NOTE 1: The first thread of this kind had a point of divergence from canon when Phoenix (Jean Grey) is about to consume the home planet of the D'Bari; this time, the Imperial Guard prevents her from committing mass murder, and therefore Phoenix does not have to die.

NOTE 2: This new thread has a far different point of divergence: The aftermath of the Muir Island Saga (Uncanny X-Men 278-280, X-Factor 68-69,) in which all of the various heroic and anti-heroic mutants from the Chris Claremont Era converged to battle the monstrously powerful telepath known as the Shadow King. By the time the smoke cleared, Professor Charles Xavier had lost the use of his legs again, his son David Haller aka Legion was in a coma, and everything Doctor Moira MacTaggert had worked her whole life for was destroyed.

NOTE 3: The Muir Island Saga was almost, but not quite, the end of the road for Claremont; he had quit halfway through scripting UXM 279, and Fabian Nicieza finished up the storyline, under what Nicieza has described as chaotic behind-the-scenes conditions. Claremont was lured back to script and co-plot X-Men v2 issues 1 through 3, and to tie up a few (but far from all) of his loose ends. I have decided not to include XMv2 #1-3 as canon, as I think it's not a very good story, and I also have my own plans for Magneto, who was the focus of that storyline.

NOTE 4: In fact, I've decided that in this alternate universe, ALL OF the X-Books were cancelled after the Muir Island Saga. The exact cutoff issues are: Uncanny X-Men 280, New Mutants 100, X-Factor 69, Excalibur 41, and Wolverine 47.

NOTE 5: I toyed with the idea of narrowing it down to 2 books (XMv2 and UXM,) but in the end, decided to gather all of the mutants under one single umbrella -- XMv2.



COMING NEXT WEEK:

The mutants are in such a state that they need no less than a savior, to bring them all back together (and to pay all of their debts.) Who will it be? Find out in X-Men v2 #1, "FROSTY GODMOTHER."

Still "Fickles" to my friends.