Excalibur #1 Advance Preview

Marcus To Previews 'Excalibur'

House of X #3 Character Decades Variant Cover by Jeff Dekal

Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3 Introduces Psylocke's 'X-Force' Alternate Skin

In Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3, you can unlock new Alternate Color Skins. The majority of the alternate skins are unlocked through Infinity Trials. These Trials can be played either from the main menu, at Shield Points, or via various rifts hidden around levels. They task players with completing certain objectives with set parameters. Each type of Infinity trial offers three Skins as rewards, each obtained by earning a certain number of stars. You can also unlock certain Skins, like Daredevil’s black outfit for example, by completing certain missions on Superior difficulty.

Every Alternate Skin is a Color Swap of the default uniform. Psylocke's skin is an X-Force recoloring in black and grey of her default blue and red costume. However, Nintendo recently revealed that every playable character would be getting an actual alternate costume in Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3 by the end of Q1 2020. This is likely to be added alongside the planned DLC, so we’ll be sure to update this page when we hear more.

Jordan D. White, Tini Howard & Marcus To Talk The Butterfly Controversy

Yesterday, fans were taken aback when the news broke that Marvel was moving away from the butterfly power signature for Betsy, which has been a staple in her powerset for years. The butterfly, of course, debuted in Uncanny X-Men #213, designed by Alan Davis. By 1990, it had faded into obscurity for roughly 20 years, when Matt Fraction brought it back in Dark Reign: The List - X-Men #1 in 2009, drawn by none other than Alan Davis, and has been used regularly ever since.

According to Betsy herself, the butterfly wasn't just a manifestation of her telepathy, it was an expression of the subtlety and fine control she possessed as a telepath. In Breaking Into Comics The Marvel Way #2, the butterfly and the sword are established as one and the same thing seen from different angles: Betsy herself.

The backlash was immediate and fans were justifiably upset because the butterfly had become a symbol to represent Betsy. Here's what the creative team behind Excalibur had to say:

Marcus To: We're actually moving away from that look. She's going through a period of transition in her life. We'll be seeing her find herself and discovering what it means to be Betsy in her own way. Her powers will represent that. This will be what the book is about, Betsy figuring herself out. She will have the powers you remember, but she will have to find out who she is now. A story of self discovery. Something we can all relate to. Tini is writing a great story and Betsy's struggle with her new life. Her powers will reflect that. It'll be a thread in the series as she comes to grips with who she is without Kwannon. And thank you, I understand your frustrations.[1][2][3][4]

Tini Howard: I'll ease your mind and tell you I have no idea where anyone got the idea [that Betsy is losing her telepathy] from, but in general I can't do this kind of thing, I hope you guys realize. Asking me to confirm/deny stuff from upcoming books puts a lot of pressure on me to do things I'm not allowed to do. Jonathan once said something really important about not getting between people and the work. That's a big part of why I'm quiet - you all deserve that chance for intimacy with the work, and I'm thrilled you'll be coming along and grateful for all the excitement from you![1][2]

Jordan D. White: She’s growing and changing. If only there was a metaphor I could use for someone going through that sort of transformation but nothing is occurring to me.[1]

What do you think? Keep the discussion civil!

