Uncanny X-Men, first published as simply The X-Men, is the flagship Marvel Comicscomic book series for the X-Men franchise. Being the official canon, it features the adventures of the eponymous group of mutantsuperheroes. While hugely successful now, it took a number of years for the X-Men's first issue (cover dated
September 1963) to become even a mild success. The series went out of
production in 1970, but interest was rekindled with 1975's Giant-Size X-Men and the debut of a new, international team. Under the guidance of writer Chris Claremont (whose 16-year stint began with August 1975's Uncanny X-Men #94), the series grew in popularity worldwide, eventually spawning a franchise with numerous spin-off "X-books," including New Mutants, X-Factor, Excalibur, Wolverine, X-Force, Generation X, the simply titled X-Men, and a number of prefixed titles such as Astonishing X-Men and New X-Men.
The series ceased publication with issue #66 (March 1970), but
returned as a bi-monthly reprint magazine nine months later. It
continued in this fashion until the team was revived and revamped, with
additional new members, in Giant Size X-Men #1 (May 1975). The X-Men again began printing new stories with issue #94 (August 1975).
From issues #94 until #112 (August 1978), the title remained
bi-monthly. Marvel also published the title bi-weekly for short periods
in 1988–1990, 1999, and 2002–2006. By the early 1980s, the series had
become one of the best-selling American comic books, turning many of the writers and illustrators into industry stars and leading to numerous spin-offs and miniseries.
The series originally focused on the entire team, as it usually
consisted of between five to eight members throughout the majority of
its run. From 1991 until approximately 1995, and again since 2000, the
series has focused on only one squad of the team at a time. Recently,
however, it has stopped focusing on any one team, favoring instead to
focus on a separate group of characters (mainly former X-Men) living at
the mansion.
Since the anniversary 500th issue, it has once again become the
flagship X-Men title, containing the more important storylines that
drive the X-universe forward.
Uncanny X-Men remains Marvel Comics' only Silver Age title to retain its consecutive issue numbering since its conception, even during the early 1970s reprint hiatus. Amazing Spider-Man, Avengers, Captain America, Daredevil, Fantastic Four, Incredible Hulk, Iron Man, and Thor have all, at one time or another, restarted their numbering at #1; but all, save Iron Man,
have returned to their original numbering. These revamps and
renumberings took place in the 1990s. First in 1996, and again in 1998,
for Avengers, Captain America, Fantastic Four, Iron Man, and Thor after the "Onslaught" and "Heroes Reborn" storylines, respectively; 1998 for Daredevil; and 1999 for Incredible Hulk.
From issue #1 through #93 the indicia title was The X-Men. After the relaunch with issue #94, and up to #141, the article The was dropped from the indicia title making it X-Men. Beginning with issue #142, and up to #407, the article was re-added along with the adjective Uncanny to change the indicia title to The Uncanny X-Men. Issue #408 was the first to use the current indicia title, Uncanny X-Men.
A new series, titled simply X-Men, launched in October, 1991. From that point on, fans and historians began to designate pre-1991 issues as The X-Men (vol. 1) or, more commonly, The Uncanny X-Men.
This section's plot summary may be too long or overly detailed. Please help improve it by removing unnecessary details and making it more concise. (October 2010)
The X-Men are introduced as the original five members: Warren
Worthington III (Angel), Hank McCoy (Beast), Scott Summers (Cyclops),
Robert "Bobby" Drake (Iceman), and Jean Grey (Marvel Girl), and their
teacher and mentor, Professor Charles Xavier (Professor X). They
encounter their first arch-nemesis Magneto at Cape Citadel, who
attempted to start a nuclear war against humankind. Their next enemy is
Telford Porter, the Vanisher,
who steals continental defense plans from the United States government
and attempts to extort millions of dollars from the U.S. government. (X-Men #1-2)
The X-Men graduate from their class and are now full-fledged
members. Magneto returns with a group of his own, called the
"Brotherhood of Evil Mutants". The members of this group are Pietro (Quicksilver) and Wanda Maximoff (Scarlet Witch), Fred Dukes (Blob), Jason Wyngarde (Mastermind), and Mortimer Toynbee (Toad).
Eventually, Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch see the error of their ways
and leave the group to join the Avengers. They are replaced with Unus the Untouchable and, temporarily, Namor the Sub-Mariner.
Beast temporarily quits the X-Men and becomes a wrestler, but
eventually rejoins to help them defeat the Brotherhood. Iceman meets
Zelda, an attractive waitress at the Coffee A-Go-Go, which becomes
their new hangout spot. (X-Men #3-8)
On a trip to Europe, the X-Men battled with the Avengers for the
first time. Meanwhile, Professor Xavier is in the midst of his own
battle with the alien Lucifer in Tibet, where he had lost the use of his legs many years before. The prehistoric jungle known as the Savage Land is introduced, as well as its inhabitants Ka-Zar and his pet sabertooth tiger, Zabu. The Stranger,
was introduced as an alien being from another galaxy who came to Earth
and abducted both Magneto and Toad back to his planet for examination.
The Sentinels
are introduced as mutant-hunting robots created by Dr. Bolivar Trask
during a debate between Xavier and Trask on mutants living among
society. Charles is kidnapped and taken back to the Sentinels
headquarters where they are created by the gigantic Sentinel known as Master Mold. Professor Xavier's evil stepbrother, Cain Marko the Juggernaut
is introduced as a great threat, revealing an origin backstory which
saw Charles gaining his powers at a young age and his mother, Sharon,
marrying Dr. Kurt Marko, Cain's father, who ends up saving Charles and
Cain's lives before dying from smoke inhalation. (X-Men #9-15)
After the battle with Master Mold, Magneto escaped from the
Stranger's planet, without Toad, in order to exact revenge on the
X-Men. He nearly succeeds as he trapped the members in a balloon bound
upward into space. Bobby, still injured from their encounter with the
Sentinels, is able to hold off Magneto alone until the Stranger
arrives. The Stranger recaptures Magneto and brings him back to his
planet. Jean leaves Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters and enrolls
at the nearby Metro College where she meets Ted Roberts and begins a
friendship, much to the dismay of Scott, who is secretly in love with
her. Lucifer returned as part of a plot by the alien Dominus to take
over the Earth. By the end of the year, with Jean away, the team gains
a new, though very brief, teammate in the arrogant Calvin Rankin, the Mimic.
Mimic later became deputy leader of the team after Cyclops accidentally
injures Angel with his optic blast, yet believing he could have done it
on purpose, subconsciously as he knew that Warren also has feelings for
Jean. After losing his powers momentarily, Rankin leaves the team.
Other battles included the Locust, El Tigre, and Count Nefaria and his
Ani-Men. (X-Men #16-27)
A new villain, and later a teammate, was introduced as the Irish
mutant Sean Cassidy, the Banshee, who is working for the diabolical
Factor Three along with the Ogre. The X-Men help the young mutant break
free of their mind control and thwart their preemptive strike against
humankind. Throughout the year, Factor Three would appear again to
antagonize the X-Men. With the team finally victorious after defeating
the Mutant Master, they are rewarded with brand-new costumes that
showcase their individuality. The Changeling, once an agent for Factor
Three, becomes a reserve member. The X-Men meet Spider-Man, do battle
with Ted Roberts' brother Ralph as the "Cobalt Man", and a minor
villain known as Mekano. The Juggernaut, who had been taken into the
school by Professor Xavier, had escaped to do battle once again. The
end result sees Juggernaut trapped inside the crimson bands of the Ruby
of Cyttorak thanks to the intervention of Dr. Stephen Strange. (X-Men #28-39)
After a strange battle with Frankenstein, the X-Men are dealt with a
devastating blow with the death of Professor Xavier at the hands of
Grotesk, a subterranean creature. Without their mentor, they decide to
disband the team and go their separate ways. Jean decides to become a
model, while Scott gets a job as a newscaster. The year also sees the
introduction of the green-haired Lorna Dane, who would come to be known
as Polaris,
possibly the daughter of Magneto, who has by now escaped the Stranger's
planet and exacts his revenge on both the X-Men and the Avengers. Lorna
is under the control of Mesmero, who tries to use her against the
X-Men. (X-Men #40-51)
It was during this time that Scott Summers met his long-lost younger
brother, Alex Summers, a college student who is abducted by a Egyptian
cult led by his professor Ahmet Abdol, who was actually the Great
Monolith, looking to harness Alex's vast energy powers for himself.
Alex, now calling himself Havok,
would eventually join the team, with his lover Lorna, as a reserve
member. The team of Thomas and Adams brought back the dreaded
Sentinels, this time led by Bolivar Trask's vengeful son, Larry. The
X-Men meet psychiatrist Dr. Karl Lykos, who is actually an energy
vampire in the form of a pterodactyl and calling himself Sauron. The
battle bring them back to the Savage Land where they encounter Magneto
once more. Without the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, Magneto has now
created the Savage Land Mutates: Amphibius, Barbarus, Equilibrius, Gaza, Piper, Lorelei, and Lupo. Eventually, the X-Men were victorious. (X-Men #52-63)
Shiro Yoshida, also known as Sunfire,
attacks Washington D.C. in an act of vengeance for the death of his
mother, who fell victim to the August 6, 1945 bombing in Hiroshima
during World War II at the hands of the United States. His greedy uncle
Tomo inspired Shiro to take the identity of Sunfire and engage in a
one-man battle against the U.S. by attacking the Capitol. Later, Shiro
sees Tomo kill his father and immediately kills his uncle in revenge
before surrendering to the authorities. It is later revealed that
Charles Xavier was very much alive but not well, having been hidden in
a secret room within the mansion in order to prevent an alien invasion
by the Z'Nox. Xavier had Changeling, who was suffering from a terminal
illness, assumed his identity and was eventually killed by Grotesk.
