X-Men: Fatal Attractions

Uncanny X-Men (1963) #298-305, 315, Annual #17

by Scott Lobdell, Peter David, Fabian Nicieza

The thrilling saga that commemorated the X-Men's 30th anniversary is brought to you in its entirety! As Magneto's Acolytes amp up their attacks on Homo sapiens everywhere, the X-teams join forces to put an end to their mad crusade against humanity once and for all. And as a mysterious disease begins creeping through the mutant community, claiming the lives of hated foe and dear friend alike, which X-Man will buckle under the strain? Matters come to a head in the most shocking way possible, culminating in a shocking attack on Wolverine - and a showdown between Professor X and Magneto that must be seen to be believed! Collecting UNCANNY X-MEN (1963) #298-305, 315 and ANNUAL #17; X-FACTOR (1986) #87-92; X-MEN UNLIMITED (1993) #1-2; X-FORCE (1991) #25; X-MEN (1991) #25; WOLVERINE (1988) #75; and EXCALIBUR (1988) #71.

Genres: Comics, X Men, Marvel, Graphic Novels, Comic Book, Science Fiction, Fiction

790 pages, Hardcover

First published April 18, 2012

About the author

Scott Lobdell (born 1960) is an American comic book writer.

He is mostly known for his work throughout the 1990s on Marvel Comics' X-Men-related titles specifically Uncanny X-Men, the main title itself, and the spin-off series that he conceived with artist Chris Bachalo, Generation X. Generation X focused on a number of young mutant students who attempted to become superheroes in their own right at a separate school with the guidance of veteran X-related characters Banshee and Emma Frost. He also had writing stints on Marvel's Fantastic Four, Alpha Flight, and The Adventures of Cyclops and Phoenix mini-series with artist Gene Ha. He wrote the script to Stan Lee's Mosaic and an upcoming film from POW Entertainment featuring Ringo Starr. He also participated in the Marvel Comics and Image Comics (from Jim Lee's WildStorm) crossover mini-series WildC.A.T.s/X-Men.

Reviews

[Dunebat · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you were a fan of the X-Men back in the '90s, this story was "the Big One", as hard-hitting as a 7.6 on the Richter scale. Other crossovers would be bigger than "Fatal Attractions", but none would ever be anything like it.

I could be really cynical and view "Fatal Attractions" as yet another "MAJOR COMICS EVENT", like all the other MAJOR COMICS EVENTS Marvel was yankin' out of its merry Marvel ass to compete with DC's "Death of Superman" (which premiered only months before), but that's not really the case. "Fatal Attractions" was, like "Death of Superman" before it, the warning sign of Things to Come in the comics industry.


THE BACKSTORY:
In 1991, superstar X-Men scribe Chris Claremont left Marvel Comics. To understand the importance of this: Claremont essentially WAS the X-Men, having given fans the blockbuster works like "The Dark Phoenix Saga" and "Days of Future Past" that made the franchise popular.

n the '70s and '80s, comics were, for the most part, long story arcs divided into a year or two of comics issues. Sure, there were big crossovers like Marvel's blockbuster "Secret Wars", but they were few and far between, special mega-events to get comic fans interested in the books overall (and get them buying tie-in merch like branded clothing and toys). The writers of each comic series - be it Action Comics at DC or Amazing Spider-Man at Marvel - were free to tell their own stories throughout their books (with editorial approval, of course). For the X-Men books, the last truly self-contained story told by Chris Claremont was the Genosha saga at the end of the 1980s. Back then, the only X-Men books being published regularly were Uncanny X-Men, X-Factor (a book featuring the original X-Men line-up from the '60s), Wolverine, and New Mutants (a book featuring the "next generation" of mutant heroes-in-the-making).

Though Claremont had made the X-Men a household name, the 1990s soon became dominated by the new superstar artists at Marvel that had helped to make the books even bigger and better at the end of the 1980s. By then, the X-Men were at the top of the comics charts, often hitting Wizard Magazine's #1 spot in their "100 best comics of the month" list; almost NOBODY was reading Iron Man, Captain America, or the Avengers comparatively. Jim Lee took over the art duties on Uncanny X-Men during the Genosha saga, and his work was so extraordinary that Marvel used it as the launching point for his own book titled simply "X-Men". This was part of an overall plan to milk the powerhouse X-Men franchise that included rebranding "New Mutants" (penciled by Deadpool co-creator Rob Liefeld) as "X-Force", changing X-Factor to a government-sponsored mutant police force featuring a clutch of B-list mutants led by Cyclops' brother Havok (and written by Peter David), and creating another spin-off book called "Excalibur" with a team of European mutants led by Nightcrawler.

