Summary
Marvel has just relaunched a newX-Menseries, and the roster is a mix of classic characters and fan-favorites from the 2000s and beyond. Each member of Cyclops' squad inX-Men (2024)has their own complicated history, and this guide will take readers through all the ins and outs of each character, from the main combat team to their back-at-base support staff. From killers to heroes to clones to… pink blobs, this team has it all.
Readers get their first glimpse at the new team inX-Men#1 by Jed MacKay, Ryan Stegman, JP Mayer, Marte Gracia and VC’s Clayton Cowles. Operating out of an abandoned Sentinel factory in Alaska, the new X-Men team will act as mutant revolutionaries in a world that fears and hates them. The first issue sees Cyclops leading the field team on a mission to rescue Wolverine and six other mutants from Fourth School, a group of humans who seek to become a new species that is a mix of humans, A.I. and mutants.
X-Men’s New Writer Reveals Key Difference Between the Relaunch and the Franchise’s Krakoan Era
The X-Men’s new From the Ashes era is set to begin, and incoming writer Jed MacKay explains the difference between it and the Krakoan phase.
1Team Leader - Cyclops
Scott Summers is a Skilled Field Commander
The field leader of this new team is Scott Summers aka Cyclops. One of the original five X-Men, Cyclops fires concussive blasts of pure force from his eyes. Thanks to a traumatic head injury, these blasts can only be held back by his ruby quartz glasses or visor. One of the most consistent X-Men leaders, Cyclops has shifted from a die-hard Xavier supporter tobeing a more radical figurein the 2010s, to every position in-between. There’s no-one with a tactical mind quite like his, which makes his role on this new X-Men team a natural one.
Cyclops
Cyclops, a.k.a. Scott Summers, is the X-Men’s core team leader and one of the first characters to appear in the franchise. As a human/mutant hybrid, Cyclops has the power to launch massive bursts of energy from his eyes that are regulated through the use of a specially designed visor. Despite his calm and collected demeanor, he tends to lose it when in the presence of a fellow team member, Wolverine.
2The Brains - Beast
This Hank McCoy is a Clone of the Original
Henry “Hank” McCoy is the Beast, another founding X-Man and former Avenger. Beast has enhanced strength and agility, visibly enlarged hands and feet and, since drinking an experimental formula, is also blue and furry. After a moral slide downwards since the mid-1990s,Beast finally went full supervillainin the Benjamin Percy-writtenX-Force (2019). The series saw Hank creating a good clone of his younger self who eventually replaced him full-time after the original’s supposed death.It’s this clone who’s joined the team inX-Men (2024), and it’ll be fascinating to see how he adapts to having missed decades of his own history.
X-Men Just Officially Replaced a Founding Member, Permanently Rewriting 40 Years of Marvel History
As X-Men permanently kills off a founding member, a new hero is taking their place – one whose existence rewrites four decades of Marvel history.
3The Psychic Ninja - Psylocke
Kwannon is Back in Her Original Body
Kwannon aka Psylocke is one of the most recognizable X-Men, but also one of the most complicated. Originally intended by writer Chris Claremont to be a body-modified Betsy Braddock, the original (British) Psylocke,writer Fabian Nicieza instead established Kwannon as her own character, a Japanese assassin who swapped bodies with Betsy. After this, Kwannon’s own telepathic power was bolstered by Betsy’s abilities, including adopting Betsy’s use of a “psychic knife.” Kwannon then died of the mutant-killing Legacy Virus in Betsy’s body, leaving Betsy in Kwannon’s original body for decades.
It was only recently in 2018 withHunt for Wolverine: Mystery in Madripoorthat Kwannon returned, and the body-swap was reversed. The following Krakoan era thenhelped to establish Kwannon as Psylockein her own right with a starring role inHellions (2020),written by Zeb Wells,as well as arcs in writer Tini Howard’sExcalibur (2019)dealing with the Kwannon/Betsy fallout.
Hunt for Wolverine: Mystery in Madripooris written by Jim Zub, drawn by Thony Silas, colored by Felipe Sobreiro and lettered by Joe Sabino
Now, Kwannon is firmly her own character, and one of the most capable members of this new X-Men team, a stealthy operator especially compared to the team’s powerhouses who are detailed next.
One X-Men Hero is WAY Too Confusing To Ever Join The MCU
The mutant Psylocke’s REAL backstory is too complicated to ever be included in the MCU - unless Marvel changes one thing about her.
4The Sorcerer - Magik
Illyana Rasputin is No Longer the Queen of Limbo
Illyana Rasputin aka Magik was first introduced as the little sister of Colossus. She was then kidnapped and spent several time-accelerated years in the hell-like dimension Limbo being tortured by demons. During this time she mastered both sorcery and her mutant power to create teleporting “stepping disks” to move in and out of Limbo. Returning as a teenager,Magik struggled with her darker side, the Darkchylde, and became a member of the New Mutants.
The events ofInfernobrought her struggle to a head as Limbo attempted to invade Earth. Magik sacrificed herself to stop the event, leaving behind an innocent child version of herself. Unfortunately, child Illyana became one of the first victims of the Legacy Virus,dying and only returning as a teenager a decade later when the reality-warpHouse of Mled to her accidental resurrection.
Originally positioned as morally gray, the returning Illyana became a much more prominent and heroic character in writer Brian Michael Bendis’Uncanny X-Men (2013). She’s been a huge X-Men character ever since, withX-Men (2024) #1emphasizing Bendis’ characterization of her as a jock on par with Juggernaut, the other meatheaded bruiser on the team.
Even Loki Respects the X-Men’s Most Powerful Magic-User
Magik is the foremost magic-wielder of mutantkind. Even a god such as Loki respects Ilyana enough to admit when the X-Men member is her better.
5The Muscle - Juggernaut
Cain Marko’s Journey From Villain to Hero is Complete
Cain Marko aka the Juggernaut is the only member of this new X-Men team who’s not a mutant. Cain is the step-brother of Professor X and happened to find the mystical Crimson Gem of Cyttorak while serving in the Korean War with Xavier. The gem turned Cain into the unstoppable Juggernaut, one of the X-Men’s first foes. Cain has fluctuated between hero and villain over the decades since, but is now a full hero, having renounced the demonic Cyttorak andinstead taking up the demon’sCrimson Bandsas this new X-Men’s roster’s powerhouse.
6The Moral Center - Temper
Idie Strayed From Her Moral Path During the Krakoa Era
Idie Okonkwo, formerly known as Oya but now called Temper, is a Nigerian mutant with the power to manipulate temperature.Idie was one of the “Five Lights,” the first five new mutants to appear after the Scarlet Witch de-powered the majority of mutants at the conclusion ofHouse of M. Idie’s strong Catholic upbringing and guilt over accidentally killing her family with her powers made her initially reserved, but during the Krakoan era Idie had a more radical political awakening learning from former supervillain Nekra. Now, inNew X-Men (2024)Idie has joined the team to keep them morally upright.
7The Wild Card - Kid Omega
The One-Time Revolutionary is On the Straight and Narrow
A controversial X-Men character, Quintavius Quirinius “Quentin” Quire was introduced in Grant Morrison’s seminalNew X-Menrun, a major touchpoint forX-Men (2024) #1. When introduced, Quentin was a snot-nosed, radical X-Men student whose attitude and styling mimicked that of a young neo-Nazi. Feeling isolated after family revelations and rejection by his crush, Sophie Cuckoo, and spurred on by the drug Kick,Quentin and his gang of fellow rebels incited a riot at Xavier’s. This led to the death of Sophie and Quentin’s own overdose from Kick, turning him into an incorporeal being.
Later stories, beginning with Jason Aaron’s run onWolverine and the X-Men (vol 1),began to rehabilitate a returned Quentin, toning down his worst aspects and casting him as a brat who’d do the right thing when push came to shove. Quentin also began a relationship with the aforementioned Idie, withX-Men (2024) #1positioning them as bickering exes. Also referenced in the issue is his time on (evil) Beast’s X-Force, which had a running jokeof Quentin dying every missionand raises the question of how Quentin feels about the new Beast.
