''Uncanny X-Men'', originally published as ''The X-Men'', is an
American comic book
An American comic book is a thin periodical originating in the United States, on average 32 pages, containing comics. While the form originated in 1933, American comic books first gained popularity after the 1938 publication of ''Action Comics'' ...
series published by
Marvel Comics since 1963, and is the longest-running series in the
X-Men comics franchise. It features a team of
superhero
A superhero or superheroine is a stock character that typically possesses ''superpowers'', abilities beyond those of ordinary people, and fits the role of the hero, typically using his or her powers to help the world become a better place, ...
es called the
X-Men, a group of
mutants with superhuman abilities led and taught by
Professor X
Professor X (Charles Francis Xavier) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character is depicted as the founder and sometimes leader of the X-Men. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist/co-writ ...
.
The title was created by
Stan Lee
Stan Lee (born Stanley Martin Lieber ; December 28, 1922 – November 12, 2018) was an American comic book writer, editor, publisher, and producer. He rose through the ranks of a family-run business called Timely Publications which ...
and
Jack Kirby, met with a lukewarm reception, and was eventually cancelled in 1970. Interest was rekindled with 1975's ''
Giant-Size X-Men'' and the debut of a new, international team. Under the guidance of
David Cockrum
David Emmett Cockrum (; November 11, 1943 – November 26, 2006) was an American comics artist known for his co-creation of the new X-Men characters Nightcrawler, Storm, Colossus, and Mystique, as well as the antiheroine Black Cat. Cockrum wa ...
and
Chris Claremont
Christopher S. Claremont (; born November 25, 1950) is a British-born American comic book writer and novelist, known for his 17-year stint on ''Uncanny X-Men'' from 1975 to 1991, far longer than that of any other writer,Claremont, Chris. ''Marvel ...
, whose 16-year stint began with August 1975's
''Uncanny X-Men'' #94, the series grew in popularity worldwide, eventually spawning a franchise with numerous spin-off "X-books", including ''
New Mutants'', ''
X-Factor
''The X Factor'' is a television music competition franchise created by British producer Simon Cowell and his company Syco Entertainment. It originated in the United Kingdom, where it was devised as a replacement for ''Pop Idol'' (2001–2003 ...
'', ''
Excalibur'', ''
X-Force'', ''
Generation X'', other flagship titles like the simply titled ''
X-Men'' (later ''
New X-Men'' & ''
X-Men Legacy
''X-Men: Legacy'' is a comic book series published by Marvel Comics featuring the mutant superhero team the X-Men.
The title began its publication in October 1991 as ''X-Men'' (vol. 2). From 2001 until 2004 it was published as '' New X-Men''. I ...
''), ''
Astonishing X-Men'', ''
All-New X-Men'', ''
Amazing X-Men
''Amazing X-Men'' is the name of two X-Men comic book series from Marvel Comics. The first was a limited series published during the ''Age of Apocalypse'' storyline. The subsequent ongoing series began in November 2013 in the aftermath of Battl ...
'', ''
Extraordinary X-Men'' and ''
X-Men Gold''.
Publication history
1963–1970: Original run
Created by writer-editor
Stan Lee
Stan Lee (born Stanley Martin Lieber ; December 28, 1922 – November 12, 2018) was an American comic book writer, editor, publisher, and producer. He rose through the ranks of a family-run business called Timely Publications which ...
and artist
Jack Kirby, the series launched in September 1963, introducing in its first issue the original five X-Men (
Warren Worthington III/Angel,
Hank McCoy/Beast,
Scott Summers/Cyclops,
Robert "Bobby" Drake/Iceman, and
Jean Grey/Marvel Girl) and their teacher,
Charles Xavier/Professor X as well as their nemesis, the
supervillain
A supervillain or supercriminal is a variant of the villainous stock character that is commonly found in American comic books, usually possessing superhuman abilities. A supervillain is the antithesis of a superhero.
Supervillains are oft ...
Erik Magnus Lehnsherr/Magneto. Although Lee would deny it, it was noticed by contemporary writer
Arnold Drake, that the concept of the series emulated his own earlier series for
National Periodical Publications's (Now
DC Comics), ''
The Doom Patrol'', in many respects. However, National's editorial staff did not support Drake's concerns.
Initially published bimonthly, it became a monthly with issue #14 (November 1965). Lee's run lasted 19 issues, and featured the X-Men battling villains such as Magneto's
Brotherhood of Mutants (which included the siblings
Wanda Maximoff/the Scarlet Witch and
Pietro Maximoff/Quicksilver); the
Sentinels, giant robots programmed to destroy all mutants, and their creator
Bolivar Trask; and
Cain Marko/the Juggernaut, Xavier's stepbrother transformed by a mystical gem and seeking revenge on Xavier.
The series was placed firmly in the
Marvel Universe
The Marvel Universe is a fictional shared universe where the stories in most American comic book titles and other media published by Marvel Comics take place. Super-teams such as the Avengers, the X-Men, the Fantastic Four, the Guardians of ...
, with guest appearances by
Namor MacKenzie/Namor the Sub-Mariner in #6 and the
Avengers
Avenger, Avengers, The Avenger, or The Avengers may refer to:
Arts and entertainment In the Marvel Comics universe
* Avengers (comics), a team of superheroes
**Avengers (Marvel Cinematic Universe), a central team of protagonist superheroes of ...
in #9. The jungle adventure hero
Kevin Plunder/Ka-Zar and the
Savage Land
The Savage Land is a hidden prehistoric land appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. It is a tropical preserve hidden in Antarctica. It has appeared in many story arcs in ''Uncanny X-Men'' as well as other related books.
Pu ...
were introduced in issue #10.
Roy Thomas
Roy William Thomas Jr."Roy Thomas Checklist" ''Alter Ego'' vol. 3, #50 (July 2005) p. 16 (born November 22, 1940) is an American comic book writer and editor, who was Stan Lee's first successor as editor-in-chief of Marvel Comics. He is possibl ...
wrote the series from #20-44 (May 1966-May 1968). Thomas and artist
Werner Roth created
Sean Cassidy/the Banshee in #28 (Jan. 1967).
''The X-Men'' #45 (June 1968) featured a crossover with ''The
Avengers
Avenger, Avengers, The Avenger, or The Avengers may refer to:
Arts and entertainment In the Marvel Comics universe
* Avengers (comics), a team of superheroes
**Avengers (Marvel Cinematic Universe), a central team of protagonist superheroes of ...
'' #53 (June 1968). After brief runs by
Gary Friedrich and
Arnold Drake – the latter of whom introduced the new X-Men
Lorna Dane/Polaris and
Alex Summers/Havok, and during which the series adopted a new logo designed by
Jim Steranko
James F. Steranko (; born November 5, 1938) is an American graphic artist, comic book writer/artist, comics historian, magician, publisher and film production illustrator.
His most famous comic book work was with the 1960s superspy feature " ...
– Thomas returned to the series with issue #55 and was joined by artist
Neal Adams the following issue for an acclaimed run of stories. After a battle with the
Hulk
The Hulk is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in the debut issue of ''The Incredible Hulk (comic book), The Incredible Hulk' ...
in issue #66 (March 1970), the title ceased publishing original material and featured reprints in issues #67-93 (Dec. 1970-June 1975).
1975–1991: Chris Claremont era
''X-Men'' was relaunched in May 1975 with ''
Giant-Size X-Men'' #1, by
Len Wein
Leonard Norman Wein (; June 12, 1948 – September 10, 2017) was an American comic book writer and editor best known for co-creating DC Comics' Swamp Thing and Marvel Comics' Wolverine, and for helping revive the Marvel superhero team the X-Men ( ...
and
Dave Cockrum. The title featured a new, international team consisting of Scott Summers (Cyclops) of the United States,
Ireland's
Sean Cassidy (Banshee), the
Japan
Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
ese mutant
Shiro Yoshida (Sunfire), and
James "Logan" Howlett (Wolverine) from
Canada, along with new characters
Ororo Munroe (Storm) out of
Kenya, the
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
**Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ger ...
Kurt Wagner (Nightcrawler),
Piotr "Peter" Rasputin (Colossus) from
Russia in
The Soviet Union, and
John Proudstar (Thunderbird), a Native American. The original plan was to continue ''Giant-Size X-Men'' as a quarterly, but instead original stories were printed in the book, again initially bimonthly.
Chris Claremont
Christopher S. Claremont (; born November 25, 1950) is a British-born American comic book writer and novelist, known for his 17-year stint on ''Uncanny X-Men'' from 1975 to 1991, far longer than that of any other writer,Claremont, Chris. ''Marvel ...
's first issue as writer, #94, featured all the original X-Men leaving the team with the exception of Cyclops. Sunfire also left, having agreed to assist the X-Men on one successful mission only. Thunderbird was killed in #95.
[Sanderson "1970s" in Gilbert (2008), p. 171] Moira MacTaggert, a human ally of the X-Men, and later to be established as a former fiancée of Xavier, debuted in #96.
Marvel Girl became
Phoenix in issue #101. This was followed by the first
Shi'ar space opera
Space opera is a subgenre of science fiction that emphasizes space warfare, with use of melodramatic, risk-taking space adventures, relationships, and chivalric romance. Set mainly or entirely in outer space, it features technological and soci ...
story. Cockrum was replaced as penciller by
John Byrne as of #108. Byrne became co-plotter, and during his run the series became a monthly title again.
[
The series title was changed to ''The Uncanny X-Men'' with issue #114 (October 1978).
For the remainder of the decade, the X-Men fought enemies such as Stephen Lang and his Sentinels, Magneto, Banshee's cousin Black Tom Cassidy and Cain Marko/the Juggernaut, the Shi'ar ]Erik the Red
Erik Thorvaldsson (), known as Erik the Red, was a Norse explorer, described in medieval and Icelandic saga sources as having founded the first settlement in Greenland. He most likely earned the epithet "the Red" due to the color of his hair a ...
and the Imperial Guard, Arcade, Wolverine's former colleagues, the Canadian superhero team Alpha Flight, and MacTaggert's son Proteus. In 2010, Comics Bulletin ranked Claremont and Byrne's run on ''The X-Men'' second on its list of the "Top 10 1970s Marvels".
The "Dark Phoenix Saga
"The Dark Phoenix Saga" is an extended X-Men comic-book storyline published by Marvel Comics, focusing on Jean Grey and the Phoenix Force. It was written by Chris Claremont with art by John Byrne.
The Dark Phoenix Saga commonly refers to the s ...
" in 1980 led to a change in the line-up of the team, with the death of Phoenix (Jean Grey), and Cyclops leaving the team to mourn her. Comics writers and historians Roy Thomas and Peter Sanderson observed that "'The Dark Phoenix Saga' is to Claremont and Byrne what 'the Galactus Trilogy
"The Galactus Trilogy" is a 1966 three-issue comic book story arc that appeared in '' Fantastic Four'' #48-50. Written, co-plotted and drawn by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby for Marvel Comics, it introduced the characters Galactus and the Silver Surfer ...
