270: Astonishing X-Men # 19 - 24 (Whedon's run ends on Breakworld)

What’s Covered?

Astonishing X-Men # 19 - 24, Giant-Sized Astonishing X-Men # 1

Roster Watch

Synopsis

Astonishing X-Men # 19 - 24, Giant-Sized Astonishing X-Men # 1: Unstoppable

Writer - Joss Whedon

Pencils - John Cassaday

The final arc of Joss Whedon and John Cassaday’s Astonishing X-Men is a fast-paced, emotional, and devastating ride that pushes the team to their absolute limits — and changes one beloved X-Man forever.

After learning that the Breakworld has sent hunters toward Earth, the X-Men — Cyclops, Emma Frost, Colossus, Beast, Kitty Pryde, and Armor — join forces with S.W.O.R.D. Agent Abigail Brand to intercept the threat in deep space. But the hunters quickly shift their target, assaulting the very ship our heroes are traveling on. Amidst the chaos, old tensions resurface, as Kitty questions her relationship with Colossus, haunted by a dream Emma had induced.

When the S.W.O.R.D. vessel explodes, Colossus and Kitty are spotted crashing down to the surface of Breakworld.

As the team scrambles to survive, Armor — freshly wounded by Wolverine (who stabs her leg to trigger her power) — saves herself and others.

Wolverine, in true fashion, ends up charred but alive. Meanwhile, former adversary Ord is captured by his world's ruthless ruler, Powerlord Kruun, for his repeated failures.

Down on Breakworld, Brand and Beast’s bond deepens (with some surprising, snowy intimacy), while Cyclops continues to be powerless and surprisingly submits to Brand’s command.

Danger, now allied with Kruun, takes down Emma and Scott.

In a rare, vulnerable moment, Cyclops confesses his love to Emma — right before Danger incapacitates them. But rather than sealing their doom, Emma turns the tables, convincing Danger to switch sides, revealing that Danger could never truly harm mutants due to her original programming.

Elsewhere, Colossus and Kitty are found by Aghanne, an enigmatic elder who promises a new future for Breakworld — one where Colossus might not destroy the planet, but save it.

In a tender moment, Kitty comforts Colossus, walking into his quarters completely vulnerable — a simple, human act of love in the middle of looming destruction.

The clock ticks down. A missile capable of annihilating Earth is nearly ready to launch. Cyclops devises a desperate plan, volunteering for a suicide mission while the rest of the team races to disable the weapon. Lockheed, it turns out, has been secretly working for S.W.O.R.D. all along (random, I know.) Tragically, Cyclops appears to die in space.

The team is crushed — until it’s revealed Scott orchestrated everything. His death was a ruse to penetrate Breakworld’s inner defenses, and he emerges alive, fully powered, ready to strike back. Which he does, at full blast, in Kuun's face.

As the X-Men confront Breakworld’s leaders, the truth emerges: Aghanne, not Kruun, masterminded the missile plan. Believing Breakworld beyond saving, she sought to annihilate it herself. Colossus confronts Aghanne and exposes her betrayal, while Ord fights valiantly to redeem himself. Brand even takes a bullet to protect Beast.

The final showdown arrives in Giant-Size Astonishing X-Men #1. With Earth's fate hanging by a thread, Storm and the Fantastic Four scramble to assist. Spider-Man even joins the chaos. Ord meets his end as he sacrifices himself to help stop Aghanne, while Colossus delivers the final blow to the traitorous leader.

But victory comes at a cost. To save Earth, Kitty Pryde phases into the missile — and becomes trapped inside.

Intangible, unreachable, and unable to escape, Kitty makes the ultimate sacrifice. As the X-Men mourn, Colossus swears to lead Breakworld toward a new future — even as Wolverine grimly severs Kuun's arm to ensure the lack of rebuttal.

Brand asks Beast to serve on SWORD with him, which he accepts. She also admits that she's half alien and that she plans to break him like a pony. Fun.

Whedon and Cassaday end their Astonishing X-Men run with a gut punch — a story of resilience, sacrifice, and love — reminding readers why these heroes will always live up to their name.

My Connections and Creators

Boring or Great?

This was a pretty exciting finish to Whedon's run. I had only planned to read one comic last night (so I could watch Captain America:Brave New World for the first time) but I ended up blitzing through all 7. I'll hold my big picture comments for now as I plan to do a full Joss Whedon retrospective in my next post.

Thoughts on Art

Cinematic – His clean layouts, dramatic "camera angles," and perfectly timed panel beats made the story feel like a blockbuster movie unfolding on the page.
Elegant and detailed – His lines are clean and precise, but he still packs panels with tons of fine detail — making environments like the Breakworld feel rich and lived-in without feeling cluttered.
Paced to perfection – Cassaday used panel size and empty space brilliantly, slowing down or speeding up scenes without needing a ton of words. It gave even dialogue-heavy scenes tension and weight.
Crisp and clear action – His fight scenes are easy to follow, with each blow feeling heavy and consequential — no over-stylized chaos or confusing motion lines.

Larger Impacts

I think you can argue that Whedon gave Colossus more focus than any writer has to date.

Things to keep an eye on

Is Kitty really dead? I sincerely doubt it.

You have to wonder how Scott and Emma's relationship will fair after these events.

While Scott admitted that he loves Emma, Whedon also gave Emma a lot of negative scenes that may be hard to get past.

Assuming Kitty is still alive, will she stay with Colossus? Will Beast and Brand continue banging? Will he really stay on SWORD? Will Armor continue to remain an X-Man? Will Colossus REALLY remain on Breakworld!?

Wait...Astonishing X-Men continues after Whedon leaves. Will Colossus (on Breakworld), Kitty (in missle), and Beast (with SWORD) not be in the series anymore??? I haven't read it yet so I genuinely don't know. I'm interested to find out though.

Characters

Cyclops

Finally admits that he loves Emma, however I didn't realize he hadn't done that yet.

Emma

Admits that she loves Scott back. Has a surprisingly tender moment with Kitty, bringing their dynamic full circle.

Wolverine

Do we have a new young, female mutant trainee for Wolverine to mentor!? I sure hope so.

Kitty

Classic Kitty, sacrificing herself to the world. Just after she stopped letting the pressure of the world stop her from being with Piotr.

Colossus

He finally gets Kitty, right before losing her. He agrees to rule Breakworld.

Beast

I feel like this is the first Beast relationship that feels like it works, with the possible exception of one comic with Trish Tilby.

Armor

She finally became a full fledged character and I'm here for it. I like her training montage with Wolverine at the end.