas Werneck; MR Garcin; Peach Momoko; Phil Noto

Publisher: Marvel Comics

Price: 3.99

Release Date: July 13th, 2022

Judgment Day approaches! Why are three of Marvel's most powerful groups on a collision course? And as the conflict approaches, how united are the Eternals? A.X.E. Eve of Judgment #1 addresses both questions as it pulls back the curtain on recent battles, personal relationships, and political machinations motivating those charged with correcting excess deviation.

Operation: Zero Tolerance - 25 Years Later part 8: The Kids Aren't Alright

Generation X was the vehicle that really get "Operation: Zero Tolerance" going. Yes, Bastion had been making provocative moves as far back as X-Men Unlimited 11, but none of them amounted to anything and no one in the X books ever brought up Bastion as a threat. In fact, until Cable 40, none of the X teams were forced into a conflict with Operation: Zero Tolerance. Despite Bastion's encounter with Rogue, it was somewhat unclear how much the writers believed Bastion knew about the X-Men (this was especially evident in Onslaught: Epilogue). Even when his investigation began in Generation X 20, Bastion's information seemed somewhat contradictory--for instance knowing Banshee's identity and Chamber's codename but having no idea that the school was connected to the X-Men. Lobdell finally settles on Bastion having a great deal of knowledge about the X-Men, something made clear in Generation X 27 when the event proper begins via the Jubilee plotline.

From there the series somewhat meanders through the event as the three plotlines spinning out of issue 25 (the capture of Jubilee, the students getting lost, and Banshee and Emma searching for their lost charges) spin their wheels. Unfortunately Generation X's involvement feels somewhat perfunctory (though not as much of a cash grab situation as their "Onslaught" issues). This series of issues would also see the departure of Scott Lobdell as writer and a drastic change in Chris Bachalo's art style.

The following includes major spoilers for Generation X 27-31.

Generation X 27

The Plight of Jubilee

Following Jubilee's failed escape attempt from the lab (in an undisclosed snowy location), she is returned to Bastion's repurposed Hulkbuster base in Generation X 27 where Bastion interrogates her. Using a series of projections he tries to convince Jubilee that she is the last surviving X-Man. He produces an apparently wrecked visor from Cyclops and a seemingly captured Wolverine who is being tortured.

The analyst Daria, who assisted Bastion's investigation into the Massachusetts Academy, is working with him again here. She is able to prompt Jubilee to relive memories with the goal of shaking her mentally and pushing her to reveal intelligence about the X-Men. Over the course of the interrogation Daria finds herself sympathizing with Jubilee and disapproving of Bastion's actions (though she keeps that to herself for the time). At one point Jubilee is able to push Bastion into inadvertently succumbing to his own memory scanning technology, and Daria finds herself watching a brief image of Bastion's past that suggests he is an artificial person.

Bastion pushes his ruse a little too far when the projection of Wolverine begs for the torture to stop. This convinces Jubilee that she's being lied to and prompts Bastion to abandon his efforts to gain intelligence and order an attack against the X-Men (which commences at the end of X-Men 64).

Jubilee's significance drops considerably after this issue. Bastion loses interest in her and Jubilee's only contact is with Daria. When Jubilee uses her powers in an attempt to escape it triggers Daria to release nanites from inside her that she didn't know were there. Jubilee talks her down until she can regain control of the technology within her. By the end of issue 31 Daria has built up a strong enough connection with Jubilee that she frees her, drops her off some distance from the base, and provides a distraction so Jubilee can evade recapture (Jubilee's story continues in Wolverine 117).

Escape to Los Angeles

Generation X 31

The other students, last seen lost at sea in Generation X 26, would be rescued via an encounter with Glorian, shaper of dreams. Finding the team worthy, he makes each of their fondest dreams real (though they don't realize they're living in a fantasy made manifest). These events take place on a ship at sea with Glorian explaining that he raised the ship from beneath the ocean and brought the team to it. Skin is the only one of the team not under Glorian's spell and he pushes back against the idea that these fantasies are really want the teams wants. As Glorian gets agitated the fantasies fall apart and in the end Glorian grants Skin's unspoken wish and transports the whole team to L.A.

