X-Men: Prelude to Schism

[Jason Doty]

I'm unsure why we should attribute Prelude to an event when none is specifically mentioned, other than it happens before Schism. Why shoehorn a series into another when its not necessary doesn't make sense to me. It only makes an already story heavy area of time more convoluted chronology wise. Generation Hope already intertwines with the Schism limited.

[Frans]

Jason, I understand your concerns. The placing of Prelude is a difficult one, because it doesn't fit anywhere nicely. Not Fear Itself, not Second Coming or other crossovers (as far as I could think of). It's a series that has much do to with nothing... For continuity junks it's always neat to find a place where it could fit, but if you're happy to decide it is out of continuity or to place it anywhere else, I'm fine.

It's just that IMHO it should be placed as I mentioned.

Generation Hope intertwines as from Schism #2, so this has no direct impact on my Prelude-placing.

[Jason Doty]

Frans, I'm not arguing it should be non-canon, I just don't think we need to attribute it to an event that's not specifically specified. It's just a non-event that hasn't been told as of yet. The series is just them preparing for an unseen battle (sometime before Schism). That's how its presented, we just need to decide where given the clues in the issues to place it. Your suggestion is well thought out, but I'm always for keeping series separate if at all possible.

The X-Men have had this situation several times in the past, where there on an unseen mission or a flashback to an adventure not shown. There was an issue of Captain Marvel that showed an adventure with the Micronauts we never saw. The clue to when it happened depended on what team members were shown in the one panel.

I just prefer not to break up a series or individual book unless it is absolutely necessary or intended by the creators. The story can stand on it's own as is.

If your interested in hashing out a rough outline of this time period we could start it up in the chat section running from the end of Utopia until the Regenesis stories. I'm game.

[Frans]

Let's start it up. I will see you there

[Russ Chappell]

If your interested in hashing out a rough outline of this time period we could start it up in the chat section running from the end of Utopia until the Regenesis stories. I'm game.

It's a chronological discussion; it belongs in Marvel Universe.

[Col_Fury]

I just had a thought.

So Prelude to Schism, even though it has NOTHING to do with Schism, is implied to happen shortly before Schism because of the title of the book. Marvel editorial has said that the impending threat in Prelude was dealt with off-panel and we'll likely never see what that threat actually was.

Trying to place Prelude before Fear Itself is tempting, but the clues don't *QUITE* line up, and besides, the book is called Prelude to Schism, not Prelude to Fear Itself.

Speaking of unseen battles, in Wolverine v4 #16 (1-18) Wolverine comes back from the wilderness. In Wolverine v4 #16 (19) we see the Avengers and X-Men in battle against unseen foes. In Wolverine v4 #16 (20) we see Wolverine approaching Utopia with arrows stuck in him. In Schism #1 we see Wolverine arriving at Utopia with arrows stuck in him.

So What If…? the battle not-quite-seen in W4 16 (19) is the battle that Prelude to Schism was leading up to?

So we'd have:

W4 16 (1-18)
X: PSCHISM 1
X: PSCHISM 2
X: PSCHISM 3
X: PSCHISM 4
W4 16 (19-20)
SCHISM 1

Whaddayathink?

[Jason Doty]

While I like the placement, I don't think that scene works as well, when Wolverine returns to the island, Iceman asks what he's been up to, and he replies more of the usual. So I doubt that is the dire threat in Prelude. Plus the other X-Men were included in Prelude and Wolverine is returning alone.

Keeping this as close to Schism as possible.

I would suggest

X2 19
Prelude to Schism 1-4
Wolverine v4 #16 pg.19 panel 4-fb
Wolverine v4 #16 pg.19 panel 1,3
X 250/2
X 250-fb
X 250-258
Wolverine v4 #16 pg.19 panel 5-pg.20
X-Men: Schism

[Leoparis]

Not that I am a partisan of placing these stories in any particular way as I don't concern myself with X-Men stories generally.
But Schism is an X-Men story while Fear Itself is an Avengers story. Therefore IMO it doesn't preclude Prelude to Schism from taking place before Fear Itself.
Just my outside, uninvolved opinion.

[JephYork]

Can Prelude to Schism occur DURING Schism?

I should preface this by admitting that I haven't read either story. All I know of both stories is what I've heard online. But my understanding is that, during Schism, Utopia is attacked by an enormous Sentinel. And in Prelude, they're on Utopia preparing for a deadly attack by [something].

Can we link those two events?

(Or am I wildly off-base about one or both?)

Sorry; I hate to be this vague and uninformed when I post, but I'm swamped with other stuff and the notion just crossed my mind.

-Jeph!

[JephYork]

Alternate thought: Daron, you might be onto something trying to link the "Prelude to Schism" threat to the unseen-enemy Avengers/X-Men battles in W4 #16 p.19. But maybe to make it work, you have to discard the idea of also linking it to the "Wolverine riddled with arrows" unseen battle.

Maybe things roll like this:

W4 #16 - Wolverine comes home from the wilderness.
Prelude to Schism - a big unnamed threat looms!
W4 #16 p.19 - Wolverine battles the threat with both Avengers and X-Men. Presumably they win.
[an unseen adventure occurs where Wolvie is attacked by enemies with arrows!]
W4 #16 / Schism #1 - Wolvie returns to Utopia riddled with arrows.

It's basically the same thing you suggested, but without the "Prelude battle is why he's riddled with arrows" link.

(Hell, there's probably another Wolverine guest-appearance lying around somewhere that we could toss in right there to explain the arrow wounds...)

-Jeph!

[Col_Fury]

W4 #16 - Wolverine comes home from the wilderness.
Prelude to Schism - a big unnamed threat looms!
W4 #16 p.19 - Wolverine battles the threat with both Avengers and X-Men. Presumably they win.
[an unseen adventure occurs where Wolvie is attacked by enemies with arrows!]
W4 #16 / Schism #1 - Wolvie returns to Utopia riddled with arrows.

It's basically the same thing you suggested, but without the "Prelude battle is why he's riddled with arrows" link.

Yes, this.