X-Men: Outback #4 Art

X-Men: Outback #4 Spoilers

Spoilers: At sunrise in Cooterman’s Creek, Bushranger arrives seeking the X-Men’s help, recognizing them through her ability to see mutant auras. She protects the Never Never, a hidden community of mutants who cannot safely blend into human society. The Lava Men have abducted her people, and their ruler, King Basallo, plans to extract their mutant genes to strengthen his own kind. Bushranger was killed during the attack, but her powers allow her to survive as long as someone still believes in her. Havok immediately supports the rescue, while Psylocke tells Storm that Bushranger shows no signs of deception. Madelyne Pryor insists on joining the mission, frustrated at always remaining behind because she has no powers. With Havok’s support, Storm agrees, and Madelyne equips herself with Reaver weapons while Wolverine stays to guard the base.

Bushranger leads the team through the deserted Never Never and into the tunnels beneath it, explaining that the community’s protective mirage could not conceal them from an underground attack. Along the way, Madelyne confides in Havok about her recurring nightmares of fire and her suspicions about Bushranger’s interest in him. They soon confront Basallo, who claims that sacrificing the mutants fulfills his duty to his people and the Mother Core. When he refuses to release the prisoners, the X-Men attack, with Madelyne fighting alongside them. Basallo unleashes a cloud of ash that blinds the team while allowing his soldiers to move freely. Psylocke counters by locating the Lava Men telepathically, linking their minds with her own, and sharing that awareness with Dazzler and Longshot. Surrounded by Betsy’s psychic butterflies, her teammates can target their enemies without seeing them. Storm then disperses the ash with her winds.

Bushranger confronts Basallo directly, enduring his burning touch as she fights him. When the king launches another attack, Havok pushes her to safety and takes the blast himself. Madelyne rushes to Alex’s side, while Bushranger continues battling Basallo, eventually taking his staff and turning it against him. The king boasts that his people cannot be killed, but Storm demonstrates that the molten metal within their bodies conducts electricity. She threatens to unleash far greater voltage unless he frees the mutants and leaves the Never Never alone, while Bushranger promises to pursue the Lava Men relentlessly if they refuse. Although his guards remain willing to fight, Basallo finally chooses to spare them further suffering and orders the prisoners released.

After the rescue, Madelyne confronts Bushranger for failing to check on Havok, but Bushranger explains that his aura already told her he was safe. She introduces Mirror, whose powers conceal their community, before affectionately reuniting with her longtime partner, Buckland. Madelyne realizes that she has misread Bushranger’s interest in Alex: Bushranger perceives beauty through mutant auras and finds Buckland beautiful regardless of his unusual appearance. Bushranger thanks Madelyne for helping without special powers, suggesting that more people like her might make hiding unnecessary. She also promises that her community will protect the secret of the X-Men’s survival, grateful that the team put the captives’ safety before its own secrecy. When she says they did not have to risk themselves, Storm firmly disagrees.

Meanwhile, in the Mojoverse, Master Molto presents Mojo with footage of a new kill squad, the Execution Producers, murdering civilians to musical accompaniment. His Murder Video Channel is ready, but Mojo decides that the killers alone are not enough: the program needs a recognizable star. Confident that he knows the perfect lead, Mojo prepares to contact someone from Longshot’s little black book.

X-Men: Outback #4 Preview

X-Men: Outback #4
Writer: Steve Orlando
Art by: Roi Mercado
Cover by: Russell Dauterman

The Story:

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?

