Marvel Comics has released a preview of unlettered interior pages from S.W.O.R.D. #1 by writer Al Ewing and artist Valerio Schiti. The new volume of the title introduces a new incarnation of the space security force, now re-organized as a mutant-centric squad with ties to Krakoa and the X-Men.
The pages show several members of the newly formed team in action, including Magneto, Abigail Brand, Wiz-Kid, and Rampage in action. The revealed roster also includes Manifold, and the teen Cable. More mutants will also appear in the series, with the specific characters involved varying somewhat from mission to mission.
"One giant leap forward for mutantkind! The Mutant nation of Krakoa has quickly become a major force on the world stage... but why stop there?" reads Marvel's official solicitation for S.W.O.R.D. #1.
"Krakoa has relaunched the Sentient World Observation & Response Directorate—a fully independent organization dealing with all things extra-terrestrial on behalf of all of Earth," it continues. "Al Ewing and Valerio Schiti, the team behind Empyre, bring us the tale of Mutantkind looking to do for the galaxy what Krakoa did for the planet."
Here's a gallery of pages:
"It's an absolute blast to be working with the X-team, and to bring Marvel's merry mutants into the new Age of Space - and introduce space to the new age of Krakoa!" Ewing stated at the time of the announcement. "And it's not just X-readers and space explorers who get what they want—fans of my more cosmic Marvel work will have plenty to digest as well, as mutantkind thinks even bigger and takes it even further, into realms I'm almost surprised they let me get away with. After conquering death, what's next - and will we survive the experience?"
Though the exact ties haven't been revealed, the current X-Men 'X of Swords' crossover has involved the Peak, headquarters of S.W.O.R.D., and will likely lead directly to the launch of the new title.
S.W.O.R.D. #1 is due out December 9.
S.W.O.R.D. has longstanding ties to the X-Men. Here's everything you need to know about Marvel's space equivalent to S.H.I.E.L.D.
