X-MEN (VOL. 2)

'''X-Men''' is a Marvel Comics series featuring the homonymous group of mutant superheroes. The title began its publication in October 1991 as ''X-Men''. From 2001 until 2004 it was published as ''New X-Men''. It has since reverted (as of issue #157) to its original title. It is usually referred to as "''X-Men'' Volume 2" because the first series, currently ''Uncanny X-Men,'' was titled ''The X-Men'' prior to 1981.^[1]
''X-Men'' is the second monthly series to portray the adventures of the mutant team. Colloquially, it is sometimes known as "Adjectiveless X-Men"^[2], in comparison to ''Uncanny X-Men'', ''Astonishing X-Men'' and other X-Men series that have modifiers.
When the book launched in 1991, it focused on a squad led by Cyclops. Over the next several years, the two-squad format faded, and the book's stories took place around those in ''Uncanny''. The team divided again into two, then three squads in 2000, and has remained so since.
The book currently focuses on a squad led by Rogue, which is currently operating away from the Xavier Institute.

Contents

History

X-Men

New X-Men

X-Men again

Relationship with other X-Men titles

Cast

Contributors

Collections

Trade paperbacks

Hardcover collections

References

External links

History

X-Men

In 1991, a second ''X-Men'' series made its premiere. With the help of the speculator's market of the time and Jim Lee's popularity, ''X-Men'' #1, selling over eight million copies, became the best-selling comic book of all time, and still holds the record today ^[3]. Its first issues were written by long-time X-Men writer Chris Claremont, who left after a few issues due to creative differences with editor Bob Harras ^[4].

New X-Men

''X-Men'' ran for 10 years, with various creative teams. In July 2001 during a revamp of the X-Men franchise, its title changed to ''New X-Men'' featuring an ambigram logo. Along with these modifications, a new writer, Grant Morrison, was assigned to the title. These changes by the newly appointed Marvel Comics editor-in-chief, Joe Quesada, reflected his idea for flagship titles like ''X-Men'' to regain some of their former glory, as well as regaining critical acclaim.^[5]
Morrison added fresh and original concepts during his time writing ''New X-Men''. His tenure on the title dealt with Cyclops, Wolverine, Jean Grey, Beast, Emma Frost and Xorn. While the second squad of X-Men in ''Uncanny'' continued on as (now undercover) super heroes, Grant Morrison redirected these X-Men’s mission to that of teachers, and introduced off-beat humor as well as several high-minded, science fiction concepts into the series. Additionally, ''New X-Men'' artist Frank Quitely redesigned the look of team, giving them sleek, leather / polyester outfits instead of their traditional superhero uniforms for a more contemporary look and feel.^[5]
Some more of the long-lasting changes that occurred during Morrison's run were the secondary mutation of Beast to resemble a feline rather than his former ape-like appearance, and the reintroduction of Emma Frost as a member of the team. The school expanded from simply an X-Men training center to a legitimate school with dozens of mutant students, a story idea that was done first in the X-Men film. One of the more controversial events of ''New X-Men'' happened in issue #115 when the island of Genosha and its inhabitants, including Magneto, were completely destroyed. This set the tone that dominated the rest of Morrison's tenure on the book.^[5]
Morrison's ''New X-Men'' was met initially with mixed reviews. Long-time, continuity-concerned fans regarded Morrison's initial issues as hype to pick up sagging sales. Newer readers, saw Morrison as a breath of fresh air in the world of the X-Books. Sales increased and the title gained critical acclaim. Morrison's run proved to be the successful, critically-acclaimed flagship title that Quesada had desired.^[5]

X-Men again

In June 2004, Chuck Austen, previously the writer of ''Uncanny X-Men'', moved to ''X-Men'' with issue #155. The title of the series reverted to its original title of ''X-Men'' in July 2004 with issue #157 during the X-Men Reload event. The series has since continued under the ''X-Men'' banner.^[9]

Relationship with other X-Men titles

Since the introduction of ''X-Men'', the plotlines of this series and other X-Books have been interwoven to varying degrees. For most of its run, ''X-Men'' has featured a completely different battalion of X-Men than other titles featuring the X-Men. While it was not uncommon for characters of one book to appear in the other, any major stories concerning characters were dealt with in their own team book.
''X-Men'' and ''Uncanny X-Men'' have shared two periods of time where they were more-or-less treated as a single, fortnightly series. In both of these cases they shared an author: 1995 to 1996 by Scott Lobdell and 1998 to 2000 by Alan Davis. During these times, the plotlines from ''X-Men'' and ''Uncanny X-Men'' led directly into each other.
In July of 2004, the cast of ''New X-Men'' was moved to the newly relaunched ''Astonishing X-Men'', and most of the cast of the ''Uncanny X-Men'' was transferred to the now ''X-Men'' title. With three main X-Men series running concurrently, members from each book continue to appear in the other titles.

