| Astonishing X-Men | |
|---|---|
Variant cover art for Astonishing X-Men #25. Art by Lee Bermejo. |
|
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Marvel Comics |
| Format | (vol. 1–2) Limited series (vol. 3) Ongoing series |
| Genre | Superhero |
| Publication date | (vol. 1) 1995 (vol. 2) 1999 (vol. 3) 2004–present |
| Number of issues | (vol. 1) 4 (vol. 2) 3 (vol. 3) 38 |
| Main character(s) | Cyclops Emma Frost Beast Storm Wolverine Armor |
| Creative team | |
| Writer(s) | (vol. 3) Joss Whedon (issues 1–24 & Giant-Size #1) Warren Ellis(issues 25–35) |
| Artist(s) | (vol. 3) John Cassaday (issues 1–24 & Giant-Size #1) Simone Bianchi (issues 25–30) Phil Jimenez (issues 31–35) |
| Collected editions | |
| Omnibus | ISBN 0-7851-3801-3 |
| Gifted | ISBN 0-7851-1531-5 |
Astonishing X-Men is the name of three X-Men comic book series from Marvel Comics, the first two of which were limited series. The ongoing series began in 2004, with its first run written by Joss Whedon and art by John Cassaday. It was then written by Warren Ellis with art by Phil Jimenez.[1] Daniel Way and Christos Gage then took over the title writing alternating stories. They were followed by James Asmus who wrote one issue, then Greg Pak, who took over for four issues in November of 2011.[2] Marjorie Liu will be the next writer, starting in 2012. A critical and commercial success, it focused on a roster consisting of Cyclops, Emma Frost, Shadowcat, Colossus, Beast and Wolverine. This roster has also been the focus of various limited series, such as X-Men: Phoenix—Endsong, X-Men: Phoenix—Warsong and World War Hulk: X-Men.
Contents
|
The original Astonishing X-Men was a four-issue series that replaced Uncanny X-Men during the 1995 alternate universe storyline Age of Apocalypse, in which all X-titles were given new names and issue numbers. In this storyline, Professor X was murdered 20 years in the past by his own son, Legion. Magneto, witnessing his friend's death, committed himself to Xavier's dream and created his own team of X-Men. However, he was unable to prevent the rise of the despotic Apocalypse and hence the series primarily dealt with the X-Men's battle against him.
Astonishing X-Men, written by Scott Lobdell and illustrated by Joe Madureira, featured a team of X-Men led by Rogue and consisted of Sunfire, Blink, Morph, Sabretooth and Wildchild.
The second limited series to bear the title Astonishing X-Men was published in 1999 and occurred after The Shattering storyline. In this series, most of the regular X-Men left the team over a conflict with Professor X. The three-issue series, written by Howard Mackie and illustrated by Brandon Peterson, featured an interim team consisting of Cyclops, Phoenix, Wolverine, Archangel, Cable and Nate Grey.
This team protected the Mannites (a group of super powered, genetically engineered children) from Death, a horseman of Apocalypse. Wolverine was apparently murdered by Death in the final pages of the series but it was later revealed that "Death" was actually a mind controlled Wolverine, and that the "Wolverine" who was killed was an imposter, a shapeshifting Skrull.
In 2004, Marvel used the title Astonishing X-Men for the ongoing X-Men series written by Joss Whedon and illustrated by John Cassaday. It is a continuation of Grant Morrison's New X-Men title and features a similar line-up of characters, including Cyclops and Emma Frost (as co-team leaders), Beast, Shadowcat, Colossus, Lockheed and Wolverine. This team became the usual focus for most X-Men limited series from then on as well.
Whedon/Cassaday's Astonishing X-Men introduced a number of original characters into the Marvel Universe including Special Agent Brand, S.W.O.R.D., Hisako Ichiki, Ord of the Breakworld and Blindfold.
Also many large scale events in the Marvel Universe such as House of M, Decimation, Civil War and other Marvel crossovers have been ignored almost completely during the run, due to the long delays between issues and Whedon's own stated desire to remain away from big crossovers, which he personally dislikes, and what he saw as hectic and unfollowable X-Men continuity (Wizard #165, 2005). Even despite the addition of Warren Ellis, the title was still plagued by long delays (sometimes even issues being up to two months late).
