X-Force # 45-46, Cable # 22-25, Uncanny X-Men # 326, X-Force # 50, X-Man # 10, X-Men 46-47, Uncanny X-Men # 327
I should note that now, Fabian Niciezia has left the X-Building. Overall, it's tough to judge the kind of work he did with the X-Men. While he handled some stories and arcs quite well - Fatal Attractions, the Sabretooth subplot, Rogue/Gambit, and basically all of his Cable/X-Force work - he also failed in some regards. Many of his stories were too complicated for their own good and sometimes, he just wouldn't wrap something up, leaving it out there for too long. But he was better than Richard Drake.
Upwards and onwards . . .
X-Force is still adjusting to their new lives at the mansion. Caliban goes after Sabretooth, much to the dismay of Boomer, who has grown an affection for Sabretooth. Turns out that Creeds basically a whole lot of nothing upstairs as a result of Wolverine popping his third claw into Creed's brain. She brings him milk every day, which upsets Cable, Xavier, Cannonball, and Wolverine. So, when Caliban lays into him, she goes a little nutty. Cable steps in, though, and has Caliban back off.
Cable then ships X-Force into Siberia to check on a weather station that has gone dead. It seems that the four members of the weather station were associates of Professor X and suddenly, three of them are dead. When X-Force arrives, they get the shock of the lifetime (meh) when none other than Mimic is found there. Turns out he's been living at the weather station for a good long while, as his power doesn't work around normal humans. Unfortunately, around X-Force, his powers go hey-wire. But something happens during the inevitable confrontation and Mimic vanishes.
In an effort to track down Tyler, Cable goes to his fellow time traveling mentor, Blaquesmith. Blaquesmith tells Cable to go to Tyler's old base. It's there Cable finds his dead lady-love, Aliya. Turns out she's come back to bring Cable to the future to save his young self from some sort of psi-attack. It's a bit of a pre-destination paradox. He arrives and helps out his feverish younger self and drags Domino with him, who had an encouter with former teammate Grizzly, who is under the influence of Tyler.
Meanwhile, Gambit (still reeling from the Rogue rejection) confronts Creed about his past crimes. It doesn't faze Sabretooth, seeing as he has the intelligence of a kitty-cat. As this is occuring, Professor X and Beast address the World Health Organization, getting the word across about the Legacy Virus and dispelling some of those nasty rumors.
Back to X-Force, the team has been captured and brainwashed by the new Hellfire Club - this time consisting of a returned Sebastian Shaw, the mysterious Tessa (heh), and the fully restored Holocaust. They send them after Cable, but Cable mind-blasts them and rattles them free of the mind-control.
Blaquesmith then goes to Professor X, asking him to check out Nate Grey. Professor X does so, but Nate detects his presence and rips the Prof's psi-self out from the Astral Plane into the real world. The two then battle, with Nate rejecting everything Xavier has to say. Xavier then lets Nate think he killed him.
Then, Gambit, Bishop, Phoenix, and Iceman head out on the town . . . only to end up face-to-face with the X-Babies. The X-Babies are being hunted by Gog and Magog, who wish to erase their existence to help ensure that Mojo's legacy is wiped out. Silliness abounds, which is then followed by a surprisingly not pregnant Dazzler. I don't know what the deal is there, but she takes the X-Babies back to Mojoverse with her.
Finally, Magneto (or is it?) awakens in Brazil, and is amnesic. He's taken in by a kind nun and helps out at her orphanage. However, when the locals want Magneto - or, as he is renamed, "Joseph" - he lashes out and scares the crap outta those kids. He then packs up and leaves.
Fairly "meh" group of comics here, though there are some diamonds in the rough. Caliban versus Sabretooth. The reappearance of Mimic and Dazzler. The Nate Grey/Professor X fight. Gambit and Bishop at a club, trying to sort things out between them (Bishop still doesn't trust Remy, but they work incredibly good together). The new Hellfire Club. Even the whole "Boomer likes Sabretooth" subplot is a nice turn.
But there's some boring stuff here. Xavier's Leacy Virus angst is overdone. Nate Grey comes off a little cliched at times. The Cable/Aliya/Dayspring story too convulted. Gambit's confrontation with Creed about past kills is silly. And unfortunately, these negative aspects overshadow the postive ones.
~W~
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