View source for Operation: Zero Tolerance

{{Short description|Marvel Comics storyline}}
{{distinguish|Operation Zero Tolerance}}
{{italic title}}
{{More citations needed|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox comics story arc <!--Wikipedia:WikiProject Comics-->
|image          = Xm067.png
|caption        = {{Descript-cvr|[[X-Men: Legacy|X-Men]]|2|67|Sept, 1997|feature=[[Bastion (comics)|Bastion]], [[Iceman (Marvel Comics)|Iceman]] and [[Cecilia Reyes]]|art=[[Carlos Pacheco]]}}
|publisher      = [[Marvel Comics]]
|startmo        = May
|startyr        = 1997
|endmo          = November
|endyr          = 1997
|Crossover      = y
|titles         = ''[[Cable (comics)|Cable]]'' vol. 1, #45-47<br><!--
-->''Cable / [[Machine Man]] `98'' #1<br><!--
-->''[[Generation X (comic book)|Generation X]]'' #27 29-31<br><!--
-->''Machine Man / [[Bastion (comics)|Bastion]] '98'' #1<br><!--
-->''[[Uncanny X-Men|The Uncanny X-Men]]'' #346<br><!--
-->''[[Wolverine (comic book)|Wolverine]]'' vol. 2, #115-118<br><!--
-->''[[X-Force (comic book)|X-Force]]'' vol. 1, #68-70<br><!--
-->''[[X-Men: Legacy|X-Men]]'' vol. 2, #65-69<br><!--
-->X-Man #30
|main_char_team = [[X-Men]]<br>[[Bastion (comics)|Bastion]]<br>[[Henry Peter Gyrich]]
|writers        = 
|artists        = 
|pencillers     = 
|inkers         = 
|letterers      = 
|editors        = 
|colorists      = 
|TPB            = 
|ISBN           = 
|cat            = X-Men
|sortkey        = Operation: Zero Tolerance
}}
"'''Operation: Zero Tolerance'''" was a [[intercompany crossover|crossover]] storyline that ran through [[Marvel Comics]]' [[X-Men]] related titles during 1997. The story followed from the "[[Onslaught (Marvel Comics)|Onslaught]] Saga" and focused on individuals, including [[Bastion (comics)|Bastion]] and [[Henry Peter Gyrich]], within the United States government and their attempts to use their positions to hunt and kill all [[Mutant (Marvel Comics)|mutants]] across the country. Within the story, the program is known as "Operation: Zero Tolerance".

==Build-up to Operation: Zero Tolerance==
===Lead-in===
Before the ''[[Onslaught (Marvel Comics)|Onslaught]]'' crossover, [[Bastion (comics)|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".<ref>''Uncanny X-Men'' #333. Marvel Comics.</ref>

Bastion has also started operations to escalate human-mutant frictions and accelerate his "Zero Tolerance" plan,<ref>''X-Men Unlimited'' (1993) #11. Marvel Comics.</ref> as well as pulling political strings with Valerie Cooper to use X-Factor (led by [[Forge (character)|Forge]] at the time) as his personal "mutant militia".<ref>''X-Factor'' (1st series) #127. Marvel Comics.</ref>

===Aftermath of the Onslaught Saga===
Most of the core non-mutant superhero teams (the [[Fantastic Four]], a number of [[Avengers (comics)|Avengers]] and [[Hulk|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 (Marvel Comics character)|Daredevil]], and [[Doctor 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.<ref>''Onslaught: Marvel Universe'' One-Shot (1996). Marvel Comics.</ref>

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".<ref>''Uncanny X-Men'' #334, 339. Marvel Comics.</ref><ref>''X-Factor'' (1st series) #128. Marvel Comics.</ref>

[[Professor X|Professor Charles Xavier]] surrenders himself to the United States government (represented by [[Valerie Cooper]])<ref>''X-Men'' (1991) #57. Marvel Comics.</ref> and is taken to a secret location, where he is subject to Bastion's interrogation techniques.<ref>''Onslaught: Epilogue''. Marvel Comics.</ref>

===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 was assassinated by what was meant to look like an energy blast of some kind.<ref>''X-Factor'' (1st series) #130. Marvel Comics.</ref> 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 [[Prime Sentinel]]s, is given approval to implement this plan, which is dubbed "Operation: Zero Tolerance".

===Prelude===
Bastion captures [[Jubilation Lee]] and makes her his prisoner.<ref>''Uncanny X-Men'' #343. Marvel Comics.</ref>

Returning from a mission in Hong Kong, a team of 5 X-Men (consisting of [[Cyclops (Marvel Comics)|Cyclops]], [[Jean Grey]], [[Storm (Marvel Comics)|Storm]], [[Wolverine (character)|Wolverine]], and [[Cannonball (Marvel Comics)|Cannonball]]) are attacked mid-air by Prime Sentinels.<ref>''X-Men'' (1991) #64. Marvel Comics.</ref> All five are captured and exposed to Xavier to further humiliate him.<ref>''X-Men'' (1991) #65. Marvel Comics.</ref> Henry Peter Gyrich spins a false story that the X-Men attacked American authorities and their reaction was in self-defense.<ref>''X-Men'' (1991) #65. Marvel Comics.</ref>

Bastion is also able to seize control of the [[X-Mansion|Xavier Institute for Higher Learning]]<ref>''X-Men'' (1991) #65. Marvel Comics.</ref> (in the process gaining access to vital information regarding numerous mutants).

===Main issues===
====Prisoners====
Over the course of the story, [[Jubilee (character)|Jubilee]] is captured and mentally abused in order to access the secrets she knows.<ref>''X-Men'' #64. Marvel Comics.</ref>

The 5 captured X-Men make their escape from a compound of Operation Zero Tolerance and hide in the desert.<ref>''Wolverine'' #115-118. Marvel Comics.</ref>

====X-Mansion invaded====
Cable infiltrates the X-Mansion after it was occupied by Operation: Zero Tolerance to free [[Caliban (Marvel Comics)|Caliban]] and destroy Xavier's files to prevent Bastion from getting access to them. The X-Mansion is stripped of its technology.

====On the run====
[[Cecilia Reyes]] and [[Marrow (character)|Marrow]] join the X-Men after confronting Bastion with [[Iceman (Marvel Comics)|Iceman]]. During this time, Iceman acts as a leader of the small splinter group he is traveling with (consisting of the previous mentioned Cecilia Reyes and Marrow as well as [[Sabra (comics)|Sabra]], who has been tracking Bastion and investigating the actions of the Operation: Zero Tolerance operatives). Despite initially being ambushed by numerous Prime Sentinels, they manage to locate the home of Rose Gilberti, the woman who cared for Bastion, in Connecticut. Upon their arrival, they are surprised by Bastion and the Prime Sentinels, who have been waiting in the home after having taken both Gilberti and a detective's son hostage. After hearing what Bastion has to say in regard to her mother, Marrow becomes enraged and tries to viciously assault the woman, claiming revenge for the fate that her mentor Callisto suffered as a result of her encounter with Operation: Zero Tolerance. This prompts Iceman to stop her, only to mount an attack against Bastion on his own. Iceman is able to catch Bastion by surprise, knocking him out of the house and onto a nearby shoreline. Despite initially having the upper hand against Bastion, Iceman halts his attack in an attempt to goad Bastion into killing him. As Bastion begins to relay orders to his battalion of Prime Sentinels to destroy the mutants, [[S.H.I.E.L.D.]] forces converge en masse to the shoreline, revoking the rights of Operation: Zero Tolerance to further act on American soil. Faced with the knowledge that S.H.I.E.L.D. has been given authorization to use necessary force to stop him, Bastion issues the command to his Prime Sentinels to stand down. Bastion is then arrested and taken into S.H.I.E.L.D. custody at the end of the storyline.<ref>''X-Men'' (1991) #66-69. Marvel Comics.</ref>

==Aftermath==
===To the X-Men===
[[Cyclops (Marvel Comics)|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.<ref>''Wolverine'' #118, ''X-Men'' (1991) #70. Marvel Comics.</ref> After the operation, Cyclops and Phoenix take a sabbatical in Alaska.<ref>''X-Men'' (1991) #71, ''Uncanny X-Men'' #352. Marvel Comics.</ref>

The X-Men welcome [[Maggott]], Marrow, and Cecilia Reyes their ranks. However, their presence causes quite a stir among its members: Maggot believes Joseph is a younger version of Magneto, whom he has met in the past;<ref>''X-Men'' (1991) #73, 76. Marvel Comics.</ref> Marrow takes a liking to Cannonball, but trades blows with Storm and Wolverine;<ref>''X-Men'' (1991) #72, 79. Marvel Comics.</ref> Cecilia Reyes is still adjusting to being outed as a mutant.<ref>''X-Men'' (1991) #73, ''Uncanny X-Men'' #351. Marvel Comics.</ref>

In ''X-Men Unlimited'' #27, published during the ''[[Revolution (Marvel Comics)|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 [[Thunderbird (Neal Shaara)|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.<ref>''X-Men Unlimited'' (1993) #27. Marvel Comics.</ref>

===To Bastion and the Operation===
Later, it was revealed that Bastion was in fact mutant-hunting sentinel [[Nimrod (comics)|Nimrod]], after he crossed the Siege Perilous all the way back in ''Uncanny X-Men'' #246-247.<ref>''Cable/Machine Man'' Annual '98; ''Machine Man/Cable'' Annual '98. Marvel Comics.</ref>

In ''X-Men'' Annual 2000, [[Stryfe]], Cable's villainous clone, activates several dormant Prime Sentinels to attack the X-Men.<ref>''X-Men'' Annual 2000. Marvel Comics.</ref>

==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 (comics)|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 ''[[X-Men: Next Dimension]]'' serves as a sequel to the events of ''Operation: Zero Tolerance''. In the storyline, [[Forge (comics)|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 Mutants]] defeated Bastion and rescued Forge from being killed.

* An adaption of Operation: Zero Tolerance appears in ''[[X-Men '97]]'' three-part episode "Tolerance is Extinction". It was founded by the [[United Nations]] with the shortened name OZT and consists of Bastion, his personal assistant Daria, [[Mister Sinister]], [[Helmut Zemo|Baron Helmut Zemo]], [[Doctor Doom]], and the Prime Sentinel versions of [[Bolivar Trask]], [[Trish Tilby]], and Rose Gilberti.

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{X-Comics}}