CAREY, SCHMIDT TALK X-MEN: ENDANGERED SPECIES

[MattBrady]

<a href="http://www.newsarama.com/marvelnew/xmen/EndangeredSp/XMenES.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.newsarama.com/marvelnew/xmen/EndangeredSp/X-Men_ES.jpg" border="0" align="right"></a><i>by Vaneta Rogers</i>

<i>Extinction.</i>

The word is thrown around a lot. With more than 1,000 animal species endangered worldwide, the problem seems so big and distant that it's easy to ignore the threat.

But what if it was <i>your</i> species being wiped out?

That's the focus of June's <b>X-Men: Endangered Species</b>, a one-shot issue by Mike Carey and Scott Eaton that kicks off a crisis that will continue in stories running through X-Men books as part of this summer's X-Men event.

X-Men readers found out in January's <b>X-Men Annual #1</b> that the fateful words "no more mutants," uttered by Wanda Maximoff at the end of the House of M event in 2004, were even more devastating to mutants than originally realized. Not only did the majority of existing mutants lose their powers, but there has also been an end to any new mutant births.

As Marvel E.I.C. Joe Quesada revealed in his weekly New Joe Fridays column ( http://www.newsarama.com/NewJoeFridays/NewJoeFridays32.html), the writers behind the company's various X-Men comics met for a January summit and put together an event that Uncanny scribe Ed Brubaker recently told us ( http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=101434) "will rock all the X books back on their asses."

Friday ( http://www.newsarama.com/NewJoeFridays/NewJoeFridays39.html), Quesada debuted the cover to <b>Endangered Species</b>, naming the creative team - Mike Carey, writing, Scott Eaton on pencils, and a cover by Marc Silvestri.

We caught up with both Carey and project editor Andy Schmidt to talk about the upcoming one-shot – as well as what may follow.

First off, Schmidt:

<b>Newsarama</b>: To start with Andy, give us the big picture, what is <b>Endangered Species</b>, and where do its roots lie?

<b>Andy Schmidt</b>: Technically speaking, an endangered species is one on the brink of extinction. You know, like mutants in the Marvel Universe. This came about from <b>House of M</b>, when the Scarlet Witch said, “No more mutants.” Since then, there have only been about 200 mutants left on planet Earth.

What we’re doing now is taking that situation and really examining what it means, scientifically and emotionally. No mutants have been born since that day, and so the X-Men, and in fact all mutants, are beginning to realize that they are it. They are all that’s left of the mutant race. Forever.

<b>NRAMA</b>: Mike Carey told us a little bit about this, and that the Annual’s story would be leading towards this, but can you point out things a little bit on just what led the mutants to this point?

<b>AS</b>: The <b>X-Men Annual</b> cemented the idea that no new mutants have cropped up since M-Day. Mike’s been leading into this story for quite some time and dancing around it. Now is the time to really dive in. The X-Men now have certainty that they are dying. Now they have to deal with the reality of that knowledge and the weight of it.

<b>NRAMA</b>: So what gets the ball rolling in the one-shot?

<b>AS</b>: In the one-shot, we open on a funeral.

<b>NRAMA</b>: Who died?

<b>AS</b>: I’m not going to lie to you, this isn’t about who died, it’s about the significance of one more mutant’s death in the Marvel Universe. It’s interesting to see who shows up to the funeral and why. What are they after? Is there tension when a villain shows up? Does the <b>House of M</b> event shake Wolfsbane’s faith? How does a school dedicated to new mutants cope with having no freshman class? What do any of them do?

That’s what <b>Endangered Species</b> is about, and it all starts in the one-shot.

<b>NRAMA</b>: From the looks of reader response to date, it looks as if Mike's really surprised a lot of people with his X-Men work. In your view, what's he bringing to the table, and thereby, made him work for this one-shot?

<b>AS</b>: He’s got great ideas, and that has been more than evident on his <b>X-Men</b> run. But <b>Endangered Species</b> comes from his heart. This is bar none, Mike’s best and most heartfelt and tense script thus far. It’s really going to surprise a lot of people, even his <b>X-Men</b> fans!

<b>NRAMA</b>: How encompassing is it? That is, will the allies in the Marvel Universe know or realize that this is going down, or is it an X-Universe-centric event?

<b>AS</b>: There will be Marvel Universe guest stars where appropriate. The mutant race dying off <i>is</i> a big deal.

<b>NRAMA</b>: So – from the one-shot, things go to <b>X-Men #200</b>, right?

<b>AS</b>: Right. <b>Endangered Species</b> back-ups start in <b>X-Men #200</b>. They will run through four titles (<b>X-Men, Uncanny X-Men, New X-Men, and X-Factor</b>) for 17 parts total. They will be coming out weekly.

As for what content is in them, the Beast is our point of view character as he tries to track down the cause and then reverse the effects of the disappearance of the mutant gene. It’s a tough story, and it will have plenty of guest stars. It’s intense.

<b>NRAMA</b>: Why Beast?

<b>AS</b>: Nobody else is going to do it. It’s him or no one.

<b>NRAMA</b>: Who are the creative teams for the back-up stories?

<b>AS</b>: There will be announcements made about this later, but Mike Carey is locking in the structure for the overall 17-parts. We’ll have some great writers and pencilers on them.

<b>NRAMA</b>: The backup stories run through October - any hints as to what this may mean for the X-Men in November?

<b>AS</b>: Only that <b>Endangered Species</b> is <b>the</b> X-Men story to watch for the next few months. And in November, you’ll finally understand why.

And now, moving over to Mike Carey…

<b>Newsarama</b>: Mike, was this part of the X-Men event something you suggested, or was it a result of the X-Men summit in January?

<b>Mike Carey</b>: It was something that came out of the X-Men summit, so it was something that all the X-Men writers came up with, brainstorming together when we were all together in January in New York. And as with the <b>X-Men Annual</b>, it's a way of bringing forth the implications of what's already happened in the X-Men universe in <b>House of M</b> and <b>Decimation</b>. It's kind of exploring the aftermath.

<a href="http://www.newsarama.com/marvelnew/Jan07/covers/XMenAnncvr.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.newsarama.com/marvelnew/Jan07/covers/X-MenAnnualcover_t.jpg" border="0" align="left"></a><B>NRAMA</B>: In the <b>X-Men Annual</b> (http://www.newsarama.com/marvelnew/xmen/CareyXAnn.html), you revealed that no new mutants have been born since we heard Wanda Maximoff say, "No More Mutants." She effectively put an end to any mutants ever showing up in the future?

<B>MC</B>: In the <b>X-Men Annual</b>, we established that there hasn't been a single mutant birth since Wanda uttered those words. She not only suppressed the effect of the X-gene on current mutants, but she also put a end to the birth of mutants. There hasn't been a mutant birth since.

<B>NRAMA</B>: In the <b>Endangered Species</b> one-shot, you'll be kicking off a larger story, right?

<B>MC</B>: Yes. <b>Endangered Species</b> is not just a one-shot. There's a one-shot, and then there are going to be a number of short stories following it. The one-shot is a powerful and disturbing statement -- a sort of snapshot -- of the new status quo. And then coming out of that, there are going to be a number of short stories which we'll feature in <b>Uncanny, X-Men, X-Factor</b> and <b>New X-Men</b> between July and November. The story will be going off in different directions, and we'll be getting a sense of the enormous scale of this crisis and the number of things on every level -- from the very small and personal picture to the macro-cosmic -- the number of things that are going to be left broken by this and the number of things that are at stake here.

<B>NRAMA</B>: And the short stories that follow the one-shot -- are they going to be completely different, self-contained stories, or is there an ongoing storyline running through them?

<B>MC</B>: There is a thread running through the stories that has one of my favorite X-Men, Beast, very much at the heart.

<B>NRAMA</B>: Is Beast at the center of the one-shot?

<B>MC</B>: Not so much. There are a lot of characters from all of the X-books who come together on this significant occasion. And it's a strange mix of characters. Not necessarily ones you'd expect to see, and not necessarily the big headline-grabbing characters.

<B>NRAMA</B>: Such as?

<B>MC</B>: OK, you'll have Rictor and Wolfsbane there, and Madrox from <b>X-Factor</b>. And Mercury and X-23. And Xavier will be there, as well as Cannonball from the adjectiveless team. Wolverine will be there, and Cyclops, Emma and Beast will all be there. So will Iceman.

<B>NRAMA</B>: You have mutants who kept their powers and some who lost them, with, for example, Iceman having temporarily lost his powers and Rictor not having mutant powers anymore.

