The new Marauders writer Steve Orlando isn't playing nice with Daken in Annual #1 preview

Marauders Annual #1 excerpt (Image credit: Marvel Comics)

Marauders, Marvel's X-Men franchise title about Captain Kate Pryde and the Hellfire Trading Company (Krakoa's mutant pirates and de facto naval force), is changing hands, with writer Steve Orlando taking over for Gerry Duggan with January 26's Marauders Annual #1.

Marauders Annual #1 cover (Image credit: Marvel Comics)

And from the looks of it, he isn't afraid to play rough with some of the characters from the get-go.

Duggan's departure from Marauders was previously all but confirmed by Marvel, who told Newsarama to expect incoming announcements regarding changes to the title, Duggan recently took the reins of Marvel's core X-Men title from departing writer Jonathan Hickman, meaning that his exit from Marauders has likely been in the cards for some time.

As for Orlando, his run on Marauders will kick off in January 26's Marauders Annual #1, which features interior art from Crees Lee and a cover by Russel Dauterman.

Following that, the Marauders title will be relaunched with a new #1 as part of the 'Destiny of X' era for the X-Men line.

Orlando's upcoming Marauders era will introduce a revised crew for Captain Kate Pryde including Bishop, Psylocke, Aurora, Tempo, Somnus, and eventually even Cassandra Nova. The team's first mission involves getting ahold of a new boat in order to rescue Daken from a villain who, while not new to Marvel Comics or even technically the X-Men, has never encountered the mainstream version of the team.

Check out this preview of Marauders Annual #1:

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Marauders Annual #1 preview

Drawing on his well-known deep bench of superhero lore, Orlando will bring in villain Brimstone Love and his so-called Theater of Pain - antagonists who appeared in the '90s cult-classic title X-Men 2099, making their non-2099 Marvel Comics debut.

"Taking the helm of Marauders is easily the most exciting moment of my career, especially when it's my first-ever ongoing not just on Krakoa, but at Marvel in general,” Orlando states in Marvel's announcement.

"Exploding out of the team's already-amazing adventures as part of Hellfire Trading, Captain Pryde's new crew of Marauders will stop at nothing to bring endangered mutants to safety - to always go where they're needed, not where they're wanted," Orlando continues. "To mutant rescue, wherever it calls them!"

Marauders Annual #1 goes on sale on January 26.

Keep up with everything mutant related thanks to our guide to all the new X-Men comics for 2022 and beyond.

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)