Operation: Zero Tolerance - 25 Years Later Part 11: The Secret Files

So what's up with those Xavier files that Bastion retrieved from the mansion? You know...the ones that may or may not have been secured and/or deleted before "Operation: Zero Tolerance" began? Readers who only followed the main thrust in X-Men and Wolverine never really got resolution for that plot point--which is somewhat unfortunate given how big a deal Lobdell makes about them. It would take following Cable's tie-ins to find out what, if anything, came of them. And readers not following Cable would only be pointed in that direction if they read Uncanny X-Men 346 (even X-Force 69, which cuts to a scene of Cable in the mansion, doesn't tell readers what he's doing or direct them to his own title to find out).

As for Uncanny X-Men 346, it's easily the strangest tie-in of the event. It's the only Uncanny X-Men issue included in "Operation: Zero Tolerance"--because it's the only issue of Uncanny X-Men running during the event that doesn't feature the X-Men. Yes, you read that right. The Uncanny X-Men team went to space in issue 341 and still haven't returned so their issues can't exactly be part of a U.S. centric event. The logical decision, obviously, is to have Uncanny X-Men 346 star J. Jonah Jameson and Spider-Man.

Also...Nate Grey does a thing and (you guessed it!) complains about it in the process.

The following contains major spoilers for Uncanny X-Men 346, Cable 45-47, and X-Man 30.

Operation: Zero Tolerance - 25 Years Later Part 10: Is Everyone A Spy?

Like Generation X, X-Force's involvement with "Operation: Zero Tolerance" was on the periphery. Nothing in the two tie-in issues (technically four though two are unbranded) impact the main story or deal with Bastion. But unlike James Robinson's efforts on Generation X, X-Force writer John Moore seems interested in telling a good story. Moore ties the events of "Operation: Zero Tolerance" into ongoing subplots and character development that makes these issues work effectively as part of the larger story while still feeling distinctly X-Force.

Moore uses "Operation: Zero Tolerance" as a way to forward strong character threads for Dani Moonstar, who makes a return in a big way, and Domino with whom he creates a personal connection to one of the Zero Tolerance troops. And perhaps most importantly, the events featured in the pages of X-Force leave a lasting impact on the series.

The following contains major spoilers for X-Force 67-69.

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 thing, prove 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 @theronscomics #XMenOZT.

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Is Everyone a Spy?

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.

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 lead up to "Operation: Zero Tolerance", Scott Lobdell deserves the credit. Lobdell handles 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 launches 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Operation Zero Tolerance - 25 Years Later Part 1: An 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 be tighter and cleaner. Or at least it might have been if it hadn't been "Operation: Zero Tolerance".