As X-Men begins its game-changing 'Raid on Graymalkin' crossover, Rogue announces the official codename of her roster of mutant heroes. Currently, there are three X-Men teams in Marvel continuity - Cyclops' team in X-Men, Rogue's team in Uncanny X-Men, and Kitty Pryde's team in Exceptional X-Men. However, these comic titles aren't how each team labels itself, just how Marvel is differentiating its series on comic stands.
In a preview of Gail Simone, Edgar Salazar, David Marquez, Victor Olazaba, Matthew Wilson and Clayton Cowles' Uncanny X-Men #7, Rogue and Cyclops argue about their upcoming attack on Graymalkin Prison - a mutant gulag erected on the site of the former Xavier School. While Cyclops asks Rogue not to join the assault, the Uncanny X-Men leader refuses to hold back, leading her team into battle.
As Gambit uses his newly acquired Eye of Agamotto to teleport the team into battle, Rogue brands their attack "the first charge of the Louisiana X-Men." It seems this is the name Rogue is using for her team in-world.
Rogue's chosen name emphasizes that her team are as much X-Men as Cyclops' team, despite their very different approaches to mutant heroism.
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Rogue Names Her Team the Louisiana X-Men
Meanwhile, Rogue's New Mutant Students Are the Outliers
As part of its new 'From the Ashes' era, Marvel is establishing a fresh status quo for its mutant heroes. Following the loss of the mutant nation of Krakoa, their friendships and alliances are more strained than ever before, with various teams coalescing around the remaining mutant leaders. Surprisingly for someone who joined the team as a hated former villain, Rogue is one of the major leaders of this era, described as one of the two new 'pillars' of the franchise along with Cyclops.
Rogue's new team are based out of Louisiana, where both her and Gambit have a lot of personal history. So far, they've spent their time training the Outliers, aka Calico, Deathdream, Jitter and Ransom. These young heroes are mutants who fell through the cracks of prior X-Men eras, with dramatic stories that kept them from joining the Xavier school.
Hunted by the horrifying villain known as the Hag, the young mutants are currently under the tutelage and protection of Rogue, Gambit, Nightcrawler and Wolverine. And with two of the Outliers spirited away to Graymalkin Prison, Rogue has no intention of standing on the sidelines.
The 'From the Ashes' era is redefining what it means to be an X-Man, with no central leader defining the team's tactics and mission.
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Rogue's Chosen Name Makes a Vital Point About Her Team
The X-Men Follow the West Coast Avengers' Lead
With teams like X-Force and X-Factor currently operating in Marvel Comics, it's important that Rogue is still holding onto the X-Men name. Declaring her team a true X-Men roster shows that Rogue sees them as continuing the fight for Xavier's dream, and considers them the equal of Cyclops' roster, which is operating out of Alaska. That's crucial, because fans know that Raid on Graymalkin will drive a wedge between Rogue and Cyclops, creating a new rivalry that will carry a lot more weight if both teams consider themselves to be the X-Men.
Based in the north and south of the country, the X-Men/Uncanny X-Men relationship echoes the tradition of the Avengers fielding a West Coast and East Coast team, with a new volume of West Coast Avengers having only recently launched. The idea of Louisiana X-Men and Alaskan X-Men (as well as Kitty Pryde's Illinois X-Men) emphasizes a key aspect of 'From the Ashes,' with Marvel's mutant heroes no longer operating as a cohesive group, but rather as several loosely allied factions.
Cyclops and Rogue's new grudge makes it way more interesting to have numerous X-Men teams across America.
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X-Men's Heroes Are No Longer Xavier's Students
The X-Men traditionally operate out of Xavier's school, and for the last few years, almost all mutant teams were based on the island nation of Krakoa. However, with friendships and alliances fracturing, it's clear that 'From the Ashes' is establishing a far more dispersed community of mutant heroism.
This is made worse by the fact that most mutants now consider Professor X a hated villain, after he seemingly betrayed his students to the anti-mutant group Orchis. While Cyclops and Rogue are still fighting for the dream Xavier believed in, the lack of a philosophical leader means that the concept of 'X-Men' can mean very different things to different members. The X-Men name is being reinterpreted by several different heroes, representing both Rogue's makeshift family in Louisiana and Cyclops' Alaskan strikeforce, which he's using to threaten the US government into respecting mutant rights.
It will be interesting to see how the meaning of 'X-Men' is challenged and redefined in upcoming issues, especially as Cyclops and Rogue's new grudge puts extra distance between the two rosters.
Uncanny X-Men #7 is available from Marvel Comics December 11.
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X-Men
The X-Men franchise, created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, centers on mutants with extraordinary abilities. Led by the powerful telepath Professor Charles Xavier, they battle discrimination and villainous mutants threatening humanity. The series explores themes of diversity and acceptance through a blend of action, drama, and complex characters, spanning comics, animated series, and blockbuster films.
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