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Despite an absence from Marvel's April 2021 solicitations, the publisher's X-Men and X-Factor titles will definitively return in May. Marvel is now showing off the covers of both issues – each of which hint at potential big developments as Marvel's X-Men line continues into the post-'X of Swords' 'Reign of X' era.
"The two series will pick up right where things left off with new villains, surprising guest stars, and shocking new developments that will affect the entire mutant world as the 'Reign of X' continues!" reads Marvel's description of X-Men and X-Factor's planned May issues.
Following a story which picks up threads around the mysterious Children of the Vault from early in his X-Men run, 'head of X' Jonathan Hickman and artist Francesco Mobili will go all the way back to plotlines from House of X/Powers of X, which established the current X-Men status quo.
"The mastermind behind the current X-Man era, writer Jonathan Hickman continues to evolve the X-Men mythology in the pages of X-Men," read's Marvel's description of May's X-Men #20.
"After taking on the Children of the Vault in March's X-Men #19, the future of Krakoa is at stake when one of the mutantkind's greatest threats emerges," it continues. "Don’t miss the startling return of Nimrod!"
Indeed, Leinil Yu's cover of X-Men #20 shows a close-up on the busted-up visage of Nimrod, the super-sentinel of the future. House of X/Powers of X established a future eventuality in which Nimrod and the sentinels would evolve into a sentient, third form of life with ties to the alien Phalanx.
Over in May's X-Factor #9 from writer Leia Williams and artist David Baldéon, some mutant musicians will jam together in the 'Reign of X' era as Lila Cheney and Dazzler put on a concert in the Mojoverse.
"March's X-Factor #8 will see the team of mutant detectives' devastating battle with the Morrigan erupt in a showdown that will reach its shocking conclusion in May's X-Factor #9, complete with a return visit to the Mojoverse and rockstar guests: Dazzler and Lila Cheney!" reads Marvel's description of X-Factor #9.
Lila Cheney debuted in the '80s as an intergalactic mutant rock star with teleportation powers. And of course, Dazzler is well known as a mutant singer who uses her power to convert sound into laser light to put on shows that are famous across dimensions.
Ivan Shavron's X-Factor #9 cover seems to show Dazzler and Cheney living up to their reputation as inter-dimensional superstars in the Mojoverse.
The Mojoverse is a bizarre dimension where everything is broadcast and TV ratings equal political power. The Mojoverse's de facto leader, Mojo, is a genetic mad scientist who has often been obsessed with the X-Men, genetically creating Longshot, Shatterstar, and the extra-weird X-Babies (they're exactly what it sounds like, a group of babies with all the powers of the X-Men, kinda like mutant Muppet Babies). Dazzler actually lived there for a while alongside her then-lover Longshot.
Watch for Marvel's full May 2021 solicitations later this month on Newsarama.
Keep up with everything coming in the 'Reign of X' era with our list of all of Marvel's announced X-Men releases through May and beyond.
