After much anticipation and months of waiting, the new roster of the first official X-Men team in almost two years has finally been announced. Many of the members of the new X-Men are going back to roles that they have played for years, while others will be stepping up to the main X-Men team for the very first time.
Now, we're taking a closer look at Marvel's upcoming X-Men team, and where the members of Marvel's next major mutant team are.
Cyclops
Scott Summers has a long history of leading the X-Men in the field, and that won't be changing for the Great Captain of Krakoa any time soon. Cyclops and Jean Grey both turned down spots on the Quiet Council in order to head up the new X-Men team without worry of outside influence or becoming spread too thin between heroics and the duties of a political office at the highest table in Krakoa. In fact, the Quiet Council had formally disbanded the team before Scott and Jean took it upon themselves to reform it in X of Swords, under the guiding principle that the world still needs mutant heroes and the citizens of Krakoa need someone else working towards their best interests.
Marvel Girl
After helping to draft the most basic principles and tenets of the nation of Krakoa, Jean Grey's Marvel Girl has seen plenty of action both at home and abroad. Particularly, Jean was struck by her and Cyclops' mission to rescue Cable on Otherworld. This put her on the exact same page as Cyclops when it came to refusing the position offered to her on the Quiet Council, in lieu of advocating for the elections which would lead to the final lineup of the new X-Men. As both one of the most veteran X-Men and one of the most powerful mutants, it only makes sense that Marvel Girl would find herself back on the frontlines alongside her fellow X-Men.
Polaris
As the oft-forgotten daughter of Magneto whose powers erupted at an early age, Polaris has been through just as much if not more trouble in her life than the rest of the team. She is also intimately familiar with the inner workings of the X-Men, having served on the team intermittently since its earliest incarnations. Since becoming a citizen of Krakoa, Polaris has helped Northstar reform X-Factor Investigations to investigate suspected mutant deaths. Though Polaris turned down a leadership role offered to her by her father after this, she doesn't seem to have any problem following someone else's lead as part of the new X-Men, especially after winning the fan vote to become the team's final member.
Rogue
It's been a couple of years since Rogue finally tied the knot with Gambit, and since then she and her husband have been members of the current incarnation of Excalibur. Another longtime veteran of Marvel's family of mutant heroes and a few Avengers teams, Rogue has always been one of the strongest and most resilient members of the team. She might not have the political acumen of some of her teammates, but Rogue doesn't need all of that to return to her position as one of Marvel's most prominent mutants.
Sunfire
Shiro Yoshida's super career began as a zealous nationalist with a seething hatred of America, as well as its protectors like the X-Men. It didn't take long for him to see the error of his ways and work alongside Namor to repair some of the damage he had caused, nor did it take long for him to find a place for himself at the Xavier School for Gifted Youngsters. But after helping to free the original X-Men from Krakoa, Sunfire left the school, just as other iconic X-Men such as Nightcrawler and Colossus were finding their place on the team. In the years since he has fought as a semi-regular ally of the team, part of Big Hero Six, the Marauders, and even a Horseman of Apocalypse. And after putting up an impressive display of his power in the King in Black crossover, Shiro just proved how valuable an asset he can be.
Synch
Generation X veteran Synch is the best there is when it comes to adapting to any situation, which is why he was one of the three mutants chosen to infiltrate the Children of the Vault's operations in a deadly spy mission. Having recently been resurrected alongside his teammates after decades spent inside the Vault, Synch is the only one of the three that remembers their time spent inside the strange world. He's also the only one who remembers the romantic relationship that he and Laura Kinney formed while inside, though he will have plenty of opportunities to rekindle that flame as part of the new X-Men lineup.
Wolverine
Laura Kinney, formerly known as X-23, has proven worthy of her spot on the X-Men and of inheriting Logan's superhero mantle. Inside the Vault, Laura proved to be the most lethal of her teammates, taking out two of the Children of the Vault singlehandedly almost as soon as they had entered the strange world. When it was time for them to leave and someone needed to buy the others time to ensure Professor Xavier could retain their memories, Laura stayed behind and fought to the death while Synch made his way outside, and there is little doubt she would do the same for any of her fellow X-Men.