The Avengers are out of the picture, so the X-Men are stepping up. Marvel Comics is getting ready to launch Maximum X-Men, a new ongoing series from writer Christopher Yost and artist Tony S. Daniel that turns a team of mutants into Earth's new Mightiest Heroes.
The first issue goes on sale in comic shops on December 2, and Marvel has been rolling out a closer look at the team ahead of launch.
Earth's Mightiest Mutants
The series spins directly out of Avengers: Armageddon, which leaves Earth's Mightiest Heroes broken up and a world that has turned against them. With the Avengers taking time to regroup, Storm uses her experience as an Avenger to put together an elite team of mutants who can handle the threats no single hero can.
The lineup is a fun mix of X-Men regulars and mutants with Avengers history. Alongside Storm, the team includes Wolverine, Colossus, Bishop, Iceman, Psylocke, Firestar and Justice. Firestar and Justice are especially interesting picks, since both are best known for their time with the Avengers and the New Warriors.
Their first mission is about as big as it gets. The Annihilation Wave arrives on Earth in a full-scale invasion from the Negative Zone, and Marvel has teased the return of Annihilus, though the official description also wonders if this could be something even worse. Issue #2 follows on January 13, 2027, and takes the Negative Zone attack to Atlanta.
What The Creators Said
Yost is no stranger to the X-Men, having written several X-books in the 2010s, and he described this series as a love letter to the classic era.
"Maximum X-Men is everything I love about comics rolled into one. It's underdog heroes saving the world from the biggest Avengers-level threats imaginable, it's mind-breaking action and drama and everything people expect from X-Men, all with a classic Claremont vibe," Yost said when the book was announced at San Diego Comic-Con.
Daniel, who recently returned to mutant comics on Jed MacKay's X-Men, said the X-Men have been his favorite characters since he discovered Giant-Size X-Men #1 in the fourth grade.
"I'm already in love with the story in the first issue. Its vibe and energy reminds me so much of the kind of X-Men stories I loved as a child and I can't wait for the audience to see what we have in store," he said.
Where It Fits In Marvel's New Era
Maximum X-Men is one of the books leading Marvel's post-Armageddon line, alongside Chip Zdarsky and Marco Checchetto's new Avengers run, which will deal with the team trying to pick up the pieces. If you have been keeping up with the event, Avengers: Armageddon #5 teased a dark future and two major returns, so the stage is set for a very different Marvel Universe.
The first issue will feature a main cover by Daniel along with variants from Simone Di Meo, Ivan Talavera, Chris Samnee, Ken Lashley and David Nakayama. Fans can pre-order at their local comic shop or pick it up digitally, and print copies include a code to redeem a digital version on the Marvel Unlimited app.
The timing also works well for mutants on the big screen. Marvel Studios is building toward its own X-Men reboot, and while the comic and the MCU are separate, it is a great moment for the X-Men to take center stage. You can catch up on the latest about the status of the MCU X-Men script here.
Are you planning to pick up Maximum X-Men #1, and what do you think of Storm's new lineup?
Sound off with your thoughts in the comments below.