"House of M" is a 2005 comic book storyline published by Marvel Comics, consisting of an eight-issue comic booklimited series with a number of crossover tie-in books written by Brian Michael Bendis and illustrated by Olivier Coipel. Its first issue appeared in June 2005 as a follow-up to the events of Excalibur (vol.3) and the Avengers Disassembled storyline. The Scarlet Witch, her twin brother Quicksilver, and their father (at the time) Magneto play major roles in the series. Like the Age of Apocalypse (1995–1996) storyline, House of M replaced the Earth-616 as the main reality for a brief time until Scarlet Witch reverted it to normal. The events of the storyline were later indicated to have occurred on Earth-58163.
Publication history
Marvel became known for its "event cycles" starting in the 2000s. It all kicked off with House of M, written by Brian Michael Bendis and drawn by Olivier Coipel. The series marketed as a crossover between Marvel’s two titles at the time New Avengers and Astonishing X-Men.[1] The first issue was released in June 2005, with the series concluding in November 2005. The first two issues were ranked first and second in sales in the June 2005 period, with the first issue selling over 233,000 copies.[2] The final issue, House of M #8, ranked third in sales for the November 2005 period with sales of 135,462.[3] In addition to the main eight-issue limited series, House of M was preceded by a story in Excalibur #13–14, and had several tie-ins to ongoing series, including Uncanny X-Men, New X-Men: Academy X, The Incredible Hulk and Wolverine, and several miniseries: Fantastic Four: House of M, Iron-Man: House of M, Mutopia X: House of M, and Spider-Man: House of M.
Bendis, the lead writer for the House of M event, stated that the series would "shake the world and break the Internet wide open."[4] Before the event, Bendis also mentioned in several interviews that the event would have a lasting effect on the Marvel Universe, but remained tight-lipped as to how.
The epilogue to the House of M and Decimation story-lines, served to answer the mystery of the cloud of energy hovering in orbit around the Earth after House of M #8, was revealed in the pages of New Avengers #16–20.
Synopsis
The events of House of M temporarily replaced the main reality of the Marvel Universe, Earth-616, until Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch, restored her life at the end of the storyline. While the storyline’s events still exist, they now take place on Earth-58163.[5]
House of M is set six months[6] after the Avengers Disassembled storyline[7][8] in which Wanda, overwhelmed by grief and mental instability following the loss of her children, suffers a breakdown. This leads her to unintentionally unleash chaos, killing several Avengers, ending the team[8] and slowly losing control of her reality-warping abilities.[6]
House of M begins with Wanda living on the ruined island of Genosha under the care of Magneto and Charles Xavier. Xavier warns Magneto that he can no longer contain Wanda’s unstable reality-warping powers and that a permanent solution is needed. He subsequently summons the Avengers, the X-Men, and other heroes to Avengers Tower to decide her fate. A debate ensues: Emma Frost argues that killing Wanda is the only solution, while Captain America urges the exploration of alternatives. Other members of the X-Men contend that public knowledge of an insane reality-altering mutant would severely damage "human-mutant relations", During the meeting, it is revealed that Xavier had previously enlisted Doctor Strange to help Wanda, but neither was strong enough to combat her powers. The rest of the group decides that they must talk to Wanda in person before making their decision.
Before a final decision can be reached, Quicksilver returns to Genosha. He reveals to Wanda that, while in New York City, he overheard the X-Men and Avengers' plan to kill her. To protect her, he convinces her that rewriting reality is the only way to save herself.[6] Wanda then transforms reality into a new one where mutants are the ruling class, while humans (referred to as "sapiens") are treated as second-class citizens, with S.H.I.E.L.D. enforces this hierarchy by violently suppressing human rebellion.[7] At The top of this mutant society is Magneto, the ruler of Genosha, and patriarch of the "House of M" (the House of Magnus), with Wanda, Pietro, and their extended family living as global royalty.[7]
In the altered reality, several heroes live under new identities and circumstances. Among them, Peter Parker/Spider-Man is a beloved celebrity who is married to Gwen Stacy; Cyclops is married to Emma Frost; and Doctor Strange works as a psychologist. Carol Danvers operates publicly as the celebrated superhero Captain Marvel despite being known as a human, or "sapien." Conversely, Spider-Man is publicly believed to be a mutant. Other changes include Gambit living as a criminal and Captain America serving as an aged veteran. Most of these characters have no memory of their original lives.
