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X-Men Milestones
X-Men: The Fall of the Mutants
The body count rises higher than ever as the X-Men and their allies face war on every front! X-Factor comes up against their deadliest challenge in Apocalypse. The New Mutants lose one of their own! And after the Marauders slaughter the Morlocks, they take on the X-Men! Collecting: New Mutants (1983) #55-61, Uncanny X-Men #220-227, X-Factor (1986) #19-26, Captain America (1968) #339, Daredevil (1964) #252, Fantastic Four (1961) #312, Incredible Hulk (1968) #340, Power Pack (1984) #35
813 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2002
17 people are currently reading
419 people want to read
About the author
Chris Claremont
3,283 books895 followersChris Claremont is a writer of American comic books, best known for his 16-year (1975-1991) stint on Uncanny X-Men, during which the series became one of the comic book industry's most successful properties.
Claremont has written many stories for other publishers including the Star Trek Debt of Honor graphic novel, his creator-owned Sovereign Seven for DC Comics and Aliens vs Predator for Dark Horse Comics. He also wrote a few issues of the series WildC.A.T.s (volume 1, issues #10-13) at Image Comics, which introduced his creator-owned character, Huntsman.
Outside of comics, Claremont co-wrote the Chronicles of the Shadow War trilogy, Shadow Moon (1995), Shadow Dawn (1996), and Shadow Star (1999), with George Lucas. This trilogy continues the story of Elora Danan from the movie Willow. In the 1980s, he also wrote a science fiction trilogy about female starship pilot Nicole Shea, consisting of First Flight (1987), Grounded! (1991), and Sundowner (1994). Claremont was also a contributor to the Wild Cards anthology series.
Claremont has written many stories for other publishers including the Star Trek Debt of Honor graphic novel, his creator-owned Sovereign Seven for DC Comics and Aliens vs Predator for Dark Horse Comics. He also wrote a few issues of the series WildC.A.T.s (volume 1, issues #10-13) at Image Comics, which introduced his creator-owned character, Huntsman.
Outside of comics, Claremont co-wrote the Chronicles of the Shadow War trilogy, Shadow Moon (1995), Shadow Dawn (1996), and Shadow Star (1999), with George Lucas. This trilogy continues the story of Elora Danan from the movie Willow. In the 1980s, he also wrote a science fiction trilogy about female starship pilot Nicole Shea, consisting of First Flight (1987), Grounded! (1991), and Sundowner (1994). Claremont was also a contributor to the Wild Cards anthology series.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews
July 20, 2023
The three X-teams, in their own 3-part adventures. It's The Uncanny X-Men Vs The Adversary, with Freedom Force and Forge… and ends with a shocking conclusion - some more classic Claremont! X-Factor face off against Apocalypse and his horsemen, Angel/Death is back, and the team make a huge public announcement!. New Mutants Vs The Animator and The Right, with Bird Boy and the Animates, and although with another a shocker of a conclusion, it's the weakest of the three stories. 7 out of 12, Three Star read.
2010 read
2010 read
August 19, 2025
As X-Men evolved into the sprawling franchise that it would later become, in the mid-1980s there was another dark crossover/non-crossover that defined the era: The Fall of the Mutants.
It wasn't really a crossover, more like a theme, as three teams had seperate climactic new status quo shakeups. The biggest part was really X-Factor, as they stopped with the mutant hunters secret identity and then fought Apocalypse as Angel became Archangel! It was one of the biggest deals that wasn't even written by Claremont. In fact, X-Factor outgrew it's rough start and became an excellent book written and illustrated by the husband and wife team of Louise and Walter Simonson. Apocalypse of course became one of the great supervillains. They even had a happy ending of sorts, saving the city and getting a parade.
This was the storyline that Marvel seemed to be promoting the most, with a lot of tie-in books not directly related to the mutants. Daredevil, Captain America, Fantastic Four, and Power Pack all interconnected. It does however make for a more inconsistent graphic novel reprint, when you really just need to read X-Factor for a satisfying contained story.
Meanwhile in Claremont's Uncanny X-Men, it was also a big deal. The team saved the whole universe, but did it in Dallas, Texas so it didn't have need all those NYC shared universe cameos. Storm got her superpowers back. A big fight with Freedom Force, and then they teamed up against the supernatural Adversary. At this time, Claremont liked writing about magic and interdimensional demons--I prefer science fiction in my superhero comics but I must admit he did a good job in the fantasy genre. (In fact, the next proper crossover would be Inferno which also had supernatural elements)
There is a brief interlude chapter in the Incredible Hulk, which isn't necessary at all but has Wolverine drawn by Todd McFarlane as the main selling point. So in the end, the X-Men "died" and came back to life while hiding out in Australia for over a year. A weird era, often inspired by the gritty style at the time, but I enjoyed it a lot as I read them all when I was a kid. And the art by Marc Silverstri was awesome.
Interestingly, Madelyne Pryor became a member of the team which was an acknowledgment of when Scott Summers left his wife. This was one of the worst, most uncharacteristic moments which I know Claremont didn't approve of but still led to interesting stories later on, both in X-Men and X-Factor. In that sense, Fall of the Mutants continues the high quality of comics that I recommend reading to understand the evolution of Marvel's mutants...
However, New Mutants weakest of the three titles. They were the only ones still living at the Mansion, but felt the least necessary to read. In their Fall of the Mutants, written by Simonson, they went on an adventure about animal hybrids on a Moreau-type island with their rather silly new member Bird Brain. The big tragedy was the death of one of them, who of course has been brought back to live long ago since then. It was sadly tragic at the time.
By the way, there were also the bigoted villains Simonson created called the The Right. Who says comics are only political today?
It doesn't feel like these three stories should be in one big graphic novel. Rather, read each one separately in their own complete editions if you can. It's admirable that crossovers weren't as editorially-controlled in those days, that you could read just one comic book and feel like that's the full story, but nowadays in reprints it's lumped together. Just something to keep in mind, but overall the epic Fall of the Mutants is very much worth rereading.
It wasn't really a crossover, more like a theme, as three teams had seperate climactic new status quo shakeups. The biggest part was really X-Factor, as they stopped with the mutant hunters secret identity and then fought Apocalypse as Angel became Archangel! It was one of the biggest deals that wasn't even written by Claremont. In fact, X-Factor outgrew it's rough start and became an excellent book written and illustrated by the husband and wife team of Louise and Walter Simonson. Apocalypse of course became one of the great supervillains. They even had a happy ending of sorts, saving the city and getting a parade.
This was the storyline that Marvel seemed to be promoting the most, with a lot of tie-in books not directly related to the mutants. Daredevil, Captain America, Fantastic Four, and Power Pack all interconnected. It does however make for a more inconsistent graphic novel reprint, when you really just need to read X-Factor for a satisfying contained story.
Meanwhile in Claremont's Uncanny X-Men, it was also a big deal. The team saved the whole universe, but did it in Dallas, Texas so it didn't have need all those NYC shared universe cameos. Storm got her superpowers back. A big fight with Freedom Force, and then they teamed up against the supernatural Adversary. At this time, Claremont liked writing about magic and interdimensional demons--I prefer science fiction in my superhero comics but I must admit he did a good job in the fantasy genre. (In fact, the next proper crossover would be Inferno which also had supernatural elements)
There is a brief interlude chapter in the Incredible Hulk, which isn't necessary at all but has Wolverine drawn by Todd McFarlane as the main selling point. So in the end, the X-Men "died" and came back to life while hiding out in Australia for over a year. A weird era, often inspired by the gritty style at the time, but I enjoyed it a lot as I read them all when I was a kid. And the art by Marc Silverstri was awesome.
Interestingly, Madelyne Pryor became a member of the team which was an acknowledgment of when Scott Summers left his wife. This was one of the worst, most uncharacteristic moments which I know Claremont didn't approve of but still led to interesting stories later on, both in X-Men and X-Factor. In that sense, Fall of the Mutants continues the high quality of comics that I recommend reading to understand the evolution of Marvel's mutants...
However, New Mutants weakest of the three titles. They were the only ones still living at the Mansion, but felt the least necessary to read. In their Fall of the Mutants, written by Simonson, they went on an adventure about animal hybrids on a Moreau-type island with their rather silly new member Bird Brain. The big tragedy was the death of one of them, who of course has been brought back to live long ago since then. It was sadly tragic at the time.
By the way, there were also the bigoted villains Simonson created called the The Right. Who says comics are only political today?
It doesn't feel like these three stories should be in one big graphic novel. Rather, read each one separately in their own complete editions if you can. It's admirable that crossovers weren't as editorially-controlled in those days, that you could read just one comic book and feel like that's the full story, but nowadays in reprints it's lumped together. Just something to keep in mind, but overall the epic Fall of the Mutants is very much worth rereading.
June 16, 2011
This is the first major comics crossover I ever read as a kid. It unfortunately has not aged too well. The first third is X-Factor. The sory and plot isn't bad, but I can't quite get into Walt Simonson's art. The second third is X-Men and features some of the first art (for Marvel at least) by Mark Silvestri. His stuff is cool, but to me has always looked like he learned to draw from fashion school. The characters usually look like they are about to have glamour photos taken. The writing here is by the cringe-worthy Chris Claremont. God, why didn't the editors step in and help touch up his horrendous dialogue? The final third is New Mutants. The story and art here are my favorite. A lot of people complain about Bret Blevins art style. I think it's amazing.