In Stores: September 16, 2026

X-Men: Outback #3 Art

X-Men: Outback #3 Spoilers

Spoilers: In the Mojoverse, Master Molto attempts to convince Mojo to approve his proposed new program, Murder Television, promising an even more brutal form of entertainment for his audience. Meanwhile, an older threat begins moving against the X-Men in Australia. Long ago, in the microscopic realm of Sub-Atomica, the Lich Duke Yaga Dyara conquered the wandering mystic Grishka, a secret member of the Rasputin bloodline. With his dying breath, Grishka cursed the Duke, promising that one day he would fall to a Rasputin. In the present, Betsy Braddock finds Piotr Rasputin painting alone in the Australian wilderness and recognizes that he is struggling with the weight of his family name, Illyana’s fate, Mikhail, and the recent rebirth that has left him questioning his place in the world. Betsy understands that burden intimately and urges him not to let his family history define him. Their conversation is interrupted when she is struck by an overwhelming empathic surge of fear and hatred. Yaga Dyara arrives with the undead Rotwave, declaring that he has come for Rasputin blood, and Piotr immediately puts himself between the monsters and Betsy.

As Piotr is overwhelmed and dragged away, Psylocke desperately sends a psychic call to the other X-Men. Yaga Dyara reveals that he knows exactly who Piotr is: a cousin of Grishka and part of the bloodline destined to destroy him. He intends to eliminate every remaining Rasputin, including Illyana. Storm, Wolverine, Rogue, Havok, Dazzler and Longshot answer Betsy’s call and attack the Rotwave, but Betsy remains focused on Piotr, calling his name again and again until she can barely detect his consciousness beneath the darkness surrounding him. Unable to reach him physically, she enters his mind. There she finds Piotr retreating into fatalism, wondering whether the Rasputin bloodline itself is cursed and whether everything should simply end with him. Betsy refuses to let him surrender. She tells him that even if every Rasputin before him were gone, he would still have a family—the people outside fighting for him, including her. She reminds him that Illyana would never have allowed him to give up and finally asks whether he is really going to make his friends fight for him alone. Her words reach him, and Piotr’s anger and will return with explosive force.

Colossus tears himself free and confronts Yaga Dyara while the rest of the X-Men battle the spreading Rotwave. Betsy continues operating on several fronts at once. While maintaining her psychic connection to Piotr, she penetrates what remains of the Rotwave creatures’ minds and gives them a new command: devour your own. The undead are forced to turn on one another, dramatically weakening the Duke’s army. Yaga Dyara nevertheless proves powerful enough to rot and wither even Colossus’s armored body, boasting that he will destroy the Rasputin line and tear Illyana apart after Piotr. At the moment when Piotr seems closest to death, the spirit of Grishka appears. Grishka reveals that Yaga Dyara lied about having exterminated the entire family: Grishka alone fell to him, while the Rasputin line survived. He provides Piotr with the words of a spell, explaining that the dead can empower it but only the living can banish the Duke. Piotr recites the incantation, and the combined power of the living Rasputin and his dead ancestor opens a microscopic gateway that drags Yaga Dyara, his warriors and the Rotwave back to their own realm and seals the passage behind them.

Grishka remains just long enough to heal Piotr’s ravaged flesh, telling his cousin that healing his heart will have to be Piotr’s own work, before disappearing like a shooting star. Betsy stays close to Piotr afterward, and their earlier conversation becomes much more personal. Back where he had been painting, Piotr considers whether the damage caused by the attack might become part of the artwork rather than something to erase. Betsy applies the same idea to his family: one miraculous relative cannot wash the Rasputins’ history clean, but Piotr can change what the name means through the man he chooses to be. When Piotr observes that she seems to believe in him, Betsy admits that she saw something beautiful when she was inside his mind. He then turns the question back on her and asks what she found there—whether he is a friend, a lover, or something caught between the two—and who exactly she was trying to save when she threw herself into his pain. Betsy cannot give the relationship a simple name but admits that she could not allow his suffering to continue and that he has become someone she cannot imagine being without. Neither is ready to risk pushing things further, so they agree not to let that uncertainty change what they already mean to one another. Betsy makes him promise that the next time he paints, he will put people into his world; when Piotr suggests perhaps beginning with her, she happily accepts the deal.