For Claremont, this was a turbulent time. First, he was pulled off Uncanny X-Men to work on this new "side project", essentially a vanity vehicle for artist Jim Lee. Then, Lee was given the final creative say on characters Claremont had been working on since before Lee was born. Then, Bob Harris, Jim Lee, and Whilce Portacio took one of the characters Claremont had introduced in Uncanny X-Men - the infant Nathan Summers - and turned him into Cable (which also aggravated Cable's original co-creator, Rob Liefeld). THEN, Claremont and Lee started having difficulties plotting the books behind-the-scenes, with Marvel capitulating to Lee more and more until Claremont walked out in frustration, taking all the notes for all the story threads he'd set in motion at Uncanny X-Men with him.

As he was exiting the X-books, he sang one final song of Magneto and Xavier, a swan song that echoed all the heart-gripping themes involved with aging, the mutant/human struggle, and the frightening potential of genetic engineering. At the end of his run on the first few issues of the new, adjective-less "X-Men" book (with Jim Lee's stellar art creating the look-and-feel of the X-Men that would later become famous thanks to the animated series on Fox), Claremont dropped the mic by killing off Magneto.

If he'd have had his way, that would've been Magneto's final swan song, and no one would ever have resurrected him.

Yeah, funny story... Marvel resurrected him in 1993's "Fatal Attractions".

At the time Claremont left, Marvel essentially shrugged off the resignation of one of their top writers; they knew their superstar artists like Lee and Liefeld and the overall unheard-of popularity of the X-Men would carry them through this storm.

Then Jim Lee left Marvel soon afterward - along with Rob Liefeld, Todd McFarlane (Spider-Man), Erik Larsen (Amazing Spider-Man), Marc Silvestri (Wolverine), Whilce Portacio (Punisher, X-Factor, Uncanny X-Men), and Jim Valentino (Guardians of the Galaxy) - and co-founded Image Comics.

New writers - Scott Lobdell and Fabian Nicieza - were quickly assigned to Uncanny X-Men and X-Men respectively and given the mandate to maintain Marvel's merry mutants' popularity at all costs. (The X-Men and Spider-Man were literally carrying the company on their backs at a time when Marvel was about to start the long plunge into bankruptcy, nearly dragging the entire industry down with it.) Before Liefeld, Lee, and the others left Marvel, the X-Men writers had opted to kick off the new '90s direction for the franchise with a massive crossover. This crossover would eventually become the Cable-centered "X-Cutioner's Song" that promised to reveal Cable's origins (but didn't). It was grand, it was epic, it featured time travel and Apocalypse and cloning...

...And while it was popular, it was nowhere near as popular as previous X-Men storylines. Seriously, ask any random, average, non-hardcore comic book fan about their favorite X-Men stories. They'll bring up "Days of Future Past" or "Age of Apocalypse". Almost nobody outside the die-hard '90s X-Men nerds will mention "X-Cutioner's Song". Another big crossover would be needed to grab fan attention for the upcoming 30th anniversary of the Uncanny X-Men and to keep X-Men sales high, and that crossover would begin with a suggestion originally tossed around as a small-scale shock value moment during the planning for "X-Cutioner's Song": bring back Magneto.


SUMMARY:
Prior to Magneto's return, the man who betrayed him - Fabian Cortez, the leader of a group of religious zealots called the Acolytes who view Magneto as the literal "lord and savior" of all mutants - orders various terrorist strikes in Magento's name, from taking out a secret U.S. government-owned Sentinel factory to the attempted "genetic cleansing" of several old and infirm humans at a random hospice. Everyone from the X-Men, X-Factor, and X-Force respond. Meanwhile, Colossus' little sister, Illyana is dying of the Legacy virus (analogous to the AIDS virus) released by the villain Stryfe at the end of "X-Cutioner's Song", and Colossus - who had already lost the rest of his family at the hands of anti-mutant fanatics - is rethinking his devotion to Professor Xavier's dream of mutant/human coexistence. Also rethinking this dream is Xavier himself, as he and Dr. Moira MacTaggert have discovered that Illyana is only among the first victims of a plague that could become an extinction event for mutantkind.