<B>MC</B>: That's true. And that comes up in the course of the story.

<B>NRAMA</B>: So all these characters come together, and what happens?

<B>MC</B>: I don't want to tell too much about the storyline in the one-shot, because it's a very, very different approach to storytelling. It's not like any X-Men story I've ever told and unlike any X-Men story that has been told in recent years. It's a vignette in a way. The focus is much more on emotion and relationship and character than on action. There is very little high-profile action. It's about the realization, the acceptance that mutants are past the tipping point and have become a red-line species and are heading for extinction. And it's possibly reached the point where it's irreversible.

And then the story continues with the Beast exploring a number of avenues and possibilities that might change their situation.

<B>NRAMA</B>: And of course X-Men fans will be left to wonder whether that situation will be fixed...

<B>MC</B>: Yes, that's going to become the central question in the second half of this year. That question is going to be hanging over every single character in the X-verse.

<B>NRAMA</B>: Going back to what you said about using a different approach to storytelling for the one-shot, if I asked who the villain is in this issue ... it's not that kind of a story, is it?

<B>MC</B>: It's not that kind of a story. There will be at least one major villain who will appear in the story -- not as an antagonist for the X-Men. He's there for the same reason that they are, and they don't fight him.

<B>NRAMA</B>: It also sounds like it's a story that focuses more on mutants in general more than any team of X-Men.

<B>MC</B>: Yes, because it's mixed and matched characters from all of the teams. So yeah, I think it has a wider concept than just the X-Men.

<B>NRAMA</B>: We saw Exodus and Sinister linked to this discovery in the <b>X-Men Annual</b>. Will they be playing a role in the upcoming story?

<B>MC</B>: They're not really integral to <b>Endangered Species</b>, although one of the two may get a cameo.

<B>NRAMA</B>: Does the threat of extinction cause mutants to unite? We've already seen some former villains and heroes working together somewhat in response to the O*N*E actions during <b>Decimation</b>, where they rounded up and interred mutants at the Xavier mansion, but does this threat of extinction bring them together even more than in the past?

<B>MC</B>: I think it will make some unlikely alliances, yes. It will make other people re-examine their priorities and perhaps come to conclusions that will be surprising. This is like a scourge in which every single character has to be tested. They each have to respond to it in their own way. Some of them will break, and others will discover strengths or aspects of themselves that they didn't know were there. They will all re-examine themselves in the light of this.

<B>NRAMA</B>: You showed in the <b>Annual</b> how shocking this was to the mutants who found out. Extinction is a word we use to apply to animals all the time, but applying it to a humanoid species is a whole new level of scary.

<B>MC</B>: Yeah, it is. And I think it has an analogy -- and I don't want to get too morbid -- but it has an analogy in this whole question of climate change and the fact that the human race is looking at a situation that within three or four generations, we may make the planet uninhabitable for our species. You can get into a mood where you do feel kind of apocalyptic. There is a movie, <i>Children of Men</I>, that explored the same idea where the human birth rate dropped to zero. No new children were being born.

But it's that staring into the future and wondering if the future is going to be there. It's a terrifying and haunting predicament.

[durkadurka]

I am friggin excited. Finally, a marvel event i can really get behind...besides World War Hulk and Annihilation. The X-men are finally being dealt with in a big way again, and I am very very excited that Mike Carey will be doing it.

[CaptainCanad]

She not only suppressed the effect of the X-gene on current mutants, but she also put a end to the birth of mutants. There hasn't been a mutant birth since.

Okay, so wiping out the X-gene in the rest of humanity prevents any more mutants from emerging. But I'm sort of confused about this statement; does that mean that if, say, Cyclops and the White Queen had a kid, it wouldn't be a mutant? Because they still have the X-gene.

[SpaceButler]

Well, I'm sold. Should be interesting to see the fallout of Decimation finally really addressed. (Outside of X-Factor, I mean.) :D

[lonesttarr]

just because 2 mutants have children doesnt mean the children will be mutants. Sabertooth and Mystique had a son (Grayson Creed) and he was not a mutant.

[MadTrendy]

Okay, so wiping out the X-gene in the rest of humanity prevents any more mutants from emerging. But I'm sort of confused about this statement; does that mean that if, say, Cyclops and the White Queen had a kid, it wouldn't be a mutant? Because they still have the X-gene.


It means they still haven't taken a biology class and learned what a species is. Cyke and Emma are humans with the x-gene. Their kids would/will be human with or without an x-gene.

[ZEBULON]

MAN, CAN MARVEL BE ANY MORE EXCITING? Seriously, everytime I think they are done with something incredible, like civilwar, they hit me with something I never saw coming, like world war hulk, versus black bolt. I find it funny that people are saying marvel is doing too much right now.

[CaptainCanad]

just because 2 mutants have children doesnt mean the children will be mutants. Sabertooth and Mystique had a son (Grayson Creed) and he was not a mutant.
Yes, that's one possibility; but the question remains, can two mutants (or one mutant and one flatscan human) produce a mutant child? Because, genetically, there shouldn't be any reason why they couldn't.

[Moonbeam]

Yes, that's one possibility; but the question remains, can two mutants (or one mutant and one flatscan human) produce a mutant child? Because, genetically, there shouldn't be any reason why they couldn't.

I believe the point is that Wanda made it so that they couldn't.

- Vaneta

[PhoenixFacto]

I am very much looking forward to both this story and the larger cross-over event that i guess starts in January. These endangered species one shots are gonna make me start picking up X-Factor monthly too, I already read it in trade, but i love the x-men so these pieces of the story will be something I want in my collection. I wonder who died?

[AdamYJ]

Well, it'll be nice to see them finally address the Decimation directly. However, I can't help but feel this is kind of like what Grant Morrison started in New X-Men only in reverse. He had the idea that mutant births were spiking and mutants would replace humans in about five generations or so.

Maybe it'll be a repeating pattern: mutants are in trouble, non-mutants are in trouble, mutants are in trouble . . .

You know, it's funny, I rarely think about what's in store for the whole mutant race when dealing with the X-Men. I usually think about the X-Men individually and think about them in terms of the present. I don't consider their future unless someone from the future happens to stop by (what can I say, I was a '90s kid). That said, the one thing I still want to see is some decimated mutants banding together and kicking some ass even without powers. Rictor and Xavier aren't really enough and in some cases aren't really doing it at all (I'm looking at you, Chuck). Oh, well.

[Clem]

All through this article i kept thinking "so they're ripping off Children of Men right?". Then right at the very end, they go and acknowledge it.

[CaptainCanad]

I believe the point is that Wanda made it so that they couldn't.

- Vaneta
That doesn't make any sense.

[ROBRAM89]

That doesn't make any sense.

Considering they still haven't explained why she said No More Mutants and there were STILL MUTANTS, that's the least of our problems.

[TheToileteer]

Right--"mutants" would not be a species (too much interbreeding for that) but some sort of emergent subspecies. (Ignoring the fact that their "mutation" is phenotypically expressed in a different way almost every time.) I suppose the explanation, if there is one, would have to be similar to the central conceit of Larry Niven's "Protector"--that "originally" humans went through an additional stage of life in which various changes that for us result in old age, gave them superpowers. Maybe Celestials were involved. Or something.

Anyway, what are our options for preserving the mutant (sub) species?

(1) Steal more Terrigen Mists? (Quicksilver method)

(2) Reverse the curse through magic? (Dr. Strange method)

(3) Don't let Beast out of the lab until he finds a cure? (Legacy Virus method.)

(4) Import mutants from alternate universes for breeding purposes? (Lots of immigrants like this, not sure if any have been shown to be viable)

(5) Reverse history through time travel? (Reed Richards method)

(6) Accept, and take comfort in the knowledge that radiation in the Marvel Universe probably isn't so harmful anymore?

[3r41n14c]

Are all the loose ends from the 90's finally going to get cleared up?

[ROBRAM89]

Considering all the love triangles in X-Men that last for decades and never go anywhere, no wonder they're dying out, NOBODY BUT WOLVERINE IS SCREWING ANYMORE!

[AdamYJ]

Considering all the love triangles in X-Men that last for decades and never go anywhere, no wonder they're dying out, NOBODY BUT WOLVERINE IS SCREWING ANYMORE!

I keep thinking that must be the reason why Nightcrawler developed such a liking for Nocturne. He's just glad that some version of himself in some alternate universe actually got to reproduce. :p

[motteditor]

I'm glad they're getting around to this, though I can't help but think it would have been nice if the writers had dealt with it when it happened, instead of more than a year later.