Jean was the only other person privy to the plan and ordered by Xavier
to keep quiet. As the real Xavier laid in bed, in a coma and on the
brink of his own death, he mentally asks the group to seek out his
colleague, Robert "Bruce" Banner, who is causing a rampage in Las Vegas
as the Hulk.
They are able to calm the green beast long enough to follow him into
the desert where they procure a piece of machinery that brings
Professor X out of his coma. (X-Men #64-66)
Angel leaves the X-Men and battles his evil uncle Burt Worthington,
calling himself the "Dazzler", who has killed Angel's father and plans
to marry his mother in order to inherit the Worthington fortune. (Ka-Zar #2)
Angel kills his evil uncle in battle. Iceman fights Spider-Man after
mistaking him for trying to cause harm to Gwen Stacy. Later, they join
forces to take down crooked lawyer Sam Bullitt. Xavier is summoned to
assist Reed Richards of the Fantastic Four with a solution to contain
an unconscious Hulk, but decide to wait for the arrival of Tony Stark
for a final decision. (Ka-Zar #3, Marvel Tales #30, Amazing Spider-Man #92, Avengers #88)
Beast leaves the X-Men for the Brand Corporation. He meets a couple
new friends in Buzz and Patsy Baxter, an old girlfriend named Vera
Cantor, and a new girlfriend named Linda Donaldson. After an experiment
goes horribly wrong is his laboratory, Beast transforms into a furry
gray monster, before turning blue. Havok and Polaris leave the X-Men
for New Mexico after a vicious fight between Havok and Iceman. The Hulk
mistakens Polaris for his lover Jarella and attacks them. Afterwards,
the couple agree to return to the team. Back in New York, the X-Men and
Spider-Man are searching for a missing colleague of Xavier's, Dr. Hans
Jorgenson, which leads to a confrontation with Michael Morbius, the
living vampire, who is defeated and taken captive by the X-Men. (Amazing Adventures #11-15, Incredible Hulk #150, Marvel Team-Up #4)
The Juggernaut escapes from the Ruby of Cyttorak and fights Beast
during Halloween. After the defunction from the Brand Corporation,
Beast travels to Canada and meets with former teammate Mimic, and the Hulk. The Secret Empire
storyline begins with the abduction of the Angel and an attack by
Magneto. The Avengers receive an urgent call from Xavier only to be
ambushed by Magneto. With the added help of Daredevil and the Black
Widow, the Avengers rescue the X-Men and some members of their own
team. Later, Xavier pays a visit to Shanna the She-Devil at the request of his FBI informant Fred Duncan about an impending danger. (Amazing Adventures #16-17, Incredible Hulk #161, Avengers #110-111, Shanna the She-Devil #5)
Michael Morbius escapes the X-Mansion and Iceman, Havok, Polaris,
and Beast mysteriously disappear. Desperate to find his students after
taking in an unconscious Juggernaut following his battle with the Hulk,
Xavier summons Captain America and Falcon to uncover a nefarious plot
by the Secret Empire. Iceman battles the Equinox with the aid of the
Human Torch while Xavier and the Defenders fight Magneto and his
Brotherhood of Evil Mutants in a cave in New Mexico. Wolverine
is introduced as a Canadian Mutant, ordered by the government to attack
the Hulk. In later additions to the story, it's revealed that Weapon
Plus and Romulus had him fight the Hulk in order to impress Xavier, in
order to join the X-Men.(Adventure into Fear #20, Incredible Hulk #172,180-181, Captain America #172-175, Marvel Team-Up #23, Defenders #15-16)
Xavier receives a call from Reed Richards of the Fantastic Four concerning a mutant named Jamie Madrox and agrees to take him in to repair his damaged suit, which harnesses his multiplicity powers. (Giant-Size Fantastic Four #4)
The four original members of the X-Men (Angel, Cyclops, Iceman, and Marvel Girl), along with reserve members Havok and Polaris, travel to the living mutant island called Krakoa
on a mission. While there, they are captured by the sentient island.
Cyclops escapes, and Professor X assembles a new team of international
and foreign-born mutants: the African goddess Ororo Munroe as Storm, the Canadian James "Logan" Howlett as Wolverine, the German acrobat Kurt Wagner as Nightcrawler, the return of the Irish Sean Cassidy as Banshee, the Russian Peter "Piotr" Rasputin as the Russian Colossus, the Apache Indian John Proudstar as Thunderbird,
and the Japanese Sunfire. They are sent to rescue the rest of the
X-Men, led by Cyclops. After being rescued, the original team, with the
exception of Cyclops, left the mansion and "passed the torch" to the
new mutants. The new team's early missions included a fight against Count Nefaria,
in which both Nefaria and Thunderbird are killed, and the great demon
monster known as Kierrok. Also introduced is Xavier's ex-fiancee and
former lover Moira MacTaggart, who immediately catches the eye of Banshee. (X-Men #94-96)
The greatest transformation of any character was introduced in one
of the greatest storylines in the series: "The Phoenix Saga". Eric the
Red, an agent of a star-spanning empire known as the Shi'ar,
has Havok and Polaris attack the X-Men on an airport terminal. While
celebrating Christmas at Rockefeller Center, the X-Men are attacked by
Sentinels and taken aboard a SHIELD space station, which is under the
control of Stephen Lang.
The new X-Men battle the Sentinels, some of who look like the original
X-Men, and able to defeat Lang. Afterwards, as they commandeer a
shuttle back to Earth, the Phoenix
takes control of Jean Grey and uses her as a new vessel. The space
shuttle crashes into Jamaica Bay in Queens and Jean emerges from the
depths of the bay as the Phoenix. She collapses and is taken to the
nearby hospital. Meanwhile, on the roof of the hospital, Xavier's
"dark-side" emerges and battles the X-Men. As the "Phoenix Saga"
storyline continues, the former Shi'ar empress Lilandra Neramani makes a psionic contact with Charles in order to help her overthrow her mad brother, the Shi'ar emperor D'Ken. They eventually fall in love and he agrees to help her. (X-Men #97-102)
The beginning of the Phoenix Saga has most of the team travelling to Ireland to battle Juggernaut and his partner, Black Tom Cassidy,
a relative of Banshee's. Eric the Red has come to Earth looking for
Lilandra with the help of Juggernaut and Black Tom. Eric also enlists a
rejuvenated Magneto, who had been turned into an infant during his
battle with the Defenders three years prior, to fight the X-Men on Muir
Island. When they are beamed to outer space, the X-Men do battle with D'Ken and his Imperial Guard. They meet the Starjammers, whose leader turns out to be Scott and Alex's long-lost father, Major Christopher Summers, who calls himself Corsair. Meanwhile, back on Earth, Charles, Jean (as the Phoenix), and Misty Knight fight off Firelord, the herald of the world-devourer Galactus. Once D'Ken is defeated and ultimately destroyed, Lilandra reclaims her crown as Empress-Majestrix of the Shi'ar Empire. (X-Men #103-108)
With the end of the "Phoenix Saga" and their return to Earth, the
Canadian super-powered being known as Weapon Alpha arrives to bring
Logan back to Canada. He accidentally injured Moira MacTaggert in the
process. Later, the X-Mansion was infiltrated by Mitchell Tanner, known
as Warhawk,
who had been hired by someone known as the "Black King" to bug the
X-Men and test out their abilities. Mesmero returns to cause chaos in
their lives, this time as a carnival manager and mentally compelled the
X-Men to serve as carnival performers. The X-Men are able to free
themselves from his control, and as Mesmero attacks them, the real
Magneto appears. He overpowers Mesmero and renders him unconscious.
Magneto lures the X-Men to his volcano hideout. When an explosion
threatens to destroy them, the new team and Cyclops believe that Jean
and Beast, now a member of the Avengers, had perished in the volcano.
Unbeknownst to them, they had indeed survived and made their way back
to Salem Center to deliver the sad news to Charles. Meanwhile, the
other team had survived as well and made their way to the Savage Land
where they reconnected with Ka-Zar and Zabu in their battle against a
returning Sauron, Zaladane, and Garokk the Petrified Man. (X-Men #109-116)
It was revealed that Xavier and Storm had previously met years
before when she was a young thief living in Africa. He discovered
another mutant was controlling her and the African people through mind
control. Xavier engages in battle with Amahl Farouk,
the Shadow King, in the astral plane and promptly defeats him. The
X-Men move on to Japan where the country is being held hostage by
terrorist Moses Magnum,
who threatens to use his earthquake powers and sink the island nation
underwater if his demands are not met. With assistance of Sunfire, the
X-Men are able to defeat Magnum and Mandroids. It is here in Japan that
Wolverine meets and falls in love with Sunfire's cousin Mariko Yashida
of the Clan Yashida. Later, the X-Men are brought to Canada where they
meet that country's own superhero team, Alpha Flight. Soon after their
trip in Canada, the X-Men are eventually lured by the psychotic Arcade
into his amusement park, Murderworld. Scott, still unaware that Jean is
alive, finds comfort in Misty's friend and partner Colleen Wing, but is
still too deeply in love with Jean to return his feelings to Colleen.
