Collects X-Men (Vol 2) #188-199 and X-Men Annual #1.
*A new direction for the X-Men, or at least what's left of them!
As old threats are put to rest, more deadly threats emerge from the unlikeliest of places. Threats that spell doom for the X-Men. Plus: What could possibly strike terror into the heart of... Sabretooth?! And who are the Children of the Vault? This is the book you've been waiting for! A perfect starting point for any new reader!
The enemy of my enemy...
When Sabretooth arrives at the Xavier Institute seeking protection, the X-Men know something is very, very wrong. Wolverine's longtime adversary has always been a hunter -- but now, Sabretooth is the hunted. Despite Sabretooth's bloody history. Xavier's promise of sanctuary is open to all mutants. Before long, these mysterious attackers lay siege to the X-Men hom with the shocking help of one of the team's most trusted allies, now turned traitor. With many of the most powerful X-Men lost in space and only Rogue to lead the short-handed team in residence, will the X-Men sacrifice themselves to save the life of the hated Sabretooth?
And this is only the beginning. What starts as a mission of protection leads to a chain of events that will leave the X-Men forever changed!
Plus: Northstar and Aurora were once respected X-Men, before they were murdered and resurrected by the shadowy ninja clan, the Hand. Now, the borther and sister duo exist only to serve the Hand's evil plans as unthinking slaves. With her new team still coming together, Rogue has one last chance to save her former friends, before Northstar and Aurora are lost to the Hand forever.
Best known for his work on Ultimate Fantastic Four and the long-running fantasy series Lucifer, writer Mike Carey debuts as the new writer on this long-running X-Men series with his first arc, "Supernovas." Carey wastes no time shaking up the status quo, assembling anew team of X-Men led by fan-favorite Rogue, joined by longtime members Cannonball and Iceman. Joining Carey is the artistic dream team of Chris Bachalo and Humberto Ramos, bringing a modern flavor to this classic Marvel Comics title. *Source: Hardcover Version's Dust Jacket
In X-Men (Vol 2) #197-199, the cover dress said Red Data but the title pages for each issue had Condition Critical as the story arc. For this collection the graphics have been changes so that only Red Data is used consistently throughout.