X-Men: Outback #4 Art

X-Men '97: Season Two #4 Art

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X-Men ’97 Week, Part Five: Psylocke Takes on the Avengers

07 • COMIC BOOK

X-Men ’97: Strike Files Infinity Comic (Vol. 1) #6

Following the rescue of the imprisoned young mutants, the X-Force jet became severely overcrowded. Sunspot teased Archangel and Psylocke, suggesting that beneath their hardened exteriors they must feel proud of having saved the children. The team delivered the young mutants safely to the Xavier School, but remained aboard to avoid exposing their location or mission. Their caution proved justified, as Black Widow secretly observed the drop-off and attached a tracking device to the underside of their jet.

Running low on fuel, X-Force landed at one of Cable’s supply caches hidden in a snowy mountain region. Psylocke and her teammates were immediately confronted by the Avengers, who had tracked them there to arrest them for disrupting X-Factor’s government-sanctioned operations. Captain America attempted to persuade Cable to surrender peacefully, but Cable opened fire, triggering a full-scale battle between X-Force and the Avengers.

During the fight, Psylocke faced Hawkeye and attacked with silent, relentless precision. Wielding her katana, she rapidly overwhelmed the Avenger with her superior martial arts skills and prevented him from mounting an effective defense. Hawkeye desperately called for assistance, complaining that although Psylocke had barely said a word, she was thoroughly beating him. Hercules offered to help only after dealing with Sunspot, leaving Hawkeye struggling to withstand Psylocke’s assault alone.

The battle ended when Cable threatened to destroy the fuel cache and trigger an avalanche upon the town below, forcing Captain America to order the Avengers to stand down. As Psylocke and the others returned to the jet, Captain America warned Jubilee that X-Force’s extreme methods would eventually lead them too far. Jubilee admitted that this was precisely why she remained with the team: someone needed to keep its dark mission under control. With the Avengers unable to intervene, Psylocke and X-Force escaped and continued their hunt for Apocalypse.

08 • ANIMATED SERIES

X-Men ’97: Season 2, Episode 7 — “Strange Land, Savage Heart”

While the X-Men confronted the Acolytes in the Savage Land, Psylocke joined Cable and X-Force in tracking Apocalypse to a hidden lair beneath the Parthenon in Athens. Expecting a confrontation, the team instead discovered Apocalypse’s skeletal remains surrounded by fragments of his technology, suggesting that the immortal tyrant was dead or had somehow abandoned his body. Jubilee then found one of Gambit’s distinctive playing cards nearby, confirming that Apocalypse had resurrected him as the Horseman Death. The discovery shifted X-Force’s mission toward the possibility that Gambit now carried Apocalypse’s legacy and represented the greater threat.

X-Men ’97 Week, Part Three: Psylocke Uncovers Apocalypse’s Secret

05 • COMIC BOOK

X-Men ’97: Season Two (Vol. 1) #3

X-Force’s next mission took them to a clandestine auction of rare artifacts in Madripoor, where Pestilence unleashed her plagues in a desperate attempt to seize an opal recovered from one of Apocalypse’s tombs and regain his favor. When X-Force stormed the auction, Psylocke joined her teammates in battle and observed that the Horsemen had begun turning against one another. Pestilence confirmed her suspicions by declaring that neither X-Force nor Famine would stand in her way. Archangel ultimately defeated Pestilence, allowing the team to escape with the opal.

Aboard their jet high above the Pacific, tensions remained high as the hunt for Apocalypse continued. Psylocke stepped forward holding the glowing red gemstone and identified it as the Opal of Ozymandias. She recounted how Ozymandias, once a pharaoh’s son consumed by his pursuit of power, had been overthrown by En Sabah Nur—Apocalypse—and cursed with prophetic vision and eternal servitude as the chronicler of the tyrant’s deeds throughout history.

When Cable impatiently demanded to know whether the artifact retained enough power to locate Apocalypse, Psylocke remained unfazed. Purple butterfly energy bloomed around her face as she activated her psychometric abilities and reached into the memories preserved within the stone. The accumulated anger, pain, and relentless will to survive nearly overwhelmed her. More unexpectedly, she discovered the X-Men themselves woven into Apocalypse’s ancient past, revealing that their histories were far more deeply entangled than she had realized.

With Cable’s assistance, Psylocke pushed deeper into the opal’s memories. They witnessed the newly named Apocalypse vowing vengeance against the remnants of Rama-Tut’s empire while embracing Candra and testing her suitability as his queen. The visions then shifted to Ozymandias discovering Rama-Tut’s hidden technology, only to be ambushed by Apocalypse and transformed into an immortal seer condemned to record his conqueror’s deeds for eternity.

The visions continued as Apocalypse brought a massive boulder down upon the crusader Bennet du Paris to teach him that “survival is not enough.” Psylocke and Cable then witnessed Ozymandias advise Apocalypse to father an heir rather than continue searching for a new vessel. When the face of Famine suddenly emerged within the memories, the psychic connection surged beyond Psylocke’s control and violently hurled both her and Cable backward across the jet.

Archangel rushed to steady the shaken Psylocke as she voiced her fear that Apocalypse’s heir might already have been born and hidden from the world. Cable recovered and immediately relayed the revelation to the rest of X-Force. Their mission had suddenly become far more dangerous: they were no longer simply hunting Apocalypse, but preparing for the possible existence of his secret child.

