From Revelation to Tomorrow: Marvel’s X-Men Panel Unveils a New Dawn at NYCC 2025

Marvel Comics’ X-Men panel at New York Comic Con opened with classic hype from moderator and executive editor Nick Lowe, who got the crowd humming the ’90s animated series theme before promising “the best X-Men panel ever." He introduced a packed dais — editor Tom Brevoort, Editor in Chief C.B. Cebulski, Jed MacKay, Ryan Stegman, Ashley Allen, Eve L. Ewing, and Ben Percy —  and immediately set the table for the line’s next seismic moment: X-Men: Age of Revelation.

Age of Revelation

Lowe framed the initiative as a future-set epic that begins right where current titles leave off.

Age of Revelation: Overture #1

Jed MacKay explained that Age of Revelation: Overture #1 picks up “right after X-Men #22," vaulting readers ten years (or, as the branding puts it, “X years") into a world where Doug Ramsey, now Revelation, has achieved a mutant-only domain. “A significant portion of North America has been converted to what’s called the Revelation Territories," MacKay said, describing a benevolent-on-paper regime whose cracks show fast when “Scott Summers from the present" wakes up in that future and tries to make sense of it.

Artist Ryan Stegman previewed wild redesigns for the time-jumped cast. Asked about a fearsome Cyclops look with a side-mounted optic device, he laughed that there were “no guardrails whatsoever," so he chased “something cool" that fit the Grim Reaper vibe Ben Percy teased for the character. The team promised Age of Revelation sprawls across 16 titles before converging in Age of Revelation: Finale #1, with MacKay warning that the question isn’t whether things get better so much as how bad they get before the dust settles.

Expatriate X-Men #1-3

Eve L. Ewing introduced Expatriate X-Men, a future-era, pirate-coded insurgency operating along a Mississippi River demilitarized zone that divides the Revelation Territories from the rest of the U.S. “Tom really gave us a mandate to uplift the current generation," Ewing said, spotlighting a mix of legacy names and newer faces  — think Melee, Bronze, Riff, and an older, weathered Colossus.

“Bronze as an adult [is] taking care of somebody who has become her mentor… Colossus," Ewing added, describing found-family stakes, edgier action, and some sailor-mouth language to match the flotilla setting.

Another reveal was the cover of Expatriate X-Men #3, featuring the team discovering that who they thought was Illyana is actually someone else in disguise!

X-Men: Age of Revelation – Finale #1

After sixteen interconnected titles charting the mutants’ future, this arc converges in X-Men: Age of Revelation – Finale #1, written by Jed MacKay with art by Ryan Stegman. The team described it as the explosive culmination of the saga, where every splintered storyline — from Amazing X-Men to Book of Revelation — collides in one decisive showdown. The Finale finds Scott Summers and his allies facing the consequences of Revelation’s rise, raising the question of whether the future can be salvaged or if the world is too far gone.

Stegman’s preview art drew gasps from the crowd — grim, battle-scarred imagery that underscores the scope of the event. As Lowe summed it up, Finale #1 is “a huge finish to a huge story," designed to close one chapter of mutant destiny before the next phase begins.

Shadows of Tomorrow

Brevoort previewed the post-event banner Shadows of Tomorrow, which has the present-day X-books digest what they learned from that possible future. A striking Stefano Caselli homage image (evoking Avengers: The Initiative) was more than a flex; Ewing hinted it tees up “youthful characters… ready at the end of the Age of Revelations saga to take on new leadership," name-checking Melee and Bronze.

As Shadows of Tomorrow reshapes the line, the X-office unveiled a slate of titles exploring how different corners of mutantkind respond to the cataclysmic events of Age of Revelation. The tone may shift from introspection to chaos, but each book examines what comes after the future — how mutants rebuild, redefine themselves, and decide who they’ll be next.

X-Men #23-24

Shadows of Tomorrow begins with X-Men #23 and #24, written by Jed MacKay and featuring the grand return of legendary artist Tony Daniel to Marvel. Set in the uneasy aftermath of the future glimpsed in Revelation, the arc explores how the X-Men process what they’ve learned about the years ahead — relationships that may form, betrayals that might still be prevented, and destinies that could yet be rewritten.

MacKay described the storyline as “not just a post-Revelations story — it’s also sort of during," revealing that the aftermath ripples across multiple timelines. Cyclops, he teased, is in a more volatile headspace: “We’re seeing Cyclops being an ‘aggro’ here, the reasons for which will become apparent." The issues will also spotlight the arc’s villains, a shadowy trio known as 3K, while Daniel’s interiors, previewed at the panel alongside striking new covers, show the X-Men pushed to their psychological limits. As MacKay put it, these issues bridge the moment between what was and what might still be — setting the tone for the franchise’s next evolution.

Uncanny X-Men #22

C.B. Cebulski and Tom Brevoort teased the issue as a turning point that brings back a fan-favorite character whose reappearance has been “not-so-long awaited." The story also dives into the fallout from Gambit’s use of the Eye of Agamotto, a mystical artifact that invites otherworldly repercussions in an arc titled “Where Monsters Dwell." Described as a highlight pitch from Gail Simone, the story mixes supernatural intrigue with classic X-Men swagger — a monster mash filtered through mutant morality.

