X-Men: Outback #4 Variant Cover by Kendrick Lim

X-Men Monday #348 – Christopher Yost Talks ‘Maximum X-Men’

AIPT!: While Maximum X-Men won’t launch until December 2, 2026, Christopher Yost was nice enough to make his X-Men Monday debut to shed a bit more light on what we can expect. Let’s see what he has to say.

Before anyone panics over Yost saying Betsy “won’t be going by the name Psylocke here,” remember that she is specifically called Psylocke in the solicitation, and Marvel previously confirmed directly to The Beat’s Samantha Puc that “Betsy is Psylocke in Maximum X-Men.” So there is clearly an in-story reason for this deliberate vagueness, and we will only find out what it is when Maximum X-Men #1 comes out. Meanwhile, have fun!

AIPT: Welcome to X-Men Monday, Christopher! A team of X-Men filling the gap left by the Avengers in a post-Armageddon world. What can you share about how this concept and your involvement came about?

Christopher Yost: Tom Brevoort reached out to me, looking for a take on a new action-focused book coming out of Armageddon, and I jumped at the chance. I grew up with the X-Men, I’ve written any number of X-books over the years, and the idea of X-Men taking on Avengers villains is nothing but fun. We talked about various villains, but landed on Annihilus as the first threat the Max team would take on. But nothing’s ever simple for the X-Men, so an invasion from the Negative Zone becomes much more complicated by the end of issue 2.

AIPT: From Storm leading to Betsy Braddock back in action (and apparently going by Psylocke again) to Justice joining the X-Men — this team has fans talking. How did you go about assembling your Maximum X-Men, and what has you most excited about this particular group and their dynamics?

Christopher: I wanted a team that looked and felt like Chris Claremont and Jim Lee’s X-Men run, even to the point of leaning into the blue-and-yellow uniforms for most of the cast.

Assembling an X-team is always fun, but we wanted big names with big powers, and of course it’s a shared sandbox, so I always look to be respectful of what the other X-writers are doing and who they’re using. There’s a little crossover here and there, but we’re more like an event book than ongoing drama. Although we are ongoing, to be clear. But characters like Storm, Wolverine, Colossus, Betsy (who won’t be going by the name Psylocke here)… they just scream X-MEN.

AIPT: Firestar and Justice’s journey throughout Kurt Busiek and George Pérez’s Avengers was a highlight of the run. What can you tease about Vance settling into this team and fighting alongside the likes of Wolverine, Colossus, and Bishop?

Christopher: I love Firestar and Vance, and have used them both in either New Warriors books or an X-title in the past. Sometimes it’s good to have characters you aren’t sharing so you can mess with them a little more. Firestar’s had a rocky road, and this is the start of her journey back into the light. Vance doesn’t really want to be an X-Man, but sees the need. He’s a hero through and through; he can’t HELP but be a hero. And of course, we’re going to make him regret that.

AIPT: We’ve had Avengers-like X-teams before, such as the Uncanny Avengers. What, in your opinion, makes the Maximum X-Men unique from what we’ve seen before?

Christopher: This isn’t a merging of teams; this isn’t the Unity squad. This is the X-Men stepping up to do the job when the Avengers can’t. One of my favorite moments of all time is during the ’80s Secret Wars, when the X-Men take on Galactus while the Avengers are dealing with the various super-villains. Did they get stomped on? Sure. But they stepped up. This is going to be a lot like that. They’re HEROES, first and foremost. This isn’t them fighting for survival; this isn’t them fighting each other… this is the X-Men protecting a world that hates and fears them.

AIPT: You mentioned Annihilus… what can you share about the types of adversaries the Maximum X-Men will be facing off against?

Christopher: Annihilus kicks us off, alongside a slew of Negative Zone baddies. But there’s a new villain we’re introducing called RETRIBUTION who is going to flip everything upside down. And after that… I’m not allowed to say. But we’re elevating someone to a THANOS/Infinity Gauntlet level threat.

AIPT: Finally, it’s early days still, but how excited are you to be working with Tony S. Daniel on this series?

