This week sees the release of X-Men: The Hellfire Vigil, an all-hands-on-deck jam that sees the various factions of the mutant diaspora reunite to remember the island they all used to live on.
Given the number of From the Ashes titles we’ve seen ended in the runup to the Vigil (NYX, X-Force, X-Factor) and the number of minis that have long since wrapped (Dazzler, Mystique, Sentinels, Cable: Love & Chrome, etc.), we’re likely due for some new-title announcements spinning out of the Vigil.
We at ComicsXF have our own wishlist of books we’d like to see, so before everyone gets sad thinking about the Green Lagoon, Arbor Magna, the Quiet Council chambers and all the other Krakoan places that aren’t there anymore except in Marvel Rivals, we present our fantasy picks for the next season of X-Men comics.
All-New, All-Different Archangel: Buzz Kill
Picking up where he left off at the end of X-Factor, follow a post-surgery Warren Kenneth Worthington III as he attempts to restart X-Corp and learns the truth at the core of every Mark Russell comic: Capitalism makes people sad. Also he can turn into a Beyblade buzzsaw now, so every fight scene will look like it involves Metal Sonic. Does he fight a newly reborn AI Cameron Hodge? Of course he does. And does this open the door for the return of an AI Candy Southern? WE CAN DREAM!
Colossus: Reign of the Metal Men
Colossus is dead. I mean, we didn’t see him die at the end of X-Force or anything, but just go with it. In his place appear four new Colossuses. Colossi? Whatever. Behold: Cyborg-lossus (who is actually just a T-O virus construct)! Kid Colossus (who is Piotr’s long-lost son born of a Savage Land three-way)! That version of Colossus with a knife for a hand from the end of X-Force (Zanda from Jack Kirby’s Black Panther got stuck that way)! And Mikhail Rasputin disguised as his brother! It’s up to Piotr’s two best girlfriends, Callisto and Domino, to team up, expose the impostors and find their missing Peter.
Jubilee: The Search for Shogo
Ol’ Jubez hasn’t had much to do in the current volume of Uncanny X-Men, but we know she misses her adopted son, Shogo, currently a dragon in Otherworld. So why not send her on a quest to A) find a way back to Otherworld in the absence of Krakoan gates and B) figure out how to bring her son home? And who better to tag along than Saturnyne’s favorite Captain Britain, Betsy Braddock, and her partner Askani, both of whom are available after the cancellation of X-Force. Stay tuned for the stealth X-Terminators reunion in issue #3!
King Killmonger
Rising from the pages of the Killmonger mini from a few years ago, the OG Killmonger had a fling with a “low-level” mutant. Turns out that mutant got pregnant and, wanting to hide her child from a world that hates and fears her people — all of her people — she hides the newborn in The World, hoping he would be raised without hate. Years later, aged up and released from The World right before the third Hellfire Gala, he finds his parents long gone and his adopted home ripped from him just as he discovered it. Now, alone in the (lowercase W) world, he seeks the comfort of some place — any place — to call his own. Will Atlanta accept him? Will Wakanda welcome him? Or will he set fire to our world to finally feel its warmth?
Mutant Tumor X: From the Trash to the Throne
At the end of X-Manhunt, Xavier underwent emergency brain surgery in which his Avian(?) Mutant Brain Tumor was removed by space brain surgeon Lilandra Neramani. Since after he died in Avengers vs. X-Men, we saw Xavier’s soul in heaven, his brain in Red Skull and his psyche on the Astral Plane, one has to assume this mutant tumor, which has the power to make security guards (and maybe full cities? unclear) go postal on their beloved families, will be snatched up by a villain and put to murderous intent. Behold the struggle as Danger, Cassandra Nova and Cluster race to obtain the tumor and wield (or destroy) its heinous power. No matter who wins, the X-Men LOSE!
Nightcrawlers
A “Sins of Sinister” miniseries already used this title, but every good retooling needs a newer version of an older book that has absolutely nothing to do with the original. If we can have a book that’s all Wolverines, we can have a book that’s all Nightcrawlers! This one features more fuzzy elves than a Will Ferrell Christmas movie, including regular Earth-616 Kurt, Age of Apocalypse Kurt, Kid Nightcrawler aka Kurt Waggoner from Earth-24135, Nightcrawler’s alt-reality daughter Nocturne, a Bamf!, dragon Kurt from the Battleworld Inferno, and Dino Kurt from Excalibur. Most of them have swords, and none of them are priests. Sure, some of these Kurts are currently dead, but that’s not an obstacle when time and dimension-hopping shenanigans are involved, and such shenanigans cling to Kurts like brimstone to wet fur. Prepare to laugh, cry and BAMF your way across the multiverse, with more swashbuckling than you can shake a tail at!
The Adventures of Ground Bear and Moonbeam
Look, those ridiculous Uncanny nicknames had to come from somewhere. In the tradition of over-explaining literally everything in comics ever, meet Ground Bear and Moonbeam, a pair of mutant siblings from New Orleans in … I dunno, 1890? See how they’re basically just Wolverine and Rogue, except younger and with Gambit’s accent. See them fight a long-lived X-Men villain, like Mister Sinister, because it’s always Mister Sinister. And let’s see some loving shots of amazing New Orleans food, because that’s the best thing about setting a series in Louisiana.
