In theMarvel Universe,mutants are humans born with a genetic trait called the X-gene, which grants them natural superhuman abilities, generally manifesting duringpuberty. Due to their differences from most humanity, mutants are subject to prejudice and discrimination; many X-Men stories feature social commentary on bigotry, justice, and other political themes. The X-Men have fought against variousenemies, including villainous mutants, human bigots, supervillains, mystical threats, extraterrestrials, and evil artificial intelligences. In most iterations of the team, they are led by their founder,Charles "Professor X" Xavier, a powerful telepath who runs a school for mutant children out ofhis mansion in Westchester, New York, which secretly is also the headquarters of the X-Men. Their stories have frequently involvedMagneto, a powerful mutant with control overmagnetic fields, who is depicted as an old friend of andfoil to Xavier, acting as an adversary or ally.
In 1963, with the success ofthe Fantastic Four, co-creatorStan Lee wanted to create another group of superheroes. Unlike Lee's earlier creations such asSpider-Man who acquired their powers through scientific means, Lee decided that this new group of heroes were "mutants", born with powers as he had grown weary of creating separate origins for each superhero.[3][4]
In a 1987 interview, Kirby said:
The X-Men, I did the natural thing there. What would you do with mutants who were just plain boys and girls and certainly not dangerous? You school them. You develop their skills. So I gave them a teacher, Professor X. Of course, it was the natural thing to do, instead of disorienting or alienating people who were different from us, I made the X-Men part of the human race, which they were. Possibly, radiation, if it is beneficial, may create mutants that'll save us instead of doing us harm. I felt that if we train the mutants our way, they'll help us – and not only help us, but achieve a measure of growth in their own sense. And so, we could all live together.[5]
Lee devised the series title after Marvel publisherMartin Goodman turned down the initial name, "The Mutants," stating that readers would not know what a "mutant" was.[6]
Within theMarvel Universe, the X-Men are widely regarded to have been named afterProfessor Xavier himself. The original explanation for the name, as provided by Xavier inThe X-Men #1 (1963), is that mutants "possess an extra power ... one which ordinary humans do not!! That is why I call my students ... X-Men, for EX-tra power!"[7]
The original X-Men members that were created byStan Lee andJack Kirby, showing their original design
EarlyX-Men issues introduced the original team composed ofCyclops,Marvel Girl,Beast,Angel, andIceman, along with their archenemyMagneto and hisBrotherhood of Evil Mutants featuringMastermind,Quicksilver,Scarlet Witch, andToad. The comic focused on a common human theme of good versus evil and later included storylines and themes aboutprejudice andracism, all of which have persisted throughout the series in one form or another. The evil side in the fight was shown in human form and under some sympathetic beginnings via Magneto, a character who was later revealed to have survived Nazi concentration camps only to pursue a hatred for normal humanity. His key followers, Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch, wereRomani. Only one new member of the X-Men was added,Mimic/Calvin Rankin,[8] but soon left due to his temporary loss of power.[9]
The title lagged in sales behind Marvel's other comic franchises. In 1969, writerRoy Thomas and illustratorNeal Adams rejuvenated the comic book and gave regular roles to two recently introduced characters: Alex "Havok" Summers (Cyclops' brother, who had been introduced by Roy Thomas before Adams began work on the comic) and Lorna Dane, later calledPolaris (created byArnold Drake andJim Steranko). However, these laterX-Men issues failed to attract sales and Marvel stopped producing new stories with issue #66 (March 1970), later reprinting a number of the older comics as issues #67–93.[10]
Giant-Size X-Men #1 (May 1975). Cover art by Gil Kane and Dave Cockrum.
InGiant-Size X-Men #1 (1975), writerLen Wein and artistDave Cockrum introduced a new team that starred in a revival ofThe X-Men, beginning withissue #94. This new team replaced the previous members with the exception ofCyclops, who remained. This team differed greatly from the original. Unlike in the early issues of the original series, the new team was not made up of teenagers and they also had a more diverse background. Marvel's corporate owners,Cadence Industries, had suggested the new team should be international, feeling it needed characters with "foreign appeal".[11] So each character was from a different country with varying cultural and philosophical beliefs, and all were already well-versed in using their mutant powers, several being experienced in combat.
The "all-new, all-different X-Men"[12] were led by Cyclops, from the original team, and consisted of the newly createdColossus (from the Soviet Union/Russia),Nightcrawler (from West Germany/Germany),Storm (from Kenya), andThunderbird (a Native American ofApache descent), and three previously introduced characters:Banshee (from Ireland),Sunfire (from Japan), andWolverine (from Canada). Wolverine eventually became thebreakout character on the team and, in terms of comic sales and appearances, the most popular X-Men character, even getting his ownsolo title. However, this team would not remain whole for long; Sunfire, who never really accepted the other members, quit shortly after their first mission, and Thunderbird died on the next. Filling in the vacancy, a revampedJean Grey soon rejoined the X-Men under her new persona of "Phoenix". Angel,Beast,Iceman,Havok, andPolaris also made significant guest appearances.
The revived series was illustrated by Cockrum, and later byJonathan Byrne, and written byChris Claremont. Claremont became the series' longest-running contributor.[13] The run met with critical acclaim and produced such landmark storylines as the death of Thunderbird, the emergence ofPhoenix, the saga of theStarjammers and the M'Kraan Crystal, the introduction ofAlpha Flight and theProteus saga.[14] Other characters introduced during this time includeAmanda Sefton,Mystique, andMoira MacTaggert, with her genetic research facility onMuir Island.
The 1980s began with the comic's best-known story arc, the "Dark Phoenix Saga", which saw Phoenix manipulated by the illusionist Mastermind and becoming corrupted with an overwhelming lust for power and destruction as the evil Dark Phoenix. Other important storylines included "Days of Future Past", the saga ofDeathbird and theBrood, the discovery of the Morlocks, the invasion of the Dire Wraiths andThe Trial of Magneto!, as well asX-Men: God Loves, Man Kills, the partial inspiration for20th Century Fox's movieX2: X-Men United, which was released on May 2, 2003.[15]
Uncanny X-Men #227 (March 1988) by Chris Claremont and Marc Silvestri
By the early 1980s,X-Men was Marvel's top-selling comic title. Its sales were such that distributors and retailers began using an "X-Men index", rating each comic book publication by how many orders it garnered compared to that month's issue ofX-Men.[16] The growing popularity ofUncanny X-Men and the rise of comic book specialty stores led to the introduction of a number of ongoing spin-off series nicknamed "X-Books." The first of these wasThe New Mutants, soon followed byAlpha Flight,X-Factor,Excalibur, and a soloWolverine title. When Claremont conceived a story arc, the "Mutant Massacre", which was too long to run in the monthlyX-Men, editorLouise Simonson decided to have it overlap into several X-Books. The story was a major financial success,[17] and when the later "Fall of the Mutants" was similarly successful, the marketing department declared that the X-Men lineup would hold suchcrossovers annually.[18]
Uncanny X-Men, vol. 1 (flagship) – a team of young mutants with superhuman abilities led and taught by Professor X (1963–1970); the team expanded when Xavier recruited mutants from around the world (1975–1985); a reformed Magneto became the headmaster after Xavier had left Earth (1985–1988); the team later relocated to the Australian Outback after the events ofTheFall of the Mutants (1988–1989); after the X-Men is disassembled, the team reformed to fight the mutant-rights abuse of Genosha (1991).
X-Factor, vol. 1 – the Original Five set up a business advertised as mutant-hunters for hire, and secretly trained the captured mutants to control their powers and reintegrate them into society (1986–1991).
