Marvel has revealed the first two main issues of its summer event AXE: Judgment Day, along with the other tie-in series and issues on sale in July, and despite it being a three-way event featuring the Avengers, X-Men, and Eternals, the tie-ins are so far limited to X-Men titles.
Perhaps that signals the story's revelation that the Eternals will come to view mutants as Deviants, who the Eternals exist to protect the Earth from, will impact the X-Men corner of the Marvel Universe the most.
It would certainly be a continuity game-changer for Marvel Comics and potentially the MCU.
Or maybe the event will expand to Avengers and Eternals titles in future months.
But for now anyway, AXE: Judgment Day appears to be X-forward.
The main series is written by Kieron Gillen and drawn by Valerio Schiti and places the Avengers, X-Men, and Eternals in a deadly conflict.
The event begins after the Eternals attack mutantkind's island home of Krakoa, and according to Marvel, AXE: Judgment Day is a "complex saga" that will serve as the payoff to various plot threads through all three franchises in recent years; including mutantkind's "newfound immortality," the Eternals' discovery of "long-hidden truths about their species," and the Avengers "intense dealings with the Celestials."
The publisher promises the event will have a "massive" impact on all the characters and their stories moving forward.
Here's a look at all seven July issues:
On sale July 6
A.X.E.: Judgment Day #1 (of 6)
Written by Kieron Gillen
Art by Valerio Schiti
Cover by Mark Brooks
The X-Men claim they're the planets' new gods. The Eternals know that position is already filled. The Avengers are about to realize exactly how many secrets their so-called friends have kept from them. Years of tension lead to a volcanic eruption as two worlds burn. Who has leaked the X-Men's secrets to their latest foes? Why is Tony Stark abducting an old friend? And who stands in judgment over the whole world? As the world shakes, an unlikely group of heroes and less-than-heroes gather to find a peaceful solution. Sadly, the best laid plans of man, mutant and Eternal oft go awry...
On sale July 13
Immortal X-Men #5
Written by Kieron Gillen
Art by Michele Bandini
Cover by Giuseppe Camuncoli
Spotlighting one of mutantkind's most fervent warriors—EXODUS. Bennet du Paris was born in the 12th century. Exodus marched forth with a sword in his hand and a shield in his heart to protect what he believes. It's now the 21st century. What's changed? Nothing. Absolutely nothing. And the Eternals who dared attack Krakoa are going to discover what that means.
On sale July 20
A.X.E.: Judgment Day #2 (of 6)
Written by Kieron Gillen
Art by Valerio Schiti
Cover by Mark Brooks
X-Men Red #5
Written by Al Ewing
Art by Stefano Caselli
Cover by Russell Dauterman
No one who is not an Omega-level mutant has ever taken one of the nine seats of the Great Ring. Together, they are the greatest power Arakko has ever known – and it's nine against one. So, if the nine are losing…what does that say about the one? Judgment Day has come to the Red Planet – and it's Arakko's greatest test since X OF SWORDS!
On sale July 27
A.X.E.: Death To The Mutants #1 (of 3)
Written by Kieron Gillen
Art by Guiu Vilanova
Cover by Esad Ribić
Exploring the root of the Eternals' fury against mutantkind and the schism it's causing in their society.
The mutants are Deviants. Eternals are coded to correct excess deviation. The mutants are eternal, Mars colonizers, ever-spreading. Eternals know what they should do. Our heroes don't want to, but can they resist the murderous designs coded into their body as surely as any Sentinel? And if they can't, can anyone survive the coming judgment?
X-Force #30
Written by Benjamin Percy
Art by Robert Gill
Cover by Joshua Cassara
Variant Cover by Carlos Magno
Deadpool joins and Kraven's mutant hunt begins. X-Force has taken some lumps, but a new era begins as old-school X-Forcer Wade Wilson makes his grand return! Well, grand for him, necessary for the team, as X-Force needs all the help it can get in the fallout from the Hellfire Gala and the revelations of A.X.E.: JUDGMENT DAY! Find out why Kraven the Hunter is involved in the start of a landmark storyline titled 'The Hunt for X.'
X-Men #13
Written by Gerry Duggan
Art by C.F. Villa
Cover by Martin Coccolo
Who are the true inheritors of the Earth? The X-Men and Eternals fight over the answer to that question. The mutants are the next stage of evolution. Evolution depends on a mutation of genes – the genes of the offspring deviating from their progenitors. Some would call the X-gene EXCESS deviation. Those people are gonna need to be taken down a few pegs.
Keep track of everything coming for Marvel's mutants with our listing of all the new X-Men comics coming in 2022 and beyond.
