uncanny x-men #500: sfx

For as long as they've existed, the X-Men have protected a world that hates and fears them. Now with mutantkind reduced to a few hundred, they've fled their former school and rededicated themselves to the survival of their species at all costs.
- Uncanny X-Men #500

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The aftermath of the Messiah CompleX left the world without the X-Men with Cyclops deciding to disband the group right after the traitorous Bishop missed his original target (Cable and the baby) and accidentally shot Xavier in the head.

However, unknown to the rest of the X-Men, Cyclops commanded Wolverine to reform the black-ops team, X-Force (Warpath, Wolfsbane and X-23). Their task is to do what the X-Men can never do - kill.

Not long after, Cyclops and Emma Frost came rushing to San Francisco after receiving a call from Angel. Martinique Wygarde, the daughter of the first Mastermind, has transformed the city into how it was back in the 60s. Fortunately, Frost manages to defeat her and shatter the illusion the confused mutant had created. Amidst the commotion, it turned out that Angel managed to rescue the mayor of San Francisco from being hit by a truck. The winged mutant brought the politician to Cyclops and Emma Frost, and this meet up led to the announcement that the X-Men will be leaving the Institute in Salem Center and relocating to the West Coast. Nested at the Marin Headlands, the X-Center will serve as a community center, or embassy for mutantkind.

With Cyclops farcasting his message to the entire mutant populace worldwide via Frost's telepathy - the X-Men is very much alive and that the new center is open to friend and foe alike as their species' security and protection is of paramount importance as of the moment.

But of course this new era for this band of merry mutants won't be complete without the return of their fiercest enemy, Magneto. Borrowing powers from a suit created by the High Evolutionary, he controlled two Mark I Sentinels and had them attack the X-Men who were present at the gala opening of an art gallery downtown. After being taken down by Cannonball, he questioned Cyclops' authority to stand up as mutantkind's vanguard and threatened them to stay out of his way. But before Cyclops could retaliate, the Master of Magnetism teleported out of the scene.


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It wasn't exactly the anniversary issue I was looking forward to but much like any prelude, UXM #500 laid out the concrete foundation for the subsequent issues. I'm very much exited to know who heeds Cyclops' call, and I'm equally excited as to who will be the new X-Men. From the cover, there are at least thirty mutants present, and a percentage of which are actually B- and C-listers (meaning they've been in the sidelines for the longest time). And the fight scene between Magneto and the X-Men - classic! The only thing missing was Jean Grey, but then again that's what Emma Frost is for. I'll never get over the fact that she's a husband-stealer, but I have to give her props for being one of the coolest characters I've seen. Anyone who can tell Storm to shut up is praise-worthy.

Going back, the move to the west is also strategically wise considering that a) the mansion/institute has once again, been totally devasted and b) Iron Man is actually eyeing on them to sign up for the Superhuman Registration Act and Cyclops' previous statement to Stark that the X-Men are no longer active is just a fake rouse to get away from them (I believe San Francisco was one of the cities that didn't support that law).

All in all, I'm not much excited about the arcs and stories. I'm still not too keen on Brubacker having the pen on all of this, even if he's assigned to work with another writer this time. I'm just anxious to see how the new team will be moving forward.