Exceptional X-Men #1

History

The series was publicly announced in March 2024 at a South by Southwest panel titled 'From the Ashes, the Future of the X-Men Revealed,' overseen by editor Tom Brevoort, who was brought in to steward the entire post-Krakoa X-Men line. Writer Eve L. Ewing — a poet and sociologist best known outside comics for her non-fiction work — and artist Carmen Carnero (a Marvel Stormbreaker recognized for her Captain Marvel run) were tapped as the creative team, with Exceptional X-Men designated the last of the three core titles to launch, hitting stands September 4, 2024. Notably, Emma Frost was absent from Ewing's original script for issue #1; it was only after a conversation with Brevoort — who predicted readers would 'lose their minds' if she didn't appear — that Ewing revised the script to include her. Setting the series in Chicago was Brevoort's editorial suggestion, which Ewing, a Chicago native herself, embraced enthusiastically.

Trivia · 8 facts

• Released September 4, 2024 (cover-dated November 2024) as part of Marvel's 'X-Men: From the Ashes' publishing initiative — the third and final flagship X-title of the relaunch, following X-Men #1 (July) and Uncanny X-Men #1 (August).
• Written by Eve L. Ewing with art and covers by Carmen Carnero; colors by Nolan Woodard; letters by Joe Sabino.
• First appearance of Trista Marshall (Bronze), a new mutant whose power gives her near-adamantium-hard metallic skin and retractable whip-like cables from her body; she is the sole new mutant introduced by name and power in issue #1.
• First in-story appearance of Alex Luna (later Axo) and Thao Tran (later Melee) — though their codenames and formal team membership are established in subsequent issues (#2 and #3 respectively).
• Establishes on-page that Kitty Pryde (reverting to the 'Kitty' name after the Krakoan-era 'Kate' identity) is bisexual, depicted arranging a date with a woman named Nina — the clearest in-continuity confirmation of a character trait long implied through subtext.
• Emma Frost was not in Ewing's original draft of this issue; editor Tom Brevoort and Ewing agreed she needed to appear, and Ewing revised the script accordingly.
• Setting the story in Chicago was an editorial suggestion from Tom Brevoort; Ewing, who is from Chicago, welcomed it.
• The series sits consciously in the tradition of young-mutant team books — New Mutants, Generation X, and Academy X — and Axo's codename was later explained in-story as a reference to the axolotl salamander, which changes color, mirroring Alex Luna's mood-based skin ability.

Cast · 22 characters

Full credits

Variants (9)