Charles, distraught over sending the new X-Men to their deaths against
Magneto, agrees to leave Earth with Lilandra and join her with the
Shi'ar in space. After Beast and Jean discover that Scott and the
others had survived the volcano, their next mission takes them back to
Muir Island and into a hard-fought battle with Moira MacTaggert's son,
Kevin, who called himself Proteus.
With Sean pushing himself and his powers to the point of exhaustion, he
quits the team to lead a peaceful life on Muir Island with Moira. (X-Men #117-128)
This section's plot summary may be too long or overly detailed. Please help improve it by removing unnecessary details and making it more concise. (October 2010)
The Dark Phoenix Saga
began with the removal of two longtime members from the team. For the
first time, Cyclops was no longer a member of the team. Storm became
the leader and Kitty Pryde became the first new member since the title's relaunch. Also, introduced was the Hellfire Club and its members: Sebastian Shaw as "The Black King", Emma Frost as "The White Queen", Harry Leland as "The Black Bishop", and Donald Pierce
as "The White Bishop" and later "The White King". Frost was determined
to recruit Kitty Pryde, a young Jewish teen living in Chicago,
Illinois, before Xavier, who had returned from outer space, and the
X-Men could get to her first.
The first part of the storyline also introduced Alison Blaire, the
"Dazzler", as a disco-singing, roller-skating mutant who is attacked by
the Hellfire Club. Later, as Jean's illusions and hunger for power
starts to get worse, it is revealed that she has become the new "Black
Queen" as a result of Jason Wyngarde's manipulations. But the Phoenix
Force grows tired of being controlled and inadvertently frees the X-Men
and defeat the Hellfire Club. Responding to an urgent call from
then-President Jimmy Carter, Hank McCoy, now an Avenger, hurries to aid
his former teammates against the Dark Phoenix in Central Park. They are
defeated and the Dark Phoenix goes on an intergalactic rampage that
sees the death and destruction of billions of alien lives. The Shi'ar,
who were also attacked, transport the X-Men aboard their ship to decide
the fate of Jean Grey, who has temporarily been freed of the Dark
Phoenix.
In one of the most emotional moments, Jean Grey sacrifices herself
in order to save her family, friends and planet. The team mourns her
death and Scott leaves the group to reflect on his life and his future.
Meanwhile, Kitty Pryde joins the team as a new member, and Logan and
Kurt battle the Wendigo in the Canadian wilderness and meet the rest of
Alpha Flight. (X-Men #129-140)
A new Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, led by Mystique, was introduced. Members included Destiny, Blob, Avalanche, and Pyro, who were set on assassinating Presidential candidate Senator Robert Kelly
and succeeded in their mission. This led to the "Days of Future Past"
storyline which had almost every mutant, and even the other
superheroes, murdered at the hands of the Sentinels. The year is 2013
and there are only a few remaining members of the X-Men left, including
Ororo and Logan, who were now lovers, an older Kitty Pryde going by the
name of Kate, Rachel Summers
who is the daughter of Scott and Jean, and Franklin Richards, son of
Reed and Sue of the Fantastic Four. The plan is to have Kate go back in
time and prevent the Kelly assassination. Kate returns to the body of
her younger self and warns the X-Men of plot in Washington D.C., which
also leads to the murder of Charles.
Fortunately, the X-Men manage to thwart Mystique's plan and prevent
the bleak future from occurring. At Christmas, while the X-Men are
away, Kitty is put to task against the N'Garai
demon and is able to prove herself as a valued member of the team,
though the expense of the X-Mansion. Meanwhile, Scott has found a new
life in Florida aboard Lee Forrester's
boat and falls for the pretty blonde. They battle the demon D'Spayre,
who is responsible for causing Lee's father to commit suicide, and sail
into the Bermuda Triangle where they become prisoners of Magneto. The other X-Men are brought back into Murderworld by Arcade and Doctor Doom,
who turns Storm into a statue. Lorna, Sean, Bobby, and Alex are also
brought into the fracas, but successfully defeat them. After Scott and
Lee are rescued by the X-Men and brought back to Salem Center, Emma Frost makes one last attempt at revenge by switching bodies with Ororo in order to claim Kitty for herself, but is also defeated. (X-Men #141, Uncanny X-Men #142-152)
Kitty tells a sick Illyana Rasputin,
Colossus' little sister, a sweet whimsical fairy tale involving Kitty
and the X-Men as fantastic characters, while the X-Mansion is attacked
by Sidrian Hunters sent from outer space and the evil Deathbird, Lilandra's evil sister. Xavier and Lilandra resume their romance as Cyclops realizes that Corsair is really his father, Christopher Summers. Mystique returns with a new ally, Rogue, who would eventually join the X-Men the following year, by having her break into the Pentagon. Storm, meanwhile, has been attacked by Dracula
and becomes a vampire. The battle is taken to a castle in Central Park
with Kitty acting as a vampire hunter and driving Dracula away and
relinquishing his control over Storm.
Meanwhile, young Illyana is abducted by the Lord of Limbo, Belasco, and his minion S'ym,
and returns as a teenage demon sorceress. His intention is to make her
his disciple and use her to open a gateway for the Elder gods he
served. The X-Men rescue Illyana, transporting her back to Earth, but
at the cost of themselves becoming trapped in Limbo. For years they
battled Belasco with the entire team succumbing to either temptation,
corruption or death. Belasco then lured an alternate dimensions Illyana
to Limbo in a repeat of his earlier attempt. This time the X-Men team
escaped back to Earth and Illyana was trapped in Limbo. He made Illyana
his apprentice in the dark arts, transforming her into a "demon
sorceress." He forcibly shaped part of her soul into the first
Bloodstone, giving her great potential for power and allowing him to
hold sway over her so that she willingly created a second. However,
after guidance from the remaining X-Men in Limbo, she rebelled against
him, driving him from Limbo. During a battle with the Brood,
a race of alien creatures from outer space, who had allied themselves
Deathbird against Lilandra, Xavier used his powers against the Queen
and becomes invalid.
Xavier, while comatose, has a flashback to 1950s Israel when he first met Magneto, then known as Magnus, against the Nazi Baron Wolfgang Von Strucker, who is after a secret cache of gold. The only person who knows the whereabouts of the gold is Gabrielle Haller, a former prisoner of the Dachau concentration camp
who is in a vegetative trance. With the help of Xavier's power,
Gabrielle is freed from her trance and begins a romance with him.
Strucker abducts Gabrielle and finds the missing gold, but is saved by
Charles and Magnus before a collapse comes down on Strucker. Charles
and Gabrielle depart as Magnus makes off with the gold, vowing that
they would meet again. Meanwhile, the Brood were closing in on the
X-Men as they managed to implant Logan with a Brood embryo. Carol Danvers, who lost her powers in a fight with Rogue, developed new powers and began calling herself Binary. For a time, she became a member of the X-Men. (Uncanny X-Men #152-164)
Peter and Kitty become an item, unsure that these might be the last
moments of their lives together. But the X-Men manage to defeat the
Brood and bring Charles out of his vegetative coma, he declared that
Kitty would be sent to the New Mutants, a new team of young mutants
assembled by Xavier that same year. Kitty was not too thrilled by this.
Once again, she proved herself worthy by defeating Sidrian Hunters who
were hidden underneath the X-Mansion. During their excursion into
space, Kitty meets a new friend in the form of a dragon named Lockheed,
who was instrumental in defeating the Sidrians, as they are afraid of
fire. Lilandra managed to clone a newer, more muscular body for Xavier
after he was infected by the Brood Queen's egg, and was now able to
walk again. Meanwhile, an underground group of mutants known as the
Morlocks abducted Warren Worthington from his penthouse as a wedding
present to their leader Callisto. Notified by Warren's girlfriend, Candy Southern, the X-Men make their way into the sewers.
Storm, usually known as a pacifist, reluctantly fought and defeated
Callisto, thereby becoming the Morlocks' new leader. The X-Men were
shocked to receive a surprise guest into their home as Rogue, escaping
the Brotherhood, came to look for help in controlling her powers. The
X-Men were not too thrilled, especially Carol Danvers, who left the
team to join the Starjammers. Logan announces that he is engaged to Mariko Yashida and plans to marry her in Japan. The festivities are almost ruined when Mariko's cousin, the Silver Samurai, and the Viper
try to assassinate them. With Rogue's help, Wolverine defeats them and
she proves herself to be a member of the team. Unfortunately, Mariko
decides not to marry Logan and the wedding is annulled. It's revealed
to be the work of Jason Wyngarde, the Mastermind, who is seeking revenge for his defeat with the Hellfire Club. While hanging out with the wild and untamed Yukio,
a friend of Wolverine's, Storm discovers the thrill of rebellion and
makes a radical change. She ditches her goddess robes and long hair in
favor of a brand-new "punk" look, complete with a mohawk and leather
ensemble. Meanwhile, Cyclops manages to move on after his relationship
with Lee Forrester goes nowhere.