Enter Magneto. Having survived the destruction of Asteroid M at the end of Claremont's run in the X-Men books, Magneto - whose views had softened some over the years as he had tried to take on Xavier's dream as his own and had even joined the X-Men for a time - is now in full-on mutant bigot mode, hand-waving the Acolytes' terror strike against a HOSPICE, of all places, as a misguided culling of the human herd and threatening to squash everyone in Manhattan with his new asteroid home, Avalon (formerly Cable's asteroid base known as "Graymalkin"). See, Magneto has now fully bought into the idea that he can be mutantkind's god-king and savior, and he has returned to Earth not as the meek-and-mild Jesus figure like Xavier, but as the wrathful, fire-and-brimstone militant king/savior, like the Jesus from the Book of Revelation. (Well, Magneto and Jesus ARE both Jews who came back from the dead...) Magneto has repurposed Avalon as his version of "Heaven", a haven for all mutants who want to leave the Earth - and all the bigotry and wars caused by its primary inhabitants, humankind - behind. Colossus, grief-stricken after Illyana's death, joins Magneto.

>> SPOILERS: [DO NOT read this paragraph if you don't want this story spoiled.] Xavier takes over Magneto's mind (even though Magneto is wearing his special tin foil "you can't read my mind!" helmet) and uses Magneto's own powers to send Avalon back into orbit. America, Russia, and SHIELD don't take very kindly to Magento's pissy posturing and set up an electromagnetic "shield" around the planet Earth meant to prevent Magneto from using his powers within Earth's atmosphere. (SHIELD knows that comic book deaths never stick. They're genre-savvy!) Undaunted, Magento - hovering just outside Earth's atmosphere - sets off an EMP that takes out all electronics all across the world. Planes fall out of the sky. People in hospital beds die without the machines keeping them alive. Total pandemonium. (None of that is actually shown in the comics, by the way; it's all mentioned, but all the artists & writers show us are the lights going out at the headquarters of our heroes. We don't even get a newscast or anything.) Xavier forms a quick strike force for one final suicide strike against Magneto's asteroid base, and the X-Men sneak aboard Avalon with Colossus' aid. Once there, a fight ensues, Professor X and Jean Gray try to use their powers to force Magneto to confront his darkest memories and see the hypocrisy of his recent actions. Wolverine - a guy whose bones are COVERED IN METAL - attempts to go all stabby-stab on MAGNETO (I remind you: A GUY WHO CAN MANIPULATE METAL), and that fight goes exactly as predicted as Magneto uses his powers to violently pull all the adamantium off Wolverine's bones, taxing his healing abilities to their limit and putting him into a comatose state. ("Why hasn't he tried doing that to Wolverine sooner?" you ask. Apparently, Magneto and the X-Men were playing by Marquess of Queensberry rules back in the '70s and '80s.) Pushed to his own breaking point, Professor X shuts off Magneto's mind and wipes all of Magneto's memories away, putting him into a coma, too. The X-Men flee back to Earth aboard the Blackbird to get Wolverine much-needed medical care, and Colossus stays behind to care for the comatose Magneto. Magneto will remain comatose for the next four years (ultimately returning in 1997's Uncanny X-Men #350), and Wolverine - who later discovers that his claws were made of bone all along and were not metal implants given to him by the Weapon X program - won't get his adamantium back until Apocalypse gives it back to him six years later in Wolverine #145 (in flashback sequences at that!) in an ill-advised attempt to make Wolverine his new Horseman of Death. After being brought out of his coma by Jean Gray (who is about to marry Cyclops several issues later) and Professor X, Wolverine later leaves the X-Men to go "find himself" or something.


REVIEW:
Like "Death of Superman" before it, "Fatal Attractions" involved all the X-Men books being published at that time. "Fatal Attractions" also spawned another crossover - the X-Men/Avengers crossover "Bloodties" - just like how "Death of Superman" spawned "Reign of the Supermen" and the "Return of Superman". Finally, just as "Death of Superman" changed Superman's status quo in some permanent ways by introducing the clone Superboy and Steel as new supporting characters, "Fatal Attractions" also changed the X-Men's status quo in the ways I mentioned in the spoilers paragraph above.

"Fatal Attractions" is large in scope, massive in impact, epic in the telling, and mythical in its symbolism, touching on the familiar themes of bigotry, genocide, and philosophy that we're used to from the X-Men, but fully tapping into a new dimension - religion and cults (briefly introduced in Claremont's final story) - as well. The art is fantastic, particularly Greg Capullo's (pre-Spawn/Batman) work on "X-Force".

