The X-Men are a
superhero
A superhero or superheroine is a fictional character who typically possesses ''superpowers'' or abilities beyond those of ordinary people, is frequently costumed concealing their identity, and fits the role of the hero, typically using their ...
team in
American comic book
An American comic book is a thin periodical literature originating in the United States, commonly between 24 and 64 pages, containing comics. While the form originated in 1933, American comic books first gained popularity after the 1938 publ ...
s published by
Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics is a New York City–based comic book publishing, publisher, a property of the Walt Disney Company since December 31, 2009, and a subsidiary of Disney Publishing Worldwide since March 2023. Marvel was founded in 1939 by Martin G ...
. Created by writer/editor
Stan Lee
Stan Lee (born Stanley Martin Lieber ; December 28, 1922 – November 12, 2018) was an American comic book author, writer, editor, publisher, and producer. He rose through the ranks of a family-run business called Timely Comics which later bec ...
and artist/co-plotter
Jack Kirby
Jack Kirby (; born Jacob Kurtzberg; August 28, 1917 – February 6, 1994) was an American comics artist, comic book artist, widely regarded as one of the medium's major innovators and one of its most prolific and influential creators. He grew ...
, the team first appeared in
''The X-Men'' #1 (September 1963). Although initially cancelled in 1970 due to low sales, following its
1975 revival and subsequent direction under writer
Chris Claremont
Christopher S. Claremont (; born November 25, 1950) is an English-born American comic book writer and novelist. Claremont is best known for his 16-year stint on ''Uncanny X-Men'' from 1975 to 1991, far longer than that of any other writer,Clarem ...
, it became one of Marvel Comics's most recognizable and successful franchises. They have appeared in numerous books,
television shows
A television show, TV program (), or simply a TV show, is the general reference to any content produced for viewing on a television set that is broadcast via over-the-air, satellite, and cable, or distributed digitally on streaming platfo ...
,
20th Century Fox
20th Century Studios, Inc., formerly 20th Century Fox, is an American film studio, film production and Film distributor, distribution company owned by the Walt Disney Studios (division), Walt Disney Studios, the film studios division of the ...
's
''X-Men'' films, and
video games
A video game or computer game is an electronic game that involves interaction with a user interface or input device (such as a joystick, game controller, controller, computer keyboard, keyboard, or motion sensing device) to generate visual fe ...
. The ''X-Men'' title may refer to the superhero team itself,
the eponymous comic series, or the broader franchise, which includes
various solo titles and team books, such as the
New Mutants
The New Mutants are a group of fictional mutant superheroes appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, generally in association with the X-Men. Originally depicted as the teenaged junior class at the Xavier Institute, sub ...
,
Excalibur
Excalibur is the mythical sword of King Arthur that may possess magical powers or be associated with the rightful sovereignty of Britain. Its first reliably datable appearance is found in Geoffrey of Monmouth's ''Historia Regum Britanniae''. E ...
, and
X-Force
X-Force is a team of superheroes appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, most commonly in association with the X-Men. Conceived by writer/illustrator Rob Liefeld, the team first appeared in ''New Mutants'' #100 (April 1991 ...
.
In the
Marvel Universe
The Marvel Universe is a fictional shared universe where the stories in most American comic book titles and other media published by Marvel Comics take place. Superhero teams such as the Avengers, the X-Men, the Fantastic Four, the Guardia ...
,
mutants
In biology, and especially in genetics, a mutant is an organism or a new genetic character arising or resulting from an instance of mutation, which is generally an alteration of the DNA sequence of the genome or chromosome of an organism. It i ...
are humans born with a genetic trait called the X-gene, which grants them natural superhuman abilities, generally manifesting during
puberty
Puberty is the process of physical changes through which a child's body matures into an adult body capable of sexual reproduction. It is initiated by hormonal signals from the brain to the gonads: the ovaries in a female, the testicles i ...
. Due to their differences from most humanity, mutants are subject to prejudice and discrimination; many X-Men stories feature social commentary on bigotry, justice, and other political themes. The X-Men have fought against various
enemies, including villainous mutants, human bigots, supervillains, mystical threats, extraterrestrials, and evil artificial intelligences. In most iterations of the team, they are led by their founder,
Charles Xavier / Professor X, a powerful telepath who runs a school for mutant children out of
his mansion in Westchester, New York, which secretly is also the headquarters of the X-Men. Their stories have frequently involved
Magneto
A magneto is an electrical generator that uses permanent magnets to produce periodic pulses of alternating current. Unlike a dynamo, a magneto does not contain a commutator to produce direct current. It is categorized as a form of alternator, ...
, a powerful mutant with control over
magnetic field
A magnetic field (sometimes called B-field) is a physical field that describes the magnetic influence on moving electric charges, electric currents, and magnetic materials. A moving charge in a magnetic field experiences a force perpendicular ...
s, who is depicted as an old friend of and
foil
Foil may refer to:
Materials
* Foil (metal), a quite thin sheet of metal, usually manufactured with a rolling mill machine
* Metal leaf, a very thin sheet of decorative metal
* Aluminium foil, a type of wrapping for food
* Tin foil, metal foil ma ...
to Xavier, acting as an adversary or ally.
Background and creation
In 1963, with the success of
the Fantastic Four
The Fantastic Four, often abbreviated as FF, is a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The team debuted in '' The Fantastic Four'' #1 (cover-dated November 1961), helping usher in a new level of realism in ...
, co-creator
Stan Lee
Stan Lee (born Stanley Martin Lieber ; December 28, 1922 – November 12, 2018) was an American comic book author, writer, editor, publisher, and producer. He rose through the ranks of a family-run business called Timely Comics which later bec ...
wanted to create another group of superheroes. Unlike Lee's earlier creations such as
Spider-Man
Spider-Man is a superhero in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, he first appearance, first appeared in the anthology comic book ''Amazing Fantasy'' #15 (August 1962) in ...
who acquired their powers through scientific means, Lee decided that this new group of heroes were "
mutants
In biology, and especially in genetics, a mutant is an organism or a new genetic character arising or resulting from an instance of mutation, which is generally an alteration of the DNA sequence of the genome or chromosome of an organism. It i ...
", born with powers as he had grown weary of creating separate origins for each superhero.
In a 1987 interview, Kirby said:
The X-Men, I did the natural thing there. What would you do with mutants who were just plain boys and girls and certainly not dangerous? You school them. You develop their skills. So I gave them a teacher, Professor X. Of course, it was the natural thing to do, instead of disorienting or alienating people who were different from us, I made the X-Men part of the human race, which they were. Possibly, radiation, if it is beneficial, may create mutants that'll save us instead of doing us harm. I felt that if we train the mutants our way, they'll help us – and not only help us, but achieve a measure of growth in their own sense. And so, we could all live together.
Lee devised the series title after Marvel publisher
Martin Goodman turned down the initial name, "The Mutants," stating that readers would not know what a "mutant" was.
Within the
Marvel Universe
The Marvel Universe is a fictional shared universe where the stories in most American comic book titles and other media published by Marvel Comics take place. Superhero teams such as the Avengers, the X-Men, the Fantastic Four, the Guardia ...
, the X-Men are widely regarded to have been named after
Professor X
Professor X (Prof. Charles Francis Xavier) is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist/co-writer Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in Uncanny X-Men, ''The X-Men'' #1 ( ...
. The original explanation for the name, as provided by Xavier in ''The X-Men'' #1 (1963), is that mutants "possess an extra power ... one which ordinary humans do not!! That is why I call my students ... X-Men, for EX-tra power!"
Publication history
Original run
Early ''X-Men'' issues introduced the original team composed of
Cyclops
In Greek mythology and later Roman mythology, the Cyclopes ( ; , ''Kýklōpes'', "Circle-eyes" or "Round-eyes"; singular Cyclops ; , ''Kýklōps'') are giant one-eyed creatures. Three groups of Cyclopes can be distinguished. In Hesiod's ''Th ...
,
Marvel Girl,
Beast
Beast most often refers to:
* Animal, a multicellular, eukaryotic organism in the biological kingdom Animalia
* The Beast (Revelation), one of three beasts described in the Book of Revelation
* Monster, a type of creature found in fiction, folklo ...
,
Angel
An angel is a spiritual (without a physical body), heavenly, or supernatural being, usually humanoid with bird-like wings, often depicted as a messenger or intermediary between God (the transcendent) and humanity (the profane) in variou ...
, and
Iceman, along with their archenemy
Magneto
A magneto is an electrical generator that uses permanent magnets to produce periodic pulses of alternating current. Unlike a dynamo, a magneto does not contain a commutator to produce direct current. It is categorized as a form of alternator, ...
and his
Brotherhood of Evil Mutants
The Brotherhood of Mutants (originally known as the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants) is a fictional group of mutants appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The Brotherhood are among the chief adversaries of the X-Men. While the ...
featuring
Mastermind
Mastermind, Master Mind or The Mastermind may refer to:
Fictional characters
* Mastermind (Jason Wyngarde), a fictional supervillain in Marvel Comics, a title also held by his daughters:
** Martinique Jason, the first daughter and successor of the ...
,
Quicksilver,
Scarlet Witch
The Scarlet Witch is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in The X-Men #4 in March 1964, in the Silver Age of Comic Boo ...
, and
Toad
Toad (also known as a hoptoad) is a common name for certain frogs, especially of the family Bufonidae, that are characterized by dry, leathery skin, short legs, and large bumps covering the parotoid glands.
In popular culture (folk taxonomy ...
. The comic focused on a common human theme of good versus evil and later included storylines and themes about
prejudice
Prejudice can be an affect (psychology), affective feeling towards a person based on their perceived In-group and out-group, social group membership. The word is often used to refer to a preconceived (usually unfavourable) evaluation or classifi ...
and
racism
Racism is the belief that groups of humans possess different behavioral traits corresponding to inherited attributes and can be divided based on the superiority of one Race (human categorization), race or ethnicity over another. It may also me ...
, all of which have persisted throughout the series in one form or another. The evil side in the fight was shown in human form and under some sympathetic beginnings via Magneto, a character who was later revealed to have survived Nazi concentration camps only to pursue a hatred for normal humanity. His key followers, Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch, were
Romani
Romani may refer to:
Ethnic groups
* Romani people, or Roma, an ethnic group of Indo-Aryan origin
** Romani language, an Indo-Aryan macrolanguage of the Romani communities
** Romanichal, Romani subgroup in the United Kingdom
* Romanians (Romanian ...
. Only one new member of the X-Men was added,
Mimic
In evolutionary biology, mimicry is an evolved resemblance between an organism and another object, often an organism of another species. Mimicry may evolve between different species, or between individuals of the same species. In the simples ...
/Calvin Rankin, but soon left due to his temporary loss of power.
The title lagged in sales behind Marvel's other comic franchises. In 1969, writer
Roy Thomas
Roy William Thomas Jr."Roy Thomas Checklist" ''Alter Ego'' vol. 3, #50 (July 2005) p. 16 (born November 22, 1940) is an American comic book writer and editor. He was Stan Lee's first successor as editor-in-chief of Marvel Comics and possibly bes ...
and illustrator
Neal Adams
Neal Adams (June 15, 1941 – April 28, 2022) was an American comic book artist. He was the co-founder of the graphic design studio Continuity Associates, and was a Creator ownership, creators-rights advocate who helped secure a pension and re ...
rejuvenated the comic book and gave regular roles to two recently introduced characters:
Alex Summers (Cyclops' brother, who had been introduced by Roy Thomas before Adams began work on the comic) and Lorna Dane, later called
Polaris
Polaris is a star in the northern circumpolar constellation of Ursa Minor. It is designated α Ursae Minoris (Latinisation of names, Latinized to ''Alpha Ursae Minoris'') and is commonly called the North Star or Pole Star. With an ...
(created by
Arnold Drake
Arnold Drake (March 1, 1924 – March 12, 2007) was an American comic book writer and screenwriter best known for co-creating the DC Comics characters Deadman and the Doom Patrol, and the Marvel Comics characters the Guardians of the Galaxy, Hav ...
and
Jim Steranko
James F. Steranko (; born November 5, 1938) is an American graphic artist, comics artist, comic book writer/artist, comics historian, Illusionist, magician, publisher and film production illustrator.
His most famous comic book work was with th ...
). However, these later ''X-Men'' issues failed to attract sales and Marvel stopped producing new stories with issue #66 (March 1970), later reprinting a number of the older comics as issues #67–93.
Claremont Era
In ''
Giant-Size X-Men
''Giant-Size X-Men'' #1 is a special issue of the ''X-Men'' comic book series, published by Marvel Comics in 1975. It was written by Len Wein and illustrated by Dave Cockrum. Chris Claremont contributed to the plot, having conceived the idea of P ...
'' #1 (1975), writer
Len Wein
Leonard Norman Wein (; June 12, 1948 – September 10, 2017) was an American comic book writer and editor best known for co-creating DC Comics' Swamp Thing and Marvel Comics' Wolverine (character), Wolverine, and for helping revive the Marvel sup ...
and artist
Dave Cockrum
David Emmett Cockrum (; November 11, 1943 – November 26, 2006) was an American comics artist known for his co-creation of the new X-Men characters Nightcrawler (character), Nightcrawler, Storm (Marvel Comics), Storm, Colossus (character), Colos ...
introduced a new team that starred in a revival of ''The X-Men'', beginning with
issue #94. This new team replaced the previous members with the exception of
Cyclops
In Greek mythology and later Roman mythology, the Cyclopes ( ; , ''Kýklōpes'', "Circle-eyes" or "Round-eyes"; singular Cyclops ; , ''Kýklōps'') are giant one-eyed creatures. Three groups of Cyclopes can be distinguished. In Hesiod's ''Th ...
, who remained. This team differed greatly from the original. Unlike in the early issues of the original series, the new team was not made up of teenagers and they also had a more diverse background. Marvel's corporate owners,
Cadence Industries
Cadence Industries Corporation, formerly known as Perfect Film & Chemical Corporation, was an American conglomerate owned by Martin S. Ackerman. From 1968 through 1986, Cadence Industries was the parent company of Marvel Comics Group (formerl ...
, had suggested the new team should be international, feeling it needed characters with "foreign appeal". So each character was from a different country with varying cultural and philosophical beliefs, and all were already well-versed in using their mutant powers, several being experienced in combat.
The "all-new, all-different X-Men" were led by Cyclops, from the original team, and consisted of the newly created
Colossus
Colossus, Colossos, or the plural Colossi or Colossuses, may refer to:
Statues
* Any exceptionally large statue; colossal statues, are generally taken to mean a statue at least twice life-size
** List of tallest statues
** :Colossal statues
* ...
(from the Soviet Union/Russia),
Nightcrawler (from Germany),
Storm
A storm is any disturbed state of the natural environment or the atmosphere of an astronomical body. It may be marked by significant disruptions to normal conditions such as strong wind, tornadoes, hail, thunder and lightning (a thunderstor ...
(from Kenya), and
Thunderbird (a Native American of
Apache
The Apache ( ) are several Southern Athabaskan language-speaking peoples of the Southwestern United States, Southwest, the Southern Plains and Northern Mexico. They are linguistically related to the Navajo. They migrated from the Athabascan ho ...
descent), and three previously introduced characters:
Banshee
A banshee ( ; Irish language, Modern Irish , from , "woman of the Tumulus#Ireland, fairy mound" or "fairy woman") is a female spirit in Irish folklore who heralds the death of a family member, usually by screaming, wailing, shrieking, or kee ...
(from Ireland),
Sunfire (from Japan), and
Wolverine
The wolverine ( , ; ''Gulo gulo''), also called the carcajou or quickhatch (from East Cree, ''kwiihkwahaacheew''), is the largest land-dwelling species, member of the family Mustelidae. It is a muscular carnivore and a solitary animal. The w ...
(from Canada). Wolverine eventually became the
breakout character
A breakout character is a character (arts), character in Serial (literature), serial fiction, especially a member of an ensemble cast, who becomes much more prominent, popular, discussed, or imitated than expected by the creators. A breakout c ...
on the team and, in terms of comic sales and appearances, the most popular X-Men character, even getting his own
solo title. However, this team would not remain whole for long; Sunfire, who never really accepted the other members, quit shortly after their first mission, and Thunderbird died on the next. Filling in the vacancy, a revamped
Jean Grey
Jean Elaine Grey-Summers is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby, the character First appearance, first appeared in ''Uncanny X-Men, The X-Men'' #1 ...
soon rejoined the X-Men under her new persona of "Phoenix". Angel,
Beast
Beast most often refers to:
* Animal, a multicellular, eukaryotic organism in the biological kingdom Animalia
* The Beast (Revelation), one of three beasts described in the Book of Revelation
* Monster, a type of creature found in fiction, folklo ...
,
Iceman,
Havok, and
Polaris
Polaris is a star in the northern circumpolar constellation of Ursa Minor. It is designated α Ursae Minoris (Latinisation of names, Latinized to ''Alpha Ursae Minoris'') and is commonly called the North Star or Pole Star. With an ...
also made significant guest appearances.
The revived series was illustrated by Cockrum, and later by
John Byrne, and written by
Chris Claremont
Christopher S. Claremont (; born November 25, 1950) is an English-born American comic book writer and novelist. Claremont is best known for his 16-year stint on ''Uncanny X-Men'' from 1975 to 1991, far longer than that of any other writer,Clarem ...
. Claremont became the series' longest-running contributor. The run met with critical acclaim and produced such landmark storylines as the death of Thunderbird, the emergence of the
Phoenix Force
The Phoenix Force is a fictional entity appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Chris Claremont and Dave Cockrum, the Phoenix Force is famous for its central role in ''The Dark Phoenix Saga'' storyline, and is in ...
, the saga of the
Starjammers
The Starjammers are a fictional team of space pirates appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The Starjammers have often appeared in pages of the ''X-Men'' comic books. The Starjammers first appeared in ''X-Men'' #104 (April ...
and the M'Kraan Crystal, the introduction of
Alpha Flight
Alpha Flight is a fictional team of Canadian superheroes appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The characters premiered in ''The Uncanny X-Men'' #120 (April 1979), and were created to serve as part of the X-Men member Wolv ...
and the
Proteus
In Greek mythology, Proteus ( ; ) is an early prophetic sea god or god of rivers and oceanic bodies of water, one of several deities whom Homer calls the "Old Man of the Sea" (''hálios gérôn''). Some who ascribe a specific domain to Prote ...
saga. Other characters introduced during this time include
Amanda Sefton
Amanda Sefton (real name Jimaine Szardos) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Chris Claremont and Dave Cockrum, the character first appeared in ''X-Men'' #98 (April 1976). The charact ...
,
Mystique, and
Moira MacTaggert
Dr. Moira MacTaggert, more recently known as Moira X, is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. She first appeared in ''The Uncanny X-Men'' #96 (Dec. 1975) and was created by writer Chris Claremont and ...
, with her genetic research facility on
Muir Island
The comic book stories published by Marvel Comics since the 1940s have featured several noteworthy concepts besides its fictional characters, such as unique places and artifacts. There follows a list of those features.
Places
Certain places fe ...
.
The 1980s began with the comic's best-known story arc, the "
Dark Phoenix Saga
"The Dark Phoenix Saga" is an extended X-Men comic-book storyline published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Chris Claremont and artist John Byrne, the storyline first appeared in ''X-Men'' #129 (January 1980). It focuses on the superhero Je ...
", which saw Phoenix manipulated by the illusionist Mastermind and becoming corrupted with an overwhelming lust for power and destruction as the evil Dark Phoenix. Other important storylines included "
Days of Future Past
"Days of Future Past" is a storyline in the Marvel Comics comic book ''The Uncanny X-Men'' issues #141–142, published in 1981. It deals with a dystopian future in which mutants are incarcerated in internment camps. An adult Kate Pryde transfer ...
", the saga of
Deathbird
Deathbird (Cal'syee Neramani) is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Chris Claremont and Keith Pollard, the character First appearance, first appeared in ''Ms. Marvel'' #9 (September 1977). Cal'sye ...
and the
Brood
Brood may refer to:
Nature
* Brood, a collective term for offspring
* Brooding, the incubation of bird eggs by their parents
* Bee brood, the young of a beehive
* Individual broods of North American periodical cicadas:
** Brood X, the largest br ...
, the discovery of the Morlocks, the invasion of the Dire Wraiths and ''The Trial of Magneto!'', as well as ''
X-Men: God Loves, Man Kills,'' the partial inspiration for
20th Century Fox
20th Century Studios, Inc., formerly 20th Century Fox, is an American film studio, film production and Film distributor, distribution company owned by the Walt Disney Studios (division), Walt Disney Studios, the film studios division of the ...
's film ''
X2: X-Men United'', which was released on May 2, 2003.
By the early 1980s, ''X-Men'' was Marvel's top-selling comic title. Its sales were such that distributors and retailers began using an "X-Men index", rating each comic book publication by how many orders it garnered compared to that month's issue of ''X-Men''.
