Marvel Comics will introduce a new group of X-Men villains in October's X of Swords: Stasis #1, by writers Tini Howard and Jonathan Hickman, and artists Pepe Larraz and Mahmud Asrar. X of Swords: Stasis #1 is the 11th chapter of the upcoming X-Men crossover, and features the debut of the Swordbearers of Arakko.
Larraz's cover for X of Swords: Stasis #1 features 10 villains, with three of them being familiar to X-Men fans that have been keeping up with the franchise's Dawn of X run. The Summoner has appeared in Hickman and Leinil Francis Yu's X-Men and Apocalypse's first Horsemen made a brief appearance in Marvel Comics #1000. Horsemen War and Death are identified, though the identity of the group's leader remains classified for now. All three villains have ties to Arakko, with the X-Men gathering their swords to defend Krakoa from the invading forces. The remaining villains listed are Pogg Ur-Pogg, Solem, Redroot the Forest, Bei the Blood Moon, Isca the Unbeaten and the White Sword.
The cover and solicitation for October's X of Swords: Stasis #1, along with Marvel's full press release can be found below.
X OF SWORDS: STASIS #1
- Written by TINI HOWARD & JONATHAN HICKMAN
- Art by PEPE LARRAZ & MAHMUD ASRAR
- Cover by PEPE LARRAZ
- X OF SWORDS, PART 11
- A ritual. A parliament. A game begins.
Official Press Release
New York, NY -- July 17, 2020 -- X OF SWORDS, the next great X-Men crossover, kicks off this September and rages on in October with Chapters 3-11. Over the last few days, the covers for the October chapters were unveiled, and fans got their first look at the X-Men’s newest foes in Pepe Larraz’s cover of X OF SWORDS: STASIS #1. This mysterious group of swordbearers come from the land of Arakko, and the X-Men will have to draw swords of their own to defend the new mutant nation of Krakoa. Arakko and its visitors are shrouded in mystery, and none more so than the group’s leader. While her identity remains classified, her story is sure to shock X-Men fans everywhere.
Spinning directly out of Jonathan Hickman’s X-MEN and Tini Howard’s EXCALIBUR, X OF SWORDS will be a massive mutant milestone that each X-Book will take part in. Every current X-Men writer -- Jonathan Hickman, Tini Howard, Gerry Duggan, Benjamin Percy, Ed Brisson, Zeb Wells, Leah Williams, and Vita Ayala -- have come together to craft a modern epic that will go down in X-Men history! Joined by incredible artists like Carmen Carnero, Pepe Larraz, R.B. Silva, Viktor Bogdanovic, Matteo Lolli, Mahmud Asrar, Phil Noto, and Rod Reis, the dramatic battles in store for the X-Men will be unforgettable.
See all of October’s covers by visiting marvel.com and prepare to meet these major new players in the X-Men mythos when X OF SWORDS begins in September!