Marvel is turning the heat up this September. The X-Men and Fantastic Four are officially colliding in DNX, a five-issue event series that feels like the natural climax to what Jed MacKay’s been building since issue one. We’ve seen superstar writer Jed MacKay and artist Federico Vicentini do great work separately, but seeing them handle both the mutants and Marvel’s First Family together is a massive win for the 2026 release calendar.
Beast Returns as the Ultimate Villain
The most jarring part of this announcement is the return of the Chairman. If you haven’t been keeping up, this is the original Hank McCoy, the founding X-Man known as Beast. He’s gone full Machiavellian. Leading a group called 3K, McCoy plans to “evolve” humanity by force. It’s a payoff for threads MacKay has been spinning since the start of his X-Men run.
DNX #1 “Before” and “Hidden” Covers by Kaare Andrews
DNX #1
Written by JED MACKAY
Art by FEDERICO VICENTINI
Cover by KAARE ANDREWS
On Sale 9/2
This version of Beast is a far cry from the bouncing blue researcher we grew up with. He’s cold, calculated, and obsessed with a future he saw in the Age of Revelation. While Cyclops and his team want to prevent that dark timeline, the Chairman wants to own it. The conflict between these two heirs of Xavier is the heartbeat of the series.
The Fantastic Four Enter the Fray
You can’t have a global viral threat without calling in the big brains. The Fantastic Four join the X-Men when the mutants realize their own combined strength and tech won’t be enough to stop the 3K group. The story kicks off when the X-Men seek out Reed Richards and his family to help save one of their own, just as the White Beast prepares to drop the X-Virus on a major city.
The scale here feels massive. MacKay isn’t pulling punches regarding the status quo. He noted, “DNX is the next big milestone event of our X-Men (2024) run. 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.”
DNX #1 Blind Bag
Blind Bags and Rare Variants for Collectors
Collectors should keep an eye out for the “True Believers Blind Bags” for issue #1. These sealed bags are the only way to snag exclusive variants from heavy hitters like Skottie Young, Artgerm, and Peach Momoko. They’re even tossing in one-of-a-kind hand-drawn sketch covers. If you prefer knowing what you’re buying, the main cover by Kaare Andrews features a “Hidden” gimmick where one version of the art sits right beneath the shelf version.
Vicentini is handling connecting covers for the entire five-issue run. His energy on books like Miles Morales: Spider-Man was incredible, so seeing him tackle the Fantastic Four alongside the X-Men is a huge draw. You can get a sneak peek at the chaos on May 2 during Comics Giveaway Day by grabbing ARMAGEDDON/X-MEN #1 CGD 2026.
More DNX covers below:
