Marvel Comics have announced “X-Men ’92: House of XCII,” a five-issue series by writer Steve Foxe and artist Salva Espin, that asks the question: what if the X-Men, and their fellow mutants, resettled on the island of Krakoa in the early 1990s? (The “XCII” is Latin for “92.”) Per the synopsis, “Mutantkind is taking a huge leap forward by founding their own nation on the island of Krakoa, guided by Professor X, Magneto, and a mysterious long-lived woman who knows more than she should… But this won’t be the story you know. Expect the unexpected as the action, secrets, and high stakes drama that made ‘House of X’ such a masterpiece are shaken up in a totally new way!”
Foxe (“Spider-Ham,” “Rainbow Bridge”), who makes his X-Men debut with the title, said, “Getting the opportunity to pay tribute to such an important era in mutant history 30 years later — and to remix the franchise-redefining work currently being done by creators like Jonathan Hickman, Tini Howard, and Gerry Duggan — is the definition of a ‘dream gig,’ especially with some of the WILD deviations we’re taking from the source material. If I died tomorrow, I’d be happy… but please resurrect me ASAP on Krakoa.”
Espin, whose credits include “Deadpool,” talked in the press release about growing up with Jim Lee’s 1991-92 “X-Men” run, and X-Men: The Animated Series, in Spain in the 1990s. “Those comics and that TV series made my imagination fly,” he said, “and very soon I began to make illustrations and mini-comics as a fan that I shared with my schoolmates. These were the first drawings that encouraged me to pursue the dream of becoming a comic artist. With this book, we intend to pay tribute to that powerful era that was the ’90s. The moment when super heroes looked better than ever with colorful tight-fitting spandex.”
Previous “X-Men ’92” titles from Marvel Comics took place in the continuity of the animated series. While this series presumably branches off from regular Marvel continuity in 1992, it comes on the heels of the announcement of the revival on Disney+, and coincides with the 30th anniversary of the show (which premiered October 31, 1992), as well as the 30th anniversary of Jim Lee’s run (which heavily informed the cartoon’s character designs.)
“X-Men ’92: House of XCII” #1 will be released online and in comic book stores on April 6.