' is to Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. It is a landmark in Marvel history, showcasing its creators' work at the height of their abilities." The storyline also saw the introduction of recurring antagonists the Hellfire Club
Hellfire Club was a name for several exclusive clubs for high-society rakes established in Britain and Ireland in the 18th century. The name most commonly refers to Francis Dashwood's Order of the Friars of St. Francis of Wycombe. Such clubs, ...
, and its Inner Circle consisting of Sebastian Shaw, Emma Frost, Harry Leland
Harry Leland, also known as the Black Bishop, is a fictional supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character has been depicted as an adversary of the X-Men.
Leland possesses the mutant ability to increa ...
, Donald Pierce, along with Mastermind, previously a member of Magneto's Brotherhood. Teenage mutant Katherine Anne "Kitty" Pryde/Shadowcat was introduced in #129 (Jan. 1980) and joined the X-Men in #139. Alison Blaire/the Dazzler, a disco-singing, roller-skating mutant, was introduced in #130 (Feb. 1980), but did not join the team, instead having a solo title.
A new Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, led by Mystique, was introduced in the " Days of Future Past" storyline (#141-#142, Jan–Feb 1981) in which a time-travelling Katherine Anne "Kitty" Pryde/Shadowcat tried to avert a dystopian future caused by the Brotherhood assassinating Presidential candidate Senator Robert Kelly. Byrne plotted the story wanting to depict the Sentinels as a genuine threat to the existence of the mutant race. He then left the series after #143, being replaced by a returning Cockrum, who in turn was succeeded by Paul Smith Paul Smith or Paul Smith's may refer to:
Music
* Paul Smith (composer) (1906–1985), American film music composer
* Paul Smith (pianist) (1922–2013), Los Angeles jazz pianist
* Paul Smith (rock vocalist) (born 1979), vocalist and songwriter of ...
and John Romita Jr.
By the mid-1980s, ''The Uncanny X-Men'' had become one of the best-selling American comic book
An American comic book is a thin periodical originating in the United States, on average 32 pages, containing comics. While the form originated in 1933, American comic books first gained popularity after the 1938 publication of ''Action Comics'' ...
s, turning many of the writers and illustrators into industry stars and leading to numerous spin-offs and miniseries
A miniseries or mini-series is a television series that tells a story in a predetermined, limited number of episodes. "Limited series" is another more recent US term which is sometimes used interchangeably. , the popularity of miniseries format h ...
.
Erik Magnus Lehnsherr/Magneto was gradually revealed to be more complex: #150 established that he was a survivor of the Holocaust, and in #161 it is shown that Erik Magnus Lehnsherr/Magneto and Professor Charles Xavier had known each other before Xavier had founded the X-Men. Anna Marie LeBeau/Rogue, a member of Raven Darkholme/Mystique's Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, defected to the X-Men in #171 (July 1983). Raven Darkholme/Mystique's Brotherhood of Evil Mutants changed sides and became the government-backed Freedom Force in #199. Their first action was to capture Erik Magnus Lehnsherr/Magneto, who had begun associating with the X-Men during the " Secret Wars II" crossover. Erik Magnus Lehnsherr/Magneto surrenders himself, but escapes after his trial is abandoned, he takes over the headmastership of the school after Xavier leaves for space in #200 (Dec. 1985).
The Morlocks, a group of disfigured mutants living underneath New York City, were introduced in #169 (May 1983). Storm became their leader in #170. She was de-powered accidentally by government forces aiming for Anna Marie LeBeau/Rogue, and met Forge
A forge is a type of hearth used for heating metals, or the workplace (smithy) where such a hearth is located. The forge is used by the smith to heat a piece of metal to a temperature at which it becomes easier to shape by forging, or to th ...
, a mutant with the power of invention. After Storm left the team temporarily to return to her native Africa, Nightcrawler became field leader.
The character Rachel Summers
Rachel Anne Summers (also known as Rachel Grey) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by writer Chris Claremont and artist/co-plotter John Byrne (comics), John Byrne.
In h ...
from the future dystopia
A dystopia (from Ancient Greek δυσ- "bad, hard" and τόπος "place"; alternatively cacotopiaCacotopia (from κακός ''kakos'' "bad") was the term used by Jeremy Bentham in his 1818 Plan of Parliamentary Reform (Works, vol. 3, p. 493). ...
presented in "Days of Future Past" had been shown to arrive in the present day in ''New Mutants'' #18, and then made appearances in ''Uncanny X-Men'' from #184 on and was revealed to be Cyclops' daughter.
Claremont attempted to write Scott Summers/Cyclops out of the series, by having him marry Madelyne Pryor in #175 (Nov. 1983); she gave birth to his son in #201 (Jan. 1986). The ''X-Factor
''The X Factor'' is a television music competition franchise created by British producer Simon Cowell and his company Syco Entertainment. It originated in the United Kingdom, where it was devised as a replacement for ''Pop Idol'' (2001–2003 ...
'' series was launched two months later and featured the original five X-Men. This meant the resurrection of Jean Grey (performed by retcon, the character appearing from #101 having never really been her), and having Scott Summers/Cyclops abandon his wife and child. Claremont strongly objected to the latter, and was hostile towards the title until Louise Simonson became writer.
Artist Arthur Adams began a long association with the team by drawing ''The Uncanny X-Men Annual'' #9 (1985) and would serve as the artist on several of the ''Annual''s in the next few years.
