House of X #4 Connecting Variant Cover by Jorge Molina

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

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!

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

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

House of X #2 Connecting Variant Cover by Yasmine Putri

X-Solicits for September 2019

	House of X #4 & 5 (of 6) Jonathan Hickman (W) • Pepe Larraz (A/C) Issue #4 & #5 - Flower Variant Covers by: Sara Pichelli Issue #4 & #5 - Variant Covers by: Mike Huddleston Issue #4 & #5 - Action Figure Variant Covers by: John Tyler Christopher Issue #4 & #5 - Character Decades Variant Covers by: TBA Issue #4 & #5 - Young Variant Covers by: Skottie Young Issue #4 & #5 - Virgin Variant Covers by: Pepe Larraz Issue #4 - Connecting Variant Cover by: Jorge Molina Issue #5 - Connecting Variant Cover by: TBA Xavier’s dream turns deadly for some of his students as they fight back against the humans’ plan to eliminate them. Superstar writer Jonathan Hickman (Fantastic Four, Avengers, Secret Wars) continues his reshaping of the X-Universe alongside Young Gun artist Pepe Larraz (Extermination, Avengers). The Future of the X-Men begins here!
	Powers of X #4 & 5 (of 6) Jonathan Hickman (W) • R.B. Silva (A/C) Issue #4 & #5 - New Character Variant Covers by: Dustin Weaver Issue #4 & #5 - Variant Covers by: Mike Huddleston Issue #4 & #5 - Action Figure Variant Covers by: John Tyler Christopher Issue #4 & #5 - Character Decades Variant Covers by: TBA Issue #4 & #5 - Young Variant Covers by: Skottie Young Issue #4 & #5 - Virgin Variant Covers by: R.B. Silva Issue #4 - Connecting Variant Cover by: Jorge Molina Issue #5 - Connecting Variant Cover by: TBA As Cerebro does as it was intended to do, Sinister does what Sinister does best and the future comes to an end. Superstar writer Jonathan Hickman (FF, New Avengers, Infinity) continues his reshaping of X-History alongside breakout artist R.B. Silva (Uncanny X-Men). The Future of the X-Men begins here!

X-Solicits for August 2019

	House of X #2 & 3 (of 6) Jonathan Hickman (W) • Pepe Larraz (A/C) Issue #2 & #3 - Virgin Variant Covers by: Pepe Larraz Issue #2 & #3 - Flower Variant Covers by: Sara Pichelli Issue #2 & #3 - Decades Variant Covers by: TBA Issue #2 & #3 - Connecting Variant Covers by: Yasmine Putri & Mahmud Asrar Issue #2 & #3 - Young Variant Covers by: Skottie Young Issue #2 & #3 - Action Figure Variant Covers by: John Tyler Christopher Learn the truth about one of the X-Men’s closest allies…and then begin the fight for the future of mutantkind! Superstar writer Jonathan Hickman (Avengers, Secret Wars, Fantastic Four) continues reshaping the X-Men’s world with Marvel Young Gun artist Pepe Larraz (Extermination, Avengers)!
	Powers of X #2 & 3 (of 6) Jonathan Hickman (W) • R.B. Silva (A/C) Issue #2 & #3 - Virgin Variant Covers by: R.B. Silva Issue #2 & #3 - New Character Variant Covers by: Dustin Weaver Issue #2 & #3 - Decades Variant Covers by: TBA Issue #2 & #3 - Young Variant Covers by: Skottie Young Issue #2 & #3 - Action Figure Variant Covers by: John Tyler Christopher Issue #2 & #3 - Connecting Variant Covers by: Yasmine Putri & Mahmud Asrar As Xavier sows the seeds of the past, the X-Men’s future blossoms into trouble for all mutantdom. Superstar writer Jonathan Hickman (New Avengers, Infinity, FF) continues reshaping the X-Men’s past, present and future with breakout artist R.B. Silva (Uncanny X-Men)!

Jonathan Hickman Peels Back the Curtain on His X-Men Run

CBR: The month of July marks the release of House of X and Powers of X, two series which kick off writer Jonathan Hickman's upcoming tenure on Marvel's X-Men. Illustrated by artists Pepe Larraz and R.B. Silva, respectively, the pair of six-issue miniseries will eventually lead to an all-new era for Marvel's merry mutants under Hickman's guidance. CBR spoke with Hickman about House of X and Powers of X to find out more about the mysterious series.

CBR: In your interview last week, you mentioned when you were pitching ideas for the X-Men, you thought about what the X-Men line needed. Specifically, what do you think has been missing from the line over the last several years?

Jonathan Hickman: Well, that's a super loaded question.

I can assure you that what hasn't been missing is talent. A lot of very good creators have worked on these books, and in the previous decade I was at Marvel, many of them were good friends of mine. You can certainly make the argument that when Bendis was writing the books he was doing interesting stuff and was working with a murderer's row of artist -- I honestly can't remember when the X-line has looked better than that. But I remember the day he quit those books, and why, and it's important to keep in mind that a lot of this job of ours is alchemy, not chemistry.

Sometimes the company's interests lie in other places. Sometimes your timing is bad and the market conspires against you. Sometimes the real world gets in the way of how a story is perceived. Sometimes competitors knock one out of the park and eat all the oxygen in the room. These are things it takes a colossal amount of effort, time, and money to control.

There, of course, are factors you can control, and one I think about a lot is value.

