In the culture of Star Wars the term for story lines that are concrete, gospel, and essential to the world is known as 'Canon'. On the eve of watching Captain America: the Winter Soldier my mind seems to have wandered to the next film I plan on seeing in theaters; X-Men: Days of Future Past. This seems logical since X-Men is my #1 comic/superheroes I am a fan of. Even more so than Superman, and my friends and family know how much I like Superman. My contact pictures in my phone are all X-Men characters; each person based on their personality and relation to me. Just to give you a hint as to who I am, my wife's picture is Jean Grey.
Last week I began a co-worker of mine on the path of reading about Marvel's mighty mutants. I first started him out by watching the 90's animated series and now he is reading classic story lines like Second Genesis, The Dark Phoenix Saga, and Days of Future Past. After that I plan on throwing him into the X-Men he's become most familiar with; the animated team.
After my failure to sleep last night I make a road map in which to guide him through 50 years of X-Men. It includes some essential story lines, and some of my personal favorites. I even was able to divide them into what I call 'Ages'. In posting this I hope I may inspire someone else who has an interest in X-Men and get them started on what to read, and where to begin. Because I've been criticized for "long blogs" and I know this one actually is long, I'll be splitting this into several parts. So look for a new entry every day this week!
P.S. Anything with the word 'Genesis' in the title is a good jumping-off point. Enjoy!
COMIC TITLE INDEX
A= Astonishing X-Men
AN= All-New X-Men
AV= Avengers
Fac= X-Factor
For= X-Force
FF= Fantastic Four
L= X-Men: Legacy
N= New X-Men
U= Uncanny X-Men
UF= Uncanny X-Force
Origin Age
I refer to this period as the beginning. Sure there was the original team before Wolverine and Storm joined, but this is when the title really took off, and mainly thanks to the writer Chris Claremont. These story lines set the precedence for all the rest that followed.
SECOND GENESIS(U)
When the X-Men are in need of rescuing Professor X must recruit a new team consisting of Storm, Nightcrawler, Colossus, and of course, Wolverine. This story also introduces the Phoenix. A must for any X-Men reader.
THE DARK PHOENIX SAGA(U)
The X-Men's worst fear has come true. One of their own has become a powerful enemy. The team must battle Jean Grey/Dark Phoenix before she destroy's the entire galaxy. This is THEE X-Men story!
DAYS OF THE FUTURE PAST(U)
The basis of this summer's upcoming movie is also the first time we see the X-Men time travel and play with alternate realities, but it definitely won't be the last. Kitty Pryde's mind travels back to her younger body to stop an assassination that will ruin the future for mutants and mankind. In the movie Wolverine travels back-in-time, and given that's he's the star of the X-films I understand. But it doesn't mean I think it still should be Kitty, played by Ellen Page.
PHOENIX RISING(FF) (Fac)
Mr. Fantastic picks up an unusual energy signature at the bottom of a New York river. Turns out it's Jean Grey! The Phoenix copied her and posed as her while Jean was asleep in a cocoon. Jean returns to a world that has continued on without her. Beast, Iceman, and Angel are now the mutant-saving team X-Factor. And her former lover, Cyclops, is married and has a son. Did I mention Scott's wife looks a lot like Jean?
MUTANT MASSACRE
Mr. Sinister has sent his Marauders to attack the sewer dwelling Morlocks. Along with Sabertooth, the Marauders ravage the helpless mutants. When the X-teams try to intervene Angel's wings are ripped off of him in the fight. Thor comes along to help out, but the physical and emotional scars are already made.
FALL OF THE MUTANTS
This story line introduces the villain known as Apocalypse. He calls himself the original mutant, dating back to Egyptian times. He and his Four Horseman rain terror on the world, and one of them is the former Angel, now Archangel. X-Factor and X-Men must take down this new threat, save their friend, and save the world.
INFERNO
Cyclop's wife, Madelyne, has re-appeared with a vengeance towards Scott and the people who stole him away from her; the X-Men. She has the powers of a demon and also the knowledge of her origins. Madelyne Pryor is a clone of Jean Grey! Mr. Sinister made Madelyne in hopes of combining the Grey and Summers bloodlines to create a very powerful mutant; their son Nathan. X-Factor must stop Madelyne, and save Nathan as well.
ENDGAME(Fac)
Immediately following the events of Inferno, Apocalypse has come back and captured Nathan. Apocalypse believes that Nathan will grow up and lead the resistance against him. He infects Nathan with a techno-organic virus in order to kill him. The only way to save his son is for Cyclops to give him up, and send him to the future where he may have a chance of surviving.
This age really ends with the Muir Island Saga, but I'm not a fan of that story line. Afterwards, all the X-Men are rearranged to form three teams; X-Men, X-Factor, and X-Force.