The low points of the story are found in many of Lobdell's extremely verbose speeches and in some of the tired old shortcuts that Lobdell's and Nicieza's story takes. While the story can be applauded for taking things to some pretty far-out extremes, the X-Men can sometimes sound as extremist as the villains they're fighting. Comics hadn't adopted the more cinematic storytelling they employ now, so characters still describe their actions when the artwork leaves room for confusion (as they had done in comics from the '60s to the '90s). While this is an understandable shortcut even Stan Lee employed often, it's still very grating at times. As I mentioned before, characters TALK ABOUT horrible things that happened off-panel ("Magneto's EMP made planes drop out of the sky!") but we are never SHOWN these things, an embarrassment in as visual a medium as comics.

Though "Fatal Attractions" is far more intimate than the average crossover, this story's true impact can be felt in what lies after it: from this point forward, X-Men stories became more and more about BIG CROSSOVER EVENTS like "Age of Apocalypse" and "Onslaught" until, eventually, the entire comics industry followed suit, churning out major events assembly-line style, frustrating writers and fans alike. Those big events (especially Spidey's second clone saga) would ultimately send Marvel to the bankruptcy courts and nearly ruin the entire comics industry until the dawn of the Marvel Films era. Even today, DC and Marvel comics are still focused solely on boosting sales through BIG ANNUAL CROSSOVER EVENTS. Each year is another crossover or two (or more!), and the smaller-scale multi-part stories featuring solely the cast of one book/series (which are often ruined by the major crossovers via editorial mandate) have become the rarity in an industry that is struggling to reel in new readers and prevent frustrated older audiences from leaving their favored series or from quitting comics altogether.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

You definitely want the hardcover omnibus over the paperback version. It's an additional 300 pages.

[Alex Andrasik · Rating 3 out of 5]

Is Magneto back?! That's the question the X-Teams must ask themselves as clues mount all over the world, and as his fanatical followers, the Acolytes, renew their genocidal attacks on humankind. Before all is said and done, more than one X-Man will fall, and Xavier's dream of peaceful co-existence between humans and mutants will be tested like never before.

These are the comic books of my childhood, yo. It's funny how time and perception work--I was reading most of these as they were released, but with little knowledge of what came before in the X-Mythos, so I had this impression of a depth to some aspects of these stories that wasn't actually there. I thought the Upstarts and the Legacy Virus had been around and explored for years, for example. On the other hand, all I knew about Magneto was "bad guy," so the sometimes oblique references here to his tragic past and occasional alliances with the X-Men didn't carry as much weight for me as did the sense of just "OMG EVIL." SO what I'm saying is, I was a little kid, and I didn't know what was going on.

And now I'm a grown-up! So it's really interesting looking at these stories with new eyes. For one thing, my knowledge that the Legacy Virus and the Upstarts and even the Acolytes were barely "a thing" before the issues collected here really color how I read them now--I know there's not nearly as much depth to them as the issues are reaching for. A later chapter even riffs on the sort of underdeveloped out-of-nowhere-ness of some of these guys--"Katu, one of these days I want to actually see you use your mutant powers--but today is not that day!"--but one can't help but wish that, rather than joke about it, the authors had put time toward introducing us to these new players. I'm not even sure how the X-Men knew some of their names, as these issues are mostly lacking in the "new characters unrealistically announce and describe themselves" element that comics usually resort to (to its credit), but it's like--why is Gambit talking to this person like they've met before? I'm pretty sure they've never met before. (And where, as a seven-year-old, did I get the [perhaps accurate?] idea that Acolyte Unuscione was the daughter of obscure 60s X-Villain Unus the Untouchable? Did my brother note the similarity in their names and powers and just make that up and I took it as gospel, as so often was the case? Was it mentioned in some tiny footnote or offhanded remark in some issue not collected here? I'm so confused.) The one Acolyte who makes a sort of extra impact is Cargill, because she appeared previously in 80s X-titles as the villain Frenzy; the Acolytes would have benefited from more of this "recycling" of underused characters of yesteryear to show Magneto drawing from all walks of mutant life to swell his ranks. Cast-off members of the Marauders, the Morlocks, the Dark Riders, the X-Terminators, forgotten villains and allies of yesteryear--all could have been re-purposed into Acolytes. (And by the end of this collection, the Acolytes do indeed have three new members, all established characters.)

I will say that the Neophyte is one other Acolyte who makes an impact; he works, in part, because he's supposed to be new, inexperienced, and still working his way through the Magneto vs. Xavier philosophy; he's an audience surrogate and he works really well.

Regardless of my quibbles and chuckles at the storytelling, most of this collection looks great, with the art of Joe Quesada, Greg Capullo, Adam and Andy Kubert, and especially the incomparable John Romita, Jr. His figures have such solidity, such texture, such presence and crackling strength and power. Great 90s artwork.

