Summary
- Marvel's original 5 teenage X-Men return in a new multiversal adventure.
- The story begins in a world where the X-Men replaced the Avengers, defeating Ultron and Thanos.
- Original X-Men #1 is coming December 20 from Marvel Comics, and will permanently strand an original teammate in the present.
Marvel just showed one of the original Thanos in a single shot, proving that the Avengers' toughest adversary can't hold a candle to the mutant might of Cyclops, Marvel Girl, Beast, Iceman, and Angel. Marvel's original X-Men are once again going on an adventure through time and reality, and it begins with Thanos taking a major fall.
In a preview of Christos Gage and Greg Land's Original X-Men #1 shared by Marvel, the original five teenage X-Men meet an older version of Jean Grey. This Jean shows them an alternate path Marvel's timeline could have taken - one in which the Avengers' biggest threats are the X-Men's problem.
In this vision of what could have been, it's not the Avengers who take down Ultron and Thanos, but rather the X-Men. Specifically, it's Jean Grey, in complete control of her Phoenix powers, who downs the Mad Titan. This Jean is from a different world in the Marvel multiverse, and has a dangerous mission for the original X-Men, having apparently snatched them from a fight with Plantman and the Eel.
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Meet the Jean Grey Who Beat Thanos
In This Reality, the X-Men Replaced the Avengers
In Original X-Men, the five founding teammates will be snatched from time and tasked with a new mission - fixing a world where the original five X-Men became powerful villains rather than heroes. They're chosen for this role by the older Jean - nicknamed 'Old Lady Phoenix' - because of their prior experience traveling through time in Marvel's All-New X-Men series. So far, it's unclear whether the world fans see here is the reality that Old Lady Phoenix calls home, the home of the villainous O5 X-Men, or both.
The Original 5 Must Stop Evil X-Men
One Member Will Never Be the Same
Original X-Men sees the fan-favorite O5 team return, but with a twist. This time, they're dealing with another reality, and one of their lives will change forever. Marvel has promised that one member of the original team will be permanently stranded in Marvel's present, beginning a new life as a young hero in the modern day. It's unclear how this will work in of the rules of Marvel's time travel, however the Phoenix Force has always had the ability to warp reality, so it's possible this will be a reward (or a punishment) by Old Lady Phoenix for their cross-reality mission.
Marvel fans are no strangers to alternate worlds, but a reality where the original X-Men effectively replaced the Avengers as Earth's chief protectors is an incredibly cool one. The preview reveals new costumes for the adult O5, and teases the idea of the X-Men being corrupted by early success. It also confirms that despite Thanos' incredible might, he's no match for Jean Grey at the height of her power and control as the Phoenix. A world where the X-Men were the ones to defeat the Avengers' major enemies is one worth seeing, and starting the story with Thanos vs Pheonix makes it clear that the stakes of this series will be beyond cosmic.
Original X-Men #1 is coming December 20 from Marvel Comics.
Source: Marvel