The first story arc focused on the introduction of several key characters and their involvement on the team. Whedon introduced a "mutant cure" designed by Indian Benetech scientist Dr. Kavita Rao, who was secretly sponsored by warrior alien Ord. The prospect of "real" humanity arouses the interest of a heavily mutated Beast, who visits Rao only to discover that the drug is the product of illegal human experimentation on an unknown victim. The X-Men raid Benetech and reunite with Colossus. With Colossus's help, the team takes down Ord, but not before it's revealed that a mutant (most likely an X-Man) would destroy Ord's home planet, the Breakworld, within the next three years.
With this 2005 arc, Whedon brought in Colossus four years after his comic book death in 2001. The "mutant cure" plot was also basis of the X-Men: The Last Stand movie plot. The arc was critically lauded and won the 2006 Will Eisner Award for "Best Continuing Series."[3] IGN called the arc "best X-Men run in a decade" and lauded Whedon for flawless character dynamics.[4]
This Whedon arc features a Sentinel attack with a mystery mastermind. The culprit is the Danger Room, who is becoming sentient and appears as a robot called "Danger." Whedon establishes that Professor X imprisoned Danger and made it an unwilling host of the Danger Room, leaving the X-Men disgusted. Whedon also revealed that Emma Frost is aligned with the newly formed Hellfire Club.
The X-Men are manipulated by a new Hellfire Club, consisting of Cassandra Nova, Emma Frost, the enigmatic Perfection, Negasonic Teenage Warhead, and Sebastian Shaw. Whedon established that Emma Frost is blackmailed into servitude by Cassandra, that the "new" Hellfire Club is only a psychic projection, and that Cyclops's non-control of his optic blasts is result of a childhood trauma. Nova initially beats the X-Men (save Shadowcat) by mind control, but Shadowcat frees her colleagues. At the end, the X-Men fight Nova to a standstill. But before the conflict can be resolved, the X-Men are forcibly teleported away by S.W.O.R.D. to a spaceship headed for the Breakworld.
The final panel of issue 15, in which Shadowcat crouches in a sewer clenching her fists, was an homage to the final panel of Uncanny X-Men #132, in which Wolverine did this gesture.
In the following Unstoppable arc, Whedon wrote an adventure taking place on the alien Breakworld. The X-Men square off against the Breakworld leaders, who are intending to destroy Earth by firing a giant bullet. The Danger subplot is also resolved, and Whedon established that Danger is hard-coded not to kill. In the end, Shadowcat phases inside the Breakworld bullet, and when it reaches Earth, makes it intangible, so that the bullet passes through Earth. Shadowcat seemingly sacrifices her life, comic book death-style.
Marvel announced at San Diego Comicon 2007 that following completion of the Whedon/Cassaday run on Astonishing X-Men, the series would continue with the new creative team of Warren Ellis and Simone Bianchi. This run was expected to debut in early 2008, but was pushed back to July 2008.[5] Ellis and Bianchi's first issue, Astonishing X-Men #25, featured the team relocated to San Francisco, with a base in the Marin headlands. The only addition to the team was Storm.[6] An Astonishing X-Men sketchbook was released and showed costume redesigns by Bianchi for the upcoming "Astonishing X-Men: Second Stage." The characters showcased were Dazzler, Beast, Nightcrawler, Archangel, Cyclops, Emma Frost, Colossus, Storm, and Wolverine.
Based in San Francisco, Ellis established the X-Men as protectors of the city. The new team consisted of Cyclops, Emma Frost, Beast, Wolverine and Armor, and later, Storm arrived. The X-Men uncovered a plot of mutant synthesis from an unusual murder. The killer (designated 'X') was located, fixing and restarting the eponymous "ghost box" in a spaceship. X was defeated but killed himself rather than surrender information about his intentions and "the Annex."
