Film guide · 2006

X-Men: The Last StandComplete Guide

The parts that are hard to follow from the film alone, explained with a story summary, a character map and key terms.

Released
2006
Runtime
104 min
Set in
Alternate universe (Fox)

Good to know before watchingNo spoilers

It follows X2

It picks up from Jean's sacrifice at Alkali Lake.

The trilogy finale

It ends the original trilogy that began with X-Men (2000).

New faces

Beast, the winged Angel and the phasing Kitty all play big parts.

Stay through the credits

There's a short scene at the very end.

Character mapSpoilers

Who's who in X-Men: The Last Stand (2006), with Logan at the center. The X-Men are on the left, students at the top, Magneto's side on the right, and the people tied to the cure below.

Because of copyright, we can't use stills, posters or any other images of the characters as they appear in the film. All face photos are freely licensed photos of the actors themselves (non-human characters are original illustrations made for this site; people without a photo are shown with initials).

Drag to move, pinch (or scroll on a computer) to zoom. Tap a person to read about them.

All characters

About the images

Face photos are freely licensed photos of the actors from Wikimedia Commons, cropped to a square and resized. Non-human characters are original illustrations made for this site, and people without a photo are shown with a placeholder (initials).

StorySpoilers

Read the story (spoilers up to the ending)

1. The cure is announced

A big company unveils a drug that removes mutant powers, offered to anyone who wants it.

2. Jean returns

At Alkali Lake, Scott finds Jean, who was thought dead.

3. Magneto's army

Magneto sees the cure as a weapon and rallies mutants for war.

4. A painful loss

Jean's power spirals out of control, and the X-Men lose someone dear.

5. Battle of Alcatraz

The X-Men face Magneto's army at the island lab.

Read the detailed scene-by-scene story

Key terms

The cure
A drug that removes mutant powers, made from one boy's DNA.
The Phoenix
An immensely powerful and dangerous force locked deep inside Jean's mind.
The Brotherhood
Magneto's army of mutants.
Alcatraz
The island in San Francisco Bay housing the cure lab, and the site of the final battle.
The Danger Room
The training room beneath the school where the X-Men practice combat.

Confusing parts, explainedSpoilers

Contains spoilers about the ending.

Why does Jean act like a different person?

Professor X had locked away an overwhelming force inside her, the Phoenix. Alkali Lake broke that lock.

Where did the cure come from?

From a boy, Leech, whose power cancels the powers of mutants near him. He was kept in the lab.

Why does Rogue take the cure?

Her touch drains people, so she can't even touch Bobby. She chooses it so she can live a normal life.

What does the final chess scene mean?

Magneto, stripped of his powers by the cure, makes a metal chess piece twitch, hinting the cure may not be permanent.

Easy-to-miss details

Twenty years earlier

The film opens with a younger Professor X and Magneto visiting young Jean together, back when they were friends.

The Golden Gate Bridge

Magneto rips the Golden Gate Bridge loose and uses it as a road to the island.

Kitty vs. Juggernaut

Kitty, who phases through walls, races the unstoppable Juggernaut in a highlight of the final battle.

The ending and post-creditsSpoilers

After the end credits

Post-credits: Professor X, believed dead, wakes up in another person's body.

What to watch next

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