History ComicBook / NewXMen

The series was a retitling of the then-ongoing second volume of the ''X-Men'' series which began in the early 90's, and shared the series' numbering. Morrison, a critically-acclaimed writer known for their high-profile works at Creator/DCComics, was brought onboard to revitalize the title and introduce a number of new story elements. Morrison started as they meant to go on, as the new villain Cassandra Nova directed an army of Sentinels to destroy the mutant island Genosha, resulting in [[WhamEpisode sixteen million mutant deaths]] and a shake-up to the status quo.

The book resulted in a re-energizing of the franchise, and was critically and commercially acclaimed. However, certain controversial twists were hastily [[{{Retcon}} retconned]] by Marvel after the run due to fan backlash. The series reverted back to the original ''X-Men'' title beginning at issue #157.

Not to be confused for ''Comicbook/NewXMenAcademyX'' (which later went by ''New X-Men'' in it's later issues), or ''Comicbook/AllNewXMen''.

* LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters: While none of them receive that much panel time, the Xavier Institute was filled with hundreds of students each with unique mutations. Most of them weren't properly identified until years later.

* ElectronicTelepathy: It's implied that Cerebra can not only amplify telepaths' natural talents, but also bestow psionic abilities upon mutants who lack said power. When Thorn complains that nobody in the Mumbai branch of the X-Corporation can read minds, Jean explains that using the machine is not all that difficult: "You just think into it and it finds mutants for you".

* ElectronicTelepathy: It's implied that Cerebra can not only amplify telepaths' natural talents, but also bestow psionic abilities upon mutants who lack said power. When Spike complains that nobody in the Mumbai branch of the X-Corporation can read minds, Jean explains that using the machine is not all that difficult: "You just think into it and it finds mutants for you".

* EvilTwin: Cassandra Nova is Charles's twin sister, whom he killed in the womb in self-defense.

** Beast suffers an overwork-induced breakdown as a result of [[spoiler:his inability to juggle between his multiple responsibilities as the Xavier Institute's headmaster, coupled with his repeated failed attempts to find a solution to humanity's imminent extinction. He starts inhaling Kick as a means to cope witht he stress, unwittingly becoming Sublime's final host in the process]].

* BadassNormal: Officer Foster is the only normal human to participate in the final battle against [[spoiler:Magneto]]. He valiantly draws the murderous mutant's attention, enabling Beast to sneak up and attack the villain from behind.

* HeroicBSOD: Polaris is revealed to have been in this state for months when the team finds her on Genosha - she blamed herself for not being able to save the millions of massacred mutants, and became a nude, deranged recluse who wandered around the island.

* RuleOfSymbolism:
** ''Here Comes Tomorrow'' has a ton of ''[[Literature/BookOfRevelation Revelation]]'' imagery; Sublime takes the form of "[[TheAntichrist the Beast]]" and talks about all life receiving "[[NumberOfTheBeast his Mark]]," and his [[TheDragon second-in-command]], Apollyon, shares his name with the being prophesied to release the horrors of Hell to torment the wicked prior to Judgment Day, among them an endless plague of giant, human-faced locusts possibly represented by the Crawlers. In addition, the White Hot Room visually calls to mind ''Revelation'''s seriously {{mindscrew}}y version of Heaven, and the Phoenix herself the "Woman cloaked in sun" said to birth the world's savior. WordOfGod confirms Buddhist imagery as well, another basis for the White Hot Room being the crown chakra, which is also mentioned in the story as the place at which the Phoenix anchors itself to its host.
** The RuleOfSymbolism particularly comes into play with Sublime's decision to possess Hank [=McCoy=] for his final endgame, even though his only mutant powers are animalistic strength and senses. Story-wise, it stretches WillingSuspensionOfDisbelief a bit (Morrison specifically avoids saying ''how'' Sublime managed to conquer Earth and rule it for 150 years in Hank's body, and it's never explained why he didn't just do it when he was possessing Magneto or Quentin Quire), but it's allowed to slide because of the symbolic importance of Sublime using someone with the codename "Beast" as his host.

