Marvel Chronology Project

Now that X-Men: Schism is done, does anyone know how to place X-Men: Prelude to Schism? That entire 4-issue mini consists of the X-Men debating whether or not to evacuate Utopia as an unrevealed threat approaches the island. I figured that this would occur as the super-bad Sentinel approaches Utopia during X-Men: Schism #4, but most of the characters shown as being with Scott in Prelude are actually off-island during Schism #4.

According to the series of quotes Paul O'Brien put together on his blog, any relationship between Prelude to Schism and Schism itself is entirely coincidental and it has absolutely nothing to do with anything else. Ever.

Just plonk it whenever there's some free time pre-Schism.

I agree with Somebody.

In Prelude, everyone's worried about an upcoming, unspecified threat. In Fear Itself, everyone's worried. Could we put it in front of Fear Itself?

I'm spit-balling here. I haven't read all of the Fear Itself stuff yet, and what I have read so far, almost none of it was X-Stuff. So I really don't know. CAN we put it right in front of Fear Itself?

It doesn't really fit with Fear Itself - in that, the X-Men go and actively try to defend San Francisco from the big threat, rather than wait to defend Utopia as they are doing in Prelude.

[I do wonder whether Prelude was supposed to tie in more closely with Schism, but Schism ended up being different enough from the outline that it doesn't work.]

morwen wrote:It doesn't really fit with Fear Itself - in that, the X-Men go and actively try to defend San Francisco from the big threat, rather than wait to defend Utopia as they are doing in Prelude.

Moreover,Wolverine's off with the Avengers and Frost's out cold/trying to murder Hope during UX 542, the one FI place it otherwise might have gone.

So is Prelude just a big, mysterious non-story? A lot of character development for no discernible reason?

Yes. We should probably assume that they went on to defeat whatever it was off-panel.

-Jeph!

Ugh.

I haven't re-read the issues side-by-side, but does it work during Second Coming?

After reading Schism, Fear Itself and Second Coming again, I think this whole series is best to be placed between Schism #1 and Schism #2. They see the threat of Sentinels in #1 and some senior X-Men talk about this in the room. When Storm asks Cyclops what to do about these acts of aggression, Scott says not to blink. It could be that afterwards they do the whole "Prelude" stuff of talking to Cyclops. Issue #2 starts with X-Men all over the world fighting Sentinels, so there's definitely some space between the issues.

Since the title is "Prelude" to Schism, and the threat is not specifically mentioned. I'm leaning more to after Fear Itself, but before Schism. It should also come after Rogue's team gets back from space and before the "Dark Angel" saga in Uncanny X-Force. I think Avengers: The Children's Crusade is also in this section of time. So maybe this order...

X-Men Legacy #258
Fear Itself
Fear Itself: The Fearless no.1-12
Avengers: The Children's Crusade no.1-9
Prelude to Schism no.1-4
X-Men Schism no.1-5
Uncanny X-Force no.11-18

I agree with Jason about Prelude, although I think the placement of Children's Crusade may be more complicated and involves gaps.

But yes...
Fearless followed by Prelude followed by Schism followed by UXFOR 10-18.

Jason Doty wrote:Since the title is "Prelude" to Schism, and the threat is not specifically mentioned. I'm leaning more to after Fear Itself, but before Schism. It should also come after Rogue's team gets back from space and before the "Dark Angel" saga in Uncanny X-Force. I think Avengers: The Children's Crusade is also in this section of time. So maybe this order...

X-Men Legacy #258
Fear Itself
Fear Itself: The Fearless no.1-12
Avengers: The Children's Crusade no.1-12
Prelude to Schism no.1-4
X-Men Schism no.1-5
Uncanny X-Force no.11-18

Dialogue in Regenesis strongly indicates that Five Miles South of the Universe was very recent, so I'd place that as late before Regenesis as possible - maybe even during Schism, after the main sentinel attack and Logan leaving. Ray, Alex and Lorna just disappear otherwise - there's no accounting for their absence in Fear Itself or Schism.

Five Miles South of the Universe has to happen before Schism and Fear Itself, because of the inclusion of Rogue, Magneto and Gambit in both. The no-appearance in Fear Itself and Schism of Havok, Polaris and Rachel is surprising, but more X-characters don't appear in these crossovers. FMSotU happens directly after Lost Legions, there are no gaps...

As for the Prelude issues. If you want to keep the crossovers together the order Jason mentions is fine. Although if not, it's better to place the Prelude-series between Schism #1 and #2. Before Schism #1 there is no threat where the senior X-Men can talk about. After #1 there is, e.g. the Sentinel attacks worldwide. At the beginning of #2 all X-Men already are fighting Sentinels.

Havok and Polaris not appearing in other books after Five Miles South of the Universe and before their next appearance isn't a problem for me; they just spent an extended amount of time in outer space, and then they were mind-controlled at the end of their space trip. They could have been in therapy or something while other events were occuring.

I'm fine with Prelude happening between issues of Schism. The schism between Cyclops and Wolverine doesn't happen until issue #4, so as long as the Prelude is before that, I'm fine with it.

Two cents!