The First Step Towards AVENGERS VS X-MEN Is Revealed

This week Marvel announced that the Avengers and the X-Men would be going up against one another. We've seen superheroes fight other superheroes all the time. It's a classic comic book cliche. From the information released so far and all the creators involved, it's shaping up to be more than a mere cliche. This is going to be an event. Say what you want about events, you can't argue that, as a fan, seeing an epic battle like this is going to be worth checking out.

The question is, what starts it all? Why would these two teams fight, especially where there are members belonging to both teams? Looks like we'll start getting some answers in next week's AVENGERS: X-SANCTION #1.

The opening salvo in the upcoming war between the Avengers and X-Men is fired in next week’s Avengers: X-Sanction #1 from the chart topping team of Jeph Loeb and Ed McGuinness! The time-traveling mutant known as Cable, has returned from the future with 24 hours to save the world…by destroying the Avengers?! What makes Earth’s Mightiest Heroes such a threat to a better tomorrow? Cable’s on a mission to prevent the tragedies that lead to the events of Avengers VS X-Men…and every move he makes irrevocably changes the direction of the Marvel Universe!

“On the eve of the biggest Marvel event—maybe ever—Ed McGuinness and I are thrilled to be the lead-in forAvengers VS X-Men,” said Loeb. “Hopefully longtime fans and first time Cable, X-Men and Avengers readers will be excited by a story that can be read entirely on its own -- and at the same time has lots of stocking stuffer-esque surprises just in time for the holidays.”

It all begins with Cable versus Captain America…and only one will emerge victorious! The Avengers and X-Men are on a collision course…and the first steps towards war are taken in Avengers: X-Sanction #1, available in comic stores and on the Marvel Comics app next Wednesday!

Retailers: Please note that Marvel is rush printing a second printing of Avengers: X-Sanction #1 due to expected demand and its relationship to Avengers vs X-Men. Check the Marvel Mailer and Diamond Daily for more details.

Check out the preview below.

AVENGERS: X-SANCTION #1

Written by JEPH LOEB

Art & Cover by ED MCGUINNESS

ON SALE – 12/14/11

I think cable knew of the upcoming fight between the Avengers and X-Men. I believe the X-Men lost the fight and Cable has come back to soften up the Avengers so the X-Men will win.

@Dernman said:

I think cable knew of the upcoming fight between the Avengers and X-Men. I believe the X-Men lost the fight and Cable has come back to soften up the Avengers so the X-Men will win.

Not outside the realm of possibilities, though I think it's more likely that he's come back to protect Hope.

I wrote about it before, I would love for this Cable to be from a time BEFORE his first appearance in NEW MUTANTS. I wish it would've been a way younger version.

http://www.comicvine.com/news/off-my-mind-how-will-cable-be-reborn/143383/

@Dernman said:

I think cable knew of the upcoming fight between the Avengers and X-Men. I believe the X-Men lost the fight and Cable has come back to soften up the Avengers so the X-Men will win.

Not outside the realm of possibilities, though I think it's more likely that he's come back to protect Hope.

For Cable to take action against the Avengers there must be some fairly significant motivation for him to do so. I suspect Hope is involved some how and Cable will not hesitate to protect her.

@ApatheticAvenger said:

@Dernman said:

I think cable knew of the upcoming fight between the Avengers and X-Men. I believe the X-Men lost the fight and Cable has come back to soften up the Avengers so the X-Men will win.

Not outside the realm of possibilities, though I think it's more likely that he's come back to protect Hope.

I like it, but I agree with Apathetic.

I wrote about it before, I would love for this Cable to be from a time BEFORE his first appearance in NEW MUTANTS. I wish it would've been a way younger version.

http://www.comicvine.com/news/off-my-mind-how-will-cable-be-reborn/143383/

That would actually be quite interesting.

Most likely He is trying to stop hope from becoming the pheonix host and leading to the events of bishops future

@Dernman: Ya I was thinking that this is a younger version of Cable..