The end of 1986 saw the first crossover between X-Men titles, the "Mutant Massacre
"Mutant Massacre" was a 1986 Marvel Comics crossover storyline. It primarily involved the superhero teams the X-Men and X-Factor. The solo hero Thor, the New Mutants, Power Pack and Daredevil crossed over for an issue each in their own comic boo ...
", which saw a large number of Morlocks killed by the Marauders, acting under orders from the mysterious Nathaniel Essex/Mister Sinister The late 1980s saw several other crossovers: 1988's "Fall of the Mutants
"The Fall of the Mutants" was a comic book crossover event by Marvel Comics spanning January to March 1988. It spanned three issues each of ''Uncanny X-Men'' #225-227, ''X-Factor'' #24-26, and ''New Mutants'' #59-61; unlike most crossovers howev ...
" and 1989's " Inferno", which resolved the issue of Madelyne Pryor by revealing her to have been a clone of Jean Grey created by Sinister. The cast was shaken up, with the addition of Psylocke, the Dazzler, Longshot and Havok in early 1987, as well as the first appearances of NPR-TV reporter Manoli Wetherell in #226 (1988), new teenage mutant Jubilation Lee/Jubilee in #244 (1989), and Remy LeBeau/Gambit in ''Uncanny X-Men Annual'' #14 (1990). The X-Men left their traditional residence in Westchester County, New York, and lived variously on Alcatraz, Muir Island and in the Australian outback. The " X-Tinction Agenda" crossover, in which the X-Men, ''X-Factor'' and the ''New Mutants'' fight against the government of Genosha for mutant rights, was published in the fall of 1990.
The title became twice-monthly from 1988 to 1990 every summer, and helped to launch the careers of artists Marc Silvestri
Marc Silvestri (born March 29, 1958) is an American comic book artist, creator and publisher. He serves as CEO of both Top Cow Productions and Image Comics.
Early life
Marc Silvestri was born on March 29, 1958 in Palm Beach, Florida.Rosenberg, ...
and Jim Lee. In 1991 another ''X-Men'' title was launched, titled simply '' X-Men''; both titles were now published monthly. Claremont wrote the first three issue of this series, in which the X-Factor and X-Men teams reunited with Professor Xavier at the school. Claremont left Marvel after disputes with Bob Harras and artist Jim Lee (of ''X-Men''). Claremont's final issue of ''Uncanny X-Men'' was #279, during the "Muir Island Saga
The "Muir Island Saga" is a five-part Marvel Comics crossover event involving the X-Men and X-Factor, published in 1991. It was written by Chris Claremont and Fabian Nicieza.
Plot
After warnings from Forge and Banshee, the X-Men and Professor X ...
", which is set before those events.
1991–2011: Post-Claremont era
After Claremont's run, the X-Men were divided into two color-coded squads, with a Blue team headlining the adjectiveless ''X-Men'' title, while the Gold team, consisting of Warren Worthington III/Archangel, Pitor "Peter" Rasputin/Colossus, Jean Grey, Robert "Bobby" Drake/the Iceman and Ororo Munroe/Storm, appeared in ''Uncanny''. This roster was later joined by Lucas Bishop
Lucas Bishop is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, particularly titles associated with the X-Men.
He first appears as a member of Xavier's Security Enforcers (XSE), a mutant police force from a ...
, another refugee from the future. After Claremont's departure, Jim Lee continued as plotter, while John Byrne scripted from #281-286. Byrne was replaced as scripter from #287 by Scott Lobdell, who was fully credited as writer from #289. The " X-Cutioner's Song" crossover was released in the fall of 1992 and resulted in the outbreak of the Legacy virus, a mutant-specific plague which continued as a story element in X-Men comics until 2001.
Crossovers continued through the 1990s. The " Fatal Attractions" crossover of 1993 saw the X-Men battle Magneto again, and the " Phalanx Covenant" story of 1994 focused mostly on the techno-organic Phalanx. ''Uncanny X-Men'' briefly ceased publication during the " Age of Apocalypse" storyline in 1995, which dealt with an alternative present created by a time-travelling assassin killing Xavier; it was replaced by '' Astonishing X-Men''. Lobdell was writing ''X-Men'' as well from 1995.
Lobdell was replaced by Steven T. Seagle
Steven T. Seagle (born March 31, 1965) is an American writer who works in the comic book, television, film, live theater, video game and animation industries.
He is best known for his graphic novel memoir '' It's a Bird...'' (Vertigo, May 2004 ...
with issue #350 (Dec. 1997). He was replaced in turn with Alan Davis
Alan Davis (born 18 June 1956) is an English artist and writer of comic books, known for his work on titles such as ''Captain Britain'', ''The Uncanny X-Men'', ''ClanDestine'', ''Detective Comics'', ''Excalibur'', '' JLA: The Nail'' and '' JLA: ...
, as plotter, from issue #366 (Mar. 1999) to #380. Davis's run included " the Twelve" crossover from #370-#375, in which Apocalypse sought the only 12 mutants, which also ran in his ''X-Men'' title, again being treated as a biweekly publication. As part of the Revolution relaunch, Chris Claremont made a brief return from #381 (June 2000) to #389, at which point he transferred to the new ''X-Treme X-Men
''X-Treme X-Men'' is the name of two comic book series published by Marvel Comics, the first from 2001 through 2004, and the second from 2012 through 2013. All 46 issues of the first series were written by Chris Claremont, and featured a glo ...
