X-Men (comic book)
X-Men is an ongoing American comic book series featuring the titular team of superheroes, published by Marvel Comics, beginning in September 2010.
The series was preceded by The X-Men vol. 1 and X-Men: Legacy.
Volume 3 began publication in September 2010 and, for most of its run featuring team-ups between the X-Men and other Marvel characters, ended at issue #41 in February 2013. As part of Marvel NOW!, the title was relaunched as a new series written by Brian Wood and featuring an all-female team. X-Men was relaunched as the flagship title again in October 2019 following Jonathan Hickman's House of X and Powers of X, with Hickman writing and art by Leinil Francis Yu. As the fifth volume of the title, the series ran for 21 issues, before it was subsequently relaunched as volume 6 in July 2021. The sixth volume ran for 35 issues through the rest of the Krakoan Age. A seventh volume, written by Jed MacKay, launched in July 2024.
Publication history
Preceding volumes
The first series went through several title changes: it started as The X-Men in 1963, switched to just X-Men in the cover title of issue #50, later changed to The Uncanny X-Men in 1978 with issue #114 with the cover title in issue #394 becoming Uncanny X-Men. In 1991, a second series titled X-Men was launched alongside the still ongoing Uncanny X-Men. The series title changed to New X-Men in 2001 and then switched to X-Men: Legacy with issue #208 in 2008.Volume 3 (2010–2013)
In 2010, a third volume of X-Men was launched. To distinguish itself from the other contemporary X-Men titles, this third volume of X-Men was conceived as a title that would focus on the mutants' role in the wider Marvel Universe and "...firmly integrate the X-Men in the Marvel Universe." As a result, the initial story arcs featured a guest appearance from characters from the Marvel Universe ranging from Spider-Man to Blade.In April 2010, at Chicago Comics & Entertainment Expo, it was announced that the relaunched series would be helmed by writer Victor Gischler with art by Paco Medina. Gischler commented that "the X-Men have been fighting for survival for a long time, but this is the X-Men team the represents a new era. This team engages the Marvel U more in a proactive, mission-oriented way. The particular situation or villains they face will help dictate which guest star is most appropriate for a particular arc". Gischler wrote the first 29 issues and In 2012, was replaced by Brian Wood who wrote issues #30–37. Olivier Coipel joined as the series artist. Wood took the series in a new direction, focusing on Storm leading a security team of X-Men and dropping the 'team-up' element that was previously a part of the book.
The team-up elements were briefly brought back in issues #38 and 39. Seth Peck was the writer for issues #38–41 before it was cancelled in November 2012; the series ended in February 2013.
Volume 4 (2013–2015)
As part of Marvel NOW!, the series was relaunched and it was the first time in the history of the X-Men franchise to have a series composed entirely of female X-Men, with an initial roster of Jubilee, Storm, Rogue, Kitty Pryde, Rachel Grey, and Psylocke. The series brought back both writer Brian Wood with artist by Olivier Coipel. On the roster shift, Wood commented:I think this title here will be an interesting test case, to see if a high-profile book with a high-profile artist and marquee characters can indeed overcome what often happens to books starring female heroes. I think we have a good shot, but even now, based only off the announcement, there's all sorts of negative feedback that ranges from generic sexism, to open hostility, and to lame charges of reverse sexism. Chances are this book will launch very high, but if we can keep it high and resist the typical decline that happens to female-led superhero comics, we'll have proved something and maybe even set a precedent, and that would be fantastic.The first issue was released in May 2013. Coipel left the series after the fourth issue; David Lopez and Terry Dodson then rotated on "art duties". Wood left the series in 2014 with issue #17, saying, "I left the title on my own accord, no drama, no pressure, just moving on".
Marc Guggenheim took over the title starting with issue #18 in August 2014; his last issue was #22 in December 2014. G. Willow Wilson was then brought on to write the 4 issue arc "The Burning World" in 2015; Wilson was the "first female writer to work on X-Men" since the relaunch "with an all-female X-Men roster". The 2014 New York Comic Con "Women of Marvel" panel highlighted that each issue "of the story will be told from a different character's point of view". Marvel then cancelled its entire publishing line, including X-Men, for the Secret Wars event storyline. X-Men was not continued during the post-Secret Wars publishing initiative All-New, All-Different Marvel.