%%* TheAntichrist: Sublime is eventually revealed to be this. His final body is even that of "[[BeastOfTheApocalypse the Beast]]."

%%* BackFromTheDead: Jean/Phoenix and Magneto during the "Planet X" storyline.

* {{Robosexual}}: Tom Skylark, apparently. He's '''good''' with machines. And depending on if that was ''all'' the mutants in the world who were blown up with the Xavier Institute, he and [[RobotGirl EVA]] may be the last people on the planet.

** "[[OhCrap Where did she send those Sentinels]]?" - Issue #115; Scott and Logan realize Cassandra Nova has already won, since the mutant-killing robots that she built have already departed to their destination.
** "Professor Xavier tried to kill his twin sister when they were both in the womb. We need to talk." - Issue #121; Jean and Emma suddenly realize who Cassandra really is after probing the Professor's memories (particularly striking, as it's the only line of dialogue in the entire issue).
** "And it's Weapon '''Ten''', not X." - Issue #129; Fantomex drops an essential piece of {{backstory}} as casually as if he were talking about the weather.
** "What if the real enemy... was inside... all along?" - Issue #138; Kid Omega's last words. Doesn't seem particularly whammy, until you reach the end of the series and realize this is ''far'' more literal than it sounds.

* InformedAbility: The Beast says that he will give the Crawlers, among other abilities, "voices which can shatter stones and bones and flesh". This heavily implies that said creatures inherited Syren's [[MakeMeWannaShout super scream]], though they were never seen using it.

* BiologicalWeaponsSolveEverything: The last telepaths on Earth are protected from [[spoiler:Sublime]]'s army by a shield that disrupts the Crawlers' teleportation. The villain overcomes this obstacle by [[spoiler:forcing an infected Crawler to teleport through the shield. Though the monster dies in the process, its parasite quickly spreads through the telepaths]].

%%* IronicEcho: "Did you think YOU would live forever, little speck?"
%%* KillEmAll: The ending of the "Here Comes Tomorrow" arc.

** In "Here Comes Tomorrow", [[spoiler:Sublime has possessed Beast and exterminated most life forms on Earth. The few remaining survivors have to regroup and launch a final offensive against their final enemy]].

%%* AlternateUniverse: "Here Comes Tomorrow".

%%* ArcVillain: Cassandra Nova, Quentin Quire, Xorn and alternate-universe Beast.

* SpaceWhaleAesop: "Here Comes Tomorrow" - Humanity and mutantkind are doomed unless a man who just lost his wife immediately begins sleeping with another woman.

* StuffedIntoTheFridge:
** Risque has her organs harvested by the U-Men off-panel.
** Darkstar is offhandedly shot by Fantomex--although she does get a rather touching farewell as Xavier shares his memories of what she was like at her funeral.

* NegatedMomentOfAwesome: Beak' story arc seems to be building up to his first flight, as Beast and Archangel tell him he should be capable of such and encourage him to keep trying. In "Planet X", Beak falls from a great height and starts flapping his arms as he proclaims that he ''is'' going to fly this time... only to fail once again and plummet into the street below.

* TheManBehindTheMan: The later arcs, starting with "Murder at the Mansion," begin revealing a whole string of people behind other people: [[spoiler:Angel Salvadore]] shot Emma Frost... under a psychic command from [[spoiler:Esme Cuckoo]]... who gave said command at the behest of [[spoiler:Xorn]]... who was possessed by [[spoiler:Sublime]]. Furthermore, [[spoiler:Sublime]] was ultimately revealed to be responsible for everything bad that happened in the run, apart from ''maybe'' Cassandra Nova, and even then it's implied she at least got her tech from him if nothing else.

* RiddleForTheAges: Is Apollyon Fantomex? It's hinted at, but in a context where it may just be a dying fantasy.