I don't know if you've been paying attention to what Tomm Coker and I have been doing over at Image on The Black Monday Murders, but we started experimenting with larger issues at a higher price point. We'd do an issue with 30 pages of comic art and 20-30 pages of data that supports the story and what we found was 1.) it provided a much denser read -- there was way more meat on the bone compared to a normal monthly comic, and 2.) because all the data was interspersed throughout the book it had an asymmetrical read that changed the normal monthly comic reading rhythms.

And by that last bit I mean that if you are reading a 20 page comic, you know what's happening on page 19. You've consumed enough pop culture that you're not going to really be surprised when you turn that page. I mean, you might be, but you certainly saw something coming. Doing the books the other way changes all of that. The reader gets lost in the dueling sections. It's really interesting.

Anyway, I bring that up because it's what we're doing with House of X and Powers of X. I know for the first issues of both the solicits say 40 pages / $5.99 but that's incorrect. The books are bigger than that because if we can provide good value, then it increases our odds the book will be judged solely on 'is it good?' And that's a challenge we're eager to undertake.

Oh, I should also probably note that we're working with designer Tom Muller on the data pages. Very excited about that. Muller's got some serious game.

Let's go back a few months to the Mark Brooks promo art for House of X and Powers of X. It contained a good number of recognizable mutants, both heroes and villains, but a few new ones stand out. Most notably, there are two characters -- a man and woman -- who appear to be combinations of different X-Men characters all merged together.

The woman has metallic skin like Colossus, is holding Magik's Soulsword and has pigtails like Dani Moonstar. The man has Nightcrawler's body, but red skin. Both appear on the cover of Powers of X #1. Can you shed some insight into what is taking place with these characters? Are we interpreting things correctly by assuming those are familiar X-Men who have undergone some radical changes, or are they all-new characters?

JH: I feel like you're using the royal 'we' there, and I'm not sure how down I am with your aristocratic bent.

I will tell you that 'we' are not telling an Alt-Universe story.

The House of X art also shows the revived Charles Xavier, presumably from Charles Soule's run on Astonishing X-Men, alongside Cyclops, Marvel Girl (Jean Grey), Magneto and Wolverine. Their costumes come from different eras of X-Men history, especially Jean Grey's -- are we looking at Xavier plucking X-Men from different eras for his master plan for mutantkind, or do they simply signify the five most recognizable figures in the X-Men franchise?

JH: I'm not telling a story that deals with time travel.

The plant-like object they're stepping through on the HOX #1 cover is also seen in some of the interior preview pages. For example, we see Jean walking through it with a group of young mutants. There is also a significant amount of plant life on the POX #2 cover. Without going too heavily into spoilers, what can you tell us about this? Is Krakoa a member of your X-Men team?

JH: Okay, so this is the third question in a row that I'm ducking because I'm just not going to spoil the story for everyone who's looking forward to reading it.

Back in the day I absolutely would have, I think. When I first started doing this I honestly wouldn't shut up. I wanted to talk about 'my process', and what I hoped to accomplish in an issue, and then when the book came out I wanted to point out what everything meant just to make sure the reader knew exactly how clever I was. It was awful.

I remember I was at a show and a fan came up to me and told me about this elaborate theory they had about what I had meant in an issue of, I dunno, I think it was Fantastic Four. Anyway, I remember how crushed this person was when I told them that their theory was wrong and why. I mean, this dude was wrecked, and all I could think was, 'Why did I do that?'

Because I remember when I was kid, I used to do the same thing, I'd read the book and imagine where the story went, or what happened to that side character, or what the author was really talking about. And I think that's something we've lost in the intersection of 'behind the scenes' and 'community opinion.'

So I don't do that anymore. I feel like it's my job to tell the story. Then I give that story to you. And after that, whether you love it or hate it, my sole job is not screwing up that experience for you. Because it's yours.

Anyway, that's how you duck a question.

Have you come across any X-Men in your writing that have turned out to be far more intriguing to work on than you originally thought? And can we expect to be introduced to a lot of new mutants during the dual miniseries, or just a few?

JH: Generally, I don't like to make up a bunch of new characters when I take over a book at Marvel. Sure, there are times when a story I'm telling needs a certain something and I have to, but for the most part, I kind of want to write the pre-existing characters.

That's especially true with X-Men because there are already so many of them and, well, I've waited my whole life to write Goldballs.

We now know the current X-Men line will end right before HOX and POX launch. How closely did you work with Marvel to synchronize the ending points for books like Uncanny X-Men, Age of X-Man, etc.? Were there any notes provided to the creative teams on where you needed characters like Cyclops, Wolverine, etc. to be before HOX and POX kick off?

JH: When the decision was made that everything was going to wrap before we did House of X and Powers of X, the big question was what to do with the books leading up to July. Leaving the schedule open was never a serious consideration as, you know, Marvel prides themselves on their editors having a job to do and the company actually publishing comics. So, after some back-and-forth, knowing what I had planned, Jordan and the writers put together a mix of very intriguing stories and series, and outside of a few extremely minor things, no one was given story beats to hit, or departure points, and I personally didn't give anyone notes. Both House of X and Powers of X start in a really clean place. So those lead-up books had a very particular mandate, which was basically, ‘just go nuts, swing away, and knock it out of the park.'

I do want to add that I am a little disappointed that some people are saying the work that's been done -- that the stories that have been told -- don't matter because I'm doing my thing after that. Personally, I think what matters when you buy a book, or say, see a movie, is did you enjoy it? If the answer is yes, then it was worth it. If the answers no, then it wasn't worth it.

That might be facile, but it's how I feel.

As someone who was very pleased to see you bring Cannonball and Sunspot into the Avengers fold during your popular run, can we look forward to you bringing them home now that you'll be working on the X-Men?

JH: I won't be bringing them home.