We all grow and change as we get older, shaped by the sum of our life experiences. It's common to read interviews where someone is asked what they wish they had known when they were younger, or what advice they would give their teenage self. What's less common is to consider how the teenager would view their adult self, and what they would make of the choices and actions that had led them to this point. This generational conflict, this theme of opportunities missed and optimism replaced by pragmatism, has been at the heart of one of Marvel's longest running X-Men storylines.

In 2012, Brian Bendis launched his All New X-Men run with a storyline in which Beast brought the original five X-Men forward to the present day, allowing these teenagers to see where the intervening years had taken them. The main goal was to try and influence the adult Scott Summers by showing him how far he had come from the by-the-book leader that fully believed in Professor Xavier's dream. As a concept, the idea had undoubted potential, but, unfortunately, the execution has too often been lacking. It seems like the original five's time in the present is finally coming to an end after six years, which makes this the opportune time to look back at their run and consider their success.

RELATED: X-Men Blue Reveals the First Member of Magneto’s New Brotherhood

The teenage X-Men were recruited just after the events of Uncanny X-Men #8, published in 1964, or approximately 12 years ago in Marvel time. Their reaction to the present day was an interesting one, as they not only came to terms with how their own lives turned out, but also how the X-Men and the livelihood of mutants in general had changed. These initial moments -- when the students were confronted with such far-reaching changes -- were undeniably effective, with Bendis effectively mining the comedic and dramatic potential.

For teenagers who were still defining who they wanted to be, both as X-Men and as people, arriving in a future where their destiny seemed preconceived, was an almighty shock to the system. This was doubly true for Scott Summers, who had to deal with the ramifications of his older self's actions and ponder why he ended up taking a path that seemed so contrary to his beliefs. The encounters of other members were arguably just as interesting. Angel realized that his older self was essentially a blank slate, Jean found that she had died and Beast confronted the fact that he had mutated even more over the years.

So far, so good. But where their tale differed is that it wasn't the standard comic fare of visiting a strange future and returning to the present, with memories of the event slowly fading. Instead, the young mutants decided to stay. While the students' desire to 'fix' their futures might have been understandable, their older counterparts seemed all too relaxed about their staying in the present. Jean's attempt to mentally force Warren into staying on multiple occasions also seemed to be glossed over by other characters too readily, with her character frequently being portrayed in an unflattering light.

Page 2: [valnet-url-page page=2 paginated=0 text='What Is The Lasting Legacy Of The Original Five, Time-Traveling X-Men?']

The use of teen Bobby to establish the sexuality of the adult Bobby Drake attracted some controversy. There was some debate about whether this was a retcon or whether it really did build on Bobby Drake's past stories in a convincing manner. Jean Grey's role in this revelation was highlighted by many fans, and some wondered whether Jean had crossed some ethical line in invading Bobby's privacy or potentially influencing his thoughts. Whether this theory holds water or not, the fact it was given credence highlights how the actions of the teenage Jean Grey affected fans' view of her.

Jean Grey's burgeoning telepathy and Iceman's sexual awakening weren't the only significant changes to befall the teenage mutants. Hank McCoy increasingly dabbled in magic, while Warren Worthington gained 'fire wings' after being exposed to the alien energies of the Black Vortex. Such changes, taking the characters further from their starting point, again highlighted the question of whether their continued presence in the X-books was justified. Their older selves had already changed dramatically from their teenage roots -- which was the whole reason that Beast brought the teens to the present day in the first place.

RELATED: Jean Grey is the X-Men Leader the World (Our World) Needs Right Now

By continuing to make seemingly arbitrary changes, the teenage X-Men increasingly looked like a concept in search of a purpose. This isn't to say that they appeared in no good stories, but their effectiveness as characters decreased the longer that they remained in the present day. Appearing in seemingly random stories, such as 'Venomized,' while hopping between titles and goals, suggested that perhaps Marvel didn't have a coherent plan for how to resolve their story, a perception that wasn't helped by the contradictory stance on whether they were able to return to their own time or not. Marvel legend Mark Grunewald had previously established rules of time travel where anyone travelling forwards in time gets shunted into a parallel universe in order not to affect the present day, but this no longer appears to be the case.

The most effective use of the time-displaced X-Men wasn't even in the pages of an X-book: It was provided through Cyclops' membership in the teen superteam The Champions. This had the advantage of being removed from the narrative thrust of the main X-books, allowing Cyclops to be considered as a character in his own right. He was still instantly recognizable as teenage Scott, but mixing with other characters who had few preconceptions about him helped his character to shine. When Scott left the book to go into space with the other X-Men, it almost felt like a backwards step for him.

So, as fans wait for confirmation about the final fate of the teenage X-Men, they are left to wonder whether they will finally be heading back to their own time, or even if they can. Will their sojourn to the present have been deemed a success in the grand scheme of things? Partially. The first story arc was undeniably entertaining, but ever since then the law of diminishing returns has kicked in and their continued presence in the X-books seems to be increasingly divisive. Here's hoping that the saga of the time-displaced X-Men ends in a bang rather than a whimper. It's the least they deserve as the original class of gifted youngsters.