This is a very philosophical storyline, as befits the X-Men's 30th anniversary. It does sometimes feel more like a collection of loosely-related individual issues than a true crossover, but the "big ideas" translate across most of the chapters and mostly bind it together. It seems to me that the story would have benefited from a sharper focus on the characters with personal connections to Magneto--his erstwhile friend and rival Xavier; his prodigal son Quicksilver; former students Cannonball and Sunspot; and past lover Rogue, the X-Man who more than any other sees the good that still persists within Magnus. There are touches of this, but it's not accomplished with any sense of purpose. So, too, would the story benefit from a deeper focus on those members of the X-Teams with cause to doubt Xavier's vision and dream for mutants: Cable and Bishop, both displaced from dark, violent futures; Wolfsbane, who as a one-time Genoshan mutate has more reason than most to resent human interference with mutants; and Colossus, whose dwindling family and mounting disappointments have rocked this once-stalwart warrior artist to the core. Again, there are touches of this, and I can appreciate how both Cable and Bishop seem to find greater strength in Xavier's vision throughout the story (more a function of their overall character arcs than anything specific to this storyline), contrasted with Colossus...going the other way. But the point isn't driven home as hard as it could.

So what is the "point"? If you read this collection, you will be beaten over the head with it--repeatedly. There are miles upon miles of word balloons and thought bubbles featuring "Xavier vs Magneto: the philosophy grudge match!" And that may get old to some, but I kind of appreciated that late old-school comic book tendency. There are shades of grey here that need to be worked through on the way to reminding ourselves that, ultimately, the X-Men are on the right track--not just because they're not trying to, you know, commit genocide, as the Acolytes under Fabien Cortez do, but because they choose to engage in the world. That ends up being the big difference between Xavier as Magneto in this iteration of their struggle, as Magneto seeks to literally withdraw from the world, pulling himself and his followers into a cloaked space station. You may wonder what's wrong with that; why can't the X-Men just leave him alone? That's an exercise for each reader, but my answer is that pulling away is never the right answer. Connection and communication are the keys to solving all our disputes and misunderstandings. It's Magneto's retreat into his ivory tower that allows him to look down on the earth from an airy height and, in one instance, see a gesture of self-defense as an attack--which causes him to respond with devastating effect. If he hadn't pulled away, he may have better understood humanity's actions. The rub here is that at the same time, we understand WHY he desires to remove himself and his followers to orbit. He's not completely wrong; he just chose the extreme response. And partisans on all sides suffered for it. It sounds kind of like what we're dealing with today, in our social media information silos and poor voting habits. (I still don't like dealing with Trump supporters, though. Maybe more 90s X-Comics will get me to extend more of a hand, eventually.)

Reading these comics after 20+ years, I notice how many typos there are in them. Oops.

Final word: Uncanny X-Men #303, collected as chapter 4 in this volume, is one of the single most moving comic stories I've ever read. Maybe among the most moving stories, full stop, graphic or otherwise. Get your hankies.

[Tommy · Rating 3 out of 5]

You know, normally I wouldn't rate a comic in my reading list...as much as I love comics, it's a different experience than reading prose. Still, I figured I'd count this one, since it ended up taking such a large part of the time I'd normally devote to my bedtime reading. I've been on an Avengers and Fantastic Four kick for much of this year. The buildup to the Secret Wars storyline got me looking at a few stories I'd missed since I'd been away from Marvel's stuff (and outside of Kurt Busiek's run on Avengers, I haven't been a regular Marvel reader since not really long after the storyline compiled in this Fatal Attractions omnibus). I wandered back into some X-Men stories when I picked up a lot on Ebay, and ended up picking this one up on my Kindle since it was fairly cheap.

I quit the X-books because they were so event specific. Every summer, it was a new storyline. X-Cutioner's Song. Fatal Attractions. Phalanx Covenant. I made it through Onslaught, and decided that I was done.

I read this with nearly 20 years of distance between me and this story. I found myself pleased with how certain characters fit together. I thought the Colossus story was extremely well done, and still remains one of my favorite character turns of any Marvel character. Basically, I feel Lobdell and Nicieza don't get enough credit for keeping character interplay what it was, given Marvel's need to have big flashy events running through every title every year. Plus, the collected edition helped fill in a few holes in the storyline for me, since High School Tommy didn't always have cash to buy much beyond his favorite titles--Wolverine, Cable and Excalibur usually didn't get bought....

Is it a classic like Days of Future Past? No, and it gets bogged down, tripping over its own feet fighting with its own continuity. But I enjoyed it, flashing back to those books I was reading during high school.

