Astonishing X-Men #1
The Panini France 2005 series début issue carries the full weight of its source material — the opening chapter of Joss Whedon and John Cassaday's Astonishing X-Men run, which Marvel positioned as the flagship X-Men title under the line-wide 'X-Men: Reload' banner following Grant Morrison's New X-Men. That first chapter re-introduced Kitty Pryde to the core X-Men lineup after years away, debuted two major new characters in Dr. Kavita Rao and the alien Ord of the Breakworld, and planted the narrative seed of a so-called mutant 'cure' that would drive the entire opening arc. The Whedon–Cassaday run it launches ultimately won the Eisner Award for Best Continuing Series in 2006 and John Cassaday won Best Penciller/Inker in both 2005 and 2006, cementing the run's status as one of the definitive X-Men stories of the 2000s.
"Surdoués" kicks off a bold new chapter in the X-Men saga with Chris Claremont’s sharp storytelling and Aaron Lopresti’s dynamic art, bringing a haunting, emotionally charged tone to the wreckage of Genosha. As Professor Xavier arrives in the quarantined Hammer Bay, he’s met with eerie mysteries—ghosts of the past, a young mutant who commands them, and a power struggle led by Unus, all while the island’s fate hangs in the balance. John Cassaday’s striking cover captures the tension, setting the stage for a story where legacy, loss, and the future collide.
In the ruins of Genosha, now a quarantined wasteland, Professor Xavier journeys to Hammer Bay with a fragile hope for renewal. Guided by the spectral presence of Moira and meeting the enigmatic Wicked, who calls forth her own echoes of the past, he faces Unus—claiming dominion over the island—only to be overwhelmed by the sudden transformation of the young Freakshow into a colossal beast. With Genosha's future hanging in the balance, Xavier considers a bold alliance with a figure once its greatest adversary.
In "Un voyage fantastique," the Exiles take on the challenge of guiding the newly powered Fantastic Four, especially as The Thing spirals out of control. When Mimic is gravely injured during the clash, his body begins a terrifying transformation into one of the Brood—leaving his fate uncertain.
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The US source issue — Astonishing X-Men (Marvel, 2004) #1, cover-dated July 2004 — was conceived as Marvel's answer to the creative vacuum left by Morrison's departure from New X-Men; editor-in-chief-era Marvel recruited television showrunner Joss Whedon, creator of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, specifically because he was an outside voice who had grown up reading X-Men comics and could bring a legion of new readers with him. Whedon was paired with John Cassaday, who had just completed an acclaimed run on Captain America, with Laura Martin as colorist. Panini France's 2005 periodical series (Collection Marvel France, format comics, 96 pages, dépôt légal June 2005) reprinted the US material for the French-speaking market, with the first issue appearing in June 2005 — approximately one year after the original American publication.
Trivia · 8 facts
- Publisher: Panini Comics (France) — Collection Marvel France; format comics; 96 pages; dépôt légal June 2005 (the series ran continuously through at least issue #40, September 2008).
- Content: Reprints US Astonishing X-Men (Marvel, 2004 series) #1 — 'Gifted, Part One' — written by Joss Whedon and drawn by John Cassaday with colors by Laura Martin.
- First appearances (carried over from US source): Dr. Kavita Rao and the alien villain Ord of the Breakworld both debut in this issue.
- Character milestone: Kitty Pryde (Shadowcat) returns to the main X-Men roster in this issue after an extended absence from the team.
- Narrative hook: Cyclops and Emma Frost reconstitute the X-Men with an explicit mission to 'astonish the world' as super heroes; the issue also introduces the concept of a scientific 'cure' for mutation, which drives the 'Gifted' arc.
- The US issue carried three cover variants at launch (John Cassaday standard, Cassaday team variant, and a Gabriele Dell'Otto variant cover); all three were reprinted in the Panini France 2005 series #1.
- The Whedon–Cassaday run this issue opens is deliberately insulated from Marvel crossover events — a conscious editorial decision reflecting Whedon's stated preference to avoid sprawling continuity — making it one of the most self-contained flagship X-Men runs of the era.
- The 'Gifted' arc collected in the first six US issues was later adapted as a motion comic released on Hulu, iTunes, and the PlayStation Store, and subsequently issued on DVD through Shout! Factory — expanding the story's reach well beyond print.
Full credits
Reprints
↩ Reprints Exiles #35 (2003), Exiles #36 (2003), Astonishing X-Men #1 (2004), Excalibur #1 (2004), Astonishing X-Men #1 (2004)
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