The new Uncanny X-Men #1 explained

Marvel’s big X-Men relaunch rolls on with the resurrection of the team’s classic title Uncanny X-Men, which has been dormant for several years. This time, Uncanny X-Men #1 is launching as the second of the X-Men line’s three core titles, following the adjectiveless X-Men, and preceding September’s Exceptional X-Men #1.

Written by Gail Simone with artist David Marquez, colorist Matthew Wilson, and letterer Clayton Cowles rounding out the creative team, the new Uncanny X-Men focuses around Rogue, Gambit, and Wolverine as a trio of mutants trying to find their way in the post-Krakoa world. 

We’ve got everything you need to know about the new Uncanny X-Men #1 and its burgeoning team of mutants right here.

Spoilers ahead for Uncanny X-Men #1

The new Uncanny X-Men #1 opens with Dr. Corina Ellis, a new character introduced back in X-Men #700, storming into the former X-Mansion/Xavier’s School with a cadre of soldiers, laying out her plan to destroy everything left there – including Cerebro – and turn the building into a prison for mutants. The jail’s first prisoner then arrives, with none other than Charles Xavier apparently sentenced to live out his days in captivity in his own former estate.

From there we catch up with Logan, who is visiting an old friend in Mexico City on his deathbed, who passes Logan a bottle of whiskey that is seemingly handed from friend to friend as each person in the chain dies. Logan discusses his time being “dead” as a hole in his memory.

Just outside of Mexico City, Logan then meets up with Gambit and Rogue who are there to respond to the presence of a massive dragon atop the landmark known as the Pyramid of the Sun. Though they try to fight the dragon, it’s actually Gambit who manages to get it to leave for Antarctica by striking a bargain with it. 

However, this may eventually come back to bite everyone’s favorite Cajun mutant as their agreement only lasts one year. Before the dragon departs, it warns Gambit, Rogue, and Wolverine about something or someone called the “Endling,” who it claims will be their downfall.

Meanwhile, elsewhere, a young girl with antlers, appropriately named Fawn, falls into the clutches of an eerie, unseen presence calling itself “Mommy,” who tells Fawn that she was betrayed by mutantkind and that she will pay for their collective sins. We leave Fawn in terror as “Mommy’s” claws grasp at her.

The trio discusses what’s next for them, with Rogue saying she misses the X-Men and considering joining Cyclops and his team in Alaska. But Logan downplays the idea, saying it’s not the kind of experience he wants with the X-Men. 

Nonetheless, the three answer a call from Beast, who is located at Scott’s base, who requests they visit a young mutant who is in a terminal care ward, with not much time left to live. There they meet Nightcrawler, who also connects with the young mutant. But just as the visit is getting underway, Wolverine senses something wrong and calls the nurse, just as the young mutant has a stroke and passes away.

ogue, Gambit, and Logan travel to New Orleans, to Gambit’s old stomping grounds. Struck deeply by the young mutant’s death, Rogue vows to build a new way forward for mutants, saying she will never go back to what it was like for her and other mutants before Xavier’s school and the X-Men.

But just as she’s convincing Logan and Gambit of her idea, Wolverine shushes her, detecting something nearby. Then, out of the woods come four young people and a horse, begging for help from someone who is coming for them – presumably the “Mommy” we saw earlier.

And that’s where things end for Uncanny X-Men #1, with a core group of Rogue, Gambit, and Wolverine coming together in Louisiana to create a version of the X-Men that will match their desires for a better life for mutants. 

We already know from advance solicitations that the rest of the team will be rounded out by Nightcrawler and Jubilee. We’ve also already seen a tease for who the newly introduced characters are at the end of the issue in the solicit for Uncanny X-Men #2, which identifies them as four young mutants called The Outliers.

As for what that means for Rogue and her new X-Men team, we’ll find out more when Uncanny X-Men #2 arrives on September 11.

Stay up to date on all the new X-Men comics Marvel has planned for release.

I’ve been Newsarama’s resident Marvel Comics expert and general comic book historian since 2011. I’ve also been the on-site reporter at most major comic conventions such as Comic-Con International: San Diego, New York Comic Con, and C2E2. Outside of comic journalism, I am the artist of many weird pictures, and the guitarist of many heavy riffs. (They/Them)