Writer: Kieron Gillen
Penciller: Carlos Pacheco
Colourist: Guru eFX
Inker: Roger Bonet
Letterer: Virtual Calligraphy’s Joe Caramagna

Previously, in Uncanny X-Men: The events of Avengers Vs. X-Men are reverberating throughout the Marvel Universe. Cyclops is now in custody for his crimes as the Dark Phoenix, not least of which was killing the longtime leader of the X-Men, Professor Charles Xavier. Cyclops regrets Xavier’s death, but the fact that his escapades as the Phoenix has allowed new mutants to be born across the globe means that he feels his actions are justified.

Some of the other X-Men are still unaccounted for. Danger, still under the control of UNIT, the psychopathic alien computer, is the most at risk, but the rest of the Extinction Team are also missing; Psylocke, Magneto, Colossus, Emma Frost, and Magik are all out there. What are their plans now that the Phoenix is gone?

Writer: Kieron Gillen
Artist: Dale Eaglesham
Colourist: Matt Milla
Letterer: Virtual Calligraphy’s Joe Caramagna

Previously, in Uncanny X-Men: The Phoenix Five have been reduced to the Phoenix One. Namor was defeated at the hands of the Avengers after his invasion of Wakanda, whilst Colossus and Magik were tricked by Spider-Man into defeating each other. When the Avengers, X-Men, Scarlet Witch, and Hope Summers battled the two remaining members, Emma Frost and Cyclops, Cyclops turned on Emma and defeated her himself, absorbing all of the Phoenix’s power.

Despite the urging of the assembled heroes, Cyclops would not listen to reason and relinquish the cosmic power of the Phoenix. Instead, he used it to murder his mentor, Professor Xavier, in cold blood. Now the stage is set for the final battle, as Cyclops has fully succumbed to the influence of the Phoenix, and become the new incarnation of the Dark Phoenix.

Writer: Kieron Gillen
Artist: Ron Garney
Colourists: Jason Keith and Morry Hollowell
Letterer: Virtual Calligraphy’s Joe Caramagna

Previously, in Uncanny X-Men: The Phoenix Force has come to Earth, and possessed five of the X-Men. Magik, Namor, and Colossus were defeated by the combined forces of the Avengers, and their portions of the Phoenix’s power were transferred to Emma Frost and Cyclops, who now possess half of the cosmic firebird’s power each. The Avengers have opposed the Phoenix since it arrived, and have now discovered that the combined might of Hope Summers and the Scarlet Witch are able to damage its human hosts.

Cyclops has realised that in order to defeat the Avengers and their allies for the final time, he will require the entirety of the Phoenix’s power, and sets out to find Emma in order to enlist her in the battle. It looks like the Marvel Universe’s mutant power couple is going to have some therapy sessions in its future, if the pair of them survive the encounter.

Writer: Kieron Gillen
Artists: Daniel Acuna and Mike Del Mundo
Letterer: Virtual Calligraphy’s Joe Caramagna

Previously, in Uncanny X-Men: The Phoenix Five were drawn to Sinister London, the underground stronghold of Mister Sinister, populated with perfect clones of himself. Using clones of the X-Men and his extensive defences, Sinister has managed to defeat all five of the Phoenix empowered X-Men, and has trapped their cosmic power in clones of Cyclops’ ex-wife, Madelyne Pryor.

Back on Utopia, Danger, Storm, Magneto, and Psylocke are feeling the effects of having five of their team mates become all powerful – they now feel useless. They decide to rectify this, and head to Sinister London in time to see the Five beaten. It now falls to them in order to save the day, or Mister Sinister will be able to power his Creation Engines with Phoenix fire forever.

Writer: Kieron Gillen
Art and Colours: Daniel Acuna
Letterer: Virtual Calligraphy’s Joe Caramagna

Previously, in Uncanny X-Men: Mister Sinister has provoked the Phoenix Five into taking action against him. Having created a civilization comprised entirely of Sinister Clones, he soon finds the cosmically powered X-Men on his doorstep and prepares to rebuke them with everything at his disposal. His true purpose however, is to capture their Phoenix energy for his own twisted deeds.

Back on Utopia, Magneto, Psylocke, Storm and Danger are feeling useless. With their team mates now more powerful than the four of them combined, their role as X-Men is being called into question. Never ones to let events take place without them, their next course of action now needs to be decided.

Writer: Kieron Gillen
Art and Colours: Daniel Acuna
Letterer: Virtual Calligraphy’s Joe Caramagna

Previously, in Uncanny X-Men: After Iron Man attacked the Phoenix Force with his newest suit of armour, the cosmic firebird was split into five parts and took up residence in the bodies of Cyclops, Emma Frost, Namor, Colossus, and Magik. The Phoenix Five have since taken saving the world into their own hands, reshaping deserts and giving water to regions without any. Their homebase, the island of Utopia, now floats in the sky surrounded by new structures as Pax Utopia.