PUBLICATION NOTE • ONGOING

The Story Continues

X-Men ’97: Season Two is still ongoing. Issues #4 and #5 are scheduled for release on September 2 and October 14, 2026, respectively. The story of X-Force and Psylocke then continues in Episode 2 of the animated series.

X-Men ’97 Week, Part Two: Psylocke Trains the New X-Force

04 • COMIC BOOK

X-Men ’97: Season Two (Vol. 1) #2

After Jubilee and Sunspot were successfully recruited into X-Force, Psylocke relentlessly drilled the young mutants in hand-to-hand combat at the team’s clandestine base. She pushed the young mutants far harder than their standard training sessions, emphasizing that their enemies strike to kill and there is no room for hesitation in X-Force.

Cable and Archangel interrupted the sparring session to distribute new tactical uniforms to the recruits. Cable immediately initiated a mission briefing, explaining that former Horseman War was actively establishing safe houses to orchestrate Apocalypse’s return. To stop this, X-Force needed to hunt down Apocalypse’s remaining Horsemen—War, Famine, and Pestilence—by utilizing the psionic tracking abilities of the mutant Caliban.

The team descended into the dark Morlock tunnels beneath New York City to search for their tracker. An encounter with an elderly Morlock named Annalee quickly proved to be a trap. X-Force was suddenly ambushed by a militant group of mutants known as the Acolytes.

A fierce battle erupted in the underground corridors as the Acolytes attacked through a thick cloud of smoke, courtesy of Amelia Voght. Psylocke engaged in close-quarters combat, utilizing her psychic blade to strike down Barnacle, while Cable exchanged heavy fire with Frenzy. During the standoff, the Acolytes revealed they were in the tunnels to recruit the surviving Morlocks into a new movement led by Exodus.

While the two factions argued, Jubilee located a terrified Caliban hiding in the shadows. After a gentle plea, Caliban agreed to point them in the right direction to stop Apocalypse. Unwilling to wait, Psylocke sneaked up behind Caliban and violently amplified his tracking powers with her telepathy, forcefully extracting the target locations from his mind against his will.

Jubilee was furious at the violation, shouting that Caliban had already been willing to help them. Psylocke remained entirely unrepentant, coldly stating that Apocalypse plans in eons and X-Force did not have seconds to spare. With the necessary coordinates acquired, Cable commanded the team to lock and load, leaving the Acolytes behind as they set off to eliminate the targets on their strike list.

X-Men ’97 Week, Part One: Psylocke Joins X-Force

01 • COMIC BOOK

X-Men ’97: Strike Files Infinity Comic (Vol. 1) #2

Believing that Apocalypse will eventually return, Cable recruits Psylocke and Archangel—both former victims of the villain—to form his new team: X-Force.

Reflecting on his past, Cable recalls the painful death of Askani, the woman who raised him. In her final moments, she prophesied that he would become the “cable” binding the past, present, and future. She explained that he was destined to carry this heavy burden and face Apocalypse because he is strong enough to endure the pain, and because the villain fears Cable’s deep understanding of human connections.

Snapping back to the present, a hardened Cable reveals his true intentions. He warns Psylocke and Archangel that X-Force’s foundational mission is not just to stop Apocalypse, but to absolutely and completely destroy him, giving them a final ultimatum: fall in line with the cause or get out of his way.

02 • COMIC BOOK

X-Men ’97: Season Two (Vol. 1) #1

Psylocke and X-Force investigated Clan Akkaba, a cult that worshipped Apocalypse, hoping to uncover details about his planned return. Because the captured cultists preferred death over revealing any information about their “High Lord,” the team decided to use a captive clansman as bait. Their objective was to lure out the Alliance of Evil, a group they believed were Apocalypse’s low-rent lackeys.

The trap worked flawlessly, drawing the Alliance of Evil into an abandoned bar where X-Force immediately engaged them in battle. During the violent clash, Cable and Archangel launched a direct attack against Tower, while Psylocke maneuvered to strike Timeshadow from behind.

After neutralizing the initial threats, the team cornered Stinger, the final remaining member of the Alliance. Psylocke stood by and remained completely silent while Cable interrogated their captive. During the interrogation, Stinger mistakenly assumed the team was the X-Men, prompting Cable to coldly correct her, remarking that they were nothing like the X-Men.

03 • ANIMATED SERIES

X-Men ’97: Season 2, Episode 1 — “Days of Past Future”

During a strategic briefing, Cable reflected on the impending reign of Apocalypse, declaring that their small group was all that was left to stop the villain.

Standing confidently with her arms crossed, Psylocke delivered a critical intelligence update. She informed Cable that she had successfully managed to pick up a trail of the last of his horsemen. Maintaining her composure, Psylocke further warned the team that their intel indicated this remaining enemy would be a bit of a handful.

After the blue-skinned Archangel asked what their next move should be, Cable stepped forward and handed a confidential dossier directly to Psylocke. She took the folder and opened it, carefully examining the contents alongside Archangel. As Psylocke studied the document—which revealed photographs of young mutants like Jubilee and Sunspot—Cable walked past her toward the ship’s cockpit, announcing that their immediate mission was recruitment.

X-Men: Outback #2 Art

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.

Marvel Swimsuit Special: Brand New Beach Day #1 Spoilers & Art

Spoilers: The X-Men spend a sunny day by the pool. Some of them play pool volleyball, while Psylocke, Jean Grey, and Rogue prefer to sunbathe and watch the men. Meanwhile, Beast feels insecure about his non-human appearance.

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