X-Men ResurrXion: Everything You Need To Know

X-Men: Prime

The ResurrXion era kicks off in this week's X-Men: Prime. The one-shot brings together several of the writers of the ongoing story X-Men ResurrXion series to offer small vignettes introducing the concept of their new books. The entire thing is framed around the story of Kitty Pryde returning to the X-Men after some time spent in space with the Guardians of the Galaxy.

Here's a quick rundown of what it may help to know about recent X-Men history going into X-Men Prime: For the past year or so, the X-Men have been living with a literal cloud of doom over their head. The clouds of Terrigen Mist, the very substance that gives Inhumans their powers, were discovered to be deadly to mutants, infecting them with a disease referred to as M-Pox.

When this was discovered, the world was led to believe that Cyclops destroyed one of the two Terrigen Clouds before being killed by Medusa and Black Bolt, Queen and King of the Inhumans. Since then, things have been tense between the two factions. The X-Men decided to move the Jean Grey School to the plane of Limbo, where they'd be safe from the Terrigen Cloud, while Beast stayed with the Inhumans at New Attilan and attempted to find the cure.

In the end, what Beast discovered was the Terrigen was so completely saturating Earth's atmosphere that it would soon make the planet unlivable for mutants. Fearing the worst and with time running out, the X-Men attacked the Inhumans in order to subdue them so that they could destroy the last remaining Terrigen Cloud.

The X-Men defeated the Inhumans, but the Royal Family escaped capture. After some of the younger members of each side of the conflict realized what was going on, Medusa was told and she then made the decision to destroy the Terrigen Cloud herself.

It was then revealed that Cyclops had died on contact with the Terrigen mist and Emma Frost had been psychically projecting his image and manipulating the X-Men into war with the Inhumans as a means of extracting revenge. Both sides turned against Emma, but she ultimately got away.

With the Terrigen gone, the X-Men and mutants are free to return to Earth and begin a new chapter. However, nobody is sure just yet what that chapter should be about, and Storm is doubting her ability to lead after what happened with the Inhuman, and so she seeks out Kitty Pryde.

X-Men Gold

Writer: Marc Guggenheim
Artist: Ardian Syaf
Release Date: April 5

Arrow creator Marc Guggenheim teams with artist Ardian Syaf on one of the flagship ResurrXion titles, X-Men Gold. The series draws inspiration from Chris Claremont's run in the 1970s and 1980s, which is considered by many to be the X-Men's golden era.

The X-Men Gold team is led by Kitty Pryde, and also includes X-Men veterans Storm, Colossus, Nightcrawler, Old Man Logan and Rachel Summers, who is now calling herself Prestige.

The goal of X-Men Gold, and of Kitty's team within the book, is to make the X-Men into true superheroes again. The first story arc pits the team against a new version of their oldest foes, the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants.

You can read more about X-Men Gold in our interview with Guggenheim.

Recommendation: If you only read one X-Men book, this should probably be it, as it sounds like a modern twist on classic X-Men that should appeal to readers new and old. X-Men Gold ships bi-weekly, meaning the pace will be like that of TV show. If that's appealing to you, pick it up for sure.

Background reading: Extraordinary X-Men, Chris Claremont's Uncanny X-Men

X-Men Blue

Writer: Cullen Bunn
Artist: Jorge Molina, Matteo Buffagni
Released Date: April 12

X-Men Blue is another flagship ResurrXion X-Men title. The series is written by Cullen Bunn with art by Jorge Molina and Matteo Buffagni and stars the original five X-Men - Jean Grey, Cyclops, Iceman, Angel, and Beast - who are not stuck in the present day after being plucked from their own time.

The twist here is that the team is now on a mission for Magneto and separated from the rest of the X-Men and students at the Jean Grey School. It's important to note that these teen X-Men missed the redemptive arc that made Magneto into a morally gray anti-hero. To them, he's still the world's scariest mutant supervillain.

To learn more, check out our interview with Cullen Bunn.