Once in L.A. Skin takes the team to stay with his cousin. While there the team is betrayed by an old enemy of his and are subsequently attacked by Operation: Zero Tolerance's Prime Sentinels. The team is able to evade the sentinels for a time but ultimately face a full assault. This is resolved off panel in a battle that sees Monet split into two younger girls (which begins leads to the explanation of her origins).

It's 10 O'clock--Do You Know Where Your Students Are?

The Banshee and Emma plot doesn't intersect with "Operation: Zero Tolerance". In the wake of the fight with Mondo they're searching for their students. Banshee believes they've somehow become trapped on Krakoa, so the two headmasters set off in Emma's jet. On route they pick up a distress call from the X-Men (this corresponds to the sentinel attack on the X-Men in X-Men 64-65). The two don't actually link up with the X-Men and instead travel to Florida to one of Emma's last undiscovered safe houses in order to hide from Bastion's forces. While in hiding Banshee and Emma are contacted by D.O.A., a servant of Emplate, who offers a trade: in exchanged for Penance being turned over to him, Emplate will reveal the location of the rest of the students. Emma seems to agree only to be punched out by Banshee before the trade can be finalized (though Emma insists she was never going to go through with it).

Though all of these characters remain separated at the end of Generation X 31, they will have reunited by the beginning of issue 32.

What's My Age Again

Left and center: Generation X 25. Right: Generation X 30

Bachalo's work on Generation X was distinctive from the beginning of the series, with a somewhat exaggerated style to the various characters he drew. This style changed radically beginning with issue 27 as Bachalo begins drawing every main character beside Banshee as shockingly young. The students appear almost as pre-teens with Emma being drawn not much older looking--perhaps an older teenager. It's a somewhat bizarre choice, and an odd way for Bachalo, whose last issue on the series is 31, to go out.

Speaking of going out, Lobdell would also leave the series during this time with his last issue being 28, practically in the middle of "Operation: Zero Tolerance" given the Jubilee story that became so much more serious in issue 27. Lobdell's choice to leave the series was motivated by a desire to put a greater focus on the two X-Men books. However, he wasn't interested in the direction editorial chose to take the X books and he left both titles shortly after "Operation: Zero Tolerance" ended. Probably the most significant story departure from Lobdell's original plan was Monet's origin which became somewhat more convoluted than Lobdell had intended (though he has said the changes were an editorial decision rather than the writers').

