X-Men's Marauders Annual #1 passes the torch to a new creative team in January
Marauders, Marvel's X-Men franchise title about Captain Kate Pryde and the Hellfire Trading Company (Krakoa's mutant pirates and de facto naval force), will bring in writer Steve Orlando in January 2022 to replace Gerry Duggan as the title's ongoing writer.
Duggan's departure from Marauders was previously all but confirmed by Marvel, who told Newsarama to expect incoming announcements regarding changes to the title (along with likely changes to the title Savage Avengers, also currently written by Duggan, still to be announced), Duggan recently took the reins of Marvel's core X-Men title from departing writer Jonathan Hickman, meaning that his exit from Marauders has likely been in the cards for some time.
As for Orlando, his run on Marauders will kick off in January 12's Marauders Annual #1, which features interior art from Crees Lee and a cover by Russel Dauterman. It's unclear whether Lee will continue on with Orlando when the writer takes over the Marauders ongoing title - his first ongoing series for Marvel Comics.
It's also yet to be announced whether Marauders will relaunch with a new #1, or continue the numbering of its current volume. The latest solicited issue is December's Marauders #27. Marauders launched in December 2019, and with the exception of a few fill-in issues, Duggan has written the bulk of the series.
What is clear is that Orlando's upcoming Marauders era will introduce a revised crew for Captain Kate Pryde including Bishop, Psylocke, Aurora, Tempo, and Somnus - a character co-created by Orlando who was introduced in Marvel's Voices: Pride #1. The team's first mission involves getting ahold of a new boat in order to rescue Daken from a villain who, while not new to Marvel Comics or even technically the X-Men, has never encountered the mainstream version of the team.
Drawing on his well-known deep bench of superhero lore, Orlando will bring in villain Brimstone Love and his so-called Theater of Pain - antagonists who appeared in the '90s cult-classic title X-Men 2099, making their non-2099 Marvel Comics debut.
"Taking the helm of Marauders is easily the most exciting moment of my career, especially when it's my first-ever ongoing not just on Krakoa, but at Marvel in general,” Orlando states in Marvel's announcement.
"Exploding out of the team's already-amazing adventures as part of Hellfire Trading, Captain Pryde's new crew of Marauders will stop at nothing to bring endangered mutants to safety - to always go where they're needed, not where they're wanted," Orlando continues. "To mutant rescue, wherever it calls them!"
Marauders Annual #1 goes on sale on January 12. Stay tuned to Newsarama for Marvel's full January 2022 solicitations, coming later this month.
Keep up with everything mutant related thanks to our guide to all Marvel's planned X-Men comic releases for 2021 and beyond.
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