X-Force, Deadpool and Kraven the Hunter Enter Marvel’s Judgment Day

Kraven the Hunter takes aim at X-Force in a tie-in to Marvel’s Judgment Day event series. Coming along for the ride is Deadpool, who is also joining Wolverine’s solo series in the X-Men’s Destiny of X era. According to Newsarama, July’s X-Force #30 by writer Benjamin Percy and artist Robert Gill begins the new story arc “The Hunt for X,” which ties into the Avengers/X-Men/Eternals crossover A.X.E.: Judgment Day. Deadpool is no stranger to X-Force, with the team needing reinforcements after dealing with the fallout from the second annual Hellfire Gala and the start of Judgment Day.

“Since the dawn of Krakoa, the mutants have faced many threats – assassins, political rivalries, telefloronic infections, sea monsters, interdimensional wars, A.I. adversaries, time-traveling troublemakers (I could go on) – but there has always been the nagging sense that they might have a way out,” Percy told Newsarama. The writer also neglected to mention how Kraven factors into the story.

Percy continued: “Maybe Moira could reset the timeline or maybe death could be solved through resurrection or or or. But now – with Judgment Day – we’ve entered a whole other category of crisis. This is an extinction-level event. Not just for the mutants, but mankind. It’s always fun to play with a thorny, high-stakes situation like this. Doubly so when my favorite Marvel villain – Kraven – is involved. X-Force is going to have its hands full.”

A variant cover for X-Force #30 by artist Carlos Magno shows Kraven the Hunter and Wolverine before they cross blades. In the background are Deadpool, Domino, Black Tom Cassidy, Sage, and Omega Red, with Beast laying unconscious on the snowy ground. The A.X.E.: Judgment Day logo dressing also appears at the top of the cover. The main cover for X-Force #30 is by Joshua Cassara.

Sony Pictures is developing a Kraven the Hunter feature film, with Aaron Taylor-Johnson playing the character. Kraven will exist in Sony’s Spider-Man Universe, alongside Venom, Morbius, and Madame Web.

Another tie-in for the Marvel event is A.X.E.: Death to the Mutants. The three-issue miniseries comes from Judgment Day writer Kieron Gillen (Eternals, Immortal X-Men) and artist Guiu Vilanova (S.W.O.R.D., Eternals). 

“What an unfriendly title, yeah? Imagine how ugly it sounds when it’s on the lips of people you once considered your friends of a million years,” Gillen told ComicBook.com. “Death to Mutants is about what mainstream Eternal Society is doing to try to crush the mutant flowers of Krakoa, while our heroic Eternals try to work out what the hell they can do about it.” 

Guiu added, “When you hear the words ‘Marvel crossover,’ ‘Kieron Gillen,’ and ‘Death to the Mutants’ in the same sentence, the only thing that comes to your mind is ‘Stop talking, I’m in!’ Haha! This is going to be amazing!”

X-Force #30 goes on sale July 27. Let us know your thoughts on the story arc in the comments!