Grant Morrison wanted a new type of X-Men book and he was given free rein to do exactly that. The X-Men give up their superhero costumes and instead become educators, campaigners and fighters for mutantkind, complete with cool leather outfits.

For the first time, the world at large learns that Xavier's "school for gifted youngsters" is in fact a school for mutants, leaving the X-Men more isolated than ever before as angry crowds gather oustide the college gates. But mutants are also becoming "cool", and the X-Men are confronted with a human cult which hopes to become mutants themselves.

The villain of the piece is nothing less than the twin sister Xavier never knew he had. She's at least as powerful as him and, as written by Morrison, she exudes such raw malevolence that you can understand why Xavier and his students fear her.