Sunspot and Cannonball, together again in Secret X-Men #1 preview

Secret X-Men #1 excerpt
Secret X-Men #1 excerpt (Image credit: Marvel Comics)

Who are the newly announced team the Secret X-Men? Despite the squad's name, the members aren't hidden at all - they're all the mutants who didn't make the cut when Marvel Comics had readers vote on the final member of the current X-Men flagship team (Polaris won, by the way).

Secret X-Men #1 cover (Image credit: Leinil Francis Yu (Marvel Comics))

The so-called Secret X-Men will come together in an eponymous one-shot from writer Tini Howard and artist Francesco Mobili with a cover from Leinil Francis Yu, going on sale on February 9.

Comprised of Strong Guy, Forge, Tempo, Boom-Boom, Marrow, Armor, Cannonball, Sunspot, and Banshee, the Secret X-Men will unite for a "secret mission to the stars," as outlined in Marvel's announcement.

What is the mission? Regardless of the subterfuge involved in their task, the Secret X-Men's goal is no secret to readers, as Marvel states the story will revolve around the Shi'Ar empress, Xandra - who also happens to be the daughter of Charles Xavier and former Shi'Ar emperor Lilandra.

Check out this preview:

Secret X-Men #1 variant cover by Tony S. Daniel (Image credit: Marvel Comics)

"We had to do it, yeah? And I jumped at the chance to tell the story while I had the time," Howard states in Marvel's announcement. "Cannonball was my vote, and Strong Guy? Tempo? Boom-Boom? This is the perfect team for an intergalactic X-Men mission. I hope they didn't forget anything important!"

One thing they didn't forget is new costumes, which they'll debut in the pages of Secret X-Men #1.

As for what it could be that the Secret X-Men may have forgotten, that may be the biggest mystery present in Marvel's announcement, with no direct indication of what Howard's tease could mean offhand.

Secret X-Men #1 goes on sale on February 9.

Keep track of this and ALL the new X-Men comics, graphic novels, and collections in 2021 and beyond.

George Marston

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)

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