[Shannon Appelcline · Rating 4 out of 5]

This new hardcover version of the story has a lot of runup, besides the actual fatal attractions story. The first couple of X-Men issues (298-299) give some nice reintroduction to the Acolytes and the interconnected Upstarts [6/10]. I’m not really certain why the end of Peter David’s X-Factor (87-89) is in this comic, but it’s funny and enjoyable [8/10]. Whereas the Scott Lobdell issues that immediately follow (90-91) read very poorly for trying to replicate David’s characters [5/10]. Back to X-Men, the super-size anniversary issue (300) is a good story that gives nice closure to the Acolyte plot of recent issues [7/10]. The annual is moving for its portrait of Mastermind, but otherwise has too much wacky humor to be truly great [6.5/10]. Similarly, the X-Men Unlimited has some nice focus on the leaders of the X-Men, but the story itself is a bit dull [6/10]. Things pick up with the X-Men proper. The two-parter story of the Upstarts, Fitzroy, and Forge is nice action with more great Romita art [7/10+], while the Illyana story is awkwardly told but still touching [7+/10]. Which brings us to Fatal Attractions proper. The actual Fatal Attractions stories are all quite good, with the issues being nicely standalone and really good epics for their individual comics [7.5/10], the one exception being the dull X-Men Unlimited [4/10]. As for the last issue, it’s a fair coda, but not an exciting one [6/10]. Overall, a solid volume, though I’d skip the X-Factor lead-up if I read it again … and probably both X-Men Unlimited issues.

[Tim · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've read this story a few times since it was originally published in the early 90s. I continue to be by surprised how well it held up, it's not the best X-Men story by any means, but it's still readable and a lot of the emotional hits still hold weight today, particularly Logan's bone claws and Colossus' defection. I'd probably give this 3.5 stars if it were possible, but I'm feeling generous so I'll round up to 4.

[Jameson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don’t know how many times I’ve read these issues but I have a lot of nostalgia for this era. My jam is everything up till the Siege Perilous but Uncanny X-Men 298 was the first comic I bought (off a spinner rack at a smoke shop) after catching the Fox cartoon episode “Deadly Reunions.” Seeing Rogue borrow Cyclops’ power and destroying that factory with the uncontrollable optic beams transported me to another world. Like a ton of other kids similarly affected, I largely had no idea what the hell was happening in these issues. I grasped right away that the comic and the show were different but the art and the writing of this era both did more to confuse than clarify—not to mention the editorial team’s inexplicable hatred of footnotes was matched only by its desire for impenetrable mysteries. Just who the hell was this Illyana girl?

But nostalgia aside, I do find a lot to like here. In the intervening 30 years I’ve gotten to know all there is about the world of the X-Men. And I love Tragic Magik. And Job—er, I mean, Colossus. I hate what Marvel had done to the Rasputins since Inferno, and I still hate what happened to them here, but I look at it now more as part of history, of the bigger x-tapestry. Plus, they both “got better” eventually. The crossover itself isn’t amazing, it has its own highs and lows, but the non-crossover issues help balance out the whole package.

HIGHLIGHTS:
Uncanny X-Men 300. The Acolytes and Upstarts are dumb and the buildup to Mag’s return was handled very stupidly, and spoiled too, but it’s still cool to see the mix of characters all in Uncanny once again. Plus, I dig JRJR’s blocky art. (I loved his original run on the book, too, except for his ugly ass costumes. This run also has a flaw, unfortunately: almost every issue you have to rotate the book once or twice—not fun to do with a heavy omnibus.)

X-Men Unlimited 1. Sure, this title quickly turns into the x-books’ personal and slightly better Marvel Comics Presents-style toilet bowl, but it started off with a bang. The less said about the Upstarts the better, but the basic plot and the primal setting play to the strengths of both Bachalo and Lobdell. The former delivers some dynamic imagery that really pops and the latter gets to focus on the characters of the x-leaders (a novel idea at the time—you barely ever saw them interacting much.) The second Unlimited issue is a little boring and pretentiously “important” for my tastes.

Excalibur 71. The actual Fatal Attractions issues range from absurd to terrible to decent. I have a soft spot for the Excalibur issue for the scenes with Phoenix and Jean and Cable. It’s really the last Excalibur issue worth reading for a while. Once Alan Davis left l, the editorial team threw the book in a dumpster and lit a match. I also like the Kitty and Colossus stuff in this issue. It feels cathartic to see Peter finally, finally mourn his sister.

