The X-Men have always fought for a future where mutants can thrive, but the team from the beloved '90s animated series knows that dream comes at a cost. They've battled Sentinels, seen allies turn into foes, and never stopped believing in Xavier's vision even when the world seemed determined to crush it. Now, Marvel is putting that belief to the ultimate test—one that can't be solved with a well-placed punch.
An incursion is coming: two Earths are on a collision course, and unless someone makes an impossible choice, both will be destroyed. Marvel has lined up five one-shots exploring the final days before Secret Wars, each throwing different heroes into a moral minefield where saving their own world might mean annihilating another. The '90s X-Men are about to face a version of themselves that still holds onto the hope they've had to harden against.
In X-Men '92: Incursions #1, the team inspired by X-Men: The Animated Series goes head-to-head with the younger mutants of X-Men: Evolution. Written by Craig Kyle and Christopher Yost with art by Salva Espin, this issue hits shelves on January 6, 2027. Marvel first teased the Incursions lineup back in August, but this latest announcement confirms the full schedule and puts this particular matchup back in the spotlight. The older X-Men must save their Earth, knowing that victory could mean erasing a world filled with younger versions of themselves.
A Fan Debate Turned Existential Crisis
This matchup invites fans to compare two iconic animated teams, but the premise turns that friendly debate into something far darker. The X-Men: Evolution characters are still young enough to believe Xavier's dream can work, while their older counterparts know exactly how much they've sacrificed to keep chasing it. If the '90s team chooses its own survival, it might wipe out the very hope it claims to protect. And if it refuses to fight, both Earths could be lost. It's a no-win scenario that cuts to the heart of what it means to be a hero.
They aren't the only mutants facing this dilemma. The separate X-Men: Incursions #1 arrives on November 18, pitting the mutant-dominated reality of House of M against the dystopian future of Days of Future Past. Alex Paknadel and Jim Towe's story gives Kate Pryde just eight hours to decide which world survives. It's the first of the five one-shots, setting the stakes before the animated teams clash in January.
More Collisions, More Impossible Choices
Marvel's other incursions are just as personal. Spider-Gwen faces Mayday Parker when Earth-65 meets Earth-982 in Spider-Man: Incursions #1 on December 9. A gamma-powered Fantastic Four and a cosmic-enhanced Bruce Banner appear in Fantastic Four: Incursions #1 on December 23, while January 20's Avengers: Incursions #1 sends Thanos and his Cabal against a world where the founding Avengers are still together. These fights offer no easy way out, but the X-Men '92 issue has an especially nasty twist: this team has to decide whether the mutants they once were deserve a future more than the mutants they've become.
For fans of the animated series, this is a chance to see their favorite characters in a story that honors their legacy while pushing them into uncharted territory. It's also a reminder that the multiverse can be a cruel place, where even the noblest intentions can lead to devastating consequences. As Secret Wars looms, these one-shots promise to be essential reading for anyone invested in the fate of Marvel's heroes.
If you're looking for more multiverse madness, check out our list of Marvel heroes who deserve their own movies, or dive into the mind-bending world of Prime Video's Electric Dreams. And for a look at how Marvel has handled alternate realities before, see why Rogue and Gambit's marriage was put to the test in a recent storyline.
