Marvel Officially Reveals New X-Men Team in Epic Fashion

Warning: spoilers ahead for X-Men #21!

After a psychic election (helped along by a real-world fan vote), Marvel’s new X-Men have been chosen, and now the iconic mutant team have made their canon debut through a glorious reveal at Krakoa’s Hellfire Gala. There are a lot of monumental moments taking place across the 12-issue event, but the striking image of the new mutant team standing as one in all of their red carpet attire glory is nothing short of epic.

The Hellfire Gala has been labeled as a sort of catalyst for ushering in the next era of X-Men and Marvel Comics as a whole. It’s a diplomatic event of monstrous proportions, set over one night, taking place across twelve titles, supporting an endlessly star-studded guest list, and being used as a backdrop for a multitude of important events taking place in the X-Men franchise. On an already important night for mutantkind, and potentially the world, it makes sense that Krakoa would use the opportunity to vote on their next group of X-Men and debut the lineup to the world.

The creative teams behind the Hellfire Gala have all worked together to bring some incredible fashion and character designs to the pages of their respective issues, and the visionaries responsible for X-Men #21 are no different. Writer Jonathan Hickman and artists Nick Dragotta, Russell Dauterman, Lucas Werneck, and Sara Pichelli all manage to create eye-popping imagery and bring a new level of pizzaz to both fan-favorite mutants and human guests like Eminem and Conan O’Brien. This especially rings true for the stunning splash page which displays the highly anticipated official reveal of the new X-Men. Check out the incredible reveal below!

After a mass mind meld which allows all of mutantkind to petition and vote for those worthy of joining the new roster, Jean Grey announces the team. One at a time Rogue, Sunfire, Wolverine, Synch, and Polaris join Jean and Cyclops on stage to step out as a team for the first time. The absolute awesomeness of seeing them all together is striking enough, but to see them in their extravagant black-tie glory brings the moment to another level. While dedicated fans already knew the line-up, it’s amazing to see the team come together, especially as mutant hero Polaris was chosen by the fan vote.

The image is breathtaking and acts as a great point of transition into the second half of the evening/issue. It’s almost more like a variant cover rather than a page in a comic in terms of how vibrant, eye-catching, and grandiose it is, showcasing the staggering talent of color artist Matthew Wilson – who re-teams with Dauterman following the duo’s acclaimed work on The Mighty Thor. There’s no denying that it is befitting for the highly anticipated return of an extremely beloved team fans haven’t truly seen in years. There’s nowhere to go but up from here as the X-Men explore their new dynamics and find their place in the modern world as a symbol of mutant pride and earthly protection.

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