Astonishing X-Men
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Astonishing X-Men is the name of three X-Men books, the first two were limited series and the third an ongoing series.
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[edit] Volume one (1995)
The original Astonishing X-Men was a four-issue series that replaced Uncanny X-Men during the 1995 alternate universe storyline Age of Apocalypse, in which all X-Titles were given new names and issue numbers. In this storyline, Professor X is murdered 20 years in the past by his own son, Legion. Magneto, witnessing his friend's death, commits himself to Xavier's dream and creates his own team of X-Men. However, he can not stop the rise of the despotic Apocalypse.
Astonishing X-Men, written by Scott Lobdell and illustrated by Joe Madureira, featured a team of X-Men led by Rogue and consisting of Sunfire, Blink, Morph, Sabretooth and Wildchild. This particular team travels to Chicago to stop the mass murder of ordinary humans carried out by Apocalypse's "son" and first horseman, Holocaust.
[edit] Volume two (1999)
The second limited series to bear the title Astonishing X-Men was published in 1999 and occurred after The Shattering storyline. In this series, most of the regular X-Men leave the team over a conflict with Professor X. The three-issue series, written by Howard Mackie and illustrated by Brandon Peterson, featured an interim team consisting of Wolverine, Phoenix, Cyclops, Archangel, Cable and Nate Grey.
This team protects the Mannites (a group of super powered, genetically engineered children) from Death, a horseman of Apocalypse. Wolverine is apparently murdered by Death in the final pages of the series. However, it was later revealed that "Death" was actually a mind controlled Wolverine, and that the "Wolverine" who was killed was an imposter, a shapeshifting Skrull.
[edit] Volume three (2004-present)
In 2004, Marvel used the title Astonishing X-Men for the ongoing X-Men series written by Joss Whedon (best known as the creator of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Firefly and co-creator of Angel) and illustrated by John Cassaday. It is a continuation of the New X-Men title and features a similar line-up of characters, including Cyclops and Emma Frost (as co-team leaders), Beast, Shadowcat, Colossus, Lockheed and Wolverine. This team has become the usual focus for most X-Men limited series too. Whedon/Cassaday's Astonishing X-Men has introduced a number of original characters into the Marvel Universe. These include: Abigail Brand, Hisako Ichiki, Ord of the Breakworld and Blindfold.
Whedon's initial contract with Marvel Comics was for twelve issues (one year) but has since been renegotiated for an additional twelve. Cassaday is expected to remain with the title during Whedon's run. However, Whedon's first "year" (the twelve issues for which he was originally contracted) ended 4 months late, in September 2005. After a break of several months, the title resumed in February 2006 with new story arc: "Torn". Beginning with issue 13, the comic temporarily went from monthly to every other month for the next four issues to allow more time for Whedon and Cassaday to finish each issue and to avoid further late releases. The book resumed a monthly schedule in September 2006 with issues 16 and 17, but was delayed once again with issue 18, which was released on November 15, 2006.
Whedon, Cassaday, and the title have been nominated for several Eisner Awards. The series won best continuing series in 2006 and John Cassaday won "Best Artist/Penciller/Inker or Penciller/Inker Team" in 2005 (tie with Frank Quitely) and 2006.
[edit] "Gifted"
Issues #1–#6 - The first story arc focuses on the gathering of this particular team of mutants. While trying to save a group of hostages, the X-Men come up against the alien Ord. At the same time, a press conference is held to announce the discovery of a "cure" for mutants. While investigating both of these incidents, the X-Men reunite with Colossus, who had been resurrected by Ord's alien technology to help find the cure. With Colossus' help, the team takes down Ord, but not before it is revealed that a mutant (probably an X-Man) will destroy his home planet—the Breakworld—within the next three years. As a bit of nostalgic trivia, in one of the comic panels where the mutants are storming the cure complex, a mutant resembling Rorschach from the DC comic Watchmen can be clearly identified.
The film X-Men: The Last Stand bears influence from the first arc of Astonishing X-Men Volume three: "Gifted." In some ways, "Gifted" bears a striking resemblance to a 1993 episode of the X-Men animated series, entitled "The Cure", and the episode that immediately followed it, "Come the Apocalypse", both written by Mark Edward Edens.[1]. As is the case with "Gifted", in Edens' scripts, the scientist who claims to have discovered a cure is revealed to be working with a superpowered enemy of the team; Apocalypse on the TV show, Ord in the comic book—a plot device that doesn't occur in X-Men: The Last Stand. Whedon has said that while he knows "many people have done cure scenarios before me" (apparently referring to the various X-Men–related comic books that tackled the subject before he did), he wasn't familiar with any of those earlier stories at the time he started working on "Gifted." [2] Astonishing X-Men was Wizard magazine's Book of the Year in 2004.
[edit] "Dangerous"
Issues #7-#12 - The team fights a murderous, self-aware personification of the "Danger Room" training facility, dubbed "Danger". The fight takes them to Genosha where, with the help of Charles Xavier the X-Men are able to defeat Danger for the time being.
In Wizard #173, Whedon admitted mistakes in the second story arc, saying he was so fascinated with the idea of the "new intelligence" that he neglected the action and thus prevented the story from flowing well.
[edit] "Torn"
Issues #13-18 - The X-Men are manipulated by a new Hellfire Club, consisting of Cassandra Nova, Emma Frost, the enigmatic Perfection, Negasonic Teenage Warhead, and Sebastian Shaw.
In Astonishing X-Men #13 (February, 2006), it was revealed that Frost's survival of the destruction of Genosha in New X-Men #115 was due to Cassandra Nova creating Frost's secondary mutation, i.e., her diamond form.
In the beginning, Perfection is revealed to be identical to Emma, in the exact form/costume she had when first introduced as the White Queen. Later issues seem at first to indicate that this is because Perfection, like the rest of the new Hellfire Club, are in fact psychic projections created by Cassandra Nova, who is trying to free herself from the form in which the X-Men trapped her.
However, all of Cassandra Nova was not trapped. In issue #18 Scott tells everyone that during the last battle with Nova, when Emma placed Cassandra Nova's consciousness into the Shi'ar super guardian Stuff, Nova threw a "hail mary" into Emma's brain; a tiny suggestion that has worked all this time, convincing Emma that she was evil, that in exchange for Emma Frost's survival of the destruction of Genosha in New X-Men #115, Emma Frost agreed, either willingly or unwillingly, to assist Cassandra Nova as part of a scheme to infiltrate the X-Men as a sleeper agent (Nova having erased the memory of their encounter and only restoring it recently). She played up on Emma's survivors guilt at surviving Genosha while her students died, her suppressed fear of her being evil while still seeking redemption, while trying to reconcile her real love for Cyclops and that she could possibly betray him by turning back to her roots.
Using this and other elements of Emma's consciousness, Nova created physical manifestations of Cassandra in her human form, Sebastian Shaw, Emma's younger evil self in the Hellfire club calling itself "Perfection", and Negasonic Teenage Warhead, a former student of hers that was killed in Genosha. First, she began using her telepathy on Cyclops to appear as Phoenix, trying to reveal the lack of control he had over his optic blasts. It was revealed that shortly after he fell out of a plane with his younger brother Alex (aka "Havok"), Scott placed a deep mental block in his mind which prevented the controlled use of his powers. Encouraged by Frost, Scott revisits that moment in his life and reverses the decision, leaving him comatose. With Cyclops out of the way Frost/Nova, and the physical manifestations calling themselves the "Hellfire Club", assault the X-Mansion, incapacitating every X-Man, with the exception of Shadowcat, who manages to elude capture, but was eventually tricked by Nova/Emma Frost into helping Emma/Nova retrieve the "Stuff" body containing the rest of Nova. A depowered Cyclops with the help of Blindfold, and Hisako Ichiki, were able to defeat the "Hellfire Club" by figuring out they were fake, while Emma herself tried to get Kitty to shoot her in order to block Cassandra's escape, but was stopped by Cyclops. Undeterred, Nova then attempted to transfer her mind into Hisako, while at the same time Scott tells Emma that she has the power to stop Nova herself without outside help. Emma's reply is "Go to hell" but it is unclear to who she is talking to, (but the look in Cassandra Nova's eyes imply that it is her). The ending was interrupted as everyone present was teleported away by S.W.O.R.D. to a spaceship headed for the Breakworld.
Also of note is that Colossus is revealed as the X-Man most likely to destroy the Breakworld.
The final panel of issue 15 is an homage to the final panel of Uncanny X-Men #132.
[edit] "Unstoppable"
Issues #19-24 - The Astonishing X-Men are teleported to a S.W.O.R.D. space craft after their showdown with Cassandra Nova. The course is set for the Breakworld where their mission is to disable a missile capable of splitting the earth in half. The challenge is to reach the Breakworld before the S.W.O.R.D. ship is overtaken by Breakworld attack vessels. However, the attack vessels, having learned the coordinates from Ord, who overheard them, reach the ship and attack, blowing up part of the S.W.O.R.D. ship. Agent Brand then appoints several other soldiers to an escape ship as a diversion. The ship is fired onto the Breakworld, where it lands and is discovered by Breakworld soldiers. However, the S.W.O.R.D. team defeats the Breakworlders. Meanwhile, having gained a few minutes of time from the distraction, the X-Men put on newly made costumes, and Hisako is given one exactly like Kitty Pryde's. The X-Men and Brand split into two groups, each taking one escape pod on course for the Breakworld. Brand, Cyclops, Emma, and Beast take one; Wolverine, Hisako, Colossus, and Kitty take the other. Brand's team's pod safely reaches the surface, but Wolverine's team's pod begins to disintegrate in mid air. Kitty and Colossus phase through the pod and through to the planet's surface, where they are unharmed. Hisako and Wolverine are not so fortunate. Hisako "armors up", keeping her safe from impact. Wolverine receives many injuries and requires time to heal. Wolverine explains to Hisako that she is now an X-Man and has to start acting like one, where she adopts the codename "Armor". Now, there are three groups, plus Lockheed and the S.W.O.R.D. distraction team. Brand's group finds "The Palace of the Corpse" which supposedly has something to do with Colossus destroying the Breakworld. There they find a massive wall with a stone portrait of Colossus destroying the Breakworld. Kitty and Colossus are attacked by Breakworld soldiers, whom they defeat. Colossus is in conflict with himself over what is supposed to happen with the prophecy regarding the destruction of the Breakworld. He does not know whether to see it as fate or to fight against destiny. The S.W.O.R.D. team has resolved to move outside the city and wait for orders, if any ever come.
[To Be Continued...]
[edit] "Giant Size Astonishing X-Men"
According to Marvel's Daily Bugle, Whedon and Cassaday will conclude their run on Astonishing X-Men with Giant Size Astonishing X-Men #1, however it has yet to be revealed whether the story will be connected to the Unstoppable storyline or be a stand alone story.