Cast

Issues	Line-up
#1-3	Wolverine, Cyclops, Jean Grey, Beast, Storm, Rogue, Psylocke, Gambit, Iceman, Archangel, Forge, Colossus, Banshee, Professor X
#4-45	Cyclops, Beast, Wolverine, Rogue, Gambit, Psylocke, Professor X, Jubilee (Blue Team)
#46-61	Cyclops, Wolverine, Jean Grey, Gambit, Rogue, Bishop, Storm, Iceman, Beast, Angel, Professor X
#62-69	Cyclops, Jean Grey, Wolverine, Storm, Cannonball, Iceman, Cecilia Reyes, Marrow, Professor X
#70-79	Beast, Storm, Wolverine, Rogue, Cannonball, Marrow, Cecilia Reyes, Maggott, Professor X
#80-99	Storm, Wolverine, Rogue, Nightcrawler, Shadowcat, Colossus, Marrow, Gambit, Professor X
#100-113	Rogue, Psylocke, Nightcrawler, Colossus, Wolverine, Shadowcat, Thunderbird, Archangel, Cecilia Reyes, Professor X
#114-150	Cyclops, Wolverine, Beast, Jean Grey, Emma Frost, Professor X, Xorn
#151-154	Tom Skylark, Rover, Wolverine, Cassandra Nova, E.V.A., Beak, Three-In-One, Phoenix, Cyclops, Emma Frost
#155-156	Cyclops, Wolverine, Beast, Emma Frost, Professor X, Xorn
#157-165	Rogue, Iceman, Gambit, Havok, Polaris, Juggernaut, Xorn II, Wolverine
#166-187	Rogue, Iceman, Gambit, Havok, Polaris, Wolverine, Emma Frost
#188-191	Rogue, Iceman, Cannonball, Cable, Sabretooth, Mystique
#192-200	Rogue, Iceman, Cannonball, Cable, Sabretooth, Mystique, Omega Sentinel, Lady Mastermind
#201-Present	Rogue, Iceman, Cannonball

'Current supporting cast:' The additional two squads of X-Men, primarily Cyclops, Emma Frost, Beast, and the students of ''New X-Men'' continue to be the supporting cast.

Contributors

'Regular writers' ★ Chris Claremont, 1991 ★ Plots from Jim Lee and scripts by John Byrne or Scott Lobdell, 1991-1992 ★ Fabian Nicieza, 1992-1995 ★ Scott Lobdell, 1995-1996 ★ Mark Waid, 1996 ★ Scott Lobdell, 1996-1997 ★ Joe Kelly, 1997-1998 ★ Alan Davis, 1999-2000 ★ Chris Claremont, 2000 ★ Scott Lobdell, 2001 ★ Grant Morrison, 2001-2004 ★ Chuck Austen, 2004 ★ Peter Milligan, 2005-2006 ★ Mike Carey, 2006-present

'Regular artists' ★ Jim Lee, 1991-1992 ★ Andy Kubert, 1992-1996 ★ Carlos Pacheco, 1997-1998 ★ Adam Kubert, 1998-1999 ★ Alan Davis, 1999-2000 ★ Leinil Francis Yu, 2000-2001 ★ Frank Quitely, 2001-2003 ★ ★ Other artists, including Igor Kordey and Ethan Van Sciver, often illustrated issues because the series was published bi-weekly ★ No regular artist, 2003-2004, several illustrators, notably Phil Jimenez and Marc Silvestri, completed brief stints on the book due to bi-weekly publication ★ Salvador Larroca, 2004-2006 ★ Chris Bachalo, 2006-Present ★ Humberto Ramos, 2006-Present