The team returned to San Francisco with Suspect X's "mysterious box" (actually a "Ghost Box") in tow and gave it to Hank along with a syringe filled with Suspect X's blood. After analyzing the box and blood, Hank told Scott that after having gone over Suspect X's file there appears to be talk about a secret war between Suspect X's people and the murdered mutant from the beginning of the story arc. There is also talk about a mysterious place called Tian which is in China and that piques the interest of Wolverine. After analyzing Suspect X's blood, Hank finds out that Suspect X is just a normal mutant but with his X-gene on a different chromosome. Just like the murder victim, Hank believes that Suspect X is a manufactured mutant. Hank wants to bring in Abigail Brand from S.W.O.R.D. in to help investigate this matter, but Scott is against that. In the end, against Scott's wishes, Agent Brand is brought in who lets the X-Men know that the Ghost Box is a dimensional portal between different realities. Hank then concludes that Suspect X is not a manufactured mutant after all; in Suspect X's reality the x-gene is normally located on a different chromosome. Brand wants to turn this case into a S.W.O.R.D.-only case but Scott counters it. Brand gives Scott and the X-Men time to investigate before she brings in S.W.O.R.D. With the help of Wolverine, the X-Men locate Tian, which is an uncharted area of China that no surveillance or satellite system can get through, not even the Chinese government. The X-Men are able to sneak into Tian and discover the headquarters of a secret group of mutants informally referred to by Hank as the "Chinese X-men." Sadly, they seem to have died because of M-Day's associated effects.
As Storm and Emma investigate the grounded temple, Emma notices they are not alone and that she will have to switch to her diamond form, leaving her without her telepathy. She relays the info to Cyclops who is with Beast, Armor and Wolverine. As Armor and Logan go off to search the temple for anyone else, Scott and Beast discuss Forge, M-Day and its effects on the multiverse. Armor and Wolverine come across a man who can fire lasers from his fingers, Storm and Emma lose their powers in the presence of the mutant hiding from them and Cyclops and Beast take on a mutant with a strange chameleon mutation. After the X-Men take down their foes, they reveal to the X-Men they have a mutual friend, Forge.[7] Emma continues to interrogate the X-Men's captives and the team discovers that Forge created the manufactured mutants (including the victim in the beginning of the arc). He created these "mutants" for a counter-strike against the Annexation using a Ghost Box that he acquired.
The team head towards where Forge is located and are apprehensive about the upcoming meeting. After some discussion with Forge, Cyclops and Storm try to reason with him but he is strongly determined to see his plan through. Forge's instance seems to stem from years of being ignored and neglected and he desires to leave behind a legacy and save the world. Beast orders his girlfriend Abigail Brand to send an immensely powerful laser beam into the Ghost Box's portal. Storm urges Forge to escape but he would rather face death than humiliation and the team escapes as the beam destroys both the Ghost Box and the world whence the invaders came.[8]
Agent Brand's investigation of an orbiting laboratory in space ends with it self-destructing, damaging her escape ship. As the craft falls toward Earth, she radios the help of the X-Men, who save her before the craft can crash into San Francisco. In the crowd, Emma notices deceased former student Wallflower and follows after her. Laurie immediately transforms into a bio-sentinel and the team destroy it. Brand reveals that an individual called Kaga hacked into the X-Men's files, using Beast's work on deriving a live x-gene from dead mutants to recover dead mutants to recreate some of the X-Men's greatest foes, such as the Brood and bio-sentinels masquerading in cloned bodies of their former allies.
Brand's explanation is interrupted when a Brood-Krakoa hybrid attacks, attempting to destroy any physical evidence of the bio-sentinel. The X-Men destroy it and locate the hidden ship that dropped the Brood-Krakoa hybrid, boarding it. They find another dead mutant, Paradigm, whom Kaga used to hack into the X-Men's files. Away from the team, Cyclops destroys the remnants of Paradigm, killing him, while the X-Men fight off and destroy a Brood-Sauron hybrid. The X-Men fly the ship into Kaga's base, finding an army of genetically engineered monstrosities meant to attack them. They destroy all the experimental creatures, and confront Kaga.