In the end Generation X proved an underwhelming addition to the event. The issues were not quite as minimal in their contribution as X-Force and X-Man, but they were unimpressive. Whether that was a result of Lobdell's departure there's no way to know, but given his connection to both Generation X and Bastion I would consider it a possibility.

~~~

For an index of the entries in this "Operation: Zero Tolerance" retrospective, jump back to the landing page here. And for an issue-by-issue commentary check out Twitter @theroncouch #CompleteOZT.

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And So It Begins

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Iceman Steps Up an

And the Rest Fall Down

 

    

    

Operation Zero Tolerance - 25 Years Later part 7: And So it Begins

All due respect to the writers of Wolverine, Cable, X-Man, X-Factor, and Onslaught: Epilogue but when it came to the real build-up for "Operation: Zero Tolerance", Scott Lobdell deserves the credit. Lobdell handled the sporadic but significant J. Jonah Jameson scenes. Lobdell turned Graydon Creed into a character with actual depth and made his campaign have real weight. And Lobdell set in motion the plot that finally
launched the event.

After "Onslaught" Lobdell was handling the the writing duties for both X-Men books as well as Generation X. Lobdell launched the latter series, and for the length of his tenure the series had a voice unlike any other X book. Given Lobdell's investment in the series it's not really surprising that he used it as the platform for Bastion, the villain he created that got pushed into "Operation: Zero Tolerance" by X book editors.

The following includes major spoilers for Generation X 20-26 and minor spoilers for Uncanny X-Men 343.

A Simple Investigation

Many of Bastion's appearances so far have been meaningless panels here and there in issues that have nothing to with him . But in Generation X 20 Bastion begins an investigation that at last furthers the story. His scenes in Generation X 20, 23, and 25 are small but they explain how he connects the dots to the X-Men by way of Jubilee in issues 26 and 27.

Generation X 20

The subplot begins with a call back to Generation X 1. Bastion is reviewing security footage from Chamber's arrival at Logan International Airport in Boston. Operation: Zero Tolerance knows his codename and that he's completely composed of psionic energy, but they don't know his identity, where he came from, or where he went. They also have footage of Emplate, who they know absolutely nothing about, and Sean Cassidy who they can identify as Banshee. But when the fight in the airport began security lost its cameras. Bastion orders an analyst named Daria to backtrack any young men arriving alone in Logan that day and, after a few implied death threats, Daria gets it done. They identify Chamber as Jonothon Starsmore and are able to immediately establish that his ticket was purchased for him by Frost Enterprises.

Daria's investigation into Frost Enterprises yields very little. There are almost no pictures of Emma Frost available and no evidence that she's a mutant. Bastion isn't interested in speculation about her at this stage, but he is interested in the fact that Emma runs a school.

Operation: Zero Tolerance - 25 Years Later part 6: A Couple Quick Hits

The forces of Operation: Zero Tolerance march on in Cable 40, and a short scene appears in Uncanny X-Men 344 that will add context for a plot point during the event. Both of these issues take place after Graydon Creed's assassination and are skippable if you're not a completionist (though the scene in Uncanny X-Men 346 does make a later plot development in "Operation: Zero Tolerance" less of a surprise). Both of these issues take place after Graydon Creed's assassination in X-Factor 130.

The following includes spoilers for Cable 40 and Uncanny X-Men 346.

Blink and You'll Miss 'Em

Cable 40 is a one-and-done issue with the titular character running an errand for Moira MacTaggert. Moira is worried because it's been weeks since she heard from Renée Majcomb, a respected researcher in the field of mutagenics and covert ally of Charles Xavier. Majcomb's location was known only to Xavier, stored in his secret files. But with Xavier gone and most of his files deleted by the X-Men to keep them away from Onslaught, Moira fears she may lose contact with Majcomb completely.

Cable 40

Cable, with the help of Domino and Douglock, find Majcomb and dispatch the troops sent to apprehend her by Harper (Bastion's lieutenant who here resembles his appearance in Uncanny X-Men 337).  Harper apparently doesn't care whether his forces capture Cable or not, and it's unclear whether Bastion's pointed comment about Harper's good work is meant to be genuine or threatening.

It's worth noting that despite this worry over all of Xavier's files being lost, they will seem to be intact during "Operation: Zero Tolerance" and be used as a subplot through several issues, most especially in this series.

A Close Look at DMZ part 10: The Forgotten Borough

"Suppose they gave a war and nobody came?"

