2024's Marvel's Voices: Pride one-shot won't take its usual form. In fact, it won't even have the same title. Instead, this year's Pride one-shot from Marvel will actually be titled X-Men: The Wedding Special, and will center on the wedding of X-Men line mainstays Mystique and Destiny, revealing a secret chapter in mutant history.
Though their romance was left to subtext for years, mutants Mystique and Destiny are now well-known as one of Marvel's most famous and important queer couples, with their partnership forming one of the story pillars of the X-Men's Krakoa era.
Now, they'll get a rare moment of mutant happiness in X-Men: The Wedding Special, in a story written by Kieron Gillen, who wrote both characters in Immortal X-Men, and an artist yet to be announced. Other stories in the one-shot will be written by Tini Howard, Wyatt Kennedy, and first time Marvel writers Tate Brombal and Yoon Ha Lee.
As with Gillen's story, the artists on the rest of the one-shot still haven't been named, but we do know that the stories will feature the pair of Betsy Braddock and Rachel Summers, Loki, and more.
"It's a mutant wedding extravaganza! Mystique and Destiny are one of the most beloved – and longest-lasting – gay couples in comic book history. Together for over 100 years, the pair secretly married during their decades-long romance. See the event and the renewal of those vows for the first time on the page," reads Marvel's announcement.
"This year, Marvel’s Voices: Pride makes history with Marvel’s first woman-to-woman wedding! And with a couple as complex as these two, you know there’s a lot more to the story. In the classic tradition of Fantastic Four Annual #3 and X-Men #30, this anthology will be a must-read for every comics fan. We promise party crashing! Villainy! Romance! And so much more!"
The issues mentioned are of course the wedding of Reed Richards and Sue Storm in 1965's Fantastic Four Annual #3, which most of the Marvel Universe at the time attended, and Cyclops and Jean Grey's wedding in 1994's X-Men #30. And take note - that means the tale of Mystique and Destiny's wedding is landing 30 years after Scott and Jean tied the knot.
"They've been through hell, mainly at my pen. Finally, giving these two a happy day? How can I say no?" Gillen said in a statement accompanying Marvel's announcement.
This won't be the first big retcon for Mystique and Destiny in recent months, as it was revealed not long ago that, through the power of her shapeshifting ability, Mystique actually fathered Nightcrawler with Destiny, who gave birth to him.
Mystique, Destiny, and Nightcrawler are all fan favorite characters, and as surprising as the retcon sounds, their collective fandom has embraced the change. It's likely they'll show up in droves for their wedding as well when X-Men: The Wedding Special releases on May 29, with a cover by Jan Bazaldua.
If Mystique and Destiny weren't primarily villains, they'd make the list of the best superhero romances of all time.
