 |
With over 4500 Issue Summaries now online, chances are you may not have read the following Issue Summary:
Excalibur (1st series) # 29
So why not go read it now.
|
|
Storm can not only control air currents, but she discovered that she can control both solar wind and ocean currents, although it’s much more straining for her than manipulating regular weather patterns. [Uncanny X-Men #99, X-Men Unlimited (2nd series) # 6] - Submitted by Greg Lichodolik
|
| |
|
| |
Author : Ruth
| Last Modified : Sep 01, 2005 |
| 
In the Ultimate universe, familiar characters and concepts are modernized for a new audience. Starting from scratch, the characters and their histories are easier to understand, unencumbered by decades of continuity.
Here, too, a telepathic idealist named Charles Xavier founded a school to teach young mutants the use of their powers and to fight for a world that hates and fears them. Here, too, Xavier’s main opponent was his former best friend, Magneto, who formed a Brotherhood of Mutants to ensure that mutants inherit the Earth. While the threat of Magneto is neutralized for the moment and the X-Men are working closer with the government, being a mutant in these times is still dangerous.
Regular Creative Team: Brian Vaughan (writer), Stuart Immonen (penciler)
Current Team Members
 Professor Charles Francis Xavier
Powers: enormous mental strength gives him alpha-level telepathic abilities, allowing him to read minds, project his thoughts at others, stun others into paralysis or unconsciousness, and manipulate perceptions, memories and thought processes as well as minor telekinetic abilities to levitate himself or other objects
Notes:
- Professor Xavier is not above telepathically manipulating people – possibly including his students – for the sake of his ideals.
- Charles was crippled by Magneto, after the two had a “falling out.“
- Xavier faked Magneto’s death in front of thousands of witnesses in order to rehabilitate him with a new personality, which led to trouble after Magneto regained his old personality. Even though Magneto is in jail now, Xavier hasn’t given up on reforming his oldest friend.
- Charles had a relationship with Emma Frost, a former student who believes in a more pacifist mutant lifestyle.
 Angel (Warren Worthington)
Powers: peak human strength, speed, agility, endurance, reflexes, eyesight, and hearing, hollow bone structure, zero body fat in his body, feathered wings allowing flight
Notes:
- Born a visible mutant Warren was despised by his millionaire parents and raised in seclusion by servants.
- Warren is an inexperienced and reluctant fighter.
- Warren had his wings injured during the team’s illicit attempt to save Longshot. After he shouldered the blame for the bidden mission as well, he has now earned the affection of Dazzler.
 Colossus (Piotr Nikolaievitch Rasputin)
Powers: exotic carbon-polymer flesh gives him enhanced strength and can reorganize its structure with a charge of bio-energy so that his entire body transforms into organic steel, increasing his strength, speed and endurance while making him virtually indestructible and capable of surviving without air
Notes:
- Colossus used to work for the Russian mob to feed his family.
- Piotr is apparently gay and in love with one of his teammates. The identity of that person has not yet been revealed. It may possibly be Wolverine whom he feels very close to.
 Cyclops (Scott Summers)
Powers: to absorb ambient energy from his environment (such as sunlight and electricity) and store it within his body‘s cells, metabolizing the energy in order to open a dimensional aperture through his eyes to unleash an exotic form of energy as heatless blasts of concussive force
Notes:
- Cyclops is worried about Marvel Girl’s lack of control over her growing powers.
- Cyclops is estranged from his elder brother Alex. After Scott joined Xavier’s they never talked to each other again until recently. Now, however, he is disappointed once more as Alex chose to leave with Emma Frost rather than stay with the X-Men.
- Apparently Scott’s first relationship was with Lorna Dane, Alex’s current flame.
 Dazzler (Alison Blaire)
Powers: convert sonic vibrations into various forms of photovoltaic energy, including photon pulses, laser beams, hard-light holographic illusions, destructive force fields, light fog, hypnotic bursts of light, and levitation
Notes:
- A punk rock singer, Dazzler wasn’t interested in the mutant cause, only in getting a record contract which Emma Frost promised her.