'' title, as Grant Morrison took over ''X-Men'' (vol. 2) and that became the flagship X-Men title. From 2001, Lobdell made a short return, and then Joe Casey
Joe Casey is an American comic book writer. He has worked on titles such as '' Wildcats 3.0'', ''Uncanny X-Men'', '' The Intimates'', '' Adventures of Superman'', and '' G.I. Joe: America's Elite'' among others. As part of the comics creator grou ...
and Chuck Austen wrote runs into 2004. The title became bimonthly from 2003 to 2004.
The '' X-Men: Reload'' reshuffle of titles in 2004 led to Claremont returning to ''Uncanny'' with issue #444. The stories addressed the new status quo established by Morrison. Claremont remained until #473. His final story was " End of the Greys" in 2006, as part of the "Decimation
Decimation, Decimate, or variants may refer to:
* Decimation (punishment), punitive discipline
* Decimation (signal processing), reduction of digital signal's sampling rate
* Decimation (comics), 2006 Marvel crossover spinoff ''House of M''
* ''D ...
" storyline, where the vast majority of mutants had lost their powers. He was replaced by Ed Brubaker, who wrote a 12-part epic space opera story "The Rise and Fall of the Shi'ar Empire", as a follow-up to his miniseries '' X-Men: Deadly Genesis''. After this, the title led into the " Messiah Complex" crossover event, dealing with the first mutant birth since the Decimation.
Matt Fraction became co-author from #500, and sole author from #504. The entire X-Men team relocated to San Francisco – first to the city, and then, after the " Utopia" crossover with '' Dark Avengers'', to an island named Utopia in San Francisco Bay
San Francisco Bay is a large tidal estuary in the U.S. state of California, and gives its name to the San Francisco Bay Area. It is dominated by the big cities of San Francisco, San Jose, and Oakland.
San Francisco Bay drains water from a ...
. The ''Nation X
A nation is a community of people formed on the basis of a combination of shared features such as language, history, ethnicity, culture and/or society. A nation is thus the collective identity of a group of people understood as defined by those ...
'' storyline focused on the return of the re-powered Magneto, and him coming to Utopia. The '' Second Coming'' crossover saw the return of Hope Summers, the baby from the "Messiah Complex" arc, to the present day, as a young adult; and the emergence of the "Five Lights", the first new mutants to have arisen (apart from Hope) since the Decimation. Nightcrawler was killed during this storyline and the Beast left in protest after his discovery of Cyclops' secret death squad X-Force.
Kieron Gillen took over co-authorship of the series with #531, and became sole writer from #534.1.
2011–2012: Volume 2
The original series ended with #544 and relaunched as a new volume after the events of the '' X-Men: Schism'' miniseries, wherein half the X-Men, led by Wolverine, returned to New York, to found a new school. The new volume featured the Extinction Team, containing members of the X-Men whom Cyclops had retained to deal with potential threats to the mutant race's survival. Gillen's run led into, and crossed over with, the ''Avengers vs. X-Men
''Avengers vs. X-Men'' (''AvX'' or ''AvsX'') is a 2012 crossover event that was featured in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The event, consisting of an eponymous limited series and numerous tie-in books, involves the return of the Phoen ...
'' storyline and finished with issue #20 in October 2012. The volume ended with Cyclops, who had become increasingly hardline during Gillen's run, in prison for his actions during that storyline. Gillen wrote a five-part epilogue, ''AvX: Consequences''.
2013–2015: Volume 3
As part of Marvel NOW!, a new volume of ''Uncanny X-Men'' was launched in February 2013 with an April 2013 cover date, written by Brian Michael Bendis, who is also writing another X-Men title, '' All-New X-Men'', and drawn by Chris Bachalo. It features Cyclops
In Greek mythology and later Roman mythology, the Cyclopes ( ; el, Κύκλωπες, ''Kýklōpes'', "Circle-eyes" or "Round-eyes"; singular Cyclops ; , ''Kýklōps'') are giant one-eyed creatures. Three groups of Cyclopes can be distinguish ...
and remnants of his Extinction Team recruiting new mutants to help them prepare for what Cyclops believes to be an inevitable revolution, coinciding events of the first ''All-New X-Men'' story arc. This volume saw Cyclops leading his team to an abandoned Weapon X facility to train new recruits and prepare for impending war against the humans, who see Cyclops as a terrorist's due to his actions in ''Avengers Vs. X-Men''. Eventually, Kitty Pryde and the time-displaced X-Men join his cause after facing a team of X-Men from a dystopian future. It lasted 36 issues, with the final issue reverting to the legacy numbering of ''Uncanny X-Men'' #600.
2015–2016: Volume 4
As part of All-New, All-Different Marvel, ''Uncanny X-Men'' was relaunched, written by Cullen Bunn with art by Greg Land. The relaunched ''Uncanny X-Men'' team features Magneto leading Psylocke, the Archangel, M, Mystique, Fantomex and Sabretooth, while a different team led by Storm will be called the Extraordinary X-Men. Cyclops's fate after Battleworld is shown to us in the ''Death of X'' miniseries (Cyclops was exposed to the Terrigen Mist and died from M-Pox).
The tagline for the relaunched series is "Bigger threats require more threatening X-Men", and is considered to be a continuation of Bunn's previous work on the ''Magneto'' solo series. The series will deal with threats that arise as a result of a new, more dangerous world post-'' Secret Wars''. Summing up the team, Bunn states "They're upholding Xavier's dream, but they have no right to do so."