X-Solicits for October 2019

	Excalibur #1 Tini Howard (W) • Marcus To (A) Cover by: Mahmud Asrar Every Mutant Ever Variant Cover by: Mark Bagley Young Guns Variant Cover by: Mike Del Mundo Design Variant Cover by: Jonathan Hickman Variant Cover by: Mike Mckone Variant Cover by: Kris Anka Hidden Gem Variant Cover by: TBA A New Dawn Is Forged! The Otherworld is rocked by war! It is a new era for mutantkind as a new Captain Britain holds the amulet, fighting for the Kingdom of Avalon with her Excalibur at her side - Rogue, Gambit, Rictor, Jubilee...and Apocalypse.
	True Believers: X-Men - Betsy Braddock #1 Chris Claremont (W) • Herb Trimpe (A/C) Reprinting Captain Britain (1976) #8-1
	House of X #6 (of 6) Jonathan Hickman (W) • Pepe Larraz (A/C) Variant Cover by: Mike Huddleston Flower Variant Cover by: Sara Pichelli Character Decade Variant by: Iban Coello Foreshadow Variant Cover by: TBA Connecting Variant by: Javier Garron Action Figure Variant by: John Tyler Christopher Young Variant by: Skottie Young Virgin Variant Cover by: Pepe Larraz The Inevitable Future. The revolutionary tale of Mutantkind’s rise comes to a conclusion that will lay the groundwork of the X-Men’s stories for years to come! Superstar writer Jonathan Hickman (Avengers, Fantastic Four, Secret Wars) and Marvel Young Gun artist Pepe Larraz (Extermination, Avengers) wrap the series that changes everything!
	Powers of X #6 (of 6) Jonathan Hickman (W) • R.B. Silva (A/C) Variant Cover by: Mike Huddleston New Character Variant Cover by: Dustin Weaver Foreshadow Variant Cover by: TBA Character Decades Variant by: Cafu Connecting Variant by: Javier Garron Action Figure Variant by: John Tyler Christopher Young Variant by: Skottie Young Virgin Variant Cover by: R.B. Silva The Inevitable Truth. The revelatory tale of Mutantkind’s fall comes to a conclusion that will lay the groundwork of the X-Men’s stories for years to come! Superstar writer Jonathan Hickman (New Avengers, Ff, Infinity) and rising star artist RB Silva (Uncanny X-Men) wrap the series that reveals everything!
	X-Men #1 Jonathan Hickman (W) • Leinil Francis Yu (A/C) Variant Cover by: Artgerm Virgin Variant Cover by: Artgerm Every Mutant Ever Variant Cover by: Mark Bagley Young Guns Variant Cover by: Marco Checchetto Variant Cover by: Russell Dauterman Design Variant Cover by: Jonathan Hickman Hidden Gem Variant Cover by: TBA Variant Cover by: TBA Party Variant Cover by: Mark Brooks Premiere Variant Cover by: Leinil Francis Yu Dawn of X! The X-Men find themselves in a whole new world of possibility… and things have never been better! Jonathan Hickman (House Of X, Powers Of X, Secret Wars) and superstar artist Leinil Yu (New Avengers, Captain America) reveal the saga of Cyclops and his hand-picked squad of mutant powerhouses!
	Marauders #1 Gerry Duggan (W) • Matteo Lolli (A) Cover by: Russel Dauterman Every Mutant Ever Variant Cover by: Mark Bagley Young Guns Variant Cover by: Aaron Kuder Design Variant Cover by: Jonathan Hickman Variant Cover by: Philip Tan Hidden Gem Variant Cover by: TBA Variant Cover by: Todd Nauck The X-Men Sail at Dawn! Even in this glorious new dawn, Mutantkind faces hardships and oppression from their human counterparts. Led by Captain Kate Pryde and funded by Emma Frost and the Hellfire Trading Company, Marauders Storm, Pyro, Bishop and Iceman sail the seas of the world to protect those hated and feared!

Captain Britain by Marcus To

Excalibur #1 Variant Cover by Kris Anka

House of X #1 Spoilers

Spoilers: Issue opens at an unrevealed time. We see a large krakoa tree in an unknown location. X is there watching as what appear to be mutants are birthed from pods on the tree. One looks up at him with an eye that gleams red. “To me, my X-Men,” he says.Next we see a sequence of panels showing the X-Men taking small krakoa seedlings and planting them in various locations. Westchester, the Savage Land, the Blue Area of the moon, Mars, Washington DC, and Jerusalem. Each of these locations becomes a habitat, connected to Krakoa by portals that only allow mutants through. A group of delegates arrives at the Jerusalem Habitat. They’re there because Xavier has offered the world three gifts... medicine created from krakoan flowers. One extends the human lifespan by five years. Next is a universal antibiotic. The third helps cure mental illness. He will give these gifts only to nations who recognize the sovereignty of the nation of Krakoa. The delegates have come from different countries to discuss this deal with Xavier. The delegates are greeted by a pair of Cuckoos who take them on a tour of the habitat, and through portal to the greater Krakoan ecosystem. They bring the delegates not to Xavier, but to Magneto. Meanwhile we learn about an organization called Orchis. It’s made up of parts of S.H.I.E.L.D., S.T.R.I.K.E., S.W.O.R.D., Alpha Flight, H.A.M.M.E.R., A.R.M.O.R., AIM, and Hydra. It’s a defense protocol enacted by humanity. We learn that humanity has 20 years left before being replaced by mutantkind. The Genoshan Genocide slowed down the rise of mutantkind just enough to buy humanity this little bit of time. The scientists of Orchis are working with Karima, and it seems they’re building a new Master Mold in their base called The Forge, which orbits the sun. Next we see Mystique, Toad, and Sabertooth stealing data from a Damage Control facility in NY. We learn that Damage Control, in addition to cleaning up damage from superhero battles and the like, also becomes caretaker of advanced technology whose ownership is uncertain. So, when Tony Stark was recently believed to be dead, and Reed Richards was off world for a time, Damage Control took possession of some of their technology. Sabertooth has mauled a few guards, and the alarms are going off, so Mystique is pushing for them to get out. Toad confirms his download is complete and the three of them head out. They get outside only to find Human Torch and Thing waiting for them. Sabertooth tries to hold them off, but gets clobbered pretty good. Mystique and Toad manage to escape through a Krakoa portal in Washington Square Park. Creed tried to follow, but it caught inside a forcefield. Reed and Sue have arrived and they’ve caught him. Cyclops emerges from the portal and he makes small talk with the FF. He congratulates Ben on his marriage. Then he says he’ll take Creed off their hands. Reed asks why. Cyclops says that’s how amnesty works and that “new beginnings demand a wide berth”. The FF ask him about what he and the X-Men are doing. He says he’s done being told he’s less when he knows he’s more. And that he believes in what Xavier is doing. He decides to leave Creed with them and says they’ll work it out in some other way. Then he tells Reed and Sue to greet their son for him and to let him know that when he’s ready, he has family on Krakoa waiting for him. Final scene is back in Jerusalem, where Magneto asks the Cuckoos to advise what they’ve learned. The girls explain that each of the “delegates” are actually plants. They’ve not been sent to actually negotiate anything, necessarily, but instead are there to observe and report back to their masters. Magneto tells them that’s exactly what they’ll do. That they need to “accept the finality of your situation and the inevitability of ours”. One of the delegates asks why he chose the Jerusalem habitat to meet with them, and the issue closes with Magneto explaining that he knows how important religion is to mankind...and how important symbolism is to them. “I wanted you...I needed you...to understand....You have new gods now.”

