The X-Men's Shadowy New Era Begins, And We Have the Exclusive First Look

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The Shadows of Tomorrow are on their way to loom over the X-Men, and they're beginning with the return of one truly uncanny mutant influencer.

Per a press release from Marvel Comics, fans can get their first look at the world of the Shadows of Tomorrow courtesy of a sneak preview of Uncanny X-Men #22 by all-star writer Gail Simone and fan-favorite artist David Marquez. Set to arrive in stores on Jan. 26, 2026, Uncanny X-Men #22 will see the murderous anti-mutant influencer (who is secretly a mutant herself) known as Mutina make a brutal comeback, albeit not under the circumstances that fans might be expecting. Readers can check out the preview pages for Uncanny X-Men #22 for themselves down below.

Uncanny X-Men #22

Written by GAIL SIMONE
Art by DAVID MARQUEZ
Main cover art by DAVID MARQUEZ

The official solicit synopsis for Uncanny X-Men #22 from Marvel Comics reads, "MEAN GIRL MUTINA! A festive event is interrupted by the daughter of darkness herself, Mutina. And she has an unimaginable favor to ask the Uncanny X-Men and woe betide them all if they refuse! It's murderous mutants and cake and blades and you will look very differently at one of the core X-Men after this bloody issue!"

Letitia Leech, aka Mutina, made her comic book debut in the pages of Uncanny X-Men #17 by Gail Simone and Luciano Vecchio. A fervent anti-mutant influencer who takes to the silver screen in the role of the fictional mutant serial killer Mutina, Letitia was a major problem for the likes of the X-Men when she arrived on the scene. It wasn't long before the young mutant heroes of the Outliers were confronting Mutina, only to discover her shocking secret for themselves before the Uncanny X-Men arrived to help defeat her.

First revealed during New York Comic Con, X-Men: Shadows of Tomorrow will mark the first major X-Men event of 2026. Set in the aftermath of the Age of Revelation (or rather decades before it), Marvel Comics' Shadows of Tomorrow storyline will begin in the pages of X-Men, Uncanny X-Men, and Wolverine before being spun out into a whopping seven new comic book titles. These will include three new limited series: Rogue by writer Erica Schultz and artist Luigi Zagaria, Magik & Colossus by writer Ashley Allen and artist German Peralta, and Cyclops by writer Alex Paknadel and artist Roge Antonio.

The other four titles in Marvel Comics' Shadows of Tomorrow storyline will be ongoing, and will include Inglorious X-Force by writer Tim Seeley and artist Michael Sta. Maria, Wade Wilson: Deadpool by writer Benjamin Percy and artist Geoff Shaw, Generation X-23 by writer Jody Houser and artist Jacopo Camigni, and Storm: Earth's Mightiest Mutant by writer Murewa Ayodele and artist Federica Mancin. While readers will surely be enamored by the Shadows of Tomorrow upon its release, the characters caught up in it will all be looking towards the impending Age of Revelation, and hoping they can change it before time runs out.

Uncanny X-Men #22 goes on sale Jan. 26, 2026 from Marvel Comics.