Not sure what I think about it, but I guess I'll wait and see. I get two of the books the story's running through, so hopefully it won't be something where I feel I have to get the rest to get the full story.

[ROBRAM89]

I keep thinking that must be the reason why Nightcrawler developed such a liking for Nocturne. He's just glad that some version of himself in some alternate universe actually got to reproduce. :p

In 100 years, there won't be any Wagners left on Earth.

[Moonbeam]

Considering they still haven't explained why she said No More Mutants and there were STILL MUTANTS, that's the least of our problems.

I thought in House of M, Dr. Strange explained that he attempted to counter her powers to save as many mutants as he could.

- Vaneta

[Deathangel]

Okay, so wiping out the X-gene in the rest of humanity prevents any more mutants from emerging. But I'm sort of confused about this statement; does that mean that if, say, Cyclops and the White Queen had a kid, it wouldn't be a mutant? Because they still have the X-gene.


Not necessarily. Wanda's reality warping powers could stop the X-Gene from being able to take part in the reproductive process that the RNA goes through to make babies. Or something.
This would also make cloning a mutant impossible.

[Mendoza]

So Wanda wipes out the x gene. It doesnt appear in humans anymore and got taken out of mutants so they cant pass it on.

The still powered mutants still have it, but they cant pass it on?

Its their but it only works enough for theri to be some xbooks but not millions of mutants?

Too convient. I like that they are dealing with it more directly now, but Im still not sold on the whole idea. I guess it just gives more creedence to the people who voted to kill wanda on the spot in the first part of house of m.

House of M and decimation did nothing for me, but at least this seems half way interesting.

[Deathangel]

So Wanda wipes out the x gene. It doesnt appear in humans anymore and got taken out of mutants so they cant pass it on.

The still powered mutants still have it, but they cant pass it on?

Its their but it only works enough for theri to be some xbooks but not millions of mutants?

Too convient. I like that they are dealing with it more directly now, but Im still not sold on the whole idea. I guess it just gives more creedence to the people who voted to kill wanda on the spot in the first part of house of m.

House of M and decimation did nothing for me, but at least this seems half way interesting.


More conveinient than a kid getting super powers from a bite from a radioactive spider rather than getting radiation poisining?

[ROBRAM89]

I thought in House of M, Dr. Strange explained that he attempted to counter her powers to save as many mutants as he could.

- Vaneta

That only makes so much sense. Either he could control which ones he saved, or he couldn't...if he could, there's probably a few choices I'd definitely question, and if he couldn't, the ones that were spared are still astoundingly improbable.

[Strife]

Okay, so wiping out the X-gene in the rest of humanity prevents any more mutants from emerging. But I'm sort of confused about this statement; does that mean that if, say, Cyclops and the White Queen had a kid, it wouldn't be a mutant? Because they still have the X-gene.


yes, but according to biology someone is a mutant when he's biologically fifferent from his parents..
so their kid would be a mutant..just not a super powered one

starhawk from guardians of the galaxy was a mutant..his mutation was a physically perfect body

[Deathangel]

yes, but according to biology someone is a mutant when he's biologically fifferent from his parents..
so their kid would be a mutant..just not a super powered one

starhawk from guardians of the galaxy was a mutant..his mutation was a physically perfect body


I think in the Marvel Universe context, and specifically the X-Men, the word Mutant refers usually to those who have an active X-gene.

[Strife]

I think in the Marvel Universe context, and specifically the X-Men, the word Mutant refers usually to those who have an active X-gene.


usual marvel crap...
in the issue of gotg martinex specifically asked starhawk if his clearvoyance was caused by his being a mutant.
starhawk replied that as a scientist, he should know, that a mutant differs from his parents, nothing else..

i dropped x titles when they started this x-gene crap

[Somebody]

yes, but according to biology someone is a mutant when he's biologically fifferent from his parents..
so their kid would be a mutant..just not a super powered one

starhawk from guardians of the galaxy was a mutant..his mutation was a physically perfect body
Depends - they're using "Mutant" to mean "Human with X-gene" here, not "someone with genes neither of their parents were born with".

And, speaking of Guardians of the Galaxy, anyone remember the story from that title where all the mutants left Earth together to form a colony elsewhere, and a thousand years later, on the colony planet, the X-gene had simply bred out so there were only nine powered mutants?

[Mendoza]

More conveinient than a kid getting super powers from a bite from a radioactive spider rather than getting radiation poisining?

One kid, not every kid everywhere in the world, or that happened to be in an alternate reality, or space, or anwhere else, and all at once.

Yes its more convinent than one spider bite. Probably less convinent than somebody punching the universe though.

[Deathangel]

usual marvel crap...
in the issue of gotg martinex specifically asked starhawk if his clearvoyance was caused by his being a mutant.
starhawk replied that as a scientist, he should know, that a mutant differs from his parents, nothing else..

i dropped x titles when they started this x-gene crap


Marvel Crap?
... Have you ever heard of the Meta-gene? :rolleyes:

[Toneloak]

OK, you'll have Rictor and Wolfsbane there, and Madrox from X-Factor. And Mercury and X-23. And Xavier will be there, as well as Cannonball from the adjectiveless team. Wolverine will be there, and Cyclops, Emma and Beast will all be there. So will Iceman.
So does this mean Hulk won't kill Xavier in WWH? Hmm, maybe he's the one in the ground & his ghost will attend. He would pretty much have to attend his own funeral, right?

But, this will be my first X-Men event in a long while(maybe a decade or so). I'll give it a few issues and to see if I'll be entertained.

I also wonder how much of a role will Cable play in the story?

[Snowspinner]

Wait, the big X-Event is a weekly 8-pager running through other books?

So I have to pay full price for New X-Men to get only 8 pages of content that I actually care about?

Well that sucks.

[mattharvest]

It means they still haven't taken a biology class and learned what a species is. Cyke and Emma are humans with the x-gene. Their kids would/will be human with or without an x-gene.

It's more complicated than that. When one species begins to split into two species, they will be able to interbreed (i.e. they'll only be 'semi-speciated') for awhile. For example, research indicates that homo sapiens and homo neanderthalis bred with one another for awhile before the groups truly separated. Species lose the ability to interbreed because of a slow accumulation of genetic differences, not immediately.

The X-gene is a radically absurd genetic concept, because the variety of genes required to code traits such as wings (w/ corresponding bone and muscle differences) or metal flesh, etc. The truth is, a person with that sort of genetic code shouldn't be able to breed with anyone.

We've never gotten a good explanation of what Beast and everyone are referring to when they say the "X-Gene". It could actually be hundreds and hundreds of genes in a gene-group, in the same way as we talk about an obesity gene or something.

[Deathangel]

One kid, not every kid everywhere in the world, or that happened to be in an alternate reality, or space, or anwhere else, and all at once.

Yes its more convinent than one spider bite. Probably less convinent than somebody punching the universe though.


I'm trying to say that if you can accept the ACTUAL impossibility of getting superpowers from a radioactive spider, then surely you accpet ANY MacGuffin that a writer throws at you?

[AdamYJ]

We're actually trying to argue the science of the X-Men now.

Oh, brave new world which has such people in it. :rolleyes:

I figure it's better to just enjoy the fantasy.

[Somebody]

It's more complicated than that. When one species begins to split into two species, they will be able to interbreed (i.e. they'll only be 'semi-speciated') for awhile. For example, research indicates that homo sapiens and homo neanderthalis bred with one another for awhile before the groups truly separated. Species lose the ability to interbreed because of a slow accumulation of genetic differences, not immediately.

The X-gene is a radically absurd genetic concept, because the variety of genes required to code traits such as wings (w/ corresponding bone and muscle differences) or metal flesh, etc. The truth is, a person with that sort of genetic code shouldn't be able to breed with anyone.

We've never gotten a good explanation of what Beast and everyone are referring to when they say the "X-Gene". It could actually be hundreds and hundreds of genes in a gene-group, in the same way as we talk about an obesity gene or something.
Basically, it appears the "X-Gene" is generic - it's just that, a single gene or set of genes which is pretty much identical in all mutants and serves merely to activate other genes. The rest of the genetic information which codes for wings, eyeblasts, telekinesis, etc is there but dormant unless the X-Gene (or an alternative factor, like most superhumans have) is present.

[Strife]

Depends - they're using "Mutant" to mean "Human with X-gene" here, not "someone with genes neither of their parents were born with".

