Asteroid M

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Asteroid M
Asteroid M, from X-Men vol. 2, #-1 (July 1997). Art by Carlos Pacheco.
Publication information
Publisher	Marvel Comics
First appearance	X-Men #5 (May 1964)
Created by	Stan Lee Jack Kirby
In story information
Type	Planet
Notable people	Magneto

Asteroid M is the name of several fictional settings, each an asteroid converted by the mutant Magneto into his home/orbiting base in the Marvel Comics Universe. It was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, in X-Men #5 (May 1964).

[edit] History

Asteroid M has been destroyed and reconstructed by the Master of Magnetism many times. All of them had several levels, including an observation deck, hangar bays and medical facilities. The various facilities had technology that kept it concealed from standard detection technology. They were all positioned in stationary orbit.

[edit] First version

Magneto completed construction on Asteroid M just before recruiting his children, Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch into his group of Brotherhood of Evil Mutants. As seen in X-Men vol. 2, Minus 1 (July 1997). It was destroyed in a battle with the X-Men , in X-Men #5 (May 1964).

[edit] Second version

Asteroid M was reconstructed just after Magneto imprisoned the X-Men in his Antarctic citadel, reducing them to the level of six-month-old babies, around the time of X-Men #113 (September 1978).

The space station was severely damaged when Warlock, an alien being from a techno-organic civilization with rigid rules and regulations, was fleeing to Earth. He collided with Asteroid M, breaking it to pieces, as seen in New Mutants Vol. 1 # 21 (November 1984).

[edit] Third version

During his brief association with the Hellfire Club, Magneto built a fancier version of Asteroid M. Wanting a contingency plan if things didn't work out with the Hellfire Club, Magneto proceeded to rebuild his base of operations to survey the Earth from high above. From there, he heard of Scarlet Witch's troubles. He went down to Earth to bring her back to his space station. This version was first seen in Avengers: West Coast #57 (April 1990).

When the West Coast Avengers attacked Asteroid M, we learned that Magneto has service robots on the station. The service robots were instrumental in alerting Magneto to the presence of Wasp on his base. For obvious reasons, his entire asteroid isn't made out of metallic objects. Quicksilver demonstrated this when he ripped out plastic tubing out of one the consoles.

After events involving Zaladane, in the Savage Land, Magneto returned to Asteroid M to live in peace. His peace didn't last that long: Acolytes, led originally by Fabian Cortez, requested and were granted sanctuary on Asteroid M by Magneto from American soldiers that were chasing them.

In X-Men vol. 2, #1 (October 1991), it was stated that the asteroid was in synchronous orbit and 250 kilometers above the Earth (synchronous orbit is actually much farther from Earth than this; in all likelihood it was being magnetically levitated at that altitude). The asteroid also has selective inhibitor fields that may keep mutants or superhumans from using their powers. This version of the asteroid has medical and science facilities, an observation deck, sleeping quarters, and a swimming pool.

This version of Asteroid M was destroyed in X-Men vol. 2, #3 (December 1991). From an escape pod, Cortez set off nuclear missiles that were around the asteroid. Although Magneto survived the re-entry of Asteroid M to Earth, the rest of the original Acolytes did not. The remains of the Asteroid M crashed into the Middle East. Forge, Henry Peter Gyrich, and other government officials, inspected the wreckage in Uncanny X-Men #299 (April 1993).

[edit] Fourth version

During the Planet X storyline, Xorn (who was pretending to be Magneto) trapped Wolverine and Jean Grey on a new version of Asteroid M, which he moved into the Sun.

[edit] Other versions

The Ages of Apocalypse was a reality where Apocalypse attempted to use the X-Men and their powers. In one version of this reality, a different version of the Brotherhood stays on Asteroid M.

In the Marvel Zombies universe Asteroid M acts as a safe haven, protecting what's left of the Acolytes (Fabian Cortez, Joanna Cargill, Lisa Hendricks, Reynolds), Black Panther and Forge from the hordes of zombies on Earth.

