Uncanny X-Men Disassembled Kill List

Uncanny X-Men finally returns to Marvel Comics' publishing slate in November, and it's coming back with an epic 10-part weekly storyline. Borrowing the "Disassembled" name from the Avengers franchise, the X-Men: Disassembled story will feature just about every one-time and full-time X-Man in the Marvel Universe to investigate a mystery that is teased to have a huge impact for Marvel's merry mutants.

Of course, if you're going to tee up an epic weekly event, there have to be some casualties along the way. The X-Men are no strangers when it comes to paying their last respects to fallen comrades, with some having passed away on more than one occasion (we're looking at you, Jean Grey).

The adult Jean Grey recently came back from the dead in the Phoenix Resurrection: The Return of Jean Grey five-issue miniseries, with Jean then moving over to X-Men Red as the team's field leader. It would be pretty shocking for Marvel to make such a big deal over Jean's resurrection to then sacrifice her months later.

Another X-Man who died and is now making his way back into the Marvel Universe is the Adamantium-laced Wolverine. His surprise appearance in last year's Marvel Legacy #1 certainly shocked fans, especially when he showed up in possession of an Infinity Stone. Though he no longer has the Space Stone (having passed it on to Black Widow), Marvel still has big plans for Logan, with a series of one-shots and limited series heralding his big return. Wolverine is curiously missing from Marvel's Uncanny X-Men "Disassembled" teaser image, but just like with Jean Grey, the odds of him dying when his return story is still being told seem very slim.

The buildup to the Uncanny X-Men event is large, and when you factor in the weekly storytelling format, Marvel will want the deaths to be meaningful not only for the X-Men, but for readers as well. When it came time to determine which mutant (or mutants) could be taking a dirt nap, our process involved selecting a mix of characters who haven't died before, and those whose loss would have a major impact.

The way the X-Men franchise is set up, with so many characters having close ties to one another, any deaths will reverberate down the line as friends and teammates begin to mourn. The same can also be said for fans, because no matter how minor a character may seem, there is always the possibility he or she is someone's favorite.

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Bishop

The future time-traveler named Bishop recently returned to the X-Men in the pages of Astonishing X-Men as the team first dealt with the threat of the Shadow King, and then Proteus. After years of coming in conflict with the X-Men (and Cable, specifically), Marvel has brought Bishop back into the X-fold, with an upcoming guest-appearance in the relaunched Iceman solo series.

The days of Bishop touting post-apocalyptic futures seem to be behind him at the moment, and even though he spent time away from the team, he can still be considered one of the elder statesmen of the group. Most fans would overlook Bishop as a prime candidate to be killed, which is why Marvel could consider him.

Polaris

Magneto's metal-manipulating daughter, Polaris, joined the cast of X-Men Blue when her father needed someone close to him he could trust. Polaris would step up in a big way when the Original Five X-Men (Cyclops, Jean Grey, Beast, Iceman and Angel) were lost in space. With the threat of the Mothervine cabal looming, Polaris recruited a new X-Men Blue team to combat the threat.

Of course, the evil entity Malice would return to try and claim Polaris once again, but she was able to fight the possession off. With X-Men Blue coming to a close this fall, it remains to be seen what role Polaris will play with the X-Men going forward. The green-haired mutant is shown on the "Disassembled" teaser, so we at least know she does make an appearance.

Something else to keep in mind is Magneto reverting back to his villainous ways, with his own X-Men Black: Magneto #1 one-shot continuing his evil descent. The conclusion of the one-shot could lead to Magneto being placed as a villain in Uncanny X-Men, with Polaris being forced to choose between helping the X-Men or her father.

Beast

The blue-furry Hank McCoy is one of the original, founding X-Men, but in recent years his character and personality have teetered to the point where his friends have worried about him. Beast's most damning act was plucking Charles Xavier's original students from the past and bringing them to the future.

Beast's goal was to make Cyclops see the error of his ways, but all he was successful in doing was mucking up the timeline and creating a time paradox. The X-Men even held an intervention for their close friend in one of Brian Michael Bendis' final issues on the franchise. If the threat in Uncanny X-Men is so massive, Beast may decide the only way to atone for his sins is by sacrificing himself.

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Old Man Logan

Okay, we're somewhat cheating with the selection of Old Man Logan, as Marvel has already announced his solo series is coming to an end, along with the Dead Man Logan miniseries chronicling his dying days. But remember how we said Marvel wouldn't kill Wolverine immediately following his return? Well, the exact opposite is in play for Old Man Logan.

What if the 12-issue Dead Man Logan tied into the Uncanny X-Men arc, with Old Man Logan stepping in to lend a hand (or claw) to help his teammates. There wouldn't be a better opportunity to put the spotlight on Old Man Logan one final time than in the weekly event. The publishing timeline may not add up perfectly, but that hasn't stopped companies in the past from telling stories, continuity be damned.

Storm

One of the unquestionable leaders of the X-Men is Storm. The African Windrider was the leader of the second group of X-Men following Xavier's initial roster, and has taken up the leadership position in various teams since then. Though Storm has passed that mantle to the likes of Kitty Pryde, she is still a prominent figure in the center of the "Disassembled" image.

Another thing Storm has going against her is aside from a few near-death experiences, she's one of the few major X-Men that hasn't been killed before. When you go through other candidates, Colossus, Kitty and Nightcrawler have all come back from the dead, though Kitty was just believed dead while stuck in a missile barreling through space. For sheer shock value, all signs could unfortunately point to Storm falling victim to Uncanny X-Men's return.