Marvel is bringing back its band of merry mutants in X-Men: From the Ashes starting this July 2024, testing out new rosters and storylines for comic books as the mutants deal with the aftermath of the fall of their island nation, Krakoa.
Coming hot on the heels of the acclaimed run of X-Men ‘97, this new era of X-Men in the comics may also inspire future appearances, especially since a second season of the animated series and plans for a big-screen MCU debut are both in the works.
In X-Men, Cyclops leads Beast, Magneto, Psylocke, Kid Omega, Temper, Magik, and Juggernaut from their new base in Alaska to identify and combat new threats to mutantkind. From New Orleans, mutant renegades Rogue, Wolverine, Nightcrawler, Gambit, and Jubilee team up in Uncanny X-Men, reminiscent of the classic Blue Team, and Kate Pryde and Emma Frost become mentors to a new generation of mutant heroes in Exceptional X-Men.
Still under the From the Ashes banner, Marvel Comics is also bringing back fan-favorite mutant teams X-Force (Forge, Rachel Summers, Betsy Braddock, Sage, Surge, and Tank), NYX (Ms. Marvel, X-23, Anole, Prodigy, and Sophie Cuckoo), and X-Factor (Angel, Havok, Pyro, Feral, and Frenzy).
Interestingly, X-Men writer Jed MacKay revealed that the roster was chosen not purely based on the story, but also on their visual chemistry. “Ryan (Stegman, X-Men artist) …pointed out all these characters have the same silhouette, all these characters move the same way,” he shared in an interview. “That really opened up a conversation for what I think is a much more interesting and dynamic lineup.”
MacKay further adds: “It's a mix of characters with hopefully a wide appeal to readers and retailers, as well as characters that are perhaps less served recently that could use more spotlight, more exposure to hopefully develop into the point where they are also the kind of characters you think of when you think of the X-Men.”
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On top of the visually dynamic team rosters, Marvel Comics is also launching the newest solo series of Phoenix, Wolverine (who will make his MCU debut in Deadpool and Wolverine in July), Dazzler (who is rumored to make an appearance in the movie), and Storm. Aside from a solo outing, the Omega-level mutant is also set to join The Avengers in the comics, recruited by Earth’s mightiest heroes in their battle against Kang the Conqueror.
While waiting for more X-Men news, all episodes of X-Men ‘97 season 1 are now available on Disney+.