[edit] Other Media

[edit] Animation

It should be noted, in all of its appearances in animation it was destroyed soon after it appeared.

[edit] Pryde of the X-Men

• In Pryde of the X-Men, Asteroid M appears as a Magneto's base of operations. After his escape from prison thanks to the Brotherhood (Namely the White Queen), Magneto steals Cerebro's "mutant power circuit" from Kitty Pride, whom it was given to by Professor X for its protection. Once obtaining the circuit he and his brotherhood went to Asteroid M and with a machine, used the circuit to amplify Magneto's power in order to change the course of the "Scorpio" comet, aiming it towards Earth. However the X-Men stopped his pursuits to destroy the Earth by Nightcrawler reprogramming the controls to make the comet hit Asteroid M instead, resulting in its destruction.

[edit] X-Men: The Animated Series

• In X-Men: The Animated Series, Asteroid M appears in the two part episode "Sanctuary." In the series it was built by Magneto for the goal of acting as a sanctuary for all mutants where they could live free from their human oppressors as he became weary of battling for mutant supremacy. As such he tells all of the world of his intentions for Asteroid M and gathers many mutants from Earth (mainly Genosha) and takes them to their new home in large transports. He also gathers a large number of nuclear warheads previously to defend his new sanctuary. Soon the governments of the world feel threatened by Magneto's plan and intent on destroying Asteroid M but with the interference of Professor X this is stopped. With his sanctuary, Magneto no longer cared about humanity; however one of his followers and Acolyte Fabian Cortez desired nothing more than to destroy the humans. This eventually caused him to betray Magneto and jettison him towards Earth to his doom, however Magneto survived and was forced to destroy Asteroid M in the process of destroying hundreds of nuclear warheads Cortez launched at Earth to wipe humanity from Earth in nuclear genocide.

[edit] X-Men: Evolution

• In X-Men: Evolution, Asteroid M appears in the two part Season 1 finale "The Cauldron." In the episode Magneto pitted the X-Men and Brotherhood against each other to see who was the "fittest" to join him at his sanctuary on Asteroid M; while some may have come voluntarily, others were captured. On Asteroid M, for those who survived his competition he gave them the opportunity to "evolve" their powers, as he put it by being put in a machine powered by the Gem of Cyttorak and to show it was safe to use he let Sabretooth go in as an example. After the process was done he came out more powerful and much more beast-like in appearance. Following him was Cyclops, Havok and later Mystique. Afterward fighting ensued that caused the destruction of the engines which kept Asteroid M at its high altitude, causing its impending crash on the surface below. However to stop this, Cyclops and Havok used their newly enhanced abilities to destroy Asteroid M before it could do any harm, resulting not only in its obliteration but causing both of them to "burn-up" their new powers and revert back to their former states.

[edit] Video Games

It has made appearances in the X-Men the game for Sega Genesis, the arcade game, in X-Men: Mutant Academy 2 for the PlayStation, in X-Men: Next Dimension for the Gamecube and in the X-Men Legends role playing game. In the latter it was the final mission and served as the place where the player battled Magneto. It was also the home of his Gravitron superweapon. In this version, Asteroid M was not above Anya's grave but above New York City. Asteroid M was also Magneto's stage in Marvel Super Heroes.

[edit] Bibliography

[edit] List of titles

• Uncanny X-Men #5, 113, 299 & 378 (May 1964, September 1978, April 1993 & March 2000, Marvel Comics)
• New Mutants Vol. 1 # 21 (November 1984, Marvel Comics)
• New X-Men #146 & 148 (November 2003 & December 2003, Marvel Comics)
• Avengers: West Coast #57 & 60 (April 1990 - July 1990, Marvel Comics)
• X-Men vol. 2, #1 - 3 (October 1991 - December 1991, Marvel Comics).

[edit] Significant stories

• X-Men vol. 2, #3 (December 1991, Marvel Comics) - Destruction of Asteroid M, by Fabian Cortez.
• New X-Men #148 (December 2003, Marvel Comics) - Wolverine and Jean Grey spending their final moments together on Asteroid M, before it collides with the Sun.