Animated Age
I call this the 'Animated Age' because it's look and team are what spawned the 90's animated cartoon, which to this day is the definitive interpretation of X-Men in most fans eyes. Thanks to Jim Lee's art the X-Men look more bad ass than ever!
MUTANT GENESIS
Magneto has returned! And he's not alone. His new followers, the Acolytes, are out to punish the world for their persecution of mutants. The Blue Team is on the case, but then the Gold Team must step in to help. The 2nd story line in this graphic novel involves a look into Wolverine's past and the introduction to the sinister Omega Red.
BISHOP'S CROSSING(U)
While the Blue Team is dealing with Magneto the Gold Team is dealing with the Hellfire Club and time traveling criminals. Luckily a lawman from the future, Bishop, has come to help out. Bishop must team up with the legendary X-Men he grew up hearing about in order to take down the fugitives from his time.
X-CUTIONER'S SONG
A new enemy has kidnapped Cyclops and Jean Grey; Stryfe. This baddie has a deep hatred for Scott, Jean, Apocalypse, and the mysterious leader of X-Force; Cable. The end battle sees only Cyclops and Cable allowed to pass a force-field to take down Stryfe. What's their connection? You'll find out later.
FATAL ATTRACTIONS
Magneto and the Acolytes are back to wipe out humanity. They approach both X-Factor and X-Force into joining them. Then, Magneto crashes the funeral of Colossus's sister, Illyana. Colossus leaves with Magneto, no longer believing in Xavier's dream. In the end, the X-Men make one final assault on Asteroid M that leaves both Magneto and Wolverine in VERY bad shape.
THE WEDDING OF CYLOPS AND PHOENIX
There is a lot to this graphic novel, but the end of it is the wedding everyone has waited for. Wolverine declines to attend, but also makes sure the bad guys stay away too. At the wedding though is the possible daughter of Scott and Jean, Rachel, and the girl who used her powers to send Kitty back in time during Days of Future Past. Now she's in the present to stop her future from ever existing.
THE ADVENTURE OF CYCLOPS AND PHOENIX
Scott and Jean spend their honeymoon in the future raising Scott's son; Nathan. For twelve years they raise the boy as their own, taking on the names Slym and Redd Dayspring. As his mutant powers develop Nathan has learned to keep the techo-organic virus inside of him at bay. The three spend their time fighting the revolution against Apocalypse and his minions, which include a clone of Nathan.
PHALANX COVENANT
The alien race known as the Phalanx are infiltrating the X-Men and it's up to Banshee to lead a team of young mutants to stop them. Along for the ride is the X-Men's former villain; The White Queen. This story line ends with the formation of a new X-team; Generation X.
LEGION QUEST
In a prelude to the Age of Apocalypse, Charles Xavier's son has traveled back in time to make sure his father's dream comes true, by killing Magneto. It's up to a small band of X-Men who have traveled back as well to stop Legion before he kills Xavier's best friend.
AGE OF APOCALYPSE
If Charles Xavier never lived to form the X-Men what would the present be like? Well it appears Apocalypse would rule the world and turn it into a giant ash tray. Only a small band of freedom fighters, the X-Men, oppose Apocalypse with the help of their leader; Magneto. This story line is still spinning off new material today because of it's depth and well-received reviews.
ONSLAUGHT
What would happen if Professor Xavier went nuts? After shutting down Magneto's mind in Fatal Attractions Xavier goes crazy and forms a split personality called Onslaught. This villain threatens the world and hopes to use the powers of Franklin Richards and X-Man (AoA's Nathan Summers) to bring humanity to it's knees. Not all of Marvel's heroes walk away from this one kiddies.
OPERATION: ZERO TOLERANCE
After Onslaught the world is out to get mutants and in comes Bastion, a baddie who decides to capture and torture the X-Men. Meanwhile, Iceman is the only X-hero left to stop Bastion's plan. Anyone who is a fan of Iceman, this is the story line for you!
THE HUNT FOR XAVIER
The X-Men are out to bring their mentor home after being lost for quite a while, but first they must find him. They split into two groups and get more what they bargained for in this tale.
THE MAGNETO WAR
The X-Man known as Joseph is thought to be the newly rejuvenated Magneto, but when the original Master of Magnetism shows up and holds the world for ransom the true origin of Joseph is revealed, and boy is it a dozy. I like the character of Joseph and I think this was a great way to end his heroes journey.
THE TWELVE
Apocalypse has returned with another plan to make the world his and it involves collecting twelve powerful mutants and using their abilities to fulfill his evil deeds. This story line came out just as the X-Men movie was released. After the movie and this story line, The X-Men, and Cyclops, changed forever.
No comments:
Post a Comment