X-Men X-Treme

I couldn't believe how good this was.

Premise: The Destiny Chronicles...

Thirteen volumes written by the mutant precog known as Destiny that can tell the past, and have cryptic warnings of the present, as well as the more prominent futures forseen. Professor Xavier knows of their existence and wants them. But being an idealist, several of his students think that they are too dangerous to be in his posession. They consider themselves to be the outsiders of the team, and they have struck out on their own to get the Destiny Chronicles first, and allow mutants and humans to develop on their own.

The cast is varied in style and power. Storm (leader), Bishop, Thunderbird, Psylocke, Rogue, Beast, and Sage. Their costume design is brand new, with existing members getting a mix of old and new designs, and new members getting a total facelift. On top of that, the classic blue and gold look has been traded for a more menacing black and red design.

The most interesting part is that this group has faced an opening crisis (one member has already DIED), and they're dealing with it in a suprisingly human fashion, and trying to deal and move on as soon as possible, but you still get a look into what it means to everyone.

Give it a look. You'd be surprised.

Sounds interesting. I had given up on the X-men long ago when it seemed that you had to read every x-related title to be as properly confused as you were supposed to be. Can you enjoy this title without having read (or having to read) all the others?

I stopped reading comics a while ago. I thought I'd be lost, considering the two new faces in this team. Fortunately, the writing team did a good job during the first four issues, of doing minor flashbacks for each team member, showing the how's and why's of not only why they're doing this (example: Storm recruited Rogue, who all but quit the hero business), but also a gleaming how their powers have changed, too (not an explanation, but at least a viewing of every character's range).

The artist is new, and his new designs are blowing me away. He turned back the clock on Storm, Bishop, and Psylocke, using earlier costumes with the black and red colors. Most of the others have brand new costumes... even Rogue did something unusual and CUT HER HAIR! There's already been an appearance by an X-Man outside the team, Gambit. I never liked his costume, but this artist actually made him visually appealing, putting him in a black costume, with his trademark trenchcoat.

You can come into X-Treme cold, but I suggest you pick up the four issues already out, since they should still be easy to find.

These are the new designs. Sage is not pictured, and yes, that is Rogue on the bottom-right.

Here's a couple of examples of the new look of X-Treme

The rookie, Thunderbird and his unlikely teacher, Bishop


The enigmatic, but trustworthy, Sage

Well..... the story's ok, but Marvel is shooting itself in the foot by having "yet another X-book". They are running outta story's too tell.

This storyline shoulda been done in 'the Uncanny X-Men' book. The arts good and I like some of the shading that is being done. Very 'off the sketch book page' style.

chrono

Actually, it's better than the normal X-Men story. The idea, though, is that these people have cut off their contact with Xavier and the normal team to get it done in their own way and time.

No mansion, no Blackbird, and no back-up.

Xavier is pursuing his philosophy, while the X-Treme are pursuing theirs.

Actually I got the impression that they weren't a different 'faction' at all! Let's be honest this story DOES belong in the 'other' books, because that's where it started.

A well I've been thinking about stopping my X-men buying anyway. Especially how badly the storys are now(and have been) for the last 6-8 months. I hope that with Xavier 'coming-out' the story's will get better, but I hold little hope for that.

It's just another way for Marvel too drain the pockets of it's customers.

Don't get me wrong the book is 'fine', until the current artist leave for another book(within 12-18 months).

chrono

Well, they are a faction. They constantly question whether Xavier knows of what they're doing, as well as the rest of the X-Men. In fact, they're working on the theory that the being hunting them now has been dispatched by Xavier specifically to stop them... kill them if necessary.

I'm glad this is a new book. It raises a lot of philosophical questions that the X-Men never dealt with, and this is waaaay too much story to have as a normal mini-series. On top of that, there are too many X-Men for even two books as it is. With these seven leaving, there's still over ten taking storylines now. Half of the characters in X-Treme have either just surfaced or returned, and tossing them back into the large team would be difficult to re-establish them all over again. Now, we have a team that answers the question, of "How would the X-Men grow, not of they're deprived of Xavier, but if they choose not to follow him?"