Excalibur, vol. 1 – Nightcrawler, Shadowcat and Rachel Grey teamed up with Captain Britain and Meggan to form a group of mutants based in Europe after the apparent death of the X-Men duringThe Fall of the Mutants (1988–1992).
X-Men in Training
New Mutants, vol. 1 – a group of teenaged students of the School for Gifted Youngsters gathered by Professor X
Other Teams
Alpha Flight, vol. 1 – Canada's premiere team of super-heroes organized under the auspices of the Canadian government's Department H.
ArtistJim Lee signing a hardcover collected edition of his work onX-Men (Vol 2) atMidtown Comics in Manhattan
In 1991, Marvel revised the entire lineup of X-Men comic book titles, centered on the launch of a second X-Men series, simply titledX-Men. With the return of Xavier and the original X-Men to the team, the roster was split into two strike forces: Cyclops's "Blue Team" (chronicled inX-Men) and Storm's "Gold Team" (inThe Uncanny X-Men).
The first issues of the second X-Men series were written by Claremont and drawn and co-plotted byJim Lee. Retailers pre-ordered over 8.1 million copies of issue #1, generating and selling nearly $7 million (though retailers probably sold closer to 3 million copies),[20] making it, according toGuinness Book of World Records, the best-selling comic book of all-time. Guinness presented honors to Claremont at the 2010San Diego Comic-Con.[21][22][23]
Another new X-book released at the time wasX-Force, featuring the characters fromThe New Mutants, led byCable; it was written byRob Liefeld andFabian Nicieza. Internal friction soon split the X-books' creative teams. In a controversial move, X-Men editorBob Harras sided with Lee (andUncanny X-Men artistWhilce Portacio) over Claremont in a dispute over plotting. Claremont left after only three issues ofX-Men, ending his 16-year run asX-Men writer.[24] Marvel replaced Claremont briefly withJohn Byrne, who scripted both books for a few issues. Byrne was then replaced by Nicieza andScott Lobdell, who would take over the majority of writing duties for the X-Men until Lee's own departure months later when he and several other popular artists (including former X-title artists Liefeld, Portacio, andMarc Silvestri) would leave Marvel to formImage Comics. Jim Lee's X-Men designs would be the basis for much of theX-Men animated series and action figure line as well as several Capcom video games.
There were many additions to the X-Men in the 1990s, includingGambit,Cable, andBishop. Gambit became one of the most popular X-Men, rivaling evenWolverine in size of fanbase after his debut inUncanny X-Men #266 (Aug. 1990). Many of the later additions to the team came and went, such asJoseph,Maggott,Marrow,Cecilia Reyes, and a newThunderbird. Xavier'sNew Mutants grew up and becameX-Force, and the next generation of students began withGeneration X, featuring Jubilee and other teenage mutants led and schooled byBanshee and ex-villainessEmma Frost at her Massachusetts Academy. In 1998,Excalibur andX-Factor ended and the latter was replaced withMutant X, starringHavok stranded in aparallel universe. Marvel launched a number of solo series, includingDeadpool,Cable,Bishop,X-Man,Gambit,Maverick,Rogue, Storm, Magneto, Beast, Domino, Warlock, Magik, Iceman andSabretooth, but few of the series would survive the decade.
X-Men
Uncanny X-Men, vol. 1 (flagship) – initially featured the Gold Team strike force led by Storm (1991–1995); later featured a team of X-Men recruited by Gladiator to defend the Shi'ar Empire against the Phalanx (1997); the Gold and Blue strike force merged to face new threats including Onslaught, Dark Beast, Shadow King and Magneto (1997–2000); later featured a squad led by Gambit during theRevolution revamp (2000–2001). The title is replaced byAstonishing X-Men during theAge of Apocalypse event.
X-Men, vol. 2 – initially featured the Blue Team strike force led by Cyclops (1991–1995); later featured a new core group consisting of Cannonball, Cyclops, Jean Grey, Storm and Wolverine took on Sebastian Shaw and Bastion during the events of Operation: Zero Tolerance (1997); members of theExcalibur team joined the combined Gold and Blue strike force (1997–2000); later featured a squad led by Rogue during theRevolution revamp (2000–2001). The title is replaced byAmazing X-Men during theAge of Apocalypse event.
X-Force, vol. 1 – Cable re-organized the New Mutants into the para-military mutant strike team (1991–1995); the team move in with the X-Men at the X-Mansion and effectively become the X-Men's junior team (1995–1997); the team later move to San Francisco to set up a new headquarter (1997–2001); the team becomes a covert ops superhero team under the leadership of Pete Wisdom during theRevolution revamp (2001). The title is replaced byGambit & the X-Ternals during theAge of Apocalypse event.
X-Men in Training
Generation X, vol. 1 – students at the Massachusetts Academy mentored by Banshee and the former villain White Queen (1994–2001). The title is replaced byGeneration Next during theAge of Apocalypse event.
Other Teams
X-Factor, vol. 1 – the new team worked for the Pentagon replacing Freedom Force as the government-sponsored team (1991–1997); Forge later leads the mutant team as an underground government strike force (1997–1998). The title is replaced byFactor X during theAge of Apocalypse event.
Excalibur, vol. 1 – the British team expanded and stays with Moira, making Muir Island their new base (1992–1998). The title is replaced byX-Calibre during theAge of Apocalypse event.
Alpha Flight, vol. 2 – A new team formed by the reinstated Department H which is involved in clandestine and criminal activities.
In 2000, Claremont returned to Marvel and was put back on the primary X-Men titles during theRevolution revamp. He was later removed from the titles in 2001 and created his spin-off series,X-Treme X-Men.X-Men had its title changed toNew X-Men and writerGrant Morrison took over. The book is often referred to as the Morrison-era, due to the drastic changes they made, beginning with "E Is For Extinction", where a new villain,Cassandra Nova, destroysGenosha, killing sixteen million mutants. Morrison also brought reformed ex-villainEmma Frost into the primary X-Men team, and opened the doors of the school by having Xavier "out" himself to the public about being a mutant. The bright spandex costumes that had become iconic over the previous decades were replaced by black leather street clothes reminiscent of the uniforms of theX-Men films. Morrison also introducedXorn, who would figure prominently in the climax of his run.Ultimate X-Men set in Marvel's revised imprint was also launched, whileChuck Austen began his controversial run onUncanny X-Men.
Several short-lived spin-offs and miniseries started featuring several X-Men in solo series, such asEmma Frost,Mystique, Cyclops, Iceman, Blink, Chamber, Mekanix (featuring Kitty Pryde), andNightcrawler. Many of the second-tier X-books were relaunched with new titles:Cable becameSoldier X andDeadpool becameAgent X.
A new series titledX-Statix spawns from and replacesX-Force; it is a series that explores the crossroads between heroism and being a celebrity, and how being a mutant is only acceptable as a medium of disposable entertainment. It was known best for being a series that killed most of the introduced cast and having one of the highest team turnover rates for a superhero comic. The most prominent member to come out of X-Statix was Doop who is a green glob reminiscent of Slimer from Ghost Busters.
Another series,Exiles, started at the same time and concluded in December 2007 which led toNew Exiles in January 2008 written by Claremont.
New X-Men, vol. 1 (flagship) – The X-Men took in dozens of students expanding the school from a training center to a legitimate school (2001–2004).
Uncanny X-Men, vol. 1 – Nightcrawler and Angel co-lead the X-Men's primary field team to face new threat (2001–2004).
X-Treme X-Men, vol. 1 – Storm formed a globe-trotting team to hunt down missing copies of the Destiny's Diaries (2001–2004).
X-Men in Training
New Mutants, vol. 2 – features a new group of teenage mutants attending the Xavier Institute.
Other Teams
Exiles, vol. 1 – a revolving team roster from different realities, which have been removed from time and space, employed by the Timebroker to fix broken realities.
