X-Men: Endangered Species
Encyclopedia
"Endangered Species" is a 2007 comic book
storyline published by Marvel Comics
. Starring the X-Men
, it ran from June to October 2007
. It begins with the Endangered Species one-shot written by Mike Carey and drawn by Scot Eaton
.
The storyline, following up on the events of "House of M
" and "Decimation
", focuses on the Beast
and explains why some mutants
have retained their superpowers
.
The story is composed of a one-shot and 17 eight-page back-up stories spread across the X-Men, Uncanny X-Men, X-Factor and New X-Men titles, starting with X-Men #200. It acts as a prelude to a major story arc starting in October 2007 called "Messiah Complex
".
Beast
plans to find a way to reverse M-Day
. After he was unable to attain a solution he seeks the help of some of the world's most dangerous supervillain geniuses. Hank travels to Transia
in search of the High Evolutionary, who discusses the possibility that science cannot undo something that magic ultimately caused. However he ultimately seems uninterested in helping. He does hints that Hank is not the first person to travel to Wundagore looking for a solution to the M-Day problem, nor the first to be dissatisfied with his answers.
Hank next receives an offer from Kavita Rao: with mutants as an endangered species, her research into depowering mutants has become pointless. Tissue samples from all the mutants that she depowered turned to dust on M-Day. she gives Hank her notes and lab and returns to India. Beast travels to the Neverland facility, whose mutant prisoners are revealed to having been killed after the facility was shut down by Weapon X. He discovers Dark Beast
, who offers his help. Hank reluctantly accepts under the condition that the Dark Beast follows Hank's orders.
Dark Beast convinces Hank to take a serum of his own "liquid memory", wherein Hank experiences several of the Dark Beast’s memories. After experiencing the atrocities Dark Beast committed, Hank declares him insane. They arrive at a nuclear power plant in Alamogordo, New Mexico
, that once served as a research facility for the "study" of mutations by an organization known as "Project: Black Womb", which was devoted to the vivisection of newborn mutants with evident signs of mutancy.
After realizing how the disappearance of the X-gene rendered such research null and void, Dark Beast suggests going to Genosha, scavenging dead mutant corpses. After extensive examination, Hank realizes that even if the X-gene was expunged from the world mutant population, many of them retained some of their altered body features. He proposes to Dark Beast that an artificial X-gene may be created through donation from the remaining living mutants and the dead mutants who still remained powered. They embark on a comparative analysis of depowered mutants, before and after the M-Day, to be able to comprehend the very nature of mutation itself, which Hank plans to do by first discovering how to keep old samples viable by examining the contraband drug Mutant Growth Hormone. With the aid of Bishop
, Beast meets with an MGH dealer in District X
, a former mutant ghetto, only to discover that if a donor mutant has been depowered, any MGH distilled from that mutant was also depowered.
Hank goes to see Forge
, who reveals that he scanned alternate timelines known to have mutants with his equipment and has found that no more mutants exist in any of them, suggesting that those timelines have either been erased or altered.
Deciding to look into the parents of several mutants in the hopes of isolating chromosomes in order to create an artificial X-gene,
Hank and the Dark Beast travel to the Guthrie home in Kentucky. Hank is unable to procure a blood sample from Mrs. Guthrie due to her fear of her remaining children becoming mutants and dying like their older siblings. At the same time, the Dark Beast coerces one of the younger children into taking an untested antidote to activate his latent X-gene. this causes the boy to fall into a coma with hives covering his arms. The two Beasts start to fight until Mrs. Guthrie shoots the Dark Beast with a shotgun. Hank saves the boy's life.
Some time afterwards, Spiral
teleports to Hank and claims that Mojo
is displeased with the fact that mutants are now an endangered species, which will affect his television ratings. Spiral advises him that when science can't help, magic might be a solution.
Hank goes to see Doctor Strange
, who shows him the true depth of the Scarlet Witch's spell: it has woven itself through billions of people and countless other worlds and dimensions. Hank asks if the spell can be reversed, and Strange replies that with enough preparation and assistance, it is possible. But as the spell is now, he claimed even trying to break it could cause reality to implode upon itself.
Hank and Doctor Strange travel through alternate realities to find an answer but can not find one.
Beast travels to Transia where he meets Wanda Maximoff
on the streets, however, she does not remember anything of her life as the Scarlet Witch. Beast tries to tell Wanda who she was and what she has done, but she simply dismisses the topic and leaves. Beast, having made no progress on his search, returns to Neverland and gives all the corpses a separate burial.
Note: New X-Men #43, originally scheduled to contain Part 16, was delayed, so the part is contained in X-Men #204 along with 17.
volume):
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
storyline published by Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
. Starring the X-Men
X-Men
The X-Men are a superhero team in the . They were created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, and first appeared in The X-Men #1...