Oh, by the way, if you are actually reading this ( I write these reviews for myself to keep track of what I have recently read), I would not recommend this to anyone but old school X-Men geeks. If you are jumping into this uninitiated, you will not appreciate the stories as there is just too much to learn about all of the characters involved. Chances are, nobody reads this crap but me anyway...
Oh, by the way, if you are actually reading this ( I write these reviews for myself to keep track of what I have recently read), I would not recommend this to anyone but old school X-Men geeks. If you are jumping into this uninitiated, you will not appreciate the stories as there is just too much to learn about all of the characters involved. Chances are, nobody reads this crap but me anyway...
October 5, 2015
The first thing you’re likely to hear about FALL OF THE MUTANTS is that it would be wrong to call it a crossover. It’s actually a trio of unconnected but otherwise earth-shaking events in each of the X-books (Uncanny, New Mutants, and X-Factor) that just happen to coincide. It doesn’t even really matter in which order they are read across the two paperback volumes, especially given that the Incredible Hulk tie-in issues arrive in the wrong order.
First up is the core X-Men team, centering on Storm finally getting her powers back with aid from the mutant Forge, and something to do with a cosmic demon called the Adversary who's going to destroy the world or something. The team’s roster had been shifting heavily after MUTANT MASSACRE, and the group that comes together for this event would hold together for a considerable stretch after the world sees the group sacrifices themselves to save the world (if you’ve ever heard about the X-Men’s Australia days, this is where that starts).
The story is damn near impossible to summarize. While the X-Men have never dealt with paranormal forces quite like this, the story is far too bonkers (even more than usual) for any of the elements to find a decent footing or emotional connection. You can probably guess that the Adversary is a boring menace that will never show up again. No matter how many times they say it, “Forge is a powerful sorcerer” still sounds like a typo. Marc Silvestri’s artwork at least makes the whole strange affair great to look at.
The story featuring the New Mutants, while smaller in scale, is still very much a game changer for the team. I was worried that Birdboy would be the Jar Jar Binks of the New Mutants run. Thankfully he’s not quite that (the Demon Bear still holds the honor of series low-point in my heart), and it doesn’t look like he ever shows up again. Instead, he acts as the catalyst for a seemingly whimsical adventure that escalates into a harrowing and deadly conflict. The arc is good, once it’s past the initial silliness, and the appearance by Cameron Hodge makes it feel more relevant to the overall event.
The real history goes down in the pages of X-Factor:
The team’s PR man Cameron Hodge is revealed as an anti-mutant jerkass with a fleet of armored bad guys, as well as orchestrating the Angel’s recent demise. But that’s just the beginning as the newest big bad Apocalypse brings to bear his biggest scheme yet, featuring juiced-up mutants on robot horses and a big damn spaceship ruining everybody’s afternoon.
What makes it the biggest turning point of the lot is the big reveal that former teammate Angel is at last revealed as the horseman of death Archangel, which is telegraphed so clumsily it barely counts as a dramatic reveal. Even so, the entire story in Vol. 2 gives us a far more successful payoff to its many issues of setup compared to the X-Men’s and New Mutants’ adventures.
In fact while the X-Factor portion of the event is easily the strongest, within that I felt the fight with Apocalypse, as explosive and exciting as it is, turned out to be the weakest part of the story. Of course, as a crucial moment in X-Men history, I’m glad I finally got around to reading it myself.
Really, that goes for the whole affair. The collected editions thankfully comprise far more than the 3-4 issue arcs, but also much of the buildup to give the off-the-wall stories proper context. FALL OF THE MUTANTS, for all it’s ups and downs, blew open the X-Men universe in ways that would be felt for years after. Definitely a must-read.
First up is the core X-Men team, centering on Storm finally getting her powers back with aid from the mutant Forge, and something to do with a cosmic demon called the Adversary who's going to destroy the world or something. The team’s roster had been shifting heavily after MUTANT MASSACRE, and the group that comes together for this event would hold together for a considerable stretch after the world sees the group sacrifices themselves to save the world (if you’ve ever heard about the X-Men’s Australia days, this is where that starts).
The story is damn near impossible to summarize. While the X-Men have never dealt with paranormal forces quite like this, the story is far too bonkers (even more than usual) for any of the elements to find a decent footing or emotional connection. You can probably guess that the Adversary is a boring menace that will never show up again. No matter how many times they say it, “Forge is a powerful sorcerer” still sounds like a typo. Marc Silvestri’s artwork at least makes the whole strange affair great to look at.
The story featuring the New Mutants, while smaller in scale, is still very much a game changer for the team. I was worried that Birdboy would be the Jar Jar Binks of the New Mutants run. Thankfully he’s not quite that (the Demon Bear still holds the honor of series low-point in my heart), and it doesn’t look like he ever shows up again. Instead, he acts as the catalyst for a seemingly whimsical adventure that escalates into a harrowing and deadly conflict. The arc is good, once it’s past the initial silliness, and the appearance by Cameron Hodge makes it feel more relevant to the overall event.
The real history goes down in the pages of X-Factor:
The team’s PR man Cameron Hodge is revealed as an anti-mutant jerkass with a fleet of armored bad guys, as well as orchestrating the Angel’s recent demise. But that’s just the beginning as the newest big bad Apocalypse brings to bear his biggest scheme yet, featuring juiced-up mutants on robot horses and a big damn spaceship ruining everybody’s afternoon.
What makes it the biggest turning point of the lot is the big reveal that former teammate Angel is at last revealed as the horseman of death Archangel, which is telegraphed so clumsily it barely counts as a dramatic reveal. Even so, the entire story in Vol. 2 gives us a far more successful payoff to its many issues of setup compared to the X-Men’s and New Mutants’ adventures.
In fact while the X-Factor portion of the event is easily the strongest, within that I felt the fight with Apocalypse, as explosive and exciting as it is, turned out to be the weakest part of the story. Of course, as a crucial moment in X-Men history, I’m glad I finally got around to reading it myself.
Really, that goes for the whole affair. The collected editions thankfully comprise far more than the 3-4 issue arcs, but also much of the buildup to give the off-the-wall stories proper context. FALL OF THE MUTANTS, for all it’s ups and downs, blew open the X-Men universe in ways that would be felt for years after. Definitely a must-read.
April 4, 2007
When x-overs started to get out of control. Its three different stories, all interconected. Sort-of. X-Factor, X-Men, and New Mutants all have terrible, seminal things happen to them, and they sort of relate to one another. All decent stories, but too disjointed. And then Forge turns the X-Men into a ball of mystic energy and throws them into a giant copy of the Torah and everyone things they're dead and leave then they turn out NOT to be dead but they don't tell anyone because that will be all secret-agent and shit. Yeah.
August 10, 2016
It's the X-Factor issues that really bring this story alive with the art by Walt Simonson so the second half of the volume is really great and a lot of fun - looks amazing too.
The first half has some weaknesses but soldier on - it's worth the effort.
The first half has some weaknesses but soldier on - it's worth the effort.
July 15, 2022
I just love the X-Men!
July 27, 2020
I liked this less than I expected to, honestly. Fall of the Mutants is the second big Marvel Crossover event, but, unlike Mutant Massacre, there's very little overlap in the stories, here. This is a crossover more in tone or theme than in action. X-Factor are dealing with the realization that Hodge might, in fact, be a bigot working against them. Shocking. Certainly nobody saw *that* coming. This also introduced Apocalypse and the Four Horseman, and gives Angel a pretty huge change. These are probably the strongest issues, by far.
The second section deals with the X-Men, who end up divided, following the Mutant Massacre. They believe that the Mauraders are still out to get them (which is true), so Storm heads out looking for Forge to get her powers back while Wolverine leads the remaining X-Men (Longshot and Dazzler, who join the team at some point off panel, Betsy Braddock, Rogue, Havok, and Madelyn Prior; Colossus is recovering from his paralysis, Kitty is slowly regaining her physical form, and Nightcrawler, sadly, is still in a coma). The X-Men issues mostly have them kind of wandering around a bit, getting to know each other, fighting the Mauraders again, and, eventually, setting out looking for Storm, before facing The Adversary. While these issues will directly lead to the X-Men ending up over in the Outback (probably my favorite era of X-Men?), reading these now feels a little disjointed. They're not bad, but the story isn't as tightly paced as the X-Factor issues, and the cast don't totally mesh during this arc. The disconnect between X-Factor and X-men feels especially weird during this arc; Havok and Cyclop's wife, Maddy, are bouncing around with the X-Men, Wolverine *thinks* Jean Grey might be back, having detected her scent a couple of times during the Fall of the Mutants, but none of the X-Men think to check in with X-Factor during that event or this one? It's a little weird. Overall, the X-Men section isn't bad, but the Storm/Adversary sections are *SO* verbose, and it feels very out of character how easily the Adversary is able to manipulate Storm to his ends (also, the kiss is weird...).
Lastly, the New Mutants end up disobeying Magneto and heading out to tackle the Ani-Mater (eye roll) who ends up having a connection to Hodge. These were, to me, some of the weakest issues. Maybe it's because I never grew up with the New Mutants, but I found the artwork extremely off-putting. These issues do connect more directly with the X-Factor issues in that Hodge shows up and the team has to stop him, which results in his apparent demise when his plane goes down, but the general arc here is pretty silly. Sam takes alien drugs and the team has to save him from being killed by aliens who are jealous that Lila Cheny is interested in him? Poor Doug gets killed in a spectacularly silly scene that is supposed to be dramatic, and then Magneto ends up looking like an actual lunatic, despite more or less being right.