The growing popularity of ''
Uncanny X-Men
''Uncanny X-Men'', originally published as ''The X-Men'', is an American comic book series published by Marvel Comics since 1963, and is the longest-running series in the List of X-Men comics, X-Men comics franchise. It features a team of super ...
'' and the rise of comic book specialty stores led to the introduction of a number of ongoing spin-off series nicknamed "X-Books." The first of these was ''
The New Mutants
The New Mutants may refer to:
*''New Mutants
The New Mutants are a group of fictional mutant superheroes appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, generally in association with the X-Men. Originally depicted as the teena ...
'', soon followed by ''
Alpha Flight
Alpha Flight is a fictional team of Canadian superheroes appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The characters premiered in ''The Uncanny X-Men'' #120 (April 1979), and were created to serve as part of the X-Men member Wolv ...
'', ''
X-Factor
''The X Factor'' is a television music competition franchise created by British producer Simon Cowell and his company Syco Entertainment. It originated in the United Kingdom, where it was devised as a replacement for '' Pop Idol'' (2001–200 ...
'', ''
Excalibur
Excalibur is the mythical sword of King Arthur that may possess magical powers or be associated with the rightful sovereignty of Britain. Its first reliably datable appearance is found in Geoffrey of Monmouth's ''Historia Regum Britanniae''. E ...
'', and a solo ''
Wolverine
The wolverine ( , ; ''Gulo gulo''), also called the carcajou or quickhatch (from East Cree, ''kwiihkwahaacheew''), is the largest land-dwelling species, member of the family Mustelidae. It is a muscular carnivore and a solitary animal. The w ...
'' title. When Claremont conceived a story arc, the "
Mutant Massacre
"Mutant Massacre" was a 1986 Marvel Comics crossover storyline. It primarily involved the superhero teams the X-Men and X-Factor. The solo hero Thor, the New Mutants, Power Pack, and Daredevil crossed over for an issue each in their own comic b ...
", which was too long to run in the monthly ''X-Men'', editor
Louise Simonson
Louise Simonson (née Mary Louise Alexander; born September 26, 1946) is an American comic book writer and editor. She is best known for her work on comic book titles such as ''Conan the Barbarian'', '' Power Pack'', ''X-Factor'', ''The New Mutan ...
decided to have it overlap into several X-Books. The story was a major financial success, and when the later "
Fall of the Mutants
"The Fall of the Mutants" was a comic book fictional crossover, crossover storyline by Marvel Comics spanning January to March 1988. It spanned three issues each of ''The Uncanny X-Men'' #225-227, ''X-Factor (comics), X-Factor'' #24-26, and ''New ...
" was similarly successful, the marketing department declared that the X-Men lineup would hold such
crossovers annually.
Throughout the decade, ''Uncanny X-Men'' was written solely by Chris Claremont, and illustrated for long runs by John Byrne, Dave Cockrum,
Paul Smith Paul Smith is the name of:
Music
* Paul Smith (composer) (1906–1985), American film music composer
* Paul Smith (pianist) (1922–2013), Los Angeles jazz pianist
* Paul Smith (English singer) (born 1979), vocalist and songwriter of British in ...
,
John Romita Jr., and
Marc Silvestri
Marc Silvestri (born March 29, 1958) is an American comic book artist, creator and publisher. He is CEO of Top Cow Productions and Image Comics.
Early life
Marc Silvestri was born on March 29, 1958, in Palm Beach, Florida.Rosenberg, Aaron (M ...
. In the Claremont era,
Storm
A storm is any disturbed state of the natural environment or the atmosphere of an astronomical body. It may be marked by significant disruptions to normal conditions such as strong wind, tornadoes, hail, thunder and lightning (a thunderstor ...
is the most prominent character and the main protagonist. Additions to the X-Men during this time were
Kitty Pryde/Shadowcat,
Rogue
A rogue is a person or entity that flouts accepted norms of behavior or strikes out on an independent and possibly destructive path.
Rogue, rogues, or going rogue may also refer to:
Companies
* Rogue Ales, a microbrewery in Newport, Oregon
* ...
,
Jean Grey
Jean Elaine Grey-Summers is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby, the character First appearance, first appeared in ''Uncanny X-Men, The X-Men'' #1 ...
/Phoenix,
Psylocke
Psylocke is the name of two connected characters appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, commonly in association with the X-Men. Both characters are portrayed as Mutant (Marvel Comics), mutants, a subspecies of humans born w ...
,
Dazzler,
Longshot,
Jubilee
A jubilee is often used to refer to the celebration of a particular anniversary of an event, usually denoting the 25th, 40th, 50th, 60th, and the 70th anniversary. The term comes from the Hebrew Bible (see, "Old Testament"), initially concerning ...
,
Forge
A forge is a type of hearth used for heating metals, or the workplace (smithy) where such a hearth is located. The forge is used by the smith to heat a piece of metal to a temperature at which it becomes easier to shape by forging, or to the ...
and
Gambit
A gambit (from Italian , the act of tripping someone with the leg to make them fall) is a chess opening in which a player sacrifices with the aim of achieving a subsequent advantage.
The word '' gambit'' is also sometimes used to describe si ...
. In a controversial move,
Professor X
Professor X (Prof. Charles Francis Xavier) is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist/co-writer Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in Uncanny X-Men, ''The X-Men'' #1 ( ...
relocated to outer space to be with
Lilandra Neramani
Princess-Majestrix Lilandra Neramani () is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, most commonly in association with the X-Men. She is the Empress, or Majestrix, of the Shi'ar Empire and shares a life ...
, Majestrix of the
Shi'ar
The Shi'ar ( ) are a fictional species of aliens appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The Shi'ar Empire (or Imperium) is a vast collection of alien species, cultures, and worlds situated close to the Skrull and Kree Em ...
Empire, in 1986. Magneto then joined the X-Men in Xavier's place and became the director of the New Mutants. This period also included the emergence of the
Hellfire Club
Hellfire Club was a term used to describe several exclusive Club (organization), clubs for high-society Rake (character), rakes established in Great Britain and Ireland in the 18th Century. The name most commonly refers to Francis Dashwood, 11t ...
, the arrival of the mysterious
Madelyne Pryor
Madelyne Jennifer Pryor is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Chris Claremont and artist Paul Smith (comics), Paul Smith, the character first appeared in ''Uncanny X-Men'' #168 (April 19 ...
, and the villains
Apocalypse
Apocalypse () is a literary genre originating in Judaism in the centuries following the Babylonian exile (597–587 BCE) but persisting in Christianity and Islam. In apocalypse, a supernatural being reveals cosmic mysteries or the future to a ...
,
Mister Sinister
Mister Sinister (Dr. Nathaniel Essex) is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Chris Claremont and artist Marc Silvestri, the character was first mentioned as the employer behind the team ...
,
Mojo
Mojo may refer to:
* Mojo (African-American culture), a magical charm bag used in Hoodoo
Arts, entertainment and media Film and television
* ''Mojo'' (2017 film), a 2017 Indian Kannada drama film written and directed by Sreesha Belakvaadi
* '' ...
, and
Sabretooth.
*X-Men
** ''
Uncanny X-Men
''Uncanny X-Men'', originally published as ''The X-Men'', is an American comic book series published by Marvel Comics since 1963, and is the longest-running series in the List of X-Men comics, X-Men comics franchise. It features a team of super ...
,'' vol. 1 (flagship) – a team of young mutants with superhuman abilities led and taught by Professor X (1963–1970); the team expanded when Xavier recruited mutants from around the world (1975–1985); a reformed Magneto became the headmaster after Xavier had left Earth (1985–1988); the team later relocated to the Australian Outback after the events of ''The'' ''Fall of the Mutants'' (1988–1989); after the X-Men is disassembled, the team reformed to fight the mutant-rights abuse of Genosha (1991).
** ''
X-Factor
''The X Factor'' is a television music competition franchise created by British producer Simon Cowell and his company Syco Entertainment. It originated in the United Kingdom, where it was devised as a replacement for '' Pop Idol'' (2001–200 ...
,'' vol. 1 – the Original Five set up a business advertised as mutant-hunters for hire, and secretly trained the captured mutants to control their powers and reintegrate them into society (1986–1991).
**
''Excalibur'', vol. 1 – Nightcrawler, Shadowcat and Rachel Grey teamed up with Captain Britain and Meggan to form a group of mutants based in Europe after the apparent death of the X-Men during ''The Fall of the Mutants'' (1988–1992).
* X-Men in Training
** ''
New Mutants
The New Mutants are a group of fictional mutant superheroes appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, generally in association with the X-Men. Originally depicted as the teenaged junior class at the Xavier Institute, sub ...
,'' vol. 1 – a group of teenaged students of the School for Gifted Youngsters gathered by Professor X
*Other Teams
** ''
Alpha Flight
Alpha Flight is a fictional team of Canadian superheroes appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The characters premiered in ''The Uncanny X-Men'' #120 (April 1979), and were created to serve as part of the X-Men member Wolv ...
,'' vol. 1 – Canada's premiere team of super-heroes organized under the auspices of the Canadian government's Department H.
Blue and Gold

In 1991, Marvel revised the entire lineup of X-Men comic book titles, centered on the launch of a second X-Men series, simply titled ''
X-Men
The X-Men are a superhero team in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer/editor Stan Lee and artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby, the team first appeared in Uncanny X-Men, ''The X-Men'' #1 (September 1963). Although initial ...
''. With the return of Xavier and the original X-Men to the team, the roster was split into two strike forces: Cyclops's "Blue Team" (chronicled in ''X-Men'') and Storm's "Gold Team" (in ''The Uncanny X-Men'').
The first issues of the second X-Men series were written by Claremont and drawn and co-plotted by
Jim Lee
Jim Lee (; born August 11, 1964) is a Korean-born American comic book artist, writer, editor, and publisher. As of 2023, he is the President, Publisher, and Chief creative officer, Chief Creative Officer of DC Comics. In recognition of his work ...
. Retailers pre-ordered over 8.1 million copies of issue #1, generating and selling nearly $7 million (though retailers probably sold closer to 3 million copies), making it, according to
Guinness Book of World Records
''Guinness World Records'', known from its inception in 1955 until 1999 as ''The Guinness Book of Records'' and in previous United States editions as ''The Guinness Book of World Records'', is a British reference book published annually, listi ...
, the best-selling comic book of all-time. Guinness presented honors to Claremont at the 2010
San Diego Comic-Con
San Diego Comic-Con is a comic book convention and multi-genre entertainment event held annually in San Diego, California, at the San Diego Convention Center. Founded in 1970, originally showcasing primarily comic books and science fiction/fant ...
.
Another new X-book released at the time was ''
X-Force
X-Force is a team of superheroes appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, most commonly in association with the X-Men. Conceived by writer/illustrator Rob Liefeld, the team first appeared in ''New Mutants'' #100 (April 1991 ...
'', featuring the characters from ''
The New Mutants
The New Mutants may refer to:
*''New Mutants
The New Mutants are a group of fictional mutant superheroes appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, generally in association with the X-Men. Originally depicted as the teena ...
'', led by
Cable
Cable may refer to:
Mechanical
* Nautical cable, an assembly of three or more ropes woven against the weave of the ropes, rendering it virtually waterproof
* Wire rope, a type of rope that consists of several strands of metal wire laid into a hel ...
; it was written by
Rob Liefeld
Robert Liefeld (; born October 3, 1967) is an American comic book creator. A prominent writer and artist in the 1990s, he is known for co-creating the character Cable (comics), Cable with writer Louise Simonson and the character Deadpool with wri ...
and
Fabian Nicieza
Fabian Nicieza (; December 31, 1961) is an Argentine-American comic book writer and editor who is best known for his work on Marvel titles such as ''X-Men'', '' X-Force'', ''New Warriors'', ''Nomad'', ''Cable'', '' Gambit'', '' Deadpool'' and ' ...
. Internal friction soon split the X-books' creative teams. In a controversial move, X-Men editor
Bob Harras
Robert Harras (born January 11, 1959''Comics Buyer's Guide'' #1650; February 2009; page 107) is an American comics writer and editor, who was editor-in-chief of Marvel Comics from 1995 to 2000 and editor-in-chief of DC Comics from 2010 to 2020.
...
sided with Lee (and ''Uncanny X-Men'' artist
Whilce Portacio
William "Whilce" Portacio (; born July 8, 1963) is a Filipino American comic book writer and artist noted for his work on such titles as '' The Punisher'', ''X-Factor'', '' Uncanny X-Men'', ''Iron Man'', '' Wetworks'' and '' Spawn''. Portacio wa ...
) over Claremont in a dispute over plotting. Claremont left after only three issues of ''X-Men'', ending his 16-year run as ''X-Men'' writer. Marvel replaced Claremont briefly with
John Byrne, who scripted both books for a few issues. Byrne was then replaced by Nicieza and
Scott Lobdell
Scott Lobdell (; born 1960) is an American comic book writer and screenwriter known for his work on numerous X-Men series for Marvel Comics in the 1990s, various work for DC Comics in the 2010s, namely '' Red Hood and the Outlaws, Teen Titans,'' ...
, who would take over the majority of writing duties for the X-Men until Lee's own departure months later when he and several other popular artists (including former X-title artists Liefeld, Portacio, and
Marc Silvestri
Marc Silvestri (born March 29, 1958) is an American comic book artist, creator and publisher. He is CEO of Top Cow Productions and Image Comics.
Early life
Marc Silvestri was born on March 29, 1958, in Palm Beach, Florida.Rosenberg, Aaron (M ...
) would leave Marvel to form
Image Comics
Image Comics is an independent American American comic book, comic book publisher and is the third largest direct market comic book and graphic novel publisher in the industry by market share. Its best-known publications include ''Spawn (comics) ...
. Jim Lee's X-Men designs would be the basis for much of the ''
X-Men
The X-Men are a superhero team in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer/editor Stan Lee and artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby, the team first appeared in Uncanny X-Men, ''The X-Men'' #1 (September 1963). Although initial ...
'' animated series and action figure line as well as several Capcom video games.
The 1990s saw an even greater number of X-books with numerous ongoing series and miniseries running concurrently. X-book crossovers continued to run annually, with "
The X-Tinction Agenda" in 1990, "
The Muir Island Saga" in 1991, "
X-Cutioner's Song
"X-Cutioner's Song" is a fictional crossover, crossover storyline published by Marvel Comics' in twelve parts from November 1992 to early 1993. It ran in ''Uncanny X-Men'', X-Men: Legacy, ''X-Men'' (vol. 2), ''X-Factor (comics), X-Factor'', and ...
" in 1992, "
Fatal Attractions" in 1993, "
Phalanx Covenant
"Phalanx Covenant" was a crossover storyline that ran through Marvel Comics' X-Men family of books in September and October 1994. One of its unique aspects was that the X-Men themselves only played a minor role in the story.
Plot
The X-Men ar ...
" in 1994, "
Legion Quest"/"
Age of Apocalypse
"Age of Apocalypse" is a 1995 comic book crossover storyline mostly published in the X-Men franchise of books by Marvel Comics. The ''Age of Apocalypse'' briefly replaced the universe of Earth-616 and had ramifications in the main Marvel Comic ...
" in 1995, "
Onslaught" in 1996, "
Operation: Zero Tolerance" in 1997, "
Hunt for Xavier" in 1998, "The Magneto War" in 1999, "
Apocalypse: The Twelve" / "
Ages of Apocalypse Ages may refer to:
*Advanced glycation end-products, known as AGEs
*Ages, Kentucky, census-designated place, United States
* ''Ages'' (album) by German electronic musician Edgar Froese
*The geologic time scale, a system of chronological measuremen ...
" in 2000 and "Eve of Destruction" in 2001. Though the frequent crossovers were criticized by fans as well as editorial and creative staff for being artificially regular, disruptive to the direction of the individual series, and having far less lasting impact than promised, they continued to be financially successful.
There were many additions to the X-Men in the 1990s, including
Gambit
A gambit (from Italian , the act of tripping someone with the leg to make them fall) is a chess opening in which a player sacrifices with the aim of achieving a subsequent advantage.
The word '' gambit'' is also sometimes used to describe si ...
,
Cable
Cable may refer to:
Mechanical
* Nautical cable, an assembly of three or more ropes woven against the weave of the ropes, rendering it virtually waterproof
* Wire rope, a type of rope that consists of several strands of metal wire laid into a hel ...
, and
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained member of the clergy who is entrusted with a position of Episcopal polity, authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance and administration of di ...
. Gambit became one of the most popular X-Men, rivaling even
Wolverine
The wolverine ( , ; ''Gulo gulo''), also called the carcajou or quickhatch (from East Cree, ''kwiihkwahaacheew''), is the largest land-dwelling species, member of the family Mustelidae. It is a muscular carnivore and a solitary animal. The w ...
in size of fanbase after his debut in ''Uncanny X-Men'' #266 (Aug. 1990). Many of the later additions to the team came and went, such as
Joseph
Joseph is a common male name, derived from the Hebrew (). "Joseph" is used, along with " Josef", mostly in English, French and partially German languages. This spelling is also found as a variant in the languages of the modern-day Nordic count ...
,
Maggott,
Marrow,
Cecilia Reyes
Cecilia Reyes is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Scott Lobdell and Carlos Pacheco, the character first appeared in ''X-Men'' (vol. 2) #65 (June 1997). She belongs to the subspecies o ...
, and a new
Thunderbird. Xavier's
New Mutants
The New Mutants are a group of fictional mutant superheroes appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, generally in association with the X-Men. Originally depicted as the teenaged junior class at the Xavier Institute, sub ...
grew up and became ''
X-Force
X-Force is a team of superheroes appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, most commonly in association with the X-Men. Conceived by writer/illustrator Rob Liefeld, the team first appeared in ''New Mutants'' #100 (April 1991 ...
'', and the next generation of students began with ''
Generation X
Generation X (often shortened to Gen X) is the Demography, demographic Cohort (statistics), cohort following the Baby Boomers and preceding Millennials. Researchers and popular media often use the mid-1960s as its starting birth years and the ...
'', featuring Jubilee and other teenage mutants led and schooled by
Banshee
A banshee ( ; Irish language, Modern Irish , from , "woman of the Tumulus#Ireland, fairy mound" or "fairy woman") is a female spirit in Irish folklore who heralds the death of a family member, usually by screaming, wailing, shrieking, or kee ...
and ex-villainess
Emma Frost
Emma Grace Frost is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Chris Claremont and artist/co-writer John Byrne (comics), John Byrne, the character First appearance, first appeared in ''The Uncanny ...
at her Massachusetts Academy. In 1998, ''
Excalibur
Excalibur is the mythical sword of King Arthur that may possess magical powers or be associated with the rightful sovereignty of Britain. Its first reliably datable appearance is found in Geoffrey of Monmouth's ''Historia Regum Britanniae''. E ...
'' and ''
X-Factor
''The X Factor'' is a television music competition franchise created by British producer Simon Cowell and his company Syco Entertainment. It originated in the United Kingdom, where it was devised as a replacement for '' Pop Idol'' (2001–200 ...
'' ended and the latter was replaced with ''
Mutant X'', starring
Havok stranded in a
parallel universe. Marvel launched a number of solo series, including ''
Deadpool
Deadpool is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Fabian Nicieza and Rob Liefeld, the character first appeared in ''New Mutants'' #98 (December 1990). In his comic book appearances, Deadpool is ...
'', ''
Cable
Cable may refer to:
Mechanical
* Nautical cable, an assembly of three or more ropes woven against the weave of the ropes, rendering it virtually waterproof
* Wire rope, a type of rope that consists of several strands of metal wire laid into a hel ...
'', ''Bishop'', ''
X-Man
Nathaniel "Nate" Grey (X-Man) is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, commonly in association with the X-Men. Created by writer Jeph Loeb and artist Steve Skroce, the character first appeared in ''X-Man'' #1 ...
'', ''
Gambit
A gambit (from Italian , the act of tripping someone with the leg to make them fall) is a chess opening in which a player sacrifices with the aim of achieving a subsequent advantage.
The word '' gambit'' is also sometimes used to describe si ...
'', ''Maverick'', ''Rogue, Storm, Magneto, Beast, Domino, Warlock, Magik, Iceman'' and ''Sabretooth,'' but few of the series would survive the decade.
*X-Men
** ''
Uncanny X-Men
''Uncanny X-Men'', originally published as ''The X-Men'', is an American comic book series published by Marvel Comics since 1963, and is the longest-running series in the List of X-Men comics, X-Men comics franchise. It features a team of super ...
,'' vol. 1 (flagship) – initially featured the Gold Team strike force led by Storm (1991–1995); later featured a team of X-Men recruited by Gladiator to defend the Shi'ar Empire against the Phalanx (1997); the Gold and Blue strike force merged to face new threats including Onslaught, Dark Beast, Shadow King and Magneto (1997–2000); later featured a squad led by Gambit during the ''Revolution'' revamp (2000–2001). The title is replaced by ''Astonishing X-Men'' during the ''Age of Apocalypse'' event.
** ''
X-Men
The X-Men are a superhero team in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer/editor Stan Lee and artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby, the team first appeared in Uncanny X-Men, ''The X-Men'' #1 (September 1963). Although initial ...
