The X-Men are a superhero team in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer/editor Stan Lee and artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby, the team first appeared in The X-Men #1. Although initially cancelled in 1970 due to low sales, following its 1975 revival and subsequent direction under writer Chris Claremont, it became one of Marvel's most recognizable and successful franchises. They have appeared in numerous books, television shows, 20th Century Fox's X-Men films, and video games. The X-Men title may refer to the superhero team itself, the eponymous comic series, or the broader franchise, which includes various solo titles and team books, such as the New Mutants, Excalibur, and X-Force.
Dr. Moira MacTaggert, more recently known as Moira X, is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. She first appeared in The Uncanny X-Men #96 and was created by writer Chris Claremont and artist Dave Cockrum. She works as a geneticist and is an expert in mutant affairs. She is most commonly in association with the X-Men and has been a member of the Muir Island X-Men team and Excalibur.
Polaris is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Arnold Drake and artist Jim Steranko, the character first appeared in The X-Men #49. Lorna Dane belongs to the subspecies of humans called mutants, who are born with superhuman abilities. She can control magnetism in a manner similar to her father Magneto. The character has been known as Polaris, Malice, and Pestilence at various points in her history. Dane has also been a member of the X-Men and the X-Factor.
Mister Sinister is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Chris Claremont, the character was first mentioned as the employer behind the team of assassins known as the Marauders in The Uncanny X-Men #212, and later seen in silhouette in The Uncanny X-Men #213, with both issues serving as chapters of the 1986 "Mutant Massacre" crossover. Mr. Sinister then made his first full appearance in The Uncanny X-Men #221. His appearance was designed by artist Marc Silvestri.
The Marauders refers to one of two teams of fictional characters appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The original Marauders team included mutant warriors and assassins employed by the X-Men's enemy Mister Sinister, a mad scientist villain often intent on creating a perfect race of superhumans. At different times, the Marauders have been tasked by Sinister to perform kidnappings, assassinations, mass murder, or simply fight Sinister's enemies. At different times, Marauders have been killed in combat, but often Mr. Sinister later uses his cloning technology to re-create them. This team of Marauders has appeared in many different stories of the X-Men franchise, as well as stories featuring other Marvel Comics heroes.
Al Ewing is a British comics writer who has mainly worked in the small press, for 2000 AD, and for Marvel Comics.
Synch is a fictional character and mutant superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Scott Lobdell, he first appeared in X-Men #36. During the Krakoan Age, the character is resurrected in the Dawn of X phase and then appears in Jonathan Hickman's X-Men. In 2021, Sync joined the X-Men team roster in the relaunched flagship book X-Men written by Gerry Duggan. He would remain on the team during the Reign of X, Destiny of X and Fall of X publishing phases and become the team leader in the final phase. The character also appeared in other releated books such as the Immortal X-Men (2022) series and the Rise of the Powers of X (2024) miniseries.
Kieron Michael Gillen is a British comic book writer and former video game and music journalist. In comics, Gillen is known for his creator-owned series such as Once & Future (2019–2022), Die (2018–2021), Phonogram (2006–2016), and The Wicked + The Divine (2014–2019), the latter two co-created with artist Jamie McKelvie and published by Image. He is also known for numerous Marvel Comics projects, such as Journey into Mystery, Uncanny X-Men, and Young Avengers in the early 2010s and Star Wars comics in the mid-to-late 2010s including Darth Vader, Star Wars, and co-creation of the character Doctor Aphra who starred in her own ongoing spin-off comic series Star Wars: Doctor Aphra of which Gillen wrote the first 19 issues. He returned to the X-Men in the 2020s with multiple series during the Krakoan Age for the Destiny of X, Sins of Sinister and Fall of X storylines.
Krakoa is a fictional living island appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. It first appeared in Giant-Size X-Men #1 and was created by Len Wein and Dave Cockrum. Initially depicted as an antagonist, Krakoa has since grown into a sentient habitat for the mutant nation that shares its name.
Destiny is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Chris Claremont and artist/co-writer John Byrne, the character first appeared in Uncanny X-Men #141, published on October 21, 1980.
X-Men is an ongoing American comic book series featuring the titular team of superheroes, published by Marvel Comics, beginning in September 2010.
House of X and Powers of X are two 2019 comic book miniseries published by Marvel Comics featuring the X-Men by writer Jonathan Hickman and artists Pepe Larraz, R. B. Silva, and Marte Gracia. Both books are part of a crossover storyline within the Marvel Universe that lead to the "Dawn of X" relaunch and started the Krakoan Age.
"X of Swords" is a comic book crossover event during the Krakoan Age which debuted in September 2020, published by Marvel Comics. It is the next crossover event featured in the "Dawn of X" relaunch after the House of X and Powers of X event. X of Swords was followed by the 2021 Hellfire Gala event.
"Hellfire Gala" was initially a 12-part X-Men comic book storyline published by Marvel Comics in June 2021. It is the first storyline featured in the "Reign of X" relaunch after the "X of Swords" storyline. Krakoa opens its gates to non-mutants to celebrate mutant culture at an evening party. The gala unveiled the new team of X-Men and showcased the terraforming of Mars into Planet Arrako.
"X-Men: Trial of Magneto" is a comic book storyline, which debuted in August 2021, published by Marvel Comics. The limited series spin out of the murder of Scarlet Witch during the "Hellfire Gala".
"Destiny of X" is a 2022 relaunch of the X-Men line of comic books published by Marvel Comics. It is the sequel to "Reign of X" following the end of the dual miniseries X Lives of Wolverine and X Deaths of Wolverine. It was the third phase of the Krakoan Age, and the first following the departure of Jonathan Hickman at the end of "Reign of X.” “Destiny of X” included the crossover events A.X.E.: Judgment Day and Sins of Sinister. A sequel, "Fall of X," was launched in August 2023.
A.X.E.: Judgment Day is an American comic book crossover event during the Krakoan Age written by Kieron Gillen with art by Valerio Schiti, published in 2022 by Marvel Comics. The event involves the discovery of the mutant resurrection protocols and the subsequent conflict between the Avengers, the X-Men and the Eternals.
"Sins of Sinister" is a 2023 comic book crossover storyline during the Krakoan Age published in the X-Men franchise of books by Marvel Comics. The event involves a dark future brought about by Mister Sinister's corrupt machinations and his experiment in creating a batch of Mutants called Chimeras.
"Fall of X" is a 2023 relaunch of the X-Men line of American comic books published by Marvel Comics. It is the sequel to the "Destiny of X" publishing initiative, and is the final initiative in the Krakoan Age of the X-Men. The phase started with the third annual Hellfire Gala and culminated in the dual interconnected miniseries Fall of the House of X and Rise of the Powers of X. The phase's final issue, X-Men #35 was released in June 2024. It is followed by line relaunch titled X-Men: From the Ashes.
The Krakoan Age was a series of X-Men storylines published by Marvel Comics from 2019 to 2024. The Krakoan Age began with the Jonathan Hickman limited series House of X and Powers of X and it consists of four major publishing initiatives: Dawn of X, Reign of X, Destiny of X and Fall of X. These phases were interspersed with crossover and event storylines. The Krakoan Age spans "more than 500 issues of X-Men comic books" published "across more than 80 different series". The subsequent publishing initiative, X-Men: From the Ashes, relaunched the X-Men line in a post-Krakoan Age.