Volume 5 (2019–2021)
As part of Marvel's "Dawn of X" initiative following Jonathan Hickman's relaunch of the Marvel X-Men line, X-Men relaunched in October 2019, written by Hickman and with art by Leinil Francis Yu. Although the first cover featured the extended Summers family with Wolverine, Hickman had stated that this book is intended to be an "all-encompassing mutant title" and the cast is subject to change. For example, issue #4 featured Xavier, Magneto, and Apocalypse attending the World Economic Forum while issue #5 featured a team consisting of X-23, Synch, and Darwin assembled for a mission by the Quiet Council of Krakoa. In 2021, X-Men Group Editor Jordan White commented that "from a certain point of view, all Krakoan citizens are X-Men. But officially, there hasn't been a proper team with that name since we ended the Uncanny run". The volume was also marked by delays in the release of individual issues.The series concluded with issue #21 in July 2021. Following the end of his run, Hickman explained that a big regret he had was not using X-Men to "execute the launch of the entire X-Line" as his "initial idea" for the title was for it to be a "springboard for the other books" with each issue weaving in problems that would be addressed by the next new title. On centering X-Men as an anthology "around Cyclops and his family", Hickman commented that "I dig the whole Summers clan, but the original idea behind the book was kind of a travelogue for Krakoa, with Cyclops being our guide. It was supposed to just be 12 issues and very different when it was first planned out, and that obviously changed a lot by the time I got to write issue one".
Volume 6 (2021–2024)
This volume was launched during the "Reign of X" initiative, continued through "Destiny of X" and concluded with the end of "Fall of X" with issue #35. It was written by Gerry Duggan with art by Pepe Larraz and Javier Pina. The initial roster included Cyclops, Marvel Girl, Rogue, Wolverine, Synch, Sunfire and Polaris – White highlighted that "the first Krakoan X-Men team will debut to the world at the Hellfire Gala". Following the announcement of a new volume, SyFy Wire commented that while volume 5 was titled X-Men the "book never actually featured a team of mutant superheroes going out and doing missions for the betterment of the planet. The age of Krakoa has left the mutants more insular, more isolated from a world that still perhaps hates and fears them, but after the events of X of Swords and the near-invasion of Earth that stemmed from that clash, Cyclops and Marvel Girl decided it was time for a change. The world, they argued, needs the X-Men again".It was announced in July 2022 that Joshua Cassara and C.F. Villa would take over art duties for the series.
Volume 7 (2024–present)
In the post-Krakoan Age, the X-Men are based in Alaska with an initial roster of "Cyclops, Beast, Magneto, Psylocke, Kid Omega, Temper, Magik and Juggernaut". It was written by Jed MacKay with art by Ryan Stegman; the first issue was released in July 2024. On the setup of the series, MacKay explained that Cyclops is "running this team, he's established basically the territory that this group works in and the philosophy they work within. However, this is certainly a position that isn't necessarily meeting with mainstream approval. So as we go on, we're going to explore a little bit what it means to be X-Men in this post-Krakoa world and to be X-Men in such a loud and visible manner. They live in a building with a big 'X' on the front – they're not exactly hiding from anyone".Plot summary
Volume 3 (2010 series)
The first story arc, "Curse of the Mutants", comprising issues #1–6, involves the X-Men battling the vampire nations and teaming up with Blade.The second story arc, "To Serve and Protect", comprising issues #7–10, involves the team of Storm, Gambit, Emma Frost and Wolverine returning to New York, where they team up with Spider-Man to battle the Lizard and the Dark Beast in the sewers of Manhattan.
An interlude story then followed with Professor X telling Jubilee of an earlier encounter he had with the vampire Raizo Kodo. This was followed by the "First to Last" storyline, which began with X-Men Giant-Size #1 and saw the original X-Men appear in flashback scenes of a previously untold adventure.
Another one-shot story saw a team of X-Men team up with the new female Ghost Rider to battle a mystical enemy. A later storyline featured the Future Foundation teaming up with the X-Men, where they also encountered Skull the Slayer. Following on from the 2011 "Regenesis" event among the X-titles, Marvel announced that X-Men is among the titles aligned with Cyclops's vision of the X-Men and feature a more covert group of characters, with Colossus, Domino, Jubilee, Psylocke, Storm and Warpath being the initial lineup. The team-up aspect of the title remained, with the first arc featuring War Machine. This was followed by the return of Raizo Kodo for an arc dealing with Jubilee's vampirism.
The title then took on a change in direction; with the exits of Warpath and Jubilee from the cast and the addition of Pixie, the storyline focused on Storm leading a "security team" of X-Men dealing with potential threats to mutants.
Issue #38 featured a return to the team-up elements of the book and features Domino and Daredevil.