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.