Uncanny X-Men 303. Despite all the things one can criticize about this issue, somehow it’s still moving.

[Judah Radd · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are bad X books, average X books, good X books like X-Cutioner’s Song, great X books like Age of Apocalypse... and then there is that pristine top tier of near perfect, legendary X books such as The Dark Phoenix Saga. Fatal Attractions is one of those.

The poetry and nuance of this story is staggering. It plays like an oscar worthy film, with rises and falls in suspense, epic climaxes, poignant emotional beats, and all of the other social commentary and intellectual accoutrements that embody the very best of what X-Men is capable of.

At times, the story attempts to defend the indefensible; we are given one of the most intimate tours of Eric Lehnsherr’s soul, and it is many conflicting things at once; cold, wrathful, prejudiced, cruel... and yet also tragic, principled and beautiful. The story asks us to reconcile his murderous crimes with the nobility of his motivations. It’s unsettling in all of the right ways. This story was written to be discussed.

Also on trial is Professor X. We find ourselves reluctantly sharing in Magneto’s frustrations; Xavier’s restraint all too often looks like cowardice... his ethical strength, presented as weakness.

In addition to the first rate writing is a first class lineup of artists. This was part of the 90s comic book revolution, where art took that great leap forward. It shows, with stunning splash pages and shocking scenes of visceral violence and action.

I would unequivocally assert that this is required X-Men reading. Hell, this is required comic reading. It pushes the medium to it’s limits, and I believe it’s influence is still felt today.

[Mr. Stick · Rating 3 out of 5]

"YOU ARE A SMALL-MINDED FOOL, NATHAN DAYSPRING! WE COULD HAVE SIMPLY PASSED EACH OTHER BY ON THE ROAD ACKNOWLEDGING OUR DIFFERENT WAYS, YET WISHING THE OTHER SAFE JOURNEY -- SINCE OUR GOALS -- THE SALVATION OF MUTANTKIND -- REMAIN THE SAME -- YET YOU HAVE CHOSEN TO TURN THIS INTO A BATTLE! WHICH, SINCE HALF OF YOU IS MADE OF METAL -- AND I AM THE OVERLORD OF THE FATAL ATTRACTION -- MAKES YOUR DECISION UTTERLY DEVOID OF REASON!
- Magneto to Cable

What... A... Slog!!!
While beautifully illustrated (with the most anatomically accurate depictions of the human form, said no one ever) the over-sized issues made this one a little slow as each tended to focus on a single character. Endless conversing. Ugh!
Anyway, Magneto's asteroid crashed on Earth (in a prior issue) and Magneto's presumed dead, by the treachery of Fabian Cortez. But, can you kill the master of magnetism? Hell no!
He comes back, rebuilds his asteroid, hides it in orbit, recruits more acolytes, seriously f@#$s up Wolverine and then gets lobotomized by Xavier.
You know who's more psychotic than Magneto? His f@#$ing acolytes! Each one makes their "lord and savior" seem as like a puppy.
Who was it that said, "I rather like this Jesus fellow of yours, it's his followers I'm not so sure about."?
A lot of important shit happened here but I don't know if or when I'll subject myself to such droning conversations and character self-discoveries that just... wont... END!

[Ferzem Khan · Rating 3 out of 5]

6/10

Unlike X-Cutioner’s Song which had a strong central storyline but disappointing tie-ins, Fatal Attractions is lackluster in the main titles but has some great tie-in issues of X-Force, Wolverine and Excalibur, full of heartfelt character moments and the best soap opera drama X-Men is loved for. Colossus’ heel turn is understandable given he first lost his brother and then Ilyana, but the main problem is Magneto’s characterization, which feels no less than the character assassination of what Claremont had been building Magneto up towards, especially in the wake of Ilyana’s death. It’s not just that Magneto has regressed to being a villain, but he is so far removed from being the man who does the wrong things for the right reasons that he just feels like the Silver Age flamboyant supervillain (especially when written by Scott Lobdell). Though despite the mischaracterization of Magneto and the story taking directions I didn’t want, Fabian Nicieza does start coming into his own as a writer and his prose in X-Men #25 reaches on par with Claremont’s work before him.

[Cameron H · Rating 5 out of 5]

The 90’s get a lot of flak, and X-Men continuity is generally considered a mess, but I have say, I felt genuinely rewarded by a lot of tiny things that I would have otherwise would have no way of knowing. It’s interesting to see Rusty and Skids as Magneto’s acolytes, even if they aren’t given a lot of panel time (they weren’t anyone’s favorite characters anyway). But when you know their history, it adds weight to character moments like when Jean Grey is forced to subdue them.

