New X-Men is 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 during the X-Men Reload event. The title was later shortened to simply New X-Men in 2006 when the new creative team of Craig Kyle and Christopher Yost took over the series with issue #20.
Whereas most 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.
After the 2007 crossover X-Men: Messiah Complex, the New X-Men title was canceled and briefly relaunched as Young X-Men for 12 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, Wolverine and the X-Men, and X-Men.
Contents
Founding
New X-Men begins where Grant Morrison's run on the former New X-Men ended. The school is rebuilt and Emma Frost and Cyclops are named the headmasters. They organize the students into several battle squads who train together.
The series focuses chiefly on two rival teams: the New Mutants, whose mentor is Danielle Moonstar, and the Hellions, whose mentor is Emma Frost.
New Mutants squad
The New Mutants squad's tutor is Danielle Moonstar. It is co-led by Wind Dancer and Prodigy.
Elixir (Josh Foley) - Foley is an Omega-level mutant who possesses healing abilities and is initially a rabid mutant-hater until he finds out he is one himself. Following the events of "M-Day" and William 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.
Icarus (Joshua "Jay" Guthrie) - Guthrie is 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 William Stryker.
Prodigy (David Alleyne) - Alleyne takes on the knowledge and skills of nearby people. After being depowered, he regained the knowledge and talents he had acquired before "M-Day".
Surge (Noriko Ashida) - Ashida is a Japanese immigrant who constantly absorbs static electricity and can discharge it as electric blasts or bursts of superhuman speed. She becomes 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) - Mantega can control air particles, allowing her to fly and hear distant conversations. Wind Dancer loses her powers as a result of "M-Day". Following her de-powering, she joins a short-lived incarnation of the New Warriors.
Wither (Kevin Ford) - Ford is a member of the New Mutants for a short time before switching to the Hellions.
Hellions squad
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 joins the X-Men and is a student at the Jean Grey School for Higher Learning.
Hellion (Julian Keller) - Keller is a mutant with the power of telekinesis. He joins the X-Men and is 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.
Mercury (Cessily Kincaid) - Kincaid is a shapeshifter whose body is composed of non-toxic liquid mercury. She joins the X-Men and is a student at the Jean Grey School for Higher Learning.
Rockslide (Santo Vaccarro) - Vaccarro is able to manifest a physical body made of solid rock from the immediate environment and launch limbs at great velocity. He joins the X-Men and is 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.
Tag (Brian Cruz) - Cruz could psionically "tag" a person so that others are compelled to run from or toward them. He is killed on the bus ambushed by the Purifiers along with several other depowered mutants.
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 killed by Elixir during the "Necrosha" storyline.
Other squads
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 is Rogue. This squad consists of:
Boggart (Robin Wise) - Wise possesses superhuman strength and green skin. He is depowered during "M-Day".
Naiad (Aurelie Sabayon) - Sabayon has the ability to breathe underwater. She is depowered during "M-Day".
Pinpoint (Gerard Cooper) - Cooper possesses telescopic vision. He is depowered during "M-Day".
Trovão (Pedro de Noli) - De Noli has the ability to create sonic booms. He is depowered during "M-Day".
Umbra (Patrick Nesbitt) - Nesbitt has the ability to manipulate darkness. He is depowered during "M-Day".
Xenon (Shaun Kennedy) - Kennedy has the ability to generate light. He is depowered during "M-Day".
The Alpha Squadron squad leader is initially Northstar (Jean-Paul Beaubier), but he is later replaced by Karma. 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, wall crawling abilities, the ability to blend into his environment and regenerative powers. He joins the X-Men and is a student at the Jean Grey School for Higher Learning.
Indra (Paras Gavaskar) - Gavaskar can create a psionic exoskeleton and weapons from his skin. He is the youngest mutant at the school. He joins the X-Men and is a student at the Jean Grey School for Higher Learning.
Decimation
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 new X-Men were Dust, Elixir, Hellion, Mercury, Rockslide, Surge (appointed leader), and X-23. As time progressed, several members were added or earned the right to be on the team, such as Anole, 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 died during villainous attacks by William Stryker and other enemies. Many of the students who were killed were resurrected during the Krakoan Age.
Young X-Men
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 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. 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
Most of the characters (most notably Pixie, who was granted full X-Men membership) 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, whose involvement with the school is involuntary in an effort to reform him.