Original X-Men Get A Surprising New Leader

The ResurrXion of the X-Men continues this week with the release of X-Men Blue #1 into comic book stores. X-Men Blue reassembles the time-displaced version of the original five X-Men – Cyclops, Beast, Iceman, Angel, and new field leader Marvel Girl – who have been previously seen in two ongoing All-New X-Men series. However, not everything is the same, as the team has a new mentor with a very different history and style.

The bulk of X-Men Blue #1, written by Cullen Bunn and drawn by Jorge Molina, involves the original five X-Men boarding a yacht on a mission to stop an act of piracy by Black Tom Cassidy. They are taken off guard when they discover that Black Tom's frequent partner in crime, the Juggernaut, is also onboard.

After a successful mission, the team returns to base to report the results to their new mentor: Magneto, master of magnetism and the X-Men's oldest enemy.

This isn't the first time that Magneto has taken charge of the X-Men. In the 1980s, Magneto ran Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters in Professor X's absence, taking charge of the X-Men, offering guidance to the X-Men and teaching the young New Mutants class.

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In an interview with ComicBook.com prior to the release of X-Men Blue #1, Bunn said that this development was, "Definitely a bit of a call-back to that era. Magneto taking over as headmaster of the Xavier School occurred around the time I was at the height of my X-fervor, so it left an impression on me. I remember that I was never really sure what Magneto was up to... and I loved it. That's going to be part of this series going forward."

Bunn has gained a lot of experience writing Magneto offer the past several years. He wrote the Magneto ongoing solo series prior to Secret Wars and continued to write Magneto as the leader of another group of X-Men in the pages of the All-New Marvel era Uncanny X-Men. Fans should expect Bunn to continue evolving the character.

"Magneto has gone through quite a bit since I started writing him," Bunn said. "He went from a solo judge, jury, and executioner style character to leading a team of hard-hitting X-Men to (now) mentoring the original five X-Men--characters who remember him very clearly as their first enemy. He's not comfortable with it, to be honest, and he keeps a kind of distance from the O5. He will not be running around on adventures with them.

"There's an added complication, too, in that Magneto is sort of in hiding," Bunn continued. "He feels that showing himself will only harm the mutant cause. The X-Men are the 'face' of his endeavors. But when he does reveal himself... look out!"

X-Men Blue #1 is on sale now.

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