Maybe its just me but it kinda seems like the Avengers would have their collective behinds handed to them by the X-men... like Magneto alone could give them a run for their money... never mind all the telepaths... Colossus/Juggernaut, Rachel Summers, Hope, Magik, Iceman, Storm, Wolverine, Cable, Danger, Cyclops, Rogue, Professor x and the army of other mutants at Cykes disposal.. Sure theres a few there that might side with the avengers or stay out of the fight altogether.. but that doesn't change the fact that the avengers shouldn't stand a chance...

Jeph Loeb? I'm expecting alot of unnecessarily brutal/graphic deaths of pretty much everyone.

I figured either he came back to stop Bishops future from coming true or him losing his daughter to the Phoenix Force or Hope being killed by the avengers before she is able to fully connect with the Phoenix force

Just thinking, Cable probably has 24 hours, because he temporarily came back right before or in the middle of Sacrificing himself to send the X-force back from the future in Second Coming. This would explain why the Techno Organic Virus has ravaged his body more than usual. After his 24 hours are up, he goes back to the future to finish his sacrifice. Therefore this is only a temporary resurrection of Cable. At the end of this he will be dead again. One last mission to save his baby. This is going to be sweet.

A few questions. Why is it Avengers Vs. X-men and not X-men Vs. Avengers (no doubt alphabetical, and I'm just being pedantic)? Where's Tanarus in this? I assume he's taken up Thor's mantle as an Avenger. Finally, I can see another comic book death heading this way with such an event as this.

@frogjitsu: How old is Cable at this point? I haven't the slightest clue. Pre-Hope? Is it after meeting Hope but before sacrificing himself? Has he been resurrected?

I think these kinds of questions will make the story interesting. As much as they're revealing, there are still a TON of intertwining story lines with questions that need to be answered.

@G-Man: I ask you these questions because you are the man when it comes to finding quirks in continuity...

• What could this POSSIBLY be about?
• Is the entire X-Men team "possessed" by the Phoenix Force?
• What does Nova (if at all) have to do with this? (from Point One, he is the one that sees the Phoenix Force coming)
• What does this have to do with Shattered Heroes?

I hope that Thor comes back and kills "Tanarus" as a part of this.

Either way, I am on Team Defenders.

@davelecave said:

@frogjitsu: How old is Cable at this point? I haven't the slightest clue. Pre-Hope? Is it after meeting Hope but before sacrificing himself? Has he been resurrected?

At what point are you referring? When he sacrificed himself or in X-Sanction?

Cool, graphics are great!

@frogjitsu: I mean in X-Saction, at what point in time has he returned from?

@davelecave: I don't think Marvel has released that info yet. It's just speculation at the moment.

@frogjitsu: I realize they haven't released it, I'm just broadly asking.

So more time travel's involved? This is getting interesting

Glad to get a preview. I think it is coming out next week so I guess we will have to wait and see what will happen in the first issue of X Saction

well it was said in the interviews at marvel.com that thor would be in this as well so edge might go to avengers on this but maybe not lol i can't decide I love both teams... so now i'm excited to see quite a few fights

Iron man vs magneto

X-force vs Secret avengers

Nova vs anyone

Cap vs Cyc etc....

@Dernman said:

I think cable knew of the upcoming fight between the Avengers and X-Men. I believe the X-Men lost the fight and Cable has come back to soften up the Avengers so the X-Men will win.

The X-men don't need Cable's help to beat Avengers.

i know people are tired of Marvel events...but i won't lie, this looks pretty awesome

Cable is a time master. No surprise they didn't wait very lng after his death to bring him back. For 24 hours? We'll see. It would be a great idea for a new Cable series to pick up where the final issue of Deadpool Vol. 2 leaves off. It would make sense with this trend of Marvel titles changing titles. (i.e. Incr. Herc, DD, Journey...)

Loeb and McGuiness made Superman awesome again a decade ago. It would be dope if they could do the same with Cable.

Cap vs Cyclops and Magneto vs Iron Man should be fairly epic. This will be Marvel's best event for 2011 and probably 2012.

meh... who cares,maybe I'm one of the few people who felt this way but I was completely and totally horrified by Civil War.
It turned my favorite Heroes into BAD GUYS.
After Secret Invasion and the announcement of the new Heroic Age, I had high hopes that Marvel was moving away from this BS. But now they're plunging right back into it.
Hero vs. Hero, I'm so sick of this.

