- Written by: Jed MacKay
- Art by: Ryan Stegman, JP Mayer
- Colors by: Marte Gracia
- Letters by: VC’s Clayton Cowles
- Cover art by: Ryan Stegma, JP Mayer, Marte Gracia (cover A)
- Cover price: $4.99
- Release date: April 2, 2025
X-Men #14, by Marvel on 4/2/25, sends the Alaska-based X-Men on a search and rescue mission to find a missing girl, but they soon learn that they’ll be the ones who need rescuing.
Is X-Men #14 Good?
Recap
When last we left Scott’s team of Alaska-based mutants in X-Men #13, the hunt for Charles Xavier came to a close (sort of) when the mutants captured Charles Xavier, but X-Factor arrived on the scene to take Xavier into custody. The crossover eventually ended when Charles Xavier left Earth with his resurrected Shi’Ar wife, Lilandra.
Plot Synopsis
In X-Men #14, the local peace officer for Merle, Alaska pays the Factory a visit for help. Why? Piper Cobb, the child of an anti-mutant protestor, and the child Magik and Temper “borrowed” from her mother while she slept because she thought she was a mutant, has gone missing. Chief Robbins has come to the X-Men for a search and rescue mission.
Kid Omega takes the Marauder above the woods in a search pattern but can’t find a sentient mind anywhere. We learn a mutant named Wyre who works for Cassandra Nova and 3K monitors the situation from the ground, hiding himself with ant-psi-cloaking tech. Temper is agitated by waiting, so she takes a speeder bike into the woods to search.
Suddenly, Kid Omega picks up Piper’s signal when the child, under the influence of some unseen consciousness, walks toward the carcass of the dead space whale from X-men #12. When Kid Omega steers the ship in Piper’s direction, Wyre opens fire and takes out the ship with a SAM. Kid Omega’s psychic network goes down, leading everyone to fear the worst.
The issue ends with Magik and a strike team teleporting to the wreckage of the Marauder to look for Kid Omega, while Temper reaches Piper’s location. However, Temper learns Piper may have more in common with Cassandra Nova than anyone realized.
First Impressions
It seems Jed MacKay is a much better writer for the X-Men when he doesn’t have to concern himself with crossovers or external events. X-Men #14 lays out one of several interesting mysteries and gives readers urgent pacing and a decent bit of action. Plus, the long back-burnered 3K group finally gets some attention.
How’s the Art?
Ryan Stegman returns to the ongoing title after Netho Diaz’s guest stint to deliver a set of visuals that are clean, dramatic, and action-packed. Stegman’s mildly cartoonish style is kept in check to not detract away from the dramatic tension of the issue, and Stegman’s details are on point.
What’s great about X-Men #14?
The collection of intriguing developments and mysteries is the saving grace of Jed MacKay’s latest entry in the series. Piper Cobb’s “condition” is a curiosity-builder. The 3K motives are still a blank slate, but at least this issue gives them more time than a panel or two to fill in the blanks. And the downing of the Marauder builds great tension.
What’s not great about X-Men #14?
Wyre is one of the goofier villains from Marvel history, and he hasn’t been seen in over thirty years, so it’s a bit of a head-scratcher for Jed MacKay to finally bring 3K back to the forefront with a D-list villain that’s been collecting dust for decades. Wyre’s schtick and his appearance just scream 90s extreme to the point of silliness, so his appearance somehow detracts from 3K’s intimidation factor.
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 #14 finally gives the team something interesting to do, while the mysterious 3K group finally makes its presence known. Jed MacKay’s latest script functions much better when it isn’t hijacked by ill-conceived events and crossovers. Plus, Ryan Stegman’s return to art duties is solid.
8/10
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