You ever heard the phrase "calm before the storm"? The phrase is used to describe a feeling of peace before something big hits. Said calm can have an unnatural feeling, that everything seems quiet and relaxing, but deep down in your bones, something is coming. For the superheroes of the Marvel Universe, it can be a regular feeling. For the X-Men in the mid-1990s, that feeling was in the air, as there was something big coming not just for them, but the whole Marvel Universe at that point.
In the 1993 storyline "Fatal Attractions", Magneto ripped the indestructible metal known as adamantium lining Wolverine's skeleton and famous claws out of his body (adamantium is a ferrous metal, meaning it can be affected by magnetism). This left the Canadian X-Man in... a very bad state. Enraged by this, Charles Xavier used his mental powers to render Magneto catatonic. Aspects of this were used in X-Men' 97. However, in the comics, this caused...a new problem. Something was growing in Xavier's mind. Something that threatened to bring down the MU as we knew it.
The cover is a Joe Madureira piece. It's pretty neat, depicting a fallen Juggernaut being looked over by Beast, Bishop, and Psylocke. I like Joe Mad's interpretation of the Juggernaut here. It fits the codename. He looks like he isa big indestructible inhuman engine of destruction. My only complaint is the lettering of the "Who Stopped Juggernaut". It does look a bit like dorky '90s clip art to me.
"Dark Walk"
Writer: Scott Lobdell
Penciler: Tom Grummett
Inker: Mark Pennington
Colorist: Steve Buccellato
Letterers: Richard Starkings, Comicraft
Editor: Bob Harras
Editor-in-Chief: Bob Harras
The story begins with one of the original X-Men, Warren Worthington III/Archangel, flying over the skies of New York City. You could say he was in the mood to...spread his wings.
Anyway, the X-Men's resident rich kid got a call from Det. Charlotte Jones, an officer of the NYPD. When he arrives, one of the cops angrily tries to shoot at the mutant, but it naturally has no effect. Warren at this time had wings made of organic metal, similar to fellow X-Man Colossus's steel skin. Those wings were bulletproof. The cop gets a feather from Warren's wings, which knock him out for a short time.
Jones defuses the situation, and guides Warren into the building the cops are investigating. It turns out the building is a dance club...well, it was.
Page 4, Panel 4
All the evidence points to a mutant attacking the club. This was why Charlotte called Warren here. You may ask yourself, "How do they know a mutant is behind this?" Well, that's because the killer signed the carnage, in a sense. She asks him to take her up into the sky, because it's the best way to see the signature. She fears that this will make things a lot worse between humans and mutants. Which is not a surprise. After all, mutant/human relations seem to always be on the brink of collapsing. Just seems to show just how lousy the X-Men are at promoting human mutant-peace. But enough of that plotline for now, let's head to the Xavier Institute!
Page 6, Panel 1
Yes, like in the cliche, it's a dark and stormy night at the Institute. That's no bother to a certain weather manipulator like Ororo "Storm" Munroe, though. She is thinking about Rogue and Gambit, when she spots Logan. The man has been living out on the grounds since the events of Wolverine #90. He's been feeling that his humanity is slipping away from him, bit by bit. Ororo tries to comfort him, pointing out that in all the years she's known the man, she has never known him to give up or stop fighting when it comes to maintaining his humanity. However, this is tabled by the appearance of X-Force member Siryn (before the events of X-Force #44), who alerts the windrider of what Archangel found in the city.
In Hoboken, New Jersey, Hank "Beast" McCoy and Lucas Bishop are leaving a movie theater, having just checked out this (at the time) new film. Some little indie thing called Pulp Fiction. Bishop expresses a bit of confusion over why people were laughing at the violence. The two get to talk about Bishop's struggles since his return from the past. Their conversation is interrupted by what seems to be a meteor crashing into the city.
Page 9, Panel 3
The two X-Men go to investigate, but find that the thing that crashed was not a meteor. It was a man. But not just any man. It was the Juggernaut. But before we can dwell on that, we go now to the village of Annadale-on-Hudson, in upstate New York. Yeah, it's an actual place. Jean Grey is there, taking to her dad about the recent death of her sister Sara. She was killed when she was absorbed by an alien race called the Phalanx. Her father assures her there was nothing Jean could have done to save Sara, and that she'd be proud of Jean right now. Scott is with her, and the two discuss if they wonder what sacrifices they made for being X-Men. As they leave, a mysterious man is watching them. He thinks about how much they matured, how strong their love is...and if it will see them through the dark times that are coming.
Page 13, Panel 4
Back in Hoboken, Bishop and Beast are looking over the villainous powerhouse. They are joined by Psylocke. Hank hears no pulse and doesn't hear him breathing, so he assumes the man is dead. But the Juggernaut is like those villains in those slasher movies. Just because he seems dead, does not mean he is.
Page 15, Panel 2
That'll hurt!
Psylocke hits him with her psi-dagger, and she picks up that the Juggernaut...is terrified. Ranting and raving that he has to flee, and that "he" will kill everyone. Yeah, keep in mind, the Juggernaut is arguably the most physically powerful being that the X-Men ever faced by that point. He's practically invincible. So, what on Earth could terrify him?
Beast asks where he thinks he is, and Juggernaut tells him he's in Canada. Because he was punched in Canada. Huh, so much for that rep of Canadians being friendly. Beast points out he's in New Jersey right now. Naturally, Juggernaut does not take this well. Bishop uses his mutant power to channel energy to hit the powerhouse with a massive blast of electrical power, drawing from Hoboken's power grid. Much of the city's blacked out, but Juggernaut is stopped. He laments nothing make sense anymore. He's the Juggernaut. Nothing should be able to stop him, much less punch him into another country. The X-Men asks who did this to him, and he answers with one word: "Onslaught".
I did enjoy this issue, even though it was mainly set-up. We get a few nice character moments. I especially liked seeing Beast hang out with Bishop. I like fun Beast. I miss fun Beast. Being an X-Man really brought out the worst in him over the years. I also liked that it touched on some other ongoing storylines with other characters. Bishop's issues, Jean Grey mourning her sister, etc.
Tom Grummett's art is always welcome here. I think he's one of the unsung heroes when it comes to superhero comic artists, the underrated artist who always turns in great work. I first became aware of him thanks to his work on Superman, and I tend to associate him with Superman and the Conner Kent Superboy as a result. As such, it's a pleasant surprise to see his art in a Marvel book. I always felt Spider-Man would fit him.
If you want to read this for yourself, I recommend tracking down the 2014 trade paperback X-Men: Road to Onslaught Book 1. Thanks for reading this blog entry! If you liked it, show it off! Take care of yourselves and each other! See you next time!
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