The other tie-in issues are mostly bad. The Captain America and Hulk issues don't add anything to the arc, really. The Power Pack issue is fine, but, again, doesn't add anything. The Daredevil issue deals with the bedlam that breaks out in Hell's Kitchen as a result of the events in X-Factor, which is kind of neat, but, again, there's just not much direct connection to the larger story, so having it here feels like padding.
One thing that was kind of neat but that basically *never* comes back up again: this is probably the first and only time the X-Men and X-Factor are unambiguously seen as heroes by the larger world. X-Factor get a freaking *parade* through NYC, and the X-Men are followed around by an NPR reporter as they sacrifice their lives to save the world. Kind of a shame that the world basically immediately forgets that they were heroes, but such is the life of a mutant in the 616.
Recommended for serious fans of the classic X-Men. This is a HUGE tome (and, really, I think I'd have preferred whatever issues Longshot joined the team in, instead of the Cap, Hulk, Powerpack, and Daredevil issues).
The second section deals with the X-Men, who end up divided, following the Mutant Massacre. They believe that the Mauraders are still out to get them (which is true), so Storm heads out looking for Forge to get her powers back while Wolverine leads the remaining X-Men (Longshot and Dazzler, who join the team at some point off panel, Betsy Braddock, Rogue, Havok, and Madelyn Prior; Colossus is recovering from his paralysis, Kitty is slowly regaining her physical form, and Nightcrawler, sadly, is still in a coma). The X-Men issues mostly have them kind of wandering around a bit, getting to know each other, fighting the Mauraders again, and, eventually, setting out looking for Storm, before facing The Adversary. While these issues will directly lead to the X-Men ending up over in the Outback (probably my favorite era of X-Men?), reading these now feels a little disjointed. They're not bad, but the story isn't as tightly paced as the X-Factor issues, and the cast don't totally mesh during this arc. The disconnect between X-Factor and X-men feels especially weird during this arc; Havok and Cyclop's wife, Maddy, are bouncing around with the X-Men, Wolverine *thinks* Jean Grey might be back, having detected her scent a couple of times during the Fall of the Mutants, but none of the X-Men think to check in with X-Factor during that event or this one? It's a little weird. Overall, the X-Men section isn't bad, but the Storm/Adversary sections are *SO* verbose, and it feels very out of character how easily the Adversary is able to manipulate Storm to his ends (also, the kiss is weird...).
Lastly, the New Mutants end up disobeying Magneto and heading out to tackle the Ani-Mater (eye roll) who ends up having a connection to Hodge. These were, to me, some of the weakest issues. Maybe it's because I never grew up with the New Mutants, but I found the artwork extremely off-putting. These issues do connect more directly with the X-Factor issues in that Hodge shows up and the team has to stop him, which results in his apparent demise when his plane goes down, but the general arc here is pretty silly. Sam takes alien drugs and the team has to save him from being killed by aliens who are jealous that Lila Cheny is interested in him? Poor Doug gets killed in a spectacularly silly scene that is supposed to be dramatic, and then Magneto ends up looking like an actual lunatic, despite more or less being right.
The other tie-in issues are mostly bad. The Captain America and Hulk issues don't add anything to the arc, really. The Power Pack issue is fine, but, again, doesn't add anything. The Daredevil issue deals with the bedlam that breaks out in Hell's Kitchen as a result of the events in X-Factor, which is kind of neat, but, again, there's just not much direct connection to the larger story, so having it here feels like padding.
One thing that was kind of neat but that basically *never* comes back up again: this is probably the first and only time the X-Men and X-Factor are unambiguously seen as heroes by the larger world. X-Factor get a freaking *parade* through NYC, and the X-Men are followed around by an NPR reporter as they sacrifice their lives to save the world. Kind of a shame that the world basically immediately forgets that they were heroes, but such is the life of a mutant in the 616.
Recommended for serious fans of the classic X-Men. This is a HUGE tome (and, really, I think I'd have preferred whatever issues Longshot joined the team in, instead of the Cap, Hulk, Powerpack, and Daredevil issues).
April 16, 2021
Well, I want to catch up on past X-Men events, so this is the earliest and shortest of the milestones I haven't read. And though it's called "Fall of the Mutants," it's deceptively brutal. This isn't actually one event, but three mini-events with the same theme: Devastation. So, let's see how each one did.
X-Men by Chris Claremont and Marc Silvestri
Since this trade only focuses on the three Fall of the Mutants issues, there's a lot that feels missing, but the core of it is still there. The X-Men go to Dallas to find Storm, and while there, the Adversary rips a hole in the sky. Meanwhile, Storm and Forge are playing Adam and Eve on their very own Earth, but they know they need to return to the real Earth. But in order to stop the Adversary from destroying the world, the X-Men all have to sacrifice themselves.
The entire time, they're also teaming up with Mystique's "Freedom Force," a bunch of former Brotherhood villains working for the government. During their team-up, the two teams develop a true respect for each other, which is especially important since Mystique is Rogue's mom. And then Mystique watched on TV, unable to help, as Rogue and the other X-Men sacrifice themselves. When Forge emerges from the ruins and she starts screaming "Murderer!", it is painful. Even if Mystique is evil, it's heartwrenching.
New Mutants by Louise Simonson and Bret Blevins
What in the hell? This starts like such an innocent, corny comic book story. The New Mutants want to help their friend Bird-Brain free other anamorphic creatures from the mad scientist The Animator. Somehow, this ends up with Doug Ramsey getting shot as he jumps in front of Wolfbane, and dies. Yeah. Talk about escalation. But that's not even the end. When they get home, Magneto, their teacher after Xavier "died," is furious with them, blaming himself and Xavier and the team for Doug's death. To make matters worse, Illyana, who just watched one of her friends die, watches on TV as her brother Colossus dies. This story arc? This is when the New Mutants lose their innocence. More like, when it's completely ripped from their souls.
X-Factor by Louise and Walt Simonson
The first appearance of Archangel! When the X-Men take on Apocalypse, he pretty much just smacks them around for a bit while his horsemen attack Manhattan. During it, Beast is undergoing a metamorphosis. The Horseman Pestilence cursed him so that the more physical strength he exerts, the more intellect he loses, and the stronger he gets. By the end, he's...well, he's incredibly strong. Apocalypse also tricks him into sending his ship cartwheeling through Manhattan, destroying building after building before they can finally get it to stop in the Hudson and cause even more catastrophic damage.
Though they defeat Apocalypse and even gain the respect of New York for the first time, things aren't that simple. Warren is off on his own, now deformed by Apocalypse. Cyclops has no idea that his brother just died, or that his wife, Madeline Pryor, was still alive...and now dead. Plus, his son (CABLE!) is still alive somewhere. And Apocalypse? He wanted X-Factor to have the ship. He didn't flee so much as he left it behind. With Caliban betraying the X-Factor, and his remaining Horsemen gathered, Apocalypse just watches, waiting for his next move as X-Factor's literally paraded through the streets of New York, thinking they won the day.
So yeah, Fall of the Mutants indeed. Tragedy after Tragedy. At least one character in each book loses a family member because of the Adversary. Magik loses Colossus, Mystique loses Rogue, and Cyclops loses Havok and Madelyne. A hero everyone picked on, Doug Ramsey, died for his friends. Magneto thinks he's a complete failure. The world believes the X-Men are dead (Roma made it so they could fake their deaths). And the X-Factor are clueless about Apocalypse's plans. The X-office at the time really did get together and just use these characters like punching bags.
X-Men by Chris Claremont and Marc Silvestri
Since this trade only focuses on the three Fall of the Mutants issues, there's a lot that feels missing, but the core of it is still there. The X-Men go to Dallas to find Storm, and while there, the Adversary rips a hole in the sky. Meanwhile, Storm and Forge are playing Adam and Eve on their very own Earth, but they know they need to return to the real Earth. But in order to stop the Adversary from destroying the world, the X-Men all have to sacrifice themselves.
The entire time, they're also teaming up with Mystique's "Freedom Force," a bunch of former Brotherhood villains working for the government. During their team-up, the two teams develop a true respect for each other, which is especially important since Mystique is Rogue's mom. And then Mystique watched on TV, unable to help, as Rogue and the other X-Men sacrifice themselves. When Forge emerges from the ruins and she starts screaming "Murderer!", it is painful. Even if Mystique is evil, it's heartwrenching.
New Mutants by Louise Simonson and Bret Blevins
What in the hell? This starts like such an innocent, corny comic book story. The New Mutants want to help their friend Bird-Brain free other anamorphic creatures from the mad scientist The Animator. Somehow, this ends up with Doug Ramsey getting shot as he jumps in front of Wolfbane, and dies. Yeah. Talk about escalation. But that's not even the end. When they get home, Magneto, their teacher after Xavier "died," is furious with them, blaming himself and Xavier and the team for Doug's death. To make matters worse, Illyana, who just watched one of her friends die, watches on TV as her brother Colossus dies. This story arc? This is when the New Mutants lose their innocence. More like, when it's completely ripped from their souls.