Christopher: I could not be happier to work with Tony. I’ve been a fan forever and am so excited to see his pages come in! He’s never done Wolverine before! He’s never drawn Spider-Man before! He’s excited to dig into this, so I’m throwing everything I can at him. We’ve got big stuff cooking, and he’s crushing it.

2026: The Year Everything Came Together for Betsy Braddock

After this week’s incredible announcements—Captain Britain 50th Anniversary Special and Betsy Braddock’s return as Psylocke in Maximum X-Men—perhaps it is time for us to do something different. For years, Betsy fans have written to the X-Office at officex@marvel.com asking Marvel not to forget her, requesting a meaningful role for her within the X-Men franchise and patiently reminding the editors how much this character means to us. Now, for the first time, it would not hurt to send an email simply to say thank you. Thank you for listening to our voices, acknowledging our enthusiasm and allowing everything to align so perfectly for Betsy’s 50th anniversary—and her 40th anniversary as Psylocke.

Comic books are cyclical by nature. Sometimes a character must remain on the sidelines while others receive their opportunity to shine, until the wheel turns and their moment arrives again. That waiting can be frustrating, especially when you know how much untapped potential your favorite character still possesses. But 2026 will always be remembered as the year Betsy’s moment finally returned: a year in which readers were invited to revisit two quintessential periods of her history through Psylocke: Ninja and X-Men: Outback, before the celebration culminates in her return to the X-Men as Psylocke—the codename she originated, shaped and made unmistakably her own.

It is remarkable to look back at how we reached this point. Following the confirmation of X-Force’s cancellation in February 2025, Betsy fans began emailing the X-Office and participating in repeated campaigns through this blog and X-Men Monday. In April, Tom Brevoort publicly recognized the “conglomeration of Betsy Braddock fans” who had been vocal about wanting her to appear in another series. By June, he acknowledged that the outpouring of support had been encouraging. We continued writing, submitting questions and campaigning throughout the announcement of the Shadows of Tomorrow era—not knowing exactly what was being developed, but refusing to let Betsy disappear.

Then the pieces began falling into place. Psylocke: Ninja was announced in October 2025, followed by confirmation that Marvel had plans to recognize Betsy’s 50th anniversary. In February 2026, X-Men: Outback was revealed, returning Betsy to one of the most defining periods of Chris Claremont’s original run. X-Men: The Hellfire Murder followed, along with Hasbro’s Outback-era Psylocke figure. Finally, July delivered the perfect conclusion: an oversized special celebrating the Braddock legacy and Maximum X-Men, a major new ongoing series in which Betsy rejoins the X-Men on Storm’s elite team and reclaims the Psylocke identity.

And that is without even mentioning X-Men ’97, also premiering in July, which introduced a British-accented Psylocke joining X-Force. I have not covered her on the blog yet because I want to be 100% certain that she is, in fact, Betsy Braddock—after all, this blog is, and always will be, exclusively dedicated to Betsy Braddock. 😉

Please consider emailing officex@marvel.com and thanking Senior Editor Tom Brevoort, as well as former Marvel editor Darren Shan, who helped bring Psylocke: Ninja and X-Men: Outback to life. Thank Marvel for Maximum X-Men, and welcome Christopher Yost and Tony S. Daniel as the creative team guiding Betsy into this new era. We should also express our gratitude to Chris Claremont, Alan Davis, Dan Abnett, Paul Davidson and Kelsey Ramsay for contributing to Captain Britain 50th Anniversary Special.

And finally, we must thank our dear Chris Hassan, writer and editor at AIPT, who has welcomed Betsy’s fans with open arms. Through X-Men Monday, Chris has consistently passed our questions about Betsy along to Marvel’s editors and creators, giving fans a respectful and meaningful way to make their voices heard. You can thank him directly on X at @ChrisAHassan.

We cannot know how much influence any individual email or submitted question ultimately had, but we do know that our support was noticed—and that patience, persistence and passion helped keep Betsy part of the conversation. So let us celebrate this victory together and, for once, fill the X-Office’s inbox not with requests, but with gratitude.

Thank you for bringing Betsy Braddock home.

