Update: New details of the upcoming 'Destiny of X' era X-Men title Knights of X from writer Tini Howard and artist Bob Quinn have come to light, and as foreshadowed in the previous teaser (seen below), the new series is all about Betsy Braddock/Captain Britain leading a team of ten mutants into Otherworld, where mutantkind - or 'witchbreeds' as they're known in the alternate dimension - are under persecution from the realm's new ruler, the wizard Merlyn, and his protege King Arthur (y'know, like from Arthurian legend).
Picking up directly on the ending of the previous mutant magic title Excalibur, Knights of X features Captain Britain assembling a group of former members of Excalibur and others to venture into Otherworld to "recover an artifact deeply rooted in mutant history," which Marvel's release calls "the Holy Grail of mutantkind."
Joining Betsy in the quest will be Rictor, Shatterstar, Gambit, Rachel Summers, Bei the Blood Moon, Gloriana/Meggan, and "two more surprise characters." Readers who can count will notice that's only nine characters, counting the two mystery characters and Betsy herself. Though Marvel's announcement doesn't state it outright, it seems the tenth member of the team will be Shogo, Jubilee's adopted son who is also a dragon (only in comics, folks!) judging by his inclusion in both Rod Reis' variant cover for Knights of X #1 and Yanick Paquette's main cover, both seen here.
Interestingly, this raises the question of whether the title should be pronounced "Knights of X", as in the letter X, or "Knights of Ten," as in the Roman numeral X, meaning 10 - a pronunciation that's been used several times now in the current X-Men era, starting with the 'X of Swords' crossover.
"At the end of Excalibur, we saw Merlyn take control of all Otherworld, transforming the Starlight Citadel into the Lunatic Citadel and raging his war on mutants from Saturnyne's former throne," states Howard in the announcement. "Captain Britain stayed within when the gates fell, but even with the whole Corps at her side - it'll take more than an army of one to bring down King Arthur and his Furies."
"You'll recognize many of the Knights from Excalibur’s past - both my run and the classic - in a quest for a precious treasure that crashes our high fantasy tale into that most classic X-Men story - fighting for a(n Other)world that hates and fears them," she concludes.
Knights of X #1 is due out April 13. Stay tuned to Newsarama for Marvel's full April 2022 solicitations, coming later this month.
Original story follows...
Marvel Comics has unexpectedly revealed some details of the new X-title Knights of X which was previously announced as part of the impending 'Destiny of X' relaunch of the X-Men line with a teaser in the back of December 15's Excalibur #26.
An official announcement from Marvel later Wednesday revealed the Knights of X creative team as writer Tini Howard, continuing on from Excalibur, alongside artist Bob Quinn.
Excalibur #26 from Howard, artists Marcus To and Erick Arciniega, and colorist Ariana Maher marks the title's finale with Betsy Braddock/Captain Britain making a fateful decision that will seemingly lead directly into 'Destiny of X,' with the issue's final page setting up the plot of Knights of X, which will presumably pick up the torch from the concluding Excalibur title's themes and plotlines.
The teaser features the tagline "A world of magic and adventure awaits…unless you're a mutant" along with art from Rod Reis depicting Betsy Braddock, Rachel Summers, and Gambit hiding from a large creature by standing in front of a wall which shows the relevant status of different mutants - apparently paying homage to the cover of Uncanny X-Men #141, the first part of the landmark 'Days of Future Past' story. The teaser also lists a release date of April 2022 for Knights of X #1.
The tagline and the depiction of mutants being hunted in a "world of magic and adventure" ties into the latest Excalibur arc, in which the wizard Merlyn begins a conquest of Otherworld with the intent of expelling or destroying all the mutants who dwell within or step foot in the alt-reality.
Spoilers ahead for Excalibur #26
Excalibur #26 concludes with Coven Akkaba using their collective magic to destroy Excalibur's lighthouse and Krakoa's Otherworld gate from afar at the behest of the British government, who have severed their relations with Krakoa and who want to take back the name 'Excalibur' from mutants, owing to its traditional connections to British culture.
They strike just as Excalibur is passing back through the gate into Krakoa with the intent of killing the team, especially Captain Britain/Betsy Braddock - but Betsy uses the Starlight Sword, which contains a fraction of the Multiversal power of the Starlight Citadel to hold the portal open long enough to save her team from the explosion.
There's a hitch in the team's escape, however, as Betsy refuses to come back through the portal herself, instead returning to Otherworld to fulfill her duty as the leader of the Captain Britain Corps and fight against the anti-mutant forces conquering Otherworld.
This seems to lead directly into Knights of X, which appears to focus on Betsy Braddock as a freedom fighter against Otherworld's new regime, judging by the teaser. Interestingly enough, the teaser also has much smaller semi-hidden text stating "Ten Realms, Ten Knights."
This implies that 'Knights of X' is pronounced 'Knights of Ten,' similar to the title of the X-Men line's Otherworld-centric 'X of Swords' crossover - but also could hint at a connection between Knights of X and the Ten Realms of Asgardian cosmology in Marvel Comics.
Marvel's subsequent announcement also confirms the title's connection to the fight for mutant freedom in Otherworld.
Expect more information from Marvel on Knights of X sooner rather than later. And the publisher will give a much larger glimpse at their future in the full Marvel Comics March 2022 solicitations, coming to Newsarama later this month.
Stay on top of everything X-related heading into the 'Destiny of X' era with our guide to all the new X-Men comics planned for release in 2021, 2022, and beyond.
