Okay, so see if you can follow this little timeline.
For decades of Marvel Comics, mutantkind flourished, growing into the millions. Then in 2005's House of M, Scarlet Witch had a nervous breakdown and altered reality so that there were only about 200 mutants left. 2011's Avengers vs. X-Men saw the Phoenix return and restore mutants as a flourishing species.
Now, thanks to events that haven't played out yet, things are about to swing back the other way. Again. Mutants are in danger of going extinct again, and public sentiment about them has deteriorated to the point that many of them have gone into hiding.
First of all: Marvel needs to pick a status quo for mutants and stick with it, for crying out loud. Flip-flopping like this just makes the House of Ideas seem indecisive.
Secondly: What could possibly happen that would shrink the number of mutants in the world again? What happens that causes them to be hated by mankind?
Whatever it is, it must come at the end of Secret Wars. Spoiler alert: Perhaps Doom's recent murder of Scott Summers in Secret Wars #4 while Summers was possessed by the Phoenix Force has something to do with it. The Phoenix Force can't be killed, after all, so losting its host should hypothetically cause it to look for another.
Marvel's solicit for All-New X-Men #1 says:
| Hated and feared more than ever, the world is a dangerous place for mutants. As the few remaining X-MEN retreat into seclusion, a handful of mutant teenagers refuse to allow their destiny to be decided for them... |
Extraordinary X-Men #3's description states:
| Mutantkind is teetering on the brink of extinction and the X-MEN are in dire straits! |
Shockingly, those are the only two X-Men titles in Marvel's solicits. X-23's debut as the new Wolverine gets an ongoing called All-New Wolverine, and Deadpool returns with a new solo series, but he's always been a peripheral mutant character, at best. That's it, no other X-titles at all. Hmmm.
Also in November, there are huge developments in Marvel's various Star Wars titles. That shouldn't come as a surprise, since The Force Awakens will be in theaters one month later. The comic lineup's first-ever crossover event, "Vader Down," kicks off with a one-shot, Star Wars: Vader Down #1, and then two more of its six parts occur in the pages of Darth Vader #13 and Star Wars #13.
"Vader Down" sounds fascinating. Here's how Marvel describes it:
| When Darth Vader accidentally finds himself facing off against the Rebel Fleet on his own, the rebels will learn the true strength of the Dark Side of the Force! Once Vader crashes on a nearby planet, the Rebellion is willing to risk everything for this once-in-a-lifetime chance to take out one of their biggest enemies! Luke! Vader! Leia! Aphra! Han! Chewie! And all manner of Droid, good and evil! |
Before Vader goes down, there's one more issue of Star Wars to slip in, #12, and this one promises to reveal the truth about Sana Solo, aka Han's "wife." What's up with that, anyway?
If that's not enough for you, there's plenty more crazy stuff happening in the lives of your favorite superheroes in November. Spider-Woman #1 gives the world a pregnant superhero. Kamala Khan and Miles Morales become Avengers in All-New, All-Different Avengers #1. In The Vision #1, Vision creates himself a Vision wife and two Vision kids. And the world's first superhero returns in Hercules #1.
It's going to be a busy month.
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