X-Statix – featured a group of young mutants marketed to be media superstars.
NYX – featured a group of teenage mutants as they attempt to survive on the streets of New York City.
Weapon X, vol. 2 – featured The Underground, a group assembled by Cable to oppose the activities of the third installment of the Weapon X Project.
X-Men ReLoad was the name given by Marvel Comics to their May 2004 revamp of the X-Men titles, including new visual designs for the characters.[citation needed] The revamp was prompted by Grant Morrison's departure fromNew X-Men. As a result of the revamp, Chris Claremont moved from writingX-Treme X-Men to writingUncanny X-Men, with Alan Davis doing the art. Chuck Austen moved from writingUncanny X-Men toNew X-Men, which returned to its old name of simplyX-Men, with Salvador Larroca, who had been working with him onUncanny X-Men doing the art. Finally,Joss Whedon entered as the writer of the new titleAstonishing X-Men, withJohn Cassaday as artist.X-Treme X-Men was cancelled.X-Statix ended in October 2004. Also, the X-Men returned to more traditional (if not slightly revised) costumes, as opposed to the black leather uniforms from the movies.New X-Men: Academy X was also launched focusing on the lives of the new young mutants at the institute. This period included the resurrections ofColossus andPsylocke, a new death forJean Grey, who later returned temporarily in theX-Men: Phoenix - Endsong, as well asEmma Frost becoming the new headmistress of the institute. The institute, formerly run as a school (until thedepowering of 98% of the mutant population), served as a safe haven to mutants who are still powered.[citation needed]
Several short-lived spin-offs and miniseries started featuring several X-Men in solo series, such asNightcrawler,Jubilee,Madrox,X-23,Gambit andRogue.Cable andDeadpool's books were merged into one book,Cable & Deadpool.
Astonishing X-Men, vol. 3 (flagship) – Cyclops leads the team of X-Men and they start presenting themselves as superheroes again.
Uncanny X-Men, vol. 1 – Storm and her team continued operating as officially sanctioned mutant law enforcers (2004–2006); postDeadly Genesis, it featured Xavier taking a team to space to hunt Vulcan when he seeksvengeance on the Shi'ar Empire (2006–2007); the team returned to Earth to fight a group of rogue Morlocks (2007).
X-Men, vol. 2 – Havok led a new field team consisting of Polaris, Iceman, Rogue, Gambit, Wolverine and Juggernaut (2004–2006); later featured Rogue assembling a rapid response team featuring the most dangerous X-Men former villains (2006–2007).
X-Men in Training
New X-Men: Academy X – the school is rebuilt after Xorn's attack and Emma Frost and Cyclops are named headmasters, organizing the student body into different squad who train together.
New X-Men, vol. 2 – AfterHouse of M andDecimation, Emma Frost disbanded all former training squads and integrated those students she deemed capable of combat to a new team.
Other Teams
Excalibur, vol. 3 – Professor X and Magneto formed a team to rebuild the devastated mutant nation of Genosha.
X-Factor, vol. 3 – a mutant detective agency founded by Madrox based on Mutant Town.
New Excalibur – AfterDecimation, Captain Britain brings together a new team of Excalibur as the British government decided to become more pro-active with metahuman affairs.
District X – Bishop is assigned to the Mutant Town to investigate rising crime rates.
X-Force, vol. 2 – Cable re-assembles the team in order to stop an immortal creature called Skornn.
Weapon X, vol. 2 – featured Wolverine, Fantomex and Agent Zero quest to find the recently revived John Sublime.
Exiles, vol. 1 – the team learned the true nature of the Timebroker and later traveled through different realities to chase Proteus.
Alpha Flight, vol. 3 – Sasquatch recruits novice Canadian heroes to rescue the members kidnapped by the Plodex.
In 2007, the "Messiah Complex" storyline saw the destruction of the Xavier Institute and the disbanding of the X-Men. It spun the new volumes ofX-Force, following the team led by Wolverine, andCable, following Cable's attempts at protectingHope Summers.X-Men was renamed intoX-Men: Legacy which focused on Professor X, Rogue and Gambit. Under Cyclops's leadership, the X-Men later reformed inUncanny X-Men #500, with their new base located in San Francisco.[25]
In 2009, "Messiah War," written byCraig Kyle andChris Yost to serve as the second part in the trilogy that began with "Messiah Complex," was released.Utopia, written by Matt Fraction, was a crossover ofDark Avengers and Uncanny X-Men that served as a part of the "Dark Reign" storyline. A newNew Mutants volume written by Zeb Wells, which featured the more prominent members of the original team reunited, was launched. Magneto joined the X-Men during theNation X storyline to the dismay of other members of the X-Men, such as Beast, who left the team.[26] Magneto began to work with Namor to transform Utopia into a homeland for both mutants and Atlanteans.[27] After the conclusion ofUtopia,Rogue became the main character ofX-Men: Legacy.In 2010, "Second Coming" concluded the plot threads onMessiah Complex andMessiah War.
Several short-lived miniseries started featuring several X-Men in solo series, such asDaken,Cable,Psylocke,Namor: The First Mutant andX-23.
Uncanny X-Men, vol. 1 (flagship) – The X-Men open their new base in San Francisco and invite the world's mutant to join them (2008–2009); Cyclops later decided to move the mutant population to Utopia and off U.S. soil to avoid further persecution by the government (2009–2011).
X-Men Legacy, vol. 1 – featured Professor X's road to recovery as well as the encounters he faced during Messiah CompleX (2008–2009); later featured Rogue as mentor to the younger mutants under the protection of the X-Men on Utopia (2009–2011).
New Mutants, vol. 3 – the original team is reunited to form a new field team for the X-Men.
Astonishing X-Men, vol. 3 – the X-Men serve as protectors of San Francisco City.
X-Men, vol. 3 – featured team-ups between characters of X-Men and other superheroes such as Blade, Spider-Man, Ghost Rider and the Future Foundation.
X-Men in Training
Young X-Men – a group of young mutants tricked by Donald Pierce disguised as Cyclops.
Generation Hope – Hope leads a new team, consisting of five new mutants ("five lights") that appeared on Cerebro after she manifested her powers.
Other Teams
X-Force, vol. 3 – Wolverine leads a more militaristic black-ops branch of the X-Men.
X-Factor, vol. 3 – the agency briefly moved to Detroit, Michigan and expanded to include several new partners.
Dark X-Men – Norman Osborn formed his own group of X-Men during the riots at San Francisco.
Alpha Flight, vol. 4 – the Canadian team provides rescue efforts for the victims during the events ofFear Itself.
Exiles, vol. 2 – a new team of heroes are brought together by Morph, acting as the new Timebroker.
In 2011, the aftermath of the "X-Men: Schism" storyline led to the fallout between Wolverine and Cyclops. During the "Regenesis" storyline, Wolverine's team was featured in a new flagship series titledWolverine and the X-Men, Wolverine rebuilt the original X-Mansion and named it theJean Grey School for Higher Learning. Meanwhile, Uncanny X-Men relaunched for the first time ever and served as the flagship title for Cyclops' Team. In 2012 "Avengers vs. X-Men" served as a closure to the "House of M" and "Decimation" storylines. It featured the death of Professor X and the reappearance of new mutants after the return of the Phoenix Force.[28][29]
Several short-lived miniseries started featuring several X-Men in solo series, such asStorm,Gambit andMagneto: Not a Hero (featuring Magneto and Joseph).
Notable additions to the X-Men have been Warbird andBlink. The "Avengers vs. X-Men" storyline also took place during this period.
Cyclops' X-Men
Uncanny X-Men, vol. 2 – the flagship of the Cyclops' team with the Extinction Team dealing with potential threats to mutantkind's survival.
