Marauders

Publication history

Volume 1 (2019–2022)

Marauders was announced in July 2019 as one of the six launch titles for Marvel's Dawn of X initiative, a franchise-wide reset of the status quo of the X-Men series created by Jonathan Hickman. In October 2019, issue one was launched as a sister book to the flagship X-Men title, featuring a team of X-Men traveling the world by ship to protect mutantkind.

Volume 2 (2022–2024)

As part of the Destiny of X revamp, writer Steve Orlando took the helm of the book with a second volume and a new main cast: Kate Pryde, Bishop, Tempo, Daken, Aurora, Psylocke (Kwannon), and new character Somnus. Their first stint together had them cross paths with X-Men 2099's villain Brimstone Love.

Plot

When Kitty Pryde, now going by Kate, attempts to enter a gateway to Krakoa for the first time, she is unable to pass through and breaks her nose. Kate instead steals a boat and sails to the island where she is greeted by Wolverine, Iceman and Storm. She is contacted by Emma Frost who explains to her that some of the human nations of the world refuse to recognize Krakoa's sovereignty, have rejected the offer of life-saving Krakoan drugs and refuse to let their mutant citizens enter the new mutant homeland. Iceman then heads through a gateway leading him to Russia where he is attacked by the military, who are using power-dampening technology to block access to Krakoa. Kate, Storm, Iceman and a newly resurrected Pyro sail to Russia and take out the blockade, allowing the mutants passage. Emma offers Kate the chance to captain her own ship so that she can protect Krakoa's interests and she agrees. In London, Emma chastises Sebastian Shaw for his carelessness in running the Hellfire Trading Company's black market accounts and the two clash over their designs for the vacant seat on Krakoa's Council. The Marauders defeat a crew of thieves led by Batroc the Leaper that had stolen some of Krakoa's medicine before rendezvousing with Bishop in Taipei, who is investigating the disappearance of the husband of Mrs. Zhao, an anti-mutant socialite.

Shaw has The Five resurrect his son Shinobi, with plans on crowning him the Red King but he is thwarted by Emma, who undermines him and appoints Kate as the Red Queen, meaning she now sits on the council, with Kate subsequently appointing Bishop as her Red Bishop. Enraged, Shaw reluctantly makes Shinobi his Black Bishop but promises him the Red Council seat soon, revealing that Kate and Emma were responsible for his death.

While Iceman, Storm and Pyro rescue some mutants in Brazil, Kate and Bishop discover that Mrs. Zhao had locked her own husband away and blamed it on the mutants to increase tensions. They release the husband, who now worships mutants as gods following the establishment of Krakoa, embarrassing Zhao who partners with the Homines Verendi, a human supremacy group based in Madripoor, in the hopes of getting revenge. Iceman meets with Emma's White Bishop, her brother Christian, with whom he has begun a casual relationship. Christian offers Iceman a place on his crew but he refuses and Christian theorises that Iceman and Storm are staying so close to Kate because, as she has been unable to access Krakoa, they fear that The Five will be unable to resurrect her should she die. Christian arrives at a Hellfire Company meeting where Shaw attempts to divert the Marauders to Madripoor. Although Christian abstains from the vote, Emma and Kate vote for Shinobi to continue his route to Madripoor but they soon receive news that his boat has come into conflict and needs help. When the Marauders arrive, they are attacked by soldiers led by Zhao and Donald Pierce wearing power-dampening armor who were sent by Homines Verendi. During the fight, Yellowjacket, an agent of Verendi, sneaks into Pyro's bloodstream so that he can spy on the team. The Marauders split up, with Kate tasked with transporting the armor to Krakoa so it can be researched. Once alone, Shaw ambushes her and leaves her to drown so that he can claim her Council seat for Shinobi.

List of characters

Members

In 2019, the X-Men's splinter team debuted in Marauders #1.

Supporting characters

Chen Zhao

Christian Frost

Emergency Response Team (Alchemist, Birdy, Brutha Nature, Triage, Wind Dancer)

Lourdes Chantel

Masque

Morlocks

Modus Verendi

Shinobi Shaw

Critical reception

In February 2020, Oliver Sava of The A.V. Club stated that the first volume "combines political intrigue with breathtaking action and a sharp sense of humor, digging deep into X-Men history while enthusiastically sailing into a future full of promise and danger. The first arc of Marauders expertly balances light and dark elements as it details the exploits of the new Hellfire Corporation, splitting power three ways between White Queen Emma Frost, Black King Sebastian Shaw, and Red Queen Kate Pryde". Sava thought the Dawn of X series hit "on all of the major plot points of the Hickman era while enriching its steadily expanding cast of the characters" and became even stronger in its second story arc, with illustrator Stefano Caselli and colorist Edgar Delgado elevating "the book's visuals with sleek action and rich expressions that sell both the drama and humor of Duggan’s script". Sava also highlighted that Duggan "does remarkable work incorporating the data pages that Hickman and designer Tom Muller introduced in HOX/POX, using them to build an ongoing side narrative". In an April 2022 overview of Destiny Of X, Sava highlighted the second volume's new creative team – "writer Steve Orlando, artist Eleonora Carlini, and colorist Matt Milla" – and opined that "the first volume of Marauders was one of the early highlights of the Krakoa era, but started to lose its way, so some fresh creative blood is welcome. This new direction shifts the book from pirate ships to spaceships, sending a newly formed team into Shi'ar territory".

In May 2022, Micheal Foulk of The Beat commented that "Kate is at her most cantankerous in this series. She's often drunk, foul-mouthed, messy, stubborn, and intrepid in all the ways Kate should be. Kate is also a brutal, savage fighter in a way we haven't witnessed in a very long time if ever". Foulk highlighted the "charming" scenes between Kate and Emma Frost which "set the tone for their working relationship throughout the series. [...] Having an entire series that is built around mutant women making power plays and working together is refreshing for this reader, and apparently frustrating to toxic men like Sebastian Shaw". While Foulk enjoyed "what Marauders does with Iceman, Pyro, and to a larger degree Bishop", he thought centering the series on women was "a good thing".