- After the Sentinel attack Alison had no place to go and is staying with the X-Men for the time being.
- Despite missing team practice sessions and claiming that she doesn’t really want to be part of the team, Alison does seem to have a loyal streak as far as the team is concerned.
- Recently she hooked up with Angel.
 Iceman (Robert Drake)
Powers : manipulates subzero energy to freeze his environment or cool and condense moisture into ice that he can form and shape at will
Notes:
- Iceman was the youngest X-Man (before Kitty and Rogue joined).
- As he is rather cocky Xavier demoted him to the junior group despite his experience, something that doesn’t sit well with Bobby.
- Bobby had his heart broken by Rogue who left him for Gambit and partially blames Kitty for their troubles. He briefly hooked up with Kitty, but couldn’t let go of Rogue
 Marvel Girl (Jean Grey)
Powers: dual psionic potential gives her telepathic abilities to sense, broadcast and detect thought patterns, alter the physical or mental perceptions of others, manipulate the functions of the human body, and telekinetic abilities to levitate herself or other objects, propel or manipulate them however she wishes, and generate concussive bursts and protective shields
Notes:
- After a passionate affair with Wolverine, Jean is now happily going steady with Cyclops.
- Jean used to suffer from hallucinations before she met Xavier, who found her in a mental asylum.
- Jean recently was possessed by a nigh-omnipotent “Phoenix God,“ which put its mark on her. She now believes that this was merely a delusion and that she has her immense, growing psychic abilities under control. However, there keep on being episodes where her behavior or power is out of control.
 Nightcrawler (Kurt Wagner)
Powers: peak human agility and reflexes, prehensile tail, teleportation, control over the inter-atomic bonding between molecules allows him to cling to any surface
Notes:
- Kurt used to be a prisoner of the Weapon X project, but unlike other captured mutants never forsook his principles.
- Nightcrawler recently joined the X-Men in the aftermath of Magneto’s attempt to exterminate humanity.
 Shadowcat (Kitty Pryde)
Powers: generates magnetic repulsion within her body to become ephemeral, allowing her to pass through solid objects, walk on thin air, utilize her magnetic distortion to scramble electronic systems, and extend her intangibility to anything she touches
Notes:
- Recently Kitty hooked up with Iceman but their relationship broke apart over his still existing feelings for Rogue.
- Kitty has now started dating Spider-Man.
 Storm (Ororo Munroe)
Powers : psychically linked to the weather patterns of Earth, allowing her to command meteorological energy patterns to raise or lower temperature levels, direct air currents as hurricane-force winds, a pressure dome that can deflect attacks, or to maneuver herself through the sky, excite electron particles to call down lightning bolts, or fire electrical blasts from her fingertips, and summon clouds as fog cover or in order to bring forth precipitation such as rain, snow, sleet, and hail, alter her body temperature to compensate for weather conditions
Notes:
- Storm originally hails from Morocco and used to be a car thief before she was recruited by Marvel Girl.
- Devastated by Beast’s death, with whom she had been in an on-and-off relationship, Storm has dramatically changed her look. While she shortly sported a negative attitude to boot, she has now become more responsible.
- Storm has fallen for Wolverine who has, however, rejected her, and has chosen to follow him when he left the team full of self-loathing.
- Storm has a past with Deathstrike, a former fellow car-thief whom she injured heavily in self-defense. Since then Yuriko has hooked up with Weapon X and wants revenge on Storm.
 Wolverine (Logan / James Howlett)
Powers: accelerated cellular regeneration augments his natural strength, speed, agility, endurance, and reflexes, expands his perceptions to give him animal-like senses, and grants him an accelerated healing factor that can stave off poisons, suppress the aging process and repair damages cells and tissue within minutes, three retractable claws made of razor tipped and extremely dense bone extend from each forearm through the back of his hand, adamantium metal has been surgically bonded to his skeleton and claws to make them virtually unbreakable
Notes:
- Logan used to be an agent of the Weapon X Program, where his memories were taken away. Recently he has been shown a wedding ring belonging to him, proof that he once was married.