Wolverine awakens on the Helicarrier as the only person who retains memories of the original world. He discovers the new reality and theorizes that Magneto used Wanda to create a world where everyone's deepest wish was granted (Magneto obtained the mutant supremacy he had always wanted). Wolverine then being seeking allies, searches for the X-Men and Avengers. Unable to find Xavier, he looks for Spider-Man and Iron Man but is confronted by the Red Guard, elite mutant soldiers of S.H.I.E.L.D. Escaping them, he joins the Human Resistance Movement, led by Luke Cage, which includes non-mutant heroes such as Hawkeye, who had been killed in the original timeline. Cage informs him that a young girl named Layla Miller—who has the power to restore lost memories—had already predicted Wolverine's arrival and theories. Together, they use her abilities to awaken the true memories of other heroes, forming a resistance.
They travel to Genosha to confront the House of M. During the battle, Wanda vanishes from the battlefield. Doctor Strange finds her in a secluded tower with her resurrected children. As Strange questions her, a flashback reveals that Quicksilver, not Magneto, was responsible for convincing her to create this new reality to make everyone happy in an almost-perfect world. Immediately after this revelation, Frost tells Strange to ask about the fate of Xavier. Before she can answer, Wanda is shot in the back with an arrow by Hawkeye, who angrily confronts her over his death in the original timeline. After a brief exchange, Hawkeye is killed for a second time when one of Wanda's sons uses his powers to "erase" him.
Meanwhile, Magneto confronts Frost and Layla, who reveal the full truth to him. Enraged, he then attacks those around him, especially his son Quicksilver, whom he kills by beating him with metal debris. Wanda suddenly appears, resurrects her brother, and begins to lash out, blaming Magneto and mutantkind for her pain. She then utters, "No more mutants", and reality snaps back to its original form. In the process, it depowers nearly all mutants worldwide, leaving only a handful with their abilities. Wanda then disappears.
In the aftermath, the cause of the global depowering remains unknown to the heroes. Xavier is still missing, and neither Cerebro nor Doctor Strange can locate Wanda. Hank Pym warns that all these powers could not simply vanish but are contained somewhere, and that because every action has an equal and opposite reaction, the question remains as to what the reaction to these events will be. A colossal red ribbon of energy begins to orbit Earth.
The universe of House of M is designated as Earth-58163 in the Marvel Comics multiverse.[citation needed]
Timeline
The following is Marvel's recommended reading order for the "House of M" storyline and its tie-ins, including issues from other series that connect to the main story.[9] For comics covering the aftermath of the storyline, as well as other later series that tie into "House of M" (see below).
The "House of M" storyline resulted in the reduction of the mutant population from millions to hundreds. Only two current members of the X-Men (Polaris and Professor X) suffered this fate, as well as the former X-Man Chamber. Several minor allies and enemies were depowered, including Callisto and Blob. Their main adversary Magneto also lost his abilities, and two members of the Avengers, Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch. Magneto and Xavier have since been repowered, whereas Polaris and Quicksilver have either gained new powers (somewhat like their old powers) or regained lost powers by other means, within a span of two years. Other mutants have been repowered by technology, such as Wind Dancer and Jubilee.[volume&issueneeded]
The temporary disappearance of Charles Xavier (he returned in X-Men: Deadly Genesis without his powers), Scarlet Witch, and Quicksilver. Quicksilver's disappearance is explained in the Son of M limited series.
Wolverine's total recall of his past, which caused a serious change in his status. Multiple governments and agencies for which he has worked or which have manipulated him consider him to be one of the most dangerous threats to them.
Though not explicitly expressed in the House of M series, as of New Avengers #26, Clint Barton has been revived in the Marvel Universe.
The Collective, a new villain that killed most of the members of Canadian superhero team Alpha Flight, was created as a result of the decimation event. The Collective was apparently formed from all of the mutant energies displaced by Wanda's actions.
The Shadow King was able to return to this reality with Shadow-X when Wanda shifted reality.
The disappearance of Meggan and return of Captain Britain to the United Kingdom as a result of preventing the destruction of all realities from the strain of the House of M rewriting the Earth-616 reality; later Meggan was reportedly taken prisoner by a demon named Plokta. Finally, she managed to free herself, reuniting with Captain Britain.
