Wednesday, August 30, 2006

Uncanny X-Periment # 56: "Bloodties"

Avengers # 368, X-Men # 26, Avengers West Coast # 101, Uncanny X-Men # 307, Avengers # 369

As many of you are aware, Magneto has a legacy that spans both the Avengers and X-Men's worlds. When civil war breaks out in Genosha as a result of Magneto's EMP and the Legacy Virus, the UN sends in Charles Xavier, Beast, Henry Gyrich, USAgent, Philip Moreau, and Jenny Ransome. Once on Genosha, Xavier breaks off from this group, though somehow (via a continunity mistake) they end meeting up with them again.

Meanwhile, Xavier has called in the X-Men to handle the Genoshan situation. On their way, the X-Men find out that Fabian Cortez has captured Luna and hopes to use her as a human shield to protect himself from Magneto (who Cortez doesn't realize is comatose). Seems Cortez is a mighty bit pissed at Mags for making him loose control of the Upstarts and the Acolytes.

When the Avengers find out that Luna has been captured, they look to hop-to. But no can do. Fury, SHIELD, and the UN are concerned that the Avengers will make the situation worse. After a quick battle with SHIELD, Captain America, Crystal, Scarlet Witch, War Machine, Sersi, and Black Knight end up in Genosha. There, they fight Exodus, who is seeking out Cortez and help with the X-Men in trying to cease the civil war.

Jean, Quicksilver, Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver finally meet up with Cortez and make a bid to take back Luna when Exodus shows up and a fight ensues there. The X-Men, the Avengers, and Xavier's entourage then free some captured, dying Mutates. Everything comes together as Exodus tries to destroy Genosha once and for all . . . but fails because, well, heck he's fighting both the X-Men and the Avengers. Who is going to win against that?

All in all, this summary is sub-par compared to the quality of the story. While, yes, it does stretch its credibility at times, "Bloodties" serves as a fine chapter in the overall Magneto story. More than that, really. It successfully joins together the X-Men and the Avengers, compouding their own subplot. Most of the X-Men/Avengers crossovers have to do with Magneto and his legacy. Remember the origial X-Men/Avengers crossover masterfully created by Roy Thomas? Or how about Magneto seeking out Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch to tell them he's their father? Or how about X-Men vs. Avengers (yeeeeaaah, I don't have that)? Anyways, it does a great job of bringing together these two teams and dealing with the ever-developing legacy of Magneto.

The stories are good, despite the annoying continunity problems regarding Jenny, Gyrich, and Philip (I'm so sick of Jenny and Philip). The art is fair, though Steve Epting and John Romita Jr. both seem like they're phoning it in.

~W~

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