Fall Of X: Breaking Down Marvel’s Weekend X-Men Announcements
by Tony Thornley
This past weekend, Marvel announced its next big X-Men initiative, and it’s shaping up to be the most interesting since the Krakoan relaunch.
We didn’t get information on titles that aren’t already running or announced, so sorry for anyone looking for info on Astonishing Iceman, Alpha Flight, Dark X-Men or Uncanny Spider-Man. There is plenty for fans to digest for the remainder of the line though.
The Fall of X begins in X-Men: Hellfire Gala #1 out this July. It will kick off new storylines in existing titles, launch new titles and begin the next act in the Krakoan age.
The Uncanny Avengers return immediately after the Gala, as Captain America and Rogue form a new team to hunt down the new villainous Captain Krakoa. Quicksilver, Deadpool, Psylocke, and Penance round out the team from Gerry Duggan and Javier Garron. I’ve got some theories about who this Captain Krakoa is, and it’ll be fun to follow along.
One of the next election winners stands revealed on the cover X-Men #25, as Kate Pryde takes on a new identity. She’s been Sprite, Ariel and the Red Queen. Now, she’s taking a darker turn as Shadowkat, with a new design from Peach Momoko. The next era of the team comes from Duggan, Stefano Caselli and Joshua Cassara.
The X-Men aren’t the only squad getting a new member. In X-Force #43, Colossus takes over as leader of X-Force. This might seem like a good thing, but if you’ve been reading X-Force, you know there’s way more to this than it appears. Benjamin Percy and Robert Gill continue their run, alongside new cover artist Daniel Acuna.
In perhaps the coolest cover of the bunch, Percy brings another one of his series, Ghost Rider, to Krakoa in direct conflict with Wolverine in the four issue Weapons of Vengeance crossover. A demonic serial killer is targeting mutants, and two of the Marvel Universe’s darkest heroes are the only ones who can stop them. Percy is joined by interior artist Geoff Shaw and cover artist Ryan Stegman for this massive event.
Lastly, Invincible Iron Man is getting pulled into the Fall of X, as Orchis takes control of Tony Stark’s vast technology and resources. Emma Frost and a totally new stealth armor might be his only hope to stop them. Duggan, Juan Frigeri and cover artist Kael Ngu continue their run here!
This is just the beginning of the Fall of X announcements, so watch this space as Marvel reveals more.