Can someone please explain why people think Magneto vs. Iron Man would be epic? *Magneto crushes suit without much effort* *Tony dies* THE END.

omfg I CANT WAIT O.O

Can't wait for this!

@davelecave said:

Can someone please explain why people think Magneto vs. Iron Man would be epic? *Magneto crushes suit without much effort* *Tony dies* THE END.

1 - It would not be epic, unless Tony has some miracle prep he has about a 1% of winning

2 - Magneto has been unable to manipulate the iron Man armor since the late 80's, he will win but its still going to take some effort.

So... after joining the Thunderbolts and trying to redeem himself (and showing, y'know, CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT!), why is Radioactive Man suddenly a villain?

Completely spitballing here, but lets say that Hope gets possessed by the Phoenix Force, and it leads to Cap thinking shes a threat, and consequently he attempts to take her out. Obviously that would provide plenty of motivation for Cable to come back and stop them from doing so. Just a theory.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I though Wolverine and Spidey were off the main Avengers team? If so, what are they doing here? Also, since when was Falcon on any of the Avengers teams? We literally just had a new roster, they can't be screwing around with that already!

@dothegoblin: Maybe they're just a bunch of sweet characters hanging out.

Although that doesn't explain why Falcon is there. Lol.

Cable's sole motivation since Messiah Complex has been protecting Hope. We know that Avengers Vs. X-Men will feature the return of the Phoenix Force, and also explore an unspecified link between Hope, Jean Grey, and the Scarlet Witch. My guess is, Hope is the reincarnation of Jean, born as a side-effect of M Day. This of course means that she is an ideal vessel for the Phoenix, which has begun to seek her out, travelling through time to do so. The Avengers have had a hang-up over the last couple of years of preventing a repeat episode of Wanda's breakdown, while Wolverine has already promissed he will stop Hope if she ever looses control. They're going to identify Hope as a threat, and decide to bring her down before she can do any harm. Naturally, Cable is going to stop them, thus starting the conflict between Avengers and X-men.

My body is ready.

You never like seeing one of your favorite teams lose, but I hope they make the fight epic.

With those saucy puckered lips on that cover, it looks like Cap and Nate are getting ready to make out. Maybe Marvel's going for a whole Moonlighting thing...

Retailers: Please note that Marvel is rush printing a second printing of Avengers: X-Sanction #1 due to expected demand and its relationship to Avengers vs X-Men.

right. i can go to my LCS now and always see fear itself still on the stands. where it has been since it started....

fading because of sun damage. sorry marvel, i will pass on this. like i always do.

Okay, judging by the rifle, it looks like an Barret M-variant - which is an Anti-Material rifle. Theoretically, if you get hit by that, you rip apart.

If Falcon isn't dead after that, I ain't reading any more of this arc.

@Solarflare32 said:

Most likely He is trying to stop hope from becoming the pheonix host and leading to the events of bishops future

It could be true but we'll find out soon enough.

I was wondering about something...is this apart of X-Men Schism? And does this mean that X-Men Schism will end with this battle?

I used to be really excited about this but now that I know Cap vs Cyke is coming I'm less intrested in Cap vs Cable

@RainEffect said:

Okay, judging by the rifle, it looks like an Barret M-variant - which is an Anti-Material rifle. Theoretically, if you get hit by that, you rip apart.

If Falcon isn't dead after that, I ain't reading any more of this arc.

- Remember that superhero costumes are made of materials we do not have in real life

- This is usually described as some kind of super-kevlar that provides limited protection from physical, energy, temperature, etc.

- Otherwise anyone without superhuman durability would be dead with one hit in pretty much any attack by another superhuman, and we would be running out of characters fast

Well it looks interesting thus far! And yes, I will argue its just "another event" but maybe, just maybe this will be something to pay attention to.

not excited for this. i thought cable had a memorable death,now just to bring him back, regardless if from another reality blows.

I saw Jeff Loebs name and lost interest.