What is the 6 month Gap and why did it happen ?

[Shane Shooter]

I used to read x-men alot when I was younger but I stopped after Zero Tolerance .... I've been back since around the induction of the NEW X-MEN team ....apparently while I was gone and something called a 6 month gap took place .......... and since I'm tired of trying to guess what it is .........

WHAT IS IT ? I gather it was a Lapse of Comic production for 6 months .... how could this happen (if indeed that's what it is? ) wouldn't they lose hella Money ? And lose a huge fan base ? ....... for the major X-titles what were the books immedeately before and after this gap

[Beast]

No, it wasn't a lapse in comic production. Basically, it was a big event that was going to be told with a lot of flashbacks. The books jumped forward six months with a number of changes in place (such as the Psylocke/Jean power swap), and then what happened over those six month would be revealed as they go on. It was just a new storytelling method that was being tried out. Unfortunatly before much of anything was explained it was decided to go a different different, and much was just ignored and the storylines moved foreward instead.

[Beast]

Here, this may help better. http://www.uncannyxmen.net/db/article/showquestion.asp?faq=4&fldAuto=90

[Christopher O]

Basically, it was the premise of Claremont's disastrous return to the X-Men, which prompted the radical shift to the Grant Morrison X-Men.

[mattbib]

Check out the FAQ.

[Beast]

Basically, it was the premise of Claremont's disastrous return to the X-Men, which prompted the radical shift to the Grant Morrison X-Men.
Not really. It was the premise of the entire X-Men line at the time. I wouldn't place blame entirely on Claremont here, as that's simply unfair. Bob Harras and Marvel devised the idea, and it didn't pan out. And the success of the movie is what prompted the shift to a more 'Movie-like' theme.

[xakko]

Note of course, DC pulls the same stunt (times two!) and it is critically acclaimed...

[DDM]

Basically, it was the premise of Claremont's disastrous return to the X-Men, which prompted the radical shift to the Grant Morrison X-Men.


The 6 month gap was editorially mandated. It was not Claremont's idea.

[Valmore]

It refers to the 6 months Jubilee held a job at The Gap to supplement the X-Family's income after Bastion cleaned them out from Operation: Zero Intelligence.

[Christopher O]

Not really. It was the premise of the entire X-Men line at the time. I wouldn't place blame entirely on Claremont here, as that's simply unfair. Bob Harras and Marvel devised the idea, and it didn't pan out. And the success of the movie is what prompted the shift to a more 'Movie-like' theme.
The 6 month gap was editorially mandated. It was not Claremont's idea.
I didn't blame Claremont for it. I said it was the premise of his second run, which it was.

[rilokyle]

It refers to the 6 months Jubilee held a job at The Gap to supplement the X-Family's income after Bastion cleaned them out from Operation: Zero Intelligence.
LMAO- that was funny. And probably true. :p

[Slung]

I didn't blame Claremont for it. I said it was the premise of his second run, which it was.

It wasn't really the premise of his run - it was what he, and the rest of the x-writers, were given to work with (wasn't it more Ellis' premise so he could toy around with the satellite books easier and make 'em "cool").

Personally, I was digging much of Claremont's stories (well, I thought the first issue of Uncanny was awesome and the first couple issue of adj-less was pretty sweet as well). And then came the fill-in artists: Raney ruined Uncanny for me on issue 382 (what a terrible issue - art, story, blech). Once Kubert was back on again for the next two issues, Uncanny was golden...until he left...and then it sucked. Of course, the editor-mandated "abandon all plotlines (and Cece Reyes and Kitty) and make the X-Teams fight some senseless battle" didn't help.

[Christopher O]

It wasn't really the premise of his run - it was what he, and the rest of the x-writers, were given to work with (wasn't it more Ellis' premise so he could toy around with the satellite books easier and make 'em "cool").
Yes, it was. The premise of the entire "Revolution" was that six months had past and much had changed in the lives the X-characters.

[Tazirai]

I would've loved to see how it would have ended.. but alas another arc bites the dust.

[Affinity]

And just so you know the next time you're looking for answers;

http://forums.comicbookresources.com/showthread.php?t=132932

[DDM]

I would've loved to see how it would have ended.. but alas another arc bites the dust.

Chris Claremont has written the unpublished story when Psylocke & Jean switch their powers after they battle the Shadow King on the astral plane. I would love to read this story...

[Keith_Martineau]

There have been 2, count'm TWO 6 month gaps.

The first was before Revolution, which provided a clean break for all X-Men books after the Ages of Apocalypse/Twelve storyline. This allowed Claremont to start a new status quo and move forward with that, and tell certain stories as flashbacks. It didn't pan out, and they tried something new bringing in new writers and giving them a fresh start.

The second was before Reload (so, note: 6 month gaps happen before R-words) which provided a clean break for all X-Men books after the Planet X storyline. This allowed the writers (including Claremont) to start a new status quo and move forward with that. No stories would be told in flashback however, they just hit the ground running. It's been moderately successful, with titles like Astonishing being loved by about 80% of the fanbase, Uncanny being loved about 50%, and X-Men being generally hated by 80% of the fanbase. After giving things more of a chance than they did with Revolution, they tried something new bringing in new writers and giving them a fresh start. So far, that seems to be working out well.

So, expect another 6 month gap before the next new status quo event, like Ribbed for her Pleasure, or Redecimation, or Ramalamadingdong.

[Affinity]

The second was before Reload (so, note: 6 month gaps happen before R-words) which provided a clean break for all X-Men books after the Planet X storyline. This allowed the writers (including Claremont) to start a new status quo and move forward with that. No stories would be told in flashback however, they just hit the ground running. It's been moderately successful, with titles like Astonishing being loved by about 80% of the fanbase, Uncanny being loved about 50%, and X-Men being generally hated by 80% of the fanbase. After giving things more of a chance than they did with Revolution, they tried something new bringing in new writers and giving them a fresh start. So far, that seems to be working out well.

