| "Decimation" | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 Decimation event logo, as shown on the covers of tie-in comics | |||
| Publisher | Marvel Comics | ||
| Publication date | January – August2006 | ||
| Genre | |||
| |||
| Main character | See listsbelow | ||
| X-Men - The Day After | ISBN 0-7851-1984-1 | ||
| Generation M | ISBN 0-7851-1958-2 | ||
| Son of M | ISBN 0-7851-1970-1 | ||
| Sentinel Squad O*N*E | ISBN 0-7851-1997-3 | ||
| X-Men - 198 | ISBN 0-7851-1994-9 | ||
"Decimation" is a storyline published byMarvel Comics in2005, spinning out of the events of theHouse of Mlimited series. The event started with aone-shot issue and took place in a number of various series all carrying the "Decimation" logo on the cover. The 2005 miniseriesGeneration M,Sentinel Squad O*N*E,X-Men: Deadly Genesis andX-Men: The 198 were all launched specifically for the "Decimation" storyline. The various stories were collected in five trade paper backs.
The storyline focuses on the ramifications of theScarlet Witch stripping nearly all of themutant population of their powers, thereby reducing a society of millions to one of scant hundreds. This event, which occurred on November 2 according toX-Men(vol. 2) #191, is known as "M-Day" in theMarvel Universe.
Reception among fans and critics was mixed, with a common complaint being the inconsistent manner in which mutants retained their powers while at times depicting "depowered" mutants as still having their physical mutations.
"Decimation" began with the self-titledone-shotDecimation: House of M: The Day After, and heralded the relaunch of the Excalibur team inNew Excalibur, focusing onPete Wisdom looking forCaptain Britain to head up a new British super team, as well as the relaunch ofX-Factor from theMadroX miniseries. It also includes several mini-series—Son of M starring a depoweredQuicksilver,Generation M focusing on other depowered characters,Sentinel Squad O*N*E showing the latest iteration of the mutant-huntingSentinels to be robots piloted by humans,X-Men: Deadly Genesis, andX-Men: The 198—and continues throughout the Marvel Universe, particularly in theX-Men-related titles. One consequence is an upswing of anti-mutant sentiment, especially among certain religious groups, who consider M-Day to be God's judgment against mutant-kind.
It has been confirmed through various sources that there are considerably more than 198 mutants remaining—the number has been referred to as "symbolic" rather than actual, and inThe 198 Files is said to be the earliest confirmed number. Numbers for pre-Decimation mutants vary from "over a million" (House of M #8) to 14 million (New X-Men #115, where it is said that the 16 million mutants who died onGenosha was around "over half" of the estimated global mutant population of 30 million mutants), giving a population, if the commonly used 90% depowered figure is true, of between one hundred thousand and one and a half million. Based on the mathematical comparisons of the oft-repeated 198 and several million, Marvel re-evaluated the 90% figure into "over 99%", as shown inCivil War: Battle Damage Report whenIron Man comments on the Post-CW world.[1]
BothHank Pym andBeast note shortly after the event that it is impossible for the energy that certain mutants controlled to simply have vanished, and that it must have been "sent" somewhere. As would later be revealed inNew Avengers, most of this energy became asentient entity calledthe Collective, who has since come into violent conflict with the Avengers. In addition, a portion of the energy revived the body ofGabriel Summers, brother of both Alex (Havok) and Scott Summers (Cyclops), who had been trapped in space for many years following the defeat ofKrakoa, as depicted in theX-Men: Deadly Genesis limited series.
According to Marvel editor-in-chiefJoe Quesada, the "Decimation" event was designed to reduce the number of mutant characters in theMarvel Universe, which he felt had gotten out of hand after forty years of publishing.[2] Most criticisms by fans have been aimed at inconsistencies regarding the roster of mutants who retained their powers after the event. For example, in theGeneration M mini-series, several characters were considered depowered, even though they retained their physical mutations. TheCivil War Files one-shot revealed that the US government's assessment of the number of mutants on Earth may not be accurate, which allowed Marvel to change the number of depowered mutants. Additionally, characters such asNamor and theGreat Lakes Avengers, who are described as mutants but not particularly tied to theX-Men series of books, have not been affected by the event.
Wizard magazine published a speculative list of supposedly decimated characters, which Marvel Comics dismissed as including a number of mutants who still have their powers.[citation needed] While it has been stated that there are at least 198 remaining mutants, according toHenry Peter Gyrich inAvengers: The Initiative, there are actually "around 300"; the 198 number is merely the number of mutants the US government has cataloged, with a 199th mutant (Mutant Zero) being off the record.[3] Over 198 mutants were identified post M-Day, but around 30 more died in following storylines such asNecrosha orSecond Coming.
Selene and her servantEli Bard have used theTransmode Virus to reanimate the mutantCaliban so that he may track down and reanimate deceased mutants (to both form an army and an energy source for Selene). The reanimated army appeared in the "Necrosha" story arc, consisting of thousands of inhabitants ofGenosha, as well a number of notable deceased mutants associated with the X-Men. See the main Necrosha article to view the full list of those resurrected during the story arc.
Necrosha notes:
| Title | Material collected | Published date | ISBN |
|---|---|---|---|
| Decimation: X-Men - The Day After | Decimation: House of M - The Day After,X-Men #177-181 | May 2006 | ISBN 0-7851-1984-1 |
| Decimation: Generation M | Generation M #1-5 | July 2006 | ISBN 0-7851-1958-2 |
| Decimation: Son of M | Son of M #1-6 | August 2006 | ISBN 0-7851-1970-1 |
| Decimation: Sentinel Squad O*N*E | Sentinel Squad O*N*E #1-5 | September 2006 | ISBN 0-7851-1997-3 |
| Decimation: X-Men - 198 | X-Men: The 198 #1-5 andX-Men: The 198 Files | September 2006 | ISBN 0-7851-1994-9 |
