Friends, Krakoans, countrymen, lend me your sword! Raise it high! There’s going to be a giant new X-Men event and it’s going to be bigger than all those silly 80s crossovers, but not bigger than the 90s ones. It will have repercussions that will last a lifetime, but most importantly, it will have a very large crocodile. All the solicits for X Of Swords have been released, and they tell a tale of mystery for us to unravel.
A tower. A mission. A gathering of armies. Death and rebirth. Corruption. A dark discovery. Descent. Penance. A legendary power reclaimed. Stealth. The power within. The burden of knowledge. A secret flight. A long journey. A Thief and a Queen. Desperation. Help from unexpected places. An advance into the unknown. Diligence. Discipline. A sword of the self. A hand held aloft. A mystery in the stars. An ace up the sleeve. Opposition. Despair. The dark night of the soul. Lessons. Longing. What has begun cannot be undone. A ritual. A parliament. A game begins. The Lovers. A Garden. A chasm of secrets. A toast. A dance. A dinner served: Part I A toast. A dance. A dinner served: Part II Two swords. Two cups. Two must answer. Endurance. Survival. The true lesson of pain. Chivalry gives way to fury. A knight must kneel. Chaos. Deceit. A hero returns. A son. The stars. A Fool and his bravery. A great division. Bitter victories. Bitterer hearts. A game abandoned, but a great gamble remains. A Tower answers. The wheel of fortune turns. The unfortunate fall. A sword against the darkness.
Xavier Files poetry reporter Robert Secundus, after seeing this said “It’s extremely unlikely reference to poetry, it seems instead to be tarot descriptions” [Ed. note: emphasis his]. But when has being incorrect every stopped me before?
Here’s all the covers and solicits as we wait for more sword content.
X OF SWORDS: CREATION #1
Written by JONATHAN HICKMAN
Art by PEPE LARRAZ
Cover by PEPE LARRAZ
X OF SWORDS – CHAPTER 1
A tower. A mission. A gathering of armies.
X-FACTOR #4
Written by LEAH WILLIAMS
Art by CARLOS GOMEZ
Cover by IVAN SHAVRIN
X OF SWORDS – CHAPTER 2
Death and rebirth. Corruption. A dark discovery.
WOLVERINE #6
Written by BENJAMIN PERCY
Art by VIKTOR BOGDANOVIC
Cover by ADAM KUBERT
X OF SWORDS, PART 3
Descent. Penance. A legendary power reclaimed.
X-FORCE #13
Written by BENJAMIN PERCY
Art by VIKTOR BOGDANOVIC
Cover by DUSTIN WEAVER
X OF SWORDS, PART 4
Stealth. The power within. The burden of knowledge.
MARAUDERS #13
Written by VITA AYALA
Art by MATTEO LOLLI
Cover by RUSSELL DAUTERMAN
X OF SWORDS, PART 5
A secret flight. A long journey. A Thief and a Queen.
HELLIONS #5
Written by ZEB WELLS
Art by CARMEN CARNERO
Cover by STEPHEN SEGOVIA
X OF SWORDS, PART 6
Desperation. Help from unexpected places. An advance into the unknown.
NEW MUTANTS #13
Written by ED BRISSON
Art by ROD REIS
Cover BY MIKE DEL MUNDO
X OF SWORDS, PART 7
Diligence. Discipline. A sword of the self.
CABLE #5
Written by GERRY DUGGAN
Art and Cover by PHIL NOTO
X OF SWORDS, PART 8
A hand held aloft. A mystery in the stars. An ace up the sleeve.
EXCALIBUR #13
Written by TINI HOWARD
Art by R.B. SILVA
Cover by MAHMUD ASRAR
X OF SWORDS, PART 9
Opposition. Despair. The dark night of the soul.
X-MEN #13
Written by JONATHAN HICKMAN
Art by MAHMUD ASRAR
Cover by LEINIL FRANCIS YU
X OF SWORDS, PART 10
Lessons. Longing. What has begun cannot be undone.
X OF SWORDS: STASIS #1
Written by TINI HOWARD & JONATHAN HICKMAN
Art by PEPE LARRAZ & MAHMUD ASRAR
Cover by PEPE LARRAZ
X OF SWORDS, PART 11
A ritual. A parliament. A game begins.
X-MEN #14
Written by JONATHAN HICKMAN
Art by MAHMUD ASRAR & LEINIL FRANCIS YU
Cover by LEINIL FRANCIS YU
X of Swords, Chapter 12
The Lovers. A Garden. A chasm of secrets.
MARAUDERS #14
Written by GERRY DUGGAN & BENJAMIN PERCY
Art by STEFANO CASELLI
Cover by RUSSELL DAUTERMAN
X of Swords, Chapter 13
A toast. A dance. A dinner served: Part I
MARAUDERS #15
Written by GERRY DUGGAN & BENJAMIN PERCY
Art by STEFANO CASELLI
Cover by RUSSELL DAUTERMAN
X of Swords, Chapter 14
A toast. A dance. A dinner served: Part II
EXCALIBUR #14
Written by TINI HOWARD
Art by PHIL NOTO
Cover by MAHMUD ASRAR
X of Swords, Chapter 15
Two swords. Two cups. Two must answer.
WOLVERINE #7
Written by BENJAMIN PERCY & GERRY DUGGAN
Art by JOSHUA CASSARA
Cover by ADAM KUBERT
X of Sword, Chapter 16
Endurance. Survival. The true lesson of pain.
X-FORCE #14
Written by BENJAMIN PERCY & GERRY DUGGAN
Art by JOSHUA CASSARA
Cover by DUSTIN WEAVER
X of Swords, Chapter 17
Chivalry gives way to fury. A knight must kneel.
HELLIONS #6
Written by ZEB WELLS
Art by CARMEN CARNERO
Cover by STEPHEN SEGOVIA
X of Swords, Chapter 18
Chaos. Deceit. A hero returns.
CABLE #6
Written by GERRY DUGGAN
Art and Cover by PHIL NOTO
X of Swords, Chapter 19
A son. The stars. A Fool and his bravery.
X-MEN #15
Written by JONATHAN HICKMAN
Art by MAHMUD ASRAR
Cover by LEINIL FRANCIS YU
X of Swords, Chapter 20
A great division. Bitter victories. Bitterer hearts.
EXCALIBUR #15
Written by TINI HOWARD
Art and Cover by MAHMUD ASRAR
X of Swords, Chapter 21
A game abandoned, but a great gamble remains. A Tower answers.
X OF SWORDS: DESTRUCTION #1
Written by JONATHAN HICKMAN & TINI HOWARD
Art and Cover by PEPE LARRAZ
X of Swords, Chapter 22
The wheel of fortune turns. The unfortunate fall. A sword against the darkness.
Zachary Jenkins co-hosts the podcast Battle of the Atom and is the former editor-in-chief of ComicsXF. Shocking everyone, he has a full and vibrant life outside all this.
