Warning: Contains spoilers for X-Men: Age of Revelation #0

Marvel has just introduced a deadly new “X-Virus” to X-Men, which is helped to reshape the entire world ahead of the dark Age of Revelation future that is taking over the franchise this fall. The villainous group known as 3K has successfully unleashed the X-Virus, leading to chaos for both humans and mutants alike.

In X-Men: Age of Revelation #0, written by Jed McKay, with art by Humberto Ramos, 3K’s X-Virus rewrites the entire planet, as the virus causes the “air, the water, and the very land itself” to turn against humanity.

It’s the extreme continuation of 3K’s agenda, furthered by one-time hero Doug Ramsey, who has taken the role of Apocalypse’s successor and become Revelation.

The X-Virus Reshapes The Entire World As The “Age Of Revelation” Begins

X-Men: Age of Revelation #0; Written By Jed MacKay; Art By Humberto Ramos; Available Now From Marvel Comics

​​​​​​​Not only have untold numbers of humans been wiped out by the X-Virus, those who survive are transformed into mutants, all while Revelation begins to exert substantial control over many mutant minds. The X-Virus promises to reshape not just the X-Men, but the entire world, forcing it into Doug Ramsey’s twisted idea of a haven.

The X-Men are no strangers to fighting for survival, and while Revelation and the X-Virus’ control over the environment makes the land itself inhospitable to humans while providing everything mutants need to thrive, it comes at a cost. Doug doesn’t win his fellow mutants over by being right. He does it by control, just as the X-Virus kills multitudes of humans.

That turns the true X-Men, still led by a disgraced and bedraggled Cyclops, into rebels against their fellow mutants. They know the truth about what’s happening and exactly how Revelation operates. Xorn likens their new world to “a heaven ruled by a devil“. The X-Virus won’t create a new Krakoa, only a false and bloody utopia.

By the time X-Men: Age of Revelation begins, great swaths of the United States have been affected by the X-Virus, with the city of Philadelphia as Revelation’s base and the center of mutantkind’s new world. There’s no way to stop the virus from spreading, and it’s set to take over the rest of the country and continue across the globe.

The X-Virus Warps the Future for Mutants

In other words, no one will be left untouched. Humans lucky enough to survive aren’t human anymore, simultaneously furthering 3K’s agenda of transforming everyone into mutants and Revelation’s Apocalypse-approved agenda of ensuring only the fittest survive in the future. Mutants might be the ruling class, but only those under Ramsey’s sway thrive.

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Although Age of Revelation #0 hints that Cyclops’ ragtag group of X-Men are trying to get a message to his younger self that will prevent Revelation and his agenda from ever taking hold, thus also preventing the X-Virus from spreading, their likelihood of success is unknown. Marvel will explore this with several new incoming Age of Revelation-related titles.

Between those with forcibly awakened X-Genes to highly-trained and deadly mutants like Kid Omega under Revelation’s spell, it’s a decidedly dark future. The X-Virus is hardly the first biological agent unleashed in the Marvel Universe, but it promises to change absolutely everything for the X-Men, their fellow mutants, and the humans struggling to survive.

X-Men: Age of Revelation #0 is available now from Marvel Comics.

Movie(s)

X-Men (2000), X2, X-Men: The Last Stand (2006), X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009), X-Men: First Class (2011), The Wolverine (2013), X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014), Deadpool (2016), X-Men: Apocalypse (2016), Logan (2017), Deadpool 2 (2018), Dark Phoenix (2019), The New Mutants, Deadpool & Wolverine (2024)

First Film

X-Men (2000)

TV Show(s)

X-Men: Pryde of the X-Men, X-Men (1992), X-Men: Evolution (2000), Wolverine and the X-Men (2008), Marvel Anime: Wolverine, Marvel Anime: X-Men, Legion (2017), The Gifted (2017), X-Men ’97 (2024)

Character(s)

Professor X, Cyclops, Iceman, Beast, Angel, Phoenix, Wolverine, Gambit, Rogue, Storm, Jubilee, Morph, Nightcrawler, Havok, Banshee, Colossus, Magneto, Psylocke, Juggernaut, Cable, X-23

Video Game(s)

X-Men: Children of the Atom (1994), Marvel Super Heroes (1995), X-Men vs. Street Fighter (1996), Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter (1997), Marvel vs. Capcom (1998), X-Men: Mutant Academy (2000), Marvel vs. Capcom 2: New Age of Heroes (2000), X-Men: Mutant Academy 2 (2001), X-Men: Next Dimension (2002), Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds (2011), Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 (2011), X-Men Legends (2005), X-Men Legends 2: Rise of Apocalypse (2005), X2: Wolverine’s Revenge (2003), X-Men (1993), X-Men 2: Clone Wars (1995), X-Men: Mutant Apocalypse (1994)

Comic Release Date

213035,212968

The X-Men franchise, created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, centers on mutants with extraordinary abilities. Led by the powerful telepath Professor Charles Xavier, they battle discrimination and villainous mutants threatening humanity. The series explores themes of diversity and acceptance through a blend of action, drama, and complex characters, spanning comics, animated series, and blockbuster films.