As antiwar slogans go that's a good one--and a compelling idea. Leaders declare wars and leave the fighting of them to ordinary people who had no say in the starting of them. History offers a few occasions where the rank and file tried something like this, one of better examples being 1914's Christmas Truce during World War I. Obviously this isn't appropriate for every war; German and French soldiers breaking bread during World War II is impossible to imagine. But a lot of wars (maybe most wars?) are not existential. So what if the conflict in the DMZ is just such a war?

The following contains spoilers for DMZ 35-36.

What's a Little Ricin Between Friends?

"The Island" opens with Matty, cut loose from Liberty News and dropped by Parco Delgado, on his way to do some reporting that he hopes he call sell to someone. To that end he's taking a trip to Staten Island, the borough with the highest concentration of United States troops--troops that aren't doing anything.

The angle Matty intends to take on the story is what it's like to be in a front line unit that never fights. In the process he discovers that the base's commanding officer runs a very loose operation. Under the theory that once the war ends both sides have to come together again as a united people, the C.O. made an arrangement with the Free States forces across the river to come together as comrades instead of fight each other as enemies.

Operation: Zero Tolerance - 25 Years Later part 5: Creed for America

Bastion, Bastion, Bastion. It's always about Bastion. Or at least it's supposed to be. The guy is soon to be the major villain in a big X event. And yet who is generating the intrigue and danger? Graydon Creed.

X-Men has never shied away from a political component to their stories, so an anti-mutant presidential candidate makes a lot of sense. On its own this storyline probably wouldn't have any more punch than the average Senator Kelly screed. But combined with the promise of genocide (Creed actually uses the term "final solution" at one point) it takes on greater import. Alternate timelines have depicted horrible fates for mutants many times but at long last the threat is real.

The following includes major spoilers for Uncanny X-Men 338-341, X-Men 58-60, and X-Factor 127-128 & 130.

Uncanny X-Men 338

Truth

Kicking into high gear beginning in Uncanny X-Men 338, the Creed campaign storyline weaves together a number of threads both big and small. One of the most significant is the continued involvement of J. Jonah Jameson who's digging into Graydon Creed's past. His subplot only appears in two episodes, but they're both significant.

The first is in Uncanny X-Men 338 when he attends a Creed rally and ends up talking to an undercover Bobby Drake (more on that later). Jameson rips into Bobby over Creed taking advantage of people's fear and running on a relentless anti-mutant platform. For a man who's fostered irrational fear himself, he's surprisingly direct as he talks to Bobby. He extols the value of free speech while lamenting that a consequence of it is the ease with which people can be manipulated--instead of people making up their own minds leaders take advantage of their emotions and lead them to bad ends. This is one of those moments that proves people who think comic books shouldn't tackle serious issues are dead wrong. Lobdell delivers one of Jameson's finest moments. The scene is short--just one page--but it's one of the best distillations of the anti-Creed message.

Operation: Zero Tolerance - 25 Years Later part 4: Beginning the Bastion Build-Up

Bastion's development leading up to "Operation: Zero Tolerance" was minimal at best--likewise the build-up to his Operation: Zero Tolerance organization. The appearances that qualify as prologue are somewhat tortured, as though the writers were undecided about whether to follow the character before the event started or to ignore him entirely. Add to that a significant departure from Bastion's established characterization in his biggest appearance and the long build-up proves to be somewhat rocky with good appearances and...a much less good appearance.

The following includes spoilers for multiple X and non-X books, most significantly Onslaught: Epilogue. With the exception of Onslaught: Epilogue these issues are skippable if you're not a completionist.

The Token Bastion

Wolverine Annual '96

Lobdell wastes no time reminding readers of the danger Bastion poses in the two X-Men series as soon as "Onslaught" ends. From there he starts making other appearances as the writers try to build him up as a major threat. Unfortunately most of these add very little.

Wolverine Annual '96 sees Wolverine traveling to Japan where he rescues Sunfire who is being held by the Japanese government after losing control of his powers. This prompts the release of the Red Ronin, a Japanese sentinel. The plot comes off as a rebuke to Japanese leadership which, in an early scene, refuse to join Bastion's Operation: Zero Tolerance because they think they can control any mutant problems they might have on their own.

Operation Zero Tolerance - 25 Years Later part 3: Two Guys Doing the Right Thing