X-Men, vol. 3– Storm's field team operating from an aeroplane to neutralize threats before reaching crisis levels.
New Mutants, vol. 3– Cyclops tasked the New Mutants as a clean-up team to resolve loose ends.
Generation Hope – a rapid response team locating new lights as they manifested with Rogue and later Shadowcat serving as liaison
Wolverine's X-Men
Wolverine and the X-Men, vol. 1– the flagship of the Wolverine's team featuring the faculty and student of the Jean Grey School for Higher Learning.
X-Men Legacy, vol. 1– Rogue leads a team acting as the school's security detail
Astonishing X-Men, vol. 3– Wolverine's field team forming after the attack of the Marauders.
X-Men in Training
Wolverine and the X-Men (also served as the flagship title)
Other Teams
Uncanny X-Force, vol. 1 – a black ops team led by Wolverine with members from the previous strike force.
X-Factor, vol. 3 – Havok stepped back in to co-lead with Polaris after the disappearance of Madrox.
X-Treme X-Men, vol. 2 – a group of heroes from alternate dimensions led by Dazzler to defeat the Ten Evil Xaviers.
X-Club – the X-Men's Science Team dealing with the mutant birth crisis and the effects ofM-Day.
Age of Apocalypse – featured the X-Terminated, human resistance fighters banded together to save the human race by taking out Weapon X and his new mutant regime.
In 2012, as part of theMarvel NOW! relaunch, all X-Men titles (exceptAstonishing X-Men &Wolverine and the X-Men) were canceled, includingUncanny X-Men,X-Men: Legacy,X-Men andNew Mutants. New flagship titleAll-New X-Men was launched which featured the original five X-Men members who were brought to the present day by Beast and were made a separate team led eventually by Kitty. The relaunchedUncanny X-Men featured Cyclops, his team and the new mutants, taking up residency in theWeapon X facility, which they have rebuilt into a school — the New Charles Xavier School for Mutants. An all female book titled simplyX-Men was also launched. DuringAll-New Marvel Now!,Astonishing X-Men was cancelled and in its place another flagship titleAmazing X-Men was launched which featured the return of Nightcrawler and became the flagship title of Wolverine's team. Also,Wolverine and the X-Men was relaunched and turned into mutants-in-training book. In 2013, for the 50th anniversary of the X-Men, "Battle of the Atom" was published which involved members of both X-Men schools trying to decide what to do about the time-displaced original X-Men, culminating in a confrontation with a version of the Brotherhood and the X-Men from an unspecified future date. In 2014, Wolverine was killed off in the "Death of Wolverine" story arc, as the conclusion of a storyline that saw him lose his healing factor after he was infected by an intelligent virus.
Several short-lived miniseries started featuring several X-Men in solo series, such asX-Men Legacy (featuring Legion),Cyclops, Magneto, Nightcrawler, Storm andAll-NewDoop.
All-New X-Men, vol. 1 – the flagship of the X-titles with the original X-Men brought from the past to the present to confront their future counterparts.
Uncanny X-Men, vol. 3 – the flagship of the Cyclops' team with Cyclops and the remnants of his Extinction team taking up a revolutionary course to promote mutant rights.
Wolverine's X-Men
Amazing X-Men, vol. 2 – the flagship of the Wolverine's team featuring a field team with initial mission to search for the deceased Nightcrawler.
X-Men, vol. 4 – an all-female team dealing with new threats from Arkea and a new Sisterhood.
X-Men in Training
Wolverine and the X-Men, vol. 2 – the summer term on the Jean Grey School that focused on Logan's legacy on his students Quentin Quire, Evan Sabahnur and Idie Okonkwo.
Spider-Man and the X-Men – Spider-Man leads a Special Class to investigate the students as requested by Wolverine before his demise.
Other Teams
Cable and X-Force – a fugitive team led by Cable to face the threats that he saw in his visions.
Uncanny X-Force, vol. 2 – a proactive team of misfit X-Men led by Psylocke.
All-New X-Factor – a corporate-sponsored X-Factor team hired by Serval Industries.
X-Force, vol. 4 – the remnants of Cable's X-Force and Psylocke's X-Force merge to form a superhuman black ops.
Wolverines – a group of mutants with healing factor are captured by the Paradise escapees to help them find the adamantium-petrified body of Wolverine.
In 2015, as part of "All-New, All-Different Marvel", three team books were launched: the second volume ofAll-New X-Men, the fourth volume ofUncanny X-Men andExtraordinary X-Men.[30] X-23 took on the mantle of Wolverine and got a new solo series andOld Man Logan also received a new ongoing series when the character found himself in (from his perspective) an alternate past. During this period, the mutants dealt with the threat of theTerrigen cloud that circulated the world and appeared to be toxic to them, placing the X-Men at odds with theInhumans. The X-Men also dealt with Apocalypse resurfacing, and the truth of what happened between Cyclops and the Inhumans that led to his death. Storm's team resided inLimbo and worked to bring mutants to safety away from the Terrigen. Magneto's team took on a more militant approach. Beast worked alongside the Inhumans to attempt to find a way to alter the state of the Terrigen, but later discovered that it couldn't be altered and would have rendered Earth toxic for mutants. This revelation caused the X-Men to declare war against the Inhumans, but this conflict ended when the Inhumans learned what was happening, with Medusa sacrificing the Terrigen cloud to save the mutants.
In 2017, theResurrXion lineup was launched withX-Men: Prime. It introduced new titles;X-Men Blue,X-Men Gold,Weapon X, new volumes ofAstonishing X-Men andGeneration X, new solo series forCable,Jean Grey, andIceman, and continuation of theOld Man Logan andAll-New Wolverine run. With the Terrigen gone, the X-Men vacated Limbo and moved toCentral Park where they returned to their heroic roots instead of constantly living in fear for their survival. Other notable changes include Kitty Pryde as the new leader of the X-Men, the time-displaced X-Men working with Magneto, Old Man Logan turning Weapon X into a black ops team, and mutant characters crossing over fromEarth-1610 to the Earth-616 universe. Early 2018 saw the Phoenix Force returning to earth and mysteriously resurrecting the original Jean Grey. A new series featuring the original Jean leading a team of X-Men calledX-Men Red was released later that same month. Rogue and Gambit's relationship became a focal point during theRogue & Gambit miniseries and again in theTill Death Do Us Part story arc inX-Men Gold, which saw the two finally tie the knot, and once more during theMr. & Mrs. X miniseries, which saw the new couple attempt to take their honeymoon but end up involved in an intergalactic conspiracy. Other noteworthy plot points included Wolverine's return coinciding with the arrival of a mysterious new villain named Persephone, Psylocke's return to her original body, Magneto's steady return to villainy, and the time-displaced X-Men facing the consequences of their presence in the 616 timeline, and the return of Cyclops. 2019 saw a new volume ofUncanny X-Men released beginning with a 10-part weekly story arc. Several solo series were launched, includingLegion,Multiple Man, Domino, Shatterstar andX-23, before the revamp of the entireX-Men lineup.
Mainly Charles Xavier, Cyclops, Wolverine and Jean were resurrected and time-displaced X-Men returned to their original timeline during theExtermination event.
Notable additions to the X-Men have beenPyro,Gentle, Scout, Trinary,Wolfsbane andMultiple Man. Notable story arcs of this decade are "Weapons of Mutant Destruction" (2017), "Phoenix Resurrection: The Return of Jean Grey" (2017–2018), "Poison X" (2018), "Extermination" (2018), "Hunt for Wolverine" (2018), "Return of Wolverine" (2018–2019), "X-Men: Disassembled" (2018–2019) and "Age of X-Man" (2019). The X-Men were also involved in the "Venomized", "Secret Empire" and "War of the Realms" storylines.
