The series is noted for its independence from crossovers and large-scale events in the Marvel Universe such as House of M, Decimation, Civil War, Messiah Complex, Avengers Vs. X-Men, and Battle of the Atom.

This was previously due to the long delays between issues and Whedon's own stated desire to remain away from big crossovers, which he personally disliked, and what he saw as hectic and unfollowable X-Men continuity.

The run introduced a number of original characters into the Marvel Universe including Kavita Rao, Special Agent Brand, S.W.O.R.D., Hisako Ichiki, Ord of the Breakworld and Blindfold.

Whedon introduced a "mutant cure" designed by Indian Benetech scientist Dr. Kavita Rao, who was secretly sponsored by warrior alien Ord.

The prospect of "real" humanity arouses the interest of a heavily mutated Beast, who visits Rao only to discover that the drug is the product of illegal experimentation on an unknown victim(s).

The X-Men are manipulated by a new Hellfire Club, consisting of Cassandra Nova, Emma Frost, the enigmatic Perfection, Negasonic Teenage Warhead, and Sebastian Shaw.

Marvel announced at San Diego Comicon 2007 that following completion of the Whedon/Cassaday run on Astonishing X-Men, the series would continue with the new creative team of Warren Ellis and Simone Bianchi.

While some of the characters did not appear in the book, Ellis had mentioned earlier that a majority of Bianchi's drawings were made public to promote the title, and that upon his run's announcement the final cast had not been set.

[10] Emma continues to interrogate the X-Men's captives, and the team discovers that Forge created the manufactured mutants (including the victim in the beginning of the arc), for a counter-strike against the Annexation using a Ghost Box that he acquired.

The second story, "Being an Journal By Miss Emma Frost of New Portsmouth Bay in the State of New Albion," takes place on Earth-889, a steampunk parallel universe.

Kaga is revealed to be a deformed elderly man with numerous genetic abnormalities and disorders, a mutant born from a mother who survived the atomic bombing of Hiroshima.

The X-Men defeat the troops, and Emma Frost kisses the staff in order to let them download the native language for 48 hours so they may be able to communicate with the locals.

During New York City Comic Con, Marvel editors announced that following Warren Ellis' run, Daniel Way would take over writing duties for the series with Jason Pearson illustrating.

Christos Gage's "Meanwhile" arc would feature an outer space rescue mission with Storm, Kitty Pryde, Colossus, Lockheed, Abigail Brand and Beast (who was with the Avengers during that time).

Armor reunites with her father, who admits that he was upset when she left the wake, but after seeing her nobly set aside her grief to show great strength and protect the city, he tells her that he has never been prouder of her than that day.

Scott wakes to find himself imprisoned in the device along with alternate versions of mutant teammates James Howlett, Emmeline Frost, Shadow(cat), and a young Kurt Wagner (Nightcrawler).

As his Emma and Storm depart through a failing Ghost Box portal, Scott tells them that his decisions doomed that Earth and he should stay to help fix it.

In a later confrontation with the X-Men, Hatchi uses her nanotechnology to seize control of the team and orders them to takeover Madripoor or she will use her technology on New York and kill the population.

Gabriel Hernandez Walta would take over the art duties from Mike Perkins for the remainder of the run, though Amilcar Pinna would draw the two penultimate issues.

"Gifted" was given the accolade of Wizard's book of the year, while IGN called the arc "best X-Men run in a decade" and lauded Whedon for flawless character dynamics.

Delays persisted for a variety of reasons, including Cassaday's last-minute assignment to pencil the fifth issue of Fallen Son: The Death of Captain America.

Marjorie Liu's run on Astonishing X-Men received media attention for featuring Marvel Comics' first gay wedding between Northstar and longterm partner Kyle in issue #51.

The second considers the ensuing consequences if the android Ultron had learned of the existence of the sentient Danger during his then-battle with the Runaways, leading him to become determined to make her his bride.

The team includes Psylocke, Bishop, Angel, Gambit, Fantomex, Old Man Logan, Rogue, and Mystique (initially disguised as Beast) The first story arc features the return of the Shadow King and his series of psychic attacks against various mutants.

Returning her distress call were Rogue and Old Man Logan, aboard the Blackbird above the North Atlantic; Bishop, doing research in the British Museum, Angel, flying over the Scotland; Gambit and Fantomex, in the middle of a heist in Paris; and Beast, arriving in late after the attack.

Betsy sent Rogue, Gambit, Fantomex, Beast and Old Man Logan into the astral plane while Bishop and Angel stayed guard to protect Psylocke and the others.

[32] While in the astral plane, it is revealed that the Shadow King had lured the X-Men as a psychic game with the late Charles Xavier, whose mind he had kidnapped when he died.

Eventually, Xavier is able to defeat the Shadow King with Rogue, Fantomex, and Mystique, and returns the three to the real world in time to stop the British military from attacking its own citizens.

for the damage he has done, but forges a deal saying that he will take sole responsibility to clear his other teammates of federal charges, in return for not revealing to the world all of the experiments happening at O.N.E.

Jean, Beast, Archangel and Iceman are horrified by the mission's outcome, but X explains that this is why they became X-Men in the first place: to save the world or watch its inhabitants perish.