“You’re Like if Graffiti Was a Person”: Deadpool Officially Meets His Match in a Shock Hero
Deadpool is one of the chattiest and most annoying heroes in the Marvel Universe, but it seems he has met his match in a surprising X-Man.
8The Professor - Magneto
The Master of Magnetism is Filling Professor Xavier’s Role
Magneto, born Max Eisenhardt, is one of the most iconic X-Men heroesandvillains. As a holocaust survivor, Magneto was radicalized to believe that humans and mutants could never work together in peace, putting him in direct conflict with his old friend Charles Xavier. Using his Omega-level power to control magnetism, Magneto became the X-Men’s most persistent foe, but became far more sympathetic once his backstory was established in the 1980s under writer Chris Claremont.Oscillating between hero and villain, Magneto backslid into villainy during the 1990s, but came around again by the 2010s, becoming a near-permanent fixture of X-Teams.
Now, Magneto is taking the traditional role of Professor X on this new X-Men team as the older leader who mostly stays at base. He’s alsoonce using the name Max, which he reclaimed in writer Al Ewing’sX-Men Red (vol 2)after discarding it for decades. With Professor X again on the outs with mutantkind, it’ll be fascinating to see how Magneto navigates the role his friend once held, and whether he gels or butts heads with the new X-Men team.
Magneto
The oldest and best-known adversary of the X-Men, Magneto has been a part of Marvel Comics since the mutant team was introduced. Bearing powers over magnetic fields, he views mutants as superior to normal humans, and aims to build a world where humans are dominant. The only thing stopping him is Professor X and his team of heroes.
“I Am the Dragon”: Magneto Reveals His New Design and Purpose in X-Men Lore
As Magneto leads the X-Men, he adopts a few new titles and fresh look to seal his role as mutantkind’s guardian and protector in an uncertain future.
9The Support Team – Glob Herman and Xorn
Two Formerly Violent Mutants Have Embraced Peaceful Paths
Like Quentin Quire, bothX-Men (2024)support members Glob Herman and Xorn were introduced in Grant Morrison’sNew X-Men. Glob is by far the less complicated of the two. Introduced as one of Quentin’s gang, Glob’s see-through body is made of pink gel.He also participated in the riot at Xavier’s, but over time softened even more than Quentin himself. These days, Glob is more often a comedic character, a sweetheart who raises chickens and, as ofX-Men (2024) #1, has discovered a love of gardening, helping to grow the X-Men’s supplies in Alaska.
Kuan-Yin Xorn, better known as Xorn, is, by comparison, a snarl of retcons. He was first introduced as a Chinese mutant healer who had to wear a mask to contain the miniature star that was his head. Originally, Xorn was intended by writer Grant Morrison to actually be Magneto in disguise, driven to further madness by Kick and the genocide of the mutant nation Genosha.However, Marvel editorial objected to having Magneto being so evil, and retconned it so that Xorn waspretendingto be Magneto to garner support, with the real Magneto alive and relatively heroic all along.
A second Xorn was then introduced as Xorn’s twin, the black-hole-headed Shen Xorn, who kept the characterization that the original had before the Magneto “reveal.“This was complicated by the Krakoan era,which resurrected the original Xorn, who’s likely the one inX-Men (2024)since he sports the Frank Quitely-designed leather jacket fromNew X-Men. How this Xorn fits into the team, especially with Magneto as a fellow member, remains to be seen. He’s only one of the manyX-Menmembers whose interpersonal relationships are sure to cause sparks, just how readers like it.
X-Men (2024)#1is on sale now from Marvel Comics
X-Men
The X-Men franchise, created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, centers on mutants with extraordinary abilities. Led by the powerful telepath Professor Charles Xavier, they battle discrimination and villainous mutants threatening humanity. The series explores themes of diversity and acceptance through a blend of action, drama, and complex characters, spanning comics, animated series, and blockbuster films.