X-Men
X-Men Gold – the flagship of the X-titles with Kitty Pryde leading the X-Men at the new location at Central Park; an ad hoc team is led by Iceman while Kitty Pryde and her team are in prison.
X-Men Blue – the time-displaced original X-Men mentored by Magneto; an ad hoc team is led by Polaris while the Original Five is lost in space.
X-Men Red, vol. 1– the resurrected Jean Grey leading a team to have the mutants recognized as a nation.
Astonishing X-Men, vol 4 – an ad hoc team of X-Men members reunited in London to fight the Shadow King; later featured a ragtag team of X-Men co-led by Havok and Beast against the threat of the Reavers.
Uncanny X-Men, vol. 5 – Jean Grey leads the remnants of the Gold and Red team after Nate Grey resurfaces proclaiming himself the mutant messiah and reshaping the world in his own view; Cyclops and Wolverine reformed the team following the dissolution of the X-Men after fighting X-Man.
X-Men in Training
Generation X, vol. 2 – Jubilee's group of students at the rechristened Xavier Institute.
Other Teams
Weapon X, vol. 3 – a black ops team of heroes and villains working together to take down a new Weapon X program.
New Mutants: Dead Soul – a team of former New Mutants and X-Factor members founded by Karma to investigate paranormal occurring.
X-Force, vol. 5 – original X-Force members Domino, Shatterstar, Cannonball, and Warpath are on the hunt for Kid Cable.
Exiles, vol. 3 – The Unseen recruits champions from alternate universes to save the multiverse from the Time Eaters.
On May 14, 2019, Marvel announced they would cancel all the X-Men titles and relaunch the entire lineup.Jonathan Hickman will have full creative control and will start with two rotating bi-weekly six-issue limited series calledHouse of X andPowers of X.[31] After the 12 issues are released, Hickman will pen the flagship title and several new and traditional titles will be released.[32] It was subsequently announced in July 2019 atSan Diego Comic-Con that there would be six new X-titles as part of Marvel'sDawn of X campaign.[33] Following the end of theX of Swords crossover, the sequel relaunchReign of X will encompass a new era in the X-titles.[34]Destiny of X featured the SecondKrakoan Age of X-Men after the events ofInferno andX Lives of Wolverine/X Deaths of Wolverine.[35] Mutantkind's unparalleled growth and prosperity on the island nation Krakoa was threatened during theFall of X by the human supremicist organizationOrchis.[36] Marvel teased the X-Men's final battle for Krakoa's future in the two interconnected titlesFall of the House of X andRise of the Powers of X.[37]
Several miniseries and one-shots started featuring several X-Men in team-up and solo series such asGiant-Size X-Men (featuring Jean Grey, Emma Frost, Magneto, Nightcrawler, Fantomex, Storm and Thunderbird),Wolverine,Cable,Juggernaut,Sabretooth,Rogue and Gambit,Astonishing Iceman,Children of the Vault (featuring Cable and Bishop),Uncanny Spider-Man (featuring Nightcrawler),Jean Grey,Ms. Marvel: The New Mutant andMs. Marvel: Mutant Menace.
One of the flagship titles launched duringDestiny of X focusing on the politics within the Quiet Council of Krakoa. The title is replaced byImmoral X-Men during theSins of Sinister event. The storyline is concluded in the limited seriesX-Men Forever.
One of the flagship titles launched duringDestiny of X featuring thePlanet Arakko under the guidance of the conflicting factions of Storm's Brotherhood and Brand's X-Men Red, and later with Genesis' Great Ring. The title is replaced byStorm & the Brotherhood of Mutants during theSins of Sinister event. The storyline is concluded in the limited seriesResurrection of Magneto.
Captain Kate Pryde led a pirate team traveling the world for the supply and trade of the Krakoan drugs and smuggling of mutants into and out of nations hostile to Krakoa.
Betsy Braddock (asCaptain Britain) and her team explore the connection between mutant powers and magic in the Otherworld. The storyline is continued in the seriesKnights of X.
Magik led a spacefaring team of classicNew Mutants andGeneration X members, and later acts as mentor to younger mutants in Krakoa; a second team of outreach party seek young mutants who have chosen not to come to Krakoa. The resident New Mutants' adventure continued inNew Mutants: Lethal Legion.
Nightcrawler assembled a team focused on the path of answers for mutantkind's spirituality. The title is concluded in the one-shotX-Men: The Onslaught Revelation.
Captain Britain leads a team of ten knights into Otherworld in a quest to search the Siege Perilous. The title concluded in the seriesBetsy Braddock: Captain Britain.
The mutant police force formed by Nightcrawler and Legion. During theSins of Sinister event, the title is replaced byNightcrawlers featuring Sinister's private army of chimera assassins.
The mutants exiled in The Pit are in pursuit of an escaped Sabretooth. The title is a continuation of theSabretooth solo series and is concluded in theSabretooth War arc of theWolverine series.
The fallen heroes murdered in the Hellfire Gala are guided by Askani on a sacred mutant mission to find for an intact biological Moira mind in one of Sinister's close-engine timelines.
During the panel atSXSW 2024, a new era of mutant mythos is announced with the X-Men scattered across the planet as they attempt to rebuild themselves in the wake of the acclaimed Krakoan Age. It introduced flagship titles forX-Men,Uncanny X-Men andExceptional X-Men, new volumes forX-Force,NYX,X-Factor andWeapon X-Men, solo series forJean Grey,Wolverine (Logan),Storm,Dazzler,Mystique,Psylocke,Wolverine (Laura Kinney) andMagik, and a new series forSentinels.[68][69][70][71][72]
Notable addition to the X-Men have beenKid Omega andTemper. Notable story arc of this era are "Raid on Graymalkin" (2024) and "X-Manhunt" (2025). The X-Men were also involved in the "Blood Hunt" and "One World Under Doom" storylines.
A group of young mutants –Kamala Khan (codename Ms. Marvel), Laura Kinney (codenameWolverine),Anole,Prodigy andSophie Cuckoo – navigate New York City as the mutant community adapts to the post-Krakoan Age.
The X-Men have a rogues gallery of enemies they fight on a regular basis, the most well-known beingMagneto, the mutant Master of Magnetism and Professor X's former friend.
The conflict between mutants and normal humans is often compared to real-world conflicts experienced by minority groups inAmerica such asAfrican Americans, various religious or non-religious groups,ethnic minorities,autistic individuals, theLGBTQ community, etc.[105][106] It has been remarked that attitudes towards mutants do not make sense in the context of the Marvel Universe, since non-mutants with similar powers are rarely regarded with fear;X-Men editorAnn Nocenti remarked that "I think that's literary, really – because there is no difference between Colossus andthe Torch. If a guy comes into my office in flames, or a guy comes into my office and turns to steel, I'm going to have the same reaction. It doesn't really matter that I know their origins. ... as a book,The X-Men has always represented something different – their powers arrive at puberty, making them analogous to the changes you go through at adolescence – whether they're special, or out of control, or setting you apart – the misfit identity theme."[107] Also on an individual level, a number of X-Men serve ametaphorical function as their powers illustrate points about the nature of the outsider.
The X-Men are hated, feared and despised collectively by humanity for no other reason than that they are mutants. So what we have here, intended or not, is a book that is about racism, bigotry and prejudice.