- Wolverine was originally sent by Magneto to assassinate Xavier – he has, however, since come to believe in Xavier’s dream.
- Dejected over Rogue’s rejection of him, Wolverine has left the team but returned when Storm’s life was in danger.
Former Members
 Rogue (Marian)
Powers: metabolize someone's essence through physical contact, temporarily absorbing and duplicating their memories, skills and special powers
Notes:
- Rogue was a prisoner of the Weapon X project and later, bitterly, joined the Brotherhood of Mutants.
- Xavier pulled some strings to allow her to attend his school, after she proved herself by helping during the meltdown Magneto was trying to cause.
- Rogue broke off her relationship with Iceman and left with Gambit.
- After Gambit was lethally injured in a battle with Juggernaut Rogue kissed him a last time and seems to have permanently absorbed him. She is now on the run and confused.
Supporting Cast
 Emma Frost
Powers: transform her body into indestructible organic diamond
Notes:
- A former lover of Xavier’s Emma Frost prefers a more pacifist alternative to the X-Men.
 Gambit (Remy LeBeau)
Powers: convert an object's stored potential energy into explosive kinetic energy upon contact
Notes:
- A former abused child Gambit became a runaway surviving on thieving, begging and his charms.
- Gambit proved to have a heroic side when he saved a child from the killer Hammerhead.
- After having control problems with his powers Gambit was recruited and helped by the von Struckers. When he realized they weren’t playing fair with Rogue, he sided with the girl.
- In Las Vegas Gambit was lethally injured by Juggernaut. Before dying he asked Rogue for a last kiss. As a result he now “lives on” in her mind.
 Havok (Alex Summers)
Powers: absorb cosmic energy, such as starlight, x-rays, and gamma rays, then metabolize them into plasma wave discharges that can be used for concussive impact, to heat and destroy objects, or as a burst of thrust to launch him into the air
Notes:
- Cyclops elder brother has a bad relationship with Scott, possibly partially due to the fact that Scott is the former boyfriend of Alex’s current flame Lorna Dane.
- Alex joined Emma Frost’s government sponsored program and is now a member of her teenage mutant team alongside Lorna.
Recent events (up to #61)
In the aftermath of Magneto’s attempt to kill humanity, the X-Men started to work closer with Nick Fury’s Ultimates and the US government, basically being given semi-official recognition. That didn’t mean an end to their problems. Weapon X was still after Wolverine, Jean Grey kept on experiencing trouble with her growing power and the government slowly tried to disassociate itself from Xavier’s group by creating another mutant group sponsored by Xavier’s former lover, Emma Frost. She invited Beast as well as Cyclops’ brother Alex and punk rock singer Dazzler to be part of that group. At the President’s behest SHIELD agent Karma joined as well. The conspirators behind the Weapon X attack felt their hand was being forced and planned to kill that mutant group during its press conference, accepting that the president would likely perish as well.
The X-Men intervened when the new group was attacked by Sentinels, but tragedy struck as Beast was killed. Following Beast’s death his teammates had a rough time coping. Especially his erstwhile girlfriend Storm underwent a startling transformation changing her look dramatically and sporting a more aggressive attitude. Rogue left the team with the mutant thief Gambit and Wolverine left as well after some harsh accusations by Rogue. Storm who had developed feelings for him followed.
Some time later Kitty alerted the X-Men to a reality show with the theme of having mutant criminals being hunted to death on the island Krakoa. Xavier sent one team of X-Men to Genosha to learn if the current mutant victim Longshot - convicted of the murder of a pro-mutant Genoshan politician - was or wasn’t innocent. This cautious approach didn’t sit well with the X-Men left behind and, egged on by Dazzler, they stole an X-jet to fly to Krakoa and save Longshot. With Angel left behind, Dazzler, Colossus and Nightcrawler met up with the thankful Longshot. However, at that point they learned that Angel had been taken hostage by the show’s producer Mojo Adams. Together with Longshot they saved Angel and the team helped Longshot escape from the island.
