X-MEN: OUTBACK #1 (OF 5)
Written by STEVE ORLANDO
Art by STEPHEN SEGOVIA
Cover by RUSSELL DAUTERMAN
On Sale 6/24
FROM THE AUSTRALIAN OUTBACK!
Journey back to a time when the public believed Storm, Wolverine, Rogue, Colossus, Dazzler, Havok, Psylocke and Longshot were dead. But from the shadows, these X-Men protected humanity from their Australian headquarters! But why did the team choose the Outback as their home base? How did tensions between them almost tear the team apart? And which of their old enemies threatened to expose their secret?
In the late '80s, legendary Uncanny X-Men writer Chris Claremont and superstar artist Marc Silvestri took Marvel’s Merry Mutants down under for a transformative period of the franchise known as the Outback Era. Featuring a dynamic lineup of X-Men who put the outlaw in « outlaw heroes » and bold storytelling hot enough to fan the flames of an Inferno, the Outback Era is beloved by fans, but this short-but-sweet period in X-Men history always felt full of untapped potential—until now! This June, two modern mutant masters, writer Steve Orlando (X-Men Unlimited, Sorcerer Supreme) and artist Stephen Segovia (Hellions, New Avengers) reveal an all-new saga set during this iconic era in X-MEN: OUTBACK, a five-issue retro limited series with covers by acclaimed X-Men artist Russell Dauterman.
« It’s a rare thing, something you logically don’t expect, to get the chance as a creator to work in the time period that made you love a comic, a team, or a character, » Orlando shared. « For me, picking up issues where I could at flea markets and spinner racks of the late '80s and '90s, the outback was the first place I met the X-Men on the page. And they all but leapt off it! The tension, the struggle to carve out a new life, the explosive personalities…and the NEW! It was such a bold era, enough to make me a fan for life. Now, to get to work in that time period with X-MEN: OUTBACK? That’s not even something the young me would’ve thought possible. »
« We’ve got an incredible team with Stephen Segovia and Russell Dauterman—and we’re cooking up stories that celebrate and elevate the era, » he continued. « And in its spirit, you’ll of course be seeing some familiar faces…but just the same—there’ll be all new threats, connections, and secret exes on the way! »
The latest « retro » series that deliver all-new stories set during definitive Marvel Comics eras, X-MEN: OUTBACK follows recent X-hits like Psylocke: Ninja and Emma Frost: The White Queen. Check out Dauterman’s first cover and pick up X-MEN: OUTBACK at your local comic shop this June!
The X-Men Outback period ran from 1988 to 1990 in Uncanny X-Men during Chris Claremont’s long run as writer. The X-Men had appeared to sacrifice themselves and die while battling the demonic entity known as the Adversary in Dallas. The world believed the team was gone forever. In reality, the goddess Roma resurrected them and magically transported the survivors to a remote, abandoned mining town in the Australian Outback. This gave the team a fresh start: they were presumed dead, allowing them to operate in secrecy without the constant scrutiny or attacks that came with their old Westchester mansion base. The X-Men took over the high-tech headquarters of the Reavers, a gang of vicious, cybernetically enhanced mercenaries and thieves who were originally tied to the Hellfire Club. The town, called Cooterman’s Creek, looked like a dusty ghost town on the surface but hid advanced computer systems and defences. Roma’s magic made the base invisible to machines, spells, and detection, giving the team true anonymity. The team included Storm, Wolverine, Rogue, Psyclocke, Colossus, Havok, Dazzler, Longshot, and saw Gateway and Jubilee join the team. It lasted only about 20-plus issues, but it introduced lasting concepts like Genosha and showcased a more mature, world-weary X-Men.
