Marvel Announces X-Men Christmas Special

Marvel's merry mutants, the X-Men, are getting especially merry this holiday season in an oversized special from Marvel Comics.

Marvel Comics today announced Merry X-Men, an oversized one-shot featuring 25 holiday-themed X-Men stories.

Take a look at David Nakayama's cover for the issue below, featuring Jean Grey, Rogue, and Gambit keeping warm indoors while Nightcrawler, Iceman, Storm, and Jubilee play in the snow.

The issue will feature stories that reveal what Magneto does to celebrate Hanukkah, spotlights Rogue and Gambit's first Christmas as husband and wife, and one that puts Jubilee in her native habitat, at the mall for some Christmas shopping.

Creators contributing to Merry X-Men include Chris Sims, Chad Bowers, Rainbow Rowell, Chris Claremont, Matt Rosenberg, Ed Brisson, Kelly Thompson, Charles Soule, Tini Howard, Charlamagne Tha God, Zac Thompson, Lonnie Nadler, Vita Ayala, Styles P, Cullen Bunn, Jean Grae, Esoteric, Sina Grace, Al Ewing, Leah Williams, Marco Failla, Kris Anka, and Ryan Browne.

"There are 24 one page stories set from December 1st through 24th, and then a 6 pager set on the 25th!" editor Jordan D. White explains to Marvel.com. "25 X-Men holiday stories from a ton of today's top creators!" Get ready for it all in this oversized X-Men spectacular!"

Merry X-Men will be released following the relaunch of Uncanny X-Men with "X-Men Disassembled." Based on what writer Matthew Rosenberg has teased about the series, it sounds like the X-Men will be due for some holiday cheer by the time Christmas Day comes around.

"We are making Uncanny as huge as we can. We're approaching it [as if] this might very well be the last X-Men story ever, so let's make it matter. We're doing all hands on deck, fate of the world stuff. It's big and scary," Rosenberg teased in an interview. "I think the best X-Men stories need two things that often seem in opposition, but are entirely crucial," Rosenberg continued. "First they need real danger. The X-Men go through more pain, hardships, and suffering than any other superheroes. That's their lot in life. And they always come out the other side, but that should be tested every time. And the second thing a great X-Men story needs is creators who love the X-Men. It's easy to hurt and kill characters. It's easy to blow things up with no thought. When it matters, when the audience cares, is when there is real pain and heartbreak behind it. When the storytellers were as upset doing it as you are reading it, that's when an X-Men story works. And I'd put Kelly, Ed, and my love of X-Men against almost anyone in the world."

Are you excited about Merry X-Men? Let us know in the comments!

Merry X-Men #1 goes on sale Dec. 5th.