2018–2019: Volume 5
Announced in August 2018, ''Uncanny X-Men'' (vol. 5) debuted November 14, 2018, with the weekly 10-part "X-Men: Disassembled" arc and follows on from the events of the ''Extermination
Extermination or exterminate may refer to:
* Pest control, elimination of insects or vermin
* Genocide, extermination—in whole or in part—of an ethnic, racial, religious, or national group
* Homicide or murder in general
* "Exterminate!", t ...
'' miniseries. This incarnation of the team features Lucas Bishop
Lucas Bishop is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, particularly titles associated with the X-Men.
He first appears as a member of Xavier's Security Enforcers (XSE), a mutant police force from a ...
, Kurt Wagner/Nightcrawler, Jean Grey, Ororo Munroe/Storm, Elizabeth "Betsy" Braddock/Psylocke, Jean-Paul Beaubier/Northstar, Robert "Bobby" Drake/the Iceman, Hank McCoy/the Beast, Laura Kinney/X-23, Lorna Dane/Polaris, Jubilation Lee/Jubilee, Katherine Anne "Kitty" Pryde/Shadowcat and Sam Guthrie/Cannonball as well as trainee X-Men Hisako Ichiki/Armor, Victor Borkowski/Anole, Megan Gwynn/Pixie, Idie Okonkwo/Oya, Robert Herman/the Glob, Santo Vaccarro/Rockslide. Following the 10th issue, the series began focusing on a new team of X-Men featuring Scott Summers/Cyclops, James "Logan" Howlett/Wolverine, Alex Summers/Havok, Jamie Madrox/the Multiple Man, Rahne Sinclair/Wolfsbane, Illyana Rasputin/Magik, Danielle Moonstar/Mirage, Xi'an Coy Minh/Karma.
After this volume, all X-Men titles were cancelled and two intertwining six-issue miniseries written by Jonathan Hickman, called "House of X
''House of X'' and ''Powers of X'' (abbreviated as ''HOX'' and ''POX'') are two 2019 comic book miniseries published by Marvel Comics featuring the X-Men, but writer Jonathan Hickman and artists Pepe Larraz, R.B. Silva and Marte Gracia. Both boo ...
" and "Powers of X
''House of X'' and ''Powers of X'' (abbreviated as ''HOX'' and ''POX'') are two 2019 comic book miniseries published by Marvel Comics featuring the X-Men, but writer Jonathan Hickman and artists Pepe Larraz, R.B. Silva and Marte Gracia. Both boo ...
", began a weekly run in July 2019 and concluded on October of the same year. Shortly after those were completed, the X-Men series relaunched, with ''X-Men'' #1, accompanied by the other related teams' regular series, such as '' Marauders'', '' X-Force'', '' Excalibur'', '' New Mutants'', ''X-Corp'', '' Wolverine'', '' X-Men: Giant Size'', and reviving 1987's ''Fallen Angels A fallen angel is an angel that has been exiled or banished from Heaven.
Fallen Angels may also refer to:
Film and television
* ''Fallen Angels'' (1948 film), a Greek film by Nikos Tsiforos
* Fallen Angels (1985 documentary film) by Gregory Dark
* ...
''; all part of the 2019 story arc "Dawn of X
"Dawn of X" is a 2019 relaunch of the ''X-Men'' line of comic books published by Marvel Comics in the wake of the twin miniseries ''House of X'' and ''Powers of X''. This initiative culminated in the crossover event '' X of Swords'', which was fo ...
", which searches to unite all mutantdom and settle down as a whole species.
''Annual''s
Like many comic book series, ''Uncanny X-Men'' had an associated double-sized ''Annual'' series, once in both 1970 and 1971, then regularly from 1979 to 2001. A second series of ''Uncanny X-Men Annual''s began in 2006 as volume 2 issue #1.
Team roster
Volume 1
Volume 2
Volume 3
Volume 4
Volume 5
Timeline
ImageSize = width:1200 height:auto barincrement:18
PlotArea = left:100 bottom:80 top:10 right:10
Alignbars = justify
DateFormat = dd/mm/yyyy
Period = from:01/01/1963 till:01/01/2005
TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal format:yyyy
Colors =
id:blue value:blue legend:Team
id:bars value:gray(0.95)
Legend = orientation:vertical position:bottom columns:1
BackgroundColors = bars:bars
ScaleMajor = unit:year increment:2 start:1963
ScaleMinor = unit:year increment:1 start:1963
BarData =
bar:Angel text:Angel
bar:arc text:Archangel
bar:ban text:Banshee
bar:Beast text:Beast
bar:dark text:Dark_Beast_(Impersonating_Beast)
bar:bis text:Bishop
bar:can text:Cannonball
bar:cec text:Cecilia_Reyes
bar:col text:Colossus
bar:Slim text:Cyclops
bar:daz text:Dazzler
bar:for text:Forge
bar:gam text:Gambit
bar:hav text:Havok
bar:Ice text:Iceman
bar:Jean text:Jean_Grey
bar:joe text:Joseph
bar:jub text:Jubilee
bar:kitty text:Kitty_Pryde
bar:long text:Longshot
bar:mar text:Marrow
bar:magg text:Maggot
bar:mag text:Magneto
bar:crawl text:Nightcrawler
bar:pho text:Phoenix
bar:Pol text:Polaris
bar:Psy text:Psylocke
bar:rach text:Rachel Summers