X-Factor by Louise and Walt Simonson
The first appearance of Archangel! When the X-Men take on Apocalypse, he pretty much just smacks them around for a bit while his horsemen attack Manhattan. During it, Beast is undergoing a metamorphosis. The Horseman Pestilence cursed him so that the more physical strength he exerts, the more intellect he loses, and the stronger he gets. By the end, he's...well, he's incredibly strong. Apocalypse also tricks him into sending his ship cartwheeling through Manhattan, destroying building after building before they can finally get it to stop in the Hudson and cause even more catastrophic damage.
Though they defeat Apocalypse and even gain the respect of New York for the first time, things aren't that simple. Warren is off on his own, now deformed by Apocalypse. Cyclops has no idea that his brother just died, or that his wife, Madeline Pryor, was still alive...and now dead. Plus, his son (CABLE!) is still alive somewhere. And Apocalypse? He wanted X-Factor to have the ship. He didn't flee so much as he left it behind. With Caliban betraying the X-Factor, and his remaining Horsemen gathered, Apocalypse just watches, waiting for his next move as X-Factor's literally paraded through the streets of New York, thinking they won the day.
So yeah, Fall of the Mutants indeed. Tragedy after Tragedy. At least one character in each book loses a family member because of the Adversary. Magik loses Colossus, Mystique loses Rogue, and Cyclops loses Havok and Madelyne. A hero everyone picked on, Doug Ramsey, died for his friends. Magneto thinks he's a complete failure. The world believes the X-Men are dead (Roma made it so they could fake their deaths). And the X-Factor are clueless about Apocalypse's plans. The X-office at the time really did get together and just use these characters like punching bags.
August 12, 2022
In a late 1980s semi-crossover event, The Fall of the Mutants story appeared in Uncanny X-Men, X-Factor, and The New Mutants. While thematically tied together as earth-shaking events for each group of mutants, the stories did not intertwine (though events in each are mentioned in the others). They could be read separately without loosing the continuity of storytelling but they are offered as a group in a trade paperback.
In Uncanny X-Men, the X-Men (led by Wolverine and featuring Colossus, Havok, Rogue, Psylocke, Dazzler, and Longshot) go to Dallas, Texas, where they search for their missing leader Storm. They go to Eagle Tower, a building that's home to Forge, a mutant whose ability is to construct technology. He and Storm have escaped to another dimension where they hope to get Storm's powers back. But in the normal world, Dallas is falling into chaos. Dinosaurs, prehistoric men, Native Americans, and humans from the future are pouring in and fight with each other and with the current-day Texans. If that was not enough, another group of mutants called the Freedom Force have shown up to arrest the X-Men. Freedom Force is led by Mystique and includes a lot of former Brotherhood of Evil Mutants members. So the two teams are natural opponents until they realize the bigger problems they all face. Then they cooperate to fix things. The story is fairly epic but suffers from the excessive verbosity of Claremont and the retreading of the same themes (X-Men as oppressed, misunderstood outsiders) with nothing new to show. I found it only mildly interesting, more like reading a re-run than a new story.
In The New Mutants, Magneto is in charge of Xavier's School, though the children are quite rebellious even though at this point in the story Magneto is a good guy. Most of the mutant children head off with Bird Brain, a half-human/half-bird that wants to return to his home and free the other animal-hybrids living there. They have all been created by a mad scientist who wants to build a slave race to menial work, freeing regular humans for the good life. The battle is very hard and costs one of the Mutants' lives. The roster of mutants was mostly unfamiliar to me so the story wasn't as impactful. Otherwise it was a fine adventure.
In X-Factor, the classic X-Men (Jean Grey, Cyclops, Beast, Iceman) face off against Apocalypse and his Four Horsemen who are about to wipe out Manhattan. Apocalypse has a surprise fourth Horseman--former X-man Angel, whom he has refashioned with new metal wings and named Death. The mutants spend their time fighting and getting angsty over whether mutants and humans can live together in peace. Apocalypse doesn't think they can live in peace so he is making war on humans to drive the two groups farther apart. The X-Men make the argument that mutants are humans too, though they have a hard time convincing the humans of the X-Men's humanity. Things work out in the end without any really earthshaking changes, other than the return of Angel and an upbeat ending for the downtrodden group.
The group I knew the least about, the New Mutants, had the most interesting story. They play hooky to help a friend and get embroiled in a plot that is almost too big for them. The story had some suspense and a different, more fatherly take on Magneto. The other stories are fine but did not have the substance I was looking for. They were more like typical stories than milestones.
Mildly recommended.
In Uncanny X-Men, the X-Men (led by Wolverine and featuring Colossus, Havok, Rogue, Psylocke, Dazzler, and Longshot) go to Dallas, Texas, where they search for their missing leader Storm. They go to Eagle Tower, a building that's home to Forge, a mutant whose ability is to construct technology. He and Storm have escaped to another dimension where they hope to get Storm's powers back. But in the normal world, Dallas is falling into chaos. Dinosaurs, prehistoric men, Native Americans, and humans from the future are pouring in and fight with each other and with the current-day Texans. If that was not enough, another group of mutants called the Freedom Force have shown up to arrest the X-Men. Freedom Force is led by Mystique and includes a lot of former Brotherhood of Evil Mutants members. So the two teams are natural opponents until they realize the bigger problems they all face. Then they cooperate to fix things. The story is fairly epic but suffers from the excessive verbosity of Claremont and the retreading of the same themes (X-Men as oppressed, misunderstood outsiders) with nothing new to show. I found it only mildly interesting, more like reading a re-run than a new story.
In The New Mutants, Magneto is in charge of Xavier's School, though the children are quite rebellious even though at this point in the story Magneto is a good guy. Most of the mutant children head off with Bird Brain, a half-human/half-bird that wants to return to his home and free the other animal-hybrids living there. They have all been created by a mad scientist who wants to build a slave race to menial work, freeing regular humans for the good life. The battle is very hard and costs one of the Mutants' lives. The roster of mutants was mostly unfamiliar to me so the story wasn't as impactful. Otherwise it was a fine adventure.
In X-Factor, the classic X-Men (Jean Grey, Cyclops, Beast, Iceman) face off against Apocalypse and his Four Horsemen who are about to wipe out Manhattan. Apocalypse has a surprise fourth Horseman--former X-man Angel, whom he has refashioned with new metal wings and named Death. The mutants spend their time fighting and getting angsty over whether mutants and humans can live together in peace. Apocalypse doesn't think they can live in peace so he is making war on humans to drive the two groups farther apart. The X-Men make the argument that mutants are humans too, though they have a hard time convincing the humans of the X-Men's humanity. Things work out in the end without any really earthshaking changes, other than the return of Angel and an upbeat ending for the downtrodden group.
The group I knew the least about, the New Mutants, had the most interesting story. They play hooky to help a friend and get embroiled in a plot that is almost too big for them. The story had some suspense and a different, more fatherly take on Magneto. The other stories are fine but did not have the substance I was looking for. They were more like typical stories than milestones.
Mildly recommended.
March 11, 2021
The Fall of the Mutants is a real mixed bag. Three stories told across three different titles that are connected less through shared events and more by an overall sense of loss. They also vary in quality, and really need to be tackled individually.
Chris Claremont's trio of X-Men issues starts the book on uneven footing. Claremont did enjoy his occasional forays into mysticism, and this is probably the worst product of that tendency he'd yet produced. The story is hard to follow because it really doesn't make much sense. With few exceptions, character development takes a backseat to dire cataclysmic stuff that feels unearned.
A battle between the X-Men and Freedom Force ends very abruptly and suddenly Pyro is rushing to rescue citizens from rampaging dinosaurs. Forge comes off as unrelatable and a walking plot device. The potential sacrifice of the X-Men's lives is handled almost flippantly. There's just not much to like here.
New Mutants fares much better. I don't love Bret Blevins' artwork, but it's passable, and Louise Simonson puts some great work in after taking over from Claremont. The setup here is a little hokey and reminiscent of The Island of Dr. Moreau, but the story pays off in spades. The team is hit with a genuine tragedy as Cypher , and the resulting fallout sees the team forced to grow up quickly while Magik struggles to control her nature and Magneto's grip on his more villainous tendencies begins to weaken.
We close out with X-Factor. These issues are highly relevant to the X-Men's history, featuring the debut of Angel's new form and a first scrap with prominent antagonist Apocalypse. Cyclops and Jean Grey's relationship takes a new turn and X-Factor's purpose and standing sees a big shift. But the writing here isn't terribly strong. You're reading to watch these important events unfold, not because the text is gripping.
So where does all of that leave us with this volume? I would definitely recommend The Fall of the Mutants to any X-Men fan. There's some good material here sandwiched between weaker stuff, and the book is loaded with events that would have a major impact on the X-Men moving forward. But if you're not specifically interested in the X-Men, you could probably skip this read and be no worse off for it.
Chris Claremont's trio of X-Men issues starts the book on uneven footing. Claremont did enjoy his occasional forays into mysticism, and this is probably the worst product of that tendency he'd yet produced. The story is hard to follow because it really doesn't make much sense. With few exceptions, character development takes a backseat to dire cataclysmic stuff that feels unearned.