, it ran from June to October 2007
2007 in comics
-January:*January 10: Superman & Batman vs. Aliens & Predator released.*January 24: The Boys is canceled with issue #6.-February:*February 2: Newsarama reports that The Boys has been picked up by Dynamite Entertainment....
. It begins with the Endangered Species one-shot written by Mike Carey and drawn by Scot Eaton
Scot Eaton
Scot Eaton is a comic book artist, best known for his work on Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, X-Men: Endangered Species, and X-Men: Messiah Complex.-Beginnings:...
.
The storyline, following up on the events of "House of M
House of M
House of M is an eight-issue comic book limited series and crossover storyline published by Marvel Comics in 2005. Written by Brian Michael Bendis and illustrated by Olivier Coipel, its first issue debuted in June 2005 as a follow-up to the events of the Planet X and Avengers Disassembled...
" and "Decimation
Decimation (comics)
Decimation is the late 2005 Marvel Comics storyline spinning off from the House of M limited series. It focuses on the ramifications of the Scarlet Witch stripping nearly all of the mutant population of their powers, thereby reducing a society of millions to one of scant hundreds.This event, which...
", focuses on the Beast
Beast (comics)
Beast , Dr. Henry Philip "Hank" McCoy, is a comic book character, a Marvel Comics superhero and a member of the mutant team of superheroes known as the X-Men...
and explains why some mutants
Mutant (Marvel Comics)
In comic books published by Marvel Comics, a mutant is an organism who possesses a genetic trait called an X-gene that allows the mutant to naturally develop superhuman powers and abilities...
have retained their superpowers
Superpower (ability)
Superpower is a popular culture term for a fictional superhuman ability. When a character possesses multiple such abilities, the terms super powers or simply powers are used...
.
The story is composed of a one-shot and 17 eight-page back-up stories spread across the X-Men, Uncanny X-Men, X-Factor and New X-Men titles, starting with X-Men #200. It acts as a prelude to a major story arc starting in October 2007 called "Messiah Complex
X-Men: Messiah Complex
"Messiah Complex" is a comic book crossover storyline published by Marvel Comics from October 2007 to January 2008, which ran through the various X-Men books....
".
Plot summary
The X-Men and various other mutants attend the funeral of a young mutant boy named Landru who has been killed in a road traffic accident and muse on what this means for mutantkind.Beast
Beast (comics)
Beast , Dr. Henry Philip "Hank" McCoy, is a comic book character, a Marvel Comics superhero and a member of the mutant team of superheroes known as the X-Men...
plans to find a way to reverse M-Day
Decimation (comics)
Decimation is the late 2005 Marvel Comics storyline spinning off from the House of M limited series. It focuses on the ramifications of the Scarlet Witch stripping nearly all of the mutant population of their powers, thereby reducing a society of millions to one of scant hundreds.This event, which...
. After he was unable to attain a solution he seeks the help of some of the world's most dangerous supervillain geniuses. Hank travels to Transia
Transia
Transia is a fictional European country on the Earth of the Marvel Universe. It is located between Transylvania, Romania and Serbia. More than 90% of its people live in one large town and a number of smaller villages located at the base of Mount Wundagore.Transia was a former section of...
in search of the High Evolutionary, who discusses the possibility that science cannot undo something that magic ultimately caused. However he ultimately seems uninterested in helping. He does hints that Hank is not the first person to travel to Wundagore looking for a solution to the M-Day problem, nor the first to be dissatisfied with his answers.
Hank next receives an offer from Kavita Rao: with mutants as an endangered species, her research into depowering mutants has become pointless. Tissue samples from all the mutants that she depowered turned to dust on M-Day. she gives Hank her notes and lab and returns to India. Beast travels to the Neverland facility, whose mutant prisoners are revealed to having been killed after the facility was shut down by Weapon X. He discovers Dark Beast
Dark Beast
Dark Beast , sometimes known as the Black Beast, is a Marvel Comics supervillain, an alternate reality evil version of the X-Men’s Beast...
, who offers his help. Hank reluctantly accepts under the condition that the Dark Beast follows Hank's orders.
Dark Beast convinces Hank to take a serum of his own "liquid memory", wherein Hank experiences several of the Dark Beast’s memories. After experiencing the atrocities Dark Beast committed, Hank declares him insane. They arrive at a nuclear power plant in Alamogordo, New Mexico
Alamogordo, New Mexico
Alamogordo is the county seat of Otero County and a city in south-central New Mexico, United States. A desert community lying in the Tularosa Basin, it is bordered on the east by the Sacramento Mountains. It is the nearest city to Holloman Air Force Base. The population was 35,582 as of the 2000...
, that once served as a research facility for the "study" of mutations by an organization known as "Project: Black Womb", which was devoted to the vivisection of newborn mutants with evident signs of mutancy.