bar:rouge text:Rogue
bar:storm text:Storm
bar:sun text:Sunfire
bar:bird text:Thunderbird
bar:wolv text:Wolverine
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width:10 textcolor:black align:left anchor:from shift:(10,-4)
bar:Angel from:01/09/1963 till:01/03/1970 color:blue
bar:Beast from:01/09/1963 till:01/03/1970 color:blue
bar:Slim from:01/09/1963 till:01/03/1970 color:blue
bar:Ice from:01/09/1963 till:01/03/1970 color:blue
bar:Jean from:01/09/1963 till:01/03/1970 color:blue
bar:Hav from:01/02/1970 till:01/03/1970 color:blue
bar:ban from:01/08/1975 till:01/12/1979 color:blue
bar:col from:01/08/1975 till:01/01/1987 color:blue
bar:Slim from:01/08/1975 till:01/10/1980 color:blue
bar:crawl from:01/08/1975 till:01/01/1987 color:blue
bar:storm from:01/08/1975 till:01/04/1985 color:blue
bar:sun from:01/08/1975 till:01/10/1975 color:blue
bar:bird from:01/08/1975 till:01/10/1975 color:blue
bar:wolv from:01/08/1975 till:01/10/1989 color:blue
bar:Jean from:01/12/1975 till:01/08/1976 color:blue
bar:Pho from:01/10/1976 till:01/10/1980 color:blue
bar:Angel from:01/11/1980 till:01/08/1981 color:blue
bar:kitty from:01/11/1980 till:01/07/1984 color:blue
bar:Slim from:01/10/1981 till:01/04/1983 color:blue
bar:rouge from:01/07/1983 till:01/10/1989 color:blue
bar:rach from:01/08/1984 till:01/01/1987 color:blue
bar:kitty from:01/05/1985 till:01/01/1987 color:blue
bar:Slim from:01/11/1985 till:01/01/1986 color:blue
bar:mag from:01/01/1986 till:01/12/1987 color:blue
bar:storm from:01/01/1986 till:01/10/1989 color:blue
bar:daz from:01/02/1987 till:01/10/1989 color:blue
bar:hav from:01/02/1987 till:01/10/1989 color:blue
bar:long from:01/02/1987 till:01/10/1989 color:blue
bar:psy from:01/02/1987 till:01/10/1989 color:blue
bar:col from:01/01/1988 till:01/10/1989 color:blue
bar:ban from:01/02/1991 till:01/09/1991 color:blue
bar:for from:01/02/1991 till:01/09/1991 color:blue
bar:gam from:01/02/1991 till:01/09/1991 color:blue
bar:jub from:01/02/1991 till:01/09/1991 color:blue
bar:psy from:01/02/1991 till:01/09/1991 color:blue
bar:storm from:01/02/1991 till:01/08/1994 color:blue
bar:arc from:01/10/1991 till:01/08/1994 color:blue
bar:bis from:01/10/1991 till:01/08/1994 color:blue
bar:col from:01/10/1991 till:01/09/1993 color:blue
bar:ice from:01/10/1991 till:01/08/1994 color:blue
bar:jean from:01/10/1991 till:01/08/1994 color:blue
bar:arc from:01/11/1994 till:01/02/1995 color:blue
bar:beast from:01/11/1994 till:01/02/1995 color:blue
bar:bis from:01/11/1994 till:01/02/1995 color:blue
bar:slim from:01/11/1994 till:01/02/1995 color:blue
bar:gam from:01/11/1994 till:01/02/1995 color:blue
bar:ice from:01/11/1994 till:01/02/1995 color:blue
bar:jean from:01/11/1994 till:01/02/1995 color:blue
bar:psy from:01/11/1994 till:01/02/1995 color:blue
bar:rouge from:01/11/1994 till:01/02/1995 color:blue
bar:storm from:01/11/1994 till:01/02/1995 color:blue
bar:arc from:01/07/1995 till:01/03/1997 color:blue
bar:beast from:01/07/1995 till:01/03/1996 color:blue
bar:bis from:01/07/1995 till:01/10/1998 color:blue
bar:can from:01/07/1995 till:01/03/1997 color:blue
bar:slim from:01/07/1995 till:01/03/1997 color:blue
bar:gam from:01/07/1995 till:01/11/1997 color:blue
bar:jean from:01/07/1995 till:01/03/1997 color:blue
bar:ice from:01/07/1995 till:01/09/1996 color:blue
bar:psy from:01/07/1995 till:01/03/1997 color:blue
bar:storm from:01/07/1995 till:01/03/1997 color:blue
bar:wolv from:01/07/1995 till:01/03/1997 color:blue
bar:dark from:01/04/1996 till:01/09/1996 color:blue
bar:beast from:01/10/1996 till:01/10/1998 color:blue
bar:joe from:01/10/1996 till:01/10/1998 color:blue
bar:rouge from:01/10/1996 till:01/09/1999 color:blue
bar:can from:01/10/1997 till:01/10/1998 color:blue
bar:cec from:01/10/1997 till:01/10/1998 color:blue
bar:slim from:01/10/1997 till:01/10/1998 color:blue
bar:ice from:01/10/1997 till:01/10/1998 color:blue
bar:jean from:01/10/1997 till:01/10/1998 color:blue
bar:magg from:01/10/1997 till:01/10/1998 color:blue
bar:mar from:01/10/1997 till:01/09/1999 color:blue
bar:storm from:01/10/1997 till:01/09/1999 color:blue
bar:wolv from:01/10/1997 till:01/09/1999 color:blue
bar:col from:01/11/1998 till:01/09/1999 color:blue
bar:gam from:01/11/1998 till:01/09/1999 color:blue
bar:kitty from:01/11/1998 till:01/09/1999 color:blue
bar:crawl from:01/11/1998 till:01/09/1999 color:blue
;Notes:
This is an article about the comic book, and thus the publication history, not the in-continuity history. As such, the above reflects the team roster for the book at time of publication. Similarly, this article only reflects the team roster for the X-Men team whose home is this publication.
