Operation: Zero Tolerance
This article needs additional citations for verification. (April 2022) |
"Operation: Zero Tolerance" | |||
---|---|---|---|
Iceman and Cecilia Reyes, art by Carlos Pacheco | |||
Publisher | Marvel Comics | ||
Publication date | May – November 1997 | ||
Genre |
| ||
| |||
Main character(s) | X-Men Bastion Henry Peter Gyrich |
"Operation: Zero Tolerance" was a
Build-up to Operation: Zero Tolerance
Lead-in
Before the Onslaught crossover, Bastion introduces himself to high echelons and foreign dignitaries in a secret meeting in the sub-basement of the Pentagon. He gives hints that whatever Onslaught is, he threatens both humans and mutants. As for the "mutant problem", he offers the services of his project, "Operation: Zero Tolerance".[1]
Bastion has also started operations to escalate human-mutant frictions and accelerate his "Zero Tolerance" plan,
Aftermath of the Onslaught Saga
Most of the core non-mutant superhero teams (the Fantastic Four, a number of the Avengers and Bruce Banner), along with the surprising aid of Doctor Doom, in the Marvel universe "sacrificed" themselves in order to help destroy Onslaught by leaping into his body, which consisted of raw energy at the time. The only superheroes who were left outside of Onslaught were all mutants who could not enter into Onslaught due to his ability to siphon their powers and a handful of non-mutant superheroes including Spider-Man, Daredevil, and Dr. Strange that were not present at the battle. Members of the X-Men were then left to physically attack Onslaught directly and eventually succeeded in destroying him and in the process, seemingly those who had leapt into his energy form as well.[4]
Bastion has invested time and resources in Graydon Creed's anti-mutant campaign in order to expedite his own anti-mutant plan: "Operation: Zero Tolerance".[5][6]
Professor Charles Xavier surrenders himself to the United States government (represented by Valerie Cooper)[7] and is taken to a secret location, where he is subject to Bastion's interrogation techniques.[8]
The assassination of Graydon Creed
The disappearance of non-mutant heroes led to a great amount of distrust being harbored toward all mutantkind. Shortly thereafter, Graydon Creed, a presidential candidate and outspoken proponent of mutant hatred, was assassinated by what was meant to look like an energy blast of some kind.[9] This escalated humanity's festering feelings toward mutants.
The fallout of both of these events served as a springboard for the man known as Bastion to suggest to the government that they should begin a plan. In order to keep the nation safe from the growing mutant threat, Bastion proposed the capture and extermination of as many mutants as he could find.
Plot
Bastion, along with the aid of his newly constructed
Prelude
Bastion captures
Returning from a mission in Hong Kong, a team of 5 X-Men (Cyclops, Jean Grey, Storm, Wolverine and Cannonball) are attacked mid-air by Prime Sentinels.[11] All five are captured and exposed to Xavier to further humiliate him.[12] Henry Peter Gyrich spins a false story that the X-Men attacked American authorities and their reaction was in self-defense.[13]
Bastion is also able to seize control of the Xavier Institute for Higher Learning[14] (in the process gaining access to vital information regarding numerous mutants).
Main issues
Prisoners
Over the course of the story,
The 5 captured X-Men make their escape from a compound of Operation Zero Tolerance and hide in the desert.[16]
X-Mansion invaded
Cable infiltrates the X-Mansion after it was occupied by Operation: Zero Tolerance to free
On the run
Aftermath
To the X-Men
Cyclops has a bomb implanted in his chest after being shot by a Prime Sentinel. He is taken to the X-Mansion and operated on by Dr. Cecilia Reyes.[18] After the operation, Cyclops and Phoenix take a sabbatical in Alaska.[19]
The X-Men welcome
In X-Men Unlimited #27, published during the Revolution, it is shown that, during the height of Bastion's operations, he was also present in India, where his operatives were capturing homeless people. One of the Bastion's victims was Neal Sharra's brother. Neal and detective Karima Shapandar investigate into the matter and are taken by Operation: Zero Tolerance to be experimented on: Karima is turned into a Prime Sentinel and Neal's powers are activated for the first time.[23]
To Bastion and the Operation
Later, it was revealed that Bastion was in fact mutant-hunting sentinel Nimrod, after he crossed the Siege Perilous all the way back in Uncanny X-Men #246-247.[24]
In X-Men Annual 2000, Stryfe, Cable's villainous clone, activates several dormant Prime Sentinels to attack the X-Men.[25]
Known operatives
- Bastion
- Daria
- Com
- Ekatarina Gryaznova
- Harper
- Arvell
- Curtis
- Felipe
- Helmut
- Mustang
- Number 5
- Sanjit
- Saroyan
- Karima Shapandar
- Tanya
Collected editions
The storyline has been collected into a trade paperback:
- X-Men: Zero Tolerance (320 pages, March 1, 2000, ISBN 978-0-7851-0738-5)
Collects Generation X 27, X-Force 67–69, X-Men 65–70, Wolverine 115–118, Cable 45–47, X-Man 30
It has also been collected into a hardcover:
- X-Men: Operation Zero Tolerance (640 pages, August 15, 2012, ISBN 0785162402)
Collects Generation X 26–31, X-Force 67–70, X-Men 65–70, Uncanny X-Men 346, Wolverine 115–118, Cable 45–47, X-Man 30
In other media
- The 2002 fighting game Forge was kidnapped by Prime Sentinels because of his knowledge of a weapon that can end all mutantkind. In the end, the X-Men and the Brotherhood of Mutantsdefeated Bastion and rescued Forge from being killed.
References
- ^ Uncanny X-Men #333. Marvel Comics.
- ^ X-Men Unlimited (1993) #11. Marvel Comics.
- ^ X-Factor (1st series) #127. Marvel Comics.
- ^ Onslaught: Marvel Universe One-Shot (1996). Marvel Comics.
- ^ Uncanny X-Men #334, 339. Marvel Comics.
- ^ X-Factor (1st series) #128. Marvel Comics.
- ^ X-Men (1991) #57. Marvel Comics.
- ^ Onslaught: Epilogue. Marvel Comics.
- ^ X-Factor (1st series) #130. Marvel Comics.
- ^ Uncanny X-Men #343.
- ^ X-Men (1991) #64. Marvel Comics.
- ^ X-Men (1991) #65. Marvel Comics.
- ^ X-Men (1991) #65. Marvel Comics.
- ^ X-Men (1991) #65.
- ^ X-Men #64.
- ^ Wolverine #115-118.
- ^ X-Men (1991) #66-69.
- ^ Wolverine #118, X-Men (1991) #70.
- ^ X-Men (1991) #71, Uncanny X-Men #352.
- ^ X-Men (1991) #73, 76.
- ^ X-Men (1991) #72, 79.
- ^ X-Men (1991) #73, Uncanny X-Men #351.
- ^ X-Men Unlimited (1993) #27. Marvel Comics.
- ^ Cable/Machine Man Annual '98; Machine Man/Cable Annual '98. Marvel Comics.
- ^ X-Men Annual 2000.