While visiting his grandparents in Alaska with Alex and Corsair, he meets a mysterious woman who looks exactly like the late Jean Grey. Her name is Madelyne Pryor,
a pilot from Anchorage with no memory of her past. A romance soon
develops between the two and they eventually get married at the
X-Mansion in front of family and friends (in honor of the 20th
anniversary of the series). On their honeymoon, they are attacked by a
giant octopus during a horrible storm out at sea. With his powers,
Scott survives and they enjoy the rest of their honeymoon. (Uncanny X-Men #165-176)
While out on the town at the opera, another attack by the
Brotherhood of Evil Mutants leaves Colossus in a solidified state and
near death. With the help of Nightcrawler's girlfriend/foster sister, Amanda Sefton,
he is saved. Peter realizes that his love for Kitty has changed,
especially after meeting his extraterrestrial love Zsaji on the
Beyonder's homeworld. Though broken-hearted, Kitty accepts this. Logan
decides to teach Peter a lesson when he is involved in a barroom brawl
with Cain Marko, the Juggernaut. Peter loses the fight and accepts his
lesson. Kitty is later abducted by Morlocks and brought in to marry
Caliban, a Morlock who is in love with her. Storm uses her newfound
power as the Morlocks' leader and saves Kitty. Meanwhile, Rachel
Summers has escaped her bleak future and comes to the past to find the
X-Men. Unbeknownst to her, she is being stalked by Selene,
an evil immortal mutant "vampire", who is consumed by her great latent
power. Rachel meets nightclub owner Nick Damiano, who invites Rachel to
stay with him. Selene kills Nick and tries to kill Rachel when a fire
breaks out and Selene engages in a psychic battles with Charles, who
successfully defeats her and Rachel returns to Salem Center with the
X-Men.
Storm follows Rogue to her home in Mississippi where they are
attacked by Henry Peter Gyrich and members of SHIELD, who are out to
bring Rogue into custody. When a shot meant to de-power Rogue hits
Storm instead, she loses control of herself and her powers. Ororo is
rescued by Forge, a mutant inventor working for Gyrich, after she fallsl into a river. Forge brings her back to his home in Dallas, Texas
and begins a brief romance with her. Yet, Storm began to hold Forge in
contempt, when she found out he was the reason she lost her abilities.
Storm left and rejoined the X-Men. Storm later returned to Forge, to
help him fight the Dire Wraiths. The Dire Wraiths resurfaced to prevent
Forge from perfecting his neutralizer and they were defeated by the
combined forces of the X-Men, Magik
and Amanda Sefton. While on an expedition at sea, Lee Forrester finds
an unconscious Magneto floating in the water and saves his life from
sharks. Magneto declares himself reformed. (Uncanny X-Men #177-188)
Selene returns and tries to attack Rachel and New Mutants member Amara Aquilla, known as Magma. Kulan Gath, now returned to the height of his power, transformed Manhattan
into a likeness of his native time. Everyone trapped on the island
believed that the transformed world was the true world, with the
exceptions of his enemy Spider-Man and the modern-day Sorcerer Supreme,
Doctor Strange.
Kulan Gath mystically bound Strange, and transformed Professor X and
Caliban into a hybrid creature under his control. He also took control
of the minds of the Avengers, the X-Men, the New Mutants and the Morlocks, who hunted down Spider-Man.
In the end, Spider-Man and several other heroes were killed by Kulan
Gath, his enemy Selene, or the mind-controlled agents of one of the
two. Strange and the New Mutant Magik used their powers to change time
so that the mugger who had originally killed Jaime Rodriquez and had
been Kulan Gath's host had instead been slain by the time-travelling
android Nimrod,
creating a new divergent timeline in which all the changes and deaths
caused by Gath never occurred. In the process of the mugger's death,
Kulan Gath's amulet was lost in the New York City sewers; Gath,
however, still possessed the memories of the original timeline.
While teaching at Columbia University,
Charles is attacked and beaten by his students who suspected him of
being a mutant. He was saved by Morlock known as Healer and returned to
the X-Men. Kitty manages to find the perpetrators of the hate crime and
they beaten by the X-Men. Another encounter with Juggernaut
ensues, but this time Nimrod interferes and defeats him. Wolverine
helps the Power Pack kids when they are stalked by Annalee, a member of
the Morlocks. And Rachel makes a great discovery when she visits Jean
Grey's parents' house. It was here that she would assume the role of
"Phoenix" in honor of her late mother. While at a memorial for
Holocaust victims, Magneto, who was also a survivor, is arrested by the
fomer Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, now calling themselves Freedom Force and working for the government under Dr. Valerie Cooper.
Magneto is put on trial in Paris, France for crimes against humanity
and is attacked by Andrea and Andreas Strucker, the twin children of Baron Wolfgang Von Strucker, who call themselves Fenris.
They are defeated by the X-Men and Magneto is exonerated by the
tribunal court. However, Charles is gravely injured from the battle and
is dying, brought on by stress and the brutal attack by his college
students. With no other choice, Lilandra takes Charles up into space
for treatment. Charles makes Magneto the new headmaster of the X-Men
and New Mutants and departs from Earth. Meanwhile, Madelyne goes into
labor and gives birth to a son, Nathan Christopher Summers. (Uncanny X-Men #189-200)
With Xavier far away in space with the Shi'ar and Magneto
in charge of the school, the X-Men are immediately thrown into turmoil.
Cyclops made one last bid for leadership of the X-Men and battled
against Storm, who had been serving as leader while Cyclops was away.
Quite surprisingly, Storm defeated Scott and resumed her duties as
leader of the X-Men. Cyclops decided to leave the team and start a new
life with Madelyne and baby Nathan. However, following an urgent call
from his former teammates in the original X-Men, Jean is discovered to
be alive and well after the Avengers and Fantastic Four discover her in
a cocoon at the bottom of Jamaica Bay. This leads to the formation of X-Factor.
While on a trip to San Francisco, the Sentinels had returned, as did
the Beyonder. After several years together, Nightcrawler and Amanda
decide to end their relationship, leaving him very distraught. In San
Francisco, Freedom Force are determined to bring in the X-Men, but are
quickly defeated even with new members Spiral and the new Spider-Woman. The Hellfire Club inducts a new member to their group, Selene, as their "Black Queen" and her manservant Friedrich Von Roehm as "Black Rook".
Selene still coveted Rachel's energy and stalked her in New York.
When Logan stormed the Hellfire Club, Rachel was undercover in her own
mission to destroy Selene. But when Rachel had a change of heart and
tried to stop him, Logan stabbed Rachel with his claws. She survived,
but decides to leave the X-Men and disappears with Spiral, a member of
Freedom Force. The X-Men fought the Hellfire Club in Central Park, but
were interrupted by Nimrod. The teams briefly banded together and destroyed the robot. During the fracas, Harry Leland
suffered a heart attack and died, while Von Roehm was disintegrated by
Nimrod's laser beam. Strange and unexplained murders began to take
place within the Morlock community as Annalee's children were found
dead. The culprits were revealed to be the Marauders, whose members included Scalphunter, Arclight, Harpoon, Scrambler, Vertigo and Riptide.
The X-Men were brought in to help them, but also suffered casualties.
The Marauders took the fight to the other mutant teams such as the New
Mutants and X-Factor, as well as the other superpowered teams and
heroes like Power Pack, Daredevil, and Thor.
Other members of the Marauders, such as Prism and Blockbuster,
are killed elsewhere by the heroes (Blockbuster by Thor; Prism by Jean
of X-Factor). Colossus, in a shocking move, snaps Riptide's neck and
kills him. Kitty and Nightcrawler were severely injured in the fight as
well. Sabretooth, another member of the Marauders, had the Morlocks'
Healer held captive in the tunnels and engaged in a losing battle with
his old nemesis Wolverine. The surviving members of the Morlocks, such
as Callisto and Sunder,
seek refuge at the X-Mansion and later, along with Kitty, Nightcrawler,
and Colossus, who is suffering from paralysis, are immediately sent
away to Muir Island for further treatment. (Uncanny X-Men #201-212)
After a final battle between Sabretooth and Wolverine in a rematch
inside the mansion, the "Mutant Massacre" was over. With Kitty, Kurt
and Peter sent away to Muir Island, several new members joined the
X-Men. Betsy Braddock, known as Psylocke,
had joined the group the previous year; Alison Blaire, the Dazzler,
joined the team after an encounter with another member of the
Marauders, known as Malice, left her possessed but was rescued by
Storm. Malice's next victim was Lorna Dane, who began to act
irrational. Alex leaves Muir Island and rejoins the X-Men while Lorna,
in possession of Malice, joins the Marauders. Longshot
was the final new member to join the team after escaping the evil Mojo
and his Mojoworld. Ororo was kidnapped by three former World War II
veterans: the Crimson Commando, Stonewall and Super Sabre. They were a trio of vigilantes who captured criminals, released them and hunted them in Adirondack State Park
in upstate New York. The trio killed the criminals, both to reduce the
criminal element in society and for the enjoyment of hunting them. The
trio captured Pamela Morrison, a drug dealer, and mistaking Ororo for a
criminal, the trio hunted and captured her as well. The women were set
out for the vigilantes to hunt both to their deaths. The Crimson
Commando killed Morrison, but Logan arrived to help Ororo. When they
eventually defeat the trio, Stonewall and Crimson Commando agree to
turn themselves in to law enforcement authorities and confess their
vigilantism. Stonewall, Crimson Commando, and Super Sabre (who had been
presumed dead) agreed to join Freedom Force in exchanged for a
commutation of their sentences.