Notes: Psylocke doesn't appear in this issue, but we should keep an eye on the following:

1. Jamie Braddock was identified as one of fourteen known Omega-Level Mutants. He has taken up the codename Monarch.

2. S.T.R.I.K.E. seems to be a major player going forward. One of the human delegates visiting the Krakoa habitats is a S.T.R.I.K.E. agent called Walter Reppion. One should note that Vicki Reppion was a member of S.T.R.I.K.E.'s Psi Division along with Betsy Braddock during Alan Moore's run on Captain Britain. She was utimately killed by Slaymaster. There may be a connection there.

Walter Reppion in House of X #1 / Vicki Reppion in Daredevils #3

Psylocke by Marcio Takara

Hickman's X-Men Overhaul Introduces a New Psylocke and Captain Britain

CBR: During Marvel's Next Big Thing panel at Comic-Con International in San Diego, C.B. Cebulski and Johnathan Hickman had quite a bit to reveal about the publisher's new line of X-Men comics.

Among the biggest reveals was the news that Betsy Braddock will trade in her Psylocke mantle to become the new Captain Britain. Meanwhile, Kwannon will be taking on the role of Psylocke.

Cebulski compared Betsy's transition to Carol Danvers taking on the mantle of Captain Marvel in Kelly Sue DeConnick's 2012 Captain Marvel run. Betsy's brother, Brian Braddock has long been the name associated with the Captain Britain moniker but once the new Excalibur series drops, it's Betsy who will take the name.

The Excalibur series has strong ties to the Captain Britain title as it was Brian who was on the team in earlier years. Just recently, Braddock and his wife, Meggan (also an Excalibur alum) were a part of an Excalibur reunion of sorts in Leah Williams and Alitha Martinez's X-Men Gold Annual #1.

It's worth noting that Betsy briefly held the Captain Britain mantle before, but there is no indication regarding how the transition occurs this time.

Kwannon, on the other hand, is the Japanese woman with whom Betsy swapped minds with back in Uncanny X-Men #256. The character reemerged to the scene when Betsy got her old body back and most recently, she's been seen in writer Matthew Rosenberg's Uncanny X-Men run.

Written by Tini Howard and drawn by Marcus To, Excalibur #1 hits shelves on October 2019. Kwannon, on the other hand, will appear as Psylocke in Fallen Angels #1. Written by Bryan Edward Hill and drawn by Szymon Kudranski, Fallen Angels #1 hits stores in November 2019.

SDCC 2019: Beginning this October... The Dawn of X

Marvel.com: Straight from the magnificent Marvel Next Big Thing panel at San Diego Comic-Con 2019, a blinding light heralds a new day... Starting this October, six brand-new series by the most captivating creators in the universe signal the DAWN OF X!