Professor X is the Headmaster of Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters and mentor to the X-Men, but he is rarely (if ever) a member of the X-Men team. In his role as mentor, he has typically been present in the book, but he has notable absences, including issues #43–64 (dead, later retconned as preparing for the Z'Nox), #200–273 (with Lilandra Neramani in Shi'ar space; replaced as Headmaster by Magneto during most of this absence), #340–351 (in government custody after the Onslaught crisis), #379–386 (educating Cadre K
The Skrulls are a fictional race of extraterrestrial shapeshifters appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The Skrulls first appeared in ''Fantastic Four (comic book), Fantastic Four'' #2 and were created by Stan Lee and Jac ...
in space), and #495–513 (rebuilding his mind in ''X-Men: Legacy'').
Jean Grey was replaced by the Phoenix Force from issues #101-137. This was a retcon that was only revealed years later.
At many times, the team roster has been the same as that appearing in ''X-Men'' (vol. 2) and during two periods, the two books have even been treated by their writer as a single bi-weekly title (issues #289–350 by Scott Lobdell and issues #366–380 by Alan Davis).
During issues #370–372, Wolverine was replaced by a Skrull infiltrator, leading to "The Shattering"/"The Twelve" storylines, and the ''Astonishing X-Men'' (vol. 2) limited series.
After moving to San Francisco, many other mutants continually appear as background characters or allies, but apart from during crossovers they are rarely considered part of the team roster.
After the series was relaunched as ''Uncanny X-Men'' #1, it featured Cyclops's "Extinction Team", composed of himself, Emma Frost, Namor, Magneto, Storm, Hope Summers, Colossus, Danger and Magik; Psylocke was briefly a member of this team while Emma was injured.
Contributors
Authors
Pencilers
Title
Until 2011, ''Uncanny X-Men'' remained Marvel Comics' only Silver Age title to retain its consecutive issue numbering since its conception, even during the early 1970s reprint hiatus. '' The Amazing Spider-Man'', ''The Avengers
Avenger, Avengers, The Avenger, or The Avengers may refer to:
Arts and entertainment In the Marvel Comics universe
* Avengers (comics), a team of superheroes
** Avengers (Marvel Cinematic Universe), a central team of protagonist superheroes o ...
'', '' The Fantastic Four'' and other legacy titles have all, at one time or another, restarted their numbering at #1, though all later returned to their original numbering. The final issue to be published under the original numbering was #544, published in October 2011 with a December 2011 cover date
The cover date of a periodical publication is the date displayed on the cover, which is not necessarily the true date of publication (the on-sale date or release date); later cover dates are common in magazine and comic book publishing. More unusu ...
, which was followed by a new #1 the following month. In 2015, Marvel released ''Uncanny X-Men'' #600, following Vol. 3 #35, as a conclusion to the Brian Michael Bendis' run on both ''All New X-Men
''All-New X-Men'' was a comic book series published by Marvel Comics that debuted in November 2012, with the launch of Marvel NOW! The series centers on the five original X-Men, brought from the past to the present to confront their future counter ...
'' and Vol. 3.
From issue #1-93 the indicia title was ''The X-Men''. After the relaunch with issue #94, and up to #138, the article ''The'' was dropped from the indicia title, making it ''X-Men'', but the article was added back in issues #139-141.
The title ''The Uncanny X-Men'' was first used in the issue #95 title block following the "Stan Lee Presents:" tagline, though the title did not appear on the covers or indicia titles yet. Covers begin displaying this title in #114. Beginning with issue #142''The Uncanny X-Men''
at the Grand Comics Database and up to #407, the indicia title was finally changed to ''The Uncanny X-Men''. Issue #408 was the first to use the indicia title ''Uncanny X-Men''.
A separate series, titled simply ''
X-Men'', launched with an October 1991
cover date
The cover date of a periodical publication is the date displayed on the cover, which is not necessarily the true date of publication (the on-sale date or release date); later cover dates are common in magazine and comic book publishing. More unusu ...
.
Collected editions
Trade paperbacks
''Marvel Masterworks''
''Essential''s
Panini Pocket Books
''Epic Collection''s
''X-Men Milestones''
Other trade paperbacks
=Volume 1
=
=Volume 2
=
=Volume 3
=
=Volume 4
=
=Volume 5
=
Hardcovers
''Marvel Masterworks''
Oversized hardcovers (OHCs)
Omnibus editions
In other media
*The title card of ''The Super Hero Squad Show'' episode "Hexed, Vexed and Perplexed!" is an homage to X-Men #1.
References
External links
''Uncanny X-Men''at Marvel.com
*
''Uncanny X-Men''at the Marvel Database
at the Unofficial Handbook of Marvel Comics Creators
{{Brian Michael Bendis
1963 comics debuts
American comics characters
Comics by Brian Michael Bendis
Comics by Chris Claremont
Comics by Ed Brubaker
Comics by Jack Kirby
Comics by Jim Lee
Comics by John Byrne (comics)
Comics by Len Wein
Comics by Matt Fraction
Comics by Stan Lee
Comics characters introduced in 1963
Superhero comics
X-Men titles
Comics by Roy Thomas
Comics by Arnold Drake