This event arises from Osborn’s attempts to create a dark version of the X-Men.
The X-Men, no living in San Francisco, face down a street protest led by Simon Trask’s new anti-mutant group, “Humanity Now!” Beast gets arrested, and riots begin.
While Beast is in custody, Dark X-Men starts experimenting on him.
Norman Osborn and “Professor X” (Mystique) appear together to call for the violence to stop, and for Scott Summers to turn himself in as the (unregistered) leader of the mutant resistance. Of course, he doesn’t–so Osborn unleashes the Dark Avengers to hunt down the X-Men.
The X-Men Legacy issues focus on that hunt.
It also further expands the horrendously large cast…
Joining the X-Men is a character from the poorly received Fallen Angels miniseries, decades ago, named Ariel. She’s an alien from a planet called Coconut Grove.
While all that’s going on, Osborn forms the Dark X-Men.
That’s gonna put a dent in Scott’s otherwise enviable sex life. Technically, the Dark X-Men miniseries is part of this overall story, but it’s really a standalone anthology. The Dark X-Men impose a curfew in San Francisco, led by HellionDark Beast’s is developing an “Omega Machine” that is supposed to remove mutant abilities, but it just seems to be torturing Hank McCoy. Emma Frost knows nothing about this, but grows suspicious of Osborn. (Duh.) Professor X, who is being held in an adjoining cell, is able to contact Emma telepathically so she can find the two prisoners–but she’s unable to verify that Xavier and Beast are actually being held.
And speaking of science, Simon Trask has invented yet another model…
Humans, infected with Sentinel science, who can do his bidding. Emma’s team takes them down, though.
Earlier in this story, Frost had insisted to Osborn that she would not join his group unless Namor joined, too. We see that both of them are actually double agents, working to undermine Osborn.
Magik’s team of New Mutants frees all the mutants captured by Osborn, while Dani Moonstar goes to visit Hela to ask for her old Valkyrie powers back–so she can help in this new war.
Big fight conclusion with all the various teams involved, and the fights are lots of fun.
In the end, Osborn learns what so many X-Men readers have known forever: There’s just TOO DAMN MANY X-Men. He can’t defeat the overwhelming numbers and retreat.
In the aftermath, Cyclops turns the remains of Asteroid M into “Utopia,” an independent and free nation for mutants. Beast’s X-Club raised the remains from the bottom of the ocean and formed it into an island.
Osborn takes a Nixon pose and declares victory.
English (US) · 