X-Men: Deadly Genesis #2
X-Men: Deadly Genesis #2 is the issue where two of the series' most consequential story beats land simultaneously: the first proper appearance of Darwin (Armando Muñoz) — whose reactive-evolution power would shape multiple X-titles for years — and the death of Banshee (Sean Cassidy), a founding member of the 'All-New, All-Different' team first assembled in Giant-Size X-Men #1. The killing of a character so closely tied to the 1975 relaunch gave the Decimation-era storyline genuine dramatic stakes and signaled that Ed Brubaker's retcon of that classic rescue mission carried real consequences. Together, a new mutant's origin and a veteran's permanent removal in a single issue made #2 the narrative pivot of the entire six-part series.
In "Part 2 of 6" of *X-Men: Deadly Genesis*, Cyclops and Rachel face a captor whose power leaves them defenseless, while Banshee races to warn the X-Men of a buried truth from their past. As Wolverine and Nightcrawler rush to intercept a crashing Blackbird, the full weight of the threat unfolds in a moment of desperate heroism and shocking consequence. Written by Ed Brubaker and illustrated by Trevor Hairsine, Scott Hanna, and Mike Perkins, with colors by Val Staples and letters by Artmonkeys' Dave Lanphear, the issue’s cover by Marc Silvestri and Joe Weems captures the tension of a team on the brink.
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We Buy Collections ▸History
X-Men: Deadly Genesis was conceived as Ed Brubaker's entry point into the X-Men line and as a celebration of the 30th anniversary of Giant-Size X-Men #1, functioning simultaneously as an anniversary tribute and a deliberate retcon of that 1975 story's established continuity. The six-issue limited series was published under Marvel's 'Decimation' banner — the publishing initiative that followed the House of M event — with Trevor Hairsine penciling the main story and Pete Woods drawing the back-up features that introduced Darwin and the other members of the secret 'first team.' Mark Paniccia edited the series under editor-in-chief Joe Quesada, and the entire run was later collected in both hardcover (August 2006) and softcover (January 2007) editions.
Trivia · 8 facts
- First appearance of Darwin (Armando Muñoz) — a mutant with reactive/adaptive evolution — in the back-up story, written by Ed Brubaker and drawn by Pete Woods.
- Death of Banshee (Sean Cassidy), a classic X-Man first introduced in X-Men #28 (1967) and a member of the original 'All-New' X-Men lineup from Giant-Size X-Men #1 (1975); Vulcan kills him by crashing the X-Men's Blackbird into his plane.
- Main story written by Ed Brubaker with pencils by Trevor Hairsine, inks by Scott Hanna and Mike Perkins, colors by Val Staples; cover by Marc Silvestri and Joe Weems.
- Issue carries a February 2006 cover date but was released in December 2005, as part of the 'Decimation' publishing initiative following House of M.
- The back-up story in this issue is the first of the series' origin vignettes for members of the secret 'Krakoa first team,' establishing Darwin's backstory and his recruitment by Moira MacTaggert before his merger with Vulcan.
- Darwin does not appear physically in the main story of this issue; his presence is retroactively revealed — he had been fused with Vulcan since the original Krakoa mission, having converted himself into energy to save Vulcan after Petra and Sway were killed.
- The entire six-issue Deadly Genesis series was collected in a hardcover (August 2006, ISBN 0-7851-1961-2) and a softcover (January 2007, ISBN 0-7851-1830-6).
- Darwin was later portrayed by actor Edi Gathegi in the 2011 live-action film X-Men: First Class, giving the character introduced in this issue a significant media adaptation.
Cast · 24 characters
Full credits
Full plot ⚠ may contain spoilers
▸ Reveal full plot — may contain spoilers
Cyclops and Rachel meet their mysterious captor who is powerful enough to have stripped them of their powers. Banshee contacts the X-Men and tells them he has uncovered a dark secret from the past. Wolverine and Nightcrawler drive out to meet his plane and watch in horror as the Blackbird flies in on a direct collision course. Trying to save the passengers on the plane, Banshee uses his sonic scream on the Blackbird but it is not enough.
Plot details indexed by the Grand Comics Database (CC BY-SA).