Kaga is revealed to be a deformed elderly man with numerous genetic abnormalities and disorders, a true mutant born from a mother who survived the atomic bombing of Hiroshima. He reveals that he hates the X-Men for their perfect bodies and incredible superhuman abilities despite being labeled "mutants," whereas he is deformed, trapped in a deteriorating body. In retaliation, Cyclops decides that he will not kill Kaga, but will ensure that "Mutantes Sans Frontières" gives Kaga the care and medical attention he needs for the rest of his natural life.
A miniseries that takes the X-Men to Africa to deal with a mysterious mutagen that is causing mutations amongst newborn children.
Writer Marjorie Liu and artist Mike Perkins are the new Astonishing X-Men creative team as of issue 48 in March 2012.
Unlike recent story arcs on the book, Liu and Perkins are on Astonishing X-Men for an open-ended run. The series will focus on Wolverine's side of the X-Men in the "Regenesis" era, and star Warbird, Northstar, Gambit, Cecila Reyes, Iceman and Karma.
| Issues | Years | Roster |
|---|---|---|
| 1 to 3 | 2004 | Cyclops, Emma Frost, Wolverine, Beast, Shadowcat, Lockheed |
| 4 to 19 | 2004 to 2006 | Cyclops, Emma Frost, Wolverine, Beast, Shadowcat, Lockheed, Colossus, Armor, Blindfold |
| 20 to 24 (& Giant-Size 1) | 2007 | Cyclops, Emma Frost, Wolverine, Beast, Shadowcat, Colossus, Armor, Abigail Brand, Danger |
| 25 to 35 | 2008 to 2010 | Cyclops, Emma Frost, Wolverine, Beast, Storm, Armor |
| 36, 37, 39, 41 | 2011 | Cyclops, Emma Frost, Wolverine, Armor |
| 38, 40, 42 | 2011 | Storm, Shadowcat, Colossus, Beast, Lockheed, Abigail Brand |
The 2009 series of What If? includes a special one-shot comic exploring two alternatives to events which have occurred in the Astonishing X-Men series. The first examines what would have happened if Ord had resurrected Jean Grey—who was thought a logical candidate for the character rumored to be returning from the dead—instead of Colossus. The second considers the ensuing consequences if the android Ultron had learned of the existence of the sentient Danger during his then-battle with the Runaways, leading him to become determined to make her his bride.[9]
Astonishing X-Men has been subject to criticism regarding the delays between the issues. Whedon's initial contract with Marvel Comics was for twelve issues for one year but the final issues were four months late. After a break of several months, the title resumed in February 2006 with the new story arc "Torn." With issue 13, the comic temporarily went from monthly to bimonthly to allow more time for Whedon and Cassaday to finish each issue and avoid further late releases. The book resumed a monthly schedule in September 2006 with issues 16 and 17, but was delayed once again for issue 18. Delays have continued to the present for a variety of reasons, including Cassaday's last minute assignment to pencil the fifth issue of Fallen Son: The Death of Captain America. The delays have also gotten the title out of sync with the other X-Men titles. X-editor Nick Lowe says that where the story fits will become clearer after its end.
Whedon has said that while he knows "many people have done cure scenarios before me," he was not familiar with any of those earlier stories at the time he started working on "Gifted."[10]
In Wizard #173, Whedon admitted to making mistakes in the second story arc, saying he was so fascinated with the idea of the "new intelligence" that he neglected the action and thus prevented the story from flowing well.
The third volume of the Astonishing X-Men comic book series has generally been well received with comic sales normally being very high. Whedon's run was nominated for several Eisner Awards. In 2006, the series won the best continuing series award and in 2005 and 2006, John Cassaday won Best Artist/Penciller/Inker or Penciller/Inker Team (tied with Frank Quitely for 2005). Also, in 2004, Astonishing X-Men, vol. 3's first storyline, "Gifted," was given the accolade of Wizard's book of the year.
The series have been collected into a number of trade paperbacks:
Marvel later produced motion comics based on volume 3 of Astonishing X-Men, releasing them on Hulu, iTunes, the PlayStation Store, and other video services. These animated episodes were then released on DVD through Shout! Factory. It has been announced that Marvel Knights Animation will continue animating Whedon and Cassady's run.[11]
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||