The X-Men haven’t had a school in seven years, since late 2018’s “Disassembled” story. Sure, there’s been plenty of teaching the next generation of mutants – in the “Age of X-Man” series NextGen, in the Sextant on Krakoa, at Haven House in Louisiana and in Kitty’s abandoned dance studio in Chicago. But the Xavier School itself is long gone, converted to an extrajudicial prison for a podcaster with a mad-on for mutants.
Until now.
Marvel on Thursday announced X-Men United, a new series coming in March from Exceptional X-Men writer Eve Ewing and artist Tiago Palma that will focus on mutant education at Graymatter Lane, a school of the mind that will draw in characters from across the Krakoan diaspora, led by Ms. “One more time then, for the children” herself, Emma Frost.
Does this mean we’ll see the Outliers and the Exceptional kids together in one book, or an evolution of the mutant outreach center created at the end of NYX, or a place for the adult mutants created by 3K to learn to use their powers? Or some combination of all of the above?
As the saying goes, you’ll have to read to find out. In the meantime, check out cover art from Stefano Caselli, and keep scrolling for Marvel’s press release.
And for more on the upcoming “Shadows of Tomorrow” X-Men books, click here.
This March, the X-Men come together to build a new way for mutantkind to thrive in X-MEN UNITED! The previously-teased series, part of the line’s upcoming Shadows of Tomorrow era, will be by written by Eve L. Ewing, following her acclaimed work on Exceptional X-Men, and drawn by Tiago Palma, the rising star who made his Marvel Comics debut earlier this year in New Avengers.
The ambitious series unites the entire X-tapestry—from different generations, factions, and eras—under one, eXciting initiative, turning the classic concept of a school for mutants on its head with the introduction of Graymatter Lane! Founded by Emma Frost and with faculty including Wolverine, Magneto, Beast, Rogue and Storm and guest instructors from throughout the Marvel Universe, Graymatter Lane is more than simply an academy—it’s the central hub for mutant interaction across the world and beyond! This venture represents a bold undertaking that requires all hands on deck, but not all of the X-Men are ready to embrace the idea of another mutant institute for higher learning!
WELCOME TO GRAYMATTER LANE… LEARN TO SURVIVE THE EXPERIENCE!
“Build a school,” Charles Xavier told them, and the X-Men have done so—but in a manner nobody saw coming! Welcome to Graymatter Lane, a place where mutants anywhere in the world can come together in unity to teach one another the skills needed for their survival! With the greatest of the X-Men as teachers and a campus unlike any before seen, it’s the crossroads of the X-Universe as a student body from across the globe works to take mutantkind to the next step in their evolution—and to cope with a brewing threat to all of their number!
“X-MEN UNITED forms the center point of the mutant world,” said Conductor of X Tom Brevoort. “Steeped in the tradition of series like Astonishing X-Men and Wolverine & the X-Men, Graymatter Lane is a place where all of the major players in the X world will come together to fight, hook up and hash out their differences. There’ll be action, drama, faces old and new and dangers galore. Which young mutant is critically injured on the first day—and which X-Man is responsible? What secret is uncovered in Sinister’s lab? What distance-separated couple rekindles their connection? And how far will Cyclops go to bring the whole endeavor to the ground?”
“Working on the X-team for the past couple of years has been some of the most fun I’ve had writing comics ever,” Ewing said. “The idea for Graymatter Lane was a collective one, from lots of writers in a room brainstorming, and it’s so cool because the psychic space allows for things to be weirder and more surreal, while still building on the classic Xavier’s School energy we’ve all loved for decades.”
“Unreal! That’s how I would sum up the feeling of working on this new chapter of X-Men,” Palma shared. “And what an honor to get the chance to design the new Graymatter Lane campus. Loved the freedom to really play around with different shapes and super trippy ideas for such an iconic space for the group.”
X-MEN UNITED #1 will feature connecting covers by Stefano Caselli, the very piece used at New York Comic Con to announce the X-Men’s exciting Shadows of Tomorrow era! Preorder X-MEN UNITED #1 at your local comic shop today and stay tuned for more news about the series in the weeks ahead! For more information, visit Marvel.com.
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.
