Marvel Comics is set to conclude its 2026 summer crossover event, Avengers: Armageddon, with the effective dissolution of the Avengers. Following the event, the team will be replaced as Earth's primary defenders by an all-star squad of X-Men in a new ongoing series.

This shift was announced at San Diego Comic-Con, revealing that the post-Armageddon Avengers will be a smaller, more street-level operation, a departure from their previous status as a well-funded, globally recognized force. Taking their place will be Maximum X-Men, written by Christopher Yost and drawn by Tony S. Daniel, launching in December.

The inaugural Maximum X-Men team will feature Storm as leader, alongside Wolverine, Colossus, Bishop, Psylocke, Firestar, and Justice. Their initial mission will be to repel an invasion from the Negative Zone. This lineup suggests potential shifts in other current X-Men titles, with Wolverine and Psylocke appearing on multiple teams simultaneously, a recurring narrative theme for Wolverine.

Maximum X-Men is poised to deliver a significant dose of 1990s nostalgia, particularly with the inclusion of Firestar and Justice. Both characters were prominent members of the 1990s team the New Warriors and were a couple during that era. Firestar, originally created for Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends, eventually transitioned to the comics and has had intermittent X-Men affiliations. Justice, formerly Vance Astrovik, has a more complex history involving time travel and aspirations to join the Avengers as Marvel Boy. Their inclusion, alongside Wolverine and Bishop, points to a