Issue(s): New Mutants #96
Cover Date: Dec 90
Title: "United we stand"
Credits:
Louise Simonson - Writer
Rob Liefeld - Penciler
Art Thibert & Josef Rubinstein - Inker
Suzanne Gaffney - Assistant Editor
Bob Harras - Editor

Review/plot:
In the previous part of X-Tinction Agenda, Jubilee was left behind to get Rictor and Boom Boom to safety while Wolverine and Psylocke infiltrated the Genoshan Citadel to rescue Storm and Wolfsbane. Now Wolverine and Psylocke are captured and Jubilee and her wards are on the run.

We are close to the graduation of the New Mutants, who will soon become X-Force. So it's not quite the same, but the relationship between Jubilee and the New Mutants is similar to the one with Kitty Pryde when the New Mutants were first created. Jubilee is the same age as the New Mutants, so what makes her an X-Man? As Boom Boom notes, she and Jubilee even have essentially the same powers.

But for now, at least, Jubilee is the only one with those powers, since Rictor and Boom Boom's powers have been turned off by the Genoshan Wipeout.

Right now they are being pursued by some Genoshan Magistrates and a mutate with tracking abilities.

Luckily, even without powers, Boom Boom has the weird Liefeld kick move.

They manage to defeat the Magistrates and "rescue" the mutate.

This group eventually decides to stop running and start going after their teammates. And the mutate begins to remember parts of his past life, and wants to help them.

Meanwhile, the main rescue team is beginning to set their plan in motion.

We recently saw Scott decide to stop pressuring Jean on making a decision about his proposal. And at this point in time, their relationship is on the rebound.

It'll be put to the test when Wolverine re-enters the picture in a little while, though.

We also check in with Wolfsbane, who is going to be turned into a mutate.

Cameron Hodge isn't content to just wipe her memory, and insists that on some level she remain aware of the torture she's been put through.

Normally something like this would be a case of the villain creating his own means of defeat (especially since we're seeing that normally processed mutates like the one that is with Jubilee also have the potential of resisting their programming), but in this story it'll be a minor part of the resolution.

Jubilee's group winds up on the outskirts of a battle between Cable's group and the Magistrates.

The mutate that was with Jubilee's group eventually realizes that it's not going to be able to overcome its brainwashing, and it leaves them before it feels forced to turn them in. Then Cable's group winds up getting defeated when Cameron Hodge shows up with Wipeout, who cancels all their powers. But the mutate manages to resist revealing that Jubilee's group is still hiding in the shadows.

The issue ends by revealing that Wolfsbane has gone through the mutate process. Although it hasn't suppressed her accent.

Not... terrible. Don't get me wrong. This is very much Rob Liefeld art.

But like last issue, i find his storytelling in this issue to be much clearer than the majority of the stuff Liefeld has done, and it helps make this issue entirely readable.

Quality Rating: C

Historical Significance Rating: 1

Chronological Placement Considerations: This is part five of the X-Tinction Agenda. X-Factor #61 is next.

References:

• The X-Men previously invaded Genosha in Uncanny X-Men #235-238.

Crossover: X-Tinction Agenda

Continuity Insert? N

My Reprint: N/A

Wipeout - what a convenient plot device that guy was

Does it seem weird to anyone else to hear Scott calling Jean "babe"? Scott just doesn't seem like a "babe" kind of guy.

In regards to Liefeld's art: Art Adams has a lot to answer for.:P

There's still that weird coloring for the backgrounds through all of this issue, just like last issue.

And how does Cable stand with all that weight in his upper body and those tiny little legs?

Am I the only one confused a bit? By two things...
First, it seemed like Gambit was nowhere to be found for a while and then suddenly bam he's back.
Also... they put Gambit with the silent powers and Bobby with the light & sound powers? Err...

The reunion of the different X-groups took place off-panel before the start of the crossover. One could be forgiven for thinking Gambit then went away equally off-panel, leaving Storm with the X-Men. But he appeared in exactly one panel of UXM #270, carrying Stevie to safety. And then he was really shown with the others in New Mutants #95.