These past few days have been quite polarizing for X-fan as news of the developments taking place after Secret Wars have been spewing out from every corner. Some confirmation has been given of the new line ups and the developments the X-verse will taking once 616 is restored. One of those developments appears to be Cyclops taking a hiatus from the X-books post Secret Wars, leaving mutant kind in the hands of Storm. This will come with a new direction, burden as well as relationships as Jeff Lemire reveals:

Marvel.com: What can you tell us about the members of the team? Who will be the team leader, what sort of potential conflict/s we can expect either between the members of the team?

Jeff Lemire: I can’t say too much, but something has happened to Cyclops. He is missing and mutantkind is in dire straights. It’s no longer about someone just keeping Xavier’s dream alive. Someone has to keep mutantkind alive. And Storm is the one who has stepped up to carry that burden.

Storm is a really fascinating character. She’s such a bold and powerful woman. And that can rub some people the wrong way. Magik is equally as strong willed, so those two may have a bit of tension. And of course it would not be the X-Men if I didn’t have a few new romances in the works. But I’m not spoiling those.

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The X-men Become Extraordinary

It appears the rumors at Bleeding Cool/CBR may be true as well that the Terrigen midst is poisoning mutants, which will soon lead to the "reshaped the position of both Inhumans and mutants in the Marvel Universe." On another note, we see on the cover Storm dissipating the midst revealing her new team of X-men. Which could be seen as a metaphor for the new status quo, “Still hated. Still feared. Still standing…”

What are your thoughts on the direction they are taking the X-franchise? Also if you have any updates to add please feel free to post.

This new book has me anxious and excited. I am LOVING that Storm will be leading this team and what the pivotal role this writer has planned for her. I am also liking this roster. I think this is a solid group w/ a lot of story potential. It's a bit hard for me to say much since we don't now too much at this point, but the premise of searching for their fellow X-Men in a new tumultuous world and status sounds interesting (especially still being on the brink of extinction).

What has me anxious is this status quo shake up between the mutants and inhumans. There is a chance that, depending on how things play out, these two struggling miniorities in the universe could become powerful allies or big time enemies. And with Marvel pushing the inhumans so much more these days my fear is that the X-Men may consistently get the short end of the stick and be used to prop up the inhumans, but I'll definitely give the book a chance. This sounds like something that could reignite the X-books in a different direction and in a way that would likely resonate positively with the readership.

@thunderbolt30: I was afraid of this happening as well. There are fewer books and teams emerging after SW so we can atleast conclude that the mutants will be taking a back seat. I'm just hoping we get storied that are worth the time and effort. The past few events (Bota, Will of Xavier) were not that impactful IMO. The fight for survival is what the X-men have been about for awhile now but this time I feel the fight will be more intense and daunting since we're losing a lot of big players. I am glad to see Storm a more pivotal role though and the semi return of the 2nd generation of X-men.

And of course it would not be the X-Men if I didn’t have a few new romances in the works. But I’m not spoiling those.

What? I can't think of anyone on that team having romantic feelings for one another. Storm/Kurt and Storm/Logan are the only plausible ones. Maybe they'll make Logurt(Logan and Kurt) canon ;)

Anyway, I'm worried this series will be filler leading up to some silly Inhumans vs X-Men event.

I hate the new direction. I believe in the last few years that the X-books were finally doing something that was not in their usual remit, but at the same time felt familiar. Logan was dead, Xavier was gone and here was Magneto and Cyclops on the same side, with everyone and everything against them. I'd much rather Scott, Magneto, Emma and Magik as a team than any of these. At any second they could have fallen apart, but not in a corny Avengers movie way (where everyone always seems to hate each other). Magneto and Scott had so much respect for one another, but at the same time were so fearful of one another. Plus the whole revolution story arc is just so much more interesting than watching the X-men further fall into obscurity.

The whole still hated, still feared thing? What was happening in Uncanny X-men for the last few years was the natural progression of that. I'm pretty much out with Uncanny 600. In fact the only comic in the entire new Marvel line that has any interest generated in me is Magneto's 'don't call us X-force' team, and even that is not that tantalizing (but it is more of Cullen Bunn and Magneto).

how can they just remove cyclops thats stupid

edit: just read that scott will be part of uncanny inhumans, is this true?

