New X-Men
The New X-Men in X-Men: Messiah Complex. Art by Humberto Ramos. From left to right: Elixir, Hellion, Dust, Gentle, Rockslide, Prodigy, Anole, Surge, Pixie, Mercury, X-23
Publication information
Publisher	Marvel Comics
Schedule	Monthly
Format	Ongoing series
Genre
Publication date	July 2004 – March 2008
Number of issues	46 (List of story arcs)
Main character(s)	Disbanded Formerly: Anole Armor Dust Elixir Gentle Hellion Mercury Pixie Prodigy Rockslide Surge X-23
Creative team as of June 2007
Writer(s)	Craig Kyle Christopher Yost
Artist(s)	Randy Green Michael Ryan Paco Medina Mark Brooks Skottie Young Humberto Ramos
Colorist(s)	Jean-Francois Beaulieu
Creator(s)	Nunzio DeFilippis Christina Weir Michael Ryan

New X-Men was a superhero comic book series published by Marvel Comics within the X-Men franchise. After the end of Grant Morrison's run on X-Men vol. 2 titled New X-Men, the title was used for a new series, New X-Men: Academy X. This series served as a continuation of the second volume of New Mutants. The title was later shortened to simply New X-Men.

New X-Men: Academy X was launched during the X-Men ReLoad event. It resumes directly where the most recent New Mutants series ended, with the same writers, artists, and cast of characters. The Academy X subtitle was dropped from the title when the new creative team of Craig Kyle and Christopher Yost took over the series with issue #20.

Whereas the other X-Men comics mostly deal with established adult mutants, this series concentrates on the lives of young students residing at the Xavier Institute for Higher Learning as they learn to control their powers and, as of late, to survive the backlash against mutants that befell them as part of House of M.

After the 2007 crossover X-Men: Messiah Complex, the New X-Men title was canceled and briefly relaunched as Young X-Men for 13 issues. The series was written by Marc Guggenheim. After the first arc of Young X-Men, the characters began appearing in the pages of Uncanny X-Men. With the cancellation of Young X-Men the characters were folded onto the main X-Men books, appearing most prominently in the pages of X-Men: Legacy and most recently, in Wolverine and the X-Men.

Founding[edit]

New X-Men began where Grant Morrison's run on the former New X-Men ended. The school was rebuilt and Emma Frost and Cyclops were named the headmasters of the school. They organized the students (fifteen-year-olds and older) into several squads who trained together.

The series featured two teams: the New Mutants, whose members tend to be more clean-cut, and the Hellions, whose members are generally more belligerent. The rivalry, not only academically but certainly also in private matters, plays a significant role in the series.

New Mutants squad[edit]

The New Mutants squad's tutor is Dani Moonstar. It is co-led by Wind Dancer and Prodigy.

• Elixir (Josh Foley) - Foley is an Omega-class healer who, ironically, was a rabid mutant-hater before he found out he was one himself. Following the events of "M-Day" and Reverend Stryker slaughtering many of his friends and his lover Wallflower, Elixir's powers morph so that he can now kill as well as heal with a touch of his hand. His current whereabouts are unknown.
• Icarus (Joshua "Jay" Guthrie) - Guthrie was able to fly, sing hypnotically, and heal himself rapidly. Jay's wings are amputated in issue #20 and he is killed in issue #26 by Reverend Stryker.
• Prodigy (David Alleyne) - Alleyne could absorb any non-superhuman talents from nearby people. Although depowered now, he has regained the knowledge talents originally acquired before "M-Day".^[1]
• Surge (Noriko Ashida) - A Japanese girl who constantly absorbs static electricity and can discharge it as electric blasts or bursts of superhuman speed. She is currently a member of the X-Men while attending the Jean Grey School for Higher Learning
• Wallflower (Laurie Collins) - Collins exudes pheromones that alter the feelings of other people. She is killed in issue #25 by the Purifiers.
• Wind Dancer (Sofia Mantega) - A girl from Venezuela who could control air particles, allowing her to fly and hear distant conversations. Wind Dancer lost her powers as a result of "M-Day". Her current whereabouts are unknown.
• Wither (Kevin Ford) - Ford is a member of the New Mutants for a short time before switching to the Hellions.^[2]

Hellions squad[edit]

The Hellions squad's tutor is Emma Frost. It is led by Hellion.