Antisemitism: Explicitly referenced in recent decades is the comparison between antimutant sentiment and antisemitism. Magneto, aHolocaust survivor, sees the situation of mutants as similar to those of Jews inNazi Germany.[109][115] At one point he even utters the words "never again" in a 1992 episode of theX-Men animated series. The mutant slave labor camps on the island ofGenosha, in which numbers were burned into mutant's foreheads, show much in common withNazi concentration camps,[115][116][117] as do the internment camps of the classic "Days of Future Past" storyline.[118] In the third X-Men film, when asked by Callisto: "If you're so proud of being a mutant, then where's your mark?" Magneto shows his concentration camp tattoo, while mentioning that he will never let another needle touch his skin. In the prequel filmX-Men: First Class, a fourteen-year-old Magneto suffersNazi human experimentation during his time in the camps and witnesses his mother's death by gunshot.
LGBT themes: Some commentators have noted the similarities between the struggles of mutants and theLGBT community, noting the onset of special powers aroundpuberty and the parallels between beingcloseted and the mutants' concealment of their powers.[122] In the comics series, gay andbisexual characters includeAnole,Bling!, Destiny, Karma, Mystique, Psylocke, Courier,Northstar (whose marriage was depicted in the comics in 2012),Graymalkin,Rictor,Shatterstar, Shade, theUltimate version of Colossus and later Iceman after revealing that he is a mutant; the comics version of the character was then revealed to be gay in 2015.Transgender issues also come up with shapechangers like Mystique,Copycat, and Courier who can change gender at will. It has been said that the comic books and the X-Men animated series delved into theAIDS epidemic with a long-running plot line about theLegacy Virus, a seemingly incurable disease thought at first to attack only mutants (similar to the AIDS virus which at first was spread through the gay community).[123] In the filmX-Men: First Class,Hank McCoy is asked by his CIA boss why he never disclosed his mutant identity, and his response was"you didn't ask, I didn't tell".
Communism andsocialism: Occasionally, undercurrents of the real-life "Red Scare" are present or the events of the Red Scare in history are alluded to. Senator Robert Kelly's proposal of aMutant Registration Act is similar to the efforts ofUnited States Congress to try to bancommunism in the United States.[117] In the 2000X-Men film, Kelly exclaims, "We must know who these mutants are and what they can do," even brandishing a "list" of known mutants (a reference to SenatorJoseph McCarthy's list ofCommunist Party USA members who were working in the government).[124]
Religion: Religion is an integral part of several X-Men storylines. It is presented as both a positive and negative force, sometimes in the same story. The comics explorereligious fundamentalism through the person of William Stryker and his Purifiers, an antimutant group that emerged in the 1982 graphic novelGod Loves, Man Kills. The Purifiers believe that mutants are not human beings but children of the devil, and have attempted to exterminate them several times, most recently in the "Childhood's End" storyline. By contrast, religion is also central to the lives of several X-Men, such as Nightcrawler, a devoutCatholic, andDust, a devoutSunni Muslim who wears an Islamicniqāb.[120]
Subculture: In some cases, the mutants of the X-Men universe sought to create a subculture of the typical mutant society portrayed. The Morlocks, though mutants like those attending Xavier's school, hide away from society within the tunnels of New York. These Morlock tunnels serve as the backdrop for several X-Men stories, most notablyTheMutant Massacre crossover. This band of mutants illustrates another dimension to the comic, that of a group that further needs to isolate itself because society won't accept it.[125][126] InGrant Morrison's stories of the early 2000s, mutants are portrayed as a distinct subculture with "mutant bands," mutant use of code-names as their primary form of self-identity (rather than their given birth names), and a popular mutant fashion designer who created outfits tailored to mutantphysiology. The seriesDistrict X takes place in an area of New York City called "Mutant Town."[113] These instances can also serve as analogies for the way that minority groups establish subcultures and neighborhoods of their own that distinguish them from the broader general culture. DirectorBryan Singer has remarked that the X-Men franchise has served as a metaphor for acceptance of all people for their special and unique gifts. The mutant condition that is often kept secret from the world can be analogous to feelings of difference and fear usually developed in everyone during adolescence.[citation needed]
Genocide: Genocide and its psychological aftereffects, primarilysurvivor guilt, are recurring elements in some of the most significant X-Men story arcs. Magneto was a survivor ofThe Holocaust and witnessed the genocide of his people, severely scarring him emotionally and leaving him with a strong distrust of humanity. Because of this he constantly toes the line between ally and enemy of the X-Men. The iconicDays of Future Past story line saw an alternate future where Sentinels committed genocide on most of the world's mutants.[127] In Rachel Summers' original timeline, she was captured by humans and turned into a 'hound' used to hunt down other mutants in order to capture and kill them, leaving her extremely traumatized by the experience and knowledge that she unwittingly assisted in the genocide of her own people. Bishop's childhood consisted of him being trapped in a mutant concentration camp, leaving him so emotionally scarred as an adult that upon returning to the past he was prepared tokill a baby who might have caused his future. WhenCassandra Nova committed genocide on Genosha, the event left bothEmma Frost[128] andPolaris[129][130] traumatized by survivor's guilt as they were amongst the limited few survivors. While taking some time off in Germany,Nightcrawler witnessed the genocide of numerous mutants. The event left him as an emotional shell of who he used to be because of the trauma of what he witnessed until he had psychic therapy withJean to help him cope.[131] Other characters who have either committed or have survived genocide include Mystique,Callisto, Apocalypse, Onslaught,Bastion,Mister Sinister, Hope Summers, Cable, and thePhoenix Force.
Many of the X-Men's stories delve intotime travel either in the sense of the team traveling through time on a mission, villains traveling through time to alter history, or certain characters traveling from the past or future in order to join the present team. Story arcs and spin-offs that are notable for using this plot device includeDays of Future Past,Messiah Complex,All-New X-Men,Messiah War, andBattle of the Atom. Characters who are related to time travel include: Apocalypse, Bishop, Cable,Old Man Logan, Prestige, Hope Summers,Tempus, andStryfe.[132] A major notable period in the X-Men's history began in 2012sAll-New X-Men whenBeast used time-travel to bring the original five 1960s X-Men into the present. These time-displaced characters subsequently starred in their own titleX-Men Blue before returning to their original timeline in 2018sExtermination event.
One of the most recurring plot devices used in the X-Men franchise is death and resurrection, mostly in the sense of Jean Grey and her bond with the Phoenix. Though not as iconic as Jean and the Phoenix, many other X-Men characters have died and come back to life on occasion. Death and resurrection has become such a common occurrence in the X-books that the characters have mentioned on numerous occasions that they are not strangers to death or have made comments that death doesn't always have a lasting effect on them (for example, "In mutant heaven, there are no pearly gates, only revolving doors").X-Necrosha is a particular story arc that seesSelene temporarily reanimate many of the X-Men's dead allies and enemies in order for her to achieve godhood. In the Krakoan era, the characters invent a method of resurrecting mutants who have died; becoming a significant story element across the various X-Men books.
Many of the characters deal with the topic of fate. In particular,Destiny's abilities of precognition have affected certain plot points in the X-Men's history long after she was killed off due to both the X-Men and their enemies constantly searching for her missing diaries that foretell certain futures. The topic of fate takes center stage yet again in a story arc called "The Extremists" involving attacks against theMorlocks due to one of them seeing a dark future for their people.[133] Some characters believe they already know their own fates, such as Apocalypse believing he is fated to rule the mutants or Magneto believing he is fated to lead the mutants to rise up against humans. Other characters such as Jean, Prestige,Evan Sabanur, Hope Summers, andWarren Worthington III have all been wary of their fates and have all taken measures to alter their futures.
