A new legacy hero has made their debut inside the pages of an X-Men comic. This week saw the release of Dead X-Men #1, a unique title in the franchise’s publishing slate. Instead of featuring the likes of mainstays such as Wolverine, Cyclops, or Jean Grey, Dead X-Men features some lesser-known X-Men that were recently killed during the deadly Hellfire Gala. Tasked with a secret mission by Charles Xavier, these Dead X-Men are on a race against time itself to prevent the Fall of the House of X. During their travels, they encounter a hero who has a pretty interesting legacy.
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*WARNING: The following article contains spoilers for Dead X-Men #1. Continue reading at your own risk!
Dead X-Men #1 comes from the creative team of Steve Foxe, Jonas Scharf, Bernard Chang, Vincenzo Carratú, Frank Martin, VC’s Cory Petit, Tom Muller, and Jay Bowen. The team consists of Cannonball, Jubilee, Dazzler, Frenzy, and Prodigy, who were elected to the official X-Men team at the Hellfire Gala. Unfortunately, they only got a few seconds to celebrate before Nimrod and Orchis crashed the party, killing them in the process. These X-Men have been resurrected and tasked by Professor X to traverse different timelines and multiverses in search of a non-cyborg Moira MacTaggert, so Charles Xavier can get a map of all her different lives and stop her from activating her mutant powers of reincarnation.
The Dead X-Men are being guided through the multiverse by Rachel Summers, who is opening wormholes to drop them into different Earths and pull them out. Prodigy’s mutant powers have been expanded so he can sense Moira on whatever Earth they visit and quickly scan her mind to get the information they need. One Earth is called Moira Engine II.4, where they meet another team of X-Men led by Abigail Brand. Long story short, that Earth fell when an intergalactic war broke out with Orbis Stellaris, one of four Mister Sinister clones. When they are attacked by the Technarchy, the Starjammers (led by Sunspot) offer some help. One of the heroes aboard the Starjammer is Smasher, who we find out is the son of the late Smasher and former New Mutant Cannonball.
Meet Cannonball’s son, the new Smasher
Cannonball and Smasher of the Shi’ar Intergalactic Guard are a couple in the Marvel Universe, and they have a son together named Josiah. Cannonball and Smasher met during their time together on the Avengers during Jonathan Hickman’s run. He’s made appearances here and there throughout the years, but Dead X-Men #1 shows Josiah all grown up and following in his parents’ footsteps.
We learn from Warbird (Carol Danvers) that Cannonball and Smasher are both dead on this alternate Earth. Cannonball perished when Orbis Stellaris blew up Earth, and Smasher fell protecting the galaxy. Josiah inherited both of their powers and has taken on the mantle of Smasher and finally has a chance for payback and to honor his parents.
What do you think about Marvel’s new Smasher? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!
