X-Solicits for May 2021

 *Excalibur, X-Force and S.W.O.R.D. are all skipping the month.

	X-Men #20 Jonathan Hickman (W) • Francesco Mobili (A) Cover by: Leinil Francis Yu Variant Cover by: Mike Del Mundo Predator Variant Cover by: TBA System Online. Processing.
	Marauders #20 Gerry Duggan (W) • Stefano Caselli (A) Cover by: Russell Dauterman Eye of the Storm! As the preparations for the Hellfire Gala come to a head, Ororo’s eyes are pointed to the future, a future that takes her off the seas and over the horizon.
	New Mutants #18 Vita Ayala (W) • Rod Reis (A) Cover by: Christian Ward Looking for Love in All the Wrong Places! The New Mutants’ path seems simple: train, guide and mentor the youth. Sure, they didn’t ask for the job, but they’ve been figuring it out together, right? How wrong could it go? The New Mutants are about to find out.
	Hellions #11 Zeb Wells (W) • Stephen Segovia (A/C) Sometimes a Fantasy… Psylocke vs. Betsy Braddock in a 30-year-long battle! Empath’s misdeeds come back to haunt him! And Mr. Sinister’s teeth hurt. What is going on here?!
	X-Factor #9 Leah Williams (W) • David Baldeón (A) Cover by: Ivan Shavrin Best! Concert! Ever! The Morrigan needs to be destroyed! The answer lies in the Mojoverse. Looks like we’re getting the band back together.
	Children of the Atom #3 Vita Ayala (W) • Bernard Chang (A) Cover by: R.B. Silva Variant Cover by: Bernard Chang - APR200894 Origin Revealed! Who are the X-Men’s sidekicks behind the masks? Meanwhile, a brand-new alternative medicine is changing lives at school, but who’s recruiting the victims – I mean patients?
	Way of X#2 Simon Spurrier (W) • Bob Quinn (A) Cover by: Guiseppe Cammuncoli Variant Cover by: Christian Ward A Villain Revealed! The dark force hiding within Krakoa begins to show its true form. The answers are hidden…within the mindscape. Kurt’s – and…others. One of the most dangerous mutants is reborn!
	X-Men Legends #4 Louise Simonson (W) • Walter Simonson (A/C) Deadpool 30th Variant Cover by: Rob Liefeld Action Figure Variant Cover by: John Tyler Christopher With a Vengeance! Things go from bad to worse for X-Factor when they must save the baby Nathan Christopher Summers from the clutches of a deadly robot attacker. But who is really at the helm, and what will this mean for the Future of the team and the Summers clan? Return to this classic era with legends Louise Simonson and Walter Simonson in this All-New tale set before the original X-Factor #43!

Hellions #11 features Psylocke vs. Psylocke

Hellions #11

Writer: Zeb Wells

Art & Cover by: Stephen Segovia

The Story:

The Hellions are at the mercy of Arcade as they face his new psychological Murderworld.

In Stores: May 2021

Note: "Excalibur" is skipping the month of May.

Excalibur #18 Art

Excalibur #18 Spoilers

Spoilers: Saturnyne receives a message from the Quiet Council asking for her help to mitigate Otherworld deaths. As Earth-616’s Captain Britain is missing, Saturnyne refuses their request because it is Betsy who is supposed to be the point of contact between Krakoa and Otherworld.

Near the Braddock Lighthouse, Betsy stands on the shore watching the sea. Rachel assures Rogue that she is indeed Betsy. Rachel thinks she’s just depressed; however, Rogue is suspicious. Betsy displays the butterfly aura before them and asks the girls to leave her alone. Rachel has Rogue absorb her telepathic powers to look after Betsy when she’s gone.

Emma Frost interrupts the duo and demands to know why they have been hiding Betsy from the Council. Emma wants to take Betsy to Krakoa immediately, but she refuses and goes back to the Lighthouse. Emma warns Excalibur she wants to see Betsy before the Council within a few days as she’s the only point of contact between Saturnyne and Krakoa; otherwise, they’ll close the gateway to Otherworld for good.

While Excalibur has dinner together, Betsy keeps her distance from them. Maggie crosses the gateway to the Lighthouse and catches a glimpse of her aunt; Betsy flees. Maggie warns Brian in Avalon and Excalibur explains they didn’t tell him anything because they’re not really sure if Betsy is indeed herself. Later, Rogue shares her suspicions over Betsy with Brian and he agrees that something is really off. Brian decides to stay the night at the lighthouse just in case.

Later that night, Betsy telepathically manipulates Brian into going back to Avalon. At this point, it’s clear “Betsy” is an unidentified evil entity possessing her body. She later plants a suggestion in Rogue’s mind and heads back to Krakoa through the gateway. The next morning, Rogue deduces “Betsy” wants her to follow her back to Krakoa; Rictor volunteers to join Rogue. Gambit decides to check Avalon and look for Brian.

