The Kids that got left behind. New X-Men Through The Years
With the Messiah Complex almost halfway through, I somehow managed to get the earlier issues of New X-Men. Being my beloved series and all, the time spent searching for them (and for those who know the details of my life, you know I spent a lot of time and more on this task) was well worth it. I though it would be nice to go over the whole series, arc by arc and witness the evolution of this series from The O.C: Mutant Edition to the dark and intriguing saga it is today.
Arc 1: Choosing Sides
The series starts off with DeFillipis’s weak writing. The first issue takes us through the whole school, making sure we feel part of the tour. The main team is introduced (David/Prodigy, Sofia/Windancer, Noriko/Surge, Laurie/Wallflower, Josh/Elixir and Jay/Icarus), and yes I know the names are extremely cheesy. This is the main team and I know most of it doesn’t survive Yost’s initial arcs so I’ll mention their rival team as well since the current survivors (a dozen out of over a hundred students) include members from it. While Moonstone leads this team, their rival team, led by Emma Frost includes Julian/Hellion, Cessily/Mercury, Santo/Rockslide, Sooraya/Dust, Brian/Tag and Kevin/Wither. The teams go head to head, in fights as well as romances but team up when one of their own is in trouble.
Arcs 2 & 3: Haunted & Too Much Information
The second arc takes on two plots. David’s sister comes to visit around the same time a ghost of one of the kids killed in the M-Day massacre starts showing up, making things a tad creepier than the students are used to. Everything gets resolved pretty quickly with a little help from Julian and we find out in addition to flying, Icarus cannot die. While DeFillipis’s writing may not be good, his script is certainly impressive. He goes for quantity rather than quality and the three-parter felt like a proper six-issue arc.
The third arc is an alternate future tale where David goes Lex Luthor on the New X-Men and manages to drag in quite a big chunk of the X-Universe. Very short and very weak, at this point I couldn’t wait for Yost’s run to start. Megan and X-23 haven’t even shown up yet and Victor was around for one line.
Single Issues (#12-15)
The series completely deteriorated in these issues and nothing major happened. Kevin takes a page out of One Tree Hill and exposes Rahne and Josh’s relationship (X-Posed) which results in Rahne leaving (to X-Factor, a much, much better alternative for her) and Josh becoming an outcast within his own team. Logan attacks the school (around the time he was under Hydra’s control) and kills one of the teachers Northstar (not an important character but his squad includes Victor and Paras, who even though maybe not be important then but are regulars to the series now) and the students have to deal with a death in their backyard (Into the Light). Dance Hall Days and School’s out Forever, more or less end the year by breaking up the whole squad we’ve been following. Not doubt House of M will bring about some major status quo changes in the team.
Arc 4: House Divided
The New X-Men’s official House of M arc. Horribly planned out, badly written and even the art left something to be desired. This was by far the worst arc of the series, I’m pretty sure DeFilipis was pissed at being fired and was taking it out on us. However, the fact that Kyle and Yost begin their run next makes up for this. Nothing major happened here, well, nothing that had a lasting effect anyway. Tag did die but I’m not sure if the death was reversed through the decimation. Whatever, he wasn’t that important a character anyway. On to better things…
Arc 5: Childhood’s End
Finally! Kyle and Yost are here and they start off the series with a big bang and a death (surprise, surprise…better get used to it). Sofia, David and Tag are no longer mutants, neither is Dani and she’s fired by the first iss (poor Dani, guess Kyle and Yost didn’t want to writer her). I’m ok with it, since the arc is very good. Only a handful of mutant students are chosen to train as X-Men (the rest continue with regular classes). X-23 joins the cast and receives a less than warm welcome. Jay shows up with his wings amputated. Meanwhile, Frost sends all the human students home who are still at the academy, but the bus is blown apart killing fifteen humans (including Brian) and injuring Julian. The purifiers are responsible for the attack and their savior Striker, claims it’s just the beginning. Turned out, it was.
Arc 6: Crusade
The cataclysmic arc that changed the New-X Men forever. I’m pretty sure the decimation was felt more by these students than by any other X-Team. By the time this arc is over, Laurie and Jay will be dead as well as some minor students and Josh will be in a coma. Stryker’s assault on the academy may have failed but it took quite a lot of kids with it and these are kids, they don’t have the option of taking their opponents down in a non-lethal fashion, when they see their own dying they tear flesh from bones and cut limb from limb. Not only that but a nimrod is out there waiting to start taking these kids down one by one and even the X-Men barely handled the original one.
Arc 07: Nimrod
The official body count by the time this arc starts: 45. The New Avengers discover Jay’s body with a message and on the night of the attack and New X-Men have to face his loss as well. Of course the X-Men being the assholes they are, leave immediately for Storm’s wedding, leaving the students helpless about the same time Nori gets a message from Forge about Nimrod, meant for the X-Men. Realizing they have to do this on their own, X-23, Hellion, Rockslide, David, Surge, Mercury and Dust head to Texas and end up fighting for their lives in one of their toughest battles. Laura saves Mercury by cutting her hands off, Santos is obliterated but eventually pulls himself back together, Laura nearly dies taking Nimrod out and Hellion breaks through his limits saving her life.
Whatever Happened to Wither
A very well written single issue that shows us what Kevin has been up to while the rest of the X-Academy remembers those lost (a number that recently increased dramatically). It sets up for the next major arc (yes, Predator-X is here).
Arc 08: Mercury Rising
Cyclops apologizes to Nori and informs her that she is officially in charge of her squad now. She can add member to her liking while in a secret research facility poor Mammoth (one of the cutest muties ever) gets ripped apart and devoured by a mysterious creature (happy thoughts, think happy thoughts). While Josh and Julian try to control the new levels of their powers, Mercury and Laura go out for a coffee where they are viciously attacked. Laura gets an arrow in her throat and Mercury is kidnapped. Mercury wakes up in the facility where she is being slowly tortured to death. On the homefront, Julian and Laura head out to track Mercury down which eventually leads them to the center where after a brief battle with Kimura they come face to face with not one but three of the most fearsome creatures on the X-Universe. The Predator-Xs (it’s currently causing mayhem throughout the Messiah Complex, so if you’re into that, this is the series where everything started) rip on Julian and Laura and nearly kill them before the rest of the X-Men and New X-Men show up and it still takes some time to take the creatures out. One escapes (the messiah complex one) and the team tries to recover from the whole incident. Mercury makes it but will be forever changed and Kimura comes back for Laura but Frost takes care of her.
This was by far, my favorite arc of the entire series. I loved how Julian has evolved from the asshole he used to be, to the hero of the series and how the O*N*E has evolved from the mutie-hating dictators to the guardians of the kids, some of the sentinel guards actually care for them. The dialogue was fantastic it actually reminded my Whedon-logue, something I desperately miss.
Arc 09: Quest for Magik
This is the arc that finally cements Victor and Pixie as regular cast members (and Pixie’s the most lovable character yet, which means she’ll prob be sniped soon or something). Belasco shows up looking for Magik (Illyana Rasputin) and drags the mansion and most of the students into limbo. David’s heart is ripped out (he’s healed by Josh), Victor’s arm is ripped off (he grows a new, much stronger one) and Rockslide blows himself up (he pulls himself back together with Limbo rock). Magik (or some form of her) shows up and cuts some of Pixie’s soul off, but gives her some magic in return. While the rest of the New X-Men hold Belasco and his demons off, Julian and Nori team up with O*N*E and find Amanda Sefton (Belasco defeated her a few days ago) and head back to the mansion. As usual the kids manage to take Belasco out (actually it’s Pixie! Brilliant!) and the actual X-Men arrive too late. As usual the writing is great and the art is better than it’s ever been
Arc 10: Children of X-Men
A small and sweet arc, a nice break for the kids after the hell they’ve been through Yost’s run (sadly, it’s almost over). They recover from their ordeals, deal with their losses, get some training in and sleep in around the bonfire as a Predator-X runs by (thank you for no more deaths, by the way). The adults finally come to their senses and Cyclops says something like, “These kids don’t deserve this” Really, Genius?
What lies in the future? The Messiah Complex, probably another death or two. And then Yost leaves to lead X-Force (which sadly, means X-23 is also leaving and here I was totally rooting for Laura and Julian). Hopefully the new author won’t be so bloodthirsty, but he probably won’t be as good as Yost either.
Tags: Messiah Complex, Mutants, New X-Men
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