A battle between the X-Men and Freedom Force ends very abruptly and suddenly Pyro is rushing to rescue citizens from rampaging dinosaurs. Forge comes off as unrelatable and a walking plot device. The potential sacrifice of the X-Men's lives is handled almost flippantly. There's just not much to like here.
New Mutants fares much better. I don't love Bret Blevins' artwork, but it's passable, and Louise Simonson puts some great work in after taking over from Claremont. The setup here is a little hokey and reminiscent of The Island of Dr. Moreau, but the story pays off in spades. The team is hit with a genuine tragedy as Cypher , and the resulting fallout sees the team forced to grow up quickly while Magik struggles to control her nature and Magneto's grip on his more villainous tendencies begins to weaken.
We close out with X-Factor. These issues are highly relevant to the X-Men's history, featuring the debut of Angel's new form and a first scrap with prominent antagonist Apocalypse. Cyclops and Jean Grey's relationship takes a new turn and X-Factor's purpose and standing sees a big shift. But the writing here isn't terribly strong. You're reading to watch these important events unfold, not because the text is gripping.
So where does all of that leave us with this volume? I would definitely recommend The Fall of the Mutants to any X-Men fan. There's some good material here sandwiched between weaker stuff, and the book is loaded with events that would have a major impact on the X-Men moving forward. But if you're not specifically interested in the X-Men, you could probably skip this read and be no worse off for it.
September 26, 2023
Dzięki serii Egmonty pt. Punkty Zwrotne polski czytelnik ma szansę zapoznać się z najważniejszymi wydarzeniami w długiej już historii X-men. W tym przypadku jest to niejako kontynuacja historii zawartej w poprzednim tomie pt. X-Men: Punkty zwrotne. Masakra mutantów, więc o ile tam idzie się nieco pogubić, bo wrzucają nas na głęboką wodę, tak tutaj można już wiedzieć nieco więcej.
Przede wszystkim należy pamiętać, że równoległe działa tu kilka grup mutantów, których interesy albo się przenikają, albo są sprzeczne co prowadzi do konfliktów. Claremont to pisarz kultowy, który odcisnął swoje piętno na wielu seriach. Jego historie są przepełnione wartką akcją oraz sporą dozą rozmów, okraszoną oldskulowa już grafiką.
Raz mutanci pod wodzą Mistique stoczą bój z ekipą X-Factor, czyli Wolverine'm i spółką, w czasie którego dojdzie do większego wydarzenia i zaburzeń czasoprzestrzennych przez co wrogie sobie ekipy będą musiały połączyć siły. To pierwszy wątek. Drugi skupi się na ekipie młodych New Mutants, którzy próbują pomóc zwierzokształtnym istotom, którymi zarządza pewien szpakowaty doktorek.
Nawiązania do wyspy dr. Moreau są tu oczywiste. Zaskakuje za to widok Magneto, który przejął po Xavierze schedę po szkole dla mutantów. Nie przeszkadza mu to w byciu nadal członkiem klubu Hellfire. Niemniej zależy mu na dzieciakach, a te pakują się w kabałę, która może kosztować ich życie.
Trzecim i ostatnim wątkiem jest starcie klasycznych, pierwszych mutantów ze Scottem Summersem na czele z samym Apokalipsem i jego czterema jeźdźcami. Widok jednego z nich zmrozi naszych bohaterów, ale zagrożenie jest jak najbardziej realne. Też nie obędzie się bez ofiar. Zaskakująco smutny ostatni zeszyt daje do myślenia.
"Upadek mutantów" to klasyk, który wypada znać i każdemu wielbicielowi marki wypada po prostu mieć tę serię. Ja się do tej grupy nie zaliczam, aczkolwiek czerpałem przyjemność z samej lektury. Z każdą stroną czuć też jednak też nieco naftalinę, więc trzeba się na to nastawić, że nie obejrzycie zjawiskowej kreski z wodotryskami. Jest jednak klasyczna szkoła, która pomimo upływu lat też ma swój urok.
Przede wszystkim należy pamiętać, że równoległe działa tu kilka grup mutantów, których interesy albo się przenikają, albo są sprzeczne co prowadzi do konfliktów. Claremont to pisarz kultowy, który odcisnął swoje piętno na wielu seriach. Jego historie są przepełnione wartką akcją oraz sporą dozą rozmów, okraszoną oldskulowa już grafiką.
Raz mutanci pod wodzą Mistique stoczą bój z ekipą X-Factor, czyli Wolverine'm i spółką, w czasie którego dojdzie do większego wydarzenia i zaburzeń czasoprzestrzennych przez co wrogie sobie ekipy będą musiały połączyć siły. To pierwszy wątek. Drugi skupi się na ekipie młodych New Mutants, którzy próbują pomóc zwierzokształtnym istotom, którymi zarządza pewien szpakowaty doktorek.
Nawiązania do wyspy dr. Moreau są tu oczywiste. Zaskakuje za to widok Magneto, który przejął po Xavierze schedę po szkole dla mutantów. Nie przeszkadza mu to w byciu nadal członkiem klubu Hellfire. Niemniej zależy mu na dzieciakach, a te pakują się w kabałę, która może kosztować ich życie.
Trzecim i ostatnim wątkiem jest starcie klasycznych, pierwszych mutantów ze Scottem Summersem na czele z samym Apokalipsem i jego czterema jeźdźcami. Widok jednego z nich zmrozi naszych bohaterów, ale zagrożenie jest jak najbardziej realne. Też nie obędzie się bez ofiar. Zaskakująco smutny ostatni zeszyt daje do myślenia.
"Upadek mutantów" to klasyk, który wypada znać i każdemu wielbicielowi marki wypada po prostu mieć tę serię. Ja się do tej grupy nie zaliczam, aczkolwiek czerpałem przyjemność z samej lektury. Z każdą stroną czuć też jednak też nieco naftalinę, więc trzeba się na to nastawić, że nie obejrzycie zjawiskowej kreski z wodotryskami. Jest jednak klasyczna szkoła, która pomimo upływu lat też ma swój urok.
October 21, 2020
Fall of the mutants is actually based on 3 separate events which all have huge repercussions on the X teams of this time. They are not really related or tied to each other, but each have devastating effects on their respective teams.
First up is the main X-Men team who are battling a supernatural enemy named the Adversary. This guy is super powerful and can, from what I can tell, reshape reality and bend the rules of physics without issue. Now I say "from what I can tell" because at times, this story is batshit insane. There's the fact that the Adversary merged with Forge at one point, the fact that there is a hole in the middle of the sky which is tearing reality apart, the fact that the X-Men sacrifice themselves (but not really), and more. There is a lot of stuff that happens in this story and to be honest, not all of it is cohesive. But it is entertaining for the most part, but can drag at times.
Next is the New Mutants and the death of Doug Ramsey. This one was pretty poignant and a big deal for the team overall. The story and circumstances that lead to his death are... kind of out there however. Basically the team has a member that is half bird, and this half bird dude takes them to his island of origin where a Dr. Moreau-type is making human/animal hybrids. This guy is so over the top that I felt it took away a bit from the overall impact of the story, but in the end, Doug sacrifices himself leaving the team with the emotional fallout of such a loss. Really good stuff at the end.
Lastly, and most strikingly, is the first attack from Apocalypse and the corruption of Warren Worthington. This is a huge storyline for the X-Men. Not only because of the first appearance of Apocalypse, but because Angel will be Archangel for quite some time after. The character of Angel is changed forever, not only physically, but his characterization and the way people will write him from here on out.
This series of books is appropriately named as there are some major milestones in these. This one gives you three for one. A must read for X-Men fans!
First up is the main X-Men team who are battling a supernatural enemy named the Adversary. This guy is super powerful and can, from what I can tell, reshape reality and bend the rules of physics without issue. Now I say "from what I can tell" because at times, this story is batshit insane. There's the fact that the Adversary merged with Forge at one point, the fact that there is a hole in the middle of the sky which is tearing reality apart, the fact that the X-Men sacrifice themselves (but not really), and more. There is a lot of stuff that happens in this story and to be honest, not all of it is cohesive. But it is entertaining for the most part, but can drag at times.
Next is the New Mutants and the death of Doug Ramsey. This one was pretty poignant and a big deal for the team overall. The story and circumstances that lead to his death are... kind of out there however. Basically the team has a member that is half bird, and this half bird dude takes them to his island of origin where a Dr. Moreau-type is making human/animal hybrids. This guy is so over the top that I felt it took away a bit from the overall impact of the story, but in the end, Doug sacrifices himself leaving the team with the emotional fallout of such a loss. Really good stuff at the end.
Lastly, and most strikingly, is the first attack from Apocalypse and the corruption of Warren Worthington. This is a huge storyline for the X-Men. Not only because of the first appearance of Apocalypse, but because Angel will be Archangel for quite some time after. The character of Angel is changed forever, not only physically, but his characterization and the way people will write him from here on out.
This series of books is appropriately named as there are some major milestones in these. This one gives you three for one. A must read for X-Men fans!
December 25, 2020
Fall of the Mutants (1987) sisälsi kolme samaan aikaan tapahtuvaa mutta erillistä tarinakokonaisuutta, jotka pöyhöttivät Ryhmä-X-universumia. En viitsi sanoa "mullisti", koska mutanttirintamalla tyypillisesti sattuu ja tapahtuu, ja Ryhmä-X:n kokoonpano vaihtelee jatkuvasti.
