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The X-Men franchise has had a few animated series, and is on their way to a sixth live action movie. But how would you put together a ten season live action show with continuity and including the best stories from the various X-books over the years? Season three absolutely destroyed The Marvel Universe (don’t worry Rob Liefeld and Jim Lee came back to put it back together between seasons). Now we step away from Mr. Sinister (about time!) and the consequences of Professor X vs. Magneto, and deal with Apocalypse, who was pretty annoyed that I didn’t include the serial where they renamed the entire X-Men universe after him. Suck it up, Blue Boy, here’s your season. You have to share it with Magneto. Deal with it.  Colossus & Cecelia Reyes art by Salvador Larocca Season Four: Legacy (Showrunner: Alan Davis) Serial 1: Magneto: Rogue Nation
(written by Alan Davis and Fabian Nicieza, art by Lee Weeks and Brandon Peterson) Since Professor X was wheeled out at the end of Onslaught, why not start this season with Magneto.. Look, everyone, especially the government has reasons to be afraid that Magneto is back, so….they give him Genosha.. But if this is Magneto, who’s that guy that looks like young Magneto and has all his powers? Also, it’s called Rogue Nation partly because everyone’s favorite sugah gets all cuddly with Mr. Purple Helmet (that’s not a good nickname). Rogue Nation. 3 episodes Serial 2: The Shattering, The Twelve, Ages Of Apocalypse (written by Alan Davis, Jay Faerber, Rob Jensen, Terry Kavanagh, Howard Mackie, Chris Claremont, Joe Pruett, Fabian Nicieza, Mike Raicht , and Karl Bollers, art by Adam Kubert, Brandon Peterson, Tom Raney, Erik Larsen, Rob Liefeld, Roger Cruz, and Bernard Chang) Since we missed out on The Age Of Apocalypse last season, let’s get to know Apocalypse through some good old fashioned team destroying as Death comes to the X-Men. In The Shattering we learn a lot of horrible things about every member of the team but only one of them is real. Only one of them IS DEATH (dun dun dunnnnnnn). Then Apocalypse sets out to kidnap a dozen X-Men for his evil scheme in X-Men Vs. Apocalypse: The Twelve. And the X-Men fight back in X-Men Vs. Apocalypse: Ages Of Apocalypse. The Twelve. 6 episodes Serial 3: Powerless (written by Alan Davis, Terry Kavanagh, Joseph Harris, Erik Larsen, and Joe Pruett, art by Tom Raney, Brett Booth, Steven Harris, Graham Nolan, and Juan Santacruz) The team has virtually no time to recuperate from their Apocalypse problems when they all find themselves Powerless. How will the mutants survive without any of their powers? Powerless. 2 episodes Serial 4: Counter X Volume 1, Volume 2 (written by Warren Ellis, art by Ian Edgington, Whilce Portacio, Ian Medina, Ariel Olivetti , and Enrique Breccia) Annnnnnnnnnnd then a not so brief detour into the X teams as written by Warren Ellis. In Counter X Volume 1, Ellis takes X-Force’s mercenary ways to the 2000 era limit as Pete Wisdom leads the team into battle in a much darker color palette than the 90s ever had. In Counter X Volume 2 he takes Generation X from school kids to teenagers rescuing mutants in serious danger. And he kills one of them. You know, for reals. Extreme X-Men. 3 episodes Serial 5: Dream’s End (written by Scott Lobdell, Joe Pruett, and Robert Weinberg , art by Salvador Larroca, Leinil Francis Yu, Tom Derenick, and Michael Ryan) Finally, the end to The Legacy Virus problem that’s been going on since season three. Spoiler alert: Someone dies. Totally permanently forever, I’m sure. Dream’s End. 3 episodes Serial 6: Eve Of Destruction (written by Scott Lobdell, with art by Salvador Larroca, Tom Raney, and Leinil Francis Yu) Then we cap off the season as some old faces return in the form of a new X-Men team that must rescue Professor X from Genosha (you know, the place that Magneto rules). Also, old X-Men faces return to rescue Professor X who aren’t currently official X-Men because that’s the kind of loyalty old Chuck inspires. Eve Of Destruction. 3 episodes Season 4 is 20 episodes. Interseason Special: X-Force Famous, Mutant & Mortal (written by Peter Milligan, art by Mike Allred and Darwyn Cooke) One of the great cliches of comics, and especially the X-Men, is when a team is touted as “all new” or “all different”. Apart from the Uncanny team being debuted in the 70s, the X-Men team may change rosters and add one or two new characters but, for the most part, they’re same old same old. This is not true for X-Force: Famous, Mutant & Mortal as Peter Milligan introduces all new characters and kills them seemingly indiscriminantly. It’s a really cool commentary on the reality television spectacle at the turn of the millennium starring a bunch of mutants who gain instant fame because they’re on TV. The art by Mike Allred and Darwyn Cooke was unlike any previous art on X-books. For about a decade, it was questionable whether this was even considered part of continuity but some of the survivors have popped back up in recent years. If you really like it, you can follow it up with X-Statix but it’s not quite as fun as this first run.
