If you can’t beat ‘em, let them infest your body so that you can gain untold superpowers. That’s the old idiom, right? Well, it certainly is for the cast of X-Men Blue #22. Newly released cover art for the issue sees the team of spacefaring X-Men having joined with alien symbiotes for an X-Men Blue and Venom crossover.

Unfortunately, this union has attracted the attention of Poisons, one of the symbiote race’s few predators. First introduced fully in Venomverse #1, Poisons were created by Cullen Bunn and Iban Coello. The creatures can momentarily disguise themselves as acquaintances of their symbiotically-bonded prey before they attack. If a Poison successfully consumes the symbiote and host pair, the creature can effectively digest their respective personalities and gain control of the host's full range of superhuman powers.

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Bunn teased the crossover back in October, telling CBR the event "takes the X-Men to the far reaches of space and pits them against a terrible and unexpected foe. This adventure changes the X-Men — some more than others."

Poisons have few weaknesses, but certain symbiotes are too powerful for the creates to assimilate – Carnage, for example. Poisons are also frail in their unbonded state and can be dispatched if dealt with before they consume a symbiote.

The events of the crossover are further teased in the issue's synopsis:

The X-MEN have given themselves a power boost – in the form of ALIEN SYMBIOTES! But their new powers have made them the targets of the symbiote-consuming POISONS!

X-Men Blue #22 is written by Cullen Bunn, with art by Jacopo Camagni. The issue's cover art is illustrated by Arthur Adams. A Poison X variant by David Nakayama will be available when the issue releases next year.