The X books wasted no time reminding readers of the additional threats they had been building when "Onslaught" ended. Uncanny X-Men 337 and X-Men 57 serve as epilogues for the major event that had just concluded while at the same time turning up the heat on the storylines that were leading to "Operation: Zero Tolerance". But what's really interesting is seeing two people we least expect doing the responsible, perhaps even morally correct thing for once.

The following includes spoilers for Uncanny X-Men 337 and X-Men 57.

Owning It

The major thread running through both X-Men books the month after "Onslaught" ends is Xavier's remorse, anger, and guilt. He's not ready for absolution. He knows what led him to this point. Charles Xavier has never been a saint, nor will he be one going forward from here. He has often cloaked mistakes and misjudgments in arrogance. Something entirely different happens here, though.

The Closet #1 - Spoiler Free Quick Review

James Tynion IV - writer

Gavin Fullerton - artist

Chris O'Halloran - colorist

Tom Napolitano - letterer

Leaving Your Problems Behind

Where were the monsters when you were a kid? In the dark? Under the bed? In the latest horror entry from James Tynion IV they just might be in the closet.

Jamie sees monsters in his closet--or at least he says he does. His parents, Thom and Maggie, are about as helpful as most parents are: they half humor him and half nudge him toward getting over his fear. There is a fool-proof solution on the horizon, though. The family is moving to Oregon, and Thom assures Jamie that the monsters will be left behind in the closet in their old house.

A Close Look at DMZ part 9: Democracy in Action

I've repeatedly raised questions about how the DMZ is administered. From what we know of the early days of the fight for Manhattan neither side claimed significant territory. The United States and Trustwell conduct a lot of overt activities in the city (and the Free States many covert ones), but for all that interference in this unclaimed territory there doesn't seem to be any real administration or aid. "Blood in the Game" addresses that topic by holding the first election in the DMZ.

"Blood in the Game" doesn't address what's been going on in the DMZ up until now (there's mention of a U.S. envoy  administering it but according to Matty he's never even been in the DMZ). These details ultimately aren't relevant to the story, and without a viewpoint character to connect with from that time it wouldn't have much emotional resonance. The advantage of this lack of government is that we get a story that proves to be a major turning point for Matty and the series as a whole.

The following contains spoilers for DMZ 29-34.

Power to the People

DMZ 29

Yet another ceasefire is in place in the DMZ, this one negotiated so that the city can elect a governor. Both the Free States and the United States put forth candidates that DMZ residents have never heard of. Matty, having once again renewed his association with Liberty News, is covering their joint press conference (this kind of joint appearance and negotiation is noteworthy in a historical context because in the Civil War the Union steadfastly refused to recognize the Confederacy or negotiate with them on equal terms). It's interrupted by a DMZ resident named Parco Delgado, his look and the look of his bodyguards reminiscent of Che Guevara, who denounces the election as illegitimate because the two sides haven't allowed anyone from the DMZ on the ballot.

Operation Zero Tolerance - 25 Years Later part 1: The Unplanned Event

"Onslaught", as is common knowledge at this point, was an event reverse engineered around a character that didn't really exist in order to fulfill an editorial need to shunt the Fantastic Four and Avengers to the Heroes Reborn universe. This is evident during the lead-up where there are inconsistencies describing what Onslaught is as well as in several issues during the event where the story feels forced and disjointed. So given those obvious deficiencies the X event the following year was certain to tighter and cleaner. Or at least it might have been if it hadn't been "Operation: Zero Tolerance".

1997's "Operation: Zero Tolerance" is perhaps the least subtle X-Men equality metaphor story ever. The United States government, during a period of heightened animosity toward mutants following the apparent deaths of the Fantastic Four and Avengers in the final battle against Onslaught, begins openly hunting mutants with advanced sentinels. The titular operation is run by the new character Bastion.

The first hints for the event were planted before "Onslaught" when Scott Lobdell and Pascual Ferry created Bastion. Lobdell's original plan for the character was to have him attack the X-Men immediately in the wake of "Onslaught", destroy the mansion, and send the team on the run for an unspecified amount of time. He was supposed to become a powerful foe for the X-Men, a character as significant as Magneto. Unfortunately editorial liked the idea a little too much and decided to turn it into the next year's line wide X event.

Operation Zero Tolerance - 25 Years Later part 2: The Pro-Pro-Prologue

