Warning: Contains spoilers for Final X-Men #11! The X-Men Have had no shortage of costume changes over the years. From the classic black and yellow, to the iconic blue and yellow, to even individualized suits highlighting each member. And now, Marvel’s team of mutant heroes is getting yet another costume change, and it’s like nothing fans have ever seen from the X-Men before.
In Marvel Comics’ solicitation for Ultimate X-Men #11 by Peach Momoko, fans were given a sneak peek at the upcoming issue, including the cover art and official description.
Who are the X-Men? Rise of the Masked Mutants! Maystorm takes the lives! No more hiding their powers – even if it means hiding their faces! Disenfranchised and desperate after the attack on the Children of the Atom, the man-made mutants are looking for leadership – and Maystorm is ready to rise to the occasion!
The new Ultimate Universe was created by the Maker – a deranged alternate reality version of Reed Richards – to be a world without super heroes. Manipulating his way through the time stream to rob your favorite characters of their destinies, the Maker and his council rule the Earth from the shadows, twisting the truth to ensure their dominance.
Recently, the maker was put in a 16-month captivity. When he emerges, he will find a new generation of super heroes, nations and young mutants ready to fight back!
The newly introduced mutants of the Ultimate Universe are looking for new leadership after a mutant cult called the Children of the Atom has apparently crumbled. With nowhere else to turn, the mutants look to one of the main characters of Ultimate X-Men: Meishturm. Despite being only a teenager himself, Maystorm seems ready to step up to the challenge of leading the young mutants, setting the stage for the rise of the X-Men in Earth-6160. And arguably the most interesting aspect of this development are the costumes, which feature the one thing the X-Men have never worn before: masks.
The X-Men are now known as “The Masked Mutants” in the Ultimate Universe
Ultimate X-Men #11 is redefining X-Men’s Marvel Comics Lore
Every mutant featured on the cover of Ultimate X-Men #11 Wear a unique mask, each seemingly of their own design. in this way, Ultimate X-Men Following a trend fans have seen with the iconic superhero team before, the main X-Men of Earth-616 have often worn their own costumes to stand out as individuals. However, unlike countless other heroes in the Marvel Universe, the X-Men of Earth-616 have never worn masks.
In Earth-616, the X-Men stand as champions of mutantkind, offering complete transparency for the sake of gaining humanity’s acceptance—and that includes their identities. However, the Ultimate X-Men are not yet ready to reveal who they are to the world, especially after the fall of the Children of the Atom, who previously kept them safe in a tight-knit, secret community (even if it was corrupt. ). This is a drastic change from established X-Men Lore, one that is the direct result of a simple costume change.
The X-Men prepare to battle the Ultimate Universe’s ‘big bad’: The Maker
The Children of the Atom are puppets of the Maker, establishing personal ties to the villain
The Maker is the evil mastermind who traveled to Earth-6160 and remodeled it to his liking, eliminating basically every superhero in the process. Those he did not eliminate, he made part of his secret council, The maker’s councilWho runs together the world of the shadows. One member is Sunfire, who organized the Children of the Atom to contain the mutant population—and perhaps weaponize them. Now that the mutants are without the Children of the Atom, they have a personal reason for wanting to bring the Maker down, and they’re well suited to do so.
The X-Men have become a team of heroes known as the masked mutants in Ultimate X-Men #11, with Maystorm stepping up as their official leader, which will surely prepare them for their inevitable battle against the Maker. This costume change from the classic aesthetic is more than just an update in appearance that fans have not seen before, but something that signifies the rise of the Ultimate. X-Men In a way that allows them to stand out from the original team – and fans should be very excited about what is to come.
Ultimate X-Men #11 by Marvel Comics is available January 22, 2025.