10 Iconic Comic Book Moments Erased By Stupid Retcons
7. Magneto Infiltrates The X-Men
When Grant Morrison was given the task of writing the X-Men, he wanted to shake up the status quo. In his opening arc, a new iteration of Sentinels were sent to destroy the island nation of Genosha, which had become a mutant haven and was ruled by Magneto. Not only was Genosha wiped out, but Magneto himself was said to have died in the attack. Morrisons run then preceded to introduce new villains for the X-Men, as well as a few new characters to join the team. One of these was Xorn, a Chinese mutant with a star for a brain. Xorn was widely praised as a welcome addition to the team, but then in the Planet X storyline, Morrison pulled out the rug from everyone when he revealed that Xorn was really Magneto in disguise. Magneto, who was under the control of the villain Sublime, had infiltrated the X-Men and attempted to reverse the planets magnetic poles. But at the end of the story, Magneto was decapitated by Wolverine. Ornot. After Morrisons departure, Marvel editorial went into retcon mode. Magneto appeared alive and well in the pages of Chris Claremonts Excalibur title, having no memory of the events of Planet X. Meanwhile in the pages of X-Men, Chuck Austen introduced a new Xorn, who was the brother of the previous Xorn. The official explanation was that it wasnt Magneto in Planet X, but it was actually Xorn, pretending to be Magnetopretending to be Xorn. If your head hurts yet, you arent alone. Although Planet X was a controversial storyline, the retcons that followed proved even more controversial. The situation has yet to be resolved with any sort of satisfaction, and likely never will be.
Percival Constantine is the author of several novels and short stories, including the Vanguard superhero series, and regularly writes and comments on movies, comics, and other pop culture. More information can be found at his website, PercivalConstantine.com