Ryhmä-X:n (The Uncanny X-Men) osuudessa Ryhmä-X ottaa Dallasissa matsia Vapausvoiman ja jonkun melko pitkäveteisen intiaanishamaanin kanssa. Matsin päätteeksi Ryhmä-X "kuolee" eli eivät ne mitenkään oikeasti kuole vaan teleporttaavat vain kadoksiin ja muuttavat Australiaan jättäen kaverinsa suremaan. Juonenkäänteessä ei ole kauheasti järkeä, eikä se kuulu minusta Chris Claremontin parhaimmistoon, vaikka X-miesten "Australian-kaudelta" syntyi muutamia aivan kelvokkaita tarinoita. Lyijykynämiehenä toimi tähän aikaan Marc Silvestri, joka on eräänlainen köyhän miehen John Romita Jr. Silvestrin piirrosjälki on kepeä ja silmiä miellyttävä, mutta kuvista puuttuu Romitan selkeys. Silvestrin kuvat tuntuvat Romitaan verrattuina täyteen ahdetuilta ja jotenkin suttuisilta, ellei suttuisuus sitten ole tussimiehen (Dan Green) vika. ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Uusien Mutanttien (The New Mutants) osuudessa Ryhmä-X:n nuoriso-osasto taistelee hullua tiedemiestä vastaan. Tarina olisi täysin yhdentekevä, ellei Doug Ramsay eli Koodi ottaisi kesken tappelun osumaa luodista ja kuolisi. Teinimutantin kuolema tuottaa tarinaan dramatiikkaa, joka nostaa sen unohduksen alhoista. Bret Blevinsin (lyijykynät) ja Terry Austinin (tussit) kuvituksissa ei ole valittamista. ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Tekijä-X (X-Factor) ottaa omassa tarinassaan matsia Tuhoa (Apocalypse) vastaan. On pakko sanoa, ettei tuho todellakaan ole koskaan ollut suosikkini X-miesten vihollisista. Vaikka superrosvolle on rakennettu taustatarina, joka alkaa jo muinaisesta Egyptistä, Walter Simonsonin (lyijykynät) ja Bob Wiacekin (tussit) huolimattomissa piirroksissa Tuho näyttää lähinnä joltakin transformerilta. Tarinan parhaita kohtia on, kun paljastuu, että Tekijä-X:n kuolleeksi luullusta jäsenestä Enkelistä on tullut yksi Tuhon neljästä ratsumiehestä, uudelta nimeltään Kuolema. Kuolemalla on siistit kyberneettiset siivet, joista voi ampua teräviä metallisulkia. Kuten arvata saattaa, Enkeli vaihtaa kesken taistelun puolta ja palaa Tekijä-X:n jäseneksi. Tekijä-X nauttii tarinan lopussa suurta kansansuosiota, vaikka taistelun tuoksinassa olivat tulleet tiputtaneeksi kivitalon kokoisen avaruusaluksen New York Cityyn. Tätä tarinaa ei olisi voinut julkaista 11.9.2001 jälkeen!!! Tekijä-X myös luopuu jo alun alkaenkin käsittämättömästä peitetarinastaan, jonka mukaan mutanttisankarit olisivat muka mutantinmetsästäjiä. ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Näitä sarjakuvia lukiessa täytyy pitää mielessä, ettei niitä ole kirjoitettu keski-ikäisille keskiluokkaisille konttorirotille vaan kouluikäisille pojille ja tytöille.
Ryhmä-X:n (The Uncanny X-Men) osuudessa Ryhmä-X ottaa Dallasissa matsia Vapausvoiman ja jonkun melko pitkäveteisen intiaanishamaanin kanssa. Matsin päätteeksi Ryhmä-X "kuolee" eli eivät ne mitenkään oikeasti kuole vaan teleporttaavat vain kadoksiin ja muuttavat Australiaan jättäen kaverinsa suremaan. Juonenkäänteessä ei ole kauheasti järkeä, eikä se kuulu minusta Chris Claremontin parhaimmistoon, vaikka X-miesten "Australian-kaudelta" syntyi muutamia aivan kelvokkaita tarinoita. Lyijykynämiehenä toimi tähän aikaan Marc Silvestri, joka on eräänlainen köyhän miehen John Romita Jr. Silvestrin piirrosjälki on kepeä ja silmiä miellyttävä, mutta kuvista puuttuu Romitan selkeys. Silvestrin kuvat tuntuvat Romitaan verrattuina täyteen ahdetuilta ja jotenkin suttuisilta, ellei suttuisuus sitten ole tussimiehen (Dan Green) vika. ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Uusien Mutanttien (The New Mutants) osuudessa Ryhmä-X:n nuoriso-osasto taistelee hullua tiedemiestä vastaan. Tarina olisi täysin yhdentekevä, ellei Doug Ramsay eli Koodi ottaisi kesken tappelun osumaa luodista ja kuolisi. Teinimutantin kuolema tuottaa tarinaan dramatiikkaa, joka nostaa sen unohduksen alhoista. Bret Blevinsin (lyijykynät) ja Terry Austinin (tussit) kuvituksissa ei ole valittamista. ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Tekijä-X (X-Factor) ottaa omassa tarinassaan matsia Tuhoa (Apocalypse) vastaan. On pakko sanoa, ettei tuho todellakaan ole koskaan ollut suosikkini X-miesten vihollisista. Vaikka superrosvolle on rakennettu taustatarina, joka alkaa jo muinaisesta Egyptistä, Walter Simonsonin (lyijykynät) ja Bob Wiacekin (tussit) huolimattomissa piirroksissa Tuho näyttää lähinnä joltakin transformerilta. Tarinan parhaita kohtia on, kun paljastuu, että Tekijä-X:n kuolleeksi luullusta jäsenestä Enkelistä on tullut yksi Tuhon neljästä ratsumiehestä, uudelta nimeltään Kuolema. Kuolemalla on siistit kyberneettiset siivet, joista voi ampua teräviä metallisulkia. Kuten arvata saattaa, Enkeli vaihtaa kesken taistelun puolta ja palaa Tekijä-X:n jäseneksi. Tekijä-X nauttii tarinan lopussa suurta kansansuosiota, vaikka taistelun tuoksinassa olivat tulleet tiputtaneeksi kivitalon kokoisen avaruusaluksen New York Cityyn. Tätä tarinaa ei olisi voinut julkaista 11.9.2001 jälkeen!!! Tekijä-X myös luopuu jo alun alkaenkin käsittämättömästä peitetarinastaan, jonka mukaan mutanttisankarit olisivat muka mutantinmetsästäjiä. ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Näitä sarjakuvia lukiessa täytyy pitää mielessä, ettei niitä ole kirjoitettu keski-ikäisille keskiluokkaisille konttorirotille vaan kouluikäisille pojille ja tytöille.
September 1, 2024
X-Men Milestones: Fall Of The Mutants, calificación 3/5 estrellas.
El libro cuenta con The UNCANNY X-MEN #225 -227, The NEW MUTANTS #59-61 y X-FACTOR (Vol. 1) #24-26. "caída de los mutantes". Por Chris Claremont y Lois Simonson que escribió la mayoría del libro con 6 números en total y uno fue doble.
Claremont escribió X-Men donde la gente piensa que que murieron los Hombres X igual que cuando enfrentaron a Magneto en un volcán. Hubo una historia aburrida de Storm y Forge.
Lois Simonson escribió New Mutants y X-Factor, donde muere Doug de los nuevos muntante y en X-FACTOR Aparace Warren Worrington III como Death.
Los Ilustradores fueron Walter Simonson, Marc Silvestri e Bret Blevins me gustó el arte por eso le di 3 estrellas.
En realidad no son grandes historias, por lo que decían los fans creí que eran buenas pero no. Las historias están lejos de la la cúspide de The X-Men que fue de los issues #108-143 donde el arte y tramas de John Byrne convirtió al libro X-Men en verdadera leyenda.
El libro cuenta con The UNCANNY X-MEN #225 -227, The NEW MUTANTS #59-61 y X-FACTOR (Vol. 1) #24-26. "caída de los mutantes". Por Chris Claremont y Lois Simonson que escribió la mayoría del libro con 6 números en total y uno fue doble.
Claremont escribió X-Men donde la gente piensa que que murieron los Hombres X igual que cuando enfrentaron a Magneto en un volcán. Hubo una historia aburrida de Storm y Forge.
Lois Simonson escribió New Mutants y X-Factor, donde muere Doug de los nuevos muntante y en X-FACTOR Aparace Warren Worrington III como Death.
Los Ilustradores fueron Walter Simonson, Marc Silvestri e Bret Blevins me gustó el arte por eso le di 3 estrellas.
En realidad no son grandes historias, por lo que decían los fans creí que eran buenas pero no. Las historias están lejos de la la cúspide de The X-Men que fue de los issues #108-143 donde el arte y tramas de John Byrne convirtió al libro X-Men en verdadera leyenda.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 8, 2025
first xmen let's go!!!
