From: swpwarrior@aol.com (Swpwarrior) Subject: X-Men: Dawn of Ascension Reader's Guide by Swp. Date: 27 Jul 1997 03:41:19 GMT X-Men: Dawn of Ascension Reader's Guide What you need to know: 1.) What is X-Men: Dawn of Ascension? This story is a direct continuation of my previous Fan-Fic; Onslaught: Redemption. Though you can enjoy and follow the story without having read O:R, I would HIGHLY recommend reading the entirety of O:R to get a full grasp of the picture I'm painting here (the stories are definitely interrelated). Otherwise, simply reading the one part Epilogue from O:R should be enough to bring you up to speed for practical purposes. 2.) How does O:R fit into continuity? As I explained before, the first four Chapters of O:R and all their various scenes were meant to be interspersed in actual published issues of various X-Men titles. The later half of Chapter Five and the first half of Chapter Six were meant as the "Onslaught: X-Men" one-shot and the remaining portion of Chapter Six, the entirety of Chapter Seven and the initial portion of Chapter Eight were meant to stand as multi-part installments in the pages of the actual two-month cross-over issues of X-Men, Uncanny X-Men, Avengers and Fantastic Four. With the concluding portion of Chapter Eight meant to stand as the "Onslaught: Marvel Universe" one-shot and finally, Chapter Nine's Epilogue was meant as a new version of Uncanny X-Men #337. 3.) How does XM:DA fit into continuity? As a continuation. X-Men: Dawn of Ascension Chapter One will act as a new version of X-Men #57, Chapter Two as Uncanny X-Men #338 and so on for approximately 24 installments over the course of a natural year in publication of the two major X-Titles. Finally working up to a climax of the Apocalypse storyline in what would be the milestone anniversary issue; Uncanny X-Men #350. 4.) What other continuity has been accepted? Virtually none. As you know from O:R all continuity prior to the actual cross -over except for two adjustments (to Wolverine and Magneto) were accepted IN FULL. After that? Only the four issue Rise of Apocalypse limited series and the one "Flashback" issue of Uncanny X-Men -1 from the ENTIRE last year of Marvel publication are incorporated into this story. So if you haven't read any of the X-Title's for the last year, you'll be fine. Similarly, this is a self-contained story, with no need to keep abreast of the current going-on's the X-Universe to follow along. 5.) What continuity has had to be "rectified"? In plotting out this story, I've had to deal with a few "no man's land" of continuity where blatant contradictions in continuity have occurred (often repeatedly). Here is continuity as I have rectified it: A.) The Twelve: The concept itself has never been in dispute; Twelve mutants who would together (or apart) decide the outcome of man-kind, either in victory or total failure. It is the IDENTITY of who comprises the actual Twelve that has always been in dispute. In various artistic depictions appearing in pages of X-Factor and Power Pack, there have been inconsistencies, impossibilities and often blatant contradictions as to who the Twelve is (all the differing interpretations would make double the actual number of the Twelve). As a solution, I've taken the simple road. Since in NO issue was it STATED (other than artistic depiction and interpretation) who the Twelve were (other than Cyclops), only two members of the Twelve have been revealed prior to this story. As stated, Cyclops being one and Professor X being the other (he was "the first of the vaunted Twelve has fallen" that Apocalypse referred to in O:R's Epilogue). EVERYONE else is fair and open game as long as they are mutants. B.) Is Cannonball an External? Similarly, the concept of the "Externals" as first introduced in the pages of X-Force has always been consistent. They are ancient, supremely powerful and immortal mutants who have walked the Earth for centuries preparing for an inevitable showdown known as the "Highlord Ascension" when one would emerge supreme as the supposed leader of man-kind. (You don't suppose Rob Liefeld ever saw "Highlander" do you?) Known Externals are as follows: Nicodemus and Burke (both deceased from The Legacy Virus). Krule, Absalom and Saul (all three killed by fellow External - Selene in X-Force #53). And the survivors; Apocalypse, Candra, Selene and Cannonball. Fabian Niscieza also wrote that there were three additional Externals out there who had yet been revealed (for a grand total of 12 -- Hmmn). So what's the problem? Well in that same issue of X-Force Selene claimed not only that she and "one other" were the last of the Externals, but that Cannonball was NOT an External and Cable had in fact lied to X-Force for the virtual entirety of the series about it. Of course, no explanation or further elaboration was ever offered and (though I'm sure Jeph Loeb has something in mind with this when he wrote it) flies in the face of over fifty issues of continuity (stated repeatedly) including the very basis for WHY Cable chose this time period to return to (to guide Sam to his Ascension). As such, again, I'm going to take the simple road. Selene's dialogue from that page is hereby stricken from continuity. It never happened. If I find a way to rectify it with the rest of continuity within the framework of this story, I will. But otherwise, simply put... Cannonball IS an External and there are other as-yet- unrevealed Externals still out there. C.) How old is Apocalypse? Again, simple established continuity was turned to mush in this instance when Apocalypse's age was changed from 2,000 years old to 5,000 years old without word of explanation in the Rise of Apocalypse mini-series. I was at first going to simply discard this (hence the mention of "two millennia" in the Epilogue) but after some historical research realized that it was necessary for Apocalypse to be 5,000 years old in order for him to be present as a slave in the construction of the ancient pyramids. So in this case, I will accept this poorly executed ret-con. Apocalypse is 5,000 years old. 6.) Where's everybody else? (Or what is the status of the X-Universe?) As follows.... Generation X: Status-Quo. During the cross-over, the team had two simple issues of character development with a few behind the scenes facts and M's secret revealed to her teammates. Jean Grey returned the favor and returned Emma Frost's astral form to her physical body and the team returned to the Xavier Institute in Massachusetts to continue their development and study. They will have virtually nothing to do with this story. Cable and X-Force: During the cross-over, Cable's books were both "Flashback" issues. The first dealing with his last days in the Askani future and the second dealing with his first days in our present. X-Force meanwhile had two action-packed issues of battle in Miami against Sentinels. Having returned from space, the Phoenix Force seemingly dormant and inaccessible, Cable reunited with his students and (with Xavier's mansion destroyed) took his team to live in one of his many safehouses. Now living in the wealthy estate suburbs of Philadelphia, these two interrelated books very deliberately take the place of the old student/teacher relationship of the X-Men. There will come a time in my story when both these characters will have MAJOR roles and their status will be revealed. Excalibur: Status-Quo. Their Onslaught issues were largely unrelated to O:R and they continue on at Muir Island as the European version of the X-Men. They will have virtually nothing to do with this story as it stands now...but that might change over the course of the year. X-Factor: Most severely affected by the Night of Onslaught. Having lost Shard in battle with Sentinels in San Francisco, Mystique, Polaris and Wild Child returned to Virginia to find their Fall's Edge facility destroyed by Sentinels in their absence. Reunited with Forge, Sabretooth (who voluntarily returned to the team) and Havok (freed from the Dark Beast's brain-washing by Sinister), at the President's direct request Dr. Valerie Cooper has replaced the deceased Henry Peter Gyrich as the new NSC advisor on Mutant Affairs with Forge now serving as a direct advisor to the President and his team answerable only to him and Dr. Cooper. All having returned to Washington D.C. to better serve their new ties to the administration. Finally, having been severely traumatized by Shard's death, Wild Child had returned to Canada and Department H. Replacing him on the team; Quicksilver has returned to the team he helped found (his daughter Luna in tow) to help recover from the emotional trauma of losing his sister and his wife to Onslaught. X-Factor's individual characters may play a role in this story, but the team most likely will not. And that's about it! You know where we're starting from... Now let's see where we finish! ~~~~~~~~~~~ X-Men: Dawn of Ascension is available by subsciption and on ACFF.