And, speaking of Guardians of the Galaxy, anyone remember the story from that title where all the mutants left Earth together to form a colony elsewhere, and a thousand years later, on the colony planet, the X-gene had simply bred out so there were only nine powered mutants?


still have the issues..
its logical that there would be more and more humans..u keep screwing around inthe same gene pool and thats'what youll get

anycase..its an example of marvel retrofitting their contuinity to fit the story they want to tell

[Strife]

Marvel Crap?
... Have you ever heard of the Meta-gene? :rolleyes:


heard about it..not much different from what according to the supreme intelligence every human on earth will eventually have

[Deathangel]

We're actually trying to argue the science of the X-Men now.

Oh, brave new world which has such people in it. :rolleyes:

I figure it's better to just enjoy the fantasy.


Exactly what I'm trying to say.
If you accept one bit of fantasy science, then you should accept it all.


By the way, for those who STILL care about the science, look up "The Science of the X-Men" on amazon or something. S'pretty good.

[CaptainCanad]

Wait, the big X-Event is a weekly 8-pager running through other books?

So I have to pay full price for New X-Men to get only 8 pages of content that I actually care about?

Well that sucks.
No, the backups are buildup, not the main event.

[nickmaynard]

All through this article i kept thinking "so they're ripping off Children of Men right?". Then right at the very end, they go and acknowledge it.

i hate when people criticize the articles about comics, because of what they assume about the comics from the article, instead of actually knowing anything about the comic or the comics that lead up to it.

house of m happened a year and half before children of men came out.

and please explain why you post on threads about comics you dont read, only to criticize those comics, which, by the way, you dont read?

[Snowspinner]

No, the backups are buildup, not the main event.

I thought the event was supposed to be this summer - the backups are running through to October, well after the summer.

[MValentin]

Children of Men is adapted from the 1992 novel of the same name by mystery novelist, P.D. James. I highly recommend it, but expect quite a few differences between the movie and the book.

You may proceed with your discussion of the X-gene (whatever that is).

[Scarlet Mage]

I really dislike the Adjectiveless X-Men book. Will I have to buy it to understand what's happening in the rest of the backups in the books I do buy?

[Blind Assassin]

anycase..its an example of marvel retrofitting their contuinity to fit the story they want to tell

Many comic companies 'retrofit their contuinity to fit the story they want to tell".

I don't really understand why you think Marvel is the only company doing it/that has done it.

[Dalarsco]

Well, I guess I'll be buying New X-Men earlier than expected.

[RedRonin]

This sounds great. Finally Marvel are shining a bit more light on X-Factor.

[Deathangel]

This sounds great. Finally Marvel are shining a bit more light on X-Factor.


Every week that book is sold out at my LCS by 5pm on release day. It's not a small LCS either, they order a large amount of copies.

[RockLeefan]

Being a graduate in genetics and having recently acquired a PhD in molecular biology, i decided a long time to just accept the "genetics" of X-men. I read comics for fun rather than the science (although i do like it to seem plausible).
Personally, i would say mutants are screwed with less than 200 people left as it's difficult to set up a healthy species from that number (rapidly diminishing gene pool). I'm glad that the writers are addressing this in their upcoming event as it should make for some emotional story-telling. I mean if your species is essentially extinct, i think that becomes more of a priority than protecting a society that "fears and hates you".
I'd also like to see whether "no more mutants" is actually benefitting humans. A third of all miscarriages are due to mutations in the embryo. Genetic diseases/Syndromes such as cystic fibrosis and Down's syndrome, even some cancers are all due to mutations. Many people would argue that such things ceasing to exist would be a good thing. So what would the marvel human's/heroes think about the X-men bringing it back?
There is also the other angle in that "no more mutants" means the human race has also being sentenced to extinction as if humans do not mutate, eventually something is going to come along that our technology alone cannot save us from.
The Decimation, opened up bucket-loads of interesting stories and the extinction of mutants is potentially the tip of the ice-berg, i hope the writers/editors realise the full potential in this upcoming event.
When all is said and done though, I'll be happy with a Mr Sinister/Beast scince team-up, the dialogue between those two could be priceless.

[tof]

Is there an Eternals:Endangered species planned? At this point the only difference between Mutants and Eternals is that Eternals live much longer. And what about Xternals like Canonball? Are they supposed to be endangered too?

[Phasmal]

Is there an Eternals:Endangered species planned? At this point the only difference between Mutants and Eternals is that Eternals live much longer. And what about Xternals like Canonball? Are they supposed to be endangered too?

I heard once that the owners of the Highlander properties forced Marvel to stop mentioning the concept of Externals like Cannonball and Candra or else legal action would ensue. Makes sense, considering it hasn't been brought up in years and most of the Externals we'd seen have been killed off (to my best recollection). I doubt it will come up again.

[motteditor]

I heard once that the owners of the Highlander properties forced Marvel to stop mentioning the concept of Externals like Cannonball and Candra or else legal action would ensue. Makes sense, considering it hasn't been brought up in years and most of the Externals we'd seen have been killed off (to my best recollection). I doubt it will come up again.

Thank goodness. I really thought that was a dumb concept to add on to Sam.

---

I wonder if the story will explore the idea of whether the X-Men *should* be fighting to save mutantdom. It's an interesting idea. I mean, look at the whole point of the X-Men. Fighting to save a world THAT HATES AND FEARS THEM. How many mutants don't have wonderful powers like the X-Men, but instead are like Wither or Rogue, with powers that are as much handicap as anything; or who don't appear human and can't simply fit in, such as most of the special class; or have other drawbacks, a la Mercury or Rockslide. Are the unborn mutants they're fighting to have be born (and I do think that's odd; I thought you couldn't tell until puberty -- shouldn't this story take 13 years or so?) really going to thank them for trying to reintroduce the mutant gene?

I know Morrison's run established the idea of mutant society, but before that it wasn't as if people identified themself exclusively as part of this group (unless they were forced to). They were also still American, German, Russian, whatever.

[HankChinaski]

I think the issue here is that you all are still trying to be too literal. So Wanda wipes out the powers...so what if it isn't realistic. We are talking about the fantastic world of comics. :rolleyes: I think so many of you loose sight of that on here. You can't think in "world as we know it" terms (well except for the species things). These are fictional characters in a fictional world with fantastic powers. If all Marvel characters suddenly had arms on their backs it would be okay because that is what the writer, playing god, decided to do. Seriously guys...if is a fictional universe with all sorts of fantasy elements and you all are arguing about what Wanda could and couldn't do. I feel the same way when I hear the arguments about Infinite Crisis and Superboy Prime...fictional world...just learn to enjoy it. There is enough reality as it is.

Hank

[Aleph]

How does a school dedicated to new mutants cope with having no freshman class? What do any of them do?

Considering that for most part of X-Men's history the mansion has served as a headquarters for the adults, and that usually only one or two students lived there each time (think Kitty Pride with no other classmates all those years, then think Jubilee - the original New Mutants shouldn't count because they spent more time in outer space than in school), and that the school didn't become a real school (you know, filled with students like actual schools) until Grant Morrison, I'd say the X-Men will cope pretty well. Hell, it'll be a regular day, in fact.

[kallup]

anycase..its an example of marvel retrofitting their contuinity to fit the story they want to tell

GOTG is a separate continuity entirely, with a specific divergent point from the 616, so this isn't really retrofitting

[kallup]

Is there an Eternals:Endangered species planned? At this point the only difference between Mutants and Eternals is that Eternals live much longer. And what about Xternals like Canonball? Are they supposed to be endangered too?

One of the really bad 90's concepts, the worst if not for the "upstarts". Best forgotten!

[Somebody]

Is there an Eternals:Endangered species planned? At this point the only difference between Mutants and Eternals is that Eternals live much longer. And what about Xternals like Canonball? Are they supposed to be endangered too?
Eternals are unkillable without a reality warp or Death/Oblivion nicking their soul. You used to be able to kill them by vapourising them, but Gaiman has now established that all that is is a "videogame death" - they just get sent back to the location of their "save point" in Olympia. You're hardly in danger when you are, in every way that matters, Absolutely Immortal.

All the Externals except Selene and Cannonball are meant to be really-for-real dead already.

[Tupper1979]

I really, really, really hate you Brian Bendis.