,'' vol. 2 – initially featured the Blue Team strike force led by Cyclops (1991–1995); later featured a new core group consisting of Cannonball, Cyclops, Jean Grey, Storm and Wolverine took on Sebastian Shaw and Bastion during the events of Operation: Zero Tolerance (1997); members of the ''Excalibur'' team joined the combined Gold and Blue strike force (1997–2000); later featured a squad led by Rogue during the ''Revolution'' revamp (2000–2001). The title is replaced by ''Amazing X-Men'' during the ''Age of Apocalypse'' event.
**
''X-Force'', vol. 1 – Cable re-organized the New Mutants into the para-military mutant strike team (1991–1995); the team move in with the X-Men at the X-Mansion and effectively become the X-Men's junior team (1995–1997); the team later move to San Francisco to set up a new headquarter (1997–2001); the team becomes a covert ops superhero team under the leadership of Pete Wisdom during the ''Revolution'' revamp (2001). The title is replaced by ''Gambit & the X-Ternals'' during the ''Age of Apocalypse'' event.
* X-Men in Training
** ''
Generation X
Generation X (often shortened to Gen X) is the Demography, demographic Cohort (statistics), cohort following the Baby Boomers and preceding Millennials. Researchers and popular media often use the mid-1960s as its starting birth years and the ...
,'' vol. 1 – students at the Massachusetts Academy mentored by Banshee and the former villain White Queen (1994–2001). The title is replaced by ''Generation Next'' during the ''Age of Apocalypse'' event.
* Other Teams
** ''
X-Factor
''The X Factor'' is a television music competition franchise created by British producer Simon Cowell and his company Syco Entertainment. It originated in the United Kingdom, where it was devised as a replacement for '' Pop Idol'' (2001–200 ...
'', vol. 1 – the new team worked for the Pentagon replacing Freedom Force as the government-sponsored team (1991–1997); Forge later leads the mutant team as an underground government strike force (1997–1998). The title is replaced by ''Factor X'' during the ''Age of Apocalypse'' event.
** ''
Excalibur
Excalibur is the mythical sword of King Arthur that may possess magical powers or be associated with the rightful sovereignty of Britain. Its first reliably datable appearance is found in Geoffrey of Monmouth's ''Historia Regum Britanniae''. E ...
'', vol. 1 – the British team expanded and stays with Moira, making Muir Island their new base (1992–1998). The title is replaced by ''X-Calibre'' during the ''Age of Apocalypse'' event.
** ''
Alpha Flight
Alpha Flight is a fictional team of Canadian superheroes appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The characters premiered in ''The Uncanny X-Men'' #120 (April 1979), and were created to serve as part of the X-Men member Wolv ...
'', vol. 2 – A new team formed by the reinstated Department H which is involved in clandestine and criminal activities.
Morrison era
In 2000, Claremont returned to Marvel and was put back on the primary X-Men titles during the
Revolution
In political science, a revolution (, 'a turn around') is a rapid, fundamental transformation of a society's class, state, ethnic or religious structures. According to sociologist Jack Goldstone, all revolutions contain "a common set of elements ...
revamp. He was later removed from the titles in 2001 and created his spin-off series, ''
X-Treme X-Men
''X-Treme X-Men'' is the name of two comic book series published by Marvel Comics, the first from 2001 through 2004, and the second from 2012 through 2013. All 46 issues of the first series were written by Chris Claremont, and featured a globetr ...
''. ''X-Men'' had its title changed to ''
New X-Men'' and writer
Grant Morrison
Grant Morrison (born 31 January 1960) is a Scottish comic book writer, screenwriter, and producer. Their work is known for its nonlinear narratives, Humanism, humanist philosophy and counterculture, countercultural leanings. Morrison has writt ...
took over. The book is often referred to as the Morrison-era, due to the drastic changes they made, beginning with "
E Is For Extinction
E, or e, is the fifth letter and the second vowel letter of the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''e'' (pronounced ); plu ...
", where a new villain,
Cassandra Nova
Cassandra Nova Xavier is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, most commonly in association with the X-Men. Created by writer Grant Morrison and artist Frank Quitely, the character first appeared in '' New ...
, destroys
Genosha
Genosha ( ) is a fictional country appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. It is an island nation that exists in the Marvel Universe and a prominent location in the X-Men comics. The fictional nation served as an allegory fo ...
, killing sixteen million mutants. Morrison also brought reformed ex-villain
Emma Frost
Emma Grace Frost is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Chris Claremont and artist/co-writer John Byrne (comics), John Byrne, the character First appearance, first appeared in ''The Uncanny ...
into the primary X-Men team, and opened the doors of the school by having Xavier "out" himself to the public about being a mutant. The bright spandex costumes that had become iconic over the previous decades were replaced by black leather street clothes reminiscent of the uniforms of the ''
X-Men
The X-Men are a superhero team in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer/editor Stan Lee and artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby, the team first appeared in Uncanny X-Men, ''The X-Men'' #1 (September 1963). Although initial ...
'' films. Morrison also introduced
Xorn
Xorn is the alias of two fictional characters appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He first appeared in ''New X-Men (2001 series), New X-Men Annual 2001'' (September 2001). He was created by Grant Morrison and Frank Qui ...
, who would figure prominently in the climax of his run. ''
Ultimate X-Men
''Ultimate X-Men'' is a superhero comic book series, which was published by Marvel Comics, from 2001 to 2009. The series is a modernized re-imagining of Marvel's long-running X-Men comic book franchise as part of the Ultimate Marvel imprint. The ...
'' set in Marvel's revised imprint was also launched, while
Chuck Austen
Chuck Austen (born Chuck Beckum)
Kees Kousemaker's Lambiek Comiclopedia. Retrieved November 14, 2011. is an Ameri ...
began his controversial run on ''
Uncanny X-Men
''Uncanny X-Men'', originally published as ''The X-Men'', is an American comic book series published by Marvel Comics since 1963, and is the longest-running series in the List of X-Men comics, X-Men comics franchise. It features a team of super ...
''.
Several short-lived spin-offs and miniseries started featuring several X-Men in solo series, such as ''Emma Frost'', ''Mystique'', ''Cyclops'', ''Iceman'', ''Blink'', ''
Chamber'', Mekanix (''featuring Kitty Pryde''),'' and ''Nightcrawler''. Many of the second-tier X-books were relaunched with new titles: ''Cable'' became ''Soldier X'' and ''Deadpool'' became ''Agent X''.
A new series titled ''
X-Statix
X-Statix are a team of mutant superheroes appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The team was specifically designed to be media superstars. The team, created by Peter Milligan and Mike Allred, first appears in '' X-Force ...
'' spawns from and replaces
''X-Force''; it is a series that explores the crossroads between heroism and being a celebrity, and how being a mutant is only acceptable as a medium of disposable entertainment. It was known best for being a series that killed most of the introduced cast and having one of the highest team turnover rates for a superhero comic. The most prominent member to come out of X-Statix was
Doop, a mysterious blob-like creature.
Another series, ''
Exiles
Exile or banishment is primarily penal expulsion from one's native country, and secondarily expatriation or prolonged absence from one's homeland under either the compulsion of circumstance or the rigors of some high purpose. Usually persons ...
'', started at the same time and concluded in December 2007 which led to ''
New Exiles
New or NEW may refer to:
Music
* New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz
* ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013
** "New" (Paul McCartney song), 2013
* ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator, 1995
* "New" (Daya song), 2017
* "New" (No Doubt song), 19 ...
'' in January 2008 written by Claremont.
Notable additions to the X-Men have been
Emma Frost
Emma Grace Frost is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Chris Claremont and artist/co-writer John Byrne (comics), John Byrne, the character First appearance, first appeared in ''The Uncanny ...
,
Danielle Moonstar
Danielle "Dani" Moonstar (also known as Psyche, Mirage, and Moonstar) is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. She first appeared in the graphic novel ''The New Mutants'' (Sept. 1982), created by writer Chris C ...
,
Husk
Husk (or hull) in botany is the outer shell or coating of a seed. In the United States, the term husk often refers to the leafy outer covering of an Ear (botany), ear of maize (corn) as it grows on the plant. Literally, a husk or hull includes t ...
and
Northstar Northstar may refer to:
* Polaris, a star
Arts and entertainment
* Northstar (band), an emo band from Alabama
* Northstar (rap group), a rap group affiliated with the Wu-Tang Clan
* "Northstar", a 2019 song by XXXTentacion from the album '' Bad ...
while former villain
Juggernaut
A juggernaut (), in current English usage, is a literal or metaphorical force regarded as merciless, destructive, and unstoppable.
This English usage originates in the mid-nineteenth century. ''Juggernaut'' is the early rendering in English ...
became member of the X-Men. Notable story arcs of this era are "
E Is For Extinction
E, or e, is the fifth letter and the second vowel letter of the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''e'' (pronounced ); plu ...
" (2001), "
Planet X
Following the discovery of the planet Neptune in 1846, there was considerable speculation that another planet might exist beyond its orbit. The search began in the mid-19th century and continued at the start of the 20th with Percival Lowell's ...
" and "
Here Comes Tomorrow
''New X-Men'' is an American comic book ongoing series, written by Grant Morrison and featuring the mutant superhero team, the X-Men. It was a retitling of the then-ongoing second volume of the main ''X-Men'' series, and shares the series' number ...
".
* X-Men
** ''
New X-Men,'' vol. 1 (flagship) – The X-Men took in dozens of students expanding the school from a training center to a legitimate school (2001–2004).
** ''
Uncanny X-Men
''Uncanny X-Men'', originally published as ''The X-Men'', is an American comic book series published by Marvel Comics since 1963, and is the longest-running series in the List of X-Men comics, X-Men comics franchise. It features a team of super ...
,'' vol. 1 – Nightcrawler and Angel co-lead the X-Men's primary field team to face new threat (2001–2004).
** ''
X-Treme X-Men
''X-Treme X-Men'' is the name of two comic book series published by Marvel Comics, the first from 2001 through 2004, and the second from 2012 through 2013. All 46 issues of the first series were written by Chris Claremont, and featured a globetr ...
,'' vol. 1 – Storm formed a globe-trotting team to hunt down missing copies of the Destiny's Diaries (2001–2004).
* X-Men in Training
** ''
New Mutants
The New Mutants are a group of fictional mutant superheroes appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, generally in association with the X-Men. Originally depicted as the teenaged junior class at the Xavier Institute, sub ...
,'' vol. 2 – features a new group of teenage mutants attending the Xavier Institute.
* Other Teams
** ''
Exiles
Exile or banishment is primarily penal expulsion from one's native country, and secondarily expatriation or prolonged absence from one's homeland under either the compulsion of circumstance or the rigors of some high purpose. Usually persons ...
'', vol. 1 – a revolving team roster from different realities, which have been removed from time and space, employed by the Timebroker to fix broken realities.
** ''
X-Statix
X-Statix are a team of mutant superheroes appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The team was specifically designed to be media superstars. The team, created by Peter Milligan and Mike Allred, first appears in '' X-Force ...
–'' featured a group of young mutants marketed to be media superstars.
** ''
NYX
In Greek mythology, Nyx (; ) is the goddess and personification of the night. In Hesiod's ''Theogony'', she is the offspring of Chaos, and the mother of Aether and Hemera (Day) by Erebus (Darkness). By herself, she produces a brood of children ...
'' – featured a group of teenage mutants as they attempt to survive on the streets of New York City.
** ''Weapon X,'' vol. 2 – featured The Underground, a group assembled by Cable to oppose the activities of the third installment of the Weapon X Project.
''X-Men ReLoad''
''X-Men ReLoad'' was the name given by Marvel Comics to their May 2004 revamp of the X-Men titles, including new visual designs for the characters. The revamp was prompted by Grant Morrison's departure from ''New X-Men''. As a result of the revamp, Chris Claremont moved from writing ''
X-Treme X-Men
''X-Treme X-Men'' is the name of two comic book series published by Marvel Comics, the first from 2001 through 2004, and the second from 2012 through 2013. All 46 issues of the first series were written by Chris Claremont, and featured a globetr ...
'' to writing ''Uncanny X-Men'', with Alan Davis doing the art. Chuck Austen moved from writing ''Uncanny X-Men'' to ''New X-Men'', which returned to its old name of simply ''X-Men'', with Salvador Larroca, who had been working with him on ''Uncanny X-Men'' doing the art. Finally,
Joss Whedon
Joseph Hill "Joss" Whedon ( ; born June 23, 1964) is an American screenwriter, director, producer, comic book writer, and composer. He is best known as the creator of several television series: the supernatural drama ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer' ...
entered as the writer of the new title ''
Astonishing X-Men
''Astonishing X-Men'' is the name of four X-Men comic book series from Marvel Comics, the first two of which were Limited series (comics), limited series. The third volume, an ongoing series, began in 2004 in comics, 2004, with its first run writt ...
'', with
John Cassaday
Johnny Mac Cassaday (; December 14, 1971 – September 9, 2024) was an American comic book artist, writer, and television director. He was best known for his work on the critically acclaimed ''Planetary (comics), Planetary'' with writer Warren Ell ...
as artist. ''X-Treme X-Men'' was cancelled. ''
X-Statix
X-Statix are a team of mutant superheroes appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The team was specifically designed to be media superstars. The team, created by Peter Milligan and Mike Allred, first appears in '' X-Force ...
'' ended in October 2004. Also, the X-Men returned to more traditional (if not slightly revised) costumes, as opposed to the black leather uniforms from the movies. ''
New X-Men: Academy X'' was also launched focusing on the lives of the new young mutants at the institute. This period included the resurrections of
Colossus
Colossus, Colossos, or the plural Colossi or Colossuses, may refer to:
Statues
* Any exceptionally large statue; colossal statues, are generally taken to mean a statue at least twice life-size
** List of tallest statues
** :Colossal statues
* ...
and
Psylocke
Psylocke is the name of two connected characters appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, commonly in association with the X-Men. Both characters are portrayed as Mutant (Marvel Comics), mutants, a subspecies of humans born w ...
, a new death for
Jean Grey
Jean Elaine Grey-Summers is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby, the character First appearance, first appeared in ''Uncanny X-Men, The X-Men'' #1 ...
, who later returned temporarily in the ''
X-Men: Phoenix - Endsong'', as well as
Emma Frost
Emma Grace Frost is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Chris Claremont and artist/co-writer John Byrne (comics), John Byrne, the character First appearance, first appeared in ''The Uncanny ...
becoming the new headmistress of the institute. The institute, formerly run as a school (until the
depowering of 98% of the mutant population), served as a safe haven to mutants who are still powered.
Several short-lived spin-offs and miniseries started featuring several X-Men in solo series, such as ''Nightcrawler'', ''Jubilee'', ''Madrox'', ''
X-23
Laura Kinney (designation X-23) is a fictional superheroine appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, commonly in association with Wolverine (character), Wolverine, whose codename she has also used, and the X-Men. The characte ...
'',
''Gambit'' and
''Rogue''.
''Cable'' and ''
Deadpool
Deadpool is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Fabian Nicieza and Rob Liefeld, the character first appeared in ''New Mutants'' #98 (December 1990). In his comic book appearances, Deadpool is ...
'' books were merged into one book, ''
Cable & Deadpool
''Cable & Deadpool'' was a comic book series published by Marvel Comics beginning in 2004. The title characters, Cable (comics), Cable and Deadpool (comics), Deadpool, share the book's focus. The series was launched following the cancellation of ...
''.
Notable additions to the X-Men have been
Armor
Armour (Commonwealth English) or armor (American English; see American and British English spelling differences#-our, -or, spelling differences) is a covering used to protect an object, individual, or vehicle from physical injury or damage, e ...
,
Pixie
A pixie (also called pisky, pixy, pixi, pizkie, piskie, or pigsie in parts of Cornwall and Devon) is a mythical creature of British folklore. Pixies are speculated to be particularly concentrated in the high moorland areas around Devon and Cor ...
and
Warpath, while former villains such as
Lady Mastermind
Lady Mastermind is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Chris Claremont and artist Salvador Larroca, the character first appeared as Regan Wyngarde in '' X-Treme X-Men'' #6 ( December 2001).
...
,
Mystique, and
Sabretooth became members of the X-Men. Notable story arcs of this decade are "
Gifted
Intellectual giftedness is an intellectual ability significantly higher than average and is also known as high potential. It is a characteristic of children, variously defined, that motivates differences in school programming. It is thought to pe ...
" (2004), "
House of M
"House of M" is a 2005 comic book storyline published by Marvel Comics, consisting of an eight-issue comic book limited series with a number of crossover tie-in books written by Brian Michael Bendis and illustrated by Olivier Coipel. Its first i ...
" (2005), "
Deadly Genesis
''X-Men: Deadly Genesis'' is a comic book limited series published by Marvel Comics from 2006. The series was written by Ed Brubaker with interior art done by Trevor Hairsine and covers by Marc Silvestri. Starring the X-Men, this series celebrate ...
" (2005–2006), "
Decimation" (2006) and "
Endangered Species
An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching, inv ...
" (2007). The X-Men were also involved in the "
Civil War
A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...
" and "
World War Hulk
"World War Hulk" is a comic book crossover storyline that ran through a self-titled limited series and various titles published by Marvel Comics in 2007, featuring the Hulk.
The series consists of five main issues titled ''World War Hulk'', ...
" storylines.
* X-Men
** ''
Astonishing X-Men
''Astonishing X-Men'' is the name of four X-Men comic book series from Marvel Comics, the first two of which were Limited series (comics), limited series. The third volume, an ongoing series, began in 2004 in comics, 2004, with its first run writt ...
,'' vol. 3 (flagship) – Cyclops leads the team of X-Men and they start presenting themselves as superheroes again.
** ''
Uncanny X-Men
''Uncanny X-Men'', originally published as ''The X-Men'', is an American comic book series published by Marvel Comics since 1963, and is the longest-running series in the List of X-Men comics, X-Men comics franchise. It features a team of super ...
,'' vol. 1 – Storm and her team continued operating as officially sanctioned mutant law enforcers (2004–2006); post ''Deadly Genesis'', it featured Xavier taking a team to space to hunt Vulcan when he seeks
vengeance on the Shi'ar Empire (2006–2007); the team returned to Earth to fight a group of rogue Morlocks (2007).
** ''
X-Men
The X-Men are a superhero team in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer/editor Stan Lee and artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby, the team first appeared in Uncanny X-Men, ''The X-Men'' #1 (September 1963). Although initial ...
,'' vol. 2 – Havok led a new field team consisting of Polaris, Iceman, Rogue, Gambit, Wolverine and Juggernaut (2004–2006); later featured Rogue assembling a rapid response team featuring the most dangerous X-Men former villains (2006–2007).
* X-Men in Training
** ''New X-Men: Academy X'' – the school is rebuilt after Xorn's attack and Emma Frost and Cyclops are named headmasters, organizing the student body into different squad who train together.
*** ''
New X-Men'', vol. 2 – After ''House of M'' and ''Decimation'', Emma Frost disbanded all former training squads and integrated those students she deemed capable of combat to a new team.
* Other Teams
** ''
Excalibur
Excalibur is the mythical sword of King Arthur that may possess magical powers or be associated with the rightful sovereignty of Britain. Its first reliably datable appearance is found in Geoffrey of Monmouth's ''Historia Regum Britanniae''. E ...
'', vol. 3 – Professor X and Magneto formed a team to rebuild the devastated mutant nation of Genosha.
** ''
X-Factor
''The X Factor'' is a television music competition franchise created by British producer Simon Cowell and his company Syco Entertainment. It originated in the United Kingdom, where it was devised as a replacement for '' Pop Idol'' (2001–200 ...
'', vol. 3 – a mutant detective agency founded by Madrox based on Mutant Town.
** ''New Excalibur'' – After ''Decimation'', Captain Britain brings together a new team of Excalibur as the British government decided to become more pro-active with metahuman affairs.
** ''
District X
District X, also known as Mutant Town or the Middle East Side, is a fictional location that appears in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. It is described as a neighborhood based in New York City primarily populated by mutants, first ...
–'' Bishop is assigned to the Mutant Town to investigate rising crime rates.
** ''
X-Force
X-Force is a team of superheroes appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, most commonly in association with the X-Men. Conceived by writer/illustrator Rob Liefeld, the team first appeared in ''New Mutants'' #100 (April 1991 ...
'', vol. 2 – Cable re-assembles the team to stop an immortal creature called Skornn.
** ''Weapon X'', vol. 2 – featured Wolverine, Fantomex and Agent Zero quest to find the recently revived John Sublime.
** ''Exiles'', vol. 1 – the team learned the true nature of the Timebroker and later traveled through different realities to chase Proteus.
** ''Alpha Flight'', vol. 3 – Sasquatch recruits novice Canadian heroes to rescue the members kidnapped by the Plodex.
Messiah Trilogy
In 2007, the "
Messiah Complex
The messiah complex is a mental state in which a person believes they are a messiah or prophet and will save or redeem people in a religious endeavour. The term can also refer to a state of mind in which an individual believes that they are respo ...