Gambit comes across Jamie Braddock who tells him Brian is safe and sound. Jamie also reveals that he had a Betsy clone commissioned. Jamie takes Gambit to Apacalypse’s former lab beneath the Castle. Remy is upset that Jamie is keeping Morgan le Fay imprisoned. Jamie dismisses his concerns and leads him to a coffin where he is keeping an empty body for Betsy. As Jamie opens the coffin, they realize that the empty body is missing.

Rogue and Rictor check on Apocalypse’s Grove looking for spells. Rictor suggests that if Betsy is not herself as they suspect, they’ll need magic to help her come back. As Rictor uses his powers to open a secret wall hidden in the rocks, “Betsy” is preying on them from the shadows. Rogue senses she’s watching them with her borrowed telepathy, and “Betsy” strikes weilding a psy-knife and daggers, knocking Rictor out. Rogue asks who she is to what “Betsy” replies “one of your oldest friends”. Suddenly, Kwannon intervenes to help Rogue and watch her back. Kwannon explains that their psychic voices were too loud and that “Betsy” indeed is not the real Betsy Braddock.

Captain Britain by Wilton Santos

Excalibur #18 Preview

Excalibur #18

Writer: Tini Howard

Art by: Marcus To

Cover by: Mahmud Asrar

The Story:

The Woman on the Shore!

As the Council makes moves to protect mutants in the Otherworld, Excalibur must determine the fate of Betsy Braddock.

In Stores: February 10, 2021

Captain Britain by Rod Reis

Excalibur #17 Art

Excalibur #17 Spoilers

Spoilers: [Alternate Timeline] Our Betsy Braddock is stranded in another timeline where she is Queen of the United Kingdom and in a relationship with [Alternate] Angel. Fortunately, the actual Queen Elizabeth III, who was displaced from her home dimension, has prepared for such eventuality and left a letter with instructions for Betsy. The Queen recommends that Betsy leaves for her home reality immediately and do not interfere with the timeline, meaning she can’t be seen by anyone. Angel explains the politics of this world to Betsy while she tells him they were in a relationship in Earth-616, but not when she looked like she does. It seems Betsy never swapped bodies in this dimension. Betsy is overwhelmed about how much the people of England, which is a safe haven for mutantkind, love their queen; however, she decides to head the Braddock Lighthouse as it is the only conduit to Otherworld available to return home. Even though Betsy assures him she has the skills of someone who has spent years in the covert world, Angel insists she takes a bodyguard to watch her back. The bodyguard turns out to be [Alternate] Kwannon, who also happens to be Angel’s ex-wife.

[Earth-616] Meanwhile, Pete Wisdom heads to Krakoa and meet Excalibur. Gambit, Rogue, Rictor and Jubilee decide to move to the Lighthouse as it seems the most likely place Betsy should return to. Wisdom explains that Coven Akkaba is using Betsy’s disappearance to turn the people of Britain and its intelligence agency against the idea of a mutant Captain Britain. Wisdom thinks that Marianna Stern is heading to the Lighthouse as well. Excalibur decides to escort Wisdom there.

[Alternate Timeline] The Braddock Lighthouse is a highly-defended intelligence facility known as King James III Memorial Intelligence Center, named after the previous king, Betsy’s father. Kwannon takes Betsy there by helicopter and Betsy explains that every reality’s Lighthouse is connected to Otherworld. Betsy awkwardly stares at Kwannon, which upsets the latter as she wants to know nothing of Betsy’s reality as per the Queen’s instructions. Betsy wants to ask her just a few questions.

[Earth-616] Excalibur reaches the Lighthouse just in time to stop Marianna Stern and her Coven from demolishing it. Marianna alleges there are no more Braddocks in this realm to claim it. Soon enough, a battle ensues between Excalibur and Coven Akkaba. Marianna gets ahold of Rictor while Wisdom, Gambit and Jubilee combine their powers and try to attack her. She laughs it off as they cannot beat true sorcery with unrefined magics.

[Alternate Timeline] While Kwannon and Betsy work together and infiltrate the facility, Kwannon obliges to answer three questions only. Betsy asks about Krakoa. Kwannon replies it exists, but no one ever goes there. Betsy then asks about Brian. Kwannon says he’s the head of the British space program. Lastly, Betsy asks if Kwannon has always lived in her body. She thinks it’s a waste of question. After incapacitating a few guards together, the duo finally reaches the glowing conduit connected to Otherworld. Betsy decides to tell Kwannon what happened to both of them in Earth-616. Kwannon is upset and doesn’t want to listen and forces Betsy towards the glowing conduit. Before vanishing, Betsy tells her she’s sorry.

[Earth-616] While Excalibur is cornered by Coven Akkaba’s minions, the Lighthouse is overwhelmed with energy. At that very moment, our Betsy returns to Earth-616 and emerges from the seas walking to the shore. Rogue tells Marianna to beat it as Captain Britain is back and they’re taking her home.

Captain Britain by Yildiray Cinar