The Avengers are resisting the Phoenix Five in their own way, and so is Mister Sinister. Having created an entire Sinister London deep underground, populated with perfect clones of himself and Cyclops’ old flame Madelyne Pryor, he now sits in waiting for the Five, since it can only be a matter of time before they find him.

Writer: Kieron Gillen
Artist: Dustin Weaver
Colourist: Jim Charalampidis
Letterer: Virtual Calligraphy’s Joe Caramagna

Previously, in Uncanny X-Men: The Phoenix has come to Earth, and despite the best efforts of the Avengers, it has taken its hosts; Cyclops, Emma Frost, Magik, Colossus and Namor are now the Phoenix Five, all empowered with the cosmic flamebird’s energies and out to reshape the world in the way that the Phoenix sees fit.

Elsewhere, Mister Sinister has retreated since his last defeat at the hands of Cyclops and the Extinction Team. When his plan to remake the world in his image was thwarted by the interfering X-Men and the appearance of the Celestials, he returned to his home base to plot in secret. Where has he been since the X-Men last saw him, and what plot does he have in store now?

Writer: Kieron Gillen
Penciller: Billy Tan
Inker: Cam Smith
Colourist: Guru eFX
Letterer: Virtual Calligraphy’s Joe Caramagna

Previously, in Uncanny X-Men: The Avengers and the X-Men have been sent across the world in pursuit of Hope Summers, the supposed mutant messiah, who has escaped from Utopia in order to face her destiny as the host of the Phoenix, the cosmic force that is heading across the stars in order to bond with her.

Whilst the Avengers and X-Men fight, Hope has joined forces with Wolverine. They head to the moon in order to face the Phoenix head on, but Wolverine informs the Avengers, who meet her there. Emma Frost’s telepathy allows the X-Men to also arrive before the Phoenix does. The two teams face off once again, as the flaming firebird gets ever closer.

Writer: Kieron Gillen
Penciller: Greg Land
Inker: Jay Leisten
Colourist: Guru eFX
Letterer: Virtual Calligraphy’s Joe Caramagna

Previously, in Uncanny X-Men: The Phoenix is coming. The cosmic force of destruction and rebirth is heading across the galaxy, and it’s most likely host is an X-Man – Hope Summers. When the Avengers turn up on the X-Men’s island home of Utopia demanding Hope, the so-called mutant messiah, the X-Men retaliate with a show of force. In the confusion, Hope escapes Utopia alone.

With both the X-Men and Avengers on her trail, Hope scatters her homing signal across the world to five locations – Wakanda, Latveria, the Savage Land, Tabula Rasa, and Wundagore. The Avengers and X-Men split into teams in order to track her down, leading to further clashes in these new terrains.

Writer: Kieron Gillen
Penciller: Greg Land
Inker: Jay Leisten
Colourist: Guru eFX
Letterer: Virtual Calligraphy’s Joe Caramagna

Previously, in Uncanny X-Men: When the Scarlet Witch depowered almost all of the mutants on Earth with one spell, she left only 198 with their mutant abilities. Mutants were an endangered species, until the birth of the first new mutant since what had become known as M-Day. This little girl was sent into the future, protected by Cable, and raised into a young woman before returning to the present. All the hopes of the mutant race are now pinned on Hope Summers.

The Phoenix Force, a cosmic being of immeasurable power, is returning to Earth and both the Avengers and the X-Men believe that it is coming for Hope. However, the X-Men believe that this will herald the return of mutants, whilst the Avengers believe that it will destroy the planet. Captain America and the Avengers have arrived at Utopia, the island home of the X-Men, in order to take Hope into protective custody. Unfortunately, Cyclops and his Extinction Team are having none of it…

Writer: Kieron Gillen
Pencillers: Carlos Pacheco and Paco Diaz
Colourist: Guru eFX
Inker: Cam Smith
Letterer: Virtual Calligraphy’s Joe Caramagna

Previously, in Uncanny X-Men: After the Schism, a disagreement between Cyclops and Wolverine over the treatment of younger mutants caused the X-Men to split in two. One half, lead by Cyclops, remained on their island home of Utopia, fighting to protect mutantkind and the world, whilst the other half, lead by Wolverine, returned to rebuild their Westchester school.

On Utopia, Cyclops has formed the Extinction Team – a team of the most powerful mutants that will be able to face any threat. After a breakout at the SWORD intergalactic prison, the Earth is covered with escaped alien convicts, and SWORD’s leader, Abigail Brand, calls in both the Extinction Team and the Avengers to capture them all. Mutant messiah Hope Summers, also a member of the Extinction Team, is tricked into facing the psychopathic supercomputer Unit alone, and he closes in to dissect her…

Hey readers! Another first issue review for you, and this time it’s for Uncanny X-Men #535, which marks the first issue of writer Kieron Gillen’s ongoing run on the series!

Does Gillen make a successful debut on the long running series? Will he make me pick up ANOTHER book each month? Read on to find out if this first issue is worth your $3.99!