" storyline saw the destruction of the Xavier Institute and the disbanding of the X-Men. It spun the new volumes of ''
X-Force
X-Force is a team of superheroes appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, most commonly in association with the X-Men. Conceived by writer/illustrator Rob Liefeld, the team first appeared in ''New Mutants'' #100 (April 1991 ...
'', following the team led by Wolverine, and ''Cable'', following Cable's attempts at protecting
Hope Summers
Sarah Hope Summers (June 7, 1902 – June 22, 1979) was an American actress known for her work on ''The Andy Griffith Show'' and '' Mayberry R.F.D.'', portraying Clara Edwards.
Early life
Hope Summers was born in Mattoon, Illinois, the daugh ...
. ''X-Men'' was renamed into ''X-Men: Legacy'' which focused on Professor X, Rogue and Gambit. Under Cyclops's leadership, the X-Men later reformed in ''Uncanny X-Men'' #500, with their new base located in San Francisco.
In 2009, "
Messiah War
"Messiah War" is a crossover storyline running through the issues of ''Cable'' and ''X-Force'' cover-dated May– July 2009 and a one-shot, ''X-Force/Cable: Messiah War'', published by Marvel Comics. Writer Craig Kyle described it as the follow- ...
," written by
Craig Kyle
Craig Paul Kyle (born November 3, 1971) is an American writer for Marvel Comics. He is best known for his creation of the character X-23. He has also produced several of Marvel's direct-to-DVD animated films and worked on several aspects of the ...
and
Chris Yost to serve as the second part in the trilogy that began with "Messiah Complex," was released. ''
Utopia
A utopia ( ) typically describes an imagined community or society that possesses highly desirable or near-perfect qualities for its members. It was coined by Sir Thomas More for his 1516 book ''Utopia (book), Utopia'', which describes a fictiona ...
'', written by Matt Fraction, was a crossover of
Dark Avengers
''Dark Avengers'' is a 2009–2013 American comic book series published by Marvel Comics. It is part of a series of titles that features various iterations of the superhero team the Avengers, with this version of the team – unbeknownst to the ...
and Uncanny X-Men that served as a part of the "
Dark Reign" storyline. A new ''
New Mutants
The New Mutants are a group of fictional mutant superheroes appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, generally in association with the X-Men. Originally depicted as the teenaged junior class at the Xavier Institute, sub ...
'' volume written by Zeb Wells, which featured the more prominent members of the original team reunited, was launched. Magneto joined the X-Men during the
Nation X
A nation is a type of social organization where a collective identity, a national identity, has emerged from a combination of shared features across a given population, such as language, history, ethnicity, culture, territory, or society. Some ...
storyline to the dismay of other members of the X-Men, such as Beast, who left the team. Magneto began to work with Namor to transform Utopia into a homeland for both mutants and Atlanteans. After the conclusion of ''Utopia'',
Rogue
A rogue is a person or entity that flouts accepted norms of behavior or strikes out on an independent and possibly destructive path.
Rogue, rogues, or going rogue may also refer to:
Companies
* Rogue Ales, a microbrewery in Newport, Oregon
* ...
became the main character of ''X-Men: Legacy''.
In 2010, "
Second Coming
The Second Coming (sometimes called the Second Advent or the Parousia) is the Christianity, Christian and Islam, Islamic belief that Jesus, Jesus Christ will return to Earth after his Ascension of Jesus, ascension to Heaven (Christianity), Heav ...
" concluded the plot threads on ''Messiah Complex'' and ''Messiah War''.
Several short-lived miniseries started featuring several X-Men in solo series, such as ''Daken'', ''Cable'', ''Psylocke'', ''Namor: The First Mutant'' and ''X-23''.
Notable additions to the X-Men have been
Pixie
A pixie (also called pisky, pixy, pixi, pizkie, piskie, or pigsie in parts of Cornwall and Devon) is a mythical creature of British folklore. Pixies are speculated to be particularly concentrated in the high moorland areas around Devon and Cor ...
,
Karma
Karma (, from , ; ) is an ancient Indian concept that refers to an action, work, or deed, and its effect or consequences. In Indian religions, the term more specifically refers to a principle of cause and effect, often descriptively called ...
,
Sunspot
Sunspots are temporary spots on the Sun's surface that are darker than the surrounding area. They are one of the most recognizable Solar phenomena and despite the fact that they are mostly visible in the solar photosphere they usually aff ...
,
Magma
Magma () is the molten or semi-molten natural material from which all igneous rocks are formed. Magma (sometimes colloquially but incorrectly referred to as ''lava'') is found beneath the surface of the Earth, and evidence of magmatism has also ...
,
Magik
Magik (Illyana Nikolaievna Rasputina) (Russian language, Russian: Ильяна Николаевна Распутина) is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Len Wein and artist Dave Cock ...
,
Namor
Namor McKenzie (), also known as the Sub-Mariner, is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer-artist Bill Everett for comic book packager Funnies Inc., the character first appeared in '' Moti ...
,
Domino
Dominoes is a family of tile-based games played with gaming pieces. Each domino is a rectangular tile, usually with a line dividing its face into two square ''ends''. Each end is marked with a number of spots (also called '' pips'' or ''dots'' ...
,
Boom Boom
Boom Boom, Boom Boom Boom, or Boom Boom Boom Boom may refer to:
Animals
* Boom Boom Ox, a decorated ox used in Tamil Nadu, India for fortune-telling
As a nickname or stage name
People
* Boom Boom (nickname)
* "Boom Boom Bundy", early stag ...
,
Fantomex
Fantomex is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Grant Morrison and artist Igor Kordey, the character first appeared in '' New X-Men'' #128 (August 2002). Fantomex is an escaped experiment fr ...
and
X-23
Laura Kinney (designation X-23) is a fictional superheroine appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, commonly in association with Wolverine (character), Wolverine, whose codename she has also used, and the X-Men. The characte ...
. Other notable story arcs of this era are "
Divided We Stand" (2008), "
Manifest Destiny
Manifest destiny was the belief in the 19th century in the United States, 19th-century United States that American pioneer, American settlers were destined to expand westward across North America, and that this belief was both obvious ("''m ...
" (2008–2009), "
X-Infernus", "
Utopia
A utopia ( ) typically describes an imagined community or society that possesses highly desirable or near-perfect qualities for its members. It was coined by Sir Thomas More for his 1516 book ''Utopia (book), Utopia'', which describes a fictiona ...
" (2009), "
Nation X
A nation is a type of social organization where a collective identity, a national identity, has emerged from a combination of shared features across a given population, such as language, history, ethnicity, culture, territory, or society. Some ...
" (2009–2010), "
Necrosha
"Necrosha" is a 2009–10 comic book crossover storyline published by Marvel Comics featuring the X-Men family of characters. In the storyline, Selene decides to utilize the techno-organic virus’s power to bring any deceased mutant back to lif ...
" (2009), "
Curse of the Mutants
"Curse of the Mutants" is a comics storyline that ran in books published by the American company Marvel Comics from July 2010 to May 2011. The arc centers on a human bomb exploding in San Francisco's Union Square, covering dozens (including Ju ...
" (2010–2011), and "
Age of X" (2011). The X-Men were also involved in the "
Secret Invasion
"Secret Invasion" is a comic book fictional crossover, crossover storyline written by Brian Michael Bendis and illustrated by Leinil Francis Yu, that ran through a self-titled eight-issue Limited series (comics), limited series and several ti ...
", "
War of Kings
"War of Kings" is a comic book crossover storyline written by Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning, published by Marvel Comics, and set in Marvel's main shared universe. The six-issue limited series was published between March ", "
Siege
A siege () . is a military blockade of a city, or fortress, with the intent of conquering by attrition, or by well-prepared assault. Siege warfare (also called siegecrafts or poliorcetics) is a form of constant, low-intensity conflict charact ...
", "
Chaos War
"Chaos War" is a Marvel Comics storyline that began publication in October 2010 across nine comic book series: the five-issue miniseries ''Chaos War'', written by Greg Pak and Fred Van Lente, supplemented by seven branded miniseries or one-shot ...
" and "
Fear Itself" storylines.
* X-Men
** ''
Uncanny X-Men
''Uncanny X-Men'', originally published as ''The X-Men'', is an American comic book series published by Marvel Comics since 1963, and is the longest-running series in the List of X-Men comics, X-Men comics franchise. It features a team of super ...
,'' vol. 1 (flagship) – The X-Men open their new base in San Francisco and invite the world's mutant to join them (2008–2009); Cyclops later decided to move the mutant population to Utopia and off U.S. soil to avoid further persecution by the government (2009–2011).
** ''
X-Men Legacy,'' vol. 1 – featured Professor X's road to recovery as well as the encounters he faced during Messiah CompleX (2008–2009); later featured Rogue as mentor to the younger mutants under the protection of the X-Men on Utopia (2009–2011).
** ''
New Mutants
The New Mutants are a group of fictional mutant superheroes appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, generally in association with the X-Men. Originally depicted as the teenaged junior class at the Xavier Institute, sub ...
'', vol. 3 – the original team is reunited to form a new field team for the X-Men.
** ''
Astonishing X-Men
''Astonishing X-Men'' is the name of four X-Men comic book series from Marvel Comics, the first two of which were Limited series (comics), limited series. The third volume, an ongoing series, began in 2004 in comics, 2004, with its first run writt ...
,'' vol. 3 – the X-Men serve as protectors of San Francisco City.
** ''
X-Men
The X-Men are a superhero team in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer/editor Stan Lee and artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby, the team first appeared in Uncanny X-Men, ''The X-Men'' #1 (September 1963). Although initial ...
'', vol. 3 – featured team-ups between characters of X-Men and other superheroes such as Blade, Spider-Man, Ghost Rider and the Future Foundation.
* X-Men in Training
** ''
Young X-Men
''Young X-Men'' was a comic book series published by Marvel Comics. It lasted for 12 issues, from April 2008 through March 2009. The series was written by Marc Guggenheim.
Plot summary
Final Genesis (Issues 1–5)
Blindfold has a vision of a ...
'' – a group of young mutants tricked by Donald Pierce disguised as Cyclops.
** ''
Generation Hope'' – Hope leads a new team, consisting of five new mutants ("five lights") that appeared on Cerebro after she manifested her powers.
* Other Teams
** ''
X-Force
X-Force is a team of superheroes appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, most commonly in association with the X-Men. Conceived by writer/illustrator Rob Liefeld, the team first appeared in ''New Mutants'' #100 (April 1991 ...
,'' vol. 3 – Wolverine leads a more militaristic black-ops branch of the X-Men.
** ''
X-Factor
''The X Factor'' is a television music competition franchise created by British producer Simon Cowell and his company Syco Entertainment. It originated in the United Kingdom, where it was devised as a replacement for '' Pop Idol'' (2001–200 ...
'', vol. 3 – the agency briefly moved to Detroit, Michigan and expanded to include several new partners.
** ''
Dark X-Men'' – Norman Osborn formed his own group of X-Men during the riots at San Francisco.
** ''Alpha Flight'', vol. 4 – the Canadian team provides rescue efforts for the victims during the events of ''Fear Itself''.
** ''Exiles'', vol. 2 – a new team of heroes are brought together by Morph, acting as the new Timebroker.
"Schism" through "Regenesis"
In 2011, the aftermath of the "
X-Men: Schism" storyline led to the fallout between Wolverine and Cyclops. During the "
Regenesis
''ReGenesis'' is a Canadian science-fiction television series produced by The Movie Network and Movie Central in conjunction with Shaftesbury Films. The series, which ran for four seasons from 2004 to 2008, revolves around the scientists of Nor ...
" storyline, Wolverine's team was featured in a new flagship series titled ''
Wolverine and the X-Men'', Wolverine rebuilt the original X-Mansion and named it the
Jean Grey School for Higher Learning
X-Mansion and Xavier Institute are the common names for a mansion and research institute appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The mansion is depicted as the private estate of Charles Francis Xavier and serves as the bas ...
. Meanwhile, Uncanny X-Men relaunched for the first time ever and served as the flagship title for Cyclops' Team. In 2012 "
Avengers vs. X-Men
''Avengers vs. X-Men'' (''AvX'' or ''AvsX'') is a 2012 crossover event that was featured in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The event, consisting of an eponymous limited series and numerous tie-in books, involves the return of the Phoe ...
" served as a closure to the "House of M" and "Decimation" storylines. It featured the death of Professor X and the reappearance of new mutants after the return of the Phoenix Force.
Several short-lived miniseries started featuring several X-Men in solo series, such as ''Storm'', ''Gambit and'' ''Magneto: Not a Hero'' (featuring Magneto and Joseph).
Notable additions to the X-Men have been Warbird and
Blink
Blinking is a bodily function; it is a semi-autonomic rapid closing of the eyelid. A single blink is determined by the forceful closing of the eyelid or inactivation of the levator palpebrae superioris and the activation of the palpebral por ...
. The "
Avengers vs. X-Men
''Avengers vs. X-Men'' (''AvX'' or ''AvsX'') is a 2012 crossover event that was featured in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The event, consisting of an eponymous limited series and numerous tie-in books, involves the return of the Phoe ...
" storyline also took place during this period.
* Cyclops' X-Men
**''
Uncanny X-Men
''Uncanny X-Men'', originally published as ''The X-Men'', is an American comic book series published by Marvel Comics since 1963, and is the longest-running series in the List of X-Men comics, X-Men comics franchise. It features a team of super ...
'', vol. 2 – the flagship of the Cyclops' team with the Extinction Team dealing with potential threats to mutantkind's survival.
**''
X-Men
The X-Men are a superhero team in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer/editor Stan Lee and artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby, the team first appeared in Uncanny X-Men, ''The X-Men'' #1 (September 1963). Although initial ...
'', vol. 3 ''–'' Storm's field team operating from an aeroplane to neutralize threats before reaching crisis levels.
**''
New Mutants
The New Mutants are a group of fictional mutant superheroes appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, generally in association with the X-Men. Originally depicted as the teenaged junior class at the Xavier Institute, sub ...
'', vol. 3 ''–'' Cyclops tasked the New Mutants as a clean-up team to resolve loose ends.
**''
Generation Hope'' – a rapid response team locating new lights as they manifested with Rogue and later Shadowcat serving as liaison
* Wolverine's X-Men
** ''
Wolverine and the X-Men,'' vol. 1 ''–'' the flagship of the Wolverine's team featuring the faculty and student of the Jean Grey School for Higher Learning.
** ''
X-Men Legacy,'' vol. 1 ''–'' Rogue leads a team acting as the school's security detail
** ''
Astonishing X-Men
''Astonishing X-Men'' is the name of four X-Men comic book series from Marvel Comics, the first two of which were Limited series (comics), limited series. The third volume, an ongoing series, began in 2004 in comics, 2004, with its first run writt ...
,'' vol. 3 ''–'' Wolverine's field team forming after the attack of the Marauders.
* X-Men in Training
** ''Wolverine and the X-Men'' (also served as the flagship title)
* Other Teams
** ''
Uncanny X-Force
''Uncanny X-Force'' was a comic book ongoing series published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Rick Remender and artist Jerome Opeña, the first volume of the series continued the story of Wolverine (character), Wolverine and his X-Force team f ...
,'' vol. 1 – a black ops team led by Wolverine with members from the previous strike force.
** ''
X-Factor
''The X Factor'' is a television music competition franchise created by British producer Simon Cowell and his company Syco Entertainment. It originated in the United Kingdom, where it was devised as a replacement for '' Pop Idol'' (2001–200 ...
'', vol. 3 – Havok stepped back in to co-lead with Polaris after the disappearance of Madrox.
** ''
X-Treme X-Men
''X-Treme X-Men'' is the name of two comic book series published by Marvel Comics, the first from 2001 through 2004, and the second from 2012 through 2013. All 46 issues of the first series were written by Chris Claremont, and featured a globetr ...
'', vol. 2 – a group of heroes from alternate dimensions led by Dazzler to defeat the Ten Evil Xaviers.
** ''
X-Club
The X Club was a dining club of nine men who supported the theories of natural selection and academic liberalism in Victorian era, late 19th-century England. Thomas Henry Huxley was the initiator; he called the first meeting for 3 November 186 ...
'' – the X-Men's Science Team dealing with the mutant birth crisis and the effects of
M-Day.
** ''Age of Apocalypse'' – featured the X-Terminated, human resistance fighters banded together to save the human race by taking out Weapon X and his new mutant regime.
Time-Displaced Original X-Men
In 2012, as part of the
Marvel NOW!
Marvel Now! (stylized as Marvel NOW!) is a comic book branding for the relaunch of several ongoing comic books published by Marvel Comics, that debuted in October 2012 with new #1 issues. The relaunch also included some new titles, including ''Un ...
relaunch, all X-Men titles (except ''Astonishing X-Men'' & ''Wolverine and the X-Men'') were canceled, including ''Uncanny X-Men'', ''X-Men: Legacy'', ''
X-Men
The X-Men are a superhero team in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer/editor Stan Lee and artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby, the team first appeared in Uncanny X-Men, ''The X-Men'' #1 (September 1963). Although initial ...
'' and ''
New Mutants
The New Mutants are a group of fictional mutant superheroes appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, generally in association with the X-Men. Originally depicted as the teenaged junior class at the Xavier Institute, sub ...
''. New flagship title ''
All-New X-Men
''All-New X-Men'' was a comic book series published by Marvel Comics that debuted in November 2012, with the launch of Marvel NOW!. The series centers on the five original X-Men, brought from the past to the present to confront their future counte ...
'' was launched which featured the original five X-Men members who were brought to the present day by Beast and were made a separate team led eventually by Kitty. The relaunched ''Uncanny X-Men'' featured Cyclops, his team and the new mutants, taking up residency in the
Weapon X
Weapon X is a fictional government genetic research facility project appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. They were conducted by Department K, which turned willing and unwilling beings into living weapons to carry out c ...
facility, which they have rebuilt into a school — the New Charles Xavier School for Mutants. An all female book titled simply ''X-Men'' was also launched. During
All-New Marvel Now!
Marvel Now! (stylized as Marvel NOW!) is a comic book branding for the relaunch of several ongoing comic books published by Marvel Comics, that debuted in October 2012 with new #1 issues. The relaunch also included some new titles, including ''Un ...
, ''Astonishing X-Men'' was cancelled and in its place another flagship title ''
Amazing X-Men
''Amazing X-Men'' is the name of two X-Men comic book series from Marvel Comics. The first was a limited series published during the ''Age of Apocalypse'' storyline. The subsequent ongoing series began in November 2013 in the aftermath of "Battle ...
'' was launched which featured the return of Nightcrawler and became the flagship title of Wolverine's team. Also, ''Wolverine and the X-Men'' was relaunched and turned into mutants-in-training book. In 2013, for the 50th anniversary of the X-Men, "
Battle of the Atom
"Battle of the Atom" is a 10-part comic book crossover storyline published by Marvel Comics that debuted in September and October 2013 and ran through multiple X-Men books.
The story involves the X-Men of the future traveling to present time in ...
" was published which involved members of both X-Men schools trying to decide what to do about the time-displaced original X-Men, culminating in a confrontation with a version of the Brotherhood and the X-Men from an unspecified future date. In 2014, Wolverine was killed off in the "
Death of Wolverine
"Death of Wolverine" is a 2014 comic book storyline published by Marvel Comics. The story has grown from both volume 5 (''Marvel Now!'') and volume 6 (''All-New Marvel Now!'') of the Wolverine main series, and also continued with " Hunt for Wolve ...
" story arc, as the conclusion of a storyline that saw him lose his healing factor after he was infected by an intelligent virus.
Several short-lived miniseries started featuring several X-Men in solo series, such as ''X-Men Legacy (''featuring Legion'')'', ''Cyclops, Magneto, Nightcrawler, Storm'' and ''All-New'' ''Doop.''
Notable additions to the X-Men have been
Firestar,
M and
ForgetMeNot. Notable story arcs of this era are "
Battle of the Atom
"Battle of the Atom" is a 10-part comic book crossover storyline published by Marvel Comics that debuted in September and October 2013 and ran through multiple X-Men books.
The story involves the X-Men of the future traveling to present time in ...
" (2013), "
X-Termination" (2013), "
Death of Wolverine
"Death of Wolverine" is a 2014 comic book storyline published by Marvel Comics. The story has grown from both volume 5 (''Marvel Now!'') and volume 6 (''All-New Marvel Now!'') of the Wolverine main series, and also continued with " Hunt for Wolve ...
" (2014), "
AXIS
An axis (: axes) may refer to:
Mathematics
*A specific line (often a directed line) that plays an important role in some contexts. In particular:
** Coordinate axis of a coordinate system
*** ''x''-axis, ''y''-axis, ''z''-axis, common names ...
" (2014) and "
The Black Vortex" (2015).
* Cyclops' X-Men
**''
All-New X-Men
''All-New X-Men'' was a comic book series published by Marvel Comics that debuted in November 2012, with the launch of Marvel NOW!. The series centers on the five original X-Men, brought from the past to the present to confront their future counte ...
