X-Men #25
X-Men #25 is one of the most consequential single issues in the history of Marvel's mutant line, delivering two seismic narrative shocks in a single oversized chapter: Magneto using his magnetic mastery to strip the adamantium clean from Wolverine's skeleton, and a horrified Professor Xavier responding by erasing Magneto's mind entirely — a violation of his own foundational ethics that planted the seed for the later Onslaught saga. The adamantium removal revealed, in the same story's aftermath, that Wolverine's claws had always been bone all along, recontextualizing a core element of the character that had been taken as fixed lore for nearly two decades. Published as the anchor chapter of the line-wide "Fatal Attractions" crossover, it also marks the shocking defection of Colossus to Magneto's Acolytes — a character turn driven by grief over his sister Illyana — cementing the issue as a turning point for multiple X-Men at once.
In "Fatal Attractions: Dreams Fade," the X-Men launch a desperate assault on the mystical fortress of Avalon, pushing their limits in a battle that tests both their strength and resolve. As Magneto unleashes a shocking attack by extracting adamantium from Wolverine’s body and Professor X attempts to disable him through sheer will, the team faces a turning point that leaves lasting consequences. The issue closes with Colossus remaining behind to tend to a fallen enemy, marking a quiet moment of consequence amidst the chaos. Written by Fabian Nicieza and illustrated by Andy Kubert, with inks by Matt Ryan, colors by Joe Rosas, and letters by Bill Oakley, the cover by Andy Kubert and Matthew Ryan captures the intensity of the moment.
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The genesis of the adamantium-ripping idea traces back to the X-Writers' planning session for the earlier "X-Cutioner's Song" crossover, where Peter David sarcastically floated the notion of Magneto simply tearing Wolverine's metal skeleton out; as Fabian Nicieza later recalled, nobody laughed because the room recognized it as genuinely compelling, and that offhand quip became the centerpiece of "Fatal Attractions." The crossover was deliberately constructed as a line-wide 30th anniversary celebration of the X-Men franchise, with each participating title — X-Factor, X-Force, Uncanny X-Men, X-Men, Wolverine, and Excalibur — publishing an oversized issue featuring a hologram-enhanced gatefold cover. X-Men #25 specifically, written by Fabian Nicieza and drawn by Andy Kubert with inks by Matthew Ryan, served as Part 4 of the six-chapter event and carried the Gambit hologram on its wraparound cover, overseen by editors Bob Harras and Lisa Patrick.
Trivia · 7 facts
- Serves as Part 4 of 6 in the 'Fatal Attractions' crossover, subtitled 'Dreams Fade,' a line-wide event structured to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the X-Men franchise.
- Central event: Magneto, enraged after Wolverine nearly kills him in battle on his space station Avalon, uses his control over magnetism to rip the adamantium from Wolverine's skeleton, leaving Logan near death.
- Direct consequence of the adamantium removal: Wolverine's claws are revealed for the first time to be natural bone — meaning his claws were always part of his own anatomy, not implants introduced with the adamantium bonding process.
- Professor Xavier, witnessing Magneto's attack on Wolverine, crosses a profound ethical line by using his telepathy to completely mindwipe Magneto, reducing him to a comatose state — an act that later storylines reveal contributed to the birth of the villain Onslaught.
- Colossus, grief-stricken over his sister Illyana's death, defects from the X-Men and stays behind on Avalon to care for the comatose Magneto, a character arc that kept him with the Acolytes for an extended period.
- The issue features cameo appearances by the Thing and Mr. Fantastic of the Fantastic Four, as well as Nick Fury, reflecting the global scale of Magneto's electromagnetic-pulse attack on Earth's power systems.
- Each chapter of 'Fatal Attractions' was published with a character-specific hologram on a wraparound gatefold cover; X-Men #25 carries the Gambit hologram. Multiple variant editions exist, including retailer-exclusive and signed editions.
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Reprinted in X-Men #13 (1994), Gli Incredibili X-Men #65 (1995), X-Men #2/1997 (1997), Marvel Exklusiv #10 (1998), Marvel Collectible Classics: X-Men #4 (1998), The 100 Greatest Marvels of All Time #3 (2001), X-Men: Prelude to Onslaught #[nn] (2010), X-Men: Fatal Attractions #[nn] (2012), X-Men: Fatal Attractions #[nn] (2016), True Believers: Wolverine Fatal Attractions #1 (2018), X-Men Milestones: Fatal Attractions #[nn] (2019), Marvel Tales: Wolverine #[nn] (2020), Wolverine Epic Collection #6 (2020), X-Men - La Collection Mutante #44 (2022), Wolverine Omnibus #4 (2023), Wolverine Omnibus #4 (2023), X-Men: Fatal Attractions Omnibus #[nn] (2024), X-Men Epic Collection #23 (2024)
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