Hours later, Madelyne Pryor sits with Havok and admits that she feels useless beside the X-Men because she spent the crisis watching from the monitors while Colossus nearly died. Havok tells her that not everyone contributes in the same way and that simply remaining with the team and helping however she can still matters. He admits that he looks to her for strength, but Madelyne is frightened by how much others may depend on her while she continues to struggle with nightmares and the lingering terror surrounding her own past. Havok understands the feeling more than he initially lets on: beneath his reassurance, he confesses that sometimes he feels as though he is only barely holding himself together.

X-Men: Outback #3 Teaser

Find out what really happened between Psylocke and Colossus in the Australian Outback in tomorrow’s X-Men: Outback #3—and what the issue reveals about the complicated bond that had been quietly developing between Betsy Braddock and Piotr Rasputin.

X-Men: Outback #3 Preview

X-Men: Outback #3
Writer: Steve Orlando
Art by: Stephen Segovia & Roi Mercado
Cover by: Russell Dauterman

The Story:
Lying low in the Australian Outback, the X-Men have seemed to find peace — that is until the ancient necromancer YAGA DYARA arrives from the Quantum Realm seeking to end Colossus’ Rasputin bloodline for good.
How can Piotr and his comrades succeed against this sorcerer’s cosmic threat?
Will Yaga’s undead magic stamp out the Rasputin line for good?

In Stores: August 26, 2026

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

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

X-Men: Outback #3 Variant Cover by Taurin Clarke

X-Men: Outback #3 Variant Cover by Ejikure

X-Men: Outback #5 Cover by Russell Dauterman

 

X-Men: Outback #1 Art

 

X-Men: Outback #1 Spoilers

Spoilers: Following their battle against the Adversary in Dallas, the X-Men sacrifice themselves in order to defeat the Dark Trickster.

Meanwhile, Sabretooth visits Wolverine’s old cabin in the Canadian Rockies, refusing to believe that Logan is truly dead. There, he finds a lock of Logan’s hair and deduces that Wolverine has been there recently. Convinced that his old enemy is still alive, Sabretooth sets out to find him and celebrate their annual tradition: a ruthless birthday brawl.

In Cooterman’s Creek, in the Australian Outback, the X-Men are adjusting to their strange new reality in the ghost town. Psylocke, Havok, and Madelyne Pryor drink together, while Colossus reflects on the living death they now seem to be enduring. Dazzler and Rogue, meanwhile, clash over Longshot’s attention. Far from the base, Storm visits an Aboriginal community that receives her with respect, while she reflects on her perceived failure as a leader. Wolverine joins her and encourages her, telling her that the team needs a symbol of hope — a goddess.

Storm returns to the base and finds chaos, as the tension between Rogue and Dazzler has erupted into a fight. Wolverine interrupts the argument when he picks up the scent of an intruder: Sabretooth.

Sabretooth has brought with him Mister Sinister’s Dire Dogs — experiments born from degraded prehistoric DNA, capable of tracking their prey across the globe and feeding on fear. He unleashes the beasts, and the X-Men assemble for battle. While the team keeps the dogs occupied, Logan lunges at Sabretooth, and the two rivals engage in a brutal, bloody fight.

Storm realizes that their fear is feeding Sabretooth’s mutant hounds. The X-Men also notice that Logan has gone berserk with rage. Psylocke warns the team to control their fear, and Storm manages to master her own, channeling her powers against the dogs. Intimidated by her command and presence, the creatures are ultimately defeated.

The X-Men place themselves between Logan and Sabretooth, both to spare Logan from losing himself completely and because they are his friends — something Sabretooth does not have. Taking advantage of the distraction, Dazzler charges her powers and blasts Sabretooth, frying him with a concentrated burst of light.

Logan then releases his fury by tearing through Creed’s remaining hounds, until Storm reaches out to him. Her presence brings him back to himself. Logan thanks her and tells her that this is exactly why she matters: because she leads.