I never realized this was a gap, too. Makes sense, though, with the destruction of New York and the rebuilding of the school and the new class and costumes and stuff. The other gap is much more publicized, though.

[Mikl C]

Eugh it was HORRIBLE. I'm gonna vomit just thinking about it.

[Novaya Havoc]

Eugh it was HORRIBLE. I'm gonna vomit just thinking about it.

I just did. Oh noes... my khakis. :(

[Mikl C]

Was it a new race of ultra super powered vomit we've never heard of before and never will again after this arc?!?!

[The Sword Is Drawn]

Basically, it was the premise of Claremont's disastrous return to the X-Men, which prompted the radical shift to the Grant Morrison X-Men.

Which in turn created even more radical problems for the life expectancy of the X-men as an ongoing title, and required a brand wide crossover to clear up large parts of those problems...

It's all swings amd roundabouts...:rolleyes:

[Hi-Fi]

The gap was one of the stupidiest decisions ever! All it acomplished was giving time to the X-Men design some horrid costumes.

[Sentinel K]

The gap was one of the stupidiest decision ever! All it acomplished was giving time to the X-Men design some horrid costumes.

Jean and Gambits' redesigns ROCKED!

[Hi-Fi]

Jean and Gambits' redesigns ROCKED!

They were ok.

Rogue's was a "what were you thinking" kinda of uniform, though. The same apply to Storm, Kurt, Cable, Colossus and Kitty.

I feel like we discussed this already.

[Steven F.]

They were ok.

Rogue's was a "what were you thinking" kinda of uniform, though. The same apply to Storm, Kurt, Cable, Colossus and Kitty.
I feel like we discussed this already.


I LOVED Storm's purple outfit. Jeans was my all time favorite for her.

[Affinity]

I hated a lot of the costumes. I've seen sketches and Archangel would have been really cool.

[Kid Kyoto]

Note of course, DC pulls the same stunt (times two!) and it is critically acclaimed...

Keith Giffin actually did it x10 in the late 80s. He finished one run on the Legion of Super Heroes and the next one started with a full page black starfield and the words "Five Years Later". It was very good. Now he's the one behind 52.

John Ostrener (sp?) did a one year gap during his great suicide squad run.

Larry Hama did a 1 year jump is his (very fun) Nth Man comic.

John Wagner did a 100 year jump in Grendel.

So it's not new, it can be done poorly or well.

Though I think a 6 month gap is too little for major changes to happen.

[Babylon23]

John Wagner did a 100 year jump in Grendel.

Matt Wagner, not John. Actually, Wagner did jumps like this regularly in Grendel.

[xakko]

Keith Giffin actually did it x10 in the late 80s. He finished one run on the Legion of Super Heroes and the next one started with a full page black starfield and the words "Five Years Later". It was very good. Now he's the one behind 52.

John Ostrener (sp?) did a one year gap during his great suicide squad run.

Larry Hama did a 1 year jump is his (very fun) Nth Man comic.

John Wagner did a 100 year jump in Grendel.

So it's not new, it can be done poorly or well.

Though I think a 6 month gap is too little for major changes to happen.it was probably easier with LSH given their presence in the future, but i was not aware of these. thanks for the info!

[Omega Alpha]

The second was before Reload (so, note: 6 month gaps happen before R-words) which provided a clean break for all X-Men books after the Planet X storyline. This allowed the writers (including Claremont) to start a new status quo and move forward with that. No stories would be told in flashback however, they just hit the ground running. It's been moderately successful, with titles like Astonishing being loved by about 80% of the fanbase, Uncanny being loved about 50%, and X-Men being generally hated by 80% of the fanbase. After giving things more of a chance than they did with Revolution, they tried something new bringing in new writers and giving them a fresh start. So far, that seems to be working out well.

So, expect another 6 month gap before the next new status quo event, like Ribbed for her Pleasure, or Redecimation, or Ramalamadingdong.


Did they estabilished that 6 months have passed before Reload and Planet X? As far as i know, there was a gap, but the time that passed wasn't estabilished.

[Beast]

Did they estabilished that 6 months have passed before Reload and Planet X? As far as i know, there was a gap, but the time that passed wasn't estabilished.
Roughly. Because Excalibur picked up right from the end of 'Bright New Mourning'. But then during it's run there was a six month jump forward to bring it in line with the X-Books for House of M.

[The Sword Is Drawn]

Gaps like this can work. But I don't really feel that these did.

In particular I found certain character changes, such as the extreme change for Kitty and Kurt during this period, which went flatly against their characterisation in Excalibur such a short time before, to be wildly unbelieveable changes.

But what I really think made these stories grate was that it didn't really fit with the events in the rest of the brand.

A whole year's gap seems to have worked out okay for DC, after Infinite Crisis, with the events which transpired inbetween being told in the 52 weekly issued "52" limited series. But the reason that that works, I feel, is that it's a Brand Wide gap. Everybody in the DC universe is acknowledging that this time has passed.

The problem for the X-Men taking a six month leap forward is that the rest of the Marvel Universe aren't. That's only going to lead to confusion later on.

Much as though a lot of X-Fans like to consider the X-Titles to be a Universe in their own right - they're not.

Such changes only reallywork if everybody is singing from the same hymn sheet. Not just a few books.

[Rachel Grey]

So, expect another 6 month gap before the next new status quo event, like Ribbed for her Pleasure, or Redecimation, or Ramalamadingdong.

Smacks Keith upside the head. You weren't supposed to tell them about RfhP! Now have you finished penciling my script?