"Manifest Destiny" is an American comic book 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...

 through the X-Men related titles and a number of limited series

Limited series

A limited series is a comic book series with a set number of installments. A limited series differs from an ongoing series in that the number of issues is determined before production and it differs from a one shot in that it is composed of multiple issues....

, including a self titled one. The arc was a follow-up to the storyline entitled "Divided We Stand

X-Men: Divided We Stand

"X-Men: Divided We Stand" is a 2008 comic book storyline published by Marvel Comics as a follow-up storyline to the "Messiah Complex" story arc. The story started with the issues of the X-Men-related titles cover dated April 2008. This included: The Uncanny X-Men; Wolverine vol. 3; X-Factor vol. 3;...

" which started in the issues cover dated September 2008.

Storyline overview

"Manifest Destiny" deals with the change in the X-Men when they shift their headquarters from Westchester

Westchester County, New York

Westchester County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. Westchester covers an area of and has a population of 949,113 according to the 2010 Census, residing in 45 municipalities...

 to San Francisco. This is the first time the X-Men have changed their headquarters since their brief relocation to Australia

Australia

Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...

 during the 1980s. This will be followed by "X-Infernus

X-Infernus

X-Infernus is a four-issue comic book mini-series that started December 2008. Written by C. B. Cebulski, with art by Giuseppe Camuncoli, it was a sequel to Inferno. It sees the return of the character Magik searching Limbo for her soul....

", the sequel to "Inferno

Inferno (Marvel Comics)

Inferno was a Marvel Comics company-wide crossover in 1989 that mainly involved the mutant titles, namely The Uncanny X-Men, X-Factor, X-Terminators, Excalibur, and The New Mutants...

".

Publication history

The X-Men: Manifest Destiny mini-series itself, is an anthology

Comics anthology

Comics anthologies collect works in the medium of comics that are too short for standalone publication.- U.S. :- UK :British comics have a long tradition publishing comics anthologies, often weekly...

. The lead story is focused on Iceman

Iceman (comics)

Iceman is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero, a member of the X-Men. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist/co-writer Jack Kirby, he first appeared in X-Men vol. 1 #1, ....

 and his journey to San Francisco. It is written by Mike Carey, with pencils by Michael Ryan

Michael Ryan (artist)

Michael Ryan is a comic book artist, famously known for being attached solely to Marvel Comics. In 2004, Marvel Comics signed a 3-year contract with an eager Ryan, whose first work was New X-Men: Academy X with Nunzio DeFilippis and Christina Weir. Marvel Editor-in-Chief Joe Quesada would later say...

. There are two back-up stories in every issue, focusing on different characters (Karma

Karma (comics)

Karma is a fictional superheroine from Marvel Comics created by Chris Claremont and Frank Miller.Karma is a mutant endowed with the ability to seize control of another's mind, though she has sometimes been depicted with other more extensive psionic abilities...

, Boom-Boom

Tabitha Smith

Tabitha Smith is a fictional character, a comic book superhero in the Marvel Comics universe. Created by Jim Shooter and Al Milgrom, the character first appeared in Secret Wars II #5 . She later appeared as a member of the X-Force and, more recently, as a member of Nextwave...

, Nuwa

Nuwa (comics)

Nuwa is a fictional character, a mutant in the Marvel Comics Universe. Her first appearance was in X-Force Annual #3.-Fictional character history:...

, Juggernaut

Juggernaut (comics)

The Juggernaut is a fictional character that appears in publications published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in X-Men #12 , and was created by writer Stan Lee and artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby....

, Colossus

Colossus (comics)

Colossus is a fictional character, a superhero in the Marvel Comics universe. Created by writer Len Wein and illustrator Dave Cockrum, he first appeared in Giant-Size X-Men #1...

, Nightcrawler

Nightcrawler (comics)

Nightcrawler is a fictional character, a comic book superhero in the Marvel Universe. He has been associated with both the X-Men and Excalibur, originally appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Len Wein and artist Dave Cockrum, he debuted in Giant-Size X-Men #1...

, Mercury and many others) and their lives in San Francisco.

Uncanny X-Men

The X-Men open their new base in San Francisco and send a telepathic invitation to every remaining mutant on Earth. Their first fights were against Magneto, Sentinels and the newly formed Hellfire Cult. This is also the introduction to the Sisterhood of Evil Mutants and Madelyne Pryor is seen alive.

Astonishing X-Men

The Astonishing X-Men shows up with a new line-up (Cyclops, Emma Frost, Beast, Storm, Armor, Wolverine). Their first mission was to investigate the murder of an undiscovered mutant.

Cable

X-Force captures Bishop and brings him to the X-Men Headquarters in San Francisco, while Cable is seen
fighting in the future.

