The Unique X-Mansion of the MC2

Comic books have gifted us many iconic superhero headquarters, and I wanted to cover another one today. I don’t have enough free time to take a deep dive into a major location like the Avengers Headquarters or even something like the Fantastic Four’s Pier 4 but I figured because it’s nearly X-Mas, I’d take a look at the X-Mansion of the MC2. Consider it my gift to all of you!

 

The X-Men of the Main Marvel Universe famously and most often operate out of the ancestral home of Professor Charles Xavier in Westchester County, New York which first appeared in the pages of X-Men #1, before being identified as Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters in X-Men #2, both published in 1963. The full address of the X-Mansion (as it is affectionately known) was revealed in the pages of X-Men #99 (1976) and X-Men #123 (1979): 1407 Graymalkin Lane, Salem Center, Westchester County, New York. The school would be renamed the Xavier Institute for Higher Learning in X-Men (vol. 2) #38.

 

Usually, these posts involve an in-depth history of the major events relating to the topic, however, unless I’m very much mistaken, the MC2’s most prominent mutant team the X-People don’t operate out of the Xavier Mansion located on Graymalkin Lane. The X-Mansion we first glimpse in J2 #1 is in New Jersey, in fact. We get our first full appearance of the X-Mansion in J2 #2 when Zane Yama (J2) pays the X-People a visit following an invitation from the team’s leader Jubilee in A-Next #1.

 

Having no other mode of transportation, Zane takes a bus to Saddle River, New Jersey, noting that the X-People have a higher public profile than the X-Men before them, with the X-Mansion’s location even being marked on tourist maps. The estate is encompassed by a wrought iron fence and entry gate with a cobbled driveway leading to the expansive three-story high brick structure. The grounds feature an assortment of large trees, a low brick wall and an in-ground pool (J2 #2).

 

Although the interior of the X-Mansion is not frequently depicted, it contains a version of the iconic Danger Room training facility, complete with holovision projectors, VR modules and direct sensory input transmitters (J2 #7, #11) According to Jubilee, the X-Mansion also has sensors which detected an overlooked Sleeper Sentinel activating at the nearby Upper Saddle River High School (Wild Thing #3).

 

 It appears that the newer team of mutants, the uncanny X-People, are overseen by members of the original X-Men, including Cyclops, who makes his first few appearances in the MC2 during training exercises in the Danger Room (J2 #7, #11).

 

Zane noted that thanks to the efforts and sacrifices of the X-Men, anti-mutant sentiment had been on the downswing for the past few years (J2 #2). Additionally, Rina seems to imply that both the X-Men and X-People teams currently exist (J2 # 10). The continued existence of the X-Men team is confirmed by Mainframe in Spider-Girl #92, suggesting Jubilee’s team is comprised of younger members from the student body in much the same way the New Mutants and Generation X functioned previously.

 

Wolverine refers to ‘the grounds at the old X-Mansion in Salem Center’ in Wild Thing #4 but we don’t learn the current status of the original School for Gifted Youngsters. Speaking of Wolverine, it seems likely that Logan and Elektra relocated to New Jersey to be closer to the X-Mansion, given their daughter Rina begins attending the nearby Upper Saddle River High School shortly after she successfully passes their trial and is offered probationary membership, which she characteristically declines (J2 #11, Wild Thing #1-#5)

 

Speaking of Gifted Youngsters, when Nancy Lu (aka the novice X-People member Push) visits Sara Hingle’s family to invite her to the ‘Xavier Institute’, we learn the school offers an external program for students who wish to continue a mainstream education with tutors visiting them in-home free of charge provide they attend on-campus training once or twice a month in their ‘Safety Rooms,’ no doubt the more official, less deadly-sounding name for the Danger Room  (Amazing Spider-Girl #22).

 

The recruitment and monitoring of young mutants is evidently an ongoing responsibility for the Xavier Institute, with Nancy herself having been first approached by Jubilee three years prior when her mutant abilities first manifested (Spider-Girl #22, #67). A former member of the X-People, Bluestreak has a less favourable view of Jubilee’s team, having quit to train under Hawkeye, forming the Dream Team and becoming a member of the new Avengers (American Dream #1-#5, A-Next #3-#4).

 

The prevalence of anti-mutant sentiment has sadly seen a return in recent times, as is evident in Last Hero Standing #2 when Jubilee believes a wave of recent superhero disappearances are primarily targeting mutants. The rise of ostracization and attacks on young mutants such as Nancy Lu (Spider-Girl #61-#67) and anti-mutant groups such as Humanity First gaining traction while targeting the likes of Sara Hingle further support this (Amazing Spider-Girl #19-#24). This raises concerns for the students and staff of the publicly known New Jersey X-Mansion.