Because of your stupid "No more Mutants" line, the X-books have been backed into a corner. I strongly believe that this no more mutants idea is the worst thing to happen to the X-books in some time. Grant Morrison took the characters and ideas of X-Men to some great places, especially with the E for Extinction books. The idea that mutants will eventually wipe out humans and replace them is one of the most thought-provoking ideas out there, and Morrison did a marvelous job with it. Then House of M comes along and negated the whole idea. No more mutants. Tell me, is magic the "Superboy punches a wall" response at Marvel these days? So a mutant, who has reality altering powers, can suddenly make it so there are no more new mutants and that most of the old mutants lose their powers? Wow, someone give her a medal because that kind of power is HUGE. You'd think someone would have noticed Wanda's near-omnicient powers before House of M, but then again, that would have made sense, and we can't have any of that!

I'm sorry to blast like this, but why is Marvel continuing with this poor idea? At least prior to that annual there was just a drop in mutants, and now (at least for the forseeable future) there won't be anymore? Again, why write yourself into a corner like this? Just so you can do some "Incovenient Truth" parable? No sir, I don't like it.

I keep hoping the X-Men get back to basics and they keep getting pushed further and further from the format that got me reading comics. Thank God for Astonishing X-Men, which pretty much ignores the current goings on in the Marvel U. I'm sure the current stories aren't all that bad, but I won't be reading until they get back to the core concept of what made X-Men so good in the first place.

[Ben543250]

That only makes so much sense. Either he could control which ones he saved, or he couldn't...if he could, there's probably a few choices I'd definitely question, and if he couldn't, the ones that were spared are still astoundingly improbable.The answer couldn't possibly be somewhere between those two choices, could it? Nah....

[Tupper1979]

Exactly what I'm trying to say.
If you accept one bit of fantasy science, then you should accept it all.


By the way, for those who STILL care about the science, look up "The Science of the X-Men" on amazon or something. S'pretty good.



I could not disagree more.

There is no rule out there that states that I as a reader must also accept the alien science aspect to the X-Men lore. Yes, the X-books have fantastical elements to them, but the core concept is valid. I am aware that we will not ever see a guy who shoots energy from his eyes or grows metal skin, but at least with the mutants there is a bit of real-world science involved.

Complaining about the poor explanation for the near destruction of the mutant race from the Marvel Universe simply shows that "magic did it" sucks as an explanation. I can get on-board behind the x-gene, whatever it may be, since there is some science behind that idea. Unfortunately, telling me that some crazy lady can infect the entire human race with some kind of anti-mutant magic preventing them from ever being born just because she says three little words, and that even the most powerful mystics cannot reverse said effect, is unequivically LAME.

The X-books do best when magic is not used. Try and explain away the lack of new mutants being born without using magic in some way. You can't. I don't mind change of this caliber, but expecting fans to simply roll over and accept that some kind of magic was involved is poor scripting at best. SOME of us are more particular on what we enjoy reading, and if you can get past this flaw in storytelling, more power to you.

I need an explanation.

Professor Frink - "In episode BF12 you were battling barbarians while riding a wing-ed appaloosa. Yet in the very next scene, my dear, you are clearly atop a wing-ed arabian. Please to explain it."

Lucy Lawless - "Uh yeah...well, whenever you notice something like that, a wizard did it."

Professor Frink - "I see all right yes, but in episode AG4..."

Lucy Lawless - "Wizard!"

Professor Frink - "Ah for glaven out loud."

[Zombie Uatu]

So... what if Wanda just got rid of the gene that gives mutants their powers? Wouldn't they still be mutants? Aren't mutants meant to be better looking, faster metabolising, more intelligent, etc. than humans anyway?

What'd be really great if we got out of this would be a genuine species war for control of the next evolutionary phase. Pure humans vs. mutants vs. ex-mutants vs. metahumans (like the FF and Spidey)... now that would be an interesting story. Hell, throw Dracula and some Vampires in for good measure...

[doom]

i really like the way they are handling this. instead of having to follow a whole other series and multiple tie ins, all you have to do is buy the one shot and all the x titles, some of which you are probably buying already, anyway.

the person who thought up how this is formatted should get a raise.

[PhilipAMoore]

usual marvel crap...
in the issue of gotg martinex specifically asked starhawk if his clearvoyance was caused by his being a mutant.
starhawk replied that as a scientist, he should know, that a mutant differs from his parents, nothing else..

i dropped x titles when they started this x-gene crap

hu what is Gotg? no offense but when it comes to comic series using gust the first letters of a series is confusing especilly for series that have not been around for a while. for instanse when a comic books reader says G.L . we comic guys know it mean Green Lantern
but if your mother is a soap geek and hears you talk about GL she will think Guiding light it throws me every time I read the previews

good day

[PhilipAMoore]

Wait, the big X-Event is a weekly 8-pager running through other books?

So I have to pay full price for New X-Men to get only 8 pages of content that I actually care about?

Well that sucks.
Why you get to read a great comic by Kyle Yost. From the way it sound we may be getting 8 free pages but I am proably wrong for what it is worth I understand your complaint I will have to do the name with Xfacter just be glad they arn't including excaliber

good day

[silverbolt]

looking forward to this....couldthe death theyre referring to be whoever it is that is "not coming back" in the Astonishing story? I was hoping it would be Scott (following what happens in their parallel crappy movie universe) - oh well...

Are all the loose ends from the 90's finally going to get cleared up?

which plots are these? other than the 3rd summers brother (taken care of - and yea Brubaker I dont believe one word you thought up the story and didnt even know there was 3rd brother.)
and the "3 month gap" that happened where Jean and Betsy switched powers with no explanation, I think everything else has been taken care of no (wait that was 2000)...I can think of more in the Austin/Milligan run that havent been addressed.

I think since Beast is the one on the forefront against this, hes going to lost his secondary look and go back to lookin like plain ol chemically induced Beast.

[Hypestyle]

I'm really sick of "the mutant race is doomed" storylines... they need to come up with something else.. new villains.. fighting terrorists.. vampires.. etc..

[Cryptic]

There is also the other angle in that "no more mutants" means the human race has also being sentenced to extinction as if humans do not mutate, eventually something is going to come along that our technology alone cannot save us from.

That's the thing that bothered me, also. I'm surprised that no non-mutant aware of the House of M event, particularly scientists like Peter Parker or "intelligent" folks like Tony Stark ever said, "Hey, wait a minute! No more human mutations means we all die out!"

I'd say that even without a crisis that technology can't save those words would mean humanity is just circling the drain. For that matter, she didn't specify humans.

But still my number one issue with the post-House of M stuff would be:

Brush all of this aside, and I still think it's really bizarre the way it - and Wanda - have been handled since. Even if it somehow just means "people born with the potential for powers as depicted in the Marvel Universe" - "X-gene mutants" - then she's commited genocide against an entire sub-species... yet they have these inane scenes and stories about Wanda since that should be completely unsatisfying to a reader regarding a character that has committed genocide. She's off buying fruit in a market somewhere in Europe with a little smile on her face at the end of HoM, or she's having a shag with Hawkeye in NA. It's... kind of sick. We don't have to see her get a cosmic b****-slap every time she appears, but on some level it's almost perverse that we have this happy little amnesiac character running around that killed possibly hundreds directly (removal of certain powers while in use, as shown in several places) and caused an extinction event indirectly because of a temper tantrum over daddy issues.

To me, mental illness or no, she became a very perverse and repulsive being when she committed this act.

At least they used to be smart enough to recognize that Phoenix couldn't just return to the X-Men after wiping out inhabited star systems (she "had" to die), and then when they did bring her back to recognize that they had to make Phoenix a different entity than Jean at the time. Now we're supposed to enjoy reading about genocidal lunatics having picnics and sleeping with former teammates. Why not just have a lighthearted Marvel Two-in-One romp featuring Josef Mengele and Mitsy the Model? The approach to Wanda post-HoM is entirely too casual and - on some levels - innocent. (Yes, compared to genocide I'd say a nice PG-rated roll in the hay is positively Disney.)

[Nate-Earth 2]

I'm not a giant X-men reader, so maybe this has already been asked, but, couldn't Wanda just use her powers and say something like "yeah, more mutants", and there would be more, and a revived inheretible mutant gene back? According to that issue of New Avengers a few months back, she is still alive, albiet without memories, right now, it seems. Just wondering

[mauer]

That only makes so much sense. Either he could control which ones he saved, or he couldn't...if he could, there's probably a few choices I'd definitely question, and if he couldn't, the ones that were spared are still astoundingly improbable.
Well they also said that her powers are, by their very nature, chaotic so it wasn't 100%...