Unfortunately, the team on Genosha had in the meantime run into Longshot’s ex-lover, a six-armed woman named Spiral. After a fight they learned that Longshot was a psychopath who was indeed guilty of murdering the politician out of a jealous rage as Spiral had chosen the other man over him. Xavier was furious over the way the other team had conducted itself and only Angel stepping up to take the blame probably saved Dazzler from being expelled. Out of gratitude Alison hooked up with Angel, while Kitty and Bobby have gotten over their differences to apparently do the same.
In the meantime Charles Xavier ran into trouble in a bank. First he learned that the estate of the late Sebastian Shaw had frozen his assets, then said bank was attacked by mutant Siamese twins who needed money to finance their sister’s operation. Xavier found that the twins were immune to his telepathy. However, with the help of the human bystanders he managed to best the twins and enlisted their help as underground agents in exchange for help promised to their sister.
Storm caught up with Wolverine in Canada, just as her past caught up with her. Her former mentor as a thief, Yuriko, who at one point tried to kill her, had been turned into a killing machine by the remnants of the Weapon X project led by Dr. Cornelius. Together Wolverine and Storm managed to beat Yuriko, just as Storm managed to get over her guilt and they both returned to the team.
Fed up with Iceman’s indecisiveness towards her and Rogue Kitty has asked Spider-man for a date. Surprisingly the notion worked and they now want to see more of each other.
For another X-Man tragedy struck: Trying to attack Fenris holdings in Las Vegas Rogue and Gambit ran afoul of the Juggernaut who was obsessed with Rogue. During the battle Gambit perished, but not before he asked for a last kiss. Rogue complied, but seems to have absorbed his powers and memories permanently as a result. After a last confused phonecall to Iceman she went on the run again.
In the meantime at Emma Frost’s school things went crazy as the magnetic power of one of Emma’s students, Polaris, suddenly inexplicably went out of control in public causing the loss of several lives. Feeling Lorna was too dangerous SHIELD took her into custody. Unfortunately they only have one cell that can neutralize Polaris’ power – a cell that already has an inhabitant… Magneto who is looking very much forward to having a “pupil”…
You can also read the detailed issue summaries of Ultimate X-Men here at the site.
These are Marvel’s preview texts for the next issues:
| |  | Ultimate X-Men #62 (August)
“Magnetic North” part 2 (of 5)
The master of magnetism is proving to be just as deadly and manipulative within his cell as he was while a free man. And now Magneto has set his sights on the young mutant Alex Summers – the effect on the team of X-Men will be devastating. |  | Ultimate X-Men #63 (September)
“Magnetic North” part 3 (of 5)
It’s mutant against mutant—brother against brother—as Cyclops and his X-Men risk their lives to take down the young man known as Havok, who has unwittingly become a pawn in Magneto’s deadly game. Plus, an unexpected appearance by another hero from the Ultimate Universe turns the dangerous situation from bad to worse. |  | Ultimate X-Men #64 (October)
“Magnetic North” part 4 (of 5)
The Ultimates guest-star in the Ultimate X-Men’s most earth-shattering adventure! It’s all-out war inside the Triskelion, as multiple factions of mutants battle against Captain America and his teammates. At stake—the final fate of the master of magnetism—Magneto! |  | Ultimate X-Men #65 (November)
“Magnetic North” part 5 (of 5)
It’s the shocking conclusion to the Ultimate X-Men’s biggest adventure. In a story that pits brother against brother, friend against friend, it’s Magneto versus the X-Men in final battle—inside the Ultimates headquarters, the Triskelion! |
|
Back
| | |
[To the Top]
| | |
|