“House of X and Powers of X lay the groundwork for a whole new world of X-Men stories for years to come, and the Dawn of X books are the promise of that new world come to life,” said X-Men Senior Editor Jordan D. White. “They are the start of the new era that will change how we think of the X-Men and the kinds of stories we tell with them. It all begins here.”

Beaming out of the pages of HOUSE OF X and POWERS OF X, the Children of the Atom seize the future.

	X-MEN #1 Written by Jonathan Hickman Penciled by Leinil Francis Yu Cover by Leinil Francis Yu A New Era Dawns for The X-Men! The X-Men find themselves in a whole new world of possibility… and things have never been better! Jonathan Hickman (House of X, Powers of X, Secret Wars) and superstar artist Leinil Yu (New Avengers, Captain America) reveal the saga of Cyclops and his hand-picked squad of mutant powerhouses!
	EXCALIBUR #1 Written by Tini Howard Penciled by Marcus To Cover by Mahmud Asrar On sale October 2019 A New Day is Forged! Mutantkind has always been special…as has their relationship with the world—or WORLDS—around them. As this new era dawns, a new connection forms between mutants and the magic of the world… and that of Otherworld! Can the new Captain Britain forge a new way through the chaos with her companions Rogue, Gambit, Jubilee, Rictor…and Apocalypse?!?
	MARAUDERS #1 Written by Gerry Duggan Penciled by Matteo Lolli Cover by Russel Dauterman On sale October 2019 The X-Men Sail at Dawn! Even in this glorious new dawn, Mutantkind faces hardships and oppression from their human counterparts. Led by Captain Kate Pryde and funded by Emma Frost and the Hellfire Trading Company, Marauders Storm, Pyro, Bishop and Iceman sail the seas of the world to protect those hated and feared!
	NEW MUTANTS #1 #1 Written by Jonathan Hickman & Ed Brisson #2 Written by Jonathan Hickman Penciled by Rod Reis Cover by Rod Reis On sale November 2019 The Next Generation Claims the Future! The classic New Mutants (Sunspot, Wolfsbane, Mirage, Karma, Magik, and Cypher) get together with a few new friends (Chamber, Mondo) to seek out their missing member and share the good news… a mission that takes them into space alongside the Starjammers!
	FALLEN ANGELS #1 Written by Bryan Edward Hill Penciled by Szymon Kudranski Cover by Ashley Witter On sale November 2019 Not All Belong in Paradise! Psylocke finds herself in this new world of Mutantkind unsure of her place in it… but when a face from her past returns only to be killed, she seeks help from others who feel similar to get vengeance. Cable and X-23 join Kwannon for a personal mission that could jeopardize all Mutantkind.
	X-FORCE #1 Written by Benjamin Percy Penciled by Joshua Cassara Cover by Dustin Weaver On sale November 2019 The Cost of The Future isn’t Cheap. X-Force is the CIA of the mutant world—one half intelligence branch, one half special ops. Beast, Jean Grey and Sage on one side, Wolverine, Kid Omega and Domino on the other. In a perfect world, there would be no need for an X-Force. We’re not there… yet.

Psylocke is Captain Britain, Leads Excalibur in the 'Dawn of X'

EXCALIBUR #1

Written by Tini Howard

Penciled by Marcus To

Cover by Mahmud Asrar

On sale October 2019

A NEW DAY IS FORGED!

Mutantkind has always been special…as has their relationship with the world—or WORLDS—around them. As this new era dawns, a new connection forms between mutants and the magic of the world… and that of Otherworld! Can the new Captain Britain forge a new way through the chaos with her companions Rogue, Gambit, Jubilee, Rictor…and Apocalypse?!?

Captain Britain - Betsy Braddock

Rogue

Gambit

Jubilee

Rictor

Apocalypse

House of X #1 Preview, Jonathan Hickman Reinvents Marvel's X-Men

House of X #1 (of 6)

Written by: Jonathan Hickman

Art by: Pepe Larraz

Colors by: Marte Gracia

Cover by: Pepe Larraz

The Story:

Face The Future

Superstar writer Jonathan Hickman (Secret Wars, Avengers, Fantastic Four) takes the reins of the X-Men universe! Since the release of Uncanny X-Men #1, there have been four seminal moments in the history of the X-Men. Giant-Sized X-Men. X-Men. Age of Apocalypse. New X-Men. Four iconic series that introduced a new era for Marvel’s mutants and revolutionized the X-Men. In House of X, Charles Xavier reveals his master plan for mutantkind…one that will bring mutants out of the shadow of mankind and into the light once more.

