So here's what we know and what we don't know.
The Hellfire Gala is the official kickoff to the era. Duggan submitted a first draft of 70 pages, his longest comic book script everrrr. False flags, fake Captain Krakoa, lions, tigers, and bears. This is in late July but before that we have FCBD in May which will include a flash forward to the Gala and provide some kind of glimpse of the Uncanny Avengers which launches in August.
Before the Gala we also have what I like to call the Before the Fall mini era in May, June, and most of July. JDW confirmed that Fall of X will affect every book in the X-line - if there's mutants in a book, it will be affected. So let's look at the books and what we know and don't know.
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Immortal X-Men will continue and May is Storm's issue as she deals with the fallout from Sins. The book may shift gears and focus on the Fall after Gillen's July Before the Fall one-shot
Sinister Four.
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X-Men Red will continue and May sees a confrontation between Storm and Xavier over Magneto's death. This book will also be the place where the return of Apocalypse and family is told after the
Heralds of Apocalypse one-shot in June.
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X-Men will continue and "mutantkind may be stronger than ever, but that just makes their enemies more determined than ever to tear them down. Orchis’ plans are in motion, preparing for the
fall…" I suspect that Dr. Stasis will play a huge role in the Fall considering he was taken out early in Sins.
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X-Force will continue and new members join in May. No sign yet of how it will be connect to Fall.
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Wolverine will continue as he deals with Beast. No sign yet of how it will connect to Fall other than he'll be on the run after the Gala.
- Orlando's
Marauders ends with next week's #12. There's a small gap until we see him again in his June Before the Fall one-shot
Mutant First Strike. Interestingly, the solicit says "A deadly mutant attacks an innocent small town, but nothing is what it seems." Could this be part of the upcoming false flag attacks? PLUS, we know Orlando is getting another book so an announcement is forthcoming.
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Betsy Braddock: Captain Britain's villain Brousseau has been popping up in other books and we now know he's working with Orchis. He also is looking to acquire a "large amount of mutant blood." This could be how Betsy's book connects to the Fall. We may get confirmation as soon as next week's June solicitations if the book continues into the July/August Fall of X season.
- Spurrier's
Legion of X story will wrap up in his May Before the Fall one-shot
Sons of X. So far no indication if he's staying in the X-Office so if not, we may get news on what will replace LoX if anything.
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Bishop: War College wraps up in June and right now it's featuring the most action from Orchis in 616. Interestingly, issue #4 states that "when the two Bishops arrive at the Tucker Institute to search for Tempo, they find the facility under attack by the Human Liberation Front – an anti-mutant extremist group made up of this alternate future Earth’s versions of MOIRA MacTAGGERT, FEILONG, TONY STARK and SIMON TRASK." This book concludes in June so will it be replaced with another mini or possible ongoing?
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Rogue & Gambit concludes in July just before the Gala. We don't know yet what Destiny is on about and how it all may connect to the Fall. Will it be replaced with another mini or possible ongoing?
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New Mutants Lethal Legion also concludes in July. Will it be replaced with another mini or possible ongoing?
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Sabretooth & the Exiles concludes at the end of March. This series is said to be part 2 of Lavalle's triptych so I expect an announcement of the final chapter soon.
Noteworthy: JDW emphasized that Kate will be going through a very tough time during the Fall. That might mean she'll be featured in a new book unless her story will take place in Immortal.
Did I miss anything?