Era #11, Part 22: House of M

Grade: A+

I often find that limited series does not add to the primary plotlines of the X-Men mythos. At best, they are interesting side adventures that delve deeply into a character, but more often than not, they seem like throwaway one-off stories that can be completely missed. Because of that, I don't pick up many limited series. That was a huge mistake for House of M. I should have read this when it first came out.  Brian Michael Bendis weaves a fantastic tale that changes the X-Men books for the next several years with three simple words: "No more mutants."

Scarlet Witch's deteriorating grip on reality already resulted in the death of some of her Avenger teammates. Concerned that her powers can do even more damage on a bigger scale, the Avengers and the X-Men search for an answer, but their options are limited. Therapy may not be enough, and many of the heroes from both teams start advocating for a more permanent solution. When they travel to Genosha to confront her and her father, Magneto, she plunges the world into a new reality in which her children are alive and the mutants are the dominant political and cultural force. 

House of M spawns many cross-over titles where our heroes find themselves in a world in which they are truly happy. Each of them must make a difficult choice of living the life that they always dreamed of or forcing the Scarlet Witch and Magneto to return everything back to the way it was. 

House of M is a series of heartbreaking moments from start to finish. It is masterfully written with such a large cast of characters and ends with the iconic phrase that jumpstarts the next phase of the X-Men's journey. All that from a limited series. Who knew?

[9-Stars] House of M (2005) #1

[8-Stars] House of M (2005) #2

[8-Stars] House of M (2005) #3

[8-Stars] House of M (2005) #4

[7-Stars] House of M (2005) #5

[7-Stars] House of M (2005) #6

[9-Stars] House of M (2005) #7

[8-Stars] House of M (2005) #8

Collected in House of M