Marvel's upcoming X of Swords event has been teased as being massive in scale, increasing from its initial nine to 22 parts. Now a new image hints at just how massive the event is going to be.
A new piece of art has been released, featuring multiple members of the X-Men wielding a variety of different swords against the Swordbearers of Arrako. "Ten swords. Ten challengers. The victors take the world," a caption reads.
Arrako has long been described as the "sister nation" to Krakoa, and the history of X-Men villain turned ally Apocalypse is linked to it. The event also has its roots in Tini Howard and Marcus To's Excalibur relaunch; Howard helped shaped the direction of X of Swords with X-Men head writer Jonathan Hickman.
Several swords have also started to show up in the X-titles. Cable found a sword belonging to one of Galador's Spaceknights, while the Cerebro sword -- forged from the remains of Charles Xavier's helmet -- has been stolen from Krakoa. Other blades will play a role in the event, as well as mutants who primarily wield swords, including Captain Britain and Magik.
The official synopsis for X of Swords follows:
The dark history of Arakko will soon be revealed, and when it is, the very future of mutankind will be at stake. Now, witness the cataclysmic showdown between the sword bearers of Arakko and the ten mutants who will stand up to defend the new mutant nation of Krakoa in Pepe Larraz’s breathtaking key art for X OF SWORDS. This fateful clash and many others are what await readers in this crossover epic written by Jonathan Hickman, Tini Howard, and all the current writers of your favorite X-Men titles. The next chapter in Hickman’s bold reshaping of the X-Men that began in House of X, this story will stand alongside influential X-Men crossovers like The Mutant Massacre and Messiah CompleX. The victories will be legendary, the losses will be heartbreaking, and the revelations will send shockwaves throughout the Marvel Universe. This sprawling saga will have a lasting impact on the future of the X-Men, forever changing the fate of the franchise’s most prominent characters.
X of Swords begins properly with the X of Swords: Creation one-shot from Hickman and R.B. Silva, which goes on sale Sept. 23.