Onslaught: Marvel Universe isn't even over before the X writers are telling us how much worse things are about to get for mutants; the pivot from "Onslaught" to "Operation: Zero Tolerance" may seem abrupt, but in truth the X books start weaving in threads leading to "Operation: Zero Tolerance" from practically the end of "Age of Apocalypse". In hindsight, the building blocks for "Operation: Zero Tolerance" actually make more sense than the ones being laid at the same time for "Onslaught". Like with "Onslaught", these preliminary story threads run through the event's villains, Graydon Creed and Bastion. And like Onslaught the character, Creed and Bastion are total mustache twirlers lacking in any complexity whatsoever (this isn't really a surprise since "Operation: Zero Tolerance" could have been called "Let's Genocide the Mutants" for all its subtlety). Fortunately, what the writers skimped on in character development they more than made up for in intrigue.

The following includes spoilers for multiple X books set before Onslaught: X-Men, most significantly Uncanny X-Men #299, Uncanny X-Men #333, and X-Men Unlimited #11.

Uncanny X-Men 299

Creed for America

Graydon Creed first appears in a debate on mutant rights in Uncanny X-Men #299 (though he was previously mentioned in Stryfe's Strike Files where his parentage was alluded to but not established). He's the founder of the human rights organization Friends of Humanity and is more openly hostile to mutants than Senator Kelly. Ironically, he is the son of two mutants: Mystique and Sabretooth. While his parentage was revealed to readers in Sabretooth #1-4, (where, hiding behind the identity Tribune, he captured his father and sent him on a mission to kill his mother) it is not common knowledge in universe. Creed makes several additional appearances before "Age of Apocalypse". The most significant of which are connected to his anti-mutant interests with the Friends of Humanity (he's also involved in a storyline connected to the Gamesmaster where he's on a team called the Upstarts).

A Close Look at DMZ part 8: A Cast of Several

I've claimed several times in previous posts that DMZ is a series about characters in war rather than a series about the war itself. But we've really only had a handful of characters to look at: Matty and Zee primarily with Wilson and Kelly on the periphery and Amina and Soames making contributions before never being seen again. So everyone reading could be forgiven for disbelieving my claim.

Series creator and writer Brian Wood followed up "Friendly Fire", the heaviest story to this point, with the breath of fresh air that is these six character examination issues. Don't let that turn of phrase fool you, though. While these issues do step away from Matty, Zee, and their never ending quest to find meaning and justice in a war zone, they have no less depth. Art, poverty, greed, emotional detachment, culture, spiritual transformation--they're all here, playing out in a war zone. And removed from Matty (mostly), these stories can be told without having to advance a larger narrative of how the DMZ is being changed by the presence of the ersatz journalist main character.

The following contains spoilers for DMZ 23-28.

"Decade Later"

Issue 12 pulled the curtain back from the DMZ and revealed the city's rich, developing culture. Among the characters introduced was Decade Later a middle aged tagger who grew up in New York City and couldn't be chased out by war. The issue opens with Decade braving sniper fire to get across the street and break into a hardware store, his goal to acquire all the spray paint he can. From there the story cuts between the present, the start of the war, and before the war. Based on what we're shown of the past Decade has been a tagger forever, but he's never been interested in just leaving behind "some boring tag" or claiming territory. He wants to share knowledge. He wants people to find his work ten years from now and take meaning from it (that turns out to be the origin of his tag). The remaining scenes from the past show Decade working on an unspecified project having to do with New York subway cars.

A Close Look at DMZ part 7: Who's to Blame?

The term "friendly fire" is terribly antiseptic. It has the sound of something small scale and not lethal. The term can actually encompass anything from confusion on the ground to air and missile strikes and it definitely includes fatal incidents. The casualties might be military personnel. They might be peaceful civilians, perhaps civilians under that military's protection. And the unfortunate truth is they happen in every war. Given this, any extended story about a war would be remiss if it failed to address the topic, and that brings us to this story.

The Iraq and Afghanistan wars saw their share of friendly fire casualties. Some were American soldiers. Some were Iraqi and Afghan soldiers. Some were civilians. One of the more notorious incidents was the Haditha Massacre. Brian Wood has spoken about how the coverage of that event, specifically the media's treatment of the soldiers involved, led to him changing this story to examine how soldiers put into impossible situations might make a mistake and then be hung out to dry by those higher in the chain of command.

The following contains spoilers for DMZ 18-22.