Collections

Trade paperbacks

X-Men: Supernovas

Title	Material collected	Publication date	ISBN
X-Men Legends Vol. 1: Mutant Genesis	''X-Men'' #1-7	April 2002	ISBN 0-7851-0895-5
X-Men/Ghost Rider: Brood Trouble in the Big Easy	''X-Men'' #8-9, ''Ghost Rider'' Vol. 3 #26-27	December 1993	ISBN 0-87135-974-X
X-Men: X-Cutioner's Song	''Uncanny X-Men'' #294-296, ''X-Men'' #14-16, ''X-Factor'' #84-86, ''X-Force'' #16-18	May 1994	ISBN 0-7851-0025-3
X-Men: Fatal Attractions	''X-Men'' #25, ''X-Factor'' #92, ''X-Force'' #25, ''Uncanny X-Men'' #304, ''Wolverine'' #75, and ''Excalibur'' #71	October 1994	ISBN 0-7851-0065-2
Avengers/X-Men: Bloodties	''Uncanny X-Men'' #305, ''X-Men'' #26, ''Avengers'' #368-369, ''West Coast Avengers'' #101	April 1995	ISBN 0-7851-0103-9
Origin of Generation X: Tales of the Phalanx Covenant	''Uncanny X-Men'' #316-317, ''X-Men'' #36-37, ''X-Factor'' #106, ''X-Force'' #38,''Excalibur'' Vol.1 #82, ''Wolverine'' Vol. 2 #85, ''Cable'' #16, ''Generation X'' #1	June 2001	ISBN 0-7851-0216-7
X-Men: Legion Quest	''X-Men'' #40-41, ''X-Factor'' #109, and ''Uncanny X-Men'' #320-321	March 1996	ISBN 0-7851-0179-9
X-Men: Zero Tolerance	''Wolverine'' Vol. 2 #115-118, ''Generation X'' #27, ''Cable'' #45-47, ''X-Force'' #67-69, ''X-Men'' #65-70	March 2001	ISBN 0-7851-0738-X
Magneto: Rogue Nation	''Magneto'' Rex #1-3, ''X-Men'': The Magneto War #1, ''Uncanny X-Men'' #366-367, ''X-Men'' #85-87	March 2002	ISBN 0-7851-0834-3
Astonishing X-Men: Deathwish	''X-Men'' #92 and #95, ''Astonishing X-Men'' Vol. 2 #1-3, ''Uncanny X-Men'' #375	October 2000	ISBN 0-7851-0754-1
X-Men: Dream's End	''X-Men'' #108-110, ''Uncanny X-Men'' #388-390, ''Cable'' #87, and ''Bishop'' #16	February 2005	ISBN 0-7851-1551-X
X-Men: Eve of Destruction	''X-Men'' #111-113 and ''Uncanny X-Men'' #391-393	December 2004	ISBN 0-7851-1552-8
New X-Men Vol. 1: E Is For Extinction	''New X-Men'' #114-117	December 2001	ISBN 0-7851-0811-4
New X-Men Vol. 2: Imperial	''New X-men'' #118-126	July 2002	ISBN 0-7851-0887-4
New X-Men Vol. 3: New Worlds	''New X-Men'' #127-133	December 2002	ISBN 0-7851-0976-5
New X-Men Vol. 4: Riot At Xavier's	''New X-Men'' #134-138	July 2003	ISBN 0-7851-1067-4
New X-Men Vol. 5: Assault on Weapon Plus	''New X-Men'' #139-145	December 2003	ISBN 0-7851-1119-0
New X-Men Vol. 6: Planet X	''New X-Men'' #146-150	April 2004	ISBN 0-7851-1201-4
New X-Men Vol. 7: Here Comes Tomorrow	''New X-Men'' #151-154	July 2004	ISBN 0-7851-1345-2
Uncanny X-Men Volume 6: Bright New Mourning	''New X-Men'' #155-156 and ''Uncanny X-Men'' #435-436 and #442-443	August 2004	ISBN 0-7851-1406-8
X-Men: Day of the Atom	''X-Men'' #157-165	March 2005	ISBN 0-7851-1534-X
X-Men: Golgotha	''X-Men'' #166-170	July 2005	ISBN 0-7851-1650-8
X-Men: Bizarre Love Triangle	''X-Men'' #171-174	October 2005	ISBN 0-7851-1665-6
X-Men/Black Panther: Wild Kingdom	''X-Men'' #175-176 and ''Black Panther'' #8-9	February 2006	ISBN 0-7851-1789-X
Decimation: X-Men - The Day After	''X-Men'' #177-181 and ''House of M: Decimation - The Day After''	May 2006	ISBN 0-7851-1984-1
X-Men: Blood of Apocalypse	''X-Men'' #182-186 and ''Cable/Deadpool'' #26-27	August 2006	ISBN 0-7851-1985-X

Hardcover collections

Title	Material collected	Publication date	ISBN
New X-Men Vol. 1	''New X-Men'' #114-126 and ''New X-Men'' Annual 2001	November 2002	ISBN 0-7851-0964-1
New X-Men Vol. 2	''New X-Men'' #127-141	November 2003	ISBN 0-7851-1118-2
New X-Men Vol. 3	''New X-Men'' #142-154	September 2004	ISBN 0-7851-1200-6
New X-Men Omnibus	''New X-Men'' #114-154 and ''New X-Men'' Annual 2001	December 2006	ISBN 0-7851-2326-1
X-Men: Supernovas	''X-Men'' #188-199 and ''X-Men'' Annual 2007	August 2007	ISBN 0-7851-2514-0

References

1. The first issue of X-Men (vol. 1) to be named Uncanny X-Men
2. Usage of the term Adjectiveless X-Men
3. The record for top-selling comic book
4. Creative differences
5. New X-Men
6. New X-Men
7. New X-Men
8. New X-Men
9. X-Men retitling


★ Change of title to Uncanny X-Men

★ Use of "Adjectiveless" used on Newsarama

★ Comic Book Resources

★ Claremont discussion from New York Metro

★ Chuck Austen on ''X-Men'' title change

★ ''New X-Men'' discussed by The Comics Journal #262

★ X-Men at faqs.org

External links

★ X-Men comics on Marvel.com

★ Uncannyxmen.net