Who are the newly announced team the Secret X-Men? Despite the squad’s name, the members aren’t hidden at all – they’re all the mutants who didn’t make the cut when Marvel Comics had readers vote on the final member of the current X-Men flagship team (Polaris won, by the way).
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The so-called Secret X-Men (opens in new tab) will come together in an eponymous one-shot from writer Tini Howard and artist Francesco Mobili with a cover from Leinil Francis Yu, going on sale on February 9.
Comprised of Strong Guy, Forge, Tempo, Boom-Boom, Marrow, Armor, Cannonball, Sunspot, and Banshee, the Secret X-Men will unite for a “secret mission to the stars,” as outlined in Marvel’s announcement.
What is the mission? Regardless of the subterfuge involved in their task, the Secret X-Men’s goal is no secret to readers, as Marvel states the story will revolve around the Shi’Ar empress, Xandra – who also happens to be the daughter of Charles Xavier and former Shi’Ar emperor Lilandra.
Check out this preview:
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“We had to do it, yeah? And I jumped at the chance to tell the story while I had the time,” Howard states in Marvel’s announcement. “Cannonball was my vote, and Strong Guy? Tempo? Boom-Boom? This is the perfect team for an intergalactic X-Men mission. I hope they didn’t forget anything important!”
One thing they didn’t forget is new costumes, which they’ll debut in the pages of Secret X-Men #1.
As for what it could be that the Secret X-Men may have forgotten, that may be the biggest mystery present in Marvel’s announcement, with no direct indication of what Howard’s tease could mean offhand.
Secret X-Men #1 goes on sale on February 9.
Keep track of this and ALL the new X-Men comics, graphic novels, and collections in 2021 and beyond.