X-Men Legacy: Age of X collection cover courtesy Marvel.com
Mike Carey’s final year on X-Men Legacy took us to the Age of X – one of my top 11 for 2011. In this reality warped tale mutants are on the verge of extinction. The survivors are making a final stand inside Fortress X against constant attack but a conspiracy within threatens mutantkind. Carey tactically reimagined favorites like Cyclops. Scott is known as Basilisk and married to Frenzy. Rogue is called Legacy because Magneto forces her to keep the memories of millions of dead mutants.
The truth behind the Age of X reality is a mindbender and impetus for Carey’s follow-up arcs. I particular loved Carey’s transformation of Frenzy in Age of X and beyond.
It’s the end of an era for one of my favorite writers on the X-Men creative team. X-Men Legacy #259 arrives Wednesday, November 30th. This issue marks the final X-Men arc of Mike Carey after 5 and a half years.
Mike took over X-Men #108 and took riders on a thrilling ride with the most unlikely but unforgettable team in mutant history. Cyclops gave Rogue the authority to form her own field team…he didn’t agree with her choices. Rogue’s lineup eventually was Iceman, Cannonball, Mystique, Cable, Lady Mastermind, Cable and Karima Shapandar – a human transformed into an Omega Sentinel.
Carey’s first arc was Supernovas. Rogue’s team encountered brand new enemies, The Children of the Vault, a race that wanted to wipe out humanity and mutants. After years of whining about Gambit and the curse of her power, Rogue was finally written as bold, brash and fun. It was Rogue’s improvisation in battles that inspired Cyclops to make her a team leader.
X-Men #192 Courtesy Marvel.com
Carey created more inspired new villains for Rogue’s field team. Pandemic infected Rogue with a bizarre virus that raised her power to deadly levels. Billions of alien psyches invaded her mind as she battled the alien Hecatomb. Some of Rogue’s teammates eventually showed their true colors. Lady Mastermind and Mystique were working for Mister Sinister’s revamped Marauders in Blinded by the Light.
Endangered Species is one of Mike Carey’s most crucial contributions to X-Men history. After the events of House of M and Decimation, millions of mutants lost their powers. The mutant race was on the verge of extinction. Beast was obsessed with finding a cure. Hank reached out to some of the most brilliant scientists on earth including some of Marvel’s most notorious villians.
Messiah Complex was the epic storyline that meant new hope to save the mutant race. During the search to find and save the mutant miracle baby, Rogue had a climatic showdown with her Mystique, her foster mother.
X-Men became X-Men Legacy. Mike made Professor X and Rogue the stars of the book. When Cyclops reunited the X-Men in San Francisco and then moved them to their island base, Utopia, he recruited Rogue to be the mentor to the young mutants in training. In the Second Coming event, the mutant child from Messiah Complex returned a young woman. Cyclops chose Rogue to be the protector of Hope.
Age of X is one of Mike Carey’s pivotal arcs that will have an impact on the X-Men for a long time. Rogue became torn between her feelings for Magneto and Gambit. Age of X marked the transformation of Frenzy/Joanna Cargill, a former villain and longtime back burner character. The experience of being a hero and the wife of Cyclops in the Age of X made Frenzy want to change her ways. Joanna is now part of Wolverine’s post-Schism team.
Mike Carey’s portrayal of Rogue is the best since Chris Claremont first brought her on the team. You could sense his love for the character in every issue. Legacy was a good choice to add to Mike’s X-Men given the legacy he is leaving behind.
Mike Carey is the author of supernatural novels starring Felix Castor. His ongoing series Unwritten is published by the Vertigo imprint of DC Comics. Carey told Comics Newsarama he is leaving X-Men Legacy to work on new novels and screenplays.