Wolverine #14

Writer Saladin Ahmed and artist Martin Coccolo continue Logan’s saga, placing him in Canada among “displaced, almost Warlock-esque mutants" who need his protection. Brevoort described it as a hybrid of feral action and emotional reckoning, including a “love-hate relationship" with Silver Sable, who crosses into Wolverine’s world for the first time. The creative team joked about borrowing her from Marvel’s spy corner.

Inglorious X-Force #1

Written by Tim Seeley with art by Michael Sta. Maria, this new series reimagines the mutant black-ops squad for the post-Revelation world. After a catastrophic future battle, Cable is blasted back to the present with holes in his memory and a list of names carved into his techno-organic arm. Unsure whether those names are meant to prevent disaster or cause it, he assembles a ragtag team to find out. Brevoort called it “the most inglorious version of X-Force ever," while Lowe promised, “This series is gonna rule."

Rogue #1

Rogue gets her own solo spotlight from Erica Schultz (writer) and Luigi Zagaria (artist), in a story that sends her back to her New Orleans roots. A chance encounter with a mysterious stranger triggers repressed memories from her days with the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, prompting a journey that reconnects her with Mystique, Destiny, and other ghosts of her past. Brevoort described it as “relevant and important to her future and present," while assuring fans they’ll still get plenty of attitude — “She punches a lot of stuff and says ‘sugar’ a lot."

Magik & Colossus

Following the events of Magik: Storm of Limbo, writer Ashley Allen and artist Germán Peralta reunite the Rasputin siblings for a haunted homecoming to Russia. Facing a new supernatural foe known as the Lady of Midday, the story turns sibling loyalty and trauma into a gothic family epic.

“We had more family drama than the rest of you," Allen joked, noting that the team relished diving into the emotional fallout from Krakoa through Illyana’s and Peter’s shared scars.

Wade Wilson: Deadpool #1

Ben Percy’s first solo Deadpool series takes a darker, more psychological approach to the Merc with a Mouth. “We are as focused on the man as the merc," Percy said, describing a story that begins with Hammerhead hiring Wade to sabotage a drug ring run by the Heartlanders.

The cold open — which Percy gleefully said features Wade “emerging from a cow, Ace Ventura-style" — sets the tone for a book that balances grotesque humor with noir grit. Percy hinted at more crossover potential with Wolverine, adding, “I just can’t keep my claws off of Logan."

Cyclops #1

Brevoort likened this upcoming miniseries, written by Alex Paknadel with art by Rogê Antônio, to the definitive Wolverine limited series of the 1980s — a tight, character-driven survival tale. After a plane crash leaves his visor shattered, Cyclops must guide a young mutant to safety while being hunted by the Reavers. “It tells you everything you need to know about this guy in one story," Brevoort said, framing it as the ultimate solo showcase for Scott Summers.

Generation X-23 #1

Writer Jody Houser and artist Jacopo Camagni spotlight Laura Kinney and Gabby as they uncover a secret program creating weaponized clones — the next generation of X-Weapons. The new series introduces a roster of experimental mutants, each with a numerical designation and unique power set, while grounding the story in the sisters’ bond.

Storm #1

The goddess of weather returns under writer Murewa Ayodele and artist Federica Mancin, with a cover by R.B. Silva that drew cheers from the crowd. Brevoort described the book as “the same thing only bigger" — expanding on Ayodele’s acclaimed earlier work with even more spectacle, heart, and attitude. The cover art showed Storm wielding crackling lightning swords, symbolizing her rise as “the preeminent mutant superstar of the Marvel Universe."

Together, these series form the backbone of the Shadows of Tomorrow era — a tapestry of survival stories, reckonings, and rebirths as mutantkind navigates the world left behind by Age of Revelation.

Looking ahead: Hints from the X-Men Q&A

The panel’s final moments offered a handful of subtle teases about what’s next for mutantkind. Emma Frost’s prominent placement in the Shadows of Tomorrow key art isn’t random — fans were directed to a cryptic exchange in Exceptional X-Men #13 for clues about her next move. For those invested in X-Men relationships, we were reassured that Rogue and Gambit’s bond remains “a pairing that’s going to remain a pairing for the foreseeable future," though the team won’t make it easy on them. Fans of Synch, Richter, and Shatterstar can also look forward to more: Synch will reappear “shortly… in a way" yet to be revealed, while a completed script already exists for a Richter–Shatterstar story awaiting the right release window. Elsewhere, Ms. Marvel is confirmed to factor into one of the newly announced titles, continuing her growing ties to mutantkind. Together, these exchanges reinforced that the Shadows of Tomorrow era won’t just redefine the future of the X-Men — it’s planting seeds for where the franchise might evolve next.

The Takeaway

Everyone in the room scored an Age of Revelation: Overture #1 special variant featuring Stegman’s art. Between a time-tossed power reshuffle, a raft of new #1s, and a post-event roadmap that lets the present learn from its possible future, Marvel’s X-office used NYCC to show the franchise still has range — from pirate flotillas and family feuds to character-defining spotlights.