,'' vol. 1 – the flagship of the X-titles with the original X-Men brought from the past to the present to confront their future counterparts.
**''
Uncanny X-Men
''Uncanny X-Men'', originally published as ''The X-Men'', is an American comic book series published by Marvel Comics since 1963, and is the longest-running series in the List of X-Men comics, X-Men comics franchise. It features a team of super ...
'', vol. 3 – the flagship of the Cyclops' team with Cyclops and the remnants of his Extinction team taking up a revolutionary course to promote mutant rights.
* Wolverine's X-Men
**''
Amazing X-Men
''Amazing X-Men'' is the name of two X-Men comic book series from Marvel Comics. The first was a limited series published during the ''Age of Apocalypse'' storyline. The subsequent ongoing series began in November 2013 in the aftermath of "Battle ...
,'' vol. 2 – the flagship of the Wolverine's team featuring a field team with initial mission to search for the deceased Nightcrawler.
**''
X-Men
The X-Men are a superhero team in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer/editor Stan Lee and artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby, the team first appeared in Uncanny X-Men, ''The X-Men'' #1 (September 1963). Although initial ...
'', vol. 4 – an all-female team dealing with new threats from Arkea and a new Sisterhood.
* X-Men in Training
**''
Wolverine and the X-Men,'' vol. 2 – the summer term on the Jean Grey School that focused on Logan's legacy on his students Quentin Quire, Evan Sabahnur and Idie Okonkwo.
**''
Spider-Man and the X-Men
''Spider-Man and the X-Men'' is a six-issue superhero limited series of comic books written by Elliott Kalan, drawn by Marco Failla, and published by Marvel Comics between December 2014 and April 2015.
Publication history
Marvel began publishin ...
–'' Spider-Man leads a Special Class to investigate the students as requested by Wolverine before his demise.
* Other Teams
**''
Cable and X-Force
''Cable and X-Force'' was an ongoing comic book series published by Marvel Comics that began in February 2013, as part of Marvel NOW! The series finds Cable awakening after ''Avengers vs. X-Men'' and on the run with his new team of X-Force from t ...
'' – a fugitive team led by Cable to face the threats that he saw in his visions.
**''
Uncanny X-Force
''Uncanny X-Force'' was a comic book ongoing series published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Rick Remender and artist Jerome Opeña, the first volume of the series continued the story of Wolverine (character), Wolverine and his X-Force team f ...
'', vol. 2 – a proactive team of misfit X-Men led by Psylocke.
**''
All-New X-Factor
''All-New X-Factor'' was an ongoing comic book series published by Marvel Comics which debuted in January 2014, as part of the All-New Marvel NOW! event and a relaunch of ''X-Factor''.
Publication history
Focusing on a new iteration of the X-Fa ...
'' – a corporate-sponsored X-Factor team hired by Serval Industries.
**''
X-Force
X-Force is a team of superheroes appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, most commonly in association with the X-Men. Conceived by writer/illustrator Rob Liefeld, the team first appeared in ''New Mutants'' #100 (April 1991 ...
'', vol. 4 – the remnants of Cable's X-Force and Psylocke's X-Force merge to form a superhuman black ops.
**''Wolverines'' – a group of mutants with healing factor are captured by the Paradise escapees to help them find the adamantium-petrified body of Wolverine.
Terrigen Cloud
In 2015, as part of "
All-New, All-Different Marvel
All-New, All-Different Marvel (ANADM) is a 2015–2019 branding for Marvel Comics' entire main line of comics. Taking place after the crossover storyline "Secret Wars", it details the new Marvel Universe, with nearly 60–65 titles relaunched wi ...
", three team books were launched: the second volume of ''All-New X-Men'', the fourth volume of ''Uncanny X-Men'' and ''
Extraordinary X-Men
''Extraordinary X-Men'' is a comic series from Marvel Comics and the flagship X-Men title under the All-New, All-Different Marvel re-branding. The story takes place following the conclusion of the Secret Wars crossover event. In this comic serie ...
''. X-23 took on the mantle of Wolverine and got a new solo series and
Old Man Logan
Old Man Logan is an alternative version of the superhero Wolverine appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. This character is an aged version of Wolverine set in an alternate future universe in which the supervillains overth ...
also received a new ongoing series when the character found himself in (from his perspective) an alternate past. During this period, the mutants dealt with the threat of the
Terrigen cloud that circulated the world and appeared to be toxic to them, placing the X-Men at odds with the
Inhumans
The Inhumans are a superhuman race of super beings appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The comic book series has usually focused more specifically on the adventures of the Inhuman Royal Family, and many people associat ...
. The X-Men also dealt with Apocalypse resurfacing, and the truth of what happened between Cyclops and the Inhumans that led to his death. Storm's team resided in
Limbo
The unofficial term Limbo (, or , referring to the edge of Hell) is the afterlife condition in medieval Catholic theology, of those who die in original sin without being assigned to the Hell of the Damned. However, it has become the gene ...
and worked to bring mutants to safety away from the Terrigen. Magneto's team took on a more militant approach. Beast worked alongside the Inhumans to attempt to find a way to alter the state of the Terrigen, but later discovered that it couldn't be altered and would have rendered Earth toxic for mutants. This revelation caused the X-Men to declare war against the Inhumans, but this conflict ended when the Inhumans learned what was happening, with Medusa sacrificing the Terrigen cloud to save the mutants.
Notable additions to the X-Men have been
Old Man Logan
Old Man Logan is an alternative version of the superhero Wolverine appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. This character is an aged version of Wolverine set in an alternate future universe in which the supervillains overth ...
and
Cerebra. Notable story arcs of this era are "Apocalypse Wars" (2016), "
Death of X" (2016) and "
Inhumans vs. X-Men
''Inhumans vs. X-Men'', also stylized ''IvX'' or ''IVX'', is a 2016 American comic book limited series published by Marvel Comics. The series ran for seven issues, beginning with a prologue issue #0 in November 2016 before officially beginning in ...
" (2016–2017). The X-Men were also involved in the "
Civil War II
''Civil War II'' is a 2016 comic book crossover storyline published by Marvel Comics. Debuting in June of that year, it is the sequel to 2006's "Civil War" and consists of a nine-issue eponymous core limited series, by writer Brian Michael Be ...
" and "
Monsters Unleashed" storylines.
* X-Men
**''
Extraordinary X-Men
''Extraordinary X-Men'' is a comic series from Marvel Comics and the flagship X-Men title under the All-New, All-Different Marvel re-branding. The story takes place following the conclusion of the Secret Wars crossover event. In this comic serie ...
'' – the flagship of the X-titles with X-Men relocated to Limbo following the release of the Terrigen Mists.
** ''
Uncanny X-Men
''Uncanny X-Men'', originally published as ''The X-Men'', is an American comic book series published by Marvel Comics since 1963, and is the longest-running series in the List of X-Men comics, X-Men comics franchise. It features a team of super ...
'', vol. 4 – Magneto leads a team of deadly mutants to deal with threats to mutantkind.
** ''
All-New X-Men
''All-New X-Men'' was a comic book series published by Marvel Comics that debuted in November 2012, with the launch of Marvel NOW!. The series centers on the five original X-Men, brought from the past to the present to confront their future counte ...
'', vol. 2 – the time-displaced original X-Men embarking on a roadtrip in an attempt to live normal lives.
ResurrXion
In 2017, the ''
ResurrXion
"ResurrXion" was a 2017 relaunch by the American publisher Marvel Comics of various comic book series related to the Inhumans
The Inhumans are a superhuman race of super beings appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. T ...
'' lineup was launched with ''X-Men: Prime''. It introduced new titles; ''
X-Men Blue
''X-Men: Blue'' was an ongoing series, ongoing comic book published twice monthly by Marvel Comics and initially created by writer Cullen Bunn and artist Jorge Molina. The first issue was released April 12, 2017. It is a continuation of the ''All ...
'', ''
X-Men Gold
''X-Men: Gold'' is a comic book series published by Marvel Comics and initially created by writer Marc Guggenheim and artist Ardian Syaf. This series builds off of plot points established in '' X-Men Prime''. The first issue was released April 5, ...
'', ''
Weapon X
Weapon X is a fictional government genetic research facility project appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. They were conducted by Department K, which turned willing and unwilling beings into living weapons to carry out c ...
'', new volumes of ''
Astonishing X-Men
''Astonishing X-Men'' is the name of four X-Men comic book series from Marvel Comics, the first two of which were Limited series (comics), limited series. The third volume, an ongoing series, began in 2004 in comics, 2004, with its first run writt ...
'' and ''
Generation X
Generation X (often shortened to Gen X) is the Demography, demographic Cohort (statistics), cohort following the Baby Boomers and preceding Millennials. Researchers and popular media often use the mid-1960s as its starting birth years and the ...
,'' new solo series for ''Cable'', ''Jean Grey'', and ''Iceman'', and continuation of the ''Old Man Logan'' and ''All-New Wolverine'' run. With the Terrigen gone, the X-Men vacated Limbo and moved to
Central Park
Central Park is an urban park between the Upper West Side and Upper East Side neighborhoods of Manhattan in New York City, and the first landscaped park in the United States. It is the List of parks in New York City, sixth-largest park in the ...
where they returned to their heroic roots instead of constantly living in fear for their survival. Other notable changes include Kitty Pryde as the new leader of the X-Men, the time-displaced X-Men working with Magneto, Old Man Logan turning Weapon X into a black ops team, and mutant characters crossing over from
Earth-1610
Ultimate Marvel, later known as Ultimate Comics, was an imprint of comic books published by Marvel Comics, featuring reimagined and modernized versions of the company's superhero characters from the Ultimate Marvel Universe, later known as the ...
to the Earth-616 universe. Early 2018 saw the Phoenix Force returning to earth and mysteriously resurrecting the original Jean Grey. A new series featuring the original Jean leading a team of X-Men called ''
X-Men Red
''X-Men: Red'' is an American comic book series published by Marvel Comics, featuring characters from X-Men stories.
The first series was an eleven-issue comic book series published by Marvel Comics in monthly installments between February and D ...
'' was released later that same month. Rogue and Gambit's relationship became a focal point during the ''
Rogue & Gambit
''Rogue & Gambit'' is an American comic book limited series published by Marvel Comics in two volumes. The first volume, created by writer Kelly Thompson and artist Pere Pérez, a five issues released from January to May 2018. In this series, Ro ...
'' miniseries and again in the ''Till Death Do Us Part'' story arc in ''X-Men Gold'', which saw the two finally tie the knot, and once more during the ''Mr. & Mrs. X'' miniseries, which saw the new couple attempt to take their honeymoon but end up involved in an intergalactic conspiracy. Other noteworthy plot points included Wolverine's return coinciding with the arrival of a mysterious new villain named Persephone, Psylocke's return to her original body, Magneto's steady return to villainy, and the time-displaced X-Men facing the consequences of their presence in the 616 timeline, and the return of Cyclops. 2019 saw a new volume of ''Uncanny X-Men'' released beginning with a 10-part weekly story arc. Several solo series were launched, including ''Legion'', ''Multiple Man, Domino, Shatterstar'' and ''X-23'', before the revamp of the entire ''X-Men'' lineup.
Mainly Charles Xavier, Cyclops, Wolverine and Jean were resurrected and time-displaced X-Men returned to their original timeline during the ''Extermination'' event.
Notable additions to the X-Men have been
Pyro
Pyro comes from the Greek word πῦρ (pyr), meaning ''fire''. It may refer to:
Businesses
* Pyro Plastics Corporation, a plastic model kit maker 1940s through the 1970s
*Pyro Studios, a computer game developer based in Madrid
* NRK P3 Pyro, a N ...
,
Gentle
Gentle may refer to:
* Gentleness
People
* Johnny Gentle, stage name of John Askew (born 1936), British pop singer who once toured with the Silver Beetles (later the Beatles) as his backing group
* Peter Gentle (born 1965), Australian rugby league ...
, Scout, Trinary,
Wolfsbane and
Multiple Man
James Arthur Madrox, also called the Multiple Man, is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer/editor Len Wein, he first appeared in '' Giant-Size Fantastic Four'' #4 (February 1975).
...
. Notable story arcs of this decade are "Weapons of Mutant Destruction" (2017), "Phoenix Resurrection: The Return of Jean Grey" (2017–2018), "Poison X" (2018), "Extermination" (2018), "
Hunt for Wolverine" (2018), "
Return of Wolverine
''Return of Wolverine'' is a 2018 comic book miniseries published by Marvel Comics. This miniseries is a continuation on the events that transpired in the " Death of Wolverine" and " Hunt for Wolverine" storylines, and explains how Wolverine retu ...
" (2018–2019), "X-Men: Disassembled" (2018–2019) and "
Age of X-Man
''Age of X-Man'' is a 2019 Marvel Comics crossover storyline featuring the X-Men. The name and premise derive from the 1995 storyline '' Age of Apocalypse'', but instead focus on a utopian alternate universe led by the X-Man, Nate Grey.
Publicat ...
" (2019). The X-Men were also involved in the "Venomized", "
Secret Empire" and "
War of the Realms
War is an armed conflict between the armed forces of states, or between governmental forces and armed groups that are organized under a certain command structure and have the capacity to sustain military operations, or between such organi ...
" storylines.
* X-Men
**''
X-Men Gold
''X-Men: Gold'' is a comic book series published by Marvel Comics and initially created by writer Marc Guggenheim and artist Ardian Syaf. This series builds off of plot points established in '' X-Men Prime''. The first issue was released April 5, ...
'' – the flagship of the X-titles with Kitty Pryde leading the X-Men at the new location at Central Park; an ad hoc team is led by Iceman while Kitty Pryde and her team are in prison.
**''
X-Men Blue
''X-Men: Blue'' was an ongoing series, ongoing comic book published twice monthly by Marvel Comics and initially created by writer Cullen Bunn and artist Jorge Molina. The first issue was released April 12, 2017. It is a continuation of the ''All ...
–'' the time-displaced original X-Men mentored by Magneto; an ad hoc team is led by Polaris while the Original Five is lost in space.
** ''
X-Men Red
''X-Men: Red'' is an American comic book series published by Marvel Comics, featuring characters from X-Men stories.
The first series was an eleven-issue comic book series published by Marvel Comics in monthly installments between February and D ...
,'' vol. 1 ''–'' the resurrected Jean Grey leading a team to have the mutants recognized as a nation.
** ''
Astonishing X-Men
''Astonishing X-Men'' is the name of four X-Men comic book series from Marvel Comics, the first two of which were Limited series (comics), limited series. The third volume, an ongoing series, began in 2004 in comics, 2004, with its first run writt ...
'', vol 4 – an ad hoc team of X-Men members reunited in London to fight the Shadow King; later featured a ragtag team of X-Men co-led by Havok and Beast against the threat of the Reavers.
** ''
Uncanny X-Men
''Uncanny X-Men'', originally published as ''The X-Men'', is an American comic book series published by Marvel Comics since 1963, and is the longest-running series in the List of X-Men comics, X-Men comics franchise. It features a team of super ...
'', vol. 5 – Jean Grey leads the remnants of the Gold and Red team after Nate Grey resurfaces proclaiming himself the mutant messiah and reshaping the world in his own view; Cyclops and Wolverine reformed the team following the dissolution of the X-Men after fighting X-Man.
* X-Men in Training
**''
Generation X
Generation X (often shortened to Gen X) is the Demography, demographic Cohort (statistics), cohort following the Baby Boomers and preceding Millennials. Researchers and popular media often use the mid-1960s as its starting birth years and the ...
'', vol. 2 – Jubilee's group of students at the rechristened Xavier Institute.
* Other Teams
**''
Weapon X
Weapon X is a fictional government genetic research facility project appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. They were conducted by Department K, which turned willing and unwilling beings into living weapons to carry out c ...
'', vol. 3 – a black ops team of heroes and villains working together to take down a new Weapon X program.
**''New Mutants: Dead Soul'' – a team of former New Mutants and X-Factor members founded by Karma to investigate paranormal occurring.
**''
X-Force
X-Force is a team of superheroes appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, most commonly in association with the X-Men. Conceived by writer/illustrator Rob Liefeld, the team first appeared in ''New Mutants'' #100 (April 1991 ...
'', vol. 5 – original X-Force members Domino, Shatterstar, Cannonball, and Warpath are on the hunt for Kid Cable.
**''
Exiles
Exile or banishment is primarily penal expulsion from one's native country, and secondarily expatriation or prolonged absence from one's homeland under either the compulsion of circumstance or the rigors of some high purpose. Usually persons ...
'', vol. 3 – The Unseen recruits champions from alternate universes to save the multiverse from the Time Eaters.
Krakoan Age of X-Men
On May 14, 2019, Marvel announced they would cancel all the X-Men titles and relaunch the entire lineup.
Jonathan Hickman
Jonathan Hickman is an American comic book writer and artist, best known for his creator-owned series '' The Nightly News'', '' The Manhattan Projects'' and '' East of West'', as well as his lengthy stints as a writer on Marvel's '' Fantastic Fo ...
will have full creative control and will start with two rotating bi-weekly six-issue limited series called
''House of X'' and ''Powers of X''. After the 12 issues are released, Hickman will pen the flagship title and several new and traditional titles will be released. It was subsequently announced in July 2019 at
San Diego Comic-Con
San Diego Comic-Con is a comic book convention and multi-genre entertainment event held annually in San Diego, California, at the San Diego Convention Center. Founded in 1970, originally showcasing primarily comic books and science fiction/fant ...
that there would be six new X-titles as part of Marvel's
Dawn of X
"Dawn of X" is a 2019 relaunch of the ''X-Men'' line of comic books published by Marvel Comics in the wake of the twin miniseries ''House of X'' and ''Powers of X'' and is the first phase of the Krakoan Age. This initiative culminated in the cro ...
campaign. Following the end of the ''
X of Swords
"X of Swords" (pronounced "Ten of Swords") is a comic book crossover story arc set during the larger " Krakoan Age" storyline, which debuted in September 2020, published by Marvel Comics. It was part of Marvel's "Dawn of X" relaunch of its ''X-M ...
'' crossover, the sequel relaunch
Reign of X
"Reign of X" is a 2020 relaunch of the ''X-Men'' line of comic books published by Marvel Comics. It is the sequel to the "Dawn of X" publishing initiative and second phase of the Krakoan Age, which culminated in the limited series "Inferno" and wa ...
will encompass a new era in the X-titles.
Destiny of X
"Destiny of X" is a 2022 relaunch of the ''X-Men'' line of comic books published by Marvel Comics. It is the sequel to "Reign of X" following the end of the dual miniseries ''X Lives of Wolverine'' and ''X Deaths of Wolverine''. It was the third ...
featured the Second
Krakoa
Krakoa is a fictional living island appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. It first appeared in '' Giant-Size X-Men'' #1 and was created by Len Wein and Dave Cockrum. While often depicted as an antagonist, Krakoa later fe ...
n Age of X-Men after the events of ''Inferno'' and ''
X Lives of Wolverine/X Deaths of Wolverine''. Mutantkind's unparalleled growth and prosperity on the island nation Krakoa was threatened during the
Fall of X
"Fall of X" is a 2023 relaunch of the X-Men line of American comic books published by Marvel Comics. It is the sequel to the " Destiny of X" publishing initiative, and is the final initiative in the Krakoan Age of the X-Men. The phase started with ...
by the human supremicist organization
Orchis
''Orchis'' is a genus in the orchid family (Orchidaceae), occurring mainly in Europe and Maghreb, Northwest Africa, and ranging as far as Tibet, Mongolia, and Xinjiang. The name is from the Ancient Greek ὄρχις ''orchis'', meaning "testicl ...
. Marvel teased the X-Men's final battle for Krakoa's future in the two interconnected titles ''Fall of the House of X'' and ''Rise of the Powers of X''.
Several miniseries and one-shots started featuring several X-Men in team-up and solo series such as ''Giant-Size X-Men'' (featuring Jean Grey, Emma Frost, Magneto, Nightcrawler, Fantomex, Storm and Thunderbird), ''Wolverine'', ''Cable'', ''Juggernaut'', ''Sabretooth'', ''Rogue and Gambit'', ''Astonishing Iceman'', ''Children of the Vault'' (featuring Cable and Bishop), ''Uncanny Spider-Man'' (featuring Nightcrawler), ''Jean Grey'', ''Ms. Marvel: The New Mutant'' and ''Ms. Marvel: Mutant Menace.''
Notable addition to the X-Men have been
Synch,
Ms. Marvel (Kamala Khan), and
Rasputin IV. Notable story arcs of this era are "
X of Swords
"X of Swords" (pronounced "Ten of Swords") is a comic book crossover story arc set during the larger " Krakoan Age" storyline, which debuted in September 2020, published by Marvel Comics. It was part of Marvel's "Dawn of X" relaunch of its ''X-M ...
" (2020), "
Hellfire Gala
"Hellfire Gala" was initially a 12-part X-Men comic book storyline published by Marvel Comics in June 2021. It is the first storyline featured in the " Reign of X" relaunch after the "X of Swords" storyline. Krakoa opens its gates to non-mutants t ...