The Green Lagoon
With the NYX community reeling from the disappearance of Kamala Khan, Anole decides to open a safe space/nightclub tiki bar called the Green Lagoon. Get ready to honor Krakoa without it actually being Krakoa. Featuring every character readers have been asking about but haven’t seen yet because Marvel editorial doesn’t “get” them (Infinity Comic appearances don’t count). You may only see them for a panel, but that means they were on page, dangit! You get five issues of this, tops. Enjoy.
The Secret Lives of the Secret Girlfriends of Charles Xavier
Every new issue of this senses-shattering series features a brand-new revelation involving (you guessed it!) another secret paramour of one Charles Francis Xavier. Each issue alters the entire history of the X-Men as we know it, and adds oodles of pathos and hubris to the ever-expanding backstory of a man whose backstory is already dripping with both. With new characters galore and the highest of high-stakes retconning, every page of this groundbreaking ongoing series will keep X-fans on the edge of their seats wondering how many secret girlfriends could one man possibly have? How old is Charles Xavier, anyway? Does the fact that absolutely all of these relationships end in betrayal start to reflect poorly on Charles at some point? As an added bonus: Each issue is a new #1 and comes pre-slabbed and CGC graded so you can’t actually read it.
Wolverine: Origin’s Original Origins
Oh, you thought you actually knew the origin of Wolverine? Well, guess what, true believer? There is an even grander origin story that leads to that origin story, so buckle up! Building off the recent reveal that Wolverine’s mom is still alive, this mini will delve deep into the backstory that Wolverine thought was the real one — only to realize the depths of betrayal that make him who he is. What is the mysterious RETRON organization, and why will it make Department H’s Weapon Plus program seem like a dream?
X-Divorce: Guthrie vs. Kane (Narrated by Roberto DaCosta)
When he’s not accepting long-distance phone calls from his cousin Ransom, Roberto DaCosta is using all of his resources to one end: splitting up his best bud’s marriage. And after years of working behind the scenes, it’s finally happened. Sam Guthrie and Izzy Kane are headed to Shi’ar Imperial Guard divorce court, and it’s about to get ugly. Will Sam and Izzy realize Bobby’s schemes before they have to share interspace custody of little Josiah? Or will Roberto finally get his wish to restore the bromance that fills him with more power than the sun? Only the M’Kraan Crystal knows for sure!
Generation X
No joke here. And I don’t mean the Astonishing X-Men Marvel Unlimited Infinity Comic, because it only includes three of the core eight characters. Each incarnation of X-Factor has had a reunion book. X-Statix has had a reunion book. The original X-Force has had one. The New Mutants have had multiple. The closest Gen X has gotten is two issues at the end of the Christina Strain run.
Give. Us. A. Generation. X. Reunion. Series. That is all.
Buy X-Men: The Hellfire Vigil here. Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate, ComicsXF may earn from qualifying purchases.
Dan Grote is the editor and publisher 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 Paul Winston Wisdom. Follow him @danielpgrote.bsky.social.
Adam Reck is the cartoonist behind Bish & Jubez as well as the co-host of Battle Of The Atom. Follow him @adamreck.bsky.social.
Anna Peppard
Anna is a Ph.D.-haver who writes and talks a lot about representations of gender and sexuality in pop culture, for academic books and journals and places like Shelfdust, The Middle Spaces and The Walrus. She’s the editor of the award-winning anthology Supersex: Sexuality, Fantasy, and the Superhero and co-hosted the podcasts Three Panel Contrast and Oh Gosh, Oh Golly, Oh Wow! Follow her @annapeppard.bsky.social.
Tony Thornley is a geek dad, blogger, Spider-Man and Superman aficionado, X-Men guru, autism daddy, amateur novelist and all around awesome guy. He’s also very humble. Follow him @brawl2099.bsky.social.
Austin Gorton also reviews older issues of X-Men at the Real Gentlemen of Leisure website, co-hosts the A Very Special episode podcast, and likes Star Wars. He lives outside Minneapolis, where sometimes, it is not cold. Follow him @austingorton.bsky.social.
Matt Lazorwitz read his first comic at the age of 5. It was Who's Who in the DC Universe #2, featuring characters whose names begin with B, which explains so much about his Batman obsession. He writes about comics he loves, and co-hosts the podcasts BatChat with Matt & Will and The ComicsXF Interview Podcast.
Jake Murray spends far too much time wondering if the New Mutants are OK. When he's not doing that, he can be found talking and writing about comics with anyone who will listen. Follow him @stealthisplanet.bsky.social.
A proud New Orleanian living in the District of Columbia, Jude Jones is a professional thinker, amateur photographer, burgeoning runner and lover of Black culture, love and life. Magneto and Cyclops (and Killmonger) were right. Learn more about Jude at SaintJudeJones.com.
