It wasn’t that long ago that Mystique yelled “I want my wife back!” in 2020’s X-Men #6, making text what students of Chris Claremont knew to be true for far longer, that Raven Darkholme and Irene Adler were a queer couple whose love dated back decades.
(Around that same time, they also kissed on panel in Mark Waid and Javier Rodriguez’s History of the Marvel Universe.)
And it was only last year that Marvel published a story in which it was finally made text that Mystique and Destiny were Nightcrawler’s parents, another thing Claremont always intended.
Now, Marvel, which once had a blanket ban on LGBTQ superheroes, can point to them and claim, “See? We were always this gay,” presenting their wedding-in-flashback and vow renewal as the centerpiece of this year’s Marvel’s Voices Pride anthology, celebrating, as the press release says, “one of the most beloved and longest-lasting queer couples in comic book history.”
Out May 29, just before the start of Pride Month, X-Men: The Wedding Special #1 will further examine Mystique and Destiny’s love in a series of stories told by Kieron Gillen, Rachael Stott, Tini Howard, Tate Brombal, Stephen Byrne, Jenn St. Onge and more, starring Betsy Braddock, Rachel Summers, Wolverine, Rogue, Gambit, Emma Frost and more of your favorite mutants.
Check out a preview below, and keep scrolling for Marvel’s press release.
Marvel’s merry mutants take center stage in this year’s Marvel’s Voices: Pride one-shot! Titled X-MEN: THE WEDDING SPECIAL #1, this annual anthology celebrates Pride Month with stories crafted by incredible LGBTQIA+ talent and hits stands on May 29. Today, fans can preview the drama, action, and romance that awaits in a special preview of each of the five stories!
Join the X-Men as they come together to honor one of the most beloved and longest-lasting queer couples in comic book history—Mystique and Destiny! This landmark comic book special marks Marvel Comics’ first woman-to-woman wedding, and with a pair as complex as these two, you know there will be plenty of drama, secrets, and surprises!
From the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants to the Quiet Council, Mystique and Destiny have been steering the fate of mutantkind for decades. The Krakoan Age saw the long-awaited resurrection of Destiny, and after pivotal roles in the era’s biggest storylines, their love has never been more prominent. Before Krakoa comes to an end, fans and characters alike will celebrate the iconic pair by witnessing the renewal of their marriage vows!
X-MEN: THE WEDDING SPECIAL’s spectacular main story will be written by X-Men mastermind Kieron Gillen, who’s penned some of the couple’s recent adventures in Immortal X-Men, and drawn by acclaimed artist Rachael Stott (Star Wars: Doctor Aphra, Fantastic Four). In addition to new insights into Raven Darkholme and Irene Adler’s breathtaking 100-year romance, fans will get a glimpse at their original and never-before-told wedding and discover the pair’s secret motivations for hosting the event.
In the same tradition as the iconic Hellfire Gala and classic Marvel wedding issues like Fantastic Four Annual #3 and X-Men #30, X-MEN: THE WEDDING SPECIAL #1 will be a wedding extravaganza with multiple stories all centered around a single night that will go down in mutant history!
Here are the other tales fans can look forward to:
- A Betsy Braddock and Rachel Summers adventure by the writer who brought them together—Excalibur scribe Tini Howard! Joined by rising star Phillip Sevy, Howard pits the hot new couple against the Omniversal Majestrix, Opal Luna Saturnyne! Just about everyone in the Marvel Universe is invited to the vow renewal…except for Saturnyne. And she’s not happy. But why is she taking it out on Betsy and Rachel?
- Writer Tate Brombal (House of Slaughter) and artist Emilio Pilliu (Zeroventi) make their Marvel Comics debut with a touching and action-packed story starring Wolverine! Logan has a long—and bloody—history with Mystique and tasks Anole, Pixie, Indra, and Bling! with finding her the perfect gift. On a whirlwind journey that takes them from the Savage Land to Limbo, they’ll learn a valuable lesson about the importance of queer representation.
- It’s her mothers’ big day, and Rogue has entrusted their favorite son-in-law with their wedding bands. But can Gambit stay out of trouble long enough to deliver them? Find out in this story about one of mutantkind’s most complicated families by two Marvel Comics newcomers, writer Wyatt Kennedy (Marvel’s Voices Infinity Comic) and artist Jenn St. Onge (The Strange Case of Harleen & Harley).
- Mystique and Destiny receive some pre-marriage psychic counseling courtesy of Emma Frost! See how the inspiring love of two former villains holds up against a telepathic onslaught of hard truths in this twisty tale by writer Yoon Ha Lee (Ninefox Gambit, Machineries of Empire) in his exciting Marvel Comics debut alongside acclaimed artist Stephen Byrne!
Check out all four stunning covers along with new preview art and preorder X-MEN: THE WEDDING SPECIAL #1 at your local comic shop today! For more information, visit Marvel.com.
Buy X-Men: The Wedding Special here. (Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate, ComicsXF may earn from qualifying purchases.)
Dan Grote is the editor-in-chief of ComicsXF, having won the site by ritual combat. By day, he’s a newspaper editor, and by night, he’s … also an editor. He co-hosts The ComicsXF Interview Podcast with Matt Lazorwitz. He lives in New Jersey with his wife, two kids and two miniature dachshunds, and his third, fictional son, Peter Winston Wisdom.