In Stores: July 24, 2019 

EW.com: The X-Men movie franchise reached its end earlier this year with Dark Phoenix, but a new era for X-Men comics is about to begin. Jonathan Hickman, the renowned writer who reinvigorated the Fantastic Four and the Avengers before bringing the entire Marvel Universe to the brink of collapse in 2015’s Secret Wars event series (while introducing characters who would go on to populate Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame), has a “multiyear plan” to restore the X-Men to their place of prominence at Marvel.

“You don’t want to do archaeology or nostalgia tropes,” Hickman tells EW ahead of his three programs at San Diego Comic-Con this weekend. “My job is to do new stuff with it, and launch us into a newer age of X-Men.”

It all starts this month, with two six-issue miniseries: House of X (illustrated by Pepe Larraz) and Powers of X (illustrated by R.B. Silva). According to Hickman, the former is set in the present, “inside the most pivotal period of time in the Marvel Universe,” while Powers of X looks at “mutants throughout the history of the Marvel Universe.” Big things are coming, but Hickman’s lifelong X-fandom has prepared him for the task.

“This is something I’ve been writing and rewriting in my head since I was a kid,” he says. “I’ve been in the kitchen for a long time with it. I get the ingredients, I get what makes a good meal.”

Longtime Hickman readers know that he loves to tell a single story across multiple comics at once, as he did with Avengers and Secret Avengers in the lead-up to Secret Wars. House of X and Powers of X will function similarly, with one issue a week from either series until they wrap up in the fall. That’s when the next stage of the plan begins, because the House of X/Powers of X conclusion will result in a massive relaunch of Marvel’s entire line of X-comics.

Fans can expect more information about what that will look like to be unveiled at Comic-Con. But in true Hickman style, it will involve massive plot machinations. As Hickman tells it, the massive, multiyear mega-stories he’s become famous for are all about playing to Marvel’s strengths.

“I have some general philosophies on what kind of work you should do at Marvel, that I try and adhere to. I think the stories should be big,” Hickman says. “Any time you can mine your continuity and the existing continuity of the company in a way that evokes a response from audience and not confusion, that’s powerful, and you’re crazy not to utilize it when you’re writing these books. The cardinal rule beyond that is at the end of the day, after you’ve torn up the playroom and scattered all the toys, you put everything all back on the shelf. Don’t be an a—hole and leave a mess.”

He adds, “You want to tell stories that matter, but the way you write things that matter in Marvel is that you’re not destructive, you’re additive. Yes, I may do things where I destroy the entire Marvel Universe, but I always put it back together, and in putting it together you add to it in a way that puts the characters in an interesting place and you haven’t ruined anybody else’s job.”

Though Hickman has only been writing comics for about a decade now, some of his concepts have already appeared on the big screen. The Black Order, originally introduced in his 2013 Infinity miniseries, changed their names to the Children of Thanos for the Infinity War film but arrived on the screen mostly intact. Internet rumors abound that Black Panther 2 might introduce Namor the Sub-Mariner as an antagonist; if true, such a development will owe a lot to the ways Hickman built up the relationship with those two characters over the course of his Secret Avengers comic.

Now that the Disney-Fox deal has officially cleared, it’s only a matter of time until Marvel Studios introduces the X-Men to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Might Hickman have as much of an impact on those as he’s had on recent Avengers movies? It’s not something he thinks about.

“I think one of the big mistakes that some people make at Marvel Comics is that we are reactive to what they’re doing in the Marvel films,” Hickman says. “We should not be taking our creative cues from the direction they’re taking things in the movies. That kind of defeats the point. They have a billion dollars to play with, and we don’t. You can’t compete in that matter, and you shouldn’t. My argument has been [that] I should always be way out in front of that stuff. All of that stuff is being drawn from source material. It goes back to, are you being destructive or are you being additive? If you’re being additive and you’re on the big books, it’s inevitable that some of that stuff is going to get used. When Marvel films gets around to the X-Men and we’ve done interesting stuff and they want to use it, that’s awesome. If they don’t, then they don’t. One makes your job expendable, the other one makes you priceless. I like having value to my work.”

House of X #1 hits stores July 24, with Powers of X #1 following on July 31.

Marvel’s Next Big Thing Panel
San Diego Comic -on - Room 6A
Saturday, July 20th, 1:45pm PST
DAWN OF X

X-MEN

MARAUDERS

EXCALIBUR

X-FORCE

NEW MUTANTS

FALLEN ANGELS