Avengers #401
Sins of the Father
Onslaught continues from X-Men Unlimited #11…
Professor Charles Xavier has gone made, transforming into the powerful psychic entity known as Onslaught. The Avengers have teamed up with the X-Men to stop him. Their first step in this goal is finding out what connection Magneto has to Xavier’s descent.[1]
To this end, Captain America takes a team consisting of Iron Man, Thor, Quicksilver, the Scarlet Witch, Vision, and Gambit. They take off in a newly design aircraft created by Iron Man and almost crash at the gate when Iron Man is too busy explaining the specifications that he almost forgets to open the bay doors.
Back at the mansion, Giant-Man has linked the Avengers computer to Cerebro, the X-Men’s mutant tracker and is guiding the away team to the location where Magneto’s energy signature has been picked up. This is while another team — consisting of the Black Widow, Wasp, Hawkeye, Crystal, Iceman, and Bishop — are about to head off to the Four Freedoms Plaza to warn the Fantastic Four that Onslaught might target Franklin Richards, the son of Reed and Sue Richards.[2]
En route to Magneto’s location, the Vision wonders how Xavier — a champion of human/mutant peace — could have been so corrupted. Quicksilver believes that his father must be mind controlling Xavier somehow.[3] Gambit agrees with this notion, mentioning how Magneto controlled Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch during their time as members of his Brotherhood of Evil Mutants. This reminds the Scarlet Witch how she was often mistreated by the other members of the Brotherhood — Toad and Mastermind — and while Magneto often protected her from their creepy advances, he frequently used his power to dominate over her as well.[4] This discussion opens old wounds for Wanda, who speaks about her vulnerability during that time with a candor nobody has heard before. Pietro promises his sister that he won’t let Magneto ever control her like that again.
Meanwhile, in Norfolk, Virginia, the Rogue and Joseph — an apparently amnesia stricken and de-aged Magneto — have stopped their cross-country road trip because their car has broken down, necessitating them to stop at a garage for repairs.[5] Rogue has been secretly trying to get Joseph to the Xavier Institute and hoping that nothing along the way will reawaken his long lost memories.
While they are waiting for their car to be repaired, the Avengers and Gambit arrive. Unaware of the situation with Joseph, Quicksilver attacks him immediately. Rogue tries to tell the Avengers that Joseph isn’t a threat, but her pleas fall on deaf ears and soon a battle breaks out. Eventually, Rogue gets separated from Joseph in the battle. However, Joseph is able to hold his own against the Avengers with his magnetic powers. When the Scarlet Witch is injured, Joseph stops fighting to see if she is ok. While his guard is down, Quicksilver comes charging at him but Wanda uses her hex powers to shatter the pier and prevent her brother from attacking Joseph.
The uncharacteristic kindness from Joseph has convinced her that this is not the man they used to know and the battle comes to a quick end. After explaining why they have come, Rogue and Joseph agree to accompany the Avengers back to New York City. However, seeing how close Rogue is with Joseph hurts Gambit because of his love for her. Regardless they all head back to New York so they can face the threat of Onslaught together.
… Onslaught continues in Fantastic Four #415.
Recurring Characters
Avengers (Captain America, Iron Man, Thor, Giant-Man, Wasp, Hawkeye, Quicksilver, Scarlet Witch, Crystal), X-Men (Iceman, Rogue, Gambit, Bishop), Joseph
Continuity Notes
As explained in Wolverine (vol. 2) #105, Xavier’s descent into becoming Onslaught began when he mind wiped Magneto back in X-Men (vol. 2) #25. This caused Magneto’s inherent evil to infect Xavier’s mind leading to his transformation into Onslaught. After working in secret for some time, Onslaught finally revealed himself in X-Men (vol. 2) #54/Onslaught: X-Men #1.
This team’s mission to warn the FF is chronicled in Fantastic Four #415.
Since Vision and the Scarlet Witch #4, Magneto is believed to be the father of Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch. This has since been proven to be a lie, the pair are the children of Natayla Maximoff and their “mutant powers” are actually the work of the High Evolutionary who experimented upon them as children. In order to cover up his work he made the pair register as mutants if their genetics were tested. See Uncanny Avengers (vol. 2) #4-5 and Scarlet Witch #3 and 11.
Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch were original members of Magneto’s Brotherhood of Evil Mutants from X-Men #4 through 11. They managed to defect and joined the Avengers in Avengers #16 to redeem themselves and became heroes in their own right.
Joseph’s background is rather complex. At the time of this story, everyone believes that he is the real Magneto. After Xavier wiped out Magneto’s mind, he remained in a catatonic state aboard the space station known as Avalon. However, he ended up lost on Earth when the station was destroyed by Holocaust in X-Men (vol. 2) #42-44. It’s later revealed in X-Men (vol. 2) #86 that Joseph is actually a clone of Magneto created by Astra, a jilted former member of Magneto’s Brotherhood. She restored Magneto and intended the clone to kill him. The real Magneto got away and the clone was left wandering with no memory of what he was or his purpose. Rogue ended up finding Joseph in X-Men Unlimited #11. At the time of this story, Rogue had been on a hiatus from the X-Men since X-Men (vol. 2) #45.
Onslaught Reading Order
Onslaught: X-Men #1, Uncanny X-Men #335, X-Factor #125, Excalibur #99-100, Cable #34, Incredible Hulk #444, Wolverine (vol. 2) #104, X-Men Unlimited #11, Avengers #401, Fantastic Four #415, Generation X #18, X-Men Unlimited #12, X-Men (vol. 2) #55, Green Goblin #12, Amazing Spider-Man #415, Spider-Man #72, X-Man #18, X-Force #57, Excalibur #101, X-Factor #126, Uncanny X-Men #336, Cable #35, X-Force #58, Generation X #19, X-Man #19, Punisher (vol. 3) #11, Incredible Hulk #445, Iron Man #332, Avengers #402, Fantastic Four #416, Wolverine (vol. 2) #105, Thor #502, X-Men (vol. 2) #56, Onslaught: Marvel Universe #1
