SDCC 2018: Huge Reveals at the Marvel Comics: X-Men Panel

During San Diego Comic-Con, X-Men fans were in for a treat as Marvel Editor-in-Chief C.B. Cebulski hosted a panel dedicated to all things X. Mutant devotees excitedly packed the room as Cebulski introduced a panel of X-Men creators that included Sina Grace (ICEMAN), Seanan McGuire (X-MEN GOLD ANNUAL), Matt Rosenberg (ASTONISHING X-MEN), and Tom Taylor (X-MEN RED) who discussed their upcoming work and inspirations. A few big reveals were announced in the process!

The critically-acclaimed ICEMAN series will be returning, and Grace revealed that the big bad is Mr. Sinister. “They’ve had interactions in the past, but not like this," shared Grace. "It’s going to be really special.” Grace also dropped news that Emma Frost will make an appearance in Issue 2, a presence that Cebulski agreed made perfect sense, relationship-wise and visually. “They’re both in cool places right now,” said Grace. “They’ll have amazing tension in that issue.” Grace looked to Cebulski as to what he could and couldn’t reveal. Ultimately, all they alluded to was that in Issue 3, friends from other places will be coming to visit. Places like Croatia. Read into that as you will. “It’s going to be AMAZING,” promised Grace. 

Next up, Taylor talked X-MEN RED and told the audience about all the fun he’s having on the book. “Jean Grey has returned, she is bringing light to the world,” reveled Taylor. Jean is leading an All-Star team: Honey Badger, Wolverine, Nightcrawler, Gentle, Trinary, Namor, Gambit, Storm, and many more. Cassandra Nova is the big bad, and Taylor talked about setting the team up in Atlantis. “Our team is now under water in a place called X-lantis," shared Taylor. "They’ve created a Cerebro there, spelled S-e-a-rebro.” Turns out it was Honey Badger’s idea, who decided to get the name stuck in Jean Grey’s head.

July is packed with the release of X-23 by Mariko Tanaka and Juan Cabal, as well as MR. & MRS. X where Gambit and Rogue honeymoon in space. “They want to go somewhere far, far, away where they will not be disturbed,” explained Cebulski. 

This September, Logan returns in RETURN OF WOLVERINE by Charles Soule and Steve McNiven. “You can’t keep a good man down and Logan has found a way to come back,” confirmed Cebulski. Wolverine returns with a more classic look, and some familiar claws based on the Marvel vs Capcom game’s Berserker Rage. Now, if only he’d constantly say, "Swiss Cheese!" Dare to dream.

McGuire makes her Marvel Comics debut with X-MEN GOLD. “My life’s goal since I was seven was to write the X-Men," revealed McGuire. "My entire career as an internationally best-selling author has been to get to write the X-Men.” Now that McGuire has achieved her goal, she’s taking Kitty Pride to summer camp. Set when she was 15—post-Days of Future Past. “Kitty decides she’s going to go back to the summer camp she used to attend before she joined the X-Men," shared McGuire. "So she can have a couple of weeks of being a normal teenager. Stuff happens because it turns out that mutants are everywhere, and terrible things are happening everywhere.”

X-MEN BLACK is a one-month event launching in October, five issues each focusing on one of the main villains in the X-Men universe—Magneto, Emma Frost, Juggernaut, Mojo, Mystique—with a backstory connecting them all featuring Apocalypse.

McGuire, who is writing MYSTIQUE, went into detail about the character. “Mystique is the ultimate grifter," said McGuire. "Her job is to get in, deceive you, and get out. People think that’s such an easy power but if you really think about it, someone who looks exactly like your best friend, you’re not going to be fooled for more than 30 seconds. Mystique’s powers take finesse, they take study, they take practice, they take a lot more planning than I think necessarily has been shown in the past.”

Inspired by classic X-Men stories, the announcement of SHATTER STAR by Tim Seeley and Carlos Villa was received with rousing audience applause for the return of the beloved character. The book makes its debut in October.

Next month, favorite characters return for ASTONISHING X-MEN and Rosenberg discussed some of his plans for the series and one of his all-time favorite characters, Havoc. “There are a lot of X-Men who have fallen from grace," said Rosenberg. "Down on their luck, not getting the email that says ‘Hey, there’s a fight. Come out.’ And so this is them, this is their team. Havoc is the perpetual little brother of the Marvel Universe, people don’t take him seriously. So he has assembled Beast, who does not want to go with him; Colossus, who has had a little bit of a rough time; Warpath, who is in good standing with the X-Men; Dazzler, who has been out on tour; and then our secret member who we can reveal, Banshee.”

One last big announcement for the info filled panel was the return of UNCANNY X-MEN. While there was no team announcement, the title is slated for Fall of 2018.