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The X-Men franchise has had a few animated series, and is on their way to a sixth live action movie. But how would you put together a ten season live action show with continuity and including the best stories from the various X-books over the years? Season two focused on Mr. Sinister and The Marauders and the dissolution of the team that came together in the first season. Well season three returns us to Xavier’s school, introduces us to The Legacy Virus, and gives us a new big bad who is so bad, he gets the whole season named after him.  Onslaught and Dr Doom art by Skottie Young Season Three: Onslaught (showrunners: Scott Lobdell and Fabian Nicieza) Serial 1 & 2: X-Men Mutant Genesis.
(written by Chris Claremont, Scott Lobdell, and Jim Lee, art by Jim Lee) See how the new teams come together, learn uncomfortable truths about the X-Men’s relationship with Magneto. See Rogue and Gambit mercilessly flirt. Delve into Wolverine’s backstory as Omega Red shows up. Oh yea, and Jubilee’s around. Must be the 90s. Avalon. 2 episodes Omega Red. 2 episodes Serial 3: X-Cutioner’s Song (written by Scot Lobdell, Fabian Nicieza, and Peter David, art by Brandon Peterson, Andy Kubert, Jae Lee, and Greg Capullo) Who tried to kill Professor X? Who is Cable? How many 90s characters happen to have that shining eye thing that Longshot and Cable and Ahab and Stryfe and everybody seem to have? While all of the mutants try and solve the mystery (ok, they don’t care about investigating the eye thing but I want answers, damn it), we learn a whole mess of more confusing things about Jean Grey and Cyclops. They must be important or something. X-Cutioner’s Song. 3 episodes Serial 4: X-Men: A Skinning Of Souls (written by Scott Lobdell, Fabian Nicieza, and Dan Slott, art by Andy Kubert, Brandon Peterson, Richard Bennet, and more) Picking up right after X-Cutioner’s song, we meet a new villain let loose in Russia who will take on the X-Men AND Omega Red. More Jean Grey Cyclops drama. Rogue and Gambit continue to make kissy-face. Mr. Sinister just won’t go away. And then you get two Psylockes for the price of one! Why are there…is this a clone thing….are they…I mean…huh. Skinning Of Souls. 3 episodes Episode 11: Avengers & X-Men: Bloodties (written by Bob Harras, Fabian Nicieza, Roy Thomas, and Scott Lobdell, art by Steve Epting, Andy Kubert, Matt Ryan, Dave Ross, and John Romita Jr) The X-Men, The Avengers, and The West Coast Avengers team-up as The Acolytes who once served Magneto (who is totally dead, of course) wreak havoc on all the superheroes. The two most prominent Acolytes, Fabien Cortez and Exodus battle for control of the team, each believing they are truly following in Mag’s footprints. A lot of this takes place on good old mutant hating island nation, Genosha. Bloodties. 1 episode Serial 5: The Wedding Of Cyclops And Phoenix (written by Fabian Nicieza, Scott Lobdell, Glen Herdling, and Kurt Busiek, art by Richard Bennett, Andy Kubert, Ian Chuchill, Mike McKone, John Romita Jr, Tim Sale, and Ron Randall) Because somebody in the 90s demanded it The Wedding Of Cyclops And Phoenix not only delivers on the promise of the title but also delves into The Legacy Virus, dealing with the multiple Psylocke issue and gives us a whole mess of Sabretooth. And for the love all that’s Summers, GO AWAY MR. SINISTER, YOU ARE NOT SCARY. It’s a big collection but I’m only giving The Wedding. 3 episodes Serial 6: The Road To Onslaught, Prelude To Onslaught, and The Complete Onslaught Epic Volumes 1-4 (many writers and artists) Now we get to our first big skip. You don’t need to read Age Of Apocalypse. It has a fun set-up where Legion goes back in time to kill Magneto but accidentally takes out Professor X instead, but the ensuing storyline is utter madness. It’s a whole different world that, by the end of the series ceases to exist. So don’t invest! Instead, it’s time for The Road To Onslaught featuring Bishop, The X-Babies, a dude who looks but does not act an awful lot like Magneto, and Psylocke trying to cure Sabretooth of his rage (it doesn’t go well). Plus a bunch of planted seeds about the coming of Onslaught. Prelude To Onslaught is the perfect primer. It starts with pivotal snippets of storylines (some which are already represented in the previous seasons, some which aren’t, including a glimpse of the aforementioned missing Age Of Apocalypse) and then throws you right into The Complete Onslaught Epic. See the ultimate consequence of Professor X shutting down Magneto’s mind at the beginning of the season. Guest starring pretty much every Marvel superhero who existed in the 90s. And not leaving very many of them alive at the end. Onslaught. 6 episodes Season 3 has 20 episodes. Interseason Special: Zero Tolerance. (written by Scott Lobdell, John Francis Moore, Larry Hama, and James Robinson, art by Chris Bachalo, Carlos Pacheco, Leinil Francis Yu, and Adam Pollina) After the cataclysmic events of Onslaught (what other kind of events are there when the X-Men are involved?) the government declares open season on mutants (again). Lots of Wolverine, Cable, Cecelia Reyes, Generation X, and even some Deadpool. Plus, sad kids. |
May 2020
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