Monday, June 8, 2026

X-Men Monday #342 – Steve Orlando Talks ‘X-Men: Outback’

AIPT!: If you’re looking to get away this summer but don’t want to spend on airfare, consider the more affordable trip to Australia that Marvel Comics is offering in the form of X-Men: Outback. Written by Steve Orlando and illustrated by Stephen Segovia (with covers by Russell Dauterman), this retro limited series will present five issues of all-new adventures set during the X-Men’s fan-favorite Outback era. And to help you decide whether a trip to the Outback is in order, Steve returned to X-Men Monday to discuss his cast of X-Men and what you can expect. Let’s see what he has to say.



AIPT: Which character on the Outback team you were most excited to be writing a new bit of history for.

Orlando: As for who I’m excited to write a new bit of history for… I DO really like our Colossus and Psylocke-focused issue, our third. We get to build out some of Colossus’s backstory as well as allude to stories we know are still to come. But that being said, I think our fifth issue, where we meet Longshot’s ex from his time as a revolutionary in Mojoworld, has probably been the one I’m most excited for as far as new history for characters. 

AIPT: You have a big team to juggle, but what excites you about writing Betsy in the Outback era, and was there anything you wanted to explore or delve into that you think will be supplemental?

Orlando: With Psylocke, in this era, she has just begun to wear her armor—she believes she could be a liability, even if others don’t. So we’ll see her find the confidence we know she has waiting—and she will, of course, be a force. Betsy plays into the resolution of our first issue and gets a spotlight along with Colossus in our third—though, of course, everyone appears in each issue. But much like in the original run, some folks will step into the spotlight more than others depending on the issue. This is an era where Betsy is questioning herself, but everyone can see the strength she has—watching her discover, or rediscover it, I think, is one of the heights of the era.

X-Men: Outback #4 (of 5)
Written by: Steve Orlando
Art by: Stephen Segovia
Cover by: Russell Dauterman
The Morlocks Of The Outback Are In Trouble – And Only The X-Men Can Help!
Havok and Madelyne Pryor must help the Morlocks of Australia escape from the Lava Men! Can even Havok withstand the heat? Will these X-Men be able to establish a truce between the Lava Men and the Morlocks before Maddie’s fiery visions of the future come true?
On Sale 9/16

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