X-Men: Legacy

Cyclops secretly meets with Xavier as one last favor to his former teacher and friend. Elsewhere, the Hellfire Club

Hellfire Club (comics)

The Hellfire Club is a fictional society within the Marvel Comics Universe that often comes into confrontation with the mutant superhero team, the X-Men...

 is discussing Sunspot

Sunspot (comics)

Sunspot is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics superhero most commonly associated with X-Men-related groups the New Mutants and X-Force....

 leaving their ranks and the void that leaves. As Sebastian Shaw

Sebastian Shaw (comics)

Sebastian Hiram Shaw is a fictional comic book supervillain in the Marvel Comics universe, and an adversary of the X-Men.A mutant, Shaw possesses the ability to absorb energy and transform it into raw strength...

 tries to create some order, Castlemere and his new found cybernetic "upgrades" lay waste to another member of the Hellfire Club.

Rogue

Rogue (comics)

Rogue was first slated to appear in Ms. Marvel #25 , but the book's abrupt cancellation left her original introduction story unpublished for over a decade, before seeing print in Marvel Super Heroes #11 in 1992. Rogue's first published appearance was in Avengers Annual #10...

 makes her way to the X-Men's former base in Australia

Australia

Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...

 and ends up having a heart to heart talk with Mystique, whose persona is still in her head after the events in Messiah Complex.

Young X-Men

Cyclops takes Sunspot and Danielle as mentors of the Young X-Men. After establishing an abandoned cathedral in San Francisco as their new base, the Young X-Men (along with mentors Danielle Moonstar and Sunspot) form their team which includes Ink, Anole

Anole (comics)

Anole is a fictional mutant superhero in the Marvel Universe. He was created by Christina Weir and Nunzio DeFilippis and first appeared in issue #2 of New Mutants vol. 2 . A student at the Xavier Institute and junior member of the X-Men, Anole is one of the few openly gay characters in the Marvel...

, Rockslide, and Dust

Dust (comics)

Dust , is a fictional character in Marvel Comics' X-Men-related comic books. She was created by author Grant Morrison and artist Ethan Van Sciver in New X-Men #133 , although her character was not fully developed until the New X-Men: Academy X series written by Christina Weir and Nunzio DeFilippis...

, but without Blindfold

Blindfold (comics)

Blindfold is a fictional character, a mutant and a member of the student body of the Xavier Institute in Marvel Comics' X-Men-related comic books. She first appeared in Astonishing X-Men, vol. 3 #7 and was created by Joss Whedon and John Cassaday.-Fictional character biography:Blindfold is a...

.

Manifest Destiny

Iceman lands at an hospital after taking a flight with Opal Tanaka, who reveals herself to be Mystique. Disguised as a doctor, Mystique injects Iceman with a neural inhibitor but he manages to escape and flee on a truck. Mystique finds him yet again and destroys the truck, much to the truck driver's dismay. Iceman saves him and asks him to contact the X-Men, while he faces off with Mystique and tells her to shoot him while looking him in the eyes.

Other short stories include:

• Boom-Boom being defeated by Nuwa but taking her revenge by using coffee.
• Karma failing to possess Emma Frost and realizing she needs to get her focus back.
• The Juggernaut hesitating between a life of crime or as a hero.
• Emma Frost coming to terms with the fact that the X-Men have accepted her.
• Anole and Greymalkin
  Greymalkin (comics)
  Graymalkin is a fictional character appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. He is a member of the Young X-Men and is named after the address of the Xavier Institute.-Publication history:...
  
   bonding over their sexuality while Beast explores Greymalkin's history.
• Wolverine and Nightcrawler failing to cheer up Colossus, whose mood lightens when he helps a girl save her kitty.
• X-23 helping Mercury realize she is more than just quicksilver and no one can tell her she is not a person after she defeats some Hellfire Cult members.
• Nightcrawler being depressed over his lack of use as an X-Men and confiding it in a Danger Room created Kitty hologram.

Strangely, about half of these stories refer to Kitty's disappearance.

Eternals/X-Men Manifest Destiny

The last three issues of the short Eternals

Eternals (comics)

The Eternals are a fictional race of superhumans in the Marvel Comics universe. They are described as an offshoot of the evolutionary process that created sentient life on Earth. The original instigators of this process, the alien Celestials, intended the Eternals to be the defenders of Earth which...

(vol. 4) run sees the relocation of the X-Men to San Francisco collide with Ikaris

Ikaris

Ikaris is a fictional character, a member of an alien race known as the Eternals in the Marvel Comics universe. Both Ikaris and the Eternals were created by Jack Kirby.-Publication history:...

, his war with Druig

Druig

Druig is a fictional character appearing in the comic books published by Marvel Comics. He is a member of the Eternals, an ancient and powerful race of superhumans.-Publication history:...

, and the sentinel in Golden Gate Park. The final issue sees the X-Men assist with repelling the Horde which has been foreshadowed as coming since the last issue of Eternals (vol. 3) by Neil Gaiman

Neil Gaiman

Neil Richard Gaiman born 10 November 1960)is an English author of short fiction, novels, comic books, graphic novels, audio theatre and films. His notable works include the comic book series The Sandman and novels Stardust, American Gods, Coraline, and The Graveyard Book...

.

