Chris Claremont wrote Uncanny X-Men for no fewer than 17 years. Claremont is still widely regarded as the most important and influential X-Men creator ever to work on the franchise. But which era of the series was his best? Which X-Men lineup is his most iconic? For many fans, the answer has to be the Outback era of the late '80s, a time when the X-Men were believed dead and operating out of a new home base in Australia.
With the nostalgia for the Outback era still in full force, it's perhaps not surprising that Marvel is revisiting this period through a new series called X-Men: Outback. This limited series flashes back to the '80s and reveals untold stories from this creatively fertile period for the X-Men.
IGN was able to speak with X-Men: Outback writer Steve Orlando via email to learn more about the series and how it builds on the foundation of the original comics. Check out an exclusive new preview of X-Men: Outback #1 below, and then read on to learn more:
As you might expect, Orlando is a self-professed super-fan of the original Outback era. As he explains, that was the status quo when he first began reading Uncanny X-Men as a young fan in 1987, and it's one that has continued to resonate with him over the decades.
"So, I got into comics in 1987–before I could even fully read, I was there grabbing back issues and getting to know the characters," Orlando tells IGN. "By the time the Outback Era began, I knew what was going on, I knew the deal. The Outback team was one of the first X-Men rosters I met! And then, as it went on, I soon knew the X-Men even more, not just from the arcade cabinet game but also the Pryde of the X-Men pilot. I wore that VHS out, again and again, to the extent that by the time X-Men '92 started, I was salty that the roster wasn't the one I expected."
Orlando continues, "So again, this team, out in Australia, it was one of the first rosters I encountered–and that's probably why they all went on to be some of my favorite mutants. Back in the ‘80s I didn't know all the context—that would come a few years later. But I knew the look, I knew the defiance, I knew what we'd come to call the vibe. And it's what first defined X-Men for me. As you can imagine, then, I was beyond thrilled to be asked to not just revisit that era–but to celebrate it!"
The X-Men have always been outcasts from polite society, but the Outback era was notable for making them into true outlaws. They were cast out of their familiar home and forced to survive in a strange and unforgiving new environment against new enemies like the Reavers. For Orlando, that's a big part of the appeal with these stories, old and new.
"The X-Men and mutants in general almost always live on the fringe of society–whether they like it or not," Orlando says. "But this era, in the outback, made them just what you say–true outlaws. Their own friends and families believe them to be dead. They have nowhere to turn but to each other–and even the structures that they used to be able to look to for safety and stability can no longer be counted on. I think that feeling, of having your life whittled down to only your closest, your family–chosen or otherwise–is something that's still meaningful today. In fact, the defiance, the will to live and thrive in that situation, is perhaps even more meaningful than before."
X-Men: Outback doesn't focus on one story, but rather dances between the beats of the original run to reveal new adventures and answer lingering questions. We were curious if there were any particular loose ends from the Outback era Orlando wanted to explore here.
"There are!" Orlando reveals. "Though the sweet spot is to find ways to do it in a way that welcomes everyone–so we'll be answering some of these questions, but the delivery won't spotlight it as continuity detective work, etc. When [editor] Darren Shan and I sat down, for example, one of the questions was to address Storm's costume change from her punk look to her main Outback era costume. And we'll do so! When we do, however, it'll be clothed in whole story and a brand-new adventure. The key, above all, is to show love and passion for the era–and in this case, that means new ideas and new villains, just like in the original issues that we're inspired by. But in between, you'll see things like Storm's costume update, Psylocke's transition to her armor, Colossus's reaction to passing himself off as a ghost to his sister. We'll not just answer questions, but we'll dig into and explore the consequences of the beats that are already there."
Orlando also confirms that the series will focus on the same roster as the original comics – Storm, Wolverine, Colossus, Dazzler, Longshot, Rogue, and Havok, with each issue falling between specific chapters of the original run.
"The roster is absolutely the same as folks remember!" Orlando says. "Each issue falls in its own moment in the series, between existing issues or within time jump inside a given issue–so there's no one answer where the series falls. Since each issue is a new adventure, the answer changes for each on–I'm straight up not sure if we'll run the continuity/setting notes we have, but we lay out where each issue fits in the scripts. I do think it's safe to say this whole run takes place before Inferno."
As Orlando mentions, this series takes place before Inferno and the shocking reveal of the true nature of Jean Grey's clone, Madelyne Pryor. As such, fans can expect to see Maddie in this series, as the character struggles with being abandoned by Cyclops for the original Jean and works to become a more active member of the X-Men.
"Madelyne's story is mapped in the original series," Orlando says. "We'll be digging into it here–because we're happening before Inferno, we know where her story is going. In this run, we'll see her wrestle with her place on the team as well as her tension over seeing Cyclops and Jean Grey on TV as part of X-Factor. And I feel safe saying her frustration will build to her getting in on the action in an issue that homages Ripley's epic subterranean rescue in the climax of Aliens. Maddie wants to do more and be a greater part of this chosen family–and that desire will take her out of Cooterman's Creek and onto the battlefield."
Finally, the Outback era is notable as much for its strong visual style as anything else. This is the era when future Image Comics superstar Marc Silvestri truly made his mark on the series. We were curius how Orlando and artist Stephen Segovia hope to capture the vibe of the original comics. As Orlando explains, the goal is to "celebrate, not imitate."
"Listen, when you work with a master like Stephen Segovia, you don't tell him what to do–you set him up for success with exciting visuals and you get out of the way. That said, yes–Marc Silvestri was and still is such a singular talent, and he put an indelible mark on the look of the X-Men during this era. And to me, imitating that would never be the way to go. Instead, it's giving love to the theme behind the style, as you suggest. Stephen doesn't draw like Marc, but in bringing his own style to the pages with the same blockbuster comic book energy that made the Outback Era great–his work honors the spirit of the original run. We want to celebrate, not imitate."
Orlando adds, "And Stephen backs so much energy into his pages, he has such lithe and muscular layouts, that he's delivering the perfect evolution not of the exact style of the Outback Era, but of what it represented. He's the perfect artist for this–and with Russell Dauterman and Matt Wilson on covers and Alex Sinclair on colors, we've got a murders row on deck to make X-Men: Outback one of the best looking books on the stands…in any era!"
X-Men: Outback #1 will be released on June 24, 2026. You can preorder a copy at your local comic shop.
For more, check out our new look at Marvel Creator Collection No. 1: Barry Windsor-Smith and X-Men '97: Season Two #1.
Jesse is a mild-mannered staff writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on BlueSky.
