All-New X-Men (1st series) #17

Issue Date: 
December 2013
Story Title: 
Battle of the Atom – part 6
Staff: 

Brian Michael Bendis (writer), Stuart Immonen (penciler), Wade von Grawbadger (inker), Marte Garcia (colors), VC’s Cory Petit (letterer), Ed McGuinness, Dexter Vines & MArte Gracia (cover artists), Jordan D. White (associate editor), Lick Lowe (editor), Axel Alonso (editor-in-chief), Joe Quesada (chief creative officer), Dan Buckley (publisher), Alan Fine (Exec. Publisher)

Brief Description: 

Years in the future, Beast and several other X-Men ask Dazzler to run for president. She is elected but is assassinated immediately after, with a big chunk of Washington D.C. destroyed as well. Beast and a group of X-Men split away from the rest of the team, certain that relations with the humans are never going to change for the better. Further in the future, Magik and the two young versions of Iceman and Beast meet the real X-Men of the future who are unwilling to tell them anything of the future or to help. Iceman is confused, as there is yet another version of him. Magik is happily reunited with her brother Colossus, who now carries her Soulsword. Finally, stubbornly Magik and the past X-Men get the future X-Men to help, pointing out that their former teammates have started this. So, Magik takes the future X-Men to the present, where she introduces them to her team of X-Men.

Full Summary: 

the future:
Years from now. Alison Blaire aka the Dazzler is asked what she thinks about this. They have gone fully insane, she replies. What does she really think? “Oh my God!” she mutters. Why her? She’s perfect, she is told. She’s just a retired pop star, Alison points out. And superhero and X-Man and agent of SHIELD and Agent of— Okay, okay, Ali admits. She’s hardly perfect. She wasn’t even that good a superhero.

She is told that their research shows she is the most recognizable, most liked, most trusted mutant of the last twenty years. Disco Dazzler, she scoffs. Disco made a comeback, she is told. This genuine humility is a big plus.

Do they think the world is ready for this? she asks. He thinks the world knows when it sees a good thing, Beast, next to older Kitty Pryde tells her, and so does she.

Jean Grey in the Xorn costume stresses this is a good thing. First mutant president.

And so, eventually Alison Blaire stands in Washington, giving her speech as new president-elect of the United States under roaring applause. Mutants and humans, X-Men and others celebrate her.

As Alison begins her speech, she is glowing from the applause. She turns to Hank to thank him before addressing the crowd and thanks them all, promising them a brave new world.
They did it, Kitty happily tells Hank.

Dazzler begins a speech. The next moment, she is shot down. The X-Men and other onlookers react in horror. Kitty calls Multiple Man who was on security but all his dupes have been murdered. Other X-Men are horrified as demonic creatures manifest, laying waste to the city.

The Jean Grey School for the Gifted, even more years from now:
Magik has teleported the young Iceman and Beast here and they face the real X-Men.

Their leader Jubilee sternly tells them they shouldn’t be here. A man in a Sentinel armor tells them they need to go back. Looking at Colossus, Iceman bursts out people still grow mustaches in the future like that?!

Colossus, who carries a Soulsword, is shocked to see Illyana, then hugs her happily. Just like he remembers her. Illyana asks why he has her Soulsword. She gave it to him, he explains. Jubilee angrily interferes. Have they learned nothing? she shouts. They have to go home immediately! They cannot know anything about their future!

Wiccan, now dressed as Dr. Strange, more politely asks them to leave. Beast wants to explain why they are here. Wiccan interrupts they know the reasons and understand, but they are making it worse.

Glowing with Phoenix fire, an adult Quentin Quire announces that’s what they do. They are the X-Men. They make things worse. Bearded Iceman (calling himself Icemaster) tells him to pipe down. Quentin agrees. If they stay he will have to watch Robert hit puberty again. He can’t handle this.

Magik asks who the X-Men who came to them in the past are. Beast, Kitty, Xorn… Jubilee interrupts, saying that they have nothing to do with them and haven’t for years. So those others aren’t the X-Men? They are? Illyana asks and inquires what made them that way.

Flashback:
After the devastation of Washington Beast kneels next to Dazzler’s corpse. Colossus and Icemaster tell him it‘s time to go. They have to let the authorities work. There is nothing left for them to do.

They hate them, Hank insists. They will always hate them, no matter what they do. And they keep tricking themselves into believing that this time will be different. It will never be different. They are fools!

Colossus promises they will find those who did this. And then what? Beast snarls.

Further in the future:
Magik asks what happened to make those other X-Men that way. Sentinel X refuses to tell her. They have to go home! Calling him Not- Iron Man, young Iceman reminds them the evil X-Men have come to their time to wreak havoc. They won’t tell them why? Fine. But they should take some responsibility for that happening. At least tell him why he’s a wizard now or whatever that is. He points at his future bearded and robed self. And if he is him, then what is that giant Ice Hulk doing with the questionably evil X-Men?

And he wondered why he couldn’t keep a girlfriend, his future self remarks dryly and asks him to settle down. He is embarrassing both of them. He will figure out part of his power is to -- Jubilee shouts at him to shut up. Magik gets in her face with her Soulsword. Jubilee shouts at her to go home.

Hank grimly insists they are not leaving till the future X-Men help them. Phoenix Quentin tells him to go to hell. Stubbornly, Hank repeats what he said. Quentin suggests he throw young Hank McCoy into the sun and save them all a lifetime of headache.

Kymera, the young woman with the panther who looks like Storm, suggests they vote whether they help them. Jubilee refuses. Colossus decides then they vote on whether they vote. When she protests again, he tells her their people are in trouble and they both know they are partially responsible. And nothing she will say will stop him from helping his sister. Jubilee glares at him.

The present,
The new Xavier School:
Cyclops’ team just got their asses handed to them. While the students still try to figure things out, Magneto asks if there is a plan. Emma wonders where Magik went. Suddenly, there is a glaring light and Magik introduces them to the real X-Men of the future…

Characters Involved: 

Cyclops, Emma Frost, Magik, Magneto (X-Men based at the New Xavier School)
Beast, Iceman (original X-Men)

in the future :
Beast, Colossus, Dazzler, Ice-Master, Jubilee, Kid Gladiator, Kitty Pryde, Molly Hayes, Phoenix V, Raze, Sentinel X, Storm, Tempus,Wiccan, Xorn III
Captain America, Vision
Others

further in the future:
Colossus, Ice-Master, Jubilee, Kymaera II, Phoenix V, Sentinel X, Wiccan (all X-Men)

Story Notes: 

This is part of the Battle of the Atom crossover.

The previous chapter was Wolverine and the X-Men #36.

The story is continued in X-Men (4th series) #6.

Quentin Quire has shown an affinity with the Phoenix Force several times.

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