Madelyne Pryor, now alone with baby Nathan after Scott abandoned her
to rejoin Jean in X-Factor, was attacked by Scalphunter and Arclight of
the Marauders and left for dead. They kidnapped baby Nathan and brought
him to their leader, who was revealed to be Mr. Sinister,
who it turns out has been secretly manipulating Scott for the longest
time, causing him to lose his leadership status in the X-Men and for
leaving his wife and child. The X-Men rescue an injured Madelyne and
bring her into the group. A brief encounter with Juggernaut also takes
place in England as Rogue, Betsy, Alison, Longshot, and Alex prove
themselves in battle. Back in San Francisco, the X-Men encounter the
Marauders again and set up their base on Alcatraz. Peter, fully healed
from his injuries during the "Mutant Massacre", rejoins the group.
Meanwhile, Ororo returns to seek out Nazé and Forge in the hopes of
regaining her powers. Unbeknownst to her, Nazé is really a demon known
as the Adversary,
who banishes Storm and Forge into an other-world realm. Eventually, she
regains her powers and escapes from the other-world realm with Forge.
When the X-Men get word from Storm, they join her in Dallas for a
showdown with the Adversary. (Uncanny X-Men #213-224)
The Fall of the Mutants storyline began as the X-Men encounter Freedom Force,
who are under orders to arrest the X-Men for refusing to comply with
the Mutant Registration Act, and a fight ensues. Freedom Force's mutant
precogDestiny
has a vision: everyone inside a particular Dallas skyscraper at dawn
will be dead. Calling a temporary truce, they turn to restoring order
to the chaos engulfing the city. Many of the events are broadcast on
television by reporter Neal Conan and cameraman Manoli Wetherell,
who accompany the X-Men and Freedom Force. Storm and Forge meanwhile
find themselves in a pristine, natural world all to themselves. Storm
spends most of the year in solitude until she is finally ready to make
her peace with him. Forge uses his shaman magic in conjunction with her
returned lightning powers to open a portal back to Dallas. The Adversary,
the creature responsible for the chaos they now found themselves in, is
released. As Storm and Forge join the battle, it quickly becomes
apparent that the Adversary cannot be defeated, and the only way to be
rid of him is to seal him away forever. As foreseen by Destiny, the
X-Men die. However, the goddess Roma returns them all to life. She gives them the Siege Perilous, telling them they could use it to 'reset' time should they be discovered.
Starting their new lives in the Australian Outback after defeating the cybernetic team known as the Reavers, they meet the Aborigine known as Gateway
who is able to teleport the team anywhere in the world. As they began
to get used to life away from Salem Center and the X-Mansion, they were
faced with the return of the Brood, who were infecting a nearby town
with their hatchling, and S'ym, who would be instrumental in the Inferno
storyline the following year. The X-Men were faced with their biggest
challenge against the island nation of Genosha, which was located off
the east coast of Africa, to the north of Madagascar, and boasted a
high standard of living, an excellent economy, and freedom from the
political and racial turmoil that characterized neighboring nations.
However, Genosha's prosperity was built upon the enslavement of its
mutant population. Mutants in Genosha were the property of the state
and children who were positively identified with the mutant gene were
put through a process developed by David Moreau, commonly known as the Genegineer.
The Genegineer was also capable of modifying certain mutant
abilities in order to fulfill specific labor shortages. Citizenship in
Genosha is permanent and the government does not recognize any
emigration. Citizens who attempt to leave the country are tracked down
and forcibly brought back to the island by the special police force
known as Magistrates, and mutant problems are handled by a special group known as the Press Gang. The Press Gang consisted of Hawkshaw, Pipeline, and Punchout, and were aided in their task by Wipeout.
Dr. Moreau was even willing to turn his son's girlfriend, Jennifer
Ransome, into a mutate when she tested positive. His son, Philip
Moreau, fled the country with Jennifer and would oppose Genosha's
policies from abroad. The Genoshan enforcers known as the Magistrates
and the privileged mutants known as the Press Gang were sent after
them. They captured Jennifer and her friend Madelyne Pryor, not knowing
that Madelyne's friends are the X-Men. Moreau turns Jennifer into a
mutate, altering her latent mutant power of cellular manipulation, and
investigates Madelyne, who turns out to be not quite human, but not a
mutant either. Shortly afterwards, Madelyne and Jennifer are saved by
the X-Men and Genosha is destroyed.
Back in Australia, Madelyne began a romance with Alex, who was still
heartbroken over Lorna's betrayal. While monitoring news transmissions,
she began to exhibit strange behavior after she learned that Jean Grey
was alive and with Scott. Seeing the evidence of Scott's betrayal,
Madelyne punched the computer monitor's screen, breaking it and causing
electrical feedback that rendered her unconscious. Illyana's
treacherous Limbo-demon, S'ym, then invaded Madelyne's mind during her
unconscious state, and offered her the power to hurt Scott just as he
had hurt her. Helpless and in confusion, she unwittingly accepted the
offer; the formerly heroic woman thus began the transformation into the
Goblin Queen. (Uncanny X-Men #225-239)
Madelyne becomes the Goblin Queen and, with the help of S'ym and N'astirh, turn New York into a literal "Hell on Earth". The X-Men are reunited with the members of X-Factor and the New Mutants,
with many members falling into the darkness, but Colossus is one of the
few who remains wholly immune to the effects of Inferno, due to the
protection of his organic steel armor, which is a naturally disruptive
force against magic. While the bulk of the demons are banished back to
Limbo after Illyana chooses to give up her demonic powers and returns
to her child-like body again, Madelyne and her servants remain. Still,
many parts of the city remain demonically transmogrified. N'astirh is
destroyed by the combined efforts of the X-Men and X-Factor, and
finally only Madelyne herself is left. Mr. Sinister, who returns with the Marauders,
reveals to Madelyne that she is a clone of Jean Grey created to meet
Scott and produce a child. Sinister also reveals to have manipulated
Scott's life since early childhood. Jean battles her clone and despite
Madelyne's powers being enhanced by demonic magic, gained the upper
hand. Finally, unable to go on, Madelyne forcibly links herself to
Jean's mind and wills herself to die, attempting to take Jean with her.
As Madelyne breathed her last breath, the fragment of the Phoenix Force
that first gave her life emerges and bids Jean to use its power to save
herself. Jean does so, thus breaking Madelyne's mental hold on her and
New York then returns to normal. The X-Men and X-Factor go after Mister
Sinister, responsible for the manipulations which led to Madelyne's
creation, who is hiding out in the X-Mansion. Cyclops blasts Sinister
to a smolder and is seemingly destroyed. Sadly, the mansion is also
destroyed in the process.
With the end of Inferno, Storm, Dazzler, Rogue and Psylocke take a shopping trip in L.A. where a young girl, Jubilee,
follows them into a portal back to Australia after escaping the
M-Squad. She uses her wits to stay in hiding in the base while the
X-Men remain unaware of her. While she is living in the underground
base, Gateway,
who created the portal to the Hollywood Mall, is the only being aware
of Jubilee's existence. During her stay in the base, she steals food
and borrows clothes from several of the X-Men to create a makeshift
costume for herself. Peter notices evidence of her food gathering but
is distracted by the attack of Nanny.
