Emergency Mutantversity: Dawn of X

Attention humanity! I now call this emergency session of Mutantversity to order! We’ve known for a long time that Jonathan Hickman was going to relaunch the X-line through his two books, “House of X” and “Powers of X,” but now we know what comes after that. Welcome to the Dawn of X! Hope you survive- sorry, that’s just reflex at this point. We are very excited about this confident new identity to the mutant side of the Marvel universe. Hopefully, it’ll stick around and be as big a deal as we’re being told it is. In this calm before the storm, let’s take stock in the upcoming new series, and engage in some wild speculation.

X-Men
Release date: October, 2019
Creative Team: Written by Jonathan Hickman and illustrated by Lenil Francis Yu. If you’re following X-Men, you should know who Hickman is by now, but a quick recap- he’s a returning Marvel writer who wrote incredibly dense but critically acclaimed runs about the Fantastic Four, the Ultimates, the Agents of SHIELD, and the Avengers. He is now the grand architect of all things “X-Men.” Lenil Yu is a stalwart Marvel regular who worked with Hickman in the past on his Avengers run.
Character lineup: Seemingly the whole Summers family plus Wolverine- Cyclops, Jean Grey, Rachel Grey, Kid Cable, Havok, Corsair, and… Vulcan!?
What we know: Hickman has said: “The reason we hired a bunch of different writers is because they’d have a bunch of different favorite characters. My only rule for what we’re doing with the vast majority of the X-Stuff…is there’s no real need to create new characters when you have hundreds that really aren’t being serviced in a way that makes everybody happy.”
Wild Speculation: Although he hasn’t stated it outright, it seems likely that this is going to be the wide, sweeping series that Hickman fans have grown accustomed to. I wouldn’t be surprised if the Summers family story was just one of many, and that every arc this series reinvented itself with a new cast. Then at the end, we’ll look back and see that there was a plan all along, and that the series will re-reads way better.

Marauders
Release date: October, 2019
Creative Team: Written by Gerry Duggan and illustrated by Matteo Lolli. Duggan has been writing Marvel books for years, and though he’s best known for his funny work (such as in “Deadpool”), he’s also done some great straight-up superhero adventure in “Nova,” “Hulk,” and “Guardians of the Galaxy.” Lolli has followed a similar track, best known for drawing funny books like “Despicable Deadpool” and “Asgardians of the Galaxy,” but one look at his art proves that he’s perfect for this series.
Character lineup: Captain Kate Pryde, Emma Frost, Lockheed the Dragon, Iceman, Storm, Bishop, and Pyro. They are all pirates.
What we know: They are all pirates! Like, on a ship and stuff. Kitty (sorry, Kate) is the captain, Emma is the money, and everyone else is the barnacly crew. Yar!
Wild Speculation: For the last few years, Kitty has taken on a lot of responsibility. But the truth is that she’s a messy bitch who loves drama. And look at her on that cover! That scarf! Those blades! The black eye! This looks like your classical superhero vigilante book, only on a boat! I’m sure the animosity between Kitty and Emma will be at the heart of the series, not to mention her lovely but often fraught friendship with Iceman. And Pyro has been back sine ‘Necrosha,’ but hasn’t had a whole lot to do. I’d put money on this being a major play for being a roguish anti-hero. But what’s his relationship with Iceman gonna look like? Those two mostly are famous for being roommates in the second X-Men movie. Might there be a significant comics relationship in their future?

Excalibur
Release date: October, 2019
Creative Team: Written by Tini Howard and illustrated by Marcus To. Howard has been killing it on all sorts of books, including “Belit: Pirate Queen of the Black Coast.” Marcus To has been drawing X-books for a little while now including “X-Men Blue” and “NextGen.” The latter especially had a lot of personality, sharing DNA with the art of Chris Bachalo and Frank Quietly. Maybe this is the series that will launch To into the ranks of those luminaries.
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Character lineup: Captain Britain aka Betsy Braddock, Rogue, Gambit, Jubilee, Rictor, and… Apocalypse!?
What we know: Betsy Braddock is back in something resembling her original body, and she’s the new Captain Britain. In Marvel, the British Isles are one of the most magically potent locations in the galaxy, and the Captain Britain Corp are the magical defenders of the Multiverse. This book is confirmed to be about magic and mysticism, and will definitely be a dramatic new direction for the hero formally known as Psylocke.
Wild Speculation: Apocalypse loves to bone down! Do the math people. In the Age of X-Man, he became a radical pro-love hippie. Then we saw him getting frisky with a woman who looks a lot like Moira MacTaggert. He’s on this team with Mr. and Mrs. X themselves, Rogue and Gambit. Plus there’s Rictor, one of Marvel’s first gay superheroes, who writer Tini Howard reportedly ships with his on again off again boyfriend Shatterstar. Then there’s Betsy herself who, hot off of Age of “X-Man,” is still figuring out her relationship with the Blob. (That’s right Blob! I love them!). And finally there’s Jubilee who since becoming a single mom, hasn’t had that much time to date. This book’ll have magic, alternate dimensions, and lots and lots of steamy sex!