Due to the vast depowering of mutants, America won the super powers war without lifting a finger.[10]
The Skrulls gained a massive advantage in their infiltration and sabotage. With so many millions of mutants killed, lost, or powerless, one of the three primary threats Veranke stated was neutralized.
The Exiles begin their Worlds Tour in Exiles #69 to chase down Proteus, who has been reborn in this new world. It was their first stop of six.
"Secret Invasion"
In a May 5, 2008, interview, Brian Michael Bendis indicated that the events of "House of M" play into the "Secret Invasion" storyline. The activities of the Skrulls during House of M were covered in New Avengers #45,[11] in which it was revealed that the Skrull agents were able to retain their memories after Wanda alters reality, her powers seemingly unable to detect their true natures and desires, and had attempted to instigate the destruction of the mutants over the alteration. The Skrull queen, still disguised as Jessica Drew, considered the resulting "Decimation" to be a boon to the Skrulls' plans as they could now divert the part of their forces intended to deal with Earth's mutant population to other areas.
Later miniseries
House of M: Avengers
The five-issue limited series House of M: Avengers debuted in November 2007, written by Christos Gage and drawn by Mike Perkins.[12] The series spans from 1979 to the present day and acts as a prequel to the original House of M miniseries, showing the formation of Luke Cage's Human Resistance Movement.[13]
In the run-up to the 2014 "Spider-Verse" storyline, the Superior Spider-Man (Doctor Octopus's mind in Spider-Man's body) found himself temporarily trapped in the year 2099 with his attempts to return home via a dimensional portal resulting in him witnessing various alternate worlds where other Spider-Men had been killed by a dimension-hopping adversary, including a dead Spider-Man in what appeared to be the world of the House of M.[14]
Collected editions
Trade paperbacks
The trade paperbacks collect many of the issues involved with the House of M storyline. Arranged in order, the spines of the books form the House of M logo. Each storyline/paperback contains a mostly standalone side story and can be read individually without any continuity problems. Only the House of M miniseries itself deals with the main storyline.
House of M #1-8, Spider-Man: House of M #1-5, Fantastic Four: House of M #1-3, Iron Man: House of M #1-3, New Thunderbolts #11, Black Panther #7, Uncanny X-Men #462-465, Wolverine #33-35, Captain America #10, Pulse #10, Cable & Deadpool #17, Incredible Hulk #83-87, New X-Men #16-19, Exiles #69-71, Mutopia X #1-5, Decimation: House of M - The Day After, Giant-Size Ms. Marvel #1, Secrets of the House of M, Pulse: House of M Special, House of M #1 Director's Cut, House of M Sketchbook, and material from Hulk: Broken Worlds Book One
An issue of What If? using the "House of M" as a springboard asks, "What If Scarlet Witch Ended the House of M event by saying No More Powers?" In this story, every hero loses their powers, with mixed results. Characters like Thing, Ms. Marvel and She-Hulk revert to human form, Doctor Strange tells Wong that he cannot connect with magic, Wolverine's adamantium skeleton becomes too heavy for him to bear, Spider-Man is relieved at the loss of his "responsibility", etc. Iron Man believes there is still work to be done and most of the X-Men try to resume normal lives. Iron Man speaks to the Illuminati members about this problem. The Red Skull obtains a Cosmic Cube and uses it to take over New York, with the intent to do the same to the planet. Iron Man outfits Wolverine, War Machine, and Carol Danvers with special armored suits. The X-Men appear, using remaining Shi'ar technology in an attempt to stop the Red Skull. As a result of this opposition, the Cosmic Cube is destroyed, and the Red Skull is defeated. Many years later, an older Tony Stark is shown visiting Peter Parker, his daughter May, and May's young daughter Anna. Stark speculates that if things get bad enough again, superhuman abilities may yet emerge. As he says this, Anna is shown leaping from a monkey bar after a butterfly with uncanny grace and agility.[15]
Two issues of What If? in the 2009 series revolve around the Spider-Man: House of M miniseries. The first one asks what would have happened had Emma Frost not wiped Gwen's mind and she had accompanied the heroes to Genosha. The second one asks what would have happened if the Scarlet Witch had allowed Gwen and her son with Peter to exist after returning reality back to normal.[volume&issueneeded]
The "House of M" timeline appeared in the 2015 storyline "Secret Wars". Its location on Battleworld is called the Monarchy of M.
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