Jubilee personally battles Nanny, and finds that her energy powers
neutralize the brainwashing power-manifestations Nanny emits. She is
also attacked by a cybernetic dog, and is forced to use her powers in
self-defense by blowing up the beast. She stays in hiding until the
X-Men have abandoned the base, and their enemies, the Reavers, have captured Logan. Yuriko Oyama, now calling herself Lady Deathstrike and a former lover of Logan's, and Donald Pierce,
the leader of the Reavers, have Logan crucified on a giant "X" and
leave him to die. With the accidental "death" of Ororo by Alex during
their battle with Nanny and the Orphan Maker, and the defeat of the
returning Master Mold and loss of Rogue via the Siege Perilous, the
remaining members decided to "start over" and also entered the Siege
Perilous portal themselves. At this point, the focus shifted with
different groups of X-Men and characters around the world. Polaris is
abducted by her "sister" Zaladane
to the Savage Land and loses her magnetic powers, but gains
genetically-altered powers of super-strength instead and finds
sanctuary on Muir Island with Moira, Sean, and Forge, who assemble a new team of "X-Men" consisting of Charles' son David Haller, Amanda Sefton, Forge, Lorna, Moira, Sean, Tom Corsi, and Sunder of the Morlocks. A showdown between this group, Freedom Force, and the Reavers ended with the deaths of Destiny and Stonewall and an injured Avalanche. Logan and Jubilee leave Australia for Madripoor where he starts training her and meet with a transformed Betsy, who is now a mysterious Asian woman serving under the Mandarin in nearby Hong Kong. (Uncanny X-Men #240-256)
This section's plot summary may be too long or overly detailed. Please help improve it by removing unnecessary details and making it more concise. (October 2010)
The members of the X-Men who had stepped through the Siege Perilous
are eventually resurrected, living in new areas of the world and
working in several occupations without any memory of their previous
lives as superheroes. The last part of Acts of Vengeance ends with Wolverine reuniting with a transformed Psylocke with the help of Jubilee. The Morlocks, now under the leadership of Masque, battle Forge, Banshee and Jean Grey, a member of X-Factor. Rogue rids herself of Carol Danvers's psyche and escapes to the Savage Land. The Shadow King possesses Val Cooper and has her disband Freedom Force and "shoot" Mystique. In Cairo, Illinois, Storm is reverted to a girl's body, meet a mysterious mutant named Gambit, who helps her escape the Shadow King. The Genoshan Magistrates, this time with a reformed Havok on their side, return to abduct members of the X-Men, X-Factor, and New Mutants, which leads into the X-Tinction Agenda storyline. The mutants are all reunited as they battle the maniacal and homicidal Cameron Hodge in Genosha. (Uncanny X-Men #257-271)
As the X-Tinction Agenda storyline wraps up, Cameron Hodge is destroyed and Genosha is once again at peace. The X-Teams reconvene at the mansion where Lila Cheney returns from space to warn them that Professor Xavier and Lilandra are in trouble. The X-Men are teleported into space and rescue Xavier, Lilandra and the Starjammers from the Skrulls,
who are impersonating them. Magneto and Rogue, who have begun an
affair, have allied with Ka-Zar and Nick Fury of SHIELD to battle Zaladane and her Savage Land Mutates.
Magneto returns to his evil ways and kills Zaladane. Rogue regains her
memory and rejoins the X-Men to battle and eventually defeat the Shadow
King during the Muir Island Saga.
Xavier's spine is crushed and reverts to being confined to a
wheelchair. The X-Men split into two separate groups - the Blue Team
(Cyclops, Wolverine, Rogue, Gambit, Psylocke, and Jubilee) and Gold
Team (Storm, Archangel, Colossus, Iceman, Jean Grey). Bishop, a mutant from the future, joins the team to hunt down mutant criminals of the future, including the evil Trevor Fitzroy. (Uncanny X-Men #272-283)
Colossus reunites with his older brother Mikhail Rasputin,
who died in a space shuttle mission. Mikhail temporarily joins the team
until a mad group of Morlocks cause a rampage through New York. A fight
between the X-Men and the Morlocks is taken to the streets where the
X-Men succeed in defeating them, but Mikhail decides to remain with the
Morlocks as their new leader and is swept away in a flash flood
underground with the rest of the Morlocks. Bishop, Malcolm and Randall
continue to hunt down criminals from the future and search for Trevor Fitzroy.
Malcolm and Randall are eventually killed and Bishop avenges them with
the help of the X-Men. Somewhere in the future, Bishop remembers that
someone in the X-Men will eventually betray them and get them killed.
Forge proposes marriage to Storm, but takes her initial silence as a
no, which forces him to leave the X-Men for good before Storm can say
yes. At a benefit concert in Central Park Xavier is shot by a man resembling Cable and lies in critical condition. The teams of X-Men, X-Factor, and X-Force (formerly the New Mutants) are called into battle, which leads to the X-Cutioner's Song storyline. (Uncanny X-Men #284-295)
It is revealed that it is Cable's evil clone, Stryfe, is the culprit behind Xavier's shooting in an attempt to destroy Apocalypse for infecting Cable with the Legacy Virus. Illyana Rasputin is infected with the virus and eventually dies. Xavier survives the assassination attempt by Stryfe and both he and Apocalypse are defeated. Uncanny X-Men celebrates its 30th anniversary with the return of Magneto and a new band of mutant underlings, the Acolytes.
Despondent over losing his brother and sister, Colossus leaves the
X-Men and joins Magneto's Acolytes aboard their new headquarters,
"Avalon", in outer space. Another major storyline called Fatal Attractions
takes place where Magneto has Wolverine's adamantium completely removed
from his skeleton and turns him into an animal. With no choice left,
Xavier renders Magneto into a vegetative state while the X-Men battle
the Acolytes. The Avengers and West Coast Avengers join the X-Men against Magneto's former protegee Fabian Cortez, who kidnaps Magneto's granddaughter Luna, amidst another civil war in Genosha. Exodus, another disciple of Magneto's, comes to Genosha and kills Cortez. Luna is eventually reunited with her parents Quicksilver and Crystal of the Inhumans. (Uncanny X-Men #296-307)
Jean proposes marriage to Cyclops, who gladly accepts, and they are
married in front of friends, family and fellow teammates. Cyclops and
Cable reconcile and begin mending their relationship during a battle
with X-Cutioner. In a dream, Xavier examines his past relationships with women, particular one of his former lovers, Amelia Voght, now a member of Magneto's Acolytes. Yukio
returns to the X-Mansion and hooks up with her old friends Wolverine
and Storm, who are in the midst of a battle with alien beings known as
the Phalanx.
Sabretooth is taken prisoner, briefly reforms and helps the X-Men in
their fight against the Phalanx. Archangel and Psylocke begin an
affair. Xavier manages to guide Emma Frost back into her original body and, with the help of Banshee, forms a new group of young mutants known as Generation X. Colossus helps an Acolyte known as Neophyte,
who is on trial by the Acolytes for treason after aiding the X-Men and
allowing them to discover their headquarters. Jubilee is transferred
from the X-Men and moves to the former Massachusetts Academy, now
calling itself the Xavier School for Gifted Youngsters, with the new
students and Frost and Cassidy, now lovers, serving as their
headmasters; the X-Mansion in New York is renamed "The Xavier Institute
for Higher Learning". Xavier begins to have nightmares of his son
Legion, who plans on saving the future by killing Magneto. (Uncanny X-Men #308-319)
Legion goes back in time twenty years to Israel with the intent to
kill Magneto, but accidentally kills Xavier, setting off a chain of
events that disrupts the timeline and sets up the "Age of Apocalypse" storyline. After the timeline is eventually restored, an incapacitated Juggernaut warns Bishop and Beast about the coming of Onslaught.
Cannonball graduates from X-Force and joins the X-Men as the "Blue" and
"Gold" teams are merged. A new group of Morlocks, led by Marrow,
take to the streets and clash with the X-Men. Iceman and Rogue go on
the road with Gambit, who awakens from his coma after kissing Rogue,
chasing after them. The Acolytes's satellite headquarters "Avalon"
crashes to Earth and Magneto is found by a group of children in Mexico.
Now calling himself "Joseph" and with no memory as Magneto, he is
welcomed by a nun named Sister Maria and the children who found him. (Uncanny X-Men #320-327)
Sabretooth breaks free from captivity and attacks Psylocke, nearly
killing her. Wolverine and Archangel go to Chinatown to find a cure for
her called the "Crimson Dawn" from Gomurr the Ancient. Psylocke is
cured of her wounds and receives a "Crimson Scar" on her face. Emma
Frost helps Iceman reach his full potential with his ice powers, while
Rogue and Gambit decide to break up. Wolverine becomes more feral since
losing his adamantium skeleton and decides to attack Apocalypse's
former disciple Ozymandias.
Later, Ozymandias tells Archangel that his newly-restored feathered
wings are a "present" to him by Apocalypse. Gambit and Rogue discover
Joseph on the streets of New York and brings him to the X-Mansion.
Meanwhile, the threat of Onslaught soon becomes real as the split
psyche of Xavier and Magneto merges into one being. Members of the
Avengers and Fantastic Four are called into battle when Onslaught abducts Franklin Richards,
son to Reed and Sue of the latter team, and aid the X-Men in defeating
Onslaught. They "sacrifice" themselves and are supposed killed when, in
actuality, the Avengers and Fantastic Four were placed in a pocket
dimension much different than the regular Marvel Universe. They would
eventually return a year later to the correct dimension. Xavier is
taken into government custody and the X-Men are to left to pick up the
pieces. (Uncanny X-Men #328-339)
Iceman's father, William, is severely beaten by one of Graydon Creed's
henchmen and is left for dead when they discover that he has a mutant
for a son. With the help of Cannonball, Iceman infiltrates the
organization but Creed is eventually assassinated by a future version
of Mystique, his own mother. During Christmas, Gladiator of the
Shi'ar's Imperial Guard battles Cannonball to a standstill and
transports half of the X-Men to battle the Phalanx, who are attacking
the Shi'ar empire. After the X-Men defeat the Phalanx, all except
Bishop, who remains in outer space with Deathbird, crash-land back to
Earth into the Savage Land where their powers are dampened by a robot
calling itself "Nanny". With their powers temporarily gone, Rogue and
Gambit make love together for the first time. Unbeknownst to Joseph, a
mutant calling himself Maggott is on his trail. Meanwhile, a man know as Bastion sets up an initiative, and eventual storyline, known as Operation: Zero Tolerance
to end the threat of mutants. Marrow and Callisto attack Henry Peter
Gyrich, but are stopped by Spider-Man. It is revealed that Gambit took
part in helping Mr. Sinister find the Marauders and led them to kill the Morlocks years ago during the Mutant Massacre.
