Fifty years ago this May, Illyana Nikolaievna Rasputina made her first appearance in Marvel Comics’ Giant Size X-Men #1. Created by writer Len Wein and artist David Cockrum, Illyana is a young Russian female mutant with the power to create stepping discs she can use to teleport people and objects. She also has been the…
Emma Frost, trying to save her newest pupils, gets stuck in Mister Sinister’s mind. Who will come out on top? Why is everyone dressed like Dracula? Can even this serious series make Sinister something other than slightly silly? Find out in Exceptional X-Men #10, written by Eve Ewing, drawn by Carmen Carnero and Federica Mancin,…
Who can take some genes and make a dodgy clone? Who can trap a mutant when he’s all alone? Who can throw a comic off its slice-of-life tone? Mr. Sinister can, and does, in Exceptional X-Men #9, written by Eve Ewing, drawn by Carmen Carnero, colored by Nolan Woodard and lettered by Travis Lanham. Now…
Superheroes are meant to be the best of us. As a result, they’re also the sexiest of us. So it stands to reason we’d want to see what they look like in swimwear — though it could be argued many of them wear bathing suits as standard dress. For five years in the 1990s, Marvel…
Is New York City itself a kind of mutant? Can it give us all a model for mutant communities? How did Mojo take it over from Grand Central Station? Can he be defeated using the power of solidarity, or the solidarity of love, or the love of trains? Why is NYX ending? Find out which…
That entrepreneur who wanted gene data on everyone? The one who gave teen mutant Axo an internship? Pretty Sinister, as it turns out. Now, our favorite diamond-headed, DNA-obsessed, silver-skinned supervillain’s captured Axo and sent a fake teen to take his place. Find out what’s next in Exceptional X-Men #8, written by Eve Ewing, drawn by…
It’s the first ever Concert of Champions, a festival bringing together the Marvel Universe’s biggest and brightest musical stars! Headliners include Dazzler, K-pop sensation Luna Snow, interdimensional rockstar Lila Cheney and Spider-Gwen. But who – or what? – is the mysterious new metal band Deep Void, and what are their sinister intentions? Concert of Champions…
Who’s that man with the horns of a ram and your most personal data in the palm of his twitchy hand? It’s Sheldon Xenos, gene-editing superfan, and he’s got a frightening plan in Exceptional X-Men #7, written by Eve Ewing (whom we stan), drawn by Carmen Carnero (who follows her plan), colored by Nolan Woodard…
Professor Charles Xavier has escaped from Graymalkin Prison to save his daughter from an attack out in space — and he has a plan to aid her. The problem is, his former students are none too happy to see him. Is there anyone left willing to help him out? Find out in NYX #9, written…
Julian Keller, aka Hellion, swung back and forth between hero and baddie for almost his entire on-page existence. Now it looks like he’s killed civilians, and he’s headed to the mutant supermax for it. Should our NYX regulars capture him or set him free? Find out in NYX #8, written by Jackson Lanzing and Collin…
The next generation of mutants find work, or at least internships, at a startup that wants to read your genes and help you “fix” what’s “wrong” with them. Guess how that pans out in Exceptional X-Men #6, written by Eve Ewing, drawn by Carmen Carnero, colored by Nolan Woodard and lettered by Travis Lanham. Like…
As of this writing, there are 13(!) monthly X-books on the shelves, two of which — X-Men and Uncanny X-Men — ship on an 18-issue-a-year schedule. That’s a lot, and there’s more coming, including Laura Kinney: Wolverine (who is already starring in NYX); a Timeslide one-shot co-starring Cable and Bishop; Magik (who is already starring…
Kitty and Emma promised to train three teenage mutants so they could be heroes, protecting friends and family from bigotry and bloodshed. Will Kitty’s own now-bloody history break up the team? Find out in Exceptional X-Men #5, written by Eve Ewing, drawn by Carmen Carnero, colored by Nolan Woodard and lettered by Travis Lanham. This…
Remember Everett Thomas, aka Synch? He’s been through a lot. He’s back. And he’s really angry at Prodigy. Find out why in NYX #7, written by Jackson Lanzing and Collin Kelly, drawn by Enid Balám, colored by Raúl Angulo and lettered by Joe Sabino. Two things can be true at the same time. First, mutants…
Who’s that young adult with the giant broadsword, sorcerous powers, blond bangs, an unquenchable drive to save lost kids and enough long-term childhood trauma to fill an arena? It’s Illyana Rasputina, of course. Who’s that demonic gunfighter trying to conquer the world from his base in Juneau, Alaska? Can Illyana stop him? Find out in…