It's no secret that the X-Men and the Fantastic Four have had a complicated history. Sometimes they're allies, other times they're at odds—especially when Reed Richards gets a little too curious about mutant affairs. But this September, they'll have no choice but to join forces against a threat so horrifying it could change the very fabric of humanity.
Marvel has officially announced DNX, a five-issue comic book event series written by Jed MacKay with art by Federico Vicentini. The series kicks off on September 2 and sees the two iconic teams teaming up to combat the X-Virus, a deadly pathogen designed to forcibly transform ordinary humans into mutants. The stakes couldn't be higher: if the virus spreads, it could erase the line between human and mutant forever—and not in a good way.
A Familiar Face Returns as a Villain
The mastermind behind this chaos is none other than the Chairman, a version of Hank McCoy—better known as Beast—who has taken a dark turn. This McCoy leads the supervillain group 3K, and when the X-Men turn to the Fantastic Four for help saving one of their own, the White Beast unleashes the X-Virus in a densely populated area. The result is a seismic shift in the balance between humanity and mutantkind, setting the stage for a conflict that could reshape the Marvel Universe.
MacKay described DNX as a major turning point for his current X-Men run, which began in 2024. “DNX is the next big milestone event of our X-Men (2024) run,” he said. “Age of Revelation showed the future, and DNX shows that future’s impact on the present! The X-Men and 3K are on a collision course that has been set since issue one—and only one will survive. And with the Fantastic Four joining the fray, this is going to be an event that will transform the X-Men dramatically.”
Art and Covers That Pop
Vicentini, who has long wanted to collaborate with MacKay, is thrilled to finally get the chance—and to work on the Fantastic Four for the first time. “I’m so happy to be working on DNX,” he said. “I love what Jed is doing with X-Men (2024), and I’ve been telling him for a long time that I wanted to work with him. Now the opportunity has arrived, and it’s an even bigger challenge because I finally have the chance to work on the Fantastic Four too!”
The first issue features a main cover by Kaare Andrews, along with variant covers from a star-studded lineup including Chip Zdarsky, Ryan Stegman, Marco Checchetto, Jim Lee, Jeehyung Lee, John Tyler Christopher, Artgerm, and Ken Lashley. For collectors, DNX #1 will also be available in Marvel’s True Believers Blind Bags, which include exclusive variant covers and rare one-of-a-kind sketch covers.
This event is shaping up to be one of the biggest Marvel crossovers of the year, especially with the upcoming X-Men '97 Season 2 and the looming threat of Doctor Doom in the MCU. For fans of the X-Men and Fantastic Four, DNX promises to deliver high-stakes drama, stunning art, and a story that will leave a lasting impact on Marvel's mutant landscape.
Mark your calendars: DNX #1 arrives on September 2.