No cyke? Come on...... Where is the fun in this? I need young/new scott and some inhumans/mutants war or team up though i may see the latter

@martinceld: He's going to be involved with the Inhumans in some capacity. Uncanny Inhumans is probably where he'll show up.

The fact that they insist on shoving teen Jean down our throats and the unknown about the suddenly contrived out of nowhere gay Iceman, really lends itself to this being garbage.

Because that "revolution" was so consecutive and well-defined. It f@ckin challenged the whole Marvelverse... without a single plotline being actually relevant to it.

@adamtrmm: The entirety of Uncanny X-men was relevant to it - the internal struggle it leads to, how it affects relationships, how far are people and those following willing to go, how far down a path can one go without crossing a line. The rest of marvelverse didn't get affected because the X-men have not affected the rest of marvel-verse in a very long time....

I'm afraid so....

@roddy010: The guy in the bottom right looks like a Hellion rip off....

@roddy010: Maybe Inhumans and Mutants are connected in some way and Beast and Cyclops will work together with Inhuman Royal Family to help the others mutants. Also could be that Kitty Pryde is new Star-Lord or this case Star-Lady?

@sprior93: The entire brand of Inhumans is just a knock off of the mutants so this comes as no surprise. Imitation is the highest form of flattery and that Hellion cover is simply delicious.

Could be they did say that “something has occurred between mutantkind and the Inhumans. A major event has occurred which has reshaped the position of both Inhumans and mutants in the Marvel Universe and repositioned them in a different way that maybe fans aren’t used to” and that “Cyclops and a number of other prominent X-characters are missing due to this event with the Inhumans.” So it's a possibility. I'm not exactly sure about Kitty though.

Maybe Cyclops and the others are off-world trying to establish a mutant haven.

@roddy010: That could explain some things like why Scott and Beast are now with Inhumans and X-Teams are now very different. Plus Kitty isnt in any tittle and Kitty Pryde and Star-Lord were suposed married and she and Female Star-Lord also have brown hair.

How far? Besides the "saving" from governmental impotence/including the new characters into the regular cast and shamelessly naming the school with the name of a guy who was killed by the leader of said "rebellious" faction, I don't think there's anything extreme or thought provoking that can be named when one's talking about this squad. Just think about it, Cyclops. Magneto. Magik. Emma Frost. How one turns these names into counterproductive, reactive boredom is beyond me. You talk about inner struggles, to me all the struggles were resolved the second Scott laughed after Beast told him that Xavier was killed by him and mutant gene is revived. Priorities. They were clear. But in this watered down trollfest that was Bendis' UXM, there was only chaotic, reactive and counterproductive incompetence.

Thing is, Hickman himself had to write his parts of what Cyclops had in store for the upcoming armageddon, Bendis isn't even getting to explain that, that's how far behind he is, that's how pathetic this run was all along. Let me not even get started about the crappy original 5.

Bendis had the entire Marvel multiverse about to be erased, a total freedom of creativity and challenges and what did he do? What was that noteworthy development that will be remembered?

@adamtrmm: very well said

Yea.but seriously, wasted potential, lack of conflict (personal or otherwise), and a rushed resolution to the only plot even partially built upon will forever mar this run as laughable Post-AvX filler.

@adamtrmm: Cyclops' speech to Matthew Malloy was pretty good.. what was that? It didn't happen? Nevermind.

@koays said:

@adamtrmm said:

What was that noteworthy development that will be remembered?

Yea.but seriously, wasted potential, lack of conflict (personal or otherwise), and a rushed resolution to the only plot even partially built upon will forever mar this run as laughable Post-AvX filler.

lol at least Iceman is now most certainly a great character apparently.

@adamtrmm: No he's definitely not. Epic fail on that front

@hawk2916:

That wasn't a serious reply. Not sure if my cynicism was clear.

@adamtrmm: I caught it for sure. My response was for those that might be confused lol