Marvel’s Jonathan Hickman Returns to X-Men’s Krakoa in Surprising Way

In the decades-long history of Marvel’s X-Men, Jonathan Hickman has arguably become one of the franchise’s most consequential creators. Hickman helped spearhead Marvel Comics’ Krakoan Age, which radically reinvented the status quo for Marvel’s mutants from 2019 through earlier this year. While Hickman ultimately departed from the line in 2022, leaving other creators to shepherd the Krakoa storytelling towards its end, he just recently returned to the concept in an unexpected way. Spoilers for Aliens vs. Avengers #1 from Jonathan Hickman, Esad Ribic, Ive Svorcina, and Cory Petit below! Only look if you want to know!

As the title would suggest, Aliens vs. Avengers #1 chronicles a fight between the heroes of the Marvel Universe and the Alien franchise’s horrifying extraterrestrials. Before jumping decades into the future and following a motley crew of aging heroes trying to save the planet, the issue showcases the fall of various regions on Marvel’s Earth. This includes the actual island of Krakoa where, as Hickman’s narration explains, the overwhelming majority of X-Men have used portals to flee to their colony on Mars. Apocalypse, however, chose to be the sole mutant to stay behind and fight the invading Xenomorphs.

Why Did Jonathan Hickman Leave X-Men?

When Hickman announced his departure, both from writing the main X-Men title and overseeing the larger Krakoa initiative, he cited changing creative plans as part of the reason for his exit.

“Oh, plans have changed entirely,” Hickman told Entertainment Weekly at the time. “When I pitched the X-Men story I wanted to do, I pitched a very big, very broad, three-act, three-event narrative, the first of which was House of X. And while this loosely worked as a three-year plan, I told Marvel upfront that I honestly had no idea how long the first part would last because there were a lot of interesting ideas that I had seeded that other creators would want to play with, and so, we left this rather open-ended. I was also pretty clear with all the writers that came into the office what the initial, three-act plan was so no one would be surprised when it was time for the line to pivot.”

What Is Aliens vs. Avengers About?

In Aliens vs. Avengers #1, it’s all led to this: Xenomorphs reach Earth! The perfect organism meets a planet of superhumans. Who will be first to fall? Legendary collaborators Jonathan Hickman and Esad Ribić cut loose in this four-part epic unmissable for Marvel and Alien fans alike!

“I’ve never worked on a licensed or ‘non-superhero’ property the entire time I’ve been at Marvel, so when all of this came together almost two years ago, I kind of jumped at the opportunity,” Hickman told Entertainment Weekly when announcing the book. “I love the Aliens universe and the mythology, and obviously just how atmospherically and well-designed everything is has always gotten my creative juices flowing. It was tricky finding a way to make these two things work together, but I think Esad and I landed on something that works for fans of both franchises.”

Aliens vs. Avengers #1 is now available wherever comics are sold.