Even when they lost their member, they asked for the family to retrieve the body, not the X-Men. The current philosophy of the book, is that they're not only acting "to the extreme", but learning to live the same way. Taking each day as the last, because they learned the hard way, this mission may not let them have too many more.

Another note, Joe Queseda, Marvel's CEO, says this book is intended to be a seperate book from X-Men, and Uncanny X-Men. They're currently talking about characters that'll guest star, and possibly join depending on how fan reaction goes. Larocca (pencils) says the current team is going to stay at five active members, but they'll see how it goes. Guests coming are Shadowcat, Moonstar, Forge, a depowered Wolfsbane, even Rachel Summers.

Actually I have seen only 2 questions raised of any import in the 'new' X-treme X book.

'Tessa's question of Xavier making her a spy.' Like when did this happen? lol

'Gambit's interaction with the Bishop's past' A storyline that has been neglected for far too long.

X-treme isn't a separte book from the other x-books. The Beast is a good example of that fact, as seen in the Uncanny series.

"Even when they lost their member, they asked for the family to retrieve the body, not the X-Men."

I believe that deserves a large DUH! remark. All of the x-men have a personalble relationship with Brian Bradock. The X-men don't have a stupid ass JLA 'hero' cemetry! So having brian come for the body is a "real life" scenrio. The book should end when Larocca leaves for another project.

They ALWAYS do.

He is what really makes the book worth reading. His 'illustrations' are agruably some of the best Marvel currently has.

Joe as CEO won't be around for very long as head of Marvel anyway. Comics as a hobby are coming to an end. They are already pricey and are getting repeative, even with the 'new' artist. Joe was better off as an 'artist' IMPO.

chrono

Actually, Beast is no longer X-Treme. Since you brought it up, he was sent home when they sent Psylocke down the river Styx. Word is that his slot will be taken by Gambit around issue 10.

And since you asked, I gleamed this...

Tessa has been a spy since before there was anything called X-Men. Xavier identified the Hellfire Club as a threat and put her there. In fact, Sebastian Shaw is showing up in issue 7 or 8.

And Gambit and Bishop met in Bishop's "home" time. He kept going to someone named "LeBeau", the only source of information from the "X-Men's time". As soon as he laid eyes on Gambit, he put two and two together, and that's why Bishop thought Gambit was a traitor, until Onslaught showed up and proved him.

In addition, don't you think that with somebody hunting them in a manner that negates any of their powers, someone would have asked for any available help from home? The X-Treme cut themselves off, and are trying to work in complete secret. What happens to the Chronicles is up to them, if they manage to collect them.

Wasn't asking any questions. Just re-stating ones that have show-up in the book. I know Tessa quite well, from her past dealings with the X-folks(hellfire club and SS stuff).

Actually I seen no 'powers' negation ineffect by the person in question. More of an 'immunity' or 'precog' factor. Maybe just a little 'higher' on the Homo Superior scale then the X-folks.

I've been collecting the X-books for awhile now since '91, and have back collected to 155-ish. So I'm familiar with 'X'-dom, with the major eXception of the crappy X-force & GenX books. Yuck!

But through it all I've learned one major thing. NEVER read to much into a plotline. Take what's given and ponder it yes, but never assume.

Personally I'm glad they are getting back to the Bishop character.

chrono

I'm not sure how to classify Vargas. He took a full power shot by Rogue and shrugged it off. Supposedly he's fully human, or a variation on, but he's packing something different. Then, he beat the snot out of Beast, who's no pansy in his own right.

Obviously, having the Destiny Chronicle volume adds him a large ammount of leverage, but being able to physically overpower Rogue and Beast means he's got something else going on for him.

It's a good opening story that's being put on the back burner, as Rogue and the team are going to Austrailia to clear Gambit's name, probably where he joins the team. After that, there'll be those other guest stars, where some may join, but most won't. Shadowcat joining up wouldn't surprise me, since she's looking for the Chronicles on her own as it is.

The story has a strong opening, and with Claremont writing, I hope it'll continue for a while...

Hey, theorize this with me.