And of course there’s Colossus’ (ironic) crisis of faith after the losses he’s been endured over the past few years—including the death of his sister, which, as a father, was absolutely heartbreaking. It’s tragic to see a character that has always been the soul of the team defect, but the writing team does a good job of making that moment both surprising and inevitable.

All in all, a lot of great character work that you might not otherwise expect.

[Maurice Jr. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yet another collection from a pivotal time in -Men history. This covers the return of Magneto over all the X-mags, and there were major casualties.

The Acolytes went on human killing sprees in Magneto's name (while he was presumed dead) and of course the X-Men stood them down each time. When the dust settled, Cable and Wolverine were critically injured (thanks to Magneto ripping the metal out of each of their bodies) and Magneto was comatose (Professor X hut down his mind).

While they geared up for the final confrontation, the mutant legacy virus claimed a new victim: young Illyana Rasputin. This was a tough time in X-history, but better times were on the way.

[Crazed8J8 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Perhaps one of the most epic crossovers ever. The first half of this collection gives background stories and foreshadowing of things to come. The X-Factor issues in particular add unnecessary bulk to the collection, and brings the overall rating down.
However, once you got the tragic issue of Uncanny #303, the story kicks into high gear and the rubber really meets the road. Epic battles with lasting impacts, Wolverine, Cable, Magneto and Professor X all changed forever because of the events here...we also get a foreshadow of Cable and Rachel's relationship.
Amazing art, epic storytelling, what else could you want?

[Remxo · Rating 4 out of 5]

The X-Men battle Magneto in this X-Men crossover event, and as a non-fan of event books, this was a great read. The omnibus ends with the Fatal Attractions event - a culture war about contrasting worldviews and Prof. X crossing the line into questionable moral territory. The issues leading up to the actual event are excellent. A lot of heavy stuff happens, with major consequences and it makes for great drama, action and political intrigue.

4.5 stars.

[Nate Balcom · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book #6 of my #30BookSummer Challenge! The X-Men’s 30th anniversary crossover event that kicked off many years of me reading X-Titles! Fun to reread, though shocking that it’s nearly been 30 years since I first rode my bike to pick them up at my local comic store!

[Randy · Rating 1 out of 5]

Slow, pailful and awful. The stories in this graphic novel seemed minimally connected and the same old bland story. If anything this might give you insight to some different comic story lines, but overall forgettable and boring.

[Cristhian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Una de las mejores obras escritas jamás

[Steven · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a bit of grunt work to get through, thanks to the endless padding demanded from multiple x-Books grinding through a single storyline. Worse yet, the majority of the writing is by Scott Lobdell; Larry Hama turns in some excellent work, however, and his Wolverine #75, as Wolvie fights to survive Magneto ripping out all of his adamantium and the X-Men fight to land a crippled Blackbird, is a highlight — with a subtle bit at the end that hints at how old Wolverine really is. Lobdell, amazingly enough, delivers an Excalibur entry that’s rather good.

So, a three-star rating thanks to the good bits of this curate’s egg.

[B · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a fantastically put together book. Basically all comicbooks look. The only downside is that this book is so physically big that it actually hurts to use.

The only problem is that the content is just fine. Basically this is an "event" that happens without pacing. A lot of the build-up is a distraction. New characters like X-Cutioner and Exodus pop up but do not really seem to be explained. The actual climax is well-known to most X-readers and takes as much space as the recaps.

Was this really an event or an excuse to put holograms on covers that are emphasized in this book?

[Matthew Ledrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Even devoid of this intellectuality that I'm bringing into it Fatal Attractions is one of the crown jewels in the unraveling saga of the X-Men, and a good example that the title was not lost when Claremont left the series."

Read the full review on TheBookCloset

[Ondra Král · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tak jsem si udělal exkurz do devadesátkových X-Menů.
Několik dobrých příběhů plave v omáčce nudy. Může za to hlavně fakt, nemám načtené předchozí věci a třeba linka X-Factoru, která navazuje na X-Tinction Agendu, mi moc nic neříkala. Samotné Fatálky se ale docela povedly.

[Relstuart · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyed the art. The story progression was good and this was lengthy but left me wanting more resolution at the end.

Really liked seeing the characters in there more classic costumes.

[Jonathan Z. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is everything I loved about the Men in the '90s.

[Roman Colombo · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a damn fun book.

[Reyel2107 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some of the best 90´s x-men !!!! nothing more than fun !!!