Marvel’s reboot of X-Men and Inhumans continues with their ResurreXion line, announcing a whole gaggle of new X-books for the forthcoming spring, recently revealing further details behind the creative forces and mutant teams behind the revamped X-Men Blue and X-Men Gold ongoing comic runs. They also gave fans the heads up on their new Iceman’s solo series, which will be written by Sina Grace and drawn by Alessandro Vitti. Marvel's latest update, though, deals with the return of another classic mutant squad, Generation X.

After the news broke last month, the House of Ideas just unveiled new details about the Gen-X redux, including the creators and which mutants would sign up for the team, in addition to a few details about the ResurreXion line and what it means for the X-Men.

Generation X will debut in the spring of 2017 along with other team books like X-Men Blue and X-Men Gold, under the direction of writer and one-time Marvel colorist Christina Strain (Runaways) with art from Amilcar Pinna (All-New Ultimates). The latest mutant squad to bear the name ties former Gen-Xer Jubilee into the team, but is mostly comprised of X-Men second- and third-stringers like Quentin Quire, Bling!, Eye-Boy, Benjamin Deeds, Nature Girl, in addition to a freshly-created psychometric mutant Nathaniel Carver, aka Hindsight. Strain spoke with CBR about her new lineup, who she calls the X-Men's “lovable losers,” also giving a little insight into the X-team concept heading into ResurreXion:

“Now in Central Park, the rechristened Xavier Institute has taken this move as an opportunity to re-evaluate their students, internally dividing the student body into three classes: The Next Generation of X-Men, the Next Generation of Ambassadors, and the Next Generation of… well, lovable losers. These are our Gen Xers. And they include mutants with benign powers, mutants who are considered liabilities during missions and/or battles, and mutants with personalities ill-fitting of an ambassador. They’re basically all mutants who just don’t seem to fit in anywhere — including the very school where they were promised they would fit in.”

Generation X promo teaser

The latest iteration of Generation X, which arrives roughly 15 years after its predecessor ended, seems to embody the spirit of the original series, created by Chris Bachalo and Scott Lobdell in 1994. In keeping with the its distinctive flavor, Marvel chose Pinna to draw the team thanks to his "distinctive” style and art which “has so much personality…like Chris [Bachalo] in the ’90s.” His creative work will showcase the outcast band, all of whom made the cut because of, rather than in spite of, their flaws. Strain said:

“I literally spent weeks reading up on a ton of the younger mutants. Weeks. I think [editor] Daniel [Ketchum] wanted to murder me. But in my defense, I was looking for some very specific things, and you’d be surprised at how hard it is to find young mutants with weird/”weaker” powers or personality flaws that made them more of a liability than an advantage during a fight."

Former Gen-Xer, Jubilee – now a vampire with a baby – will take the team under her wing. Often dogged on for her relatively "weak" powers, the longtime X-woman will make the perfect leader as the team tries to unite and searches for redemption or a chance to make a name for themselves. Strain told CBR:

“In some ways, Jubilee is the perfect mentor for this group. She’s been a student and she’s been an X-Man. She was a mutant and now she’s a vampire. She’s been around the block enough times to know that you don’t need the title of “X-Man” to help save the world. As an unrelentingly hopeful well of motivational sayings, Jubilee’s kind of the ultimate den mother for this bunch of misfits. Then again, she’s also got a toddler running around now, so… let’s see how well she handles playing a mom 24/7.”

[vn_gallery name="Marvel ResurreXion" id="824390"]

Of course, being associated with the classic Generation X book, as well as the X-Men in general, Jubilee won’t carry her headmistress (so to speak) burden alone. The writer name-dropped a few choice characters that might pop in from time to time:

"Chamber. Chamber, Chamber, Chamber, Chamber. Did I mention Chamber? After all, Jubilee’s gotta have someone to confide in, and who doesn’t love a sad boy. And there are a few other members of the original Gen X crew that I’m definitely interested in checking in on, including Husk - but don’t expect a Chamber/Husk romantic reunion. As for other ex-students, I do have an affinity for Dani Moonstar and Magik, so I imagine you’ll see them popping up at some point. And I don’t know that Andre Mexer counts as an ex-student, but hear me now: he’ll be around."

With new digs in Central Park, a former team member leading the charge, and a group of maladjusted mutant misfits, the latest Generation X saga has a lot of potential. The X-Men have always come from a position of being outsiders in the Marvel Universe. In this case, by featuring obscure characters, the book will be able to explore lesser-seen facets of mutant life. Much like Strain's beloved Runaways, following the underdogs is often far more satisfying (and relatable) than watching the stalwart champions come out on top yet again.

Speaking of champions, Marvel’s ResurreXion seems to drawing on classic names from the 80s and 90s like Weapon X and the X-Men Blue and Gold teams, in addition to longtime favorites like Jean Grey and Iceman. If the ResurreXion restart can capture the upbeat direction Marvel seems to be heading in with its mutant squads, it could generate new excitement for old fans and also capture the interest of new readers. Here’s hoping it does, because those “loveable losers” could be a lot of fun.

Next: X-Men Blue and X-Men Gold Details Revealed

Generation X returns to action in spring of 2017.

Source: CBR