X-Men # 85, X-Men: The Magneto War, Uncanny X-Men # 366, X-Men # 86, Uncanny X-Men # 367, X-Men # 87, Uncanny X-Men # 368, Magneto Rex # 1-3
Magneto, on the eve of his TERRIBLE ATTACK on humanity, goes off to make sure that he’s making the right decision. This means going to find the most average human he could locate – a guy named Joe. Having secretly flipped over the site of Joe’s construction company’s most recent project, Magneto disguises himself as a (basically) an insurance guy. He then gives Joe questions, trying to get into his head and tells him that Mutants are probably responsible for what happened. Turns out the dude doesn’t have a problem with that and after a bit of a debate, Joe pisses off Magneto by brining up Hitler. Magneto flips out and shows himself. In end, he is ready to attack, despite Joe telling him that Mutants are feared because of people like Magneto.
Meanwhile, the X-Men are rescuing babies from a hospital fire. When they exit, holding the newborns, there’s a standoff between the X-Men and prejudicial police and fireman. Professor X, feeling his dream on the verge of shattering at this confrontation, is stunned to see Storm take charge of the situation and end the situation peacefully. So, as Magneto heads to the North Pole and Professor X heads back to the mansion, both are more confirmed in their dreams and beliefs.
Shortly afterwards, Fabian Cortez and a group of rogue Acolytes launch an attack on the X-Men in the hope of finding out if Joseph is really Magneto. There’s a battle, but when the X-Men seek out and help one of the Acolytes, Cortez learns that he’s lost them for good and runs off, tail planted firmly between legs. At the same time, in Israel, Joseph is being tested by the Mossad to figure out what his deal is. Quicksilver shows up and the two make peace with each other.
The X-Men, then go hot on the trail of the real Acolytes (these taking orders from Magneto himself) and begin to chase them up the North Pole. As this unfolds, Magneto uses a spire to unleash a massive disruption of the electro-magnetic spectrum. This is while his robotic assistant (not his first, but far beyond Nanny) goes to the UN in Magneto’s name and demands a place for Mutants to flourish.
After the X-Men crash near Magneto’s spire, a woman named Astra confronts Joseph. She reveals to him the truth: after the fall of Avalon, Astra restored Magneto’s mind to accurately create a clone of Magneto. Turns out that Astra was a former member of the Brotherhood, but skipped out after a huge falling out. Anyways, Joseph (the clone) battled Magneto and Magneto wonked him in the head, leaving him amnesic. By that point, Astra was gone and Magneto went into hiding, watching the world unfold as he recuperated.
After all this comes out, Joseph and Astra then head off to the North Pole to deal with Magneto. Two nukes have been launched by the Russians, mind you, and that complicates matters. The X-Men then fight the Acolytes as Joseph and Magneto battle it out. All the while, Mutant affairs advisor and Genoshan expert Alda Huxly arranges a deal with the United Nations.
With the Acolytes dealt with and the X-Men now tackling Magneto (with Wolverine really pissed because of their last battle), Colossus and Professor X go to the aide of Joseph. Joseph, who is dying as he attempts to correct the Electro-Magnetic Spectrum, gives Xavier (and Colossus too) the gift of hope. He then fixes the world and dies.
At this point, Magneto is ready to go at it again with the X-Men when the United Nations show up, giving Magneto the control of Genosha. Wolverine flips out, but Xavier intervenes, understanding the X-Men have no choice in the matter. In the end, Magneto’s powers are in a bit of a dire state.
The X-Men mourn the passing of Joseph while Magneto begins to take control. Wolverine is planning an assassination attempt, but the X-Men don’t care for this. Their argument with Logan is interrupted, though, when some sort of alien teleports the X-Men away.
In Genosha, Magneto takes command. It’s soon evident that the reason the UN gave him Genosha was in the hopes that the problems with the Legacy Virus, civil war, and destroyed economy would make it impossible for him to accomplish anything.
The Zealot, a Mutate (and half-brother to Phillip Moreau), soon captures Quicksilver, who visits Genosha at the behest of Amelia Vought. Rogue discovers this during a solo mission there (with the rest of the X-Men missing). She and Vought go to Magneto, who dismisses his son’s possible execution. However, the Zealot is his chief rival on Genosha. Rogue and Vought soon launch a rescue mission, which then gets aided by Pipeline, Phillip, and Jenny Ransome. Magneto (with Cortez back as his personal battery-charging beyotch) shows up and promptly kills the Zealot. In time, seeing that Magneto is no longer the man she once knew, Rogue leaves. Quicksilver, being manipulated into seeing isolation camps for Mutates carrying the Legacy Virus, stays to be his father’s conscience (not knowing that those were established to reel his son in). Magneto then begins to take complete control over Genosha.
As a whole, it’s a good story. It lacks the depth of Uncanny X-Men # 275-277, X-Men # 1-3, and Fatal Attractions, but it has a certain Silver Age flare to it that makes it fun and enjoyable. The idea that Magneto and Xavier will just keep fighting each other is a good one, built upon the foundation of the first issue of the arch, which is one of the best X-Men books I’ve read (and Joe Kelly’s best – and last). The in-coming Alan Davis on writing is good, though it pushes the limits of credibility.
The idea of Magneto taking over Genosha is both good in idea, but terrible in execution. The United Nations hands over a nation (even a self-destruction one like Genosha) to a known terrorist? That’s maddening, especially if put into real world standards (as the Marvel Universe likes to be compared to). The story of Magneto’s rise on Genosha is well done, mind you, with a great bunch of characters for him to interact with.
I hate Astra. Among the worst characters ever.
Characterization is well done, I might add. While Magneto's character is more in tune with the original villian from the old days, Professor X, Joseph, Rogue, Quicksilver, and Wolverine all get some nice development.
So, not a terrible story, if not a little too Silver Age.
~W~
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