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X-Men: Gamma Quest Trilogy #1

X-Men and The Avengers: Lost and Found

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The X-Men -- mutant protectors of a world that fears and hates them. The Avengers -- Earth's mightiest heroes, the greatest super-team ever assembled. When the Scarlet Witch of the Avengers and Rogue of the X-Men all disappear under mysterious circumstances, each team's search leads them to more questions than answers.

When the X-Men appear to attack a high-security government installation, the Avengers must track down the mutants, and learn the truth behind the abductions before it's too late

278 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published July 1, 1999

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248 people want to read

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Greg Cox

153 books425 followers

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5 stars
29 (13%)
4 stars
70 (33%)
3 stars
98 (46%)
2 stars
10 (4%)
1 star
2 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
Profile Image for Jim C.
1,790 reviews36 followers
March 28, 2020
Actual rating is 3.5 stars.

A book based on the Marvel characters. In this one, Scarlet Witch and Rogue go missing. Their respective teams proceed to investigate and their separate investigations lead them to each other. Chaos ensues.

All I want from a book of this caliber is a fun time and this book provided that. I don't want deep thought. I just want the characters portrayed correctly and battles between super powered beings. This book did precisely that. The character portrayal was spot on. I had no problem picturing any of the characters. It was nice to see Captain America game planning during a battle or Hulk's rage. Yes, everybody is in this book and it is a Marvel's fan delight. Within this book you get a point of view from different characters so you get to hear their respective voices and I liked this aspect. I did think the final battle was too long and that is why I did lower my rating. That being said, I would love to see it on the movie screen.

This book is exactly what I thought it would be and then some. There is a little mystery aspect that leads into the second book and I cannot wait for that reveal. I had a good time with this book as I had no problem picturing Wolverine, Beast, Iron Man, and other Marvel greats.
Profile Image for Craig.
6,451 reviews180 followers
January 21, 2021
The Gamma Quest trilogy succeeds quite well in everything it attempts to accomplish, which is to provide an extended prose version of a mighty Marvel team-up adventure. The first thing the Marvel heroes have to do when they meet is have a big fight, then figure out there's a super villain behind the problem that they'd be better off fighting, then split into small groups for separate quests within the frame-work of a big team quest, assign team leaders (one of whom should be Cap), flirt with one another, fight some more, have hair-raising adventures and nick-of-time escapes, rescue their comrades, shake hands and promise to stay in touch, prepare to repeat next month. The X-Men and Avengers are the two biggest (in both senses of the word) teams in comics, and Cox set them up and carried them through quite well. I thought he captured the personalities and voices of almost all of the characters quite convincingly, and though I wasn't ever really surprised, neither was I disappointed. I don't see it as a trilogy so much as one long story that happened to be printed in three volumes; there are no good break or entry points, and I don't think anyone reading them out of sequence would get much from them. Altogether, lots of fun Marvel mayhem, lots of fun interaction between characters that don't normally spend much time together, and a good time is had by all. Excelsior!
Profile Image for Patrick.
501 reviews165 followers
April 4, 2010
This started out with a lot of set-up involving two as-yet-unknown villains kidnapping members of the X-Men and Avengers, and ended up with a bunch of partner-swapping fights amongst Cyclops, Storm, Captain America, Iron Man, the Vision, and the Hulk. The author seemed very knowledgeable, making references to the characters' histories and other fun Marvel-y trivia.
Profile Image for Fangirl.
1,126 reviews12 followers
June 5, 2014
Reading about the comic characters in a novel was enjoyable. In the novel there is also a lot more character development in a shorter period of time.
Profile Image for Neil.
1,334 reviews14 followers
August 9, 2020
Overall, I guess I enjoyed this first part of the Gamma Quest trilogy. I remember reading it when it first came out and felt it was pretty spot-on with how the characters were presented, with their thoughts, skills, abilities, and personalities; how they might think or act or even react in a given situation. Granted, the “big fight” between the Avengers and X-Men (and Hulk, to a lesser extent) takes place over 65 pages(!). It was a long chapter, but I thought the author did a good job trying to describe in words what might only take a few panels in a comic book. There was enough “mystery” to get the reader’s attention and make him wonder what was going on. The book does follow a common “Marvel trope” in that heroes tend to have to fight for a bit over a misunderstanding before they work things out and cooperate “for the greater good.” It also has some of the humor in it that one would find in various Marvel comic books (especially regarding the Beast and the way he jokes when he talks).

Storm makes a comment in the book that had me laughing.

There were some issues I had with the story (and, yes, I know it is based on comic books). Some are “minor” issues and entirely understandable, but some are not.