• Dust (Sooraya Qadir) - Qadir is a shy girl from Afghanistan who can turn herself into a living whirlwind of dust. She regularly dresses in an abaya with a niqāb. She is currently part of the X-Men and a student at the Jean Grey School for Higher Learning.
• Hellion (Julian Keller) - Keller is a mutant with the power of telekinesis. He is currently part of the X-Men and a student at the Jean Grey School for Higher Learning.
• Icarus (Joshua "Jay" Guthrie) - Guthrie is a member of the Hellions for a short time before switching to the New Mutants.^[2]
• Mercury (Cessily Kincaid) - Kincaid is a shapeshifter whose body is composed of non-toxic liquid mercury. She is currently part of the X-Men and a student at the Jean Grey School for Higher Learning.
• Rockslide (Santo Vaccaro) - Vaccaro is able to manifest a physical body made of solid rock from the immediate environment and launch limbs at great velocity. He is currently part of the X-Men and a student at the Jean Grey School for Higher Learning.
• Specter (Dallas Gibson) - Gibson is a member for a brief time before being reassigned to the Corsairs squad.^[3]
• Tag (Brian Cruz) - Cruz could psionically "tag" a person so that bystanders are compelled to run away from or toward that person. He is killed on the bus ambushed by the Purifiers along with several other depowered mutants.^[4]
• Wither (Kevin Ford) - Ford can destroy organic matter with a touch. He is romantic rivals with Elixir for Wallflower. When Wallflower dies, Wither flees the school and becomes Selene's second-in-command. He is ultimately killed by Elixir during the final battle of the "Necrosha" storyline.^[5]

Other squads[edit]

There are also other teams advised by different X-Men. For a complete list of students prior to "M-Day", see List of Xavier Institute students and staff.

• The Advocates squad leader was Rogue. This squad consists of:
  • Boggart (Robin Wise) - Wise is a mutant with super strength and green skin. He is depowered during "M-Day".
  • Naiad (Aurelie Sabayon) - Sabayon is a mutant with the ability to breathe underwater. She is depowered during "M-Day".
  • Pinpoint (Gerard Cooper) - Cooper is a mutant that possessed telescopic vision. He is depowered during "M-Day".
  • Trovão (Pedro de Noli) - de Noli is a mutant that has the ability to create sonic booms. He is depowered during "M-Day".
  • Umbra (Patrick Nesbitt) - Nesbitt is a mutant with the ability to manipulate darkness. He is depowered during "M-Day".
  • Xenon (Shaun Kennedy) - Kennedy is a mutant with the ability to generate light. He is depowered during "M-Day".

• The Alpha Squadron squad leader was Karma (Xi'an "Shan" Coy Manh), but they were formerly taught by Northstar (Jean-Paul Beaubier). The squad consists of:
  • Anole (Victor Borkowski) - Borkowski has Reptilian mutations that give him enhanced strength, speed, durability, reflexes and stamina. He also has a prehensile tongue, wallcrawling abilities, the ability to blend into his environment and regenerative powers. He is currently part of the X-Men and a student at the Jean Grey School for Higher Learning.
  • Indra (Paras Gavaskar) - Gavaskar is a mutant who could create an exoskeleton and weapons from his skin. It is revealed that he is the youngest mutant at the school.^[6] He is currently part of the X-Men and a student at the Jean Grey School for Higher Learning.
  • Kidogo (Lazaro Kotikash) - Kotikash is a mutant who can shrink to four inches tall. He is depowered as a result of "M-Day".
  • Loa (Alani Ryan) - Ryan is a mutant that can disintegrate matter by phasing through it. She is enrolled at the Avengers Academy.
  • Network (Sarah Vale) - Vale is a mutant with the ability to communicate with machinery. She is depowered during "M-Day" and killed on the bus ambushed by the Purifiers along with several other depowered mutants.^[4]
  • Rubbermaid (Andrea Margulies) - Margulies can turn her body into a rubber-like substance. She is depowered during "M-Day" and killed on the bus ambushed by the Purifiers along with several other depowered mutants.^[4]

• The Chevaliers squad leader was Gambit. This squad is introduced in X-Men vol. 2, #171. The squad consists of:
  • Bling! - (Roxanne Washington) Washington is a mutant whose skin produces diamond shards. She is currently part of the X-Men and a student at the Jean Grey School for Higher Learning.
  • Flubber (Nick Shelley) - Shelley is a mutant whose body is made of a rubbery substance. This grants him great strength and the ability to leap great distances. He is depowered during "M-Day".
  • Foxx (Raven Darkholme) - Darkholme is a mutant with the ability to shapeshift. She is uses the alias of Foxx to infiltrate the X-Men, claiming later that she was testing Gambit's commitment to Rogue. She is currently an instructor at the Hellfire Academy and the leader of the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants.
  • Onyxx (Sydney Green) - Green is a mutant whose body is made of a rock-like substance. He has super strength and is difficult to injure. He is killed by Wither during Selene's attack on Utopia.
  • Rain Boy (Carl Aalston) - Aalston is a mutant whose body is living water that is held together by a containment suit. His status after "M-Day" is unknown, but he has not been seen since.

• The Corsairs squad leader was Cyclops. The squad consists of:
  • Dryad (Callie Betto) - Betto is a mutant who can communicate with and control plant life. She is depowered during "M-Day" and killed on the bus ambushed by the Purifiers along with several other depowered mutants.^[4]
  • Quill (Max Jordan) - Jordan is a mutant whose body is covered with quills, which he can fire as projectiles. He is shot and killed by one of Stryker's Purifiers when the mansion is attacked.^[7]
  • Specter (Dallas Gibson) - Gibson is a mutant who can merge his body with his shadow, granting him superhuman strength, speed and durability. He can see in complete darkness and is immune to all Darkforce attacks. He is depowered as a result of "M-Day".
  • Three-In-One (Celeste, Mindee and Phoebe Cuckoo) - The Cuckoo sisters are able to combine their telepathic abilities and they possess the ability to transform into an organic diamond form. They are currently members of the Extinction Team as students of the New Charles Xavier School for Mutants.

• The Paladins squad leader was Kitty Pryde. The members that are named are:
  • Armor (Hisako Ichiki) - Ichiki is a mutant with the ability to create a psionic exoskeleton. She is currently part of the X-Men and a student at the Jean Grey School for Higher Learning.
  • Blindfold (Ruth Aldine) - Aldine is a mutant who possess telepathy, the ability to see the future as well as the past, and clairvoyance. She is currently part of the X-Men and a student at the Jean Grey School for Higher Learning.
  • Wing (Edward Tancredi) - Tancredi is a mutant with the ability to fly. He is depowered by the Hope Serum. He is tricked into committing suicide by Danger.^[8]

• The Paragons squad leader was Magma (Amara Aquilla), but they were formerly taught by Wolfsbane (Rahne Sinclair). The squad consists of:
  • DJ (Mark Sheppard) - Sheppard is a mutant that can change music into energy blasts, blinding lights, flight or a force field. The style of music determines the ability. He is depowered during "M-Day" and killed on the bus ambushed by the Purifiers along with several other depowered mutants.^[4]
  • Match (Ben Hammil) - Hammil is a mutant that has the ability to create and control fire. He is currently part of the X-Men and a student at the Jean Grey School for Higher Learning.
  • Pixie (Megan Gwynn) - Gwynn is a hybrid mutant and fairy. She can fly and her wings create a hallucinogenic dust. She also has magical powers. She is currently part of the X-Men and a student at the Jean Grey School for Higher Learning.
  • Trance (Hope Abbott) - Abbott is mutant with the ability to create an astral projection of herself. This form is capable of flight and producing energy blasts. She is currently part of the X-Men and a student at the Jean Grey School for Higher Learning.
  • Wolf Cub (Nicholas "Nick" Gleason) - Gleason is a mutant that is in a permanent lyncanthropic state. He possesses enhanced strength, senses, speed, agility and endurance. He also has razor-sharp claws. He is killed by Donald Pierce in the pages of the Young X-Men series.^[9]
  • Preview (Jessica Vale) - Vale is a mutant with the ability to see minutes into the future. She is depowered during "M-Day".

The Excelsiors, led by Iceman, are mentioned but the members are never named. The Exemplars, led by Beast, are unknown as well with the exception of Angel Salvadore. Storm's squad, mentioned in New X-Men, has one survivor, Gentle.

Decimation[edit]

In the aftermath of the Decimation event known as M-Day, the mutant student body in the academy dropped from 182 to 27. At least 45 depowered students were killed and, of the remaining students, Emma Frost picked a select group to train as New X-Men. These were Dust, Elixir, Hellion, Mercury, Rockslide, Surge (appointed leader) and X-23. As time progressed, several members were added and/or earned the right to be on the team, such as Anole, Armor, Gentle, Pixie and Prodigy. The rest of the students were instructed to remain on school grounds, some providing assistance to the current X-Men teams and trainees. Some M-day survivors and depowered students either left the mansion or were killed off during villainous attacks by Stryker and his men, or various other enemies.

Young X-Men[edit]

The Young X-Men series launched as part of the X-Men storyline "Divided We Stand" in April, 2008. Written by Marc Guggenheim and pencilled by Yanick Paquette, it featured a line-up of Blindfold, Dust, Rockslide, Wolf Cub and three new characters: Graymalkin, Ink, and in the second issue, Cipher. The first arc involved the group being formed by Donald Pierce, who thanks to changes inflicted upon him by the Purifiers, impersonates Cyclops as part of an elaborate plot to kill the young mutants who he sees are the last generation of mutants born prior to M-Day. The group are manipulated into fighting members of the New Mutants before Pierce is ultimately exposed. In the end, per Blindfold's prediction at the start of the series, Donald Pierce murders Wolf Cub before being captured by the group and taken into custody by the X-Men.

When the X-Men franchise is relaunched with the relocation of the X-Men to San Francisco following the events in Uncanny X-Men, the characters relocate to California.^[10] The series is ultimately canceled with issue #12 and many events of the series (such as Dust being mortally wounded during the team's fight with the New Mutants) would be ignored by later writers.

X-Men: Legacy, X-Force and Wolverine and the X-Men[edit]

Most of the characters (most notably Pixie, who is granted full X-Men membership^[1]) appear sporadically following the events of Uncanny X-Men #500 and the cancellation of Young X-Men. Elixir and X-23 are incorporated into the roster of a new X-Force series. The characters are ultimately given a new home in the pages of X-Men: Legacy, written by Mike Carey starting with X-Men: Legacy #226. Now a loose collection of students, the kids are led by Rogue, who serves as the team's teacher. Following the events of X-Men: Schism, many of the New X-Men members follow Wolverine back East as he reopens the Xavier Institute as a school and sanctuary for young mutants named the Jean Grey School for Higher Learning. As of X-Men: Regenesis, several additional X-Men join Rogue and Wolverine in serving as teachers for the young mutants: Cannonball, Gambit, Rachel Grey, Husk and Shadowcat. The group has also accepted non-mutant members, such as Broo (a young Brood hatchling who is a pacifist) and Kid Gladiator, the son of X-Men enemy Gladiator. Another member of the student body is Kid Omega, who's involvement with the school is involuntary in an effort to reform him.^[11]

Contributors[edit]

Collected editions[edit]

Trade paperbacks[edit]

Hardcovers[edit]

References[edit]

External links[edit]

• New X-Men at Marvel.com
• New X-Men at the Comic Book DB
• Confessions of a New X-Men Reader -- look back on Morrison's tenure