After realizing how the disappearance of the X-gene rendered such research null and void, Dark Beast suggests going to Genosha, scavenging dead mutant corpses. After extensive examination, Hank realizes that even if the X-gene was expunged from the world mutant population, many of them retained some of their altered body features. He proposes to Dark Beast that an artificial X-gene may be created through donation from the remaining living mutants and the dead mutants who still remained powered. They embark on a comparative analysis of depowered mutants, before and after the M-Day, to be able to comprehend the very nature of mutation itself, which Hank plans to do by first discovering how to keep old samples viable by examining the contraband drug Mutant Growth Hormone. With the aid of Bishop
Bishop (comics)
Bishop is a fictional comic book superhero, appearing in books published by Marvel Comics, in particular the X-Men family of books...
, Beast meets with an MGH dealer in District X
District X
District X, also known as Mutant Town or the Middle East Side, is a fictional location in Marvel Comics. It is a neighborhood in New York City, first seen during Grant Morrison's run on the series New X-Men in New X-Men #127, which was primarily populated by mutants...
, a former mutant ghetto, only to discover that if a donor mutant has been depowered, any MGH distilled from that mutant was also depowered.
Hank goes to see Forge
Forge (comics)
Forge is a fictional character in the , a superhero associated with The X-Men.A mutant with an unsurpassed brilliance in technology, Forge has had a lengthy career as a government weapons contractor. He shared a romantic relationship with Storm, and a brief affair with Mystique which led him to...
, who reveals that he scanned alternate timelines known to have mutants with his equipment and has found that no more mutants exist in any of them, suggesting that those timelines have either been erased or altered.
Deciding to look into the parents of several mutants in the hopes of isolating chromosomes in order to create an artificial X-gene,
Hank and the Dark Beast travel to the Guthrie home in Kentucky. Hank is unable to procure a blood sample from Mrs. Guthrie due to her fear of her remaining children becoming mutants and dying like their older siblings. At the same time, the Dark Beast coerces one of the younger children into taking an untested antidote to activate his latent X-gene. this causes the boy to fall into a coma with hives covering his arms. The two Beasts start to fight until Mrs. Guthrie shoots the Dark Beast with a shotgun. Hank saves the boy's life.
Some time afterwards, Spiral
Spiral (comics)
Spiral is a fictional character, a supervillainess in the Marvel Comics universe. She first appeared in the Longshot miniseries by Ann Nocenti and Art Adams.-Fictional character biography:...
teleports to Hank and claims that Mojo
Mojo (comics)
Mojo is a Marvel Comics supervillain, primarily an enemy of the X-Men and one of its members, Longshot. Mojo is one of the "Spineless Ones," an alien race that is immobile without advanced technology. He is a slaver who rules the Mojoverse, a dimension where all beings are addicted to his...
is displeased with the fact that mutants are now an endangered species, which will affect his television ratings. Spiral advises him that when science can't help, magic might be a solution.
Hank goes to see Doctor Strange
Doctor Strange
Doctor Stephen Strange is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was co-created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, and first appeared in Strange Tales #110 ....
, who shows him the true depth of the Scarlet Witch's spell: it has woven itself through billions of people and countless other worlds and dimensions. Hank asks if the spell can be reversed, and Strange replies that with enough preparation and assistance, it is possible. But as the spell is now, he claimed even trying to break it could cause reality to implode upon itself.
Hank and Doctor Strange travel through alternate realities to find an answer but can not find one.
Beast travels to Transia where he meets Wanda Maximoff
Scarlet Witch
The Scarlet Witch is a fictional comic book character that appears in books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appears in X-Men #4 and was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby...
on the streets, however, she does not remember anything of her life as the Scarlet Witch. Beast tries to tell Wanda who she was and what she has done, but she simply dismisses the topic and leaves. Beast, having made no progress on his search, returns to Neverland and gives all the corpses a separate burial.
July 2007
- Part 2: Uncanny X-Men #488
- Part 3: X-Factor #21
- Part 4: New X-Men #40
- Part 5: X-Men #201
August 2007
- Part 6: Uncanny X-Men #489
- Part 7: X-Factor #22
- Part 8: New X-Men #41
- Part 9: X-Men #202
September 2007
- Part 10: Uncanny X-Men #490
- Part 11: X-Factor #23
- Part 12: New X-Men #42
- Part 13: X-Men #203
October 2007
- Part 14: Uncanny X-Men #491
- Part 15: X-Factor #24
- Part 16/17: X-Men #204
Note: New X-Men #43, originally scheduled to contain Part 16, was delayed, so the part is contained in X-Men #204 along with 17.
Collected editions
The one-shot and the seventeen, eight-page back-up stories have been collected into a single trade paperback (comics)Trade paperback (comics)
In comics, a trade paperback is a collection of stories originally published in comic books, reprinted in book format, usually capturing one story arc from a single title or a series of stories with a connected story arc or common theme from one or more titles...
volume):
- X-Men: Endangered Species (192 pages, hardcover, February 2008 ISBN 0785130128, softcover, August 2008, ISBN 0785128204)