New Mutants
Release date: November, 2019
Creative Team: The first arc will be written by Jonathan Hickman and illustrated by Rod Reis. Then Ed Brisson is fully taking over writing duties. Hickman as discussed earlier is very exciting and in charge of this whole venture. Rod Reis is not related to the Attack on Titan villain of the same name, and is instead a very talented artist who can vacillate between a house style and trippy weirdness with ease. Brisson is a real solid Marvel writer who seems to have a hunger to write X-Men books, and that attitude has me pretty excited.
Character lineup: Mirage, Karma, Sunspot, Wolfsbane, Magik, Cypher with a Warlock arm, Chamber and Mondo!
What we know: Many of these characters are dead! So the first arc will probably have to address the resurrection of Sunspot, Wolfsbane and Chamber, not to mention why Magik is still not a raging demon, and how Cypher found himself in his present circumstances. We also know that the team is joining up with the Starjammers in the first Hickman-penned arc. And we know that among the current X-writers, the New Mutants and Generation X are beloved, and everyone wants to see them pop.
Wild Speculation: The dead characters are totally gonna come back before this series, giving them room to go right into the space adventures. Mirage was pushed in a big way in the last X-Men run, so hopefully she’ll finally be able to assert her place as a mutant leader on the same level as Cyclops, Wolverine, and Magneto. Cypher is a much maligned character who’s ready for the big time, and hey, robo-arms work for Cable and Winter Soldier. And maybe we’ll let Cannonball retire. He’s got a wife and kid now. Good for him.

I got no idea what to make of freaking Mondo joining the team.

Fallen Angels
Release date: November, 2019
Creative Team: Written by Bryan Edward Hill and illustrated by Szymon Kudranski. Hill has been doing some good DC work with “Batman and the Outsiders” and he wrote the acclaimed “Killmonger” miniseries. Kudranski has a tendency to take gritty 90s properties like “Spawn” and “Punisher” and give them a nextgen digital sheen.
Character lineup: Psylocke (now Kwannon), Kid Cable, and X-23.
What we know: The original “Fallen Angels” was a cult classic miniseries from 1987 featuring the New Mutants and also Vanisher and Boom Boom and Devil Dinosaur and a Lobster named Bill. So far this series looks to mainly be a push for Kwannon, the woman who was forced to bodyswap with Betsy Braddock. Now in her original body, Kwannon is taking on the name Psylocke and is being given a starring role!
Wild Speculation: The original “Fallen Angels” had such a weird cast and was so interplanetary, it would be a shame if this new series didn’t follow suit. I’d guess we’re starting with these characters, but there are plenty more to come, and that the action will take us far from Earth. I wouldn’t be surprised to see some of the Academy X kids eventually join up in this book (what’s Mercury up to? Or Bling!? Or hell, give me some more Glob Herman). I would bet quite a bit that we will be seeing Bill the Lobster.

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X-Force
Release date: November, 2019
Creative Team: Written by Benjamin Percy and illustrated by Joshua Cassara. Percy has mostly done work for DC, but his “Teen Titans,” “Green Arrow,” and “Nightwing” work all stands pretty strong. Cassara recently drew the excellent “Star Wars: Tie Fighter” series. Their combined talents are untested and may be the alchemy that makes this one of the greats.

Character lineup: Beast, Jean Grey, Sage, Wolverine, Quentin Quire, Domino, Colossus… and Black Tom Cassidy!?
What we know: Instead of being a gritty assassins book, this is going to be the story of the X-Men setting up a real and lasting intelligence network that can stand alongside (or against) the CIA. Beast, Jean, and Sage are in charge of intelligence. Wolverine, Quentin, and Domino are here to do wetwork.
Wild Speculation: Jean and Beast have historically been opposed to this sort of black ops thing, so putting them on the team is a big signal that this book intends to really consider questions of security. Quentin has never been on a high stakes team like this, so expect to see him either step up or crumble in a big way. Colossus doesn’t have an announced role on the team, but after his high profile breakup with Kitty, maybe he’s thinking about crawling back to his other ex, Domino? I could be here for that. This is also the most high profile Sage has found herself in the last 20 or so years, and she’s got a great skill set for intelligence work. Don’t know what to make of Black Tom’s presence, but I’m gonna guess that he’s not a member of the team. Maybe he’s more of a slippery criminal informant?

And now, some miscellaneous predictions from the Multiversity team:
Elias Rosner:

Xavier returns and eats Red Skull’s brain while Emma Frost sneaks around with her new organization!
Also Glob becomes a cult leader of a gang of street urchins!

Christopher Chiu-Tabet:

Faiza Hussain, wielder of the Sword Excalibur, meets the team Excalibur!
Brian Braddock isn’t gonna die, he’s just gonna become a stay-at-home dad.

Greg Ellner:

You call a book Fallen Angels, you’d best have a role for Warren Worthington III.

Jake Hill:

The Changelings from Peter David’s “X-Factor” will return in Excalibur!
We’ll finally learn what Eden Fesi’s whole deal is.
Beast goes back to his prison beard look from “Age of X-Man” because he can get it.
The Marauders have to steal the Siege Perilous!

Brian Salvatore:

Maggot!!
I have a sneaking suspicion that this is going to be Hickman’s Marvel swan song, and so while this may start as an X-book, I think this is going to be the start of a huge, overarching Marvel event. And, if you look to the big three areas of Hickman’s Marvel work, there is one character that has been on the periphery of all three, and that is who I think will be the linchpin of that huge event: Namor.

Matthew Meylikhov: