Marvel's X-Men line is undergoing a major shake-up ahead of 2022's 'Destiny of X' era, with a newly relaunched Marauders ongoing title the latest reveal of titles in the new line. As previously announced, writer Steve Orlando takes over the adventures of Captain Kate Pryde and the Hellfire Trading Company, joined by newly announced artist Eleonora Carlini.
The new Marauders #1, launching on March 30, will feature a core roster based around Captain Kate Pryde and her first mate Bishop (one of Krakoa's Great Captains), along with Psylocke, Daken, Aurora, Tempo, Somnus (a new mutant introduced in Marvel's Voices: Pride 2021), and Cassandra Nova.
That's right - one of the X-Men's biggest villains. Cassandra Nova is the unborn twin of Charles Xavier, who reformed herself as a psychic entity in Grant Morrison's New X-Men, becoming a terrifying and effective villain for the team.
Now, she seems to be back, and in the good graces of Krakoa - as are many of the X-Men's former foes.But she may still be just as vicious as ever, with her declaring in the teaser "I am here to ruthlessly defend our kind. I've grown so bored of bloodless hands."
"Cassandra Nova Xavier is back, with the same malicious mind and murderous hands as ever!" Orlando states in Marvel's announcement. "But how much has she changed since her last run-in with the X-Men?"
"Pryde and the Marauders have no choice but to find out, since Cassandra's only one who can lead them to mutantkind's earliest ancestors - a mystery two billion years old,"
Orlando continues - possibly referring to the early origins of mutantkind as a product of the Celestials.
"She's little bit Xavier, a little bit Catherine Trammel, and the Marauders' only hope for success."
Kael Ngu has drawn the primary cover for Marauders #1, and will be joined with variant covers by Peach Momoko, Tom Muller, SKottie Young, Leinil Francis Yu, Eleanora Carlini, Russell Dauterman, Erica D'Urso, and Lucas Werneck. Check out all the revealed Marauders #1 covers here:
Marauders is the second title announced for the new 'Destiny of X' line following the previous reveal of Immortal X-Men, a new flagship title focusing on the Krakoan leaders of the Quiet Council.
"Taking the helm of Marauders is easily the most exciting moment of my career, especially when it's my first-ever ongoing not just on Krakoa, but at Marvel in general," Orlando says.
"Exploding out of the team's already-amazing adventures as part of Hellfire Trading, Captain Pryde's new crew of Marauders will stop at nothing to bring endangered mutants to safety - to always go where they're needed, not where they're wanted. To mutant rescue, wherever it calls them!"
Before March 30's Marauders #1, Orlando will first set sail with Kate Pryde and crew in Marauders Annual 2021 on January 12 with a story that brings 2099 villains Brimstone Love and the Theater of Pain - perhaps setting the stage for a larger 2099 celebration in 2022, centered around a Spider-Man 2099 project that Orlando has been teasing.
Marauders is just one of several new or relaunched Marvel mutant titles you'll need to keep track of on our list of all new X-Men comics, graphic novels, collections arriving in 2021 and 2022.
