Summary
If there is one group of heroes in theMCUthat fans have been eager to see come to life on the big screen more so than any others, it would have to be theX-Men. So far, all fan experience with the X-Men has been through FOX’s hit-or-missX-Menfilms or the animatedX-Men ‘97series. Yet, withDeadpool and Wolverineset to introduce both heroes to the largerMCUmultiverse, the question remains: how will theX-Men such as Wolverine and Deadpooljoin theMCU, and what storyline will they adopt?
In the FOX universe, fans have seen storylines such asThe Phoenix Saga,Days of Future’s Past, and more. Yet, there are so many different storylines that theMCUcan use to make the X-Men feel fresh and new to fans. With screenwriter Michael Lesslie (The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes) currently in final negotiations to write the script for theMCU’sX-Menfilm and rumors spreading about actors possibly being linked to the project, the need for new stories has never been more vital, and while current runs like Jonathan Hickman’s Krakoan Age have been widespread, one story that may just fit the bill isX-Men Gold and Blue, giving the MCU’sX-Menit’s most extensive roster of heroes yet.
X-Men Blue, Explained
Both X-Men teams during this era came together after the X-Men had been separated for a time. Scattered worldwide after a journey through a portal known as the Siege Perilous, the X-Men eventually come together on Muir Island, where they face the evil Shadow King. The end of theMuir Island Sagastoryline ended with 14 different mutants on the core X-Men team, and Professor Xavier stated that there would be too many members on a single team. Thus, two teams were formed, withCyclops leadingX-Men Blueand Storm leadingX-Men Gold. However, both teams still lived in the X-Mansion and worked under the leadership of Professor X.
X-Men Blue continued the adventures the normal, core X-Men team had taken on for years. Led by Cyclops, the Blue team includedthe ferocious Wolverine, Beast, Psylocke, Rogue, and Gambit, with Jubilee and the mutant assassin-turned-hero Kwannon trapped inside of Psylocke’s original body joining the team later on. They first faced Magneto and his acolytes on Asteroid M, with X-Men Gold rescuing them when they became brainwashed into serving the master of magnetism. They would face threats like Apocalypse’s followers, the Dark Riders, Omega Red, Mr. Sinister, and Mojo. Still, The Legacy Virus would bring both teams together overnight, as the futuristic virus would change the X-Men and all mutants forever.
X-Men Gold, Explained
The team led by Storm encountered some of the grander threats the X-Men faced during this era, leading to theUncanny X-Mencomics at the time. The group included Jean Gray, Colossus, Iceman, Archangel, and, at some points,the weapons developer and mutant veteran Forge, with the time-traveling hero mutant Bishop joining at some point. This led the team to fight against threats like a time-traveling serial killer named Trevor Fitzroy, the Phalanx, a technological race of aliens, and Mikhail Rasputin, Colossus’s brother, with the ability to rewrite reality around him.
The team would also deal with Callisto and the Morlocks, the tunnel-dwelling mutant outcasts that came up against the X-Men time and time again. Yet it would once again be the Legacy Virus that brought them together with the other X-Men and mutants in general, as the virus would take the life of Colossus’s sister and future X-Men hero Magik, leading Colossus to join thecomplicated villain turned hero Magneto’sacolytes for a time in his grief.
Could the MCU Adapt The Legacy Virus?
Considering that the Legacy Virus was the primary plot device that brought both teams together again and considerably impacted mutant status in the Marvel Universe, it would be a fresh take on theX-Menon the big screen as they enter the MCU. The Legacy Virus itself involvesthe time traveling mutant hero Cable’sevil clone, Stryfe. Hailing from 2,000 years in the future, Stryfe was the version of Cable raised by the mutant villain Apocalypse. Together, they would develop the Legacy Virus, originally meant to target humans and wipe them out. However, after the future version of Apocalypse has perished, Stryfe uses it for his purposes.
Giving a canister tothe mischievous Mr. Sinister, who claimed it had centuries of DNA material from the Summers family line. The canister proved to be empty, save for the Legacy Virus. This would be the catalyst for the virus being loosed upon the world, with Kwannon and Magick being two of the first major X-Men characters to lose their lives. Those infected would be quarantined in Magneto’s mutant nation, Genosha, and later on, Mystique would try to save mutants by rewriting the virus for its original purpose, to target humans. Moira discovers this and finds the cure, but she can pass this on to Charles Xavier before she dies.
With theMCUlooking to start fresh with theX-Menand the X-Men ‘97 already adapting new storylines like Bastion andthe fall of Genosha, could new stories like the Legacy Virus be the first genuine threat that brings the mutants to theMCU? Rumors that the X-Men team in the MCU will be larger than the standard 6 X-Men members make the possibility thatX-Men Blue and Goldwill be the new direction that theX-Menneed to make their impact felt in the largerMCUmore and more of a reality.
