TheX-Babies are a group of fictional characters appearing inAmerican comic books published byMarvel Comics. They are depicted as beingMojo-manufactured child clones of theX-Men.[1][2][3][4][5] They first appeared inUncanny X-Men Annual #12 and were created byChris Claremont andArthur Adams.
In line with Mojo being a parody of network executives, the X-Babies parody the modern trend of creating younger and junior versions of cartoon characters, which began in the 1980s withMuppet Babies.[6]
InUncanny X-Men Annual #10 (also by Claremont and Adams), Mojo de-aged the X-Men (Nightcrawler,Shadowcat,Wolverine,Rogue,Magneto,Psylocke,Colossus,Storm andLongshot) into children; this is what most likely inspired the creation of the X-Babies.[7]
InUncanny X-Men Annual #12, the X-Men are assumed to be dead (having died inDallas, only to be resurrected by the goddessRoma). Mojo, missing his greatest rating generators, had his people try to recreate his own version of the X-Men. After many unsuccessful attempts, the X-Babies were created. They soon rebel against Mojo. Mojo was about to kill them when he was told that their ratings were the highest ever recorded.
There have been several incarnations of the X-Babies over the years, usually resembling the current team of X-Men. There has also been a similar team instead based on theAvengers, called theMitey 'Vengers, who appeared in theX-Babies Reborn one-shot. There have also been several X-Babies villain teams including the "Brotherhood of Bullies" based on theBrotherhood of Mutants (X-Babies Murderama, 1998).
InExcalibur: Mojo Mayhem (1989),Kitty Pryde, interrupted on a train trip, helps a team of X-Babies flee from a Mojo enforcer who is intent on getting them back by tricking them into signing contracts. In this incarnation, the children's childlike faults and crushes on each other are cruelly exploited by their adversary. Kitty, with backup, ends up saving the day.
Several incarnations of the X-Babies are friendly with Ricochet Rita, the good past-self of the villainSpiral. Due to Spiral's time travel abilities, Rita, the babies, and Spiral can all exist at the same period simultaneously.
InX-Men #46-47 (1995), an X-Babies team is on the run from Mojo's hunters.Gambit andBishop try to keep them alive.
InExiles #8, it is shown that the reality-hopping Exiles encountered a version of the X-Babies. It is not stated whether these X-Babies are the creation of Mojo or the X-Men of the reality in question. In fact, no further details are given except for the narrative commentary "The less said about this, the better". The X-Baby Wolvie would then become a permanent member.
Dazzler would encounter juvenile versions of the four main villains from the "Age of Apocalypse" timelines. These entities would cause major death and destruction throughout Mojoworld.
The X-Men were once again reduced to infancy by Mojo duringUncanny X-Men #461 (2005). As kids, they were able to defeat the villains, parody lawyer-versions of the Exiles and restore their rightful ages. Juggernaut had second thoughts about returning to adulthood but was convinced to go through with it.
In theX-Babies four issue limited series (2009/2010) the X-Babies discover their position as Mojo's number one rating grabber had been usurped by the newer, cuter, but more shallow in personality 'Adorable X-Babies'. This version had a much more expansive roster, including members of theNew Mutants,X-Force,X-Factor,Generation X,Excalibur, theXavier Institute student body,X-Statix, and theChicago Morlocks.
In 2012, a spoof comic calledA-Babies Vs. X-Babies was released as a tie-in to theAvengers vs. X-Men event.[8]
In theKrakoan Age, the X-Men work to rescue the X-Babies from Mojo's control and bring them toKrakoa.[9]