" (2021), "
Trial of Magneto" (2021),"
Inferno" (2021), "
X Lives of Wolverine/X Deaths of Wolverine" (2022), "
Judgment Day
The Last Judgment is a concept found across the Abrahamic religions and the '' Frashokereti'' of Zoroastrianism.
Christianity considers the Second Coming of Jesus Christ to entail the final judgment by God of all people who have ever lived, res ...
" (2022), "
Dark Web
The dark web is the World Wide Web content that exists on darknets ( overlay networks) that use the Internet but require specific software, configurations, or authorization to access. Through the dark web, private computer networks can communica ...
" (2022–2023), "
Sins of Sinister
"Sins of Sinister" is a 2023 comic book crossover storyline during the Krakoan Age published in the X-Men franchise of books by Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics is a New York City–based comic book publishing, publisher, a property of the Wal ...
" (2023) and "Weapons of Vengeance" (2023). The X-Men were also involved in the "
Empyre
"Empyre" is a comic book story arc published in July 2020 by Marvel Comics. This storyline follows the events of ''Incoming!'' with the genre of superhero crossover.
Premise
The Avengers, the Fantastic Four and various other heroes of the Marv ...
", "The Last Annihilation", "
King in Black
"King in Black" is a comic book event written by Donny Cates with art by Ryan Stegman, and was published from 2020 to 2021 by Marvel Comics. It is a continuation to 2019's "Absolute Carnage", also containing fallout from 2020's " Empyre". In th ...
", "
Devil's Reign
"Devil's Reign" is an American comic book event written by Chip Zdarsky with art by Marco Checchetto, published from December 2021 to May 2022 by Marvel Comics.
Premise
In a ploy to increase his power, Mayor Kingpin (character), Wilson Fisk has ...
", "
Contest of Chaos
"Contest of Chaos" is an American comic book crossover storyline written by Stephanie Phillips (writer), Stephanie Phillips with art by Alberto Foche, David Cutler, and Alan Robinson, published in 2023 by Marvel Comics. The story involves Agatha ...
" storylines.
From the Ashes
During the panel at
SXSW
South by Southwest (SXSW) is an annual conglomeration of parallel film, interactive media, and music festivals and Convention (meeting), conferences organized jointly that take place in mid-March in Austin, Texas. It began in 1987 and has conti ...
2024, a new era of mutant mythos is announced with the X-Men scattered across the planet as they attempt to rebuild themselves in the wake of the acclaimed Krakoan Age. It introduced flagship titles for ''
X-Men
The X-Men are a superhero team in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer/editor Stan Lee and artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby, the team first appeared in Uncanny X-Men, ''The X-Men'' #1 (September 1963). Although initial ...
'', ''
Uncanny X-Men
''Uncanny X-Men'', originally published as ''The X-Men'', is an American comic book series published by Marvel Comics since 1963, and is the longest-running series in the List of X-Men comics, X-Men comics franchise. It features a team of super ...
'' and ''
Exceptional X-Men'', new volumes for ''X-Force'', ''NYX,'' ''X-Factor'' and ''Weapon X-Men'', solo series for ''
Jean Grey
Jean Elaine Grey-Summers is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby, the character First appearance, first appeared in ''Uncanny X-Men, The X-Men'' #1 ...
'', ''
Wolverine
The wolverine ( , ; ''Gulo gulo''), also called the carcajou or quickhatch (from East Cree, ''kwiihkwahaacheew''), is the largest land-dwelling species, member of the family Mustelidae. It is a muscular carnivore and a solitary animal. The w ...
'' (Logan), ''
Storm
A storm is any disturbed state of the natural environment or the atmosphere of an astronomical body. It may be marked by significant disruptions to normal conditions such as strong wind, tornadoes, hail, thunder and lightning (a thunderstor ...
'', ''
Dazzler'', ''
Mystique'', ''
Psylocke
Psylocke is the name of two connected characters appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, commonly in association with the X-Men. Both characters are portrayed as Mutant (Marvel Comics), mutants, a subspecies of humans born w ...
'', ''
Wolverine
The wolverine ( , ; ''Gulo gulo''), also called the carcajou or quickhatch (from East Cree, ''kwiihkwahaacheew''), is the largest land-dwelling species, member of the family Mustelidae. It is a muscular carnivore and a solitary animal. The w ...
'' (Laura Kinney) and ''
Magik
Magik (Illyana Nikolaievna Rasputina) (Russian language, Russian: Ильяна Николаевна Распутина) is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Len Wein and artist Dave Cock ...
,'' and a new series for ''Sentinels''.
Notable addition to the X-Men have been
Kid Omega
Quintavius Quirinius "Quentin" Quire, also known as Kid Omega, is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, usually in those featuring the X-Men. Quire first appeared in '' New X-Men'' #134 (January 2003). ...
and
Temper. Notable story arc of this era are "Raid on Graymalkin" (2024) and "X-Manhunt" (2025). The X-Men were also involved in the "
Blood Hunt" and "
One World Under Doom
''One World Under Doom'' is a 2025 comic book event, focused on the villain Doctor Doom who brings about a new world order after gaining the title of the Sorcerer Supreme. It is written by Ryan North, with art by R.B. Silva.
Publication history
M ...
" storylines.
Team roster
Enemies
The X-Men have a rogues gallery of enemies they fight on a regular basis, the most well-known being
Magneto
A magneto is an electrical generator that uses permanent magnets to produce periodic pulses of alternating current. Unlike a dynamo, a magneto does not contain a commutator to produce direct current. It is categorized as a form of alternator, ...
, the mutant Master of Magnetism and Professor X's former friend.
Other popular enemies include the shapeshifting
Mystique, the ancient mutant
Apocalypse
Apocalypse () is a literary genre originating in Judaism in the centuries following the Babylonian exile (597–587 BCE) but persisting in Christianity and Islam. In apocalypse, a supernatural being reveals cosmic mysteries or the future to a ...
, the mad scientist
Mister Sinister
Mister Sinister (Dr. Nathaniel Essex) is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Chris Claremont and artist Marc Silvestri, the character was first mentioned as the employer behind the team ...
, the mutant-hunting
Sentinel
Sentinel may refer to:
Places Mountains
* Mount Sentinel, a mountain next to the University of Montana in Missoula, Montana
* Sentinel Buttress, a volcanic crag on James Ross Island, Antarctica
* Sentinel Dome, a naturally occurring granit ...
robots, villain teams such as the
Brotherhood of Evil Mutants
The Brotherhood of Mutants (originally known as the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants) is a fictional group of mutants appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The Brotherhood are among the chief adversaries of the X-Men. While the ...
and the
Hellfire Club
Hellfire Club was a term used to describe several exclusive Club (organization), clubs for high-society Rake (character), rakes established in Great Britain and Ireland in the 18th Century. The name most commonly refers to Francis Dashwood, 11t ...
, and the constant racism and discrimination from humans.
Themes and motifs
The X-Men use many recurring plot-devices and motifs for their various story arcs over the years that have become commonplace within the X-Men canon.
Reflecting social issues
The conflict between mutants and normal humans is often compared to real-world conflicts experienced by minority groups in
America
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
such as
African Americans
African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from any of the Black racial groups of Africa ...
, various religious or non-religious groups,
ethnic minorities
The term "minority group" has different meanings, depending on the context. According to common usage, it can be defined simply as a group in society with the least number of individuals, or less than half of a population. Usually a minority g ...
,
autistic
Autism, also known as autism spectrum disorder (ASD), is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by differences or difficulties in social communication and interaction, a preference for predictability and routine, sensory processing di ...
individuals, the
LGBTQ community
The LGBTQ community (also known as the LGBT, LGBT+, LGBTQ+, LGBTQIA, LGBTQIA+, or queer community) comprises LGBTQ individuals united by a common culture and social movements. These communities generally celebrate pride, diversity, individu ...
, etc. It has been remarked that attitudes towards mutants do not make sense in the context of the Marvel Universe, since non-mutants with similar powers are rarely regarded with fear; ''X-Men'' editor
Ann Nocenti
Ann "Annie" Nocenti (; born January 17, 1957) is an American journalist, filmmaker, teacher, comic book writer and editor. She is best known for her work at Marvel in the late 1980s, particularly a four-year stint as the editor of ''Uncanny X-Men' ...
remarked that "I think that's literary, really – because there is no difference between Colossus and
the Torch. If a guy comes into my office in flames, or a guy comes into my office and turns to steel, I'm going to have the same reaction. It doesn't really matter that I know their origins. ... as a book, ''The X-Men'' has always represented something different – their powers arrive at puberty, making them analogous to the changes you go through at adolescence – whether they're special, or out of control, or setting you apart – the misfit identity theme." Also on an individual level, a number of X-Men serve a
metaphor
A metaphor is a figure of speech that, for rhetorical effect, directly refers to one thing by mentioning another. It may provide, or obscure, clarity or identify hidden similarities between two different ideas. Metaphors are usually meant to cr ...
ical function as their powers illustrate points about the nature of the outsider.
*
Racism
Racism is the belief that groups of humans possess different behavioral traits corresponding to inherited attributes and can be divided based on the superiority of one Race (human categorization), race or ethnicity over another. It may also me ...
: Although this was not initially the case,
Professor X
Professor X (Prof. Charles Francis Xavier) is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist/co-writer Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in Uncanny X-Men, ''The X-Men'' #1 ( ...
has come to be compared to
civil rights movement leader
Martin Luther King Jr.
Martin Luther King Jr. (born Michael King Jr.; January 15, 1929 – April 4, 1968) was an American Baptist minister, civil and political rights, civil rights activist and political philosopher who was a leader of the civil rights move ...
and
Magneto
A magneto is an electrical generator that uses permanent magnets to produce periodic pulses of alternating current. Unlike a dynamo, a magneto does not contain a commutator to produce direct current. It is categorized as a form of alternator, ...
to the more militant
Malcolm X
Malcolm X (born Malcolm Little, later el-Hajj Malik el-Shabazz; May 19, 1925 – February 21, 1965) was an African American revolutionary, Islam in the United States, Muslim minister and human rights activist who was a prominent figur ...
.
(Magneto, in the
first film, quotes Malcolm X with the line "
By any means necessary
By any means necessary is an English phrase, or a translation of a French phrase that has been attributed to at least three famous sources. The earliest of these three sources is French leftist intellectual Jean-Paul Sartre in his 1948 play '' Di ...
.") X-Men comic books have often portrayed mutants as victims of
mob violence
A riot or mob violence is a form of civil disorder commonly characterized by a group lashing out in a violent public disturbance against authority, property, or people.
Riots typically involve destruction of property, public or private. The p ...
, evoking images of the
lynching
Lynching is an extrajudicial killing by a group. It is most often used to characterize informal public executions by a mob in order to punish an alleged or convicted transgressor or to intimidate others. It can also be an extreme form of i ...
of African Americans in the age before the
civil rights movement. Sentinels and anti-mutant hate groups such as
Friends of Humanity
The comic book stories published by Marvel Comics since the 1940s have featured several fictional teams and organizations and this page lists them.
0–9 198
A A-Force
A-Next
A.I. Army
The A.I. Army is a fictional organization appearing i ...
, Humanity's Last Stand, the
Church of Humanity
Church of Humanity was a Positivism#Comte's positivism, positivist church in England influenced and inspired by Auguste Comte's Religion of Humanity in France. It also had a branch or variant in New York City, Brazil and other locations. Rich ...
, and
Stryker's Purifiers are thought to often represent oppressive forces like the
Ku Klux Klan
The Ku Klux Klan (), commonly shortened to KKK or Klan, is an American Protestant-led Christian terrorism, Christian extremist, white supremacist, Right-wing terrorism, far-right hate group. It was founded in 1865 during Reconstruction era, ...
giving a form to denial of civil rights and amendments.
:1980s storylines involving the fictional island nation of
Genosha
Genosha ( ) is a fictional country appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. It is an island nation that exists in the Marvel Universe and a prominent location in the X-Men comics. The fictional nation served as an allegory fo ...
, where mutants are segregated and enslaved by an
apartheid
Apartheid ( , especially South African English: , ; , ) was a system of institutionalised racial segregation that existed in South Africa and South West Africa (now Namibia) from 1948 to the early 1990s. It was characterised by an ...
state, are widely interpreted as a reference to the contemporary situation of
apartheid in South Africa
Apartheid ( , especially South African English: , ; , ) was a system of institutionalised racial segregation that existed in South Africa and South West Africa (now Namibia) from 1948 to the early 1990s. It was characterised by an ...
.
''
Chamber'' (2002) explicitly cites the
Norman Rockwell
Norman Percevel Rockwell (February 3, 1894 – November 8, 1978) was an American painter and illustrator. His works have a broad popular appeal in the United States for their reflection of Culture of the United States, the country's culture. Roc ...
painting ''
The Problem We All Live With
''The Problem We All Live With '' is a 1964 painting by Norman Rockwell that is considered an iconic image of the Civil Rights Movement in the United States. It depicts Ruby Bridges, a six-year-old African-American girl, on her way to William ...
''. The miniseries portrays using the mutant context
affirmative action
Affirmative action (also sometimes called reservations, alternative access, positive discrimination or positive action in various countries' laws and policies) refers to a set of policies and practices within a government or organization seeking ...
,
National Guard
National guard is the name used by a wide variety of current and historical uniformed organizations in different countries. The original National Guard was formed during the French Revolution around a cadre of defectors from the French Guards.
...
troops escorting a new student, sympathetic and antagonistic majority members, and majority-supremacist terrorism. Some mutants avoid confrontation and seek integration, while more militant mutants
play the race card, reject their
human-given names, and denounce those who do not as
Stepin Fetchit
Lincoln Theodore Monroe Andrew Perry (May 30, 1902 – November 19, 1985), better known by his stage name Stepin Fetchit, was an American vaudevillian, comedian, and film actor of Jamaican and Bahamian descent, considered to be the first black ...
and
Uncle Tom
Uncle Tom is the title character of Harriet Beecher Stowe's 1852 novel ''Uncle Tom's Cabin''. The character was seen in the Victorian era as a ground-breaking literary attack against the dehumanization of slaves. Tom is a deeply religious Chri ...
.
*
Antisemitism
Antisemitism or Jew-hatred is hostility to, prejudice towards, or discrimination against Jews. A person who harbours it is called an antisemite. Whether antisemitism is considered a form of racism depends on the school of thought. Antisemi ...
: Explicitly referenced in recent decades is the comparison between antimutant sentiment and antisemitism. Magneto, a
Holocaust
The Holocaust (), known in Hebrew language, Hebrew as the (), was the genocide of History of the Jews in Europe, European Jews during World War II. From 1941 to 1945, Nazi Germany and Collaboration with Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy ...
survivor, sees the situation of mutants as similar to those of Jews in
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany, officially known as the German Reich and later the Greater German Reich, was the German Reich, German state between 1933 and 1945, when Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party controlled the country, transforming it into a Totalit ...
.
At one point he even utters the words "never again" in a 1992 episode of the ''X-Men'' animated series. The mutant slave labor camps on the island of
Genosha
Genosha ( ) is a fictional country appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. It is an island nation that exists in the Marvel Universe and a prominent location in the X-Men comics. The fictional nation served as an allegory fo ...
, in which numbers were burned into mutant's foreheads, show much in common with
Nazi concentration camps
From 1933 to 1945, Nazi Germany operated more than a thousand concentration camps (), including subcamp (SS), subcamps on its own territory and in parts of German-occupied Europe.
The first camps were established in March 1933 immediately af ...
,
as do the internment camps of the classic "
Days of Future Past
"Days of Future Past" is a storyline in the Marvel Comics comic book ''The Uncanny X-Men'' issues #141–142, published in 1981. It deals with a dystopian future in which mutants are incarcerated in internment camps. An adult Kate Pryde transfer ...
" storyline. In the third X-Men film, when asked by Callisto: "If you're so proud of being a mutant, then where's your mark?" Magneto shows his concentration camp tattoo, while mentioning that he will never let another needle touch his skin. In the prequel film ''
X-Men: First Class'', a fourteen-year-old Magneto suffers
Nazi human experimentation
Nazi human experimentation was a series of medical experiments on prisoners by Nazi Germany in its concentration camps mainly between 1942 and 1945. There were 15,754 documented victims, of various nationalities and age groups, although the t ...
during his time in the camps and witnesses his mother's death by gunshot.
*
Diversity
Diversity, diversify, or diverse may refer to:
Business
*Diversity (business), the inclusion of people of different identities (ethnicity, gender, age) in the workforce
*Diversity marketing, marketing communication targeting diverse customers
* ...
: Characters within the X-Men mythos hail from a wide variety of nationalities. These characters also reflect religious, ethnic or sexual minorities. Examples include Kitty Pryde/Shadowcat, Magneto and
Sabra
Sabra may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* Sabra (character), a fictional Israeli female superhero in the Marvel Comics universe
* Sabra (magazine), a Japanese magazine for men
* ''Sabra Command'' the original title of the film ''Warhead''
* ...
who are
of Jewish descent.
Dust
Dust is made of particle size, fine particles of solid matter. On Earth, it generally consists of particles in the atmosphere that come from various sources such as soil lifted by wind (an aeolian processes, aeolian process), Types of volcan ...
,
Ms. Marvel, and
M who are
Muslim
Muslims () are people who adhere to Islam, a Monotheism, monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God ...
,
Nightcrawler who is a devout
Catholic
The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...
.
Neal Shaara/Thunderbird who is
Hindu
Hindus (; ; also known as Sanātanīs) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism, also known by its endonym Sanātana Dharma. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pp. 35–37 Historically, the term has also be ...
. Jubilee is
Chinese American
Chinese Americans are Americans of Chinese ancestry. Chinese Americans constitute a subgroup of East Asian Americans which also constitute a subgroup of Asian Americans. Many Chinese Americans have ancestors from mainland China, Hong Kong ...
,
Gambit
A gambit (from Italian , the act of tripping someone with the leg to make them fall) is a chess opening in which a player sacrifices with the aim of achieving a subsequent advantage.
The word '' gambit'' is also sometimes used to describe si ...
is born to
Cajun
The Cajuns (; French: ''les Cadjins'' or ''les Cadiens'' ), also known as Louisiana ''Acadians'' (French: ''les Acadiens''), are a Louisiana French ethnicity mainly found in the US state of Louisiana and surrounding Gulf Coast states.
Whi ...
parents from
New Orleans
New Orleans (commonly known as NOLA or The Big Easy among other nicknames) is a Consolidated city-county, consolidated city-parish located along the Mississippi River in the U.S. state of Louisiana. With a population of 383,997 at the 2020 ...
and
Rogue
A rogue is a person or entity that flouts accepted norms of behavior or strikes out on an independent and possibly destructive path.
Rogue, rogues, or going rogue may also refer to:
Companies
* Rogue Ales, a microbrewery in Newport, Oregon
* ...
is from Caledecott County,
Mississippi
Mississippi ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Alabama to the east, the Gulf of Mexico to the south, Louisiana to the s ...
both of whom are
Southerners. Warpath and his brother, the Thunderbird, are
Native Americans of Apache descent.
Storm
A storm is any disturbed state of the natural environment or the atmosphere of an astronomical body. It may be marked by significant disruptions to normal conditions such as strong wind, tornadoes, hail, thunder and lightning (a thunderstor ...
represents two aspects of the African diaspora as her father was
African American
African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...
and her mother was
Kenyan
The Demographics of Kenya is monitored by the Kenyan National Bureau of Statistics. Kenya is a multi-ethnic state in East Africa. Its total population was at 47,558,296 as of the 2019 census.
A national census was conducted in 1999, although t ...
.
Karma
Karma (, from , ; ) is an ancient Indian concept that refers to an action, work, or deed, and its effect or consequences. In Indian religions, the term more specifically refers to a principle of cause and effect, often descriptively called ...
was portrayed as a devout Catholic from
Vietnam
Vietnam, officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (SRV), is a country at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of about and a population of over 100 million, making it the world's List of countries and depende ...
, who regularly attended Mass and confession when she was introduced as a founding member of
the New Mutants
The New Mutants may refer to:
*''New Mutants
The New Mutants are a group of fictional mutant superheroes appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, generally in association with the X-Men. Originally depicted as the teena ...
. This team also included
Wolfsbane (a devout
Scottish
Scottish usually refers to something of, from, or related to Scotland, including:
*Scottish Gaelic, a Celtic Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family native to Scotland
*Scottish English
*Scottish national identity, the Scottish ide ...
Presbyterian
Presbyterianism is a historically Reformed Protestant tradition named for its form of church government by representative assemblies of elders, known as "presbyters". Though other Reformed churches are structurally similar, the word ''Pr ...
),
Danielle Moonstar
Danielle "Dani" Moonstar (also known as Psyche, Mirage, and Moonstar) is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. She first appeared in the graphic novel ''The New Mutants'' (Sept. 1982), created by writer Chris C ...
