Warning: Contains potential spoilers for Exceptional X-Men #6!

As Marvel’s new class of mutants continues to hone their skills as the next generation of the X-Men, the young heroes-in-training are already making strides to improve upon certain practices the team has followed since their 1960s debut. Notably, Kitty Pryde–the Exceptional X-Men's team leader–is doing everything she can to avoid repeating Professor X’s mistakes.

..the new generation of heroes that make up the Exceptional X-Men are already laying the groundwork for future mutants of the X-Men franchise.

The preview for Exceptional X-Men #6—written by Eve L. Ewing, with art by Carmen Carnero—opens with Kitty, Emma Frost, and Iceman leading a training exercise for their new students, Bronze, Axo, and Melee. When the teenagers get hungry and Emma tries to buy more food, they start an important conversation about maintaining their independence while on the team.

Opening up an emotionally mature dialogue, the new heroes of the Exceptional X-Men clearly communicate that they don’t want to be too dependent on their mentors. This development contrasts with a criticism of Xavier’s school, which became home to many young mutants.

Kitty & Emma’s New X-Men Set the Standard for Boundaries (Take Note, Xavier)

Exceptional X-Men #6 - Written by Eve L. Ewing; Art by Carmen Carnero; Colors by Nolan Woodard; Lettering by VC’s Travis Lanham

As Kitty takes these three new mutant students under her wing, the jaded former member of the X-Men is also trying to give them a certain level of agency that she feels wasn’t offered during her teenage years at Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters. In the previous issue, Exceptional X-Men #5, also by Ewing and Carnero, Kitty says she doesn’t know if she was really making choices for herself, identifying as a child soldier. When Bronze, Axo, and Melee lay out firm boundaries to a leader who actually listens, they’re fixing an issue that’s existed since the X-Men were founded.

The superhero boarding school aspect is a vital part of the original X-Men stories, but it’s become clear that Xavier would go too far with how much his students depended on him and the school, both as a sanctuary and as the center of their social lives. Many already think Xavier’s a creep, and his status as a teacher, father figure, and team leader for his impressionable students cultivated a complicated dynamic, especially when they were also living under his roof. With the former leader now on the outs with most of mutantkind, the X-Men are trying to do things a different way.

Bronze, Axo, and Melee Are Rising as the X-Men’s Best New Heroes

The “Exceptional X-Men” Live Up to Their Name

Working together with Kitty, Emma, and Bobby, the new generation of heroes that make up the Exceptional X-Men are already laying the groundwork for future mutants of the X-Men franchise. Not only are they actually being heard when they voice their concerns, but Bronze, Axo, and Melee are all able to confidently express themselves with both their current mentors and each other. As they establish their financial independence and try to get regular jobs, the teens are growing as individuals without being totally reliant on the team, establishing what should be a new status quo for younger mutants.

Their job hunt won't be easy, as Melee even says in the preview that it’s a “tough labor market,” and that will be proven as it’s already been teased that Axo will be working for the creator of the mysteriously sinister Verate app. Axo’s ties to Sheldon Xenos and how they will play into the crossover X-Manhunt still remain unclear, but even accidentally working for one evil mastermind shouldn’t dissuade the teen heroes from speaking up for their independence. The new heroes are already breaking X-Men tradition, but they’re becoming stronger heroes in the Marvel Universe because of it.

Exceptional X-Men #6 will be available February 19, 2025, from Marvel Comics!