What impact would there be by running into Rachel Summers? Why would she show up from her self-exile from the future?

Okay, I researched it minutes later, and found an answer...

Since Apocalypse's plan to use the powers of the Twelve was thwarted in this era, Apocalypse's era (Cable's "home time") no longer exists. The Askani Mother, Rachel Summers, is now a shadow of her former self (I can only imagine that means she's in her mid-twenties again). She's unstuck in the timestream.

I guess, since her home is gone, and her "home time" is also eradicated, she'll return, or land, in the last coherent time she was in, and that's the present.

Apparently, the Phoenix has risen again...

[wonders whats up with all the pictures]

Well Psyloc said he 'seemed' to avoid most of her tk blast. Rogue said pretty much the same thing. That's why I said 'precog' or higher on the X scale, mannite mayhaps? Who says the higher up the 'x' scale doesn't also mean being completely without an X factor?

The Kitty character REALLY needs some serious time off, even though she is STILL my favorite character. The tv series does her justice too. Didn't really like the 'punk' phase though. :/ I think the character should lay low for awhile to let other less developed characters get 'time'.

As for Rachel popping up... I don't see the need for her too. But maybe there will be another "Hound master" popping up. Universe X is ending soon and a new "X universe" series is starting up, maybe there will be some annoying cross-overthing. They may bring in both her and kitty in one short storyarc, since they seem to work so well together.

Plus Rachel is losing, or have already lost, the Phoenix force the last time I heard.

And since this book looks like it's being aimed at underdeveloped X-characters I shouldn't be surprised if an older character pops up. Oh like Banshee or the like.

I see Vargas as more of a stage promter then the atypical 'bad-guy'.

chrono

Ah... Excalibur!

Those were really fun books, except when Alan left. Loved the cross-time train ride story arc. Trippin stuff!

Excalibur had potential, but it was a book with no driving story arc. It didn't have a final goal, only a series of semi-long stories. I think that's why it eventually sank from sight.

I could see the need for Shadowcat, since there is no "brain" among the team. Sage is more like a biological calculator (able to determine the possibilities of the body) than a planner and technician.

Rachel... If she had to be somewhere, the regual X-Men would be better. Finally put to bed the entire thing about her being Cyclops and Jean's daughter. Then again, Psylocke's departure left a huge opening in X-Treme's mental force slot. But that should be taken by a new character... something original and more interesting.

The current roster is a good mix of possibilities, Storm, Bishop, Thunderbird, Sage, Rogue, and Gambit. I just have a feeling that something is missing. The earlier suggestions are in my style, and I think they're good... but I'm just not sure what should be there.

Sorry, I forgot about the Phoenix Force question...

As I understand it, the Phoenix discovered that it's power was derived from life force stolen from unborn species. To stop taking all the excess energy, the Phoenix Force de-evolved itself to a point that it's formless, and has limited power. It engrained itself back into Rachel Summers, warning that it's power is diminished, but still great.

Think of the powers basically being that of an extreme level psi-path, instead of the omnipotent, near invincible level it used to be.

Excalibur was a fine book. But I do agree 'no driving force' behind it's existence. But anyways...... it was still a 'fun' book.

My understanding was that the PF did leave. Right after it's fight with the Anti-PF. I should say after it 'repaired' rachel, that is. Rachel always have time traveling abilites.

"Then again, Psylocke's departure left a huge opening in X-Treme's mental force slot."

Ok what have you done with the REAL G.O.P.!!! lol

Your answer is: ROGUE.

Remember not that long ago she absorbed Jeans psy powers and since Rogue's own powers have gone under a major flux it's suitable/possible that she could be a low level psy.

chrono

Possible, but unlikely. Admittedly, she's recalling minds and powers left and right, but the only one she's stuck on is Wolverine's. I'm still not used to her popping bone claws every time she's pissed.

The Phoenix is still with Rachel. It was the Phoenix that thrust her into time to begin with. The future Shadowcat found the Force in her subconscious and used a hypno-key-phrase to unlock it. That's when Rachel became Phoenix.

Either way, it should be interesting when Rachel comes back.