(a
Native American of Cheyenne descent),
Cannonball
A round shot (also called solid shot or simply ball) is a solid spherical projectile without explosive charge, launched from a gun. Its diameter is slightly less than the bore of the barrel from which it is shot. A round shot fired from a lar ...
, and was later joined by
Magma
Magma () is the molten or semi-molten natural material from which all igneous rocks are formed. Magma (sometimes colloquially but incorrectly referred to as ''lava'') is found beneath the surface of the Earth, and evidence of magmatism has also ...
(a devout
Greco-Roman
The Greco-Roman world , also Greco-Roman civilization, Greco-Roman culture or Greco-Latin culture (spelled Græco-Roman or Graeco-Roman in British English), as understood by modern scholars and writers, includes the geographical regions and co ...
classical religionist). Different nationalities included Wolverine,
Aurora
An aurora ( aurorae or auroras),
also commonly known as the northern lights (aurora borealis) or southern lights (aurora australis), is a natural light display in Earth's sky, predominantly observed in high-latitude regions (around the Arc ...
,
Northstar Northstar may refer to:
* Polaris, a star
Arts and entertainment
* Northstar (band), an emo band from Alabama
* Northstar (rap group), a rap group affiliated with the Wu-Tang Clan
* "Northstar", a 2019 song by XXXTentacion from the album '' Bad ...
, Deadpool and
Transonic
Transonic (or transsonic) flow is air flowing around an object at a speed that generates regions of both subsonic and Supersonic speed, supersonic airflow around that object. The exact range of speeds depends on the object's critical Mach numb ...
from
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...
; Colossus and Magik from
Russia
Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...
; Banshee and
Siryn
Siryn (Theresa Maeve Rourke Cassidy) is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Chris Claremont and artist Steve Leialoha, the character first appeared in '' Spider-Woman'' #37 (April 1981). The ...
from
Ireland
Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...
; Dust from
Afghanistan
Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. It is bordered by Pakistan to the Durand Line, east and south, Iran to the Afghanistan–Iran borde ...
; Psylocke, Wolfsbane and
Chamber from the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
; Sunfire,
Armor
Armour (Commonwealth English) or armor (American English; see American and British English spelling differences#-our, -or, spelling differences) is a covering used to protect an object, individual, or vehicle from physical injury or damage, e ...
,
Surge
Surge means a sudden transient rush or flood, and may refer to:
Science
* Storm surge, the onshore flow of water associated with a low-pressure weather system
* Surge (glacier), a short-lived event where a glacier can move up to velocities 100 t ...
and
Zero
0 (zero) is a number representing an empty quantity. Adding (or subtracting) 0 to any number leaves that number unchanged; in mathematical terminology, 0 is the additive identity of the integers, rational numbers, real numbers, and compl ...
from
Japan
Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...
; Sunspot from
Brazil
Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, fifth-largest country by area and the List of countries and dependencies by population ...
; M from
Monaco
Monaco, officially the Principality of Monaco, is a Sovereign state, sovereign city-state and European microstates, microstate on the French Riviera a few kilometres west of the Regions of Italy, Italian region of Liguria, in Western Europe, ...
; Nightcrawler from
Germany
Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...
; Sabra from
Israel
Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in West Asia. It Borders of Israel, shares borders with Lebanon to the north, Syria to the north-east, Jordan to the east, Egypt to the south-west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Isr ...
;
Omega Sentinel, Neal Shaara,
Kavita Rao
Dr. Kavita "Vita" Rao is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, commonly in association with the X-Men.
Shohreh Aghdashloo portrays Rao in '' X-Men: The Last Stand.''
Publication history
Kavita Rao fi ...
,
Indra
Indra (; ) is the Hindu god of weather, considered the king of the Deva (Hinduism), Devas and Svarga in Hinduism. He is associated with the sky, lightning, weather, thunder, storms, rains, river flows, and war. volumes
Indra is the m ...
and
Trinary from
India
India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...
;
Velocidad from
Mexico
Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...
;
Oya from Nigeria; Primal (comics), Primal from Ukraine; etc.
* LGBT rights in the United States, LGBT themes: Some commentators have noted the similarities between the struggles of mutants and the LGBT social movements, LGBT community, noting the onset of special powers around
puberty
Puberty is the process of physical changes through which a child's body matures into an adult body capable of sexual reproduction. It is initiated by hormonal signals from the brain to the gonads: the ovaries in a female, the testicles i ...
and the parallels between being closeted and the mutants' concealment of their powers. In the comics series, gay and bisexuality, bisexual characters include Anole (character), Anole, Bling!, Destiny, Karma, Mystique, Psylocke, Courier,
Northstar Northstar may refer to:
* Polaris, a star
Arts and entertainment
* Northstar (band), an emo band from Alabama
* Northstar (rap group), a rap group affiliated with the Wu-Tang Clan
* "Northstar", a 2019 song by XXXTentacion from the album '' Bad ...
(whose marriage was depicted in the comics in 2012), Graymalkin, Rictor, Shatterstar, Shade, the Ultimate Marvel, Ultimate version of Colossus and later Iceman after revealing that he is a mutant; the comics version of the character was then revealed to be gay in 2015. Transgender issues also come up with shapechangers like Mystique, Copycat (Marvel Comics), Copycat, and Courier who can change gender at will. It has been said that the comic books and the X-Men animated series delved into the AIDS epidemic with a long-running plot line about the Legacy Virus, a seemingly incurable disease thought at first to attack only mutants (similar to the AIDS virus which at first was spread through the gay community). In the film ''
X-Men: First Class,'' Beast (Marvel Comics), Hank McCoy is asked by his CIA boss why he never disclosed his mutant identity, and his response was ''Don't ask, don't tell, "you didn't ask, I didn't tell".''
* Communism and socialism: Occasionally, undercurrents of the real-life "Red Scare" are present or the events of the Red Scare in history are alluded to. Senator Robert Kelly's proposal of a Mutant Registration Act is similar to the efforts of United States Congress to try to ban communism in the United States.
In the 2000 ''X-Men (film), X-Men'' film, Kelly exclaims, "We must know who these mutants are and what they can do," even brandishing a "list" of known mutants (a reference to Senator Joseph McCarthy's list of Communist Party USA members who were working in the government).
* Religion: Religion is an integral part of several X-Men storylines. It is presented as both a positive and negative force, sometimes in the same story. The comics explore religious fundamentalism through the person of William Stryker and his Purifiers, an antimutant group that emerged in the 1982 graphic novel ''X-Men: God Loves, Man Kills, God Loves, Man Kills.'' The Purifiers believe that mutants are not human beings but children of the devil, and have attempted to exterminate them several times, most recently in the "Childhood's End" storyline. By contrast, religion is also central to the lives of several X-Men, such as Nightcrawler, a devout
Catholic
The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...
, and
Dust
Dust is made of particle size, fine particles of solid matter. On Earth, it generally consists of particles in the atmosphere that come from various sources such as soil lifted by wind (an aeolian processes, aeolian process), Types of volcan ...
, a devout Sunni Muslim who wears an Islamic niqāb.
* Subculture: In some cases, the mutants of the X-Men universe sought to create a subculture of the typical mutant society portrayed. The Morlocks, though mutants like those attending Xavier's school, hide away from society within the tunnels of New York. These Morlock tunnels serve as the backdrop for several X-Men stories, most notably ''The
Mutant Massacre
"Mutant Massacre" was a 1986 Marvel Comics crossover storyline. It primarily involved the superhero teams the X-Men and X-Factor. The solo hero Thor, the New Mutants, Power Pack, and Daredevil crossed over for an issue each in their own comic b ...
'' crossover. This band of mutants illustrates another dimension to the comic, that of a group that further needs to isolate itself because society won't accept it. In
Grant Morrison
Grant Morrison (born 31 January 1960) is a Scottish comic book writer, screenwriter, and producer. Their work is known for its nonlinear narratives, Humanism, humanist philosophy and counterculture, countercultural leanings. Morrison has writt ...
's stories of the early 2000s, mutants are portrayed as a distinct subculture with "mutant bands," mutant use of code-names as their primary form of self-identity (rather than their given birth names), and a popular mutant fashion designer who created outfits tailored to mutant physiology. The series ''District X#District X (comic), District X'' takes place in an area of New York City called "Mutant Town."
These instances can also serve as analogies for the way that minority groups establish subcultures and neighborhoods of their own that distinguish them from the broader general culture. Director Bryan Singer has remarked that the X-Men franchise has served as a metaphor for acceptance of all people for their special and unique gifts. The mutant condition that is often kept secret from the world can be analogous to feelings of difference and fear usually developed in everyone during adolescence.
* Genocide: Genocide and its psychological aftereffects, primarily survivor guilt, are recurring elements in some of the most significant X-Men story arcs. Magneto was a survivor of The Holocaust and witnessed the genocide of his people, severely scarring him emotionally and leaving him with a strong distrust of humanity. Because of this he constantly toes the line between ally and enemy of the X-Men. The iconic
Days of Future Past
"Days of Future Past" is a storyline in the Marvel Comics comic book ''The Uncanny X-Men'' issues #141–142, published in 1981. It deals with a dystopian future in which mutants are incarcerated in internment camps. An adult Kate Pryde transfer ...
story line saw an alternate future where Sentinels committed genocide on most of the world's mutants. In Rachel Summers' original timeline, she was captured by humans and turned into a 'hound' used to hunt down other mutants to capture and kill them, leaving her extremely traumatized by the experience and knowledge that she unwittingly assisted in the genocide of her own people. Bishop's childhood consisted of him being trapped in a mutant concentration camp, leaving him so emotionally scarred as an adult that upon returning to the past he was prepared to X-Men: Messiah Complex, kill a baby who might have caused his future. When
Cassandra Nova
Cassandra Nova Xavier is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, most commonly in association with the X-Men. Created by writer Grant Morrison and artist Frank Quitely, the character first appeared in '' New ...
committed genocide on Genosha, the event left both
Emma Frost
Emma Grace Frost is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Chris Claremont and artist/co-writer John Byrne (comics), John Byrne, the character First appearance, first appeared in ''The Uncanny ...
and
Polaris
Polaris is a star in the northern circumpolar constellation of Ursa Minor. It is designated α Ursae Minoris (Latinisation of names, Latinized to ''Alpha Ursae Minoris'') and is commonly called the North Star or Pole Star. With an ...
traumatized by survivor's guilt as they were amongst the limited few survivors. While taking some time off in Germany,
Nightcrawler witnessed the genocide of numerous mutants. The event left him as an emotional shell of who he used to be because of the trauma of what he witnessed until he had psychic therapy with Jean Grey#Time-displaced incarnation, Jean to help him cope. Other characters who have either committed or have survived genocide include Mystique, Callisto (comics), Callisto, Apocalypse, Onslaught, Bastion (comics), Bastion,
Mister Sinister
Mister Sinister (Dr. Nathaniel Essex) is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Chris Claremont and artist Marc Silvestri, the character was first mentioned as the employer behind the team ...
, Hope Summers, Cable, and the
Phoenix Force
The Phoenix Force is a fictional entity appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Chris Claremont and Dave Cockrum, the Phoenix Force is famous for its central role in ''The Dark Phoenix Saga'' storyline, and is in ...
.
Time travel
Many of the X-Men's stories delve into time travel either in the sense of the team traveling through time on a mission, villains traveling through time to alter history, or certain characters traveling from the past or future to join the present team. Story arcs and spin-offs that are notable for using this plot device include ''
Days of Future Past
"Days of Future Past" is a storyline in the Marvel Comics comic book ''The Uncanny X-Men'' issues #141–142, published in 1981. It deals with a dystopian future in which mutants are incarcerated in internment camps. An adult Kate Pryde transfer ...
'', ''
Messiah Complex
The messiah complex is a mental state in which a person believes they are a messiah or prophet and will save or redeem people in a religious endeavour. The term can also refer to a state of mind in which an individual believes that they are respo ...
'', ''
All-New X-Men
''All-New X-Men'' was a comic book series published by Marvel Comics that debuted in November 2012, with the launch of Marvel NOW!. The series centers on the five original X-Men, brought from the past to the present to confront their future counte ...
'', ''
Messiah War
"Messiah War" is a crossover storyline running through the issues of ''Cable'' and ''X-Force'' cover-dated May– July 2009 and a one-shot, ''X-Force/Cable: Messiah War'', published by Marvel Comics. Writer Craig Kyle described it as the follow- ...
'', and ''
Battle of the Atom
"Battle of the Atom" is a 10-part comic book crossover storyline published by Marvel Comics that debuted in September and October 2013 and ran through multiple X-Men books.
The story involves the X-Men of the future traveling to present time in ...
''. Characters who are related to time travel include: Apocalypse, Bishop, Cable,
Old Man Logan
Old Man Logan is an alternative version of the superhero Wolverine appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. This character is an aged version of Wolverine set in an alternate future universe in which the supervillains overth ...
, Prestige, Hope Summers, Eva Bell, Tempus, and Stryfe. A major notable period in the X-Men's history began in 2012s ''
All-New X-Men
''All-New X-Men'' was a comic book series published by Marvel Comics that debuted in November 2012, with the launch of Marvel NOW!. The series centers on the five original X-Men, brought from the past to the present to confront their future counte ...
'' when
Beast
Beast most often refers to:
* Animal, a multicellular, eukaryotic organism in the biological kingdom Animalia
* The Beast (Revelation), one of three beasts described in the Book of Revelation
* Monster, a type of creature found in fiction, folklo ...
used time-travel to bring the original five 1960s X-Men into the present. These time-displaced characters subsequently starred in their own title ''
X-Men Blue
''X-Men: Blue'' was an ongoing series, ongoing comic book published twice monthly by Marvel Comics and initially created by writer Cullen Bunn and artist Jorge Molina. The first issue was released April 12, 2017. It is a continuation of the ''All ...
'' before returning to their original timeline in 2018s ''Extermination'' event.
Death and resurrection
One of the most recurring plot devices used in the X-Men franchise is death and resurrection, mostly in the sense of Jean Grey and her bond with the Phoenix. Though not as iconic as Jean and the Phoenix, many other X-Men characters have died and come back to life on occasion. Death and resurrection has become such a common occurrence in the X-books that the characters have mentioned on numerous occasions that they are not strangers to death or have made comments that death doesn't always have a lasting effect on them (for example, "In mutant heaven, there are no pearly gates, only revolving doors"). X-Necrosha is a particular story arc that sees Selene (comics), Selene temporarily reanimate many of the X-Men's dead allies and enemies in order for her to achieve godhood. In the Krakoan era, the characters invent a method of resurrecting mutants who have died; becoming a significant story element across the various X-Men books.
Fate
Many of the characters deal with the topic of fate. In particular, Destiny (Irene Adler), Destiny's abilities of precognition have affected certain plot points in the X-Men's history long after she was killed off due to both the X-Men and their enemies constantly searching for her missing diaries that foretell certain futures. The topic of fate takes center stage yet again in a story arc called "The Extremists" involving attacks against the Morlocks (comics), Morlocks due to one of them seeing a dark future for their people. Some characters believe they already know their own fates, such as Apocalypse believing he is fated to rule the mutants or Magneto believing he is fated to lead the mutants to rise up against humans. Other characters such as Jean, Prestige, Apocalypse (character)#Evan Sabahnur, Evan Sabanur, Hope Summers, and Warren Worthington III have all been wary of their fates and have all taken measures to alter their futures.
Space travel
Spacefaring, Space travel has been a common staple in the X-Men books beginning with the Phoenix and Dark Phoenix sagas. Since then space has been involved in many stories involving the X-Men's allies and occasional rivals the
Shi'ar
The Shi'ar ( ) are a fictional species of aliens appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The Shi'ar Empire (or Imperium) is a vast collection of alien species, cultures, and worlds situated close to the Skrull and Kree Em ...
along with stories involving the Phoenix Force. Space has been the setting for many stories involving the likes of Brood (comics), The Brood, such as the story arc where the villainous species was first introduced. Through space noteworthy characters like The
Starjammers
The Starjammers are a fictional team of space pirates appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The Starjammers have often appeared in pages of the ''X-Men'' comic books. The Starjammers first appeared in ''X-Men'' #104 (April ...
and Vulcan (Marvel Comics), Vulcan (lost brother of Cyclops and Havok) were introduced. Space Travel played a major role in Joss Whedon, Joss Whedon's run on
Astonishing X-Men
''Astonishing X-Men'' is the name of four X-Men comic book series from Marvel Comics, the first two of which were Limited series (comics), limited series. The third volume, an ongoing series, began in 2004 in comics, 2004, with its first run writt ...
via the introduction of S.W.O.R.D. (comics), S.W.O.R.D. and especially in one of the final story arcs under his authorship called "Unstoppable". Other notable story arcs involving space included "X-Men: The End", "Rise and Fall of the Shi'ar Empire", "X-Men: Kingbreaker", "
War of Kings
"War of Kings" is a comic book crossover storyline written by Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning, published by Marvel Comics, and set in Marvel's main shared universe. The six-issue limited series was published between March ", and "
The Black Vortex".
Sanity
The topic of sanity has been addressed in many of the major heroes and villains of X-Men. Most famously this is addressed in Jean Grey when she gains near omnipotence through the Phoenix and Professor X, Professor Xavier after he violently uses his powers against Magneto, unintentionally creating Onslaught. Mystique's sanity wavers throughout the franchise as her constant transformations causes more and more of her mind to fracture. Ever since swapping bodies with Kwannon (character), Revanche, Psylocke has occasionally struggled to maintain her sanity due to her more aggressive nature and new powers. The character Deadpool is famous for his blatant lack of sanity. After Magneto stripped Wolverine of his metal bones, Wolverine began to become increasingly feral throughout most of the mid to late 1990s X-Men comics. The nature of Rogue's powers affecting her sanity due to her retaining the memories of others has been a central plot device on many occasions, most famously retaining Carol Danvers, Ms. Marvel's psyche throughout most of the 1980s. Most recently Emma Frost's sanity has become fractured ever since Cyclops died in her arms, causing her to declare war against Inhumans. Other characters who have had issues with sanity include Cyclops, Sabretooth,
Magik
Magik (Illyana Nikolaievna Rasputina) (Russian language, Russian: Ильяна Николаевна Распутина) is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Len Wein and artist Dave Cock ...
, Quentin Quire, X-23, and Prestige.
Political warfare
In the Marvel Universe, mutant rights is one of the hot controversial political topics and is something that is addressed numerous times in the X-books as a plot device. While some politicians like Valerie Cooper have legitimately tried to help the X-Men, most have made it their mission to discredit the X-Men to eliminate mutants once and for all. Senator Robert Kelly (character), Robert Kelly began his platform on a strong outspoken anti-mutant sentiment until he changed his mind after being rescued by mutants later on in his career. When Sabretooth's human son Graydon Creed ran for office, the X-Men sent in
Cannonball
A round shot (also called solid shot or simply ball) is a solid spherical projectile without explosive charge, launched from a gun. Its diameter is slightly less than the bore of the barrel from which it is shot. A round shot fired from a lar ...
and Iceman to discreetly join his campaign team and find anything on his anti-mutant agenda. This continued until it boiled to a head when his assassination led to "
Operation: Zero Tolerance." Some of the issues presented in the comics serve as allegory to modern issues in the real world, such as Lydia Nance suggesting mass mutant deportation.
Ideological differences
Characters in the X-Men franchise espouse a variety of political ideologies, and these differences are a frequent catalyst for conflict. The most prominent ideological clash in the X-Men franchise is that between Xavier and Magneto; despite later interpretations of the two as analogues for Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X, writer Chris Claremont (who originated Magneto's backstory and history with Xavier) saw them as more comparable to David Ben-Gurion and Menachem Begin. Xavier's ideology has drawn comparisons to assimilationism and model minority politics, while Magneto, originally depicted as a mutant supremacist, is later portrayed as a Liberation movement, liberationist advocating self-determination through mutually assured destruction. Callisto (comics), Callisto is a separatist, who seeks to protect the Morlocks through isolationism.
Emma Frost
Emma Grace Frost is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Chris Claremont and artist/co-writer John Byrne (comics), John Byrne, the character First appearance, first appeared in ''The Uncanny ...
is portrayed as rejecting social movements, opting to use the capitalist system for her personal benefit, or for that of individual mutants in her care.
Apocalypse
Apocalypse () is a literary genre originating in Judaism in the centuries following the Babylonian exile (597–587 BCE) but persisting in Christianity and Islam. In apocalypse, a supernatural being reveals cosmic mysteries or the future to a ...
is characterized as a social darwinist who believes that mutants can only survive through the rule of might. The Mutant Liberation Front commits acts of terrorism to Liberation movement, liberate mutants wrongly incarcerated by the government. Even when individual characters expressing conflicting ideologies are portrayed as either misguided or villainous, their motives and beliefs are often treated by the X-Men with nuance, sympathy, and respect; for example, during Secret Wars, when Avengers (comics), The Avengers take issue with Magneto's placement among the heroic team by Beyonder, The Beyonder, the X-Men defend him as an ally, despite disagreeing with his methods. Pulitzer-winning national security journalist Spencer Ackerman has stated on the Cerebro (podcast), Cerebro podcast that "the importance of the X-Men as a universe of stories, as a mythos, is that we should always be debating who is right."