Space travel has been a common staple in the X-Men books beginning with the Phoenix and Dark Phoenix sagas. Since then space has been involved in many stories involving the X-Men's allies and occasional rivals theShi'ar along with stories involving the Phoenix Force. Space has been the setting for many stories involving the likes ofThe Brood, such as the story arc where the villainous species was first introduced.[134] Through space noteworthy characters like TheStarjammers andVulcan (lost brother of Cyclops and Havok) were introduced. Space Travel played a major role inJoss Whedon's run onAstonishing X-Men via the introduction ofS.W.O.R.D. and especially in one of the final story arcs under his authorship called "Unstoppable".[135][136] Other notable story arcs involving space included "X-Men: The End", "Rise and Fall of the Shi'ar Empire", "X-Men: Kingbreaker", "War of Kings", and "The Black Vortex".
The topic of sanity has been addressed in many of the major heroes and villains of X-Men. Most famously this is addressed in Jean Grey when she gains near omnipotence through the Phoenix andProfessor Xavier after he violently uses his powers against Magneto, unintentionally creating Onslaught. Mystique's sanity wavers throughout the franchise as her constant transformations causes more and more of her mind to fracture.[137][138] Ever since swapping bodies withRevanche, Psylocke has occasionally struggled to maintain her sanity due to her more aggressive nature and new powers. The character Deadpool is famous for his blatant lack of sanity. After Magneto stripped Wolverine of his metal bones, Wolverine began to become increasingly feral throughout most of the mid to late 1990s X-Men comics. The nature of Rogue's powers affecting her sanity due to her retaining the memories of others has been a central plot device on many occasions, most famously retainingMs. Marvel's psyche throughout most of the 1980s. Most recently Emma Frost's sanity has become fractured ever since Cyclops died in her arms, causing her to declare war against Inhumans.[139] Other characters who have had issues with sanity include Cyclops, Sabretooth,Magik,Quentin Quire, X-23, and Prestige.
In the Marvel Universe, mutant rights is one of the hot controversial political topics and is something that is addressed numerous times in the X-books as a plot device. While some politicians likeValerie Cooper have legitimately tried to help the X-Men, most have made it their mission to discredit the X-Men in order to eliminate mutants once and for all. SenatorRobert Kelly began his platform on a strong outspoken anti-mutant sentiment until he changed his mind after being rescued by mutants later on in his career. When Sabretooth's human sonGraydon Creed ran for office, the X-Men sent inCannonball and Iceman to discreetly join his campaign team and find anything on his anti-mutant agenda. This continued until it boiled to a head when his assassination led to "Operation: Zero Tolerance." Some of the issues presented in the comics serve as allegory to modern issues in the real world, such as Lydia Nance suggesting mass mutant deportation.[140]
Characters in the X-Men franchise espouse a variety of political ideologies, and these differences are a frequent catalyst for conflict. The most prominent ideological clash in the X-Men franchise is that between Xavier and Magneto; despite later interpretations of the two as analogues for Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X, writer Chris Claremont (who originated Magneto's backstory and history with Xavier) saw them as more comparable toDavid Ben-Gurion andMenachem Begin.[141] Xavier's ideology has drawn comparisons toassimilationism andmodel minority politics, while Magneto, originally depicted as a mutantsupremacist, is later portrayed as aliberationist advocatingself-determination throughmutually assured destruction.Callisto is aseparatist, who seeks to protect the Morlocks throughisolationism.Emma Frost is portrayed as rejecting social movements, opting to use thecapitalist system for her personal benefit, or for that of individual mutants in her care.Apocalypse is characterized as asocial darwinist who believes that mutants can only survive through the rule of might. TheMutant Liberation Front commits acts ofterrorism toliberate mutants wrongly incarcerated by the government. Even when individual characters expressing conflicting ideologies are portrayed as either misguided or villainous, their motives and beliefs are often treated by the X-Men with nuance, sympathy, and respect; for example, duringSecret Wars, whenThe Avengers take issue with Magneto's placement among the heroic team byThe Beyonder, the X-Men defend him as an ally, despite disagreeing with his methods.[142] Pulitzer-winning national security journalistSpencer Ackerman has stated on theCerebro podcast that "the importance of the X-Men as a universe of stories, as a mythos, is that we should always be debating who is right."[143]
The character ofMojo, an extraterrestrial being and media mogul from the Mojoverse, serves as a satirical embodiment of the pervasive influence of media on society. Created by Nocenti andArt Adams, Mojo's grotesque appearance and obsession with television ratings are a direct commentary on the often exploitative nature of entertainment media.
Mojo's realm, where citizens are addicted to his gladiator-like television programs, mirrors the real world's fixation with reality TV and the spectacle of media. It raises questions about the ethical boundaries of entertainment and the societal impact of media consumption. The character's creation was influenced by Nocenti's readings of media critics such asMarshall McLuhan,Noam Chomsky, andWalter Lippmann, reflecting concerns about how media shapes public perception and discourse.
The X-Men's encounters with Mojo often highlight the dangers of media manipulation and the commodification of individuals. These narratives underscore the importance of critical thinking and media literacy as tools to combat the potential indoctrination by mass media. The character's storylines serve as allegories for the real-world implications of media control over information and the shaping of societal norms.
In the broader context of the X-Men universe, Mojo's machinations can be seen as a metaphor for the media's role in perpetuating social issues. His control over the Mojoverse parallels the control media conglomerates have over public opinion and the dissemination of information. The X-Men's resistance against Mojo's tyranny is symbolic of the struggle against the monopolization of media and the fight for a free and independent press.[144][145][146][147][148][149][150][151][152][153]
Historically, the X-Men have been based in theXavier Institute of Gifted Youngsters/X-Mansion located inSalem Center,Westchester County, New York, and are often portrayed as a family. The Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters/X-Mansion is often depicted with three floors and two underground levels. To the outside world, it acted as a higher learning institute until the 2000s, when Xavier was publicly exposed as a mutant at which point it became a known mutantboarding school. Xavier funds a corporation aimed at reaching mutants worldwide, though it ceased to exist following the 2005 "Decimation" storyline. The X-Men benefit from advanced technology such as Xavier tracking down mutants with a device calledCerebro which amplifies his powers; the X-Men train within theDanger Room, first depicted as a room full of weapons and booby traps, now as generating holographic simulations; and the X-Men travel in theirBlackbird jet.
The X-Men introduced several fictional locations which are regarded as important within the shared universe in which Marvel Comics characters exist:
Asteroid M, an asteroid made by Magneto, a mutant utopia and training facility off of the Earth's surface.
Avalon, Magneto'sspace station that served as the primary base for him and hisAcolytes to create a mutants-only safe haven after Magneto drastically reverted to his villainous ways. Originally created byCable.[154]
Genosha, an island near Madagascar and a longtimeapartheid regime against mutants. The U.N. gave control to Magneto until theE Is for Extinction story saw Genosha destroyed via massgenocide.
Krakoa, a living island which is currently home to the X-Men and other mutants. It is an official country.
Limbo, a hellish dimension heavily populated by demons. Whoever possesses the Soulsword bears control over and can draw power from Limbo. InExtraordinary X-Men, the X-Men made a sanctuary in Limbo calledX-Haven their home after Terrigen started making earth uninhabitable for mutants.
New Tien, a mutant-run region on the west coast of the United States where mutants outnumber humans. It was created afterHydra took over the United States. Emma Frost secretly leads New Tien by telepathically possessing New Tien'spuppet rulerXorn.[155]
Savage Land, a preserved location inAntarctica which is home to a number of extinct species, most notablydinosaurs, and strange tribes.
Utopia, Cyclops had Asteroid M raised from thePacific Ocean off the coast of the San Francisco as a response to the rise of anti-mutant sentiment to form a mutant nation.
