Astonishing X-Men
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Astonishing X-Men is the name of an ongoing comic book series published by Marvel Comics and based on the X-Men franchise. There have been three X-Men titles to bear the name Astonishing X-Men
Volume One (Age of Apocalypse)
The original Astonishing X-Men was a four-issue replacement to Uncanny X-Men. The name of the title was changed to reflect the fact that all X-Titles were in the alternate universe the Age of Apocalypse crossover. It was written by Scott Lobdell and illustrated by Joe Madureira. In this storyline, Professor X was murdered 20 years in the past and Magneto, upon witnessing his friend's death, commited himself to Xavier's dream and created his own team of X-Men. Astonishing X-Men featured a team of X-Men led by Rogue, Magneto's wife in this reality. She led Sabretooth, Sunfire, Blink, Morph, and Wildchild. This particular unit was in Chicago battling Apocalypse's "son" and first horseman, Holocaust.
Volume Two (The Shattering)
The second series was a three-issue limited series featuring an impromptu team of X-Men. Professor X had disbanded the X-Men briefly, but Jean Grey had received a telepathic distress call from one of their allies, a young girl named Nina. Forming a small team of interim X-Men to save Nina and her fellow Mannites, she and Cyclops recruited original team member Archangel, and X-Men friends Cable and Nate Grey. They later discovered that Nina and the Mannites were being threated by Death, thr fourth horseman of their enemy Apocalypse. Wolverine is murdered by Death in the final pages of the series, but it was later revealed that "Death" was actually a mind controlled Wolverine, and that the "Wolverine" who was a member of this team of X-Men was an imposter, a shapeshifting Skrull.
Volume Three (X-Men: ReLoad)
The most well-known is the current and latest of the three, widely praised because of the writing of Joss Whedon who is the most well-known for creating Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The comic is currently illustrated by John Cassaday. It is a continuation of the New X-Men title and features a similar line-up of X-Men characters. The team includes |Cyclops (as team leader), Emma Frost, Beast, Shadowcat, and Wolverine. In his first story arc, Whedon resurrected favorite X-Man Colossus back from the dead. It was revealed that he had been a guinea pig of sorts in an underground mutant research complex. The team fought the mysterious alien Ord from the Breakworld and defeated him, turning him over to the government. Colossus has since been added to the team line-up. Whedon's follow-up story had the team fighting the personified Danger Room, who eventually took humanoid form and proved to provide a significant threat to the X-Men. Whedon's initial contract with Marvel Comics was for 12 issues (one year) but has since been renegotiated for an additional 12 issues. Cassady is expected to remain with the title during Whedon's run. Whedon, Cassaday, and the title have been nominated for several Eisner Awards.