Marvel Comics event Fall of X is coming, and as the X-Men brace themselves for the dark road ahead, they'll also find strength in mutantkind's unexpected new ally: Iron Man.
Writer Gerry Duggan, who is currently in charge of both the X-Men and Invincible Iron Man ongoing titles, will weave together and feature essential stories in both titles that promise to impact the X-Men's upcoming status quo.
Things have already been set in motion as Feilong, the mutant-hating industrialist from Duggan's X-Men, is now in control of Stark Unlimited's incredible resources and plans to use them in Orchis' vicious war against mutants. As events escalate, will Tony step up to become one mutantkind's greatest defenders? Or will he join them in the bleak world that awaits them?
Following their soon-to-be-shocking debut in Free Comic Book Day 2023: Avengers/X-Men #1, the new Stark Sentinels will have their first run-in with the X-Men in issue #23. Feilong has devoted Iron Man's technology to build the next generation of Sentinels, and these upgraded versions are as hard to beat as Iron Man himself and fully devoted to crushing the X-Men.
Then, in Invincible Iron Man #7, Tony Stark is in dire need of a win! But how does he plan to get ahead? By building a new suit of armor! The suit's first objective? Infiltrate and destroy Stark Industries.
In issue #8, Iron Man has to contend with the new Stark Sentinels flying through New York, but can Tony stop these mutant-hunting machines alone?
The design of these Stark Sentinels is fantastic, and we can't help but wonder whether they'll eventually appear in the MCU. After all, with the Department of Damage Control already making use of Tony's drones following the Armored Avenger's death, the logical next step would be a villain utilising his technology to create mutant-hunting robots in the eventual X-Men reboot.
Check out cover art below by Joshua Cassara and Kael Ngu.