It was a fun novel to revisit. I forgot the “big fight” took sixty-five pages of the book (nearly one-third of it!), but it was still worth the read. I liked the characterizations, how they were fairly true to the comics (except that it felt like the author “favored” the X-Men over the Avengers and I have always preferred the Avengers over the X-Men. However, it was written at a time when the X-Men were at the height of their popularity and there were a host of other “offshoot titles” that really ruined it for the X-Men for a period of time as Marvel flooded the market with too many X-titles and nearly killed off interest in mutants because the artwork and stories were so bad). I thought the author did a good job building up the story to its “cliff-hanger” ending; we’ll see if the second book raises the bar further or falls short when compared to the first and third books of the trilogy. I will probably leave it as a 3-star rating; I would probably rate it 3.3 – 3.5, rounded down. I don’t think I liked it enough to say I “really liked it,” but it was a fun story to read (considering the limitations and guidelines that would have been put in place of an author trying to write a book or series of books about copyrighted characters who have a regular series of books published monthly) and I did enjoy it. I might even rate it s high as 3.6, but still round it down. It was fun to revisit it, and I hope the second book is just as good, at the very least.
Profile Image for Paige.
364 reviews34 followers
December 24, 2019
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I'm only talking about the first book of the trilogy in this review.

This is my first foray into Marvel books, or, really, superhero books. I wasn't sure what my feelings were going to be going into it, but I definitely enjoyed the vast majority of the book!

The X-Men and Avengers are probably the superhero teams I know the most about in the Marvel universe, thanks to the films. I thoroughly enjoyed reading about superheros I know some things about, and its clear that Cox is a fan himself because he calls back to a myriad of things from the heroes' pasts. They're clear and consistent characters and the viewpoints switch frequently, but in a way that makes sense.

I enjoyed reading about the superheroes who are taken away and about the ordeal they are suffering. It could've been a whole book just on that and I would have been quite content. But this book is more about the teams trying to find their teammates and how they are being manipulated. I struggled with the fight scene, because it was about 70 pages long and it could have been easily solved had anyone talked to each other (but it's a superhero book so fights are needed). I found that to be somewhat of a slog, but if you're a big fan I can see why you would love it!

I enjoyed the majority of this book, with just the overly-long fight scene putting me off. If you're a Marvel fan you are sure to enjoy this!
Profile Image for Tim Deforest.
804 reviews1 follower
September 26, 2021
Though I wasn't happy with Marvel Comics continuity by the 1990s (about the time I started to drop most modern superhero books from my reading list), this book was very entertaining. Greg Cox accurately captures the personalities of the various characters well and drops them into a well-constructed plot.

Two X-Men and an Avenger have been kidnapped. The two groups are investigating independently (neither team knows the other has the same "kidnapped member" problem), with clues that lead them to the Hulk. The villains, in the meantime, are experimenting on the captives.

The plot moves along swiftly, appropriately following Comic Book Logic as the story unfolds. The final battle at Niagara Fall--a three-way fight involving the X-Men, Avengers and Hulk, is exciting and has the various participants using tactics that make sense according to the powers they have.

I also enjoy that Cox does not identify either of the main villains until he reveals who ONE of them is in the last chapter. For comic book fans familar with the Marvel Universe, several clues to his identity had been planted along the way, making the reveal a satisfying one.

This book is the first of a trilogy, so ends with several cliffhangers.
Profile Image for Anthony Rodriguez.
77 reviews
May 7, 2024
A true companion to the X-Men 97 series, if you are currently watching. Which you should be.
Our heroes face a threat in the shadows and preys on the weaknesses of both the Avengers and the X-men on a personal level. Stuff gets bad here, like torture. So be aware. Nothing graphic but still.
At the heart of it , this first story of the Gamma Quest is so thrilling and action packed. I love how well the characters are written , especially Beast, Storm, and Cyclops. (Now that I think of it, basically the xmen) The avengers are here and their characters are alright- it was and always is a relief to see Cap and Ironman getting along and working together.
Either way I am excited to finish this trilogy as I continue to watch the ever epic series on Disney plus and I hope you do too.
P.s big time cliff hanger at the end. Literally.
Profile Image for Scott Wozniak.
Author 7 books98 followers
January 16, 2026
I was very curious, how comments would translate into a novel format. And I was delighted to see how the author captured some of the classic elements of the comics, but really wrote a true novel. There were a ton of callbacks to events that have happened in the novels during their golden era. If you didn't know that time, you would still enjoy this story. None of those details were essential. However, for a guy like me who grew up reading the classics from the era, I really enjoyed the mentions.

Interesting story as well and the characters each had really unique voices when it was their section of the story. This could be a fun trilogy!
Profile Image for Rachel.
16 reviews4 followers
Read
February 24, 2021
I read this series in the early 2000s because I was very much into Rogue and the X-Men, but it became the series that really introduced me to Wanda and the Avengers. I have no idea how well the series holds up after more than 20 years and it's probably not the sort of read adult me is looking for BUT if you're a big Marvel fan or are just really enjoying Wandavision, this may be a series for you.
Profile Image for Lori S..
1,177 reviews41 followers
January 29, 2023
3.25 Stars

When the Scarlet Witch (Wanda), Rogue and Logan are kidnapped, their respective teams (The Avengers and the X-MEN) jump into action and then jump all over each other. Irritating much? No one takes the time here to stop and talk to each other, instead, they each assume the other team had something to do with the kidnapping. Add in a trip to Niagara Falls to ask the Hulk questions about gamma radiation and the plot, such as it is, just flutters in the wind with no anchor points.

Meh. At least I borrowed it from the library.
Profile Image for V. Arrow.
Author 8 books64 followers
January 17, 2024
Good... lord... I listened to this on audio and a THREE-HOUR FIGHT SCENE IS TOO LONG. GOOD GOD. MAKE IT STOP. SO BORING.

The rest of the book? Great. Really interesting start to a trilogy, great Wanda content, etc.

THREE HOURS OF FIGHTING THE BORING BORING BORING HULK? SO BORING. SO LONG.

Wanda getting kidnapped by murderous puppets? Great. Rogue being attacked by racist t-shirts? Cool. Wolverine being Wolverine? Fine.

STOP FIGHTING THE HULK FOR THREE HOURS.
Profile Image for Alex.
355 reviews1 follower
May 1, 2020
To be honest, all the Avengers knowledge I had going into this book was what I learned from the movies. However, I did enjoy their interactions and learning what history of theirs was in the book.
I really liked the pacing. Everything was fairly well explained and nothing ever felt bogged down by descriptions. The action was well paced and a lot of fun to read.
Profile Image for Ferginator88.
59 reviews1 follower
March 11, 2025
A fun enough read, it suffers a lot from the lack of any plot resolution happening within itself. Everything is left for the next book, even the final battle at the end is put on pause to be wrapped up in Chapter 1 of book 2. A little frustrating.

The author does a great job writing each of the different characters though. They really nail Beast.
3 reviews
June 11, 2017
Really good writing for an xmen/marvel novel
758 reviews
March 14, 2023
Boring .... I like some stuff by Greg Cox, but this one didn't do it for me.
Profile Image for Randy.
913 reviews5 followers
February 3, 2025
While this book has a ton of action to start off the trilogy, the plot doesn't really go anywhere. I look forward to seeing where this mash up of characters go.
Profile Image for Kevin P.
20 reviews
July 9, 2025
I've been a fan of the X-Men since 1983.
This book tried its best to change that.
Thank God Chris Claremont could write, 'cause Greg Cox can't.
Profile Image for Meghan Emery.
38 reviews36 followers
August 10, 2014
This was enjoyable, but it kind of fell flat. Toward the end I kind of felt like I was forced to finish it so that I could get to the next one and see if it got better. I feel that the characters were close to the comics, with Beast being the most accurate. I loved it whenever he used his phrase "Oh my stars and garters!" That was definitely classic Beast. Overall the plot, which has something to do with The Leader experimenting on some of the mutants leads the Avengers and the X-Men to locate the Hulk for more information on Gamma Radiation. The ensuing battle is expected, and a little drawn out and slow. If the rest of the trilogy is better, I'll change my recommendation, but at the moment it's only and if you are really jonesing for a superhero fix would I suggest this book.

Writing: B
Grammar: B
Characters: A
World: C
Plot: B
Overall: B
Recommendation: Only if you want superheroes but want to read a book too.
Profile Image for B. Reese.
Author 3 books5 followers
July 2, 2015
I enjoyed this trilogy as a teenager/early adult. I really don't know if I would like it now.

I would actually really like to re-read this trilogy imagining the movie incarnations of the characters. That would be interesting.

It was cool seeing the set up of how the teams get involved in each other's issues. I think the X-Men and the Avengers both decide to try to stop the Hulk at Niagara Falls at the same time. Lucky too, because the Hulk's enemy, the Leader is the big bad. The biggest complaint is that like almost every other X-Men novel, the overpowered Rogue is basically kidnapped or rendered a non-threat early on.

116 reviews
August 7, 2011
I'm a fan of comic book so normally I would give high rating to a superhero novel.

I didn't enjoy this one very much, not a bad novel but the first 200 pages bring nothing new for me (to much post reference on character history) and all the action happen in the last chapters. I will still read the rest of the trilogy I like to give all the chance to the author.

Spoiler
Rogue beaten by T-shirt? Wolverine down by dears? Come on! And I really didn't like the Leader personification.

Still 3 stars isn't that bad.
Profile Image for Zach Smith.
86 reviews
April 10, 2024
I was surprised at how well the action translated in this novel. The plot is also a captivating mystery that culminates in a solid cliff hanger. The characterizations and dialogue are a tad outdated, but those are the only real faults.
Profile Image for Edward Davies.
Author 3 books34 followers
March 6, 2015
Some trilogies work well, but this felt a little annoying that you not so much wanted to but were forced to read the other two books just to find out what was going on.
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews

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