Media and popular culture
The character of
Mojo
Mojo may refer to:
* Mojo (African-American culture), a magical charm bag used in Hoodoo
Arts, entertainment and media Film and television
* ''Mojo'' (2017 film), a 2017 Indian Kannada drama film written and directed by Sreesha Belakvaadi
* '' ...
, an extraterrestrial being and media mogul from the Mojoverse, serves as a satirical embodiment of the pervasive influence of media on society. Created by Nocenti and Art Adams, Mojo's grotesque appearance and obsession with television ratings are a direct commentary on the often exploitative nature of entertainment media.
Mojo's realm, where citizens are addicted to his gladiator-like television programs, mirrors the real world's fixation with reality TV and the spectacle of media. It raises questions about the ethical boundaries of entertainment and the societal impact of media consumption. The character's creation was influenced by Nocenti's readings of media critics such as Marshall McLuhan, Noam Chomsky, and Walter Lippmann, reflecting concerns about how media shapes public perception and discourse.
The X-Men's encounters with Mojo often highlight the dangers of media manipulation and the commodification of individuals. These narratives underscore the importance of critical thinking and media literacy as tools to combat the potential indoctrination by mass media. The character's storylines serve as allegories for the real-world implications of media control over information and the shaping of societal norms.
In the broader context of the X-Men universe, Mojo's machinations can be seen as a metaphor for the media's role in perpetuating social issues. His control over the Mojoverse parallels the control media conglomerates have over public opinion and the dissemination of information. The X-Men's resistance against Mojo's tyranny is symbolic of the struggle against the monopolization of media and the fight for a free and independent press.
[Keller, Katherine (November 2, 2007)]
"Writer, Creator, Journalist, and Uppity Woman: Ann Nocenti"
''Sequential Tart''.
Setting
The X-Men exist in the
Marvel Universe
The Marvel Universe is a fictional shared universe where the stories in most American comic book titles and other media published by Marvel Comics take place. Superhero teams such as the Avengers, the X-Men, the Fantastic Four, the Guardia ...
along with other characters featured in Marvel Comics series and often interact with them. The X-Men/mutant corner of the Marvel Universe has been informally called "X-Universe". For instance,
Wolverine
The wolverine ( , ; ''Gulo gulo''), also called the carcajou or quickhatch (from East Cree, ''kwiihkwahaacheew''), is the largest land-dwelling species, member of the family Mustelidae. It is a muscular carnivore and a solitary animal. The w ...
was an antagonist to Hulk, the Hulk before joining the X-Men and has ties to other heroes such as Captain America, Black Widow (Marvel Comics), Black Widow, Thing (comics), the Thing, Carol Danvers, Captain Marvel (Carol Danvers), Elektra (character), Elektra and
Spider-Man
Spider-Man is a superhero in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, he first appearance, first appeared in the anthology comic book ''Amazing Fantasy'' #15 (August 1962) in ...
.
Quicksilver and
Scarlet Witch
The Scarlet Witch is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in The X-Men #4 in March 1964, in the Silver Age of Comic Boo ...
are former Brotherhood of Mutants members who joined the Avengers (comics), Avengers, as have other X-Men characters such as
Beast
Beast most often refers to:
* Animal, a multicellular, eukaryotic organism in the biological kingdom Animalia
* The Beast (Revelation), one of three beasts described in the Book of Revelation
* Monster, a type of creature found in fiction, folklo ...
.
Rogue
A rogue is a person or entity that flouts accepted norms of behavior or strikes out on an independent and possibly destructive path.
Rogue, rogues, or going rogue may also refer to:
Companies
* Rogue Ales, a microbrewery in Newport, Oregon
* ...
got her powers via absorbing Carol Danvers (then called Ms. Marvel) who has also interacted with the X-Men.
Kitty Pryde/Shadowcat has been part of the Guardians of the Galaxy (2008 team), Guardians of the Galaxy and dated Star-Lord, she also served as a mentor to Franklin Richards (character), Franklin Richards the mutant son of Mister Fantastic and Invisible Woman of the Fantastic Four.
Storm
A storm is any disturbed state of the natural environment or the atmosphere of an astronomical body. It may be marked by significant disruptions to normal conditions such as strong wind, tornadoes, hail, thunder and lightning (a thunderstor ...
was once the Queen of Wakanda and the wife of Black Panther (character), Black Panther, as well as a temporary member of the Fantastic Four. Rachel Summers was the girlfriend of Franklin Richards.
Iceman and
Angel
An angel is a spiritual (without a physical body), heavenly, or supernatural being, usually humanoid with bird-like wings, often depicted as a messenger or intermediary between God (the transcendent) and humanity (the profane) in variou ...
have also joined Champions (1975 team), the original Champions alongside Black Widow, Ghost Rider and Hercules (Marvel Comics), Hercules as well as having frequent partnerships with
Firestar and Spider-Man as "The Amazing Friends".
Sabretooth was an Iron Fist (character), Iron Fist villain before becoming Wolverine's archenemesis. After Avengers vs X-Men, a conflict over the Phoenix Force, Captain America admitted to a remorseful but unrepentant Cyclops that the Avengers should have done more to help mutants, and not allowed the world to hate them. As a result, he formed a team called Uncanny Avengers (aka Avengers Unity Division) of both X-Men and Avengers members in hopes of unifying mutant and humankind. The global nature of the mutant concept means the scale of stories can be highly varied. The X-Men's enemies range from mutant thieves to galactic threats.
Historically, the X-Men have been based in the X-Mansion, Xavier Institute of Gifted Youngsters/X-Mansion located in North Salem, New York, Salem Center, Westchester County, New York, and are often portrayed as a family. The Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters/X-Mansion is often depicted with three floors and two underground levels. To the outside world, it acted as a higher learning institute until the 2000s, when Xavier was publicly exposed as a mutant at which point it became a known mutant boarding school. Xavier funds a corporation aimed at reaching mutants worldwide, though it ceased to exist following the 2005 "Decimation" storyline. The X-Men benefit from advanced technology such as Xavier tracking down mutants with a device called Cerebro which amplifies his powers; the X-Men train within the Danger Room, first depicted as a room full of weapons and booby traps, now as generating holographic simulations; and the X-Men travel in their Blackbird (comics), Blackbird jet.
Fictional places
The X-Men introduced several fictional locations which are regarded as important within the shared universe in which Marvel Comics characters exist:
* Asteroid M, an asteroid made by Magneto, a mutant utopia and training facility off of the Earth's surface.
* Avalon, Magneto's space station that served as the primary base for him and his Acolytes (comics), Acolytes to create a mutants-only safe haven after Magneto drastically reverted to his villainous ways. Originally created by
Cable
Cable may refer to:
Mechanical
* Nautical cable, an assembly of three or more ropes woven against the weave of the ropes, rendering it virtually waterproof
* Wire rope, a type of rope that consists of several strands of metal wire laid into a hel ...
.
*
Genosha
Genosha ( ) is a fictional country appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. It is an island nation that exists in the Marvel Universe and a prominent location in the X-Men comics. The fictional nation served as an allegory fo ...
, an island near Madagascar and a longtime
apartheid
Apartheid ( , especially South African English: , ; , ) was a system of institutionalised racial segregation that existed in South Africa and South West Africa (now Namibia) from 1948 to the early 1990s. It was characterised by an ...
regime against mutants. The U.N. gave control to Magneto until the ''E Is for Extinction'' story saw Genosha destroyed via mass genocide.
*
Krakoa
Krakoa is a fictional living island appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. It first appeared in '' Giant-Size X-Men'' #1 and was created by Len Wein and Dave Cockrum. While often depicted as an antagonist, Krakoa later fe ...
, a living island which is currently home to the X-Men and other mutants. It is an official country.
* Otherplace, Limbo, a hellish dimension heavily populated by demons. Whoever possesses the Soulsword bears control over and can draw power from Limbo. In ''
Extraordinary X-Men
''Extraordinary X-Men'' is a comic series from Marvel Comics and the flagship X-Men title under the All-New, All-Different Marvel re-branding. The story takes place following the conclusion of the Secret Wars crossover event. In this comic serie ...
'', the X-Men made a sanctuary in Limbo called ''X-Haven'' their home after Terrigen Mist made Earth uninhabitable for mutants.
* Madripoor, an island in South East Asia, near Singapore. Its location is shown to be in the southern portion of the Strait of Malacca, south west of Singapore.
* Mojoverse, an alternate dimension ruled by the tyrant
Mojo
Mojo may refer to:
* Mojo (African-American culture), a magical charm bag used in Hoodoo
Arts, entertainment and media Film and television
* ''Mojo'' (2017 film), a 2017 Indian Kannada drama film written and directed by Sreesha Belakvaadi
* '' ...
focused on creating violent Reality television, reality entertainment usually featuring captive mutants
* Murderworld, fictional twisted amusement park designed by the Marvel supervillain Arcade (Marvel Comics), Arcade.
*
Muir Island
The comic book stories published by Marvel Comics since the 1940s have featured several noteworthy concepts besides its fictional characters, such as unique places and artifacts. There follows a list of those features.
Places
Certain places fe ...
, a remote island off the coast of Scotland. This is primarily known in the X-Men universe as the home of
Moira MacTaggert
Dr. Moira MacTaggert, more recently known as Moira X, is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. She first appeared in ''The Uncanny X-Men'' #96 (Dec. 1975) and was created by writer Chris Claremont and ...
's laboratory.
* Mutant Town (also known as "District X"), an area in Alphabet City, Manhattan, populated largely by mutants and beset by poverty and crime.
* New Tien, a mutant-run region on the west coast of the United States where mutants outnumber humans. It was created after Secret Empire (organization), Hydra took over the United States. Emma Frost secretly leads New Tien by telepathically possessing New Tien's puppet ruler
Xorn
Xorn is the alias of two fictional characters appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He first appeared in ''New X-Men (2001 series), New X-Men Annual 2001'' (September 2001). He was created by Grant Morrison and Frank Qui ...
.
* Savage Land, a preserved location in Antarctica which is home to a number of extinct species, most notably dinosaurs, and strange tribes.
* Shi'ar, Shi'ar throneworld Chandilar, the home world of the Shi'ar.
* Utopia, Cyclops had Asteroid M raised from the Pacific Ocean off the coast of the San Francisco as a response to the rise of anti-mutant sentiment to form a mutant nation.
Cultural impact and legacy
* The insecurity and anxieties in Marvel's early 1960s comic books such as ''Fantastic Four (comic book), The Fantastic Four'', ''The Amazing Spider-Man'', ''The Incredible Hulk (comic book), The Incredible Hulk'', and ''X-Men'' ushered in a new type of superhero, very different from the certain and incredibly powerful superheroes before them, and changed the public's perception of superheroes.
* The superhero team has been described as an allegory to real-life struggles experienced by people rejected by society.
* Ramzi Fawaz argues that X-Men presents a feminist revision of the idea of a superhero team: "As a corollary to its critique of normative identity, ''The X-Men'' shifted the traditional locus of affective and political identification in mainstream superhero comics from white male heroes to powerful and racially diverse female superheroes whose emotional strength anchored mutant kinships and whose superpowers granted them unprecedented ability to reshape the material world."
Other versions
* ''
Age of Apocalypse
"Age of Apocalypse" is a 1995 comic book crossover storyline mostly published in the X-Men franchise of books by Marvel Comics. The ''Age of Apocalypse'' briefly replaced the universe of Earth-616 and had ramifications in the main Marvel Comic ...
'' – In a world where Professor X is killed by his son Legion (Marvel Comics), David/Legion before he can form the X-Men, Magneto leads the X-Men in a dystopian world ruled by Apocalypse. Created and reverted via time travel.
* ''
Age of X'' – a world in which anti-mutant sentiment became even worse due to a series of events and thus led to the United States government hunting down mutants with Sentinels and leading to "The Decimation" which severely reduced the mutant population and Magneto leads the mutants who are based in Fortress X.
* ''
Days of Future Past
"Days of Future Past" is a storyline in the Marvel Comics comic book ''The Uncanny X-Men'' issues #141–142, published in 1981. It deals with a dystopian future in which mutants are incarcerated in internment camps. An adult Kate Pryde transfer ...
'' – Sentinel (comics), Sentinels have either killed or placed into concentration camps almost all mutants. Prevented by the time-traveling Kate Pryde/Widget (the adult Kitty Pryde/Shadowcat).
* ''
House of M
"House of M" is a 2005 comic book storyline published by Marvel Comics, consisting of an eight-issue comic book limited series with a number of crossover tie-in books written by Brian Michael Bendis and illustrated by Olivier Coipel. Its first i ...
'' – Reality is altered by
Scarlet Witch
The Scarlet Witch is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in The X-Men #4 in March 1964, in the Silver Age of Comic Boo ...
, with her father Magneto as the ruler of Genosha and in which mutants are the dominant group with humans as second-class citizens. 2005's crossover event, it concludes with a reversion to the normal Marvel Universe, albeit with most mutants Decimation (comics), depowered.
* ''Marvel 1602'' – Mutants are known as the "Witchbreed" in this alternate reality set during the time of Inquisition, The Inquisition. Carlos Javier creates a "school for the children of gentlefolk" to serve as a safe haven and training ground for which he calls mutantur (or changing ones) and normal humans (the ''mondani''). The roster consists of the original 5 members and analogues of Sunspot, Pietro and Wanda Maximoff.
* Marvel 2099 – Set in a dystopian world with new characters looking to the original X-Men as history, becoming X-Men 2099 and X-Nation 2099.
* ''Marvel Noir'' – The X-Men of this reality are a group of delinquent teenagers led by Charles Xavier who believes that sociopathy is the next step in human evolution.
* ''
Mutant X'' – Set in a world where Scott Summers was captured along with his parents by the Shi'ar and only Alex escaped, allowing him to be the eventual leader of this Universe's X-Men ("The Six"). The Mutant X universe reimagines Mister Fantastic, Mr. Fantastic, Nick Fury, and Professor X as villains and Doctor Doom and Apocalypse as heroes.
* ''Marvel Comics 2, MC2'' – In this alternate future,
Jubilee
A jubilee is often used to refer to the celebration of a particular anniversary of an event, usually denoting the 25th, 40th, 50th, 60th, and the 70th anniversary. The term comes from the Hebrew Bible (see, "Old Testament"), initially concerning ...
forms the X-People in response to anti-mutant sentiment. Members include Angry Eagle, Simian, Spanner, Torque, Nancy Lu (Spider-Girl character), Push, Bluestreak (comics), Bluestreak, J2 (comics), J2, and Wild Thing (comics), Wild Thing.
* Time-displaced X-Men – The time-displaced team was introduced as such in ''
All-New X-Men
''All-New X-Men'' was a comic book series published by Marvel Comics that debuted in November 2012, with the launch of Marvel NOW!. The series centers on the five original X-Men, brought from the past to the present to confront their future counte ...
'' vol. 1 #1, by Brian Michael Bendis and Stuart Immonen, and brought to the present with time travel. They were kept as regular characters, as Bendis intended to explore their reactions to the fate of their adult selves.
[Truitt, Brian (September 8, 2013)]
"Sunday Geekersation: Bendis takes pride in his X-Men"
''USA Today''. The team was the main focus of the ''
Battle of the Atom
"Battle of the Atom" is a 10-part comic book crossover storyline published by Marvel Comics that debuted in September and October 2013 and ran through multiple X-Men books.
The story involves the X-Men of the future traveling to present time in ...
'' crossover, some months later. Bendis also used them for crossovers with the Guardians of the Galaxy and Miles Morales, that he also wrote. This was one of the few crossovers between the
Marvel Universe
The Marvel Universe is a fictional shared universe where the stories in most American comic book titles and other media published by Marvel Comics take place. Superhero teams such as the Avengers, the X-Men, the Fantastic Four, the Guardia ...
and the Ultimate Marvel universe; Bendis preferred to write them sparingly. ''All-New X-Men'' has a vol. 2 in 2015, by Dennis Hopeless and Mark Bagley. The comic was cancelled after the end of the ''
Inhumans vs. X-Men
''Inhumans vs. X-Men'', also stylized ''IvX'' or ''IVX'', is a 2016 American comic book limited series published by Marvel Comics. The series ran for seven issues, beginning with a prologue issue #0 in November 2016 before officially beginning in ...
'' crossover, and the team was now published in the ''
X-Men Blue
''X-Men: Blue'' was an ongoing series, ongoing comic book published twice monthly by Marvel Comics and initially created by writer Cullen Bunn and artist Jorge Molina. The first issue was released April 12, 2017. It is a continuation of the ''All ...
'' comic. The teenager Jean also got a solo series after the end of ''
ResurrXion
"ResurrXion" was a 2017 relaunch by the American publisher Marvel Comics of various comic book series related to the Inhumans
The Inhumans are a superhuman race of super beings appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. T ...
'', by Hopeless and Victor Ibanez, that explored her relation with the
Phoenix Force
The Phoenix Force is a fictional entity appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Chris Claremont and Dave Cockrum, the Phoenix Force is famous for its central role in ''The Dark Phoenix Saga'' storyline, and is in ...
. The teenager Cyclops joins the Champions (2016 team), Champions, a comic book focused on teenager heroes but unrelated to the X-Men mythos. They guest-starred in the ''Venom (comic book), Venom'' comic, in the "Poison-X" arc. The story took the villains from the ''Venomverse'' arc and led to the ''Venomized'' crossover. The team were featured in the ''Extermination'' crossover, where they went back to their original timeline.
*''Ruins (comics), Ruins'' – Although the actual X-Men don't appear, alternate versions of its members and villains are shown to have suffered under horrific circumstances. Charles Xavier is a tyrannical President of the United States, Jean Grey is a Prostitution, prostitute, Magneto and Mystique die, Wolverine suffers from poisoning from his adamantium skeleton, Emma Frost heads the Church of the Next Generation and forces children of her followers to undergo surgery, Cyclops as well as Nightcrawler and Kitty Pryde are imprisoned at a Texas jail and Sabretooth is part of a fascist cannibalistic militia based in Oklahoma alongside Bucky Barnes and Jack Monroe.
* ''
Ultimate X-Men
''Ultimate X-Men'' is a superhero comic book series, which was published by Marvel Comics, from 2001 to 2009. The series is a modernized re-imagining of Marvel's long-running X-Men comic book franchise as part of the Ultimate Marvel imprint. The ...
'' – Set in the reimagined Ultimate Marvel universe. The X-Men are younger, wear black and gold uniforms and supernatural/cosmic elements are downplayed. Additionally Colossus is gay unlike his main universe counterpart, Magneto is not a Holocaust survivor and is more villainous, mutants were created by the Super-Soldier Serum, Cable is Wolverine and Kitty Pryde/Shadowcat dated Spider-Man.
* ''Ultimate Universe'' - Set in Earth-6160, a world preceded by alternative history thanks to the interference of the Maker (character), Maker. Mutants are seen as mysterious and a fringe presence to the world at large, a scattered, suppressed and unrecognized minority without central leaders due to the absence of Magneto and Professor X. A group of young outcast students led by
Armor
Armour (Commonwealth English) or armor (American English; see American and British English spelling differences#-our, -or, spelling differences) is a covering used to protect an object, individual, or vehicle from physical injury or damage, e ...
forms the X-Men to combat a cult of Homo Superior covertly researching their powers and believing themselves to be superior to the human race.
* ''X-Men Forever'' – An alternate continuity diverging from ''X-Men'', vol. 2 #3, continuing as though writer Chris Claremont had never left writing the series.
* ''X-Men Noir'' – Set in the 1930s, with the X-Men as a mysterious criminal gang and the Brotherhood as a secret society of corrupt cops.
* ''X-Men: The End'' – A possible ending to the X-Men's early 2005 status quo.
* ''X-Men: The Animated Series, X-Men '92'' – Follows "Secret Wars", the X-Men of the 1992 TV Series, received their own comic book series.
In other media
The X-Men team has featured in multiple forms of media including the
20th Century Fox
20th Century Studios, Inc., formerly 20th Century Fox, is an American film studio, film production and Film distributor, distribution company owned by the Walt Disney Studios (division), Walt Disney Studios, the film studios division of the ...
X-Men (film series), live-action film series, X-Men in television, multiple animated shows, live-action shows, List of video games featuring the X-Men, multiple video games, numerous novels, motion comics, soundtracks, action figures, and clothing.
See also
* List of Marvel Comics superhero debuts
* Doom Patrol, a similar team of super-powered misfits appearing in comics published by DC Comics
* Harbinger (comic book), Harbingers/Psiots, another group of superpowered outcasts appearing in comics published by Valiant Comics
References
Bibliography
* Deman, J. Andrew (2023). ''The Claremont Run: Subverting Gender in the X-Men''. University of Texas Press. ISBN 978-1-4773-3075-3.
Further reading
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*
* Note: Contains a chapter on the X-Men, with special emphasis on Jewish characters Magneto and Shadowcat.
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External links
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