Deadpool co-creator Rob Liefeld returns to Marvel Comics' New Mutants for a special cover celebrating the title's 40th anniversary.

Liefeld has crafted an homage variant for the giant-sized New Mutants #30, which is due to hit comic shops on Wednesday, Sept. 21. The variant is directly based on Liefeld's own cover for December 1990's New Mutants #98, which marked the first appearances of Deadpool, Gideon and, ostensibly, Domino (Copycat was actually impersonating Domino at the time, with the latter being introduced properly within the pages of X-Force in 1992).

RELATED: Rob Liefeld Returns to Prophet for Remastered First Issue Project

"Coming on board during the final issues of the original run of New Mutants, Liefeld transformed the title with the introduction of breakout characters like Deadpool, Cable, and Domino and evolved the group of mutant teen super heroes into the mutant strike team X-Force," Marvel wrote. "Liefeld's new cover gives fans a rare look at the superstar artist's take on iconic New Mutants characters who departed the team prior to Liefeld's launch of X-Force."

New Mutants #30 comes from current series writer Vita Ayala, who is joined by co-writer Alyssa Wong, as well as artists including Alex Lins, Jason Loo and Emma Kubert. It features a main cover by Rafael De Latorre. In addition to Liefeld's self-homaging variant, the issue also features a variant cover by none other than New Mutants co-creator Bob McLeod.

RELATED: EXCLUSIVE: New Mutants Introduces Old Lady Magik - and Her [SPOILER] Sword

Created by Chris Claremont and McLeod, the New Mutants -- a younger offshoot of the X-Men -- first appeared in September 1982's Marvel Graphic Novel #4. The team's first eponymous series, originally written by Claremont and penciled my McLeod, launched in November 1982 (though New Mutants #1 is cover-dated March 1993).

The New Mutants' original lineup consisted of Karma, Psyche, Cannonball, Wolfsbane and Sunspot. Other characters would join the team over time, such as Magik and Warlock (not to be confused with Adam Warlock). The New Mutants series also served to introduce other key members of the X-Men family, such as the aforementioned Deadpool, Gideon and Domino, not to mention the likes of Cable and Legion.

RELATED: X-Men '92 Highlights Jubilee's New, Game-Changing Ability

Written by Vita Ayala and Alyssa Wong and illustrated by Alex Lins, Jason Loo, Emma Kubert and more, New Mutants #30 goes on sale Sept. 21 from Marvel Comics.

Source: Marvel Comics