That Time Marvel Tried to Bury the X-Men

It’s a good time to be an X-Men fan right now. We have a hit cartoon that is so beloved by everyone that it’s the focal point in discussions about weekly release schedules. The upcoming Deadpool and Wolverine film has no one talking about the Superhero film Fatigue. And the Fall of Krakoa storyline is front and center for many of the arcs across nearly all of Marvel’s current titles.

We’re only now seeing all these great X-Men projects and the announcement of a new Fantastic Four film because, if you really look at it, the shadow ban was only really lifted just last year. The effects of that point in time when the comic book market leader would rather rip out its largest cornerstones than just acknowledge them, is well known among comic fans.

But looking at the full extent and all the details of this X-Men/ Fantastic Four squash – now with the benefit of hindsight - really does make all of this seem like the worst business decision for the pettiest of reasons. Let’s get into it.

00:00 - Intro
00:56 - Foreshadowing
02:07 - Bankruptcy
04:42 - Greed
06:44 - The Burial
09:24 - More Burial
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Written, shot, edited, starring, and all that stuff by Eric Milzarski
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[thread]

I don't think the worst part was the burial, it was the fact they thought the Inhumans stood a chance at replacing Mutants

[chief]

The absolute worst casualty from all of this is Marvel vs Capcom it was one greatest fighting game franchises of all time! And it got murdered because the X-men were missing from MVCI. Disney screwed over capcom and it cost them millions. Capcom is likely never going to work with them again. Plus they don't need to they're in the golden age right now

[Kiyosuki]

I still think the funniest thing about this era and how obviously bonkers stupid it was is how they tried so hard to make Cyclops this antagonistic fallen hero villain during Avengers vs X-Men, but because Marvel's push to replace X-Men and mutants with Inhumans was so transparent because of how aggressive it was that it made Cyclops look more and more right seemingly by accident. They obviously wanted to rush it so much that it made the damn Avengers look bad, during the height of their MCU popularity to boot.

God what a strange little era. And all because of some spiteful little man.

[cosmefulanito]

Replacing mutants with the inhumans is like replacing Spiderman with J. Pennington Pennyparker

[alexandrefrauches]

8:40 To be fair at least the Fantastic Four got a proper send-off with Secret Wars. It wasn't mean spirit and disrespectful like Marvel did with the mutants, trying to basically kill them all and replace with the Inhuman. Ironic that nowadays the mutants are back at being important while the Inhuman disappear from the comics.

[RichterTheRat]

If Spiderman and Avengers are the heart of Marvel Comics, The Fantastic 4 and X-Men are the brains and soul. F4 and X-Men were there to challenge the audience and make them question themselves as people. The fact that they were erased for a time over corporate greed still burns my ass and I hate that it took more corporate greed to get them back.

[Just_Some_Guy_with_a_Mustache]

Not to drag "Avengers vs X-Men" into this, but I did notice, out of the two teams, which one ended up taking up the "villain" role in that event...

Still, onward towards 2024, the Year of the Mutant!

[AsiefD]

You forgot Cyclops dying of mutant flu and Storm and T’challa having their marriage annulled. And the terrible writing of that death of wolverine storyline. It was so frustrating to see as an xmen fan. It’s why the krakoa era meant so much to me❤

[nevertheend]

I know it was an editorial mandate, but the end of secret wars featuring Sue and Red rebuilding the multiverse was a lovely temporary sendoff in my eyes

[dshgu]

I am not the hugest X-Men fan but even I felt the void without the X-Men, the Marvel universe is incomplete without them imo

[Ryoku]

I remember the push of Inhumans and definitely realized it was to replace mutants. I sad about it but willing to try and let the Inhumans win me over. I wanted to find more stuff I liked. In the end it was a big nothing burger and I barely remember anything from them. Never saw the show, didn't read the comics, didn't notice anyone in movies. So it felt like they wanted to try and push them but just didn't.

And to this day, I have hated that in the comics, the X-Men stayed out of Civil War because there is no way they would have.

[GregPrice-epdk]

Pearlmutter turned Marvel into a sweatshop-level employer, and it never really has recovered.

[phelipegoncalves]

Let's be honest: X-Men being out of the main marvel events from 05-10 was the best thing ever. Messiah Trilogy is the best X-Men have since Claremont's departure in 91

[wdcain]

I can understand Disney not wanting to support the X comics. But why put them through a slow killing period instead of just giving them a happy ending? Doing that would have lessen the spite against the Inhumans.

[fishnewt]

Ah, yes. I remember that dark period in Marvel history. For me, the most insulting part wasn’t that they were replacing them with the Inhumans. The insulting part is that they thought we were SO stupid to fall for such a ploy. Not just in the comics but everywhere. The X-Men were disappearing everywhere. Just look at one devs comment from Marvel vs Capcom Infinite. I do not envy his position, but my god the response about how it was all about mechanics and not the characters shook me to my core angry. It sucked being an X-Men fan for the longest time and I am still waiting for them to resurgence like they used to with a new X-Men game that isn’t Wolverine.

[kyleeartist]

I was so pissed about the way they treated the FF for several yrs I didn’t buy a single Marvel product outside the occasional Essential collection (mainly FF & X-men collections. )

[haustyl]

Marvel tried to remove a franchise of outcasts that taught kids to stand up for your rights, didn’t expect a fanbase of outcasts to stand up against mutant hating bigots?

Every comic executive must be required to have a PHD of comics knowledge

[xnightshadyx]

The most wild thing to me was not just merch missing the X-Men and the FF, but the fact that they would literally edit them out of classic comic artwork. I recall a t-shirt that was the cover art from the classic Secret Wars #1, but with like Wolverine edited out and Black Panther inserted in his place. Wild.

[TheDuck]

I'm not going to say Ike was this wonderful man because he wasn't, but you didn't mention Joe " no more mutants sins past one more day" Quesada. He had a hand in it, too. But hey, great video. I really enjoyed it and I hope you have a wonderful day.

[meelsky]

Changing quicksilver and the scarlet witch’s backstory was definitely one of the stupidest parts of all this. They went from having some of the most interesting backstories and family relationships, to… whatever layers of convoluted nonsense they’ve come up with since.