Psylocke insists that the secret of the X-Men’s survival must be protected. To ensure that Sabretooth cannot reveal the truth, she performs a telepathic surgery on him, erasing his memory of the day’s events and of the fact that the X-Men are still alive.

Later, beneath the moonlight, Storm and Wolverine reflect on the team’s uneasy adjustment to their new existence. Storm concludes that each of them is fighting their own private battle, but that they cannot waste this second chance to defend mutantkind as living myths. Wolverine encourages her to embrace her place as the goddess at the heart of that myth.

Storm agrees. Using her powers, she transforms her punk look into her new Outback costume — a form more fitting for a goddess.

X-Men: Outback #2 Variant Cover by Terry Dodson

 

With Brian Braddock’s 50th anniversary approaching in October 2026, followed by Betsy Braddock’s own 50th anniversary in December, we encourage fans to email the X-Office at officex@marvel.com and politely remind them how important these milestones are.

Let them know that you would love to see both characters celebrated in a meaningful way. You can also mention how much you appreciated recent projects such as Psylocke: Ninja and X-Men: Outback, which honored Betsy’s history and legacy.

Please keep your message respectful and positive. A kind note of appreciation, combined with enthusiasm for Brian and Betsy’s upcoming anniversaries, can go a long way in showing Marvel how much these characters still mean to readers.

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

X-Men: Outback #3 Solicitation

X-Men: Outback #3 (of 5)

Steve Orlando (W)

Stephen Segovia (A)

Cover by: Russell Dauterman

Variant Cover by: Ejikure

Variant Cover by: TBA

From the Quantum Realm, Comes a New Threat!

• Lying low in the Australian Outback, the X-Men have seemed to find peace – that is until the ancient necromancer Yaga Dyara arrives from the Quantum Realm seeking to end Colossus’ Rasputin bloodline for good.

• How can Piotr and his comrades succeed against this sorcerer’s cosmic threat?

• Will Yaga’s undead magic stamp out the Rasputin line for good?

Send an Email to the X-Office

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How X-Men: Outback Revives a Fan-Favorite '80s Mutant Era

IGN was able to speak with X-Men: Outback writer Steve Orlando via email to learn more about the series and how it builds on the foundation of the original comics. Check out an exclusive new preview of X-Men: Outback #1 below, and then read on to learn more:

As you might expect, Orlando is a self-professed super-fan of the original Outback era. As he explains, that was the status quo when he first began reading Uncanny X-Men as a young fan in 1987, and it's one that has continued to resonate with him over the decades.

"So, I got into comics in 1987--before I could even fully read, I was there grabbing back issues and getting to know the characters," Orlando tells IGN. "By the time the Outback Era began, I knew what was going on, I knew the deal. The Outback team was one of the first X-Men rosters I met! And then, as it went on, I soon knew the X-Men even more, not just from the arcade cabinet game but also the Pryde of the X-Men pilot. I wore that VHS out, again and again, to the extent that by the time X-Men '92 started, I was salty that the roster wasn't the one I expected."

Orlando continues, "So again, this team, out in Australia, it was one of the first rosters I encountered--and that's probably why they all went on to be some of my favorite mutants. Back in the ‘80s I didn't know all the context—that would come a few years later. But I knew the look, I knew the defiance, I knew what we'd come to call the vibe. And it's what first defined X-Men for me. As you can imagine, then, I was beyond thrilled to be asked to not just revisit that era--but to celebrate it!"

The X-Men have always been outcasts from polite society, but the Outback era was notable for making them into true outlaws. They were cast out of their familiar home and forced to survive in a strange and unforgiving new environment against new enemies like the Reavers. For Orlando, that's a big part of the appeal with these stories, old and new.

"The X-Men and mutants in general almost always live on the fringe of society--whether they like it or not," Orlando says. "But this era, in the outback, made them just what you say--true outlaws. Their own friends and families believe them to be dead. They have nowhere to turn but to each other--and even the structures that they used to be able to look to for safety and stability can no longer be counted on. I think that feeling, of having your life whittled down to only your closest, your family--chosen or otherwise--is something that's still meaningful today. In fact, the defiance, the will to live and thrive in that situation, is perhaps even more meaningful than before."