[motteditor]

I really, really, really hate you Brian Bendis.
Because of your stupid "No more Mutants" line, the X-books have been backed into a corner.

I'm no fan of Bendis' writing, but do you really think that was all him? Clearly something that large is decided at a group summit and goes all the way up the food chain.

i really like the way they are handling this. instead of having to follow a whole other series and multiple tie ins, all you have to do is buy the one shot and all the x titles, some of which you are probably buying already, anyway.


I think I prefer the other way. I'd rather buy (or not buy) a mini than get part of a story in titles I'm already buying but have to buy more to get the full story.

[Cryptic]

Yeah, in defense of Bendis (wow, I didn't choke) I really can't see how you can blame him for M-Day. There's no way they'd let him do something that would have such a profound effect on books he's not even writing without some level of approval. And these concepts are hammered out well in advance by a whole collection of silly hacks, so it's pointless to single out any one of them.

[Palm Trees]

Being a graduate in genetics and having recently acquired a PhD in molecular biology, i decided a long time to just accept the "genetics" of X-men. I read comics for fun rather than the science (although i do like it to seem plausible).
Personally, i would say mutants are screwed with less than 200 people left as it's difficult to set up a healthy species from that number (rapidly diminishing gene pool). I'm glad that the writers are addressing this in their upcoming event as it should make for some emotional story-telling. I mean if your species is essentially extinct, i think that becomes more of a priority than protecting a society that "fears and hates you".
I'd also like to see whether "no more mutants" is actually benefitting humans. A third of all miscarriages are due to mutations in the embryo. Genetic diseases/Syndromes such as cystic fibrosis and Down's syndrome, even some cancers are all due to mutations. Many people would argue that such things ceasing to exist would be a good thing. So what would the marvel human's/heroes think about the X-men bringing it back?
There is also the other angle in that "no more mutants" means the human race has also being sentenced to extinction as if humans do not mutate, eventually something is going to come along that our technology alone cannot save us from.
The Decimation, opened up bucket-loads of interesting stories and the extinction of mutants is potentially the tip of the ice-berg, i hope the writers/editors realise the full potential in this upcoming event.
When all is said and done though, I'll be happy with a Mr Sinister/Beast scince team-up, the dialogue between those two could be priceless.

You're confusing the two meaning of the term mutant. Sure, in real life mutant refers genetic stuff you mention. But in the marvel universe, mutant means a person with the x-gene.

So when Wanda says no more mutants, she means no more made up x-gene and no more powers. It doesn't have anything to do with the random dna changes and snafus you get in real life.

[PhilipAMoore]

You're confusing the two meaning of the term mutant. Sure, in real life mutant refers genetic stuff you mention. But in the marvel universe, mutant means a person with the x-gene.

So when Wanda says no more mutants, she means no more made up x-gene and no more powers. It doesn't have anything to do with the random dna changes and snafus you get in real life. actully he is right about the 200 thing it has to do with the fact after a speice get down to 200 hunded it almost bcomes line beeding i just read mike carey's interview at http://www.comicbookresources.com/news/newsitem.cgi?id=10031

as far birth defects that may not be effected by the no mutance thing because it was to effect the genes that gave superheros superpowers not birth defect
Mutance would prisumable have different genetic chomazones then some one the people who didn't What hasnt been explain is the wide verity of powres some being different in the same family logicle Page Guthery (husk) should have simuler powers to her brother Sam (cannon Ball)

good day

[PhilipAMoore]

I really, really, really hate you Brian Bendis.

Because of your stupid "No more Mutants" line, the X-books have been backed into a corner. I strongly believe that this no more mutants idea is the worst thing to happen to . Don't you mea Joe Quausada ?it was his idea he just paid Brian to write it it I agree with it we have more mutance then we can shake a stick at so why not make it harder to creat a new one all the time now the creators have to work harder on the characters they desighn the one draw backis that only effected minor players why not take away ice mans powers and leave Danny Moonstone with the goods all this did was take away few crutches which is always a good idea right now I wish Scarlet Witch had siad now more super pwers I maen 50 super teams that is way over doing it

good day

[mefutch]

There is only 1 oneshot x-men book. Then the story runs through 4 x-men books. 3 of these books are already on my pull list and I am okay with picking up New X-Men (had already thought about getting it due to the Magic story) So adding up the books I have buy outside of my current pull list it comes to a total of 5.

DC please take note I don't have to buy 52 weekly books for a year then 4 WW3 oneshots and then another 52 weekly books to understand what is going on with the X-men.

THANK YOU MARVEL!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[G Dog]

That doesn't make any sense.

Fer chrissakes, dude., it's effing COMICS.


Considering they still haven't explained why she said No More Mutants and there were STILL MUTANTS, that's the least of our problems.

Maybe THIS is exactly what she meant. No MORE mutants would be born,

'Course, then, that wouldn't explain how the other mutants were depowered.

[crood]

It's simple to verify what Marvel means by mutant. Look at Siryn. By scientific definition, she would not be a mutant, since she merely inherited her sonic powers from her father. However, she's considered no less a mutant than anyone else.

[igno]

So what's the problem! just have the Exiles round up the sons and daughters of jean grey and scott summers from the different timelines. thats a very good source of powerful mutants, they have a bunch of phoenix and nathans out there. :D

[NedPepper]

I really, really, really hate you Brian Bendis.

Because of your stupid "No more Mutants" line, the X-books have been backed into a corner. I strongly believe that this no more mutants idea is the worst thing to happen to the X-books in some time. Grant Morrison took the characters and ideas of X-Men to some great places, especially with the E for Extinction books. The idea that mutants will eventually wipe out humans and replace them is one of the most thought-provoking ideas out there, and Morrison did a marvelous job with it. Then House of M comes along and negated the whole idea. No more mutants. Tell me, is magic the "Superboy punches a wall" response at Marvel these days? So a mutant, who has reality altering powers, can suddenly make it so there are no more new mutants and that most of the old mutants lose their powers? Wow, someone give her a medal because that kind of power is HUGE. You'd think someone would have noticed Wanda's near-omnicient powers before House of M, but then again, that would have made sense, and we can't have any of that!

I'm sorry to blast like this, but why is Marvel continuing with this poor idea? At least prior to that annual there was just a drop in mutants, and now (at least for the forseeable future) there won't be anymore? Again, why write yourself into a corner like this? Just so you can do some "Incovenient Truth" parable? No sir, I don't like it.

I keep hoping the X-Men get back to basics and they keep getting pushed further and further from the format that got me reading comics. Thank God for Astonishing X-Men, which pretty much ignores the current goings on in the Marvel U. I'm sure the current stories aren't all that bad, but I won't be reading until they get back to the core concept of what made X-Men so good in the first place.


My hope is that this story will bring the idea of "no more mutants" to the breaking point and then reverse it. I think it's clear that this "no more mutants" handicapped X-writers completely. They may as well have said no more X-Men.

I realize there was a huge X-Men backlash from prolonged popularity, but who would have thought it reached all the way to the editorial department at Marvel? This seems like to me that they are finally trying to get the X-Men back to where they were before Grant Morrison came along and took the concept of the X-gene and radically progressed it. It made for great stories, but it was clear that Marvel didn't know what to do with it after Grant was gone.

There's a reason Joss and even Ed Brubaker have ignored it. How do you write the X-Men when there are no mutants around? You pretty much kill the concept. It's like J.K. Rowling saying "no more wizards." Her entire fantasy world would come crumbling down.

Kudos to Mike Carey for tackling this head on and hopefully making some sense and forward progress in the X-Universe once again.

[SpaceButler]

My hope is that this story will bring the idea of "no more mutants" to the breaking point and then reverse it. I think it's clear that this "no more mutants" handicapped X-writers completely. They may as well have said no more X-Men.

I realize there was a huge X-Men backlash from prolonged popularity, but who would have thought it reached all the way to the editorial department at Marvel? This seems like to me that they are finally trying to get the X-Men back to where they were before Grant Morrison came along and took the concept of the X-gene and radically progressed it. It made for great stories, but it was clear that Marvel didn't know what to do with it after Grant was gone.

There's a reason Joss and even Ed Brubaker have ignored it. How do you write the X-Men when there are no mutants around? You pretty much kill the concept. It's like J.K. Rowling saying "no more wizards." Her entire fantasy world would come crumbling down.

Kudos to Mike Carey for tackling this head on and hopefully making some sense and forward progress in the X-Universe once again.