Despite having rescued Marrow as a child during the massacre, Gambit is
eventually found guilty for his crimes and is cast out of the team. (Uncanny X-Men #340-350)
Cecilia Reyes, who briefly joined the X-Men during Operation: Zero Tolerance, returns to her practice as a doctor and privately treats Daredevil and Pyro,
infected by the Legacy Virus, causes her to lose her job at the
hospital. She returns to the X-Men as a permanent member. Cyclops and
Jean battle against A.I.M. agents who hijack their plane bound for
Alaska that contains a mysterious entity. Sauron attacks the team at the mansion and seemingly prevails after draining Wolverine and Joseph, but is soon defeated. Rogue decides to visit the Agee Institute to rid herself of her powers. Bishop realizes that Deathbird is keeping him captive. Shadow King reappears in Africa, being defeated by Psylocke,
who traps him is her mind, forcing her to temporarily shut her
telepathy down. In Alaska, Cyclops discovers Jean wearing her old Phoenix costume and begins to act strangely. Alpha Flight
returns once again to take Wolverine back to Canada. Rogue has second
thoughts about losing her powers and discovers that Mystique is
involved with Dr. Agee. Kitty Pryde
is kidnapped by a group of mutants calling themselves "X-Men" and
discovers that Xavier is their leader. Later, both she and Storm
discover that Juggernaut is dying when they meet his partner Black Tom Cassidy
in South Korea and are attacked by warriors. Marrow joins the X-Men and
develops a romantic interest in Colossus. Rogue decides to search for
Gambit while the rest of the X-Men decide to find Xavier and rescue
him, thus beginning the Search for Xavier crossover with X-Men. (Uncanny X-Men #351-362)
The X-Men battle the Brotherhood of Mutants on Alcatraz and discover that a powerless Xavier is their leader. Later, they come into contact with a unit of Cerebro calling itself "Cerebrite Beta". Mimic,
now a member of the Brotherhood, is vaporized by "Cerebrite Alpha". On
Christmas Eve, Colossus is visited by the ghost of his deceased sister Illyana. Magneto and the Acolytes return once again, setting the stage for the "Magneto War" storyline. It was revealed that Joseph
was not, in fact, a de-aged and amnesiac Magneto, but a clone. He is
eventually killed in battle with Magneto. After Joseph's funeral, the
X-Men are abducted by an alien called Ejulp to rescue Juggernaut. Later, they arrive on a Skrull moon about to be devoured by Galactus. They return home to their proper dimension and planet and Kitty returns to Muir Island to help the members of Excalibur search for a missing Douglock, a reanimated being of the deceased Doug Ramsey and Warlock. Mikhail Rasputin returns once more, having survived death with Callisto
by creating portal and entering another dimension. Unbeknownst to
Colossus and Marrow, who are abducted, he is possessed by a strange
entity. Deathbird delivers the Living Monolith to Apocalypse and is double-crossed. Xavier later discovers that a Skrull was impersonating Wolverine while they were in space, and that the real Logan was still missing. (Uncanny X-Men #363-375)
When Apocalypse returned, he claimed to know the Twelve,
the only twelve mutants who could unite to destroy him. Cyclops
defeated him by merging with him, leading to Jean Grey's departure and
"The Search for Cyclops" storyline.
A different squad led by Angel introduced Stacy X.
Northstar rejoins during this time. The X-Men gain a nurse after it is
revealed that Havok is alive and being looked after by her. During this
time, Storm broke off of the main team and took many members with her,
forming the X-Treme X-Men, whose purpose was to find the diaries of the mutant precognitive, Destiny.
The results of this were the death of Psylocke, the return and second
mutation of Beast, the addition of Gambit to the group, and the
introduction of new members Lifeguard and Slipstream.
Storm's team returns with Rachel Grey and Storm forms a new team, X.S.E. The new team consists of Storm, Bishop, Sage, Cannonball, Rachel Grey, Nightcrawler, and Wolverine. Their first several missions included rescuing X-23 from the Savage Land, taking down the new Hellfire Club, and the resurrection of Psylocke, who would later join the Exiles. The team continues to change and develop until "Messiah Complex," where all the teams come together. The entire X-Men team relocates to San Francisco. There, they fight the Hellfire Cult and the Sisterhood of Mutants,
being led by Madelyne Pryor in her new guise as the Red Queen, but she
is later revealed not to be the true Madelyne, but a psionic ghost
manifestation of her Goblin Queen persona. Psylocke returned from the
Exiles during this time as well. The events of "Dark Reign" are also putting a strain on the X-Men due to the involvement of the Dark X-Men and the Dark Avengers.
The events of that storyline concluded with Cyclops establishing a new
island haven for mutantkind called Utopia, built on the remains of Asteroid M. Namor, Cloak and Dagger defected from Osborn's side and joined the team formally as well.
The ongoing Nation X
storyline will focus on the return of the re-powered Magneto. It is
also hinted that Jean Grey will return sometime soon; although, whether
this will be after the events of Dark Reign is unknown. This was
revealed by writer Matt Fraction in a recent interview from an Uncanny X-Men issue.[citation needed]
In previous interviews with writers of the series, when asked about
whether or not Jean Grey will return, the answer has most commonly
been, "Jean Grey is dead."[citation needed] However, Fraction stated in an interview that the mutant messiah Hope Summers
looks remarkably like Jean. This was further alluded to during the
aftermath of Second Coming when Emma Frost not only saw an image of the
Phoenix Force in Hope's vicinity, but also witnessed her momentarily
taking on the appearance of Jean as well.[1]
Since the introduction of 1991's X-Men series, the plotlines
of the various titles have intermingled to varying degrees. However,
they were split into two groups: the Gold Team (featured in The Uncanny X-Men), which consisted of Storm, Bishop, Colossus, Archangel, Iceman, and Jean Grey; and the Blue Team (featured in X-Men),
which consisted of Cyclops, Psylocke, Beast, Wolverine, Jubilee, Rogue,
and Gambit. From 1991–1995, briefly in 1997, and from 2000 on, The Uncanny X-Men and X-Men featured different battalions of X-Men. Appearances of an Uncanny X-Men character in X-Men,
or vice versa, was common, but major stories featuring the characters
were normally featured in their respective monthly title.
From 1995–1996, when Scott Lobdell was writing both series, and from 1998–2000, when Alan Davis was writing both, Uncanny X-Men and X-Men were effectively treated as a single bi-weekly series, in which plotlines from Uncanny X-Men led directly into the next issue of X-Men.
Like many popular comic book series, Uncanny X-Men also had an associated double-sized annual series, once in both 1970 and 1971, then regularly from 1979–2001. After the success of the Ultimate annuals, a second series of Uncanny X-Men Annual began in 2006 (as volume 2, issue #1).
Professor X
- Founded and created the X-Men in issue #1. Xavier remained leader and
mentor of the X-Men for a long time. He briefly left in issue #39 and
had Changeling shapeshift and pretend to be him in his absence. The
X-Men thought Xavier to be dead when Changeling died while
impersonating him in issue #42. He returned in issue #65 after a battle
with the Z-Knox. He later briefly left the series in issue #117 when
the X-Men thought him and Jean Grey to be dead and vice versa. He
returned in issue #129 only to leave again in issue #200 when he was
dying. He moved to the Shi'Ar and did not return again until issue
#276. He remained with the X-Men off and on until his retirement in
issue #443. He later returned during Cyclops' leadership in issue #475
to lead his own team of X-Men to space. The X-Men once again thought
him to be dead when he was shot in the head by Bishop, but he later
returned in issue #515 and remains a member of the X-Men now.
(1963–1968, 1970–1979, 1980–1985, 1986, 1991–1996, 1997, 1998–2004,
2006–present)
Cyclops
- First X-Man recruited by Professor X. He was the original field
leader and student of the Xavier Institute. He remained in this
position until issue #177 when he retired to start a family with
Madelyne Pryor. After Jean Grey was revealed alive he joined X-Factor
until the team merged with the X-Men in issue #280. He starred in X-Men
(vol. 2) until issue #316 when the blue and gold teams merged. He later
retired around issue 358, but later returned in issue #375 only to
seemingly die when he merged minds with Apocalypse. He was revealed
alive and then starred in other X-Men books until issue #492. Cyclops
once again became a main character of the Uncanny X-Men and leader of
all X-Men squads. (1963–1980, 1981–1986, 1989, 1991–1998, 1999–present)
Iceman
- Second X-Man recruited by Professor X. He was the youngest member of
the original team and remained with the team until he quit in issue 94
while protesting Xavier allowing the new X-Men to stay with them. He
joined many other teams such as the Champions, Defenders, and X-Factor
until he returned to the X-Men in issue #281. He once again quit when
his father was injured in issue #340. He made some appearances until he
began starring in the Uncanny X-Men series again in issue #395. He remained with the team until being transferred to the X-Men (vol. 2) book. He later returned to the Uncanny X-Men book in issue #492 and remains an active member of the team and of the Uncanny X-Men series. (1963–1971, 1972–1975, 1981, 1989, 1991–1997, 2001–2004, 2007–present)
Angel/Archangel
- Third X-Man recruited by Professor X. He remained with the team until
quitting alongside other members in protest of the new X-Men being
invited to stay on the team. He briefly returned to replace Cyclops
from issues 139-148, but did not return full time again until issue
#281. In his absence he joined the Champions, Defenders, and X-Factor.
