My inner cynic can't help but wish this was taking place in any book besides the perpetually poor-selling Astonishing X-Men, but ultimately I think that it's great that Marvel is, in all likelihood, about to depict a gay wedding. No doubt One Million Moms will be displeased, which is fine by me.

ASTONISHING X-MEN #51 will have everyone inside and outside of the industry talking. Marvel has secured mainstream coverage both on-air and in print, for something that has never been seen inside the pages of a Marvel comic. Not only that, but some retailers are already saving the date and are hosting special wedding events in their stores.

Retailers who exceed 300% of their orders of ASTONISHING X-MEN #49 with their orders by FOC for ASTONISHING X-MEN #51 can order as many copies as they wish of the ASTONISHING X-MEN 51 CREATE YOUR OWN WEDDING VARIANT. Note: details on this variant will be revealed in the coming weeks and is NOT similar to the customized Comic Shop Variants, most recently offered on Spider-Men #1.

I'm thinking this is Northstar getting married to his longtime boyfriend. Any takers?

First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes Northstar in a baby carriage! Just kidding, that's not how it works - next comes Mephisto with the annulment! Until then, congratulations all around as Northstar and his partner Kyle are set to marry in Astonishing X-Men #51.

It wasn't so long ago that the X--Men were the undisputed coolest team in the Marvel Universe, and Joss Whedon and John Cassday's Astonishing X-Men was the best title on the stands. Their run on the title consisted of two awesome story lines, the second of which is set for release as a motion comic DVD. Dangerous introduces Danger, current X-Club member and formerly the world's deadliest workout room. She's just that hardcore. Astonishing X-Men: Dangerous hits stores on April 10.

Since Joss Whedon and John Cassaday's inaugural run on Astonishing X-Men, the title has suffered from creative inconsistency and publishing delays, falling from the X-Men book everyone was talking about to the one most people forgot was still being published, despite the best efforts of some super-creators including Warren Ellis.

It seems that Marvel has decided to give Astonishing the shot in the arm it so desperately needs, based on the above image featuring a full-on mohawk sporting Storm sucking face with Cyclops!

That's what the kids call it, right? "Sucking face?"

The powerhouse creative team of Greg Pak and Mike McKone is taking on the title, and are poised to inject it with their signature styles and it looks as though the X-Men will astonish once again.

As for Storm and Cyclops doing the tongue tango despite Ororo's marriage to the Black Panther and Scott's complicated hypersexual thing with Emma Frost? Greg Pak says it's really happening! Not a dream, imaginary tale, etc.

After Xavier, the X-Men’s two greatest leaders are Scott and Ororo. They’ve borne responsibilities few others can conceive. And just those experiences alone should provide them [with] reasons to bond. But maybe they’ve just never had a moment to consider it; each has always seemed to be wrapped up in a wild romance with someone else. The current Scott/Emma and Storm/T’Challa relationships are amongst the most passionate in the Marvel Universe. So yes, what the heck is going on? I’ll just say that everything that’s happening is utterly inconceivable, but completely real, completely in character, and completely in continuity.

Greg Pak and Mike McKone's run on Astonishing X-Men kicks off in November, with issue #44.

i dunno... this new X-Men: First Class poster is all kinds of awesome, but it looks vaguely familiar...

Am I crazy, or do you see it too?