Long live Psylocke.

X-Men: Outback #2 Art

X-Men: Outback #2 Spoilers

Spoilers: With the X-Men believed to be dead, Mojo scolds Major Domo for failing to find a suitable replacement capable of maintaining their ratings. Among the possible new programs is a pitch from Molto for a channel called Murder Television, which would broadcast footage of Earth’s most sensational murders.

In the Australian Outback, Colossus opens up to Psylocke about feeling as though he is mourning his own life. Although the X-Men survived their apparent deaths, they must now remain hidden from the world, leaving him trapped in a strange state of post-rebirth isolation. Betsy comforts him and admits that she has insecurities of her own. She fears that she may be a liability to the team, which is why she has become so dependent on wearing her armor.

Meanwhile, Storm, Wolverine, Longshot, Dazzler, and Rogue enjoy a cookout together. Longshot appears to be having a great time, while Dazzler and Rogue finally seem to be getting along better.

Back in Cooterman’s Creek, Madelyne Pryor is struggling emotionally after seeing Cyclops and Jean Grey together on television. She becomes increasingly obsessed with gaining access to the Reavers’ computer system, much to Havok’s concern. After uncovering a section of heavily obfuscated code, Madelyne accidentally activates the Reavers’ security protocol and releases Godshredder, an advanced technological soldier designed as their final line of defense.

While the X-Men sleep, Godshredder releases a swarm of microscopic drones that they unknowingly inhale. The drones successfully take control of most of the team, but Wolverine detects his before it can fully subdue him. Under Godshredder’s control, the other X-Men surround Logan and prepare to attack.

Wolverine escapes into the Outback, pursued by his mind-controlled teammates. Determined not to seriously injure his friends, he initially fights without using his claws. He takes them down one by one, beginning with Dazzler and Longshot before defeating Havok. Storm proves to be one of his most dangerous opponents, but Logan eventually overcomes her as well. When Psylocke attacks, he overwhelms her telepathically by flooding her mind with his berserker rage.

Against Rogue, Wolverine deliberately uses his claws because she can absorb his healing factor and recover from the wounds. Colossus is the final X-Man left standing, and his armored form makes him nearly impossible for Logan to hurt. Wolverine provokes him into charging headfirst, causing the two of them to collide. Both are injured by the impact, but only Logan can heal quickly enough to continue fighting.

Godshredder then confronts Wolverine personally. Their battle is brutal and bloody, with Godshredder burning the flesh from Logan’s arms until only the adamantium-coated bones remain. During the fight, Godshredder reveals that the man inside the armor was once one of the Hellfire Club guards Wolverine mutilated during the Dark Phoenix Saga.

After defeating him, Wolverine realizes that almost nothing remains of the man beneath the Godshredder armor. Unable to save him, Logan delivers a mercy killing. He admits that he cannot honestly say he is sorry for what he did years ago, but he still gives the man a proper burial overlooking the beautiful Australian Outback.

X-Men: Outback #2 Preview

X-Men: Outback #2

Writer: Steve Orlando

Art by: Stephen Segovia

Cover by: Russell Dauterman

The Story:

CHAOS IN THE OUTBACK! With the world believing them dead, the X-Men have relocated to the Reavers’ abandoned headquarters. But when an old Reavers security system is set off, the team must protect themselves from their own home! With the X-Men down, can Wolverine save them? Or will the team be torn apart by the most dangerous Reaver ever?

In Stores: July 29, 2026

Betsy Braddock is PSYLOCKE and Joins the MAXIMUM X-MEN

Marvel.com: Earth’s Mightiest Mutants assemble! Earlier today at the Marvel Comics: Avengers: Armageddon panel at San Diego Comic-Con, superstar writer Chip Zdarsky shed light on the era that follows AVENGERS: ARMAGEDDON (2026), including his upcoming AVENGERS (2026) run with Marco Checchetto, where the Avengers are left to pick up the pieces of a shattered world that’s turned against them. As the Avengers take time to regroup, an all-new X-Men team rises to take their place as Earth’s Mightiest Heroes in MAXIMUM X-MEN, a new ongoing series by acclaimed writer Christopher Yost—returning to the X-Men after his acclaimed work on the franchise in the 2010s—and artist Tony S. Daniel, who recently made his own return to the world of X in Jed MacKay's X-MEN (2024).