Well put, as usual, Mr Pepper.:D No more mutants means no hope for the future. The X-Men are about hope and building that future. I trust Carey, Bru and PAD to put things right again.

[Brainlock]

In 100 years, there won't be any Wagners left on Earth.
NEIN!!!:eek:


There is only 1 oneshot x-men book. Then the story runs through 4 x-men books. 3 of these books are already on my pull list and I am okay with picking up New X-Men (had already thought about getting it due to the Magic story) So adding up the books I have buy outside of my current pull list it comes to a total of 5.

DC please take note I don't have to buy 52 weekly books for a year then 4 WW3 oneshots and then another 52 weekly books to understand what is going on with the X-men.

THANK YOU MARVEL!!!!!!!!!!!!!
um, you're buying 52 books a week for a year?:confused:
that's how I'M reading that statement.



as for my take on the x-gene stuff: it is my understanding that the X-gene(s) lie buried in the "junk DNA" we all have. Powers depend on how dominant/recessive said junk dna is. So it is entirely believable that the Summers boys all have energy manipulating powers, but not so much for the Guthrie and Rasputin familes, with 2 outta 3 displaying similar powers. I also have to wonder how much variation there is in Mystique's brood, from Kurt's teleportation and appearance (ignoring that demon $#!t), to Trevor's reality warping (in X-Factor v1, third team), and (rumor-mongering Raven and Irene's past) to Rogue's power siphoning, to non-mutant, Graydon Creed.

[Lord Ruthven]

DC please take note I don't have to buy 52 weekly books for a year then 4 WW3 oneshots and then another 52 weekly books to understand what is going on with the X-men.

THANK YOU MARVEL!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The X-Men are not a part of 52, WW3 or Countdown ;)

Anyway, DC fans don't have to buy 52, WW3 or Countdown to understand what's going on with any of the other DC titles. They can happily ignore them if they choose. Yes, Countdown is leading to a big event in 2008, but that doesn't mean anyone catergorically has to buy it in order to understand the story of that event.

With the reasoning you've put across in your post, it would suggest you have to read World War Hulk (with the WWH: X-Men tie ins) in order to understand what's happening in the regular X-books. I personally don't think that will be the case, even though both WWH and the X-Extinction stories are running through June-October together.

[Heroman]

But there's still cloning and genetic engineering or does the magic words cancel out science? I'm sure Sinister has something up his sleeve even if Beast won't go there.

[AdamYJ]

My hope is that this story will bring the idea of "no more mutants" to the breaking point and then reverse it. I think it's clear that this "no more mutants" handicapped X-writers completely. They may as well have said no more X-Men.

I realize there was a huge X-Men backlash from prolonged popularity, but who would have thought it reached all the way to the editorial department at Marvel? This seems like to me that they are finally trying to get the X-Men back to where they were before Grant Morrison came along and took the concept of the X-gene and radically progressed it. It made for great stories, but it was clear that Marvel didn't know what to do with it after Grant was gone.

There's a reason Joss and even Ed Brubaker have ignored it. How do you write the X-Men when there are no mutants around? You pretty much kill the concept. It's like J.K. Rowling saying "no more wizards." Her entire fantasy world would come crumbling down.

Kudos to Mike Carey for tackling this head on and hopefully making some sense and forward progress in the X-Universe once again.

There kind of has to be the idea that there are always some new mutants out there in order to keep the stories fresh and moving. I can understand not creating more mutants for the franchises outside of the X-Men, but it doesn't work for the X-Men themselves. Plus, non-mutant superhumans (as either villians, allies or members) have always been an odd fit in the X-Men's world. There are a handful of them, but people tend to forget their true origins anyway. Mr. Sinister, Mimic, Sauron, Lady Deathstrike and Juggernaut are all not mutants. The aliens and cyborgs in the x-canon have found some degree of a niche, but it tends to be off on the fringes. Even Juggernaut's a bit of a square peg in a round hole. I'm not sure what to think of Polaris now that she's an Apocalypse-altered non-mutant rather than an actual mutant. So, you can see how it can get awkward.

[eforextinct]

There kind of has to be the idea that there are always some new mutants out there in order to keep the stories fresh and moving. I can understand not creating more mutants for the franchises outside of the X-Men, but it doesn't work for the X-Men themselves. Plus, non-mutant superhumans (as either villians, allies or members) have always been an odd fit in the X-Men's world. There are a handful of them, but people tend to forget their true origins anyway. Mr. Sinister, Mimic, Sauron, Lady Deathstrike and Juggernaut are all not mutants. The aliens and cyborgs in the x-canon have found some degree of a niche, but it tends to be off on the fringes. Even Juggernaut's a bit of a square peg in a round hole. I'm not sure what to think of Polaris now that she's an Apocalypse-altered non-mutant rather than an actual mutant. So, you can see how it can get awkward.

I agree the whole premise to the story that IS the X-Men is the idea that there are new mutants out there that need defending and a voice to speak on there behalf, hence the need for X-Men. But that to me is the whole excitement for this story.

If (and I do mean IF) they handle this well, this could be a great story being told addressing the following concerns:

If there are no new mutants, should the X-Men's role in the world be to preserve the current mutants in the world today, or solely find a means to get out of there current predicament? There really is no need for a "School for Higher Learning" or "Gifted Youngsters". Fighting for equality now seems to be a moot point.

Is there even a need for X-Men at this point? I'm inclined to say no right now, as technically there is only a need for the Beast it seems (it's times like this when you realllllly miss Moira Mactaggart). Unless the Mkrann Crystals gonna go crazy again, which the X-Men always seem to have covered only cause of Pheonix anyway, what they ALL SHOULD BE DOING is getting their asses out there to look for the Witch.

as much as i've absolutely loved the stories from Brubaker and Whedon, they have done a disservice NOT addressing the "decimation" of mutants. After X-Cutioners song back in 93, the Legacy Virus became a real visible legit threat because EVERY X-writer was able to incorporate that into their stories. Did they draw that story out too long? HELL YES seeing as how the virus wasn't actually cured until 2000. but you truly got the sense of how grim things were when it effected the entire X-community. This is a big deal THAT SHOULD HAVE EFFECTED THE ENTIRE X-COMMUNITY and, besides Generation M, I think they missed two years of solid story telling to get that point accross.

[AdamYJ]

I agree the whole premise to the story that IS the X-Men is the idea that there are new mutants out there that need defending and a voice to speak on there behalf, hence the need for X-Men. But that to me is the whole excitement for this story.

If (and I do mean IF) they handle this well, this could be a great story being told addressing the following concerns:

If there are no new mutants, should the X-Men's role in the world be to preserve the current mutants in the world today, or solely find a means to get out of there current predicament? There really is no need for a "School for Higher Learning" or "Gifted Youngsters". Fighting for equality now seems to be a moot point.

Is there even a need for X-Men at this point? I'm inclined to say no right now, as technically there is only a need for the Beast it seems (it's times like this when you realllllly miss Moira Mactaggart). Unless the Mkrann Crystals gonna go crazy again, which the X-Men always seem to have covered only cause of Pheonix anyway, what they ALL SHOULD BE DOING is getting their asses out there to look for the Witch.

as much as i've absolutely loved the stories from Brubaker and Whedon, they have done a disservice NOT addressing the "decimation" of mutants. After X-Cutioners song back in 93, the Legacy Virus became a real visible legit threat because EVERY X-writer was able to incorporate that into their stories. Did they draw that story out too long? HELL YES seeing as how the virus wasn't actually cured until 2000. but you truly got the sense of how grim things were when it effected the entire X-community. This is a big deal THAT SHOULD HAVE EFFECTED THE ENTIRE X-COMMUNITY and, besides Generation M, I think they missed two years of solid story telling to get that point accross.

True. What I meant was that it doesn't really work as a new status quo. It works fine as the genesis as some new stories. However, Marvel used to act like it had "fixed things" by doing the Decimation. They were like "Well, that genie's back in the bottle. Now, everything's the way it should be". Not quite so.

[Redmond]

Ah! Nothing like canibalising your audiance to make up for crap sale numbers. Who cares that there's no more mutants. That means they'll just have to get jobs and people can stop reading those comics.

[eforextinct]

True. What I meant was that it doesn't really work as a new status quo. It works fine as the genesis as some new stories. However, Marvel used to act like it had "fixed things" by doing the Decimation. They were like "Well, that genie's back in the bottle. Now, everything's the way it should be". Not quite so.