 

The X-People are one of the most tantalizing aspects of the MC2 Universe, as the team has been around since the first year of the MC2 imprint, but has never featured in their own title. I would absolutely love to see Marvel publish an X-People mini-series, at least. I can’t be the only one who wants to see the mutant side of the MC2 more deeply explored. Mysteries such as how the X-Men saved the world and helped convince the public at large (albeit temporarily) not to hate and fear mutants, why did they relocate to New Jersey, where are the majority of the X-Men? I could go on!

 

Until I discover if the Blackbird jet still comes out of the basketball court, I remain

 

frogoat  

Magneto in the MC2

 

With the new X-Men: The Animated Series continuation X-Men ’97 in full swing, I wanted to take a brief look at one of the shows’ antagonist turned protagonist, the mutant master of magnetism himself through the lens of the MC2. This is Magneto in the MC2.

 

First, the basics: Magneto first appeared in 1963’s X-Men #1, but we don’t get a ‘real’ name for the character for quite some time. The first instance is in the classic Days of Future Past story from X-Men #141 wherein the Earth-811 Magneto is referred to as ‘Magnus’. Magneto of Earth-616 or the Main Marvel Universe is also confirmed to use Magnus as a first name in Uncanny X-Men #161. However, X-Men Unlimited #2 tells us Magneto’s full name is ‘Erik Magnus Lehnsherr’, rendering Magnus a middle name instead.

 

This would seem to have resolved the matter until the adjectiveless X-Men (vol.2) #72 revealed the entire name was an alias. For those playing at home, this issue was published in late 1997 making it potentially past the point of divergence for the MC2’s own timeline, but possibly the last relevant comic to address Magneto’s real name. Finally, while it’s not necessarily canon to the MC2, X-Men readers would see ‘Max Eisenhardt’ firmly established as Magneto’s real name in 2008’s X-Men: Magneto Testament #1. This remains the official real name within the Main Marvel Universe at the time of writing. Is it any wonder I rarely cover X-Men characters?

 

Moving on to the MC2 proper now, I’m going to jump right in and admit we never see Magneto in the flesh anywhere. However, we do get several mentions and a few second-generation successors. Let’s begin, shall we?

In the pages of J2 #6 we get both when Zane Yama aka J2 meets ‘Magneta, the most power of the new generation of heroes’ who controls the power of magnetism and idolizes Magneto, believing he was merely the victim of poor press management. Declaring her intention to recruit a group of proactive superheroes, she puts the junior Juggernaut through a test trial before fleeing when the new Avengers arrive.

 

While on an apparent rescue mission in Madripoor with Wolverine, Zane Yama asks the Canadian former X-Man when he got his adamantium back, referring to the fact Magneto ripped the adamantium from Logan’s skeleton in X-Men (vol. 2) #25. Amusingly, the MC2 predicted and pre-dated the restoration of Wolverine’s adamantium-coated skeleton, which didn’t occur until Wolverine (vol. 2) #145, published several months later (J2 #10).

In yet another J2 story, Zane Yama recounts that his father, the original Juggernaut aka Cain Marko, was a major threat as a villain but was never in the same league as Magneto (Wild Thing #5).

 

Various reserve members including Spider-Girl, Blacklight, Earth Sentry and Coal Tiger are called upon to join the Avengers team due to a large number of their ranks having being sidelined following the events of Last Hero Standing. They are briefed about the possible return of the mutant master of magnetism Magneto, who hasn’t been seen in years and is believed by some to be dead. Spider-Girl and trainee member of the X-People known as Push would ultimately apprehend and unmask the tech-using imposter, a man named Charlie Philips (Spider-Girl #92).

 

Wanda Maximoff aka the Scarlet Witch serves as an active member of the depleted Avengers team during the events of Last Planet Standing. During a conflict with the villainous Revengers team led by Hope Pym aka the Red Queen, Wanda tells the now-villainous Magneta that she is offended by her choice of costume and declares that she has no right to call herself ‘Magneta’. Naturally, Magneta responds that she chose her nom de costume and appearance in honour of Wanda’s father. What’s notable about this interaction is that it confirms the familial relationship between Magneto and Wanda in the MC2 (Last Planet Standing #1).

 

Despite all these references and even inspiring a new generation of metal manipulators, we still do not know the ultimate fate of one of Marvel’s greatest characters in the MC2. Perhaps someday, we’ll get an X-People series if I wish really, really hard. Special thanks to the indefatigable arias-98105 for assistance with this and so many other posts!

 

Until I become the mutant master of chess, I remain

 

frogoat