He stayed in the series until issue #358 when he quit yet again. He
returned in issue #375 briefly, but did not return full time again
until he became the field leader of the Uncanny X-Men team in issue
#394. He remained in the series until he was sent to Genosha to help
Professor Xavier rebuild the country. He also founded the charitable
organization Mutantes San Frontieres at this time. He later returned in
issue #492 and remains an active member of the X-Men and of the Uncanny X-Men series. (1963–1973, 1974–1975, 1980–1981, 1983, 1989, 1991–1998, 1999–2004, 2007–present)
Beast
- Fourth X-Man recruited by Professor X. He remained with the team
until he quit during the reprint years to join the Avengers. After
leaving the Avengers he also joined the Champions and X-Factor.
X-Factor later merged with the X-Men and Beast starred in X-Men (vol. 2). He returned to the Uncanny X-Men
series in issue #306 until he resigned in issue #358. He briefly
returned from issues #375-390 and remained out of the series until
issue #492 excluding off and on appearances as the team's medical
support. He quit the X-Men in protest of Cyclops' leadership abilities
in issue #519, but briefly returned from issues #523-525 only to quit
again in protest of Cyclops' leadership abilities. He is now a member
of the Secret Avengers. (1963–1972, 1975, 1978–1980, 1989, 1991–1998,
1999–2001, 2007–2010)
Jean Grey - Fifth and final X-Man recruited by Professor X for the original team. She remained in the Uncanny X-Men
series until her death in issue #137 after the Phoenix took control of
her psyche. She was later revealed to be alive by the Fantastic Four
and reunited with the original X-Men as the X-Factor team. She returned
to the X-Men soon after in issue #280 and remained with them until she
retired with Cyclops around issue 358. She returned in issue #375 and
led the team until issue #394. She has not regularly appeared in the
Uncanny X-Men since and later died in New X-Men #150. (1963–1975, 1976–1980, 1981, 1991–1998, 1999–2004)
Polaris
- Joined the team in issue #60, but quit in issue #94 in protest of the
new X-Men being allowed to remain on the X-Men roster. She made several
appearances in the series when she lived with Havok, was brainwashed by
Magneto, was possessed by Malice, was a member of the Muir Island
X-Men, etc. She was briefly on the X-Factor roster as well. She did not
return to the Uncanny X-Men series until issue #423 and remained until issue #443, which marked her move to X-Men
(vol. 2). She returned as a member of Xavier's team in issue #475, but
was left in space in issue #486 and joined the Starjammers in the
battle against Vulcan. (1968–1972, 1974–1975, 1979, 1981, 1989, 1991,
1992, 1993, 2003–2004, 2006–2007)
Havok
- Joined the team in issue #65, but quit in issue #94 in protest of the
new X-Men being allowed to remain on the X-Men roster. He made several
appearances in the series until he regularly returned in issue #219. He
later left to Genosha in issue #253 and joined several other teams
including X-Factor and Mutant X. He returned to the Uncanny X-Men series in issue #423, but left in issue #443 to X-Men
(vol. 2). He was later a member of Xavier's squad in issue #475, but
was left in space in issue #486 and became the leader of the
Starjammers in the battle against Vulcan. (1969–1972, 1974–1975, 1979,
1981, 1987–1991, 1992, 1993, 2003–2004, 2006–2007)
Nightcrawler - First recruit by Professor X to save the original team from Krakoa. He began starring in the Uncanny X-Men
series in issue #94 and remained on the roster until his move to Muir
Island in issue #215. He led Excalibur, but eventually returned to the
X-Men in issue #360 and remained in the Uncanny X-Men series until his death after issue #523. (1975–1987, 1999–2010)
Wolverine - Second recruit by Professor X to save the original team from Krakoa. He starred in the Uncanny X-Men
series off and on as he was not a devoted member of the X-Men. He
filled in as a field leader on occasion. He has appeared in several
solo series, X-Men (vol. 2), Astonishing X-Men, New Avengers, and X-Force. He remains an X-Man now and stars in the Uncanny X-Men series. (1975–present)
Banshee
- Third recruit by Professor X to save the original team from Krakoa.
He starred in the series until he lost his powers in issue #129 and
moved back to Muir Island. He later returned to the X-Men in issue #254
and remained an Uncanny X-Men series star until issue #280. He later left the X-Men to join Emma Frost at the Massachusetts Academy. He later died in X-Men: Deadly Genesis. (1967, 1969, 1975–1980, 1981, 1983, 1985, 1989–1994, 2001)
Storm
- Fourth recruit by Professor X to save the original team from Krakoa.
She has starred in the series longer than any other X-Man. She briefly
left when she lost her powers and when her mind was transferred into a
younger version of herself. She has served as a teacher, mentor, and
field leader. She left to form her own X-Treme X-Men in issue #390, but
later returned in issue #444 until she left yet again in issue #462 to
help in Africa following M-Day. She later returned in issue #487 and
remains an X-Man now and a star of the Uncanny X-Men series. (1975–1989, 1990–2001, 2004–2005, 2007–present)
Colossus - Sixth recruit by Professor X to save the original team from Krakoa. He remained in the Uncanny X-Men
series until being mind-wiped by the Siege Perilous in issue #250. He
later returned to normal state and to the X-Men in issue #280. He
remained with the team until the death of his sister Illyana drove him
to insanity. He later joined the Acolytes and Excalibur. He returned in
issue #361, but died in issue #390. He was later revived in Astonishing X-Men #4 and returned to the Uncanny X-Men series in issue #492 and remains a star of the series and active X-Man now. (1975–1989, 1990–1993, 1998–2001, 2007–present)
Psylocke One of the late 80's recruit, she is the twin sister of British superhero Captain Britain
and a former model and secret agent in UK. She remained in the team
since her joining in 1986, taking 3 long lasting absences: first after
being de-powered by trapping Shadow King
in her mind, after her long lasting death in 2002, and recently after
joining the reality hoping team known as The Exiles. She is currently
an active member staring at Uncanny X-Men series and spin-offs.
(1987–1991, 1992, 1993, 1994–1997, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2005–2006,
2009–present)
Angel, Beast, Cyclops, Iceman, Jean Grey (as Marvel Girl)
#60-64
(1969–1970)
Angel, Beast, Cyclops, Iceman, Jean Grey, Polaris
#65-66
(1970)
Angel, Beast, Cyclops, Havok, Iceman, Jean Grey, Polaris
#67-93
(1970–1975)
The comic continued publication only as reprints of earlier
stories. (Although the characters did make guest appearances in a
number of other Marvel comics).
The X-Men are disassembled. The issues variously feature individual
characters or small groups who have previously been X-Men or been
affiliated with the X-Men.
The series was replaced with Astonishing X-Men (vol. 1) for four months during the "Age of Apocalypse" event. It featured Blink, Morph, Rogue, Sabretooth, Sunfire, and Wild Child.
"The Shattering"/"The Twelve"/"Age of Apocalypse" crossover: After Professor X briefly disbands the team to expose the Skrull
infiltrator, the team learns of the Twelve. As Apocalypse's plans come
to fruition, many X-Men, as well as the members of the Twelve, come
together to battle him, even as he warps reality.
#379-380
(2000)
All mutants worldwide are rendered powerless by the High Evolutionary and Mr. Sinister, leading to an interim team battling them after the X-Men briefly disband.
"Eve of Destruction" crossover: While Cyclops and Wolverine infiltrate Genosha
to save Professor X, Jean Grey forms an interim team composed of
Dazzler, Northstar, Omerta, Sunpyre, Wraith, and a mind-controlled
Frenzy.
Darwin, Havok, Nightcrawler, Polaris, Professor X, Rachel Summers, Warpath
#487-491
(2007)
Caliban, Hepzibah, Nightcrawler, Professor X, Storm, Warpath
#492-494
(2008)
"Messiah Complex" crossover: The whole team comes together under
Cyclops to protect Hope Summers. Also featuring the debut of the new
X-Force team, consisting of Caliban, Hepzibah, Warpath, Wolfsbane, Wolverine, and X-23.
#495-499
(2008)
Although divided, the team gradually starts to reform in San Francisco.
Angel, Beast, Colossus, Cyclops, Dazzler, Doctor Nemesis, Emma Frost, Iceman, Karma, Kavita Rao, Madison Jeffries, Nightcrawler, Northstar, Pixie, Psylocke, Stepford Cuckoos, Storm, Yuriko Takiguchi, Wolverine
#513-514
(2009)
"Dark Avengers"/"Utopia"
crossover: All the mutants in San Francisco battle against Norman
Osborn's Dark Avengers and the group of Dark X-Men he forms under the Black Queen, including Cloak and Dagger, Daken, Dark Beast, Mimic, Mystique, Namor, and Weapon Omega.
#515-522
(2009–2010)
Angel, Boom Boom, Colossus, Cyclops, Dazzler, Doctor Nemesis, Emma Frost, Fantomex,
Iceman, Karma, Kavita Rao, Madison Jeffries, Magneto, Namor,
Nightcrawler, Northstar, Pixie, Professor X, Psylocke, Rogue, Stepford
Cuckoos, Storm, Wolverine