Issues

The following issues are related to the storyline:

• Astonishing X-Men #25-30
• Cable #6
• Eternals
  Eternals (comics)
  The Eternals are a fictional race of superhumans in the Marvel Comics universe. They are described as an offshoot of the evolutionary process that created sentient life on Earth. The original instigators of this process, the alien Celestials, intended the Eternals to be the defenders of Earth which...
  
  (vol. 4) #7-9
• Manifest Destiny: Nightcrawler (previously announced as X-Men: Quitting Time)
• Secret Invasion: X-Men #1-4
• Uncanny X-Men #500-507
• Wolverine: Manifest Destiny
  Wolverine: Manifest Destiny
  Wolverine: Manifest Destiny is a four-issue comic book limited series starring Wolverine and published by Marvel Comics. The series was written by Jason Aaron with art by Stephen Segovia and colored by John Rauch...
  
  #1-4
• X-Men: Legacy #215-216
• X-Men: Manifest Destiny #1-5
• Young X-Men #6-9
• Runaways (Vol. 3) # 10

Reading Order

this is the reading order based on the release date of the issues:

- July 2008 -

• Astonishing X-Men #25
• Uncanny X-Men #500

- August 2008 -

• Cable #6
• Secret Invastion: X-Men #1
• Astonishing X-Men #26
• Uncanny X-Men #501
• X-Men: Legacy #215

- September 2008 -

• X-Men: Manifest Destiny #1
• Secret Invasion: X-Men #2
• Uncanny X-Men #502
• Young X-Men #6
• X-Men: Legacy #216

- October 2008 -

• X-Men: Manifest Destiny #2
• Astonishing X-Men #27
• Uncanny X-Men #503
• Young X-Men #7
• Wolverine: Manifest Destiny #1
• Secret Invasion: X-Men #3

- November 2008 -

• X-Men: Manifest Destiny #3
• Uncanny X-Men #504
• Young X-Men #8
• Secret Invasion: X-Men #4

- December 2008 -

• Wolverine: Manifest Destiny #2
• X-Men: Manifest Destiny #4
• Uncanny X-Men #505
• Young X-Men #9
• Wolverine: Manifest Destiny #3

- January 2009 -

• X-Men: Manifest Destiny #5
• Eternals #7
• Astonishing X-Men #28

- Fabuary 2009 -

• Wolverine: Manifest Destiny #4
• Eternals #8
• Uncanny X-Men #506

- March 2009 -

• Manifest Destiny: Nightcrawler #1
• Eternals #9
• Uncanny X-Men #507
• Astonishing X-Men #29

- April 2009 -

- May 2009 -

• Runaways (Vol. 3) #10

- June 2009 -

• Astonishing X-Men #30

Collected editions

The storyline will be collected into a number of volumes

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...

:

• Uncanny X-Men: Manifest Destiny (collects Uncanny X-Men #500-503, "X-Men Free Comic Book Day", and Manifest Destiny #1-5, 208 pages, April 2009, ISBN 0-7851-3817-X, softcover, November 2009, ISBN 0-7851-2451-9)
• X-Men: Manifest Destiny (collects Wolverine: Manifest Destiny #1-4, "X-Men Manifest Destiny: Nightcrawler" and X-Men: Manifest Destiny #1-5, 200 pages, hardcover, June 2009, ISBN 0-7851-3818-8, softcover, September 2009, ISBN 0-7851-3518-9)
• Eternals Volume 2 (includes Eternals (vol. 4) #7-9, softcover, 104 pages, September 2009, ISBN 0-7851-2979-0)

External links

• WW Philly: The X-Men's "Manifest Destiny", Comic Book Resources
  Comic Book Resources
  Comic Book Resources, also known as CBR is a website dedicated to the coverage of comic book-related news and discussion.-History:Comic Book Resources was founded by Jonah Weiland in 1996 as a development of the Kingdom Come Message Board, a message forum that Weiland had created to discuss DC...
  
  , May 31, 2008
• WW Philly: X-Men: Manifest Destiny, Newsarama
  Newsarama
  Newsarama is an American website that publishes news, interviews and essays about the American comic book industry.-History:Newsarama began in Summer 1995 as a series of Internet forum postings on the Prodigy comic-book message boards by fan Mike Doran. In these short messages. Doran shared...
  
  , May 31, 2008
• HeroesCon 2008: X-Men: Manifest Destiny, Comic Book Resources
  Comic Book Resources
  Comic Book Resources, also known as CBR is a website dedicated to the coverage of comic book-related news and discussion.-History:Comic Book Resources was founded by Jonah Weiland in 1996 as a development of the Kingdom Come Message Board, a message forum that Weiland had created to discuss DC...
  
  , June 23, 2008
• Review of X-Men: Manifest Destiny #1, Comic Book Resources
  Comic Book Resources
  Comic Book Resources, also known as CBR is a website dedicated to the coverage of comic book-related news and discussion.-History:Comic Book Resources was founded by Jonah Weiland in 1996 as a development of the Kingdom Come Message Board, a message forum that Weiland had created to discuss DC...