MAXIMUM X-MEN #1

Written by Christopher Yost

Art and Cover by Tony S. Daniel

On Sale 12/2

Together, the two X-Men veterans introduce an all-new, all-different kind of X-team as Storm, fresh off her stint with Avengers, recruits a lineup of all-star mutant heroes—including X-Men mainstays and a pair of iconic mutant Avengers—to confront global threats no other team is equipped to deal with, beginning with nothing less than a relentless inter-dimensional invasion! Both creators joined the panel as surprise guests to discuss the new series.

In the wake of the events of AVENGERS: ARMAGEDDON, Earth’s Mightiest Heroes are no more! So who will stand in defense of the Earth? The X-Men will! Storm gathers an elite team for just that task, including Wolverine, Colossus, Bishop, Iceman, Psylocke, Firestar, and Justice! Mutants by birth, heroes by choice! And their first challenge is a full-on invasion from the Negative Zone! Is this Annihilus again—or something far, far worse?

On reuniting with Marvel’s Merry Mutants, Yost shared, “I’ve worked on my fair share of X-Books over the years, but MAXIMUM X-MEN is everything I love about comics rolled into one—it’s underdog heroes saving the world from the biggest Avengers-level threats imaginable, it’s mind-breaking action and drama and everything people expect from X-Men, all with a classic Claremont vibe. Rolling MAXIMUM X-MEN out as part of the new world post-Armageddon only lets us spotlight the need for a story like this… and to top it all off, I get to work with legendary artist Tony Daniel. As a lifelong X-Men fan, it doesn’t get any better!”

“The X-Men have long been my favorite characters since discovering GIANT-SIZE X-MEN (1975) #1 in the fourth grade,” Daniel added. “I’ve always dreamed of working on my favorite characters, so it’s an incredible honor to launch MAXIMUM X-MEN with Chris. I’ve been a fan of Chris’s writing for a long time, but this is our first time joining forces. I’m already in love with the story in the first issue. Its vibe and energy remind me so much of the kind of X-Men stories I loved as a child, and I can’t wait for the audience to see what we have in store.”

X-Men: The Hellfire Murder #1 Spoilers & Art

Spoilers: Sebastian Shaw hosts a Hellfire Gala at his mansion and invites several of mutantkind’s most influential figures. During his speech, Shaw criticizes the X-Men for their poor handling of Graymalkin Prison and argues that mutants need a leader who is willing to fight more aggressively on their behalf. Shaw has installed telepathic dampeners throughout the building, preventing the telepaths in attendance from freely using their abilities. Shaw attempts to gather support for a new mutant initiative. Mister Sinister refuses Shaw’s invitation to join his endeavor, while Angel gets into a confrontation with Sinister. Storm, Betsy Braddock, and Kitty Pryde also openly clash with Shaw. Shaw later approaches Hellion and attempts to recruit him, but Emma Frost interrupts their conversation.

Idie Okonkwo sneaks into the Gala without an invitation and spends much of the evening with Ransom. Elsewhere at the Gala, Cyclops and Kwannon secretly coordinate a plan to assassinate Joseph and Astra, the leaders of 3K. They intend to eliminate them quietly during the event without the other guests discovering what they have done. Mastermind, Martinique Wyngarde, asks Kitty Pryde to dance and flirts with her. Emma Frost and Namor slip away from the main party and enter a hidden room so they can spend some private time together.

Wolverine’s heightened senses eventually alert him that something is wrong. Jubilee follows him as he investigates, and the two discover Sebastian Shaw’s body. Because Shaw’s vital signs have been compromised, the mansion automatically enters lockdown. The exits are sealed, and security drones are activated throughout the building. Angel, Storm, Kitty, and Betsy work together to disable the drones. News of Shaw’s death quickly spreads throughout the Gala.