Very true...it's almost like ever since House of M marvel put the X-Families on the backburner. I mean not having them participate in the Civil War??? WTF!? the reasoning behind Emma's logic was sound. they did have other concerns to worry about, i.e. their pending extinction...but what were they doing about their extinction...they had us waiting too long for there reaction to that.

[AdamYJ]

Very true...it's almost like ever since House of M marvel put the X-Families on the backburner. I mean not having them participate in the Civil War??? WTF!? the reasoning behind Emma's logic was sound. they did have other concerns to worry about, i.e. their pending extinction...but what were they doing about their extinction...they had us waiting too long for there reaction to that.

Really, it just seemed like they weren't at all proactive enough about the whole situation. Someone should have been out hunting down the Scarlet Witch. Someone should have been looking into what happened to all that energy before the Collective ever came to Earth. They should have been using their resources to go out and help mutants who'd been Decimated in a more extensive manner, especially their friends and allies. Instead, they were all like:

"Well, instead of doing that stuff, why don't we hang around here and wait for Apocalypse to show up on our front door while these Sentinels watch us. Then we could angst about some secrets that Professor X has been keeping from us for about 25 years".

The way that the people who lost their x-gene were dealt with was really bad. It's like they just held the door of the mansion open and said:

"Okay, all non-mutants have to go! Everybody out. We'll put all the kids on that bus. Sure hope nothing happens to it. Mirage, you've been a big part of these students' lives, thank you for all the help. But still, don't let the door hit you where Mother Nature split you. Lorna, please leave and don't come back until you have powers. Jubilee, you have very little education and no direction outside of being an X-Man. Well, too bad. Maybe you could work for a political website or a clinic or something. That should be good for someone who's more at home on a superhero team than anywhere else. Jonothan, you're seriously injured and barely alive without your powers. We could try to use our own advanced technology from the Shi'ar Empire to help you. Or we could send you to Providence to reap the benefits of Cable's future technology. Instead, we'll leave you in a hospital bed hooked up to a life-support machine. What's that Jamie? Oh, sure you can keep Rictor. We may keep Prodigy around too, just for the heck of it".

[hotknife86]

Granted, it's been a while and I don't have the issue in front of me, but Wanda's whole utterence makes no sense. What did she really hope to gain by saying it?
I just wonder how long it'll be before there is some reversal or other.

[mefutch]

The X-Men are not a part of 52, WW3 or Countdown ;)

Anyway, DC fans don't have to buy 52, WW3 or Countdown to understand what's going on with any of the other DC titles. They can happily ignore them if they choose. Yes, Countdown is leading to a big event in 2008, but that doesn't mean anyone catergorically has to buy it in order to understand the story of that event.

With the reasoning you've put across in your post, it would suggest you have to read World War Hulk (with the WWH: X-Men tie ins) in order to understand what's happening in the regular X-books. I personally don't think that will be the case, even though both WWH and the X-Extinction stories are running through June-October together.

No I'm just happy that Marvel isn't making the x-men crossover this crazy event that requires me to spend more money on a bunch of limited series, oneshots, other books and so forth like DC has done.

[eforextinct]

Really, it just seemed like they weren't at all proactive enough about the whole situation. Someone should have been out hunting down the Scarlet Witch. Someone should have been looking into what happened to all that energy before the Collective ever came to Earth. They should have been using their resources to go out and help mutants who'd been Decimated in a more extensive manner, especially their friends and allies. Instead, they were all like:

"Well, instead of doing that stuff, why don't we hang around here and wait for Apocalypse to show up on our front door while these Sentinels watch us. Then we could angst about some secrets that Professor X has been keeping from us for about 25 years".

The way that the people who lost their x-gene were dealt with was really bad. It's like they just held the door of the mansion open and said:

"Okay, all non-mutants have to go! Everybody out. We'll put all the kids on that bus. Sure hope nothing happens to it. Mirage, you've been a big part of these students' lives, thank you for all the help. But still, don't let the door hit you where Mother Nature split you. Lorna, please leave and don't come back until you have powers. Jubilee, you have very little education and no direction outside of being an X-Man. Well, too bad. Maybe you could work for a political website or a clinic or something. That should be good for someone who's more at home on a superhero team than anywhere else. Jonothan, you're seriously injured and barely alive without your powers. We could try to use our own advanced technology from the Shi'ar Empire to help you. Or we could send you to Providence to reap the benefits of Cable's future technology. Instead, we'll leave you in a hospital bed hooked up to a life-support machine. What's that Jamie? Oh, sure you can keep Rictor. We may keep Prodigy around too, just for the heck of it".


hahaha!!! This pretty much sums up the X-Family for the past two years! When you put it like that...wow...what a waste of my money...

all joking aside, i have all the confidence in the world that the current creative team can turn things around.

[AdamYJ]

hahaha!!! This pretty much sums up the X-Family for the past two years! When you put it like that...wow...what a waste of my money...

all joking aside, i have all the confidence in the world that the current creative team can turn things around.

Once the X-Men were put under house arrest by the Sentinels, it was pretty much guaranteed they weren't going to be taking the bull by the horns. Apocalypse came to them. Vulcan came to them. The Shi'ar death squad that killed the Grey family came to them.

The thing that really gets me is that one of the first things I thought of after House of M was that they should definitely come up with some good stories about the guys who lost their abilities because of all this. Maybe band a bunch of them together and have them try and fight the good fight without any powers. After all, they were the most interesting aspect coming out of House of M. They're the ones who suffered. However, all we got was . . . . Rictor. And Generation M, which was essentially just a big "woe is me" tale. For the most part, we got other people who had powers dealing with other peoples' loss of powers. It may affect the X-Men's cause but it doesn't really affect them all that personally, or at least it didn't seem to.

Oh well, I hope you're right. I have my fingers crossed.

[mpartyka]

What bothers me is, why aren't the X-Men happy about the fact that "mutantkind" is going extinct? What has being a mutant really brought to them except being feared and hated and, in some cases, disfgured (like Beak) or socially hampered (like Rogue)?

And isn't it a little bit "racist" for mutants to consider themselves a separate species anyway? As if "mutantkind" is somehow qualitatively different from "humankind", rather than being merely a subset of "humankind".

One could argue that the tragedy of mutant extinction stems from the lost of diversity, but...so what? Weigh diversity against the chance that your kid will grow razor-sharp spines out of his face. Diversity, whoopee.

And it's not like there was a "mutant holocaust", either. Yes, there were more than a few mutant deaths resulting from the sudden power loss, and each death is a tragedy, but that's not what's at issue here. The issue is merely that there are going to be fewer people with super-powers running around, and how is that, even from mutants' perspective, a bad thing?

If I were Hank McCoy, I'd kick back, relax, and cure cancer or something. Trying to reinvigorate the "mutant race" is shooting for the wrong goal.

[AdamYJ]

What bothers me is, why aren't the X-Men happy about the fact that "mutantkind" is going extinct? What has being a mutant really brought to them except being feared and hated and, in some cases, disfgured (like Beak) or socially hampered (like Rogue)?

And isn't it a little bit "racist" for mutants to consider themselves a separate species anyway? As if "mutantkind" is somehow qualitatively different from "humankind", rather than being merely a subset of "humankind".

One could argue that the tragedy of mutant extinction stems from the lost of diversity, but...so what? Weigh diversity against the chance that your kid will grow razor-sharp spines out of his face. Diversity, whoopee.

And it's not like there was a "mutant holocaust", either. Yes, there were more than a few mutant deaths resulting from the sudden power loss, and each death is a tragedy, but that's not what's at issue here. The issue is merely that there are going to be fewer people with super-powers running around, and how is that, even from mutants' perspective, a bad thing?

If I were Hank McCoy, I'd kick back, relax, and cure cancer or something. Trying to reinvigorate the "mutant race" is shooting for the wrong goal.

Well, yes, it is kind of racist for them to refer to themselves as a different species. It used to be that Magneto was the one who believed that mutants were Homo Superior while Charles Xavier and Moira MacTaggert both supported the idea that mutants were just humans with an extra power. It's gotten a bit complicated, though.

The thing is, there were actually mutants who liked having powers. You don't see it a lot because it's easier to focus on the angst and reluctant superhumans, but they're there. There were also people for whom being a mutant was a major part of their life and worldview. Let's take my favorite example, Jubilee, for instance. It was because she was a mutant that she was able to become part of a family again. If she weren't a mutant, who knows what the X-Men would have done with her after they discovered she'd been tagging along with them since Australia. If I were her, I'd be questioning a lot of things right now, considering she's been "Decimated".