Warning! Major spoilers ahead for Marvel’s X-Men: Age of Revelation crossover event!
X-Men has confirmed the absolutely horrifying fates of Cyclops and Beast in the dark Age of Revelation future, as their past selves find out they were subject to a particularly vicious form of mind-wipe. It is one of several shocking pieces of proof that Marvel is holding nothing back in this brutal X-crossover.
X-Men: Age of Revelation Overture #1 is written by Jed MacKay, with art by Ryan Stegman. In the issue, Magneto reveals that Beast and Cyclops have been neutralized by the villain Revelation, who inflicted “his cruelest punishment” on them.
Scott and Hank were made “Babels,” stripped of their ability to communicate with the outside world.
X-Men Reveals The “Living Death” Revelation Inflicted On Cyclops And Beast
X-Men: Age of Revelation Overture #1, Written By Jed MacKay; Art By Ryan Stegman; Available Now From Marvel Comics
Age of Revelation Overture features a reverse-engineered version of a classic X-Men time travel trope, made famous by Days of Future Past. In that story, the mind of Kitty Pryde is sent back in time to prevent a dystopian future. In this new story, the minds of Cyclops and Beast are brought forward to try and help fix one.
In a dark twist on established lore, it is confirmed that the future versions of Beast and Cyclops’ minds were “overwritten,” but this is made even more horrifying by the reason why Magneto felt comfortable doing this: their present selves were suffering a fate worse than death, “a living death on the outskirts of society,” as Magneto calls it.
Marvel has killed off past, present, and future versions of both Beast and Cyclops plenty of times before, but this is certainly among the darkest ends to their stories. Especially because Scott Summers and Hank McCoy are two of X-Men’s best talkers, who rely on the ability to communicate the most.
Taking Away Beast And Cyclops’ Ability To Communicate Is A Dark End For The Heroes Nobody Expected
Their Past Selves Must Reckon With Their Grim Future
Beast is among X-Men’s most verbose characters, while Cyclops leadership role means he needs to be an above-average communicator. Being stripped of one’s ability to use language is a nightmarish punishment for anyone, but it is a particularly insidious fate for these two characters, something Revelation would have known when he inflicted it upon them.
However, it was also a tactical decision, taking two of the X-Men’s best out of the equation. Out of desperation, Magneto brings them back into play in Overture, and not a moment too soon. By the end of the issue, the Master of Magnetism is abruptly killed off, leaving Cyclops and Beast to carry the torch of his war on Revelation.
Whatever happens next in Age of Revelation, and whatever long-term consequences this arc has, it has already silenced many critics with an excellent first issue. In the process, it delivered arguably the darkest fate for two original X-Men, a memorable development that stands a good chance of making its mark on franchise lore.
X-Men: Age of Revelation Overture #1 is available now from Marvel Comics.
- Movie(s)
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X-Men (2000), X2, X-Men: The Last Stand (2006), X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009), X-Men: First Class (2011), The Wolverine (2013), X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014), Deadpool (2016), X-Men: Apocalypse (2016), Logan (2017), Deadpool 2 (2018), Dark Phoenix (2019), The New Mutants, Deadpool & Wolverine (2024)
- First Film
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X-Men (2000)
- TV Show(s)
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X-Men: Pryde of the X-Men, X-Men (1992), X-Men: Evolution (2000), Wolverine and the X-Men (2008), Marvel Anime: Wolverine, Marvel Anime: X-Men, Legion (2017), The Gifted (2017), X-Men ’97 (2024)
- Video Game(s)
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X-Men: Children of the Atom (1994), Marvel Super Heroes (1995), X-Men vs. Street Fighter (1996), Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter (1997), Marvel vs. Capcom (1998), X-Men: Mutant Academy (2000), Marvel vs. Capcom 2: New Age of Heroes (2000), X-Men: Mutant Academy 2 (2001), X-Men: Next Dimension (2002), Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds (2011), Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 (2011), X-Men Legends (2005), X-Men Legends 2: Rise of Apocalypse (2005), X2: Wolverine’s Revenge (2003), X-Men (1993), X-Men 2: Clone Wars (1995), X-Men: Mutant Apocalypse (1994)
- Character(s)
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Professor X, Cyclops, Iceman, Beast, Angel, Phoenix, Wolverine, Gambit, Rogue, Storm, Jubilee, Morph, Nightcrawler, Havok, Banshee, Colossus, Magneto, Psylocke, Juggernaut, Cable, X-23
- Comic Release Date
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213035,212968