Emma joins Wolverine and Jubilee in the room where Shaw’s body was found. Wolverine initially suspects that she may have been involved, but Emma claims that she was with Namor the entire time. Wolverine determines that Shaw was exposed to nerve gas and estimates that he has been dead for at least twenty minutes. However, several guests claim that they saw Shaw alive only ten minutes earlier, creating an apparent contradiction in the timeline.

Wolverine and Jubilee begin questioning the guests and investigating the murder. Suspicion quickly falls on Joseph and Astra. Several attendees accuse the two 3K leaders of killing Shaw, and their refusal to cooperate with Wolverine’s questions only makes them appear more guilty. Because of the murder investigation and the growing attention surrounding Joseph and Astra, Cyclops and Kwannon abandon their assassination plan. Joseph and Astra eventually teleport away from the Gala after being publicly accused of Shaw’s murder.

Wolverine then searches the mansion’s security room and discovers Toad behaving suspiciously. Before Wolverine can stop him, Mystique—disguised as Jubilee—helps Toad escape. Wolverine follows their trail to another room, where he discovers a newly formed Brotherhood consisting of Mystique, Destiny, Martinique Wyngarde as Mastermind, Toad, and Empath.

The Brotherhood reveals that Shaw had been planning to use Forge’s mutant power-dampening weapon against everyone attending the Gala. In response, they conspired to kill him and seize control of his financial assets. Mystique shapeshifted into Shaw so that the mansion’s security system would identify the real Shaw as an impostor and release the nerve gas against him. Mastermind used her illusions to make it appear that Shaw was still moving through the party after his death, while Empath manipulated the guests’ emotions to turn them against Joseph and Astra, making the two 3K leaders the perfect scapegoats.

Their new organization, effectively a Hellfire Brotherhood, intends to use Shaw’s stolen wealth and resources to support mutantkind. The Brotherhood asks Wolverine to keep their involvement secret, arguing that exposing them would undermine the greater good they hope to accomplish. Wolverine agrees. To the rest of the world, Joseph and Astra remain the primary suspects in Sebastian Shaw’s murder. They are publicly blamed for the crime after fleeing the scene. The Gala ends, and the guests leave Shaw’s mansion.

A few days later, Wolverine meets Emma Frost for a drink. During their conversation, Wolverine reveals that Shaw had already stopped breathing before the Brotherhood’s nerve gas reached him. Shaw’s actual cause of death was a massive psychic overload. Wolverine therefore knows that Emma was responsible for killing Shaw, with Namor serving as her alibi while they were alone together. Despite knowing the truth, Wolverine tells Emma that he has no intention of exposing her.

Captain Britain 50th Anniversary Special #1 Textless Variant by David Mack

Marvel Announces Captain Britain 50th Anniversary Special #1

Marvel: The oversized Captain Britain 50th Anniversary Special celebrates five decades of Brian and Betsy Braddock with stories by Chris Claremont, Alan Davis, and Dan Abnett. For Claremont, the milestone is especially meaningful.

“It’s so much fun to return to this group of good friends. Hard to believe 50 years have passed since Herb Trimpe and I first created these characters,” Claremont said. “As a kid raised on British comics, I was thrilled to be asked to create Britain’s own superheroes. What fun to again put them through their paces! For everyone who loves Brian’s twin sister Betsy, this one’s for you!”

Read on for the Captain Britain 50th Anniversary Special one-shot’s details.

Captain Britain 50th Anniversary Special #1

Written by: Alan Davis, Chris Claremont, Dan Abnett

Art by: Alan Davis, Paul Davidson, Kelsey Ramsay

Cover by: Alan Davis

Variant Cover by: David Mack

Live by the Sword!

Join us for a golden jubilee to commemorate fifty years of Brian and Betsy Braddock, champions of the multiversal Captain Britain Corps! Chris Claremont & Paul Davidson weave a tale of Brian’s earliest days defending the realm! Alan Davis shows what happens when you try to rein in a Braddock! And Dan Abnett & Kelsey Ramsay pit Betsy against the forces of Otherworld. Witness a can’t-miss glimpse at the past, present and future of these powerhouse twins!

On Sale 10/14