X-Men: Outback doesn't focus on one story, but rather dances between the beats of the original run to reveal new adventures and answer lingering questions. We were curious if there were any particular loose ends from the Outback era Orlando wanted to explore here.

"There are!" Orlando reveals. "Though the sweet spot is to find ways to do it in a way that welcomes everyone--so we'll be answering some of these questions, but the delivery won't spotlight it as continuity detective work, etc. When [editor] Darren Shan and I sat down, for example, one of the questions was to address Storm's costume change from her punk look to her main Outback era costume. And we'll do so! When we do, however, it'll be clothed in whole story and a brand-new adventure. The key, above all, is to show love and passion for the era--and in this case, that means new ideas and new villains, just like in the original issues that we're inspired by. But in between, you'll see things like Storm's costume update, Psylocke's transition to her armor, Colossus's reaction to passing himself off as a ghost to his sister. We'll not just answer questions, but we'll dig into and explore the consequences of the beats that are already there."

Orlando also confirms that the series will focus on the same roster as the original comics - Storm, Wolverine, Colossus, Dazzler, Longshot, Rogue, and Havok, with each issue falling between specific chapters of the original run.

"The roster is absolutely the same as folks remember!" Orlando says. "Each issue falls in its own moment in the series, between existing issues or within time jump inside a given issue--so there's no one answer where the series falls. Since each issue is a new adventure, the answer changes for each on--I'm straight up not sure if we'll run the continuity/setting notes we have, but we lay out where each issue fits in the scripts. I do think it's safe to say this whole run takes place before Inferno."

As Orlando mentions, this series takes place before Inferno and the shocking reveal of the true nature of Jean Grey's clone, Madelyne Pryor. As such, fans can expect to see Maddie in this series, as the character struggles with being abandoned by Cyclops for the original Jean and works to become a more active member of the X-Men.

"Madelyne's story is mapped in the original series," Orlando says. "We'll be digging into it here--because we're happening before Inferno, we know where her story is going. In this run, we'll see her wrestle with her place on the team as well as her tension over seeing Cyclops and Jean Grey on TV as part of X-Factor. And I feel safe saying her frustration will build to her getting in on the action in an issue that homages Ripley's epic subterranean rescue in the climax of Aliens. Maddie wants to do more and be a greater part of this chosen family--and that desire will take her out of Cooterman's Creek and onto the battlefield."

Finally, the Outback era is notable as much for its strong visual style as anything else. This is the era when future Image Comics superstar Marc Silvestri truly made his mark on the series. We were curious how Orlando and artist Stephen Segovia hope to capture the vibe of the original comics. As Orlando explains, the goal is to "celebrate, not imitate."

"Listen, when you work with a master like Stephen Segovia, you don't tell him what to do--you set him up for success with exciting visuals and you get out of the way. That said, yes--Marc Silvestri was and still is such a singular talent, and he put an indelible mark on the look of the X-Men during this era. And to me, imitating that would never be the way to go. Instead, it's giving love to the theme behind the style, as you suggest. Stephen doesn't draw like Marc, but in bringing his own style to the pages with the same blockbuster comic book energy that made the Outback Era great--his work honors the spirit of the original run. We want to celebrate, not imitate."

Orlando adds, "And Stephen backs so much energy into his pages, he has such lithe and muscular layouts, that he's delivering the perfect evolution not of the exact style of the Outback Era, but of what it represented. He's the perfect artist for this--and with Russell Dauterman and Matt Wilson on covers and Alex Sinclair on colors, we've got a murders row on deck to make X-Men: Outback one of the best looking books on the stands...in any era!"

X-Men: Outback #1 will be released on June 24, 2026. You can preorder a copy at your local comic shop.