X-Men #13 Review

Written by: Jed MacKay
Art by: Netho Diaz, Sean Parsons
Colors by: Fer Sifuentes-Sujo
Letters by: VC’s Clayton Cowles
Cover art by: Ryan Stegman, Marte Gracia (cover A)
Cover price: $4.99
Release date: March 12, 2025

X-Men #13, by Marvel on 3/12/25, continues the battle to capture Charles Xavier aboard Storm’s flying battle fortress, Thundercloud.

Is X-Men #13 Good?

Recap

When we last left the Alaska-based mutant team in Storm #6, Charles Xavier found temporary refuge aboard Storm’s flying sanctuary, now turned battleship. They flew to San Francisco and were met by Cyclops’s team. Storm, now enhanced with celestial powers, gravely injured Cyclops during the fight. Meanwhile, Beast slipped away to find the engine room. The issue ended with Beast falling to Xavier’s mind control and Storm facing the unstoppable Juggernaut.

Plot Synopsis

In X-Men #13, the battle continues and ends. Temper tends to Cyclops’s wound on a nearby beach as Psylocke takes command and regroups the team. Meanwhile, Xavier takes control of Beast’s mind to stop the latter from destroying the Thundercloud’s engine, but Xavier’s concentration is interrupted when Kid Omega shows up to challenge his power. Elsewhere, Juggernaut appears to have met his match with Storm, but he finds the will to fight on.

Magik teleports back to Alaska, snatches Magneto’s helmet, and returns to the Thundercloud’s engine room to put the helmet on Beast’s head to block out Xavier’s control. In the psychic realm, Xavier and Kid Omega battle for control. Magik and Temper intervene in the fight between Storm and Juggernaut to even the odds.

The issue concludes when Kid Omega unleashes a mental construct of Cassandra Nova against Charles, giving Beast the opening he needs to sedate his former friend. Meanwhile, Storm is brought to her senses when Psylocke threatens to kill Maggot. At the last minute, X-Factor shows up to take custody of Xavier, whether the X-Men like it or not.

First Impressions

If you’re an X-Men fan but don’t like buying all the tie-ins and cross-connecting issues, there are parts of X-Men #13 you’re going to like and parts that will annoy you. Unlike the Raid On Graymalkin crossover, you have to read all the secondary titles to understand what’s happening, which means you HAVE to read Storm #6, or you’ll be lost. On the one hand, that’s a smart strategy by Marvel to get you pulled into the titles you wouldn’t pick up normally, but if you’re not reading Storm because you don’t like it, you’ll be annoyed at the “forced” expenditure.

How’s the Art?

Between the two artists, Netho Diaz does a memorable job creating a close facsimile of Ryan Stegman’s style and visual pop. That said, I prefer Diaz over Stegman due to Diaz’s adherence to anatomical consistency and greater attention to detail.

What’s great about X-Men #13?

Jed MacKay brings the hunt for Xavier to a close with a fast-paced, action-packed fight on multiple fronts. There are three issues left to go in the crossover, so the last-page arrival implies the rest of the arc will focus on assorted forces fighting over Xavier. For now, the small bit of resolution is relatively satisfying.

What’s not great about X-Men #13?

Yes, the requirement to read Storm, NYX, X-Factor, and other off-brand titles, some of which are already headed for cancellation, is super annoying. Given how quickly Xavier was captured, there was no reason for this story to be a crossover, and it sure looks as if Marvel is pushing readers to pick up other titles that are failing just to get a cheap cash grab. It’s pretty clear at this point that Tom Brevoort’s “From The Ashes” era would be better described as the “From The Reject Pile” era.

About The Reviewer: Gabriel Hernandez is the Publisher & EIC of ComicalOpinions.com, a comics review site dedicated to indie, small, and mid-sized publishers.

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Final Thoughts

X-Men #13 brings the first battle to take custody of Charles Xavier to a close when a new challenger steps into the ring. Jed MacKay’s script delivers plenty of fast-paced action and excitement, and Netho Diaz’s art style hits the bullseye. That said, you’ll be lost if you don’t read the connecting issues (some already slated for cancellation), and the setup for the rest of the crossover appears to be more forced fights to fill page space.

6/10

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