"The Great Eight: A Revival of the X-Men?"
by Sandkings

Over the last year, we have watched the X-Men go through a change of sorts. It began with an idea that there were too many X characters that were being focused upon in the two core titles. This change came as a shock to many fans who were just getting used to the three new characters that had been introduced; specifically, Maggott, Dr. Reyes, and Marrow. However, the end of Excalibur brought in three old characters and an idea of a revival of sorts in X-Men and Uncanny X-Men. This revival was a return to a team of eight members that would become the spotlight of the two comic books, as well as the champions of Professor Xavier's dream.

The decision to bring back Shadowcat, Colossus, and Nightcrawler caused mixed emotions with X fans. While many were glad to see the three return "home", it also signified the disappearance of many of the other X characters. Iceman, Cannonball, Maggott, Reyes, Beast, Bishop, Cyclops, Phoenix, Psylocke, and (Arch)Angel all vanished for the most part so that a new X-Men team could have the spotlight. The first story debuting this new team of eight was the Hunt for Xavier, which focused on the quest to find the mentor of the X-Men who had not been seen since Operation Zero Tolerance. While many X fans were very excited about the new team, it left many unanswered questions as to why the other ten X-Men disappeared so suddenly.

When all was said and done, we were left with eight characters that were to become the new X-Men. Led by Storm; Wolverine, Colossus, Gambit, Nightcrawler, Rogue, Marrow, and Kitty were now the core team. The adventures began and are still taking place. But what spurred this change in the X roster? In simple terms, it comes down to a manageable team that would hopefully appease the many X fans that were saying there were too many characters being shown. More characters means less character development. Since the break up of the idea of a "Gold" and "Blue" team, the X-Men had become a revolving roster with characters coming and going. In an attempt to please the fans and make the books more enjoyable, one team with a constant roster was created. But, the idea of a team of eight was not a new one. It was just an idea that had not been seen in several years.

The first time I heard about a new revival of the eight-man team, I found myself getting excited. Although this meant seeing much less of many characters I loved, it brought back memories of the fabled Outback era where eight men and women made up the X-Men. This era began after Storm's plan, having the world believe the X-Men were dead, became a reality. In a glorious battle with the Adversary, Eight X-Men and one human gave up their lives so that the world would survive. Storm, Rogue, Psylocke, Dazzler, Wolverine, Colossus, Havok, and Longshot, along with Maddie Pryor were offered a chance to go anywhere and anytime by Roma. The team decided to move to Australia where they could function as a team without being hindered by mutant hatred.

Of course, I am a bit biased when I say that this was the greatest incarnation of the X-Men. When the story of the Outback X-Men began, I had just started reading the X-Books. Because of the lack of X-Men, two great teams were formed: Excalibur in England and X-Factor in New York. But what came from this decision was perhaps the best team because the characters worked so well with one another. With eight members, the creative staff was allowed to show the emotion of each and every member. We got to see Storm's reaction when she learned of Jean Grey's return. The love that developed between Dazzler and Longshot could be explored. Havok's hotheaded ways became more and more predominant. Wolverine was at his best. Colossus could express himself. All in all, each character was truly developed individually while the team as a whole was brought together.

Over the years in the Outback, some of the greatest battles were fought. The Brood and the Reavers storylines both come to mind as examples of great battles without a traditional crossover. Even the demise of this team was fantastic. Pierce and company crucified Wolverine. Rogue was blasted through the Siege Perilous in an attempt to stop Master Mold from destroying New York. Longshot left in order to discover himself. Nanny kidnapped Storm, but not before a clone of sorts was left behind so that the remaining X-Men would believe that Havok had killed her. Finally, the last of the four were whisked away through the Siege Perilous under Psylocke's influence.

What made this team of eight so great was that the writers were not afraid to push the storylines past the boundaries. Take Wolverine's crucifixion for example. Not since this team was in existence have we seen such daredevil and controversial tactics. As a result of this teams demise, new characters were introduced or returned. Jubilation Lee was first seen as a mall rat who snuck through Gateway's portal. Of course, she was older when she was first seen (anyone remember her drinking when the X-Men were off in the Savage Land?). Gambit came out of the shadows and became a friend to the now childlike Storm. The new Asian Psylocke was introduced after the Hand's experiments on her. Colossus returned from the Siege Perilous with no memory of the X-Men. As a new generation of X-Men began, the team of eight faded away and made room for new and old characters alike to return. Thus came the Blue and Gold Teams. After the short lived dual team idea, a new era began again as Cannonball, Reyes, Maggott, and Marrow were all introduced.

Now, we have seen many of the past X-Men leave to make way for this new revival of the eight manned team. As I have said, at first I was very excited with hopes of a team somewhat similar to the Australian version. While it is still early in the game, many X fans have been disappointed by the end result. I believe this is because many fans were used to the larger team. We had been led to care for the many characters in the X-Pages, so when ten of them vanished, many without explanations, the fans were a bit taken aback. Plus, the eight manned team has Professor Xavier back and are focused in two books, which leaves many fans asking why not use one of the books to highlight the other missing characters. Most of us are still waiting to see how this new team will handle itself. Whether you like or hate the current state of the X-Books, many of these eight current characters are old members of the X-Men that we have known and loved for some time. Even as I write this, it seems the future of this eight-manned team is coming into question. The promise of the Shattering and the Astonishing X-Men are on the horizon. Will this end the revival of the eight-manned team before it even gets off the ground? One has to wait and see.