I really liked uncanny xmen issues. it was the best. new mutants was boring af. x-factor was okay I guess but only bc of the characters.
uncanny xmen: fighting chaos 💥
x-factor: fighting apocalypse 💥
new mutants: fighting a mammoth💨
uncanny's drawings and storyline were great. I already love the characters. the ending was solid and I'm so curious what happened next. Maddie's and Rogue & Raven's scenes were quite emotional. storm ve forge'u adem ve havva yapmak istemesine patladım. the racism in the old comics (/media generally) always catches me off guard bc those scenes about indigenous Americans... omg
unto the new mutants. hated the characters. they were dumb af. hated the story. it was boring af. hated the drawing. why do they all look 10 pounds about to die of starvation?!
x-factor was okay bc of the gang but didn't like apocalypse. he was too simple and soft.
I really liked uncanny xmen issues. it was the best. new mutants was boring af. x-factor was okay I guess but only bc of the characters.
uncanny xmen: fighting chaos 💥
x-factor: fighting apocalypse 💥
new mutants: fighting a mammoth💨
uncanny's drawings and storyline were great. I already love the characters. the ending was solid and I'm so curious what happened next. Maddie's and Rogue & Raven's scenes were quite emotional. storm ve forge'u adem ve havva yapmak istemesine patladım. the racism in the old comics (/media generally) always catches me off guard bc those scenes about indigenous Americans... omg
unto the new mutants. hated the characters. they were dumb af. hated the story. it was boring af. hated the drawing. why do they all look 10 pounds about to die of starvation?!
x-factor was okay bc of the gang but didn't like apocalypse. he was too simple and soft.
October 24, 2023
When is an Omnibus not an Omnibus? When it is the Fall Of The Mutants oversized hardcover. Clocking in at over 800 pages, this beast is an Omnibus in all but name as far as I'm concerned. While past trade paperback collections only collected the three main tie-in issues of each of the X-titles (9 issues total), reading that book felt like coming in 15 minutes late to a movie. The set up had already occurred and you spent the rest of the time trying to play catch up. This book goes in the opposite direction, adding so much of the set up that the plot sometimes feels lost by the time that you get there. It basically reads best in thirds (X-Factor and assorted tie-ins, Uncanny X-Men, and New Mutants).
The only issues that I bought when they originally came out were The Uncanny X-Men and Power Pack ones, and I honestly didn't feel like I was missing anything since this crossover didn't jump across each title. In all honesty, these crossovers and the emerging new breed of artists like Marc Silverstri soured me on the hobby. I was dropping comics throughout 1989, until by late 1989 or early 1990 I was done until Marvel Masterworks sucked me back in a dozen years ago. Look at me now...
Silverstri's layouts and storytelling ability are clear, but his artwork just leaves me cold. Wolverine was now the leader of the team and becoming overly wordy and heroic. Psylocke was still a British telepath. This was before that racist, Jim Lee, would change her into an Asian ninja. Can you imagine if someone today changed the ethnicity of an Asian character into a Caucasian? All Hell would break loose! I enjoyed the battle with Freedom Force, the Government-sanctioned renamed New Brotherhood Of Evil Mutants. This was back when Wolverine battling Sabretooth was exciting and new. Now it is as common as a cold and would cause me to fall asleep.
This was one of those “things will never be the same again!” type crossovers, back when those were still fresh and not the boring cliche which fans suffer through one after another after another. Storm gets her powers back, The X-Men “die”, and Cypher gets killed over in The New Mutants. Oops, quarter century old spoilers. Speaking of that title, going from June Brigman's clean, beautiful artwork to Brett Blevins' super-stylized art is jarring to say the least.
This was a pleasant enough trip down memory lane, back to the old world when things seemed to make more sense. I was 13 and 14 when this crossover went down. The Uncanny X-Men were one of my favorites back then. Now they are dead to me, ruined by careless writers. This book holds up well enough today and is better than anything currently being published with a 'X' in the title.
The only issues that I bought when they originally came out were The Uncanny X-Men and Power Pack ones, and I honestly didn't feel like I was missing anything since this crossover didn't jump across each title. In all honesty, these crossovers and the emerging new breed of artists like Marc Silverstri soured me on the hobby. I was dropping comics throughout 1989, until by late 1989 or early 1990 I was done until Marvel Masterworks sucked me back in a dozen years ago. Look at me now...
Silverstri's layouts and storytelling ability are clear, but his artwork just leaves me cold. Wolverine was now the leader of the team and becoming overly wordy and heroic. Psylocke was still a British telepath. This was before that racist, Jim Lee, would change her into an Asian ninja. Can you imagine if someone today changed the ethnicity of an Asian character into a Caucasian? All Hell would break loose! I enjoyed the battle with Freedom Force, the Government-sanctioned renamed New Brotherhood Of Evil Mutants. This was back when Wolverine battling Sabretooth was exciting and new. Now it is as common as a cold and would cause me to fall asleep.
This was one of those “things will never be the same again!” type crossovers, back when those were still fresh and not the boring cliche which fans suffer through one after another after another. Storm gets her powers back, The X-Men “die”, and Cypher gets killed over in The New Mutants. Oops, quarter century old spoilers. Speaking of that title, going from June Brigman's clean, beautiful artwork to Brett Blevins' super-stylized art is jarring to say the least.
This was a pleasant enough trip down memory lane, back to the old world when things seemed to make more sense. I was 13 and 14 when this crossover went down. The Uncanny X-Men were one of my favorites back then. Now they are dead to me, ruined by careless writers. This book holds up well enough today and is better than anything currently being published with a 'X' in the title.
December 21, 2023
Better than the Mutant Massacre but not as cohesive a single story, this volume really contains three mega stories: X-Men fighting the Adversary to save the universe from chaos; X-Factor fighting Apocalypse and his Horsemen to save America from a mutant genocide of humans; and New Mutants fighting the Ani-Mator to defend a group of animates (genetically manipulated man-beasts) from destruction that has something to do with the new anti-mutant human group, the Right.
The X-Men stories and the X-Factor stories are pretty solid. The New Mutant story is pretty silly. But the best bit in the Fall of the Mutants is the side Dare Devil story that explores what happens when chaos runs.
The X-Men stories and the X-Factor stories are pretty solid. The New Mutant story is pretty silly. But the best bit in the Fall of the Mutants is the side Dare Devil story that explores what happens when chaos runs.
December 11, 2020
A tad dated, but several important gaps filled in my X-reading: the death of New Mutant Doug, first skirmishes with Apocalypse, first Archangel appearance. Art was solid, much better than X-tinction agenda. Calling this a crossover event is a bit of a stretch: each arc is kind of self-contained, with a few slim connections made in a few panels which come off as unnecessary.
April 17, 2020
Τι να πρωτοκράξω; Σενάριο; Διαλόγους; Το σχέδιο στα τεύχη των New Mutants ή το γεγονός ότι δεν υπάρχει καμία ουσιαστική σύνδεση μεταξύ των ιστοριών των τριών διαφορετικών τίτλων; Τουλάχιστον είναι κάπως καλύτερα από τα 70s τεύχη.
February 15, 2022
Solid stories and artwork but this isn't really a crossover or event in any real way. What these are three seperate, very big X-Men, New Mutants and X-Factor stories. Of the three I'd say X-Factor is the strongest and New Mutants the weakest.
October 5, 2023
One of the many many many "existential threat to mutantkind" X-Men crossovers, and arguably the worst one. This volume is saved by great art throughout, and a decent X-Factor section of the crossover.
January 18, 2025
Three mostly unconnected stories with little importance except for a few plot twists. These stories could all have been better written and more fleshed out - and they have not aged all that well.
These stories did not feel like milestones.
These stories did not feel like milestones.
August 31, 2019
The art on The New Mutants is SO bad. I mean it, Brett Bevins is just awful. But these stories are classics. Glad I found these.
April 17, 2020
Dialogue is better than older X issues but still cheesy enough. The three different stories (X-Men, New Mutants and X-Factor) don't really come together but whatever...
May 4, 2021
It's the 80's man! And it shows on the writing, but if you are like me and like the cheesy lines and story it's a great comic.
December 15, 2021
Xmen é mt foda
December 16, 2024
yet another dark one; tons went wrong for just about everyone. love me some x-men, and apocalypse is such a great villain.
February 26, 2009
This is a crossover event that is missing the crossing over. There is some awareness of the other storylines, but the three sections can be read separately. Basically the three X-Titles, Uncanny X-Men, X-Factor, and New Mutants, all face dire consequences and events and the end result is they all face big status quo changes. Status quo changes: good; storylines that get you there: ...
Uncanny X-Men #225-227
This finally wraps up the first Life Death story. The fun thing to watch with Claremont, is his unfolding of storylines over many many years. This unfortunately isn't one of his grander ones, but it is alright. I at least liked Forge. And the changes for Colossus was surprisingly needed. However all the events that take place in Dallas don't get executed well. From the Freedom Force fight to the... other things. Also the newscast deal tries to pull some strings. I think it at least half worked on me last time... I don't know why. This time it just felt like it was trying too hard. Also Maddie was hard to fathom.
Marc Silvestri does the art. As I have stated I like this older stuff better than the little I've seen of his more detailed newer art. However I can't say anything in these three issues really jumped out at me. He's also one of those artists where all the characters look exactly the same, especially the women... It gets kinda boring.
X-Factor #24-26
And this kinda concludes all of the events in X-Factor to date. There is a lot of good potential here, that really gets distracted by poor dialogue. You get told way too much of what you already know or can see in the picture. And even besides those points the dialogue just didn't work. The changes to the status quo were long desired though, so now hopefully this book can move on.