The insecurity and anxieties in Marvel's early 1960s comic books such asThe Fantastic Four,The Amazing Spider-Man,The Incredible Hulk, andX-Men ushered in a new type of superhero, very different from the certain and incredibly powerful superheroes before them, and changed the public's perception of superheroes.[156]
The superhero team has been described as an allegory to real-life struggles experienced by people rejected by society.[157][158]
Ramzi Fawaz argues that X-Men presents a feminist revision of the idea of a superhero team: "As a corollary to its critique of normative identity,The X-Men shifted the traditional locus of affective and political identification in mainstream superhero comics from white male heroes to powerful and racially diverse female superheroes whose emotional strength anchored mutant kinships and whose superpowers granted them unprecedented ability to reshape the material world."[159]
Age of Apocalypse – In a world where Professor X is killed by his sonDavid/Legion before he can form the X-Men, Magneto leads the X-Men in a dystopian world ruled by Apocalypse. Created and reverted via time travel.
Age of X – a world in which anti-mutant sentiment became even worse due to a series of events and thus led to the United States government hunting down mutants with Sentinels and leading to "The Decimation" which severely reduced the mutant population and Magneto leads the mutants who are based in Fortress X.
Days of Future Past –Sentinels have either killed or placed into concentration camps almost all mutants. Prevented by the time-traveling Kate Pryde/Widget (the adult Kitty Pryde/Shadowcat).
House of M – Reality is altered byScarlet Witch, with her father Magneto as the ruler of Genosha and in which mutants are the dominant group with humans as second-class citizens. 2005's crossover event, it concludes with a reversion to the normal Marvel Universe, albeit with most mutantsdepowered.
Marvel 1602 – Mutants are known as the "Witchbreed" in this alternate reality set during the time ofThe Inquisition. Carlos Javier creates a "school for the children of gentlefolk" to serve as a safe haven and training ground for which he callsmutantur (orchanging ones) and normal humans (themondani). The roster consists of the original 5 members and analogues of Sunspot, Pietro and Wanda Maximoff.[160]
Marvel 2099 – Set in a dystopian world with new characters looking to the original X-Men as history, becomingX-Men 2099 andX-Nation 2099.
Marvel Noir – The X-Men of this reality are a group of delinquent teenagers led by Charles Xavier who believes that sociopathy is the next step in human evolution.
Mutant X – Set in a world where Scott Summers was captured along with his parents by the Shi'ar and only Alex escaped, allowing him to be the eventual leader of this Universe's X-Men ("The Six"). The Mutant X universe reimaginesMr. Fantastic,Nick Fury, and Professor X as villains andDoctor Doom and Apocalypse as heroes.
Time-displaced X-Men – The time-displaced team was introduced as such inAll-New X-Men vol. 1 #1, byBrian Michael Bendis andStuart Immonen, and brought to the present with time travel. They were kept as regular characters, as Bendis intended to explore their reactions to the fate of their adult selves.[161] The team was the main focus of theBattle of the Atom crossover, some months later. Bendis also used them for crossovers with theGuardians of the Galaxy andMiles Morales, that he also wrote.[162] This was one of the few crossovers between theMarvel Universe and theUltimate Marvel universe; Bendis preferred to write them sparingly.[163]All-New X-Men has a vol. 2 in 2015, byDennis Hopeless andMark Bagley.[164] The comic was cancelled after the end of theInhumans vs. X-Men crossover, and the team was now published in theX-Men Blue comic. The teenager Jean also got a solo series after the end ofResurrXion, by Hopeless and Victor Ibanez, that explored her relation with thePhoenix Force.[165] The teenager Cyclops joins theChampions, a comic book focused on teenager heroes but unrelated to the X-Men mythos.[166] They guest-starred in theVenom comic, in the "Poison-X" arc. The story took the villains from theVenomverse arc and led to theVenomized crossover.[167] The team were featured in theExtermination crossover, where they went back to their original timeline.[168]
Ruins – Although the actual X-Men don't appear, alternate versions of its members and villains are shown to have suffered under horrific circumstances. Charles Xavier is a tyrannicalPresident of the United States, Jean Grey is aprostitute, Magneto and Mystique die, Wolverine suffers from poisoning from his adamantium skeleton, Emma Frost heads the Church of the Next Generation and forces children of her followers to undergo surgery, Cyclops as well as Nightcrawler and Kitty Pryde are imprisoned at a Texas jail and Sabretooth is part of a fascist cannibalistic militia based in Oklahoma alongside Bucky Barnes and Jack Monroe.
Ultimate X-Men – Set in the reimaginedUltimate Marvel universe. The X-Men are younger, wear black and gold uniforms and supernatural/cosmic elements are downplayed. Additionally Colossus is gay unlike his main universe counterpart, Magneto is not a Holocaust survivor and is more villainous, mutants were created by the Super-Soldier Serum, Cable is Wolverine and Kitty Pryde/Shadowcat dated Spider-Man.
Ultimate Universe - Set in Earth-6160, a world preceded byalternative history thanks to the interference of theMaker. Mutants are seen as mysterious and a fringe presence to the world at large, a scattered, suppressed and unrecognized minority without central leaders due to the absence of Magneto and Professor X. A group of young outcast students led byArmor forms the X-Men to combat a cult of Homo Superior covertly researching their powers and believing themselves to be superior to the human race.[169][170]
X-Men Forever – An alternate continuity diverging fromX-Men, vol. 2 #3, continuing as though writer Chris Claremont had never left writing the series.[171]
X-Men Noir – Set in the 1930s, with the X-Men as a mysterious criminal gang and the Brotherhood as a secret society of corrupt cops.
X-Men: The End – A possible ending to the X-Men's early 2005 status quo.
X-Men '92 – Follows "Secret Wars", the X-Men of the 1992 TV Series, received their own comic book series.[172]
^"Stan Lee".Archive of American Television. March 22, 2004. RetrievedJanuary 4, 2015.
^"Stan Lee".National Endowment for the Arts. March 26, 2010.Archived from the original on September 18, 2024. RetrievedSeptember 18, 2024.
^Conversations With The Comic Book Creators by Leonard Pitts, 1987; also published onThe Kirby Effect: The Journal of the Kirby Museum website as"1986/7 Jack Kirby Interview", 6 August 2012.
^Nickerson, Al (August 2008). "Claremont and Byrne: The Team that Made the X-Men Uncanny".Back Issue! (29). Raleigh, North Carolina:TwoMorrows Publishing:3–12.
^Brown, Scott (May 9, 2003)."The NeXt Level".Entertainment Weekly.Archived from the original on May 12, 2015. RetrievedApril 11, 2009.
^O'Neill, Patrick Daniel (August 1993). "Hitting the Right Chord".Wizard: X-Men Turn Thirty. pp. 84–85.
^Grant, Paul J. (August 1993). "Poor Dead Doug, and Other Mutant Memories".Wizard: X-Men Turn Thirty. pp. 66–69.
^abO'Neill, Patrick Daniel (August 1993). "The Future is Now".Wizard: X-Men Turn Thirty. pp. 12–25.
^Vaughan, Brian K. (w), Ferguson, Lee (p), Rapmund, Norm (i), Villarruiba, Jose (col), Sharpe, Dave (let), Raicht, Mike; Quesada, Joe (ed). "The Hollow Man: Chapter One"Chamber, vol. 1, no. 1 (October 2002). Marvel Comics.
^Trushell, John M. (August 2004). "American Dreams of Mutants: The X-Men—"Pulp" Fiction, Science Fiction, and Superheroes".The Journal of Popular Culture.38 (1).John Wiley & Sons:149–168.doi:10.1111/j.0022-3840.2004.00104.x.
Weinstein, Simcha (2006).Up, Up, and Oy Vey: How Jewish History, Culture and Values Shaped the Comic Book Superhero. Baltimore: Leviathan. Note: Contains a chapter on the X-Men, with special emphasis on Jewish characters Magneto and Shadowcat.
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