A newly announced series of epic Before the Fall one-shots are to serve as preludes to Fall of X, the next era of X-Men comics. Initially teased at NYCC last fall, the ominously named oncoming stage of the Krakoan era came with sparse details. For many fans, it was unclear for months if Fall of X will be an event or a new X-Men status quo. Now though, four key single-issue series will focus on managing several key storylines in the transition from Destiny of X into Fall of X.
peek at what Mister Sinister, Doctor Stasis, Orbis Stellaris, and Mother Righteous are up to following Sins of Sinister in The Sinister Four #1 coming in July. The announcement also featured the cover art, rendered beautifully by Phil Noto, Pepe Larraz, David Baldeón, and Lucas Werneck respectively.
The Mystery of X-Men's Fall of X Era is Growing
The moniker of this new era remains ominous, and little is still known about the titular "Fall" in Fall of X. The titles of each Krakoan era often bear an interpretive meaning: Dawn of X detailed various arcs spinning out of the rise of Krakoa, Reign of X saw mutantkind terraform a planet to become serious political players both on Earth and beyond, and Destiny of X largely featured stories affected by the consequences of Destiny's arrival on Krakoa. With this in mind, the announcement of the Before the Fall titles does a great job of teasing important storylines but does little to clarify what the "Fall" may be. One theory among many fans is not that Krakoa is in danger, but rather that Charles Xavier's downfall in the eyes of mutantkind is rapidly approaching.
Marvel's announcement of the four new books provides some insight into what may be coming for the X-Line at large in this new era. Sons of X is perhaps the clearest example, as the synopsis and cover art indicate that this one-shot follows the ongoing arcs directly on the events of Sins of Sinister.
Dark Web has reached its dramatic conclusion, Sins of Sinister is dragging the Marvel Universe off the rails, but Fall of X will not be ignored, looming large on the horizon. Announcing these four prelude issues is part of a one-two punch of huge X-Men news since this year's X-Men vote opened the day after this release. Though much of the "Fall" remains shrouded in mystery, this new vote and the lineup for Before the Fall are beginning to give shape to an exciting Fall of X era for the X-Men.
X-Men: Before the Fall begins when Sons of X is available on May 3, 2023.
Source: Marvel Comics