Walt Simonson does respectable work here, but there were a couple panel progressions that could kinda screw up the reader. Also, regardless of their being married, it just felt like Louise and Walt weren't really on the same page creatively. Or after the page was made she felt she needed to rework things through the dialogue. Either way this also didn't help the dialogue/script.
New Mutants #59-61
Shortly before this Claremont bowed out of the writing duties for Louise Simonson to step into yet another title. I wish Claremont had stuck with it, but I am guessing part of the reason for this is the upcoming Excalibur title, and perhaps a few other jobs I don't know about. Regardless the transition isn't perfect. None of her initial storylines picked me up and this one is the culmination of one of those. But then this book takes a turn when the New Mutants are forced to grow up much quicker than you'd expect. The later inclusion of The Right does actually work for the story, however, due to the contrast between the youth and the hate. However it is The Right that should have executed the act that would mature the Mutants not... whatever that guy's name was (the fact that I didn't just go and look it up is a bad thing). Also the Mutants all dealing with the "event" isn't entirely subtle, but it's the best character stuff Simonson has done to this point. Anyways, the book leaves you with a very new direction for the Mutants, so I shall see where it goes.
Bret Blevins has taken over art for the book and isn't bad. His work on Uncanny shortly before this struck me as terrible, but I am just finding his style doesn't work for an adult team. However for a youth team it works well. Quite cartoony. But consistent. And I've gotten used to it now.
Uncanny X-Men #225-227
This finally wraps up the first Life Death story. The fun thing to watch with Claremont, is his unfolding of storylines over many many years. This unfortunately isn't one of his grander ones, but it is alright. I at least liked Forge. And the changes for Colossus was surprisingly needed. However all the events that take place in Dallas don't get executed well. From the Freedom Force fight to the... other things. Also the newscast deal tries to pull some strings. I think it at least half worked on me last time... I don't know why. This time it just felt like it was trying too hard. Also Maddie was hard to fathom.
Marc Silvestri does the art. As I have stated I like this older stuff better than the little I've seen of his more detailed newer art. However I can't say anything in these three issues really jumped out at me. He's also one of those artists where all the characters look exactly the same, especially the women... It gets kinda boring.
X-Factor #24-26
And this kinda concludes all of the events in X-Factor to date. There is a lot of good potential here, that really gets distracted by poor dialogue. You get told way too much of what you already know or can see in the picture. And even besides those points the dialogue just didn't work. The changes to the status quo were long desired though, so now hopefully this book can move on.
Walt Simonson does respectable work here, but there were a couple panel progressions that could kinda screw up the reader. Also, regardless of their being married, it just felt like Louise and Walt weren't really on the same page creatively. Or after the page was made she felt she needed to rework things through the dialogue. Either way this also didn't help the dialogue/script.
New Mutants #59-61
Shortly before this Claremont bowed out of the writing duties for Louise Simonson to step into yet another title. I wish Claremont had stuck with it, but I am guessing part of the reason for this is the upcoming Excalibur title, and perhaps a few other jobs I don't know about. Regardless the transition isn't perfect. None of her initial storylines picked me up and this one is the culmination of one of those. But then this book takes a turn when the New Mutants are forced to grow up much quicker than you'd expect. The later inclusion of The Right does actually work for the story, however, due to the contrast between the youth and the hate. However it is The Right that should have executed the act that would mature the Mutants not... whatever that guy's name was (the fact that I didn't just go and look it up is a bad thing). Also the Mutants all dealing with the "event" isn't entirely subtle, but it's the best character stuff Simonson has done to this point. Anyways, the book leaves you with a very new direction for the Mutants, so I shall see where it goes.
Bret Blevins has taken over art for the book and isn't bad. His work on Uncanny shortly before this struck me as terrible, but I am just finding his style doesn't work for an adult team. However for a youth team it works well. Quite cartoony. But consistent. And I've gotten used to it now.
December 18, 2014
X-Factor. I'm generally not a fan of Louise Simonson's X-Men work, but these arcs are quite good. The story of Cameron Hodge and the Right is a nice bit of betrayal that underlines the human/mutant conflict while offering it in a very in-your-face way, and the lead-in to Apocalypse is nicely intertwined. The Apocalypse story proper is also quite good — both for how much it sets up the ideas of Apocalypse that have been used in the decades since and for how it makes a real change in X-Factor. [7+/10] My only complaint is the lack of issue #17, which was referred to so often that it should have been included.
I was less thrilled by all the crossovers. It's nice to have them all together, but none of them are that good, so they're mainly a nice excuse to see Marvel of the '80s, with a warped FF, a gray hulk, an American-less Captain, and a semi-comprehensible Daredevil (with the crossover issue actually being one of Nocenti's better stories). [5/10].
X-Men. It's interesting to see how much Claremont's writing has changed since the Byrne era. Just 6 or 7 years previous he was writing one or two-part comic stories that were very innovative. Now he's settled into his characters and is writing deeper stories that border on soap opera. I like both eras of writing, though this is the one that's ultimately more familiar to me. My only real complaint is the increasingly self-parodic dialogue.
Anywho, the Adversary storyline that's at the heart of the X-Men's Fall isn't my favorite, because he's such a one-dimensional villain and is pretty far out of the heart of X-Men storytelling. Nonetheless, the Adversary storyline has a terrific ending that really opened up the story possibilities in the years that followed. Meanwhile, the Marauders storyline that threads through the early issues is quite good. It's good to see their return and to get at least some hints of motivation.
I must say I'm somewhat befuddled by the X-Men's abrupt decision to settle in San Francisco. Maybe I'll understand it more when a collection that runs between the Massacre and Fall of the Mutants has finally been published! It's the only notable gap in Claremont's later work at this point. [7/10]
New Mutants. Sigh.
So Louise Simonson had big shoes to fill when she started writing the New Mutants, which had been Claremont's baby since its inception, five years previous. And perhaps she thought the answer was to leave behind his thoughtful, human drama and replace it with teenybopper humor. But the result is horrible.
In the first issues we have: "don't do drugs just to be cool", which could have been a superhero Afterschool Special (55); a return to the Hellions that I"d appreciate for the continuity if it weren't so badly written (56); Birdboy's hijinks at the mall (57); and Birdboy gets a burger (58). Did I mention that Simonson's first big addition to the cast was Birdboy!? [2/10]
The actual Fall of the Mutants story is better. Sure, it's pretty much The Island of Dr. Moreau, but Simonson makes it more interesting when she brings in the Right, then the cast death turns things on their head, and offers the chance for some strong characterization in the last issue (61). Unfortunately, there's still too much silliness in the writing, and some of it's quite heavy-handed, such as the sudden change in direction in the last two panels, complete with ugly new costumes [5/10].
Overall, the X-Men is the strong light of this volume, but X-Factor is surprisingly good (minus the crossovers), while New Mutants is a big let-down, but gets better as it goes.
I was less thrilled by all the crossovers. It's nice to have them all together, but none of them are that good, so they're mainly a nice excuse to see Marvel of the '80s, with a warped FF, a gray hulk, an American-less Captain, and a semi-comprehensible Daredevil (with the crossover issue actually being one of Nocenti's better stories). [5/10].
X-Men. It's interesting to see how much Claremont's writing has changed since the Byrne era. Just 6 or 7 years previous he was writing one or two-part comic stories that were very innovative. Now he's settled into his characters and is writing deeper stories that border on soap opera. I like both eras of writing, though this is the one that's ultimately more familiar to me. My only real complaint is the increasingly self-parodic dialogue.
Anywho, the Adversary storyline that's at the heart of the X-Men's Fall isn't my favorite, because he's such a one-dimensional villain and is pretty far out of the heart of X-Men storytelling. Nonetheless, the Adversary storyline has a terrific ending that really opened up the story possibilities in the years that followed. Meanwhile, the Marauders storyline that threads through the early issues is quite good. It's good to see their return and to get at least some hints of motivation.
I must say I'm somewhat befuddled by the X-Men's abrupt decision to settle in San Francisco. Maybe I'll understand it more when a collection that runs between the Massacre and Fall of the Mutants has finally been published! It's the only notable gap in Claremont's later work at this point. [7/10]
New Mutants. Sigh.
So Louise Simonson had big shoes to fill when she started writing the New Mutants, which had been Claremont's baby since its inception, five years previous. And perhaps she thought the answer was to leave behind his thoughtful, human drama and replace it with teenybopper humor. But the result is horrible.
In the first issues we have: "don't do drugs just to be cool", which could have been a superhero Afterschool Special (55); a return to the Hellions that I"d appreciate for the continuity if it weren't so badly written (56); Birdboy's hijinks at the mall (57); and Birdboy gets a burger (58). Did I mention that Simonson's first big addition to the cast was Birdboy!? [2/10]
The actual Fall of the Mutants story is better. Sure, it's pretty much The Island of Dr. Moreau, but Simonson makes it more interesting when she brings in the Right, then the cast death turns things on their head, and offers the chance for some strong characterization in the last issue (61). Unfortunately, there's still too much silliness in the writing, and some of it's quite heavy-handed, such as the sudden change in direction in the last two panels, complete with ugly new costumes [5/10].
Overall, the X-Men is the strong light of this volume, but X-Factor is surprisingly good (minus the crossovers), while New Mutants is a big let-down, but gets better as it goes.
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