In the early 2000s, acclaimed writer Grant Morrison had a distinguished run on the X-Men franchise. New X-Men was unlike any other X title published before, as Morrison took Marvel’s mutants in a bold new direction, bringing in fresh and innovative ideas, such as nanite Sentinels and secondary mutations. Grant Morrison breathed new life into the X-Men, and here is every arc from New X-Men, ranked.
8 “Murder at the Mansion”
Appearing in New X-Men #139-141, illustrated by Phil Jimenez
Clocking in at only three issues, “Murder at the Mansion” is one of the smallest arcs of Grant Morrison’s New X-Men, but also one of its most memorable. Someone at Xavier’s has seemingly killed Emma Frost, and it falls on Bishop to find the culprit. Complicating matters was Emma’s psychic “affair” with Cyclops, a relationship that only grew as New X-Men continued. While “Murder at the Mansion” was not the beginning of Emma and Cyclops’ relationship, the storyline proved there was chemistry between them, and would set the stage for the run’s conclusion.
7 “Imperial”
Appearing in New X-Men #118-126, illustrated by Ethan Van Sciver, Frank Quietly and Igor Kordey
The follow-up to Grant Morrison’s first arc on New X-Men, “Imperial” delves into that storyline’s ramifications, and explores the motivations of Cassandra Nova, who would become one of the book’s primary antagonists. “Imperial” is also noteworthy for introducing Beak and Xorn, two characters who would play huge roles as the series progressed. Finally, “Imperial” saw Xavier reopen and expand the school, making it a safe haven for young mutants. While “Imperial” is loaded with cool ideas and revelations, it fails to connect in the same fashion as New X-Men’s first story.
6 “Planet X”
Appearing in New X-Men #146-150, illustrated by Phil Jimenez
The penultimate arc of Grant Morrison’s New X-Men, “Planet X” also features perhaps one of the biggest (and most controversial) plot twists in the franchise’s history. Xorn, who joined the team early in the run, was revealed to be Magneto, whose powers were supercharged thanks to the drug Kick, which had been a major part of Morrison’s run. This reveal was not popular with fans, who had grown to like Xorn and/or felt that Magneto would not sully himself with performance-enhancing drugs. Marvel later retconned the story after Morrison left the franchise, which robbed “Planet X” of some of its narrative heft.
5 “Here Comes Tomorrow”
Appearing in New X-Men #151-154, illustrated by Marc Silvestri
The final arc of Morrison’s New X-Men, “Here Comes Tomorrow” also marked the return of Marc Silvestri to the franchise. All the plot points Morrison had seeded throughout their run came to fruition. Cyclops began a relationship with Emma Frost, with Jean Grey’s blessing, a major development in X-Men history. The X-Men are also known for classic time travel stories, such as “Days of Future’s Past,” and Morrison played around with this in “Here Comes Tomorrow.” The storyline has a lot riding on it as it brings three years worth of stories to an end, and while it ties up loose ends, it does not maintain the momentum from earlier in the run.
4 “New Worlds”
Appearing in New X-Men #127-133, illustrated by John Paul Leon and Phil Jimenez
Grant Morrison’s tenure on New X-Men introduced exciting new characters to the mythos, and some of the most notable make their debut in “New Worlds.” First was the assassin Fantomex, who would become a major player in the run. Morrison also introduced the Afghani mutant Dust in this run, a brave act at the time of New X-Men’s publication shortly after the 9/11 attacks. Dust’s arrival showed that Morrison was going to use the X-Men to explore real world issues. Finally, “New Worlds” is where Cyclops and Emma Frost’s affair began, making this one a can’t miss.
3 “Riot at Xavier’s”
Appearing in New X-Men #134-138, illustrated by Frank Quietly
“Riot at Xavier’s” was one of Grant Morrison’s best New X-Men story arcs. Just as they introduced Dusk and Fantomex in “New Worlds,” Morrison unleashed Quentin Quire on the world. One of the most powerful mutants in existence, the malcontent Quire (or “Kid Omega” as he goes now) leads an uprising at the newly-reopened Xavier’s school. One of Morrison’s best contributions to the franchise was restoring Xavier’s School, and this storyline shows the awesome story possibilities that come with it. “Riot at Xavier’s” also introduced the drug “Kick,” which would become important down the line.
2 “Assault on Weapon Plus”
Appearing in New X-Men #142-145, illustrated by Chris Bachalo
Among the many exciting additions to the lore that happened during Grant Morrison’s New X-Men, the revelation of the existence of the Weapon Plus program may be the biggest. For years, fans knew that Wolverine was once called “Weapon X.” It was assumed that “X” referred to his mutation, but “Assault on Weapon Plus” upended all that. The story outlined the history of the Weapon Plus program, a covert anti-mutant mission stretching back to World War II, revealing that Wolverine was one of many such experiments, as was, shockingly enough, Captain America. Creators since Morrison have spun gold out of the ideas introduced in “Assault on Weapon Plus.”
1 “E is for Extinction”
Appearing in New X-Men #114-116, illustrated by Frank Quietly
The first arc of Grant Morrison’s New X-Men is still the best of the entire run. In just three issues, Morrison gave the X-Men a shot in the arm, bringing them firmly into the 21st century. While some of the innovations Morrison introduced were later undone, such as the leather jackets, many others stuck: the Genoshan genocide, the introduction of secondary mutations as well as Professor X outing himself as a mutant to the rest of the world. Morrison and Quietly’s “E is for Extinction” threw down the gauntlet, letting fans know this was a new kind of X-Men for a new era.
Grant Morrison left New X-Men in early 2004, returning to DC Comics. Almost immediately, Marvel began changing and retconning plot points Morrison left behind, such as the Xorn/Magneto affair. However, Grant Morrison’sNew X-Menis still fondly remembered by fans, and was a huge influence on the franchise’s Krakoa era.