Reommendation: X-Men Blue will ship twice monthly, making it another good choice for anyone who's ever wondered what an X-Men TV show would be like. In this case, the cast is almost entirely teenager, so imagine X-Men by way of Buffy the Vampire Slayer but with Magneto as the adult chaperone. Also, if you love the original five or have been following Bunn's long run writing Magneto, this one's for you.

Background reading: X-Men: Season One, All-New X-Men, All-New X-Men: Inevitable, Magneto, Uncanny X-Men: Superior

All-New Wolverine

Writer: Tom Taylor
Artist: Leonard Kirk
Release Date: April 9

All-New Wolverine will enter the ResurrXion era with issue #19. Tom Taylor will continue writing the series and he'll be joined by artist Leonard Kirk.

All-New Wolverine follows Laura Kinney, formerly known as X-23 and now operating as Wolverine after Logan's death. She's now accompanied by Gabby, a tween clone of her own, and Jonathan the actual Wolverine

The ResurrXion era gives Larua a new costume and launches a new story that sees Wolverine heading into a town suffering from an alien virus to see if she can stop the spread.

Recommendation: If you've been reading All-New Wolverine, there's no reason to stop now. If you haven't, you should. Laura has proven to be entirely worthy of the Wolverine mantle, and her series has been one of Marvel's most enjoyable since it launched. It's everything you'd expect from a Wolverine series - mainly, lots of action - with even more personality.

Background Reading: Death of Wolverine: The Logan Legacy, Wolverines, All-New Wolverine

Old Man Logan

Writer: Ed Brisson
Artist: Mike Deodato
Release Date: June 14

Old Man Logan will enter the ResurrXion era with issue #25, but while the title's numbering is continuing unaltered, the series will welcome a new creative team in writer Ed Brisson and artist Mike Deodato.

Building on themes from the original "Old Man Logan" series, Brisson and Deodato's first arc sees Old Man Logan, Wolverine from a dystopian timeline, battling the Maestro, the Hulk from a different dystopian timeline.

Recommendation: If you like your Wolverine stories dark, then Old Man Logan is probably the title of choice for you. Also, if you like big superhero battles like Wolverine vs. Hulk, this is the book for it. Also, if you're more interested in Wolverine than in the X-Men as a whole, Old Man Logan has been pretty light on tie-ins, so it can be read by itself.

Background Reading: Wolverine: Old Man Logan

Weapon X

Writer: Greg Pak
Artist: Greg Land
Release Date: April 12

Greg Pak and Greg Land present the darkest book in the ResurrXion line, Weapon X. Old Man Logan, Sabretooth, Warpath, Domino, and Lady Deathstrike are brought together when a new incarnation of the shadowy Weapon X program begins hunting each of them down.

"It's not like one of these characters woke up and said, 'I think I need to put together a wet works team,' which has been the classic setup for X-Force teams in the past," Pak told ComicBook.com in an interview. "This is more that extreme circumstances have pulled these different characters together, which creates an interesting dynamic because, beyond this mission, what holds them together, if anything? And will they, during the course of this motion, develop bonds that keep them together beyond this mission? We will see."

The second story arc of Weapon X will be a crossover story with Pak's other Marvel book. The Totally Awesome Hulk. Titled "Weapons of Mutant Destruction," Marvel has teased the event with images of a Wolverine-Hulk hybrid.

Recommendation: Weapon X is the closest thing to an X-Force book in the ResurrXion lineup so if you like the darker, deadlier side of the X-Men franchise, this one is for you.

Background Reading: X-Force by Craig Kyle & Chris Yost, Death of Wolverine: The Logan Legacy, Uncanny X-Men: Superior

Cable

Writer: James Robinson
Artist: Carlos Pacheco
Release Date: May 31

The time-travelling mutant savior Cable is back in a new solo series. Written by James Robinson with art by Carlos Pacheco, this series take Cable away from the everyday affair of men and mutants and sets him against a threat uniquely suited to his talents, one that challenges the very fabric of time and reality.

Recommendation: If you like gruff no-nonsense leads and high-action with a science fiction flair, then Cable is probably a book you should check out.

Background Reading: Deadpool & Cable: Split Second, Uncanny Avengers: Unity

Generation X

Writer: Christina Strain
Artist: Amilcar Pinna
Release Date: May 17

The new Generation X series from Christina Strain and Amilcar Pinna follows in the great tradition of X-Men books about the students at the Xavier's school, including New Mutants, the previous volume of Generation X, and New X-Men.

As of ResurrXion, the school has been relocated to Central Park in New York City and renamed the Xavier Institute for Mutant Education and Outreach.

Generation X will follow a group of students who are maybe not quite X-Men material: Nature Girl, Kid Omega, Bling, Eye-Boy, Benjamin Deeds, and newcomer Nathaniel Carver. Mentoring these young mutants is the most iconic young mutant of all, and former member of the original Generation X, Jubilee.

Recommendation: If you love stories about powerful young people, particularly ones set in a school, this is an obvious choice. The X-Men franchise has been doing this kind of thing and doing it well for a long time.

Background Reading: Wolverine and the X-Men

Jean Grey

Writer: Dennis Hopeless
Artist: Victor Ibanez
Release Date: May 3

Dennis Hopeless and Victor Ibanez present Jean Grey's very first solo ongoing series.

As an adult, Jean Grey always had a problem with the idea that her destiny was written. That same part of Jean came out again when she and the other original five X-Men were drawn from their own time into the present day and she learned she was fated to one day become the Phoenix and die.

Jean's been doing everything in her power to make her own path, but now the Phoenix and destiny have come calling. How long can she outrun it?

This series will see Jean seeking the tutelage of various heroes from the Marvel Universe, and not just X-Men either. Yes, the other Phoenix hosts - Prestige, Kid Omega, Hope Summers - will make an appearance, Jean will also be seeking help from the likes of Prince Namor, Iron Fist and more.

Recommendation: Read this book if you're into the Phoenix mythology, adventure stories led by storng young women, or team-up books.

Background Reading: All-New X-Men, Extraordinary X-Men

Iceman

Writer: Sina Grace
Artist: Alessandro Vitti
Release Date: June 7

Iceman gets his first solo ongoing series. Written by Sina Grace with art by Alessandro Vitti, Iceman will follow Bobby Drake on a quest for self-actualization.

Iceman has been a superhero for as long as practically anyone in the Marvel Universe, but he's never quite achieved the heights that he's capable of. More recently, he's been forced to watch a younger version of himself become more capable as a hero and more comfortable with his sexuality after coming out as gay.

Now Iceman is taking a good look at himself and searching that same sense of self and self-confidence by facing down old enemies and former romantic partners.

Recommendation: Iceman seems to be the story of a person having the superhero version of a quarter or mid-life crisis. If stories about people coming to terms with who they are and trying to be a better version of that person appeals to you, check out Iceman.

Background Reading: Wolverine & the X-Men, Extraordinary X-Men

Astonishing X-Men

Writer: Charles Soule
Artist: Various
Release Date: July

Keeping with the spirit of the original Astonishing X-Men series, the new series will be a continuity-light, "prestige" X-Men series.

Unlike the original Astonishing X-Men, the new series will feature a different artist on each issue. These artists include Jim Cheung, Ron Garney, ACO, Phil Noto, Greg Land, and Ramon Rosanas.

The book will feature Old Man Logan, Rogue, Mystique, Fantomex, Bishop, Archangel, Psylocke and Gambit, but writer Charles Soule says these mutants do not form a team. Rather, they all play a key role in unraveling the mystery at the heart of the series.

Recommended: If you dug the previous Astonishing X-Men, or if you're a fan of prestige television driven by mystery (Westworld, Game of Thrones, Legion, etc), check this one out.

Background Reading: Even more than the rest of the ResurrXion line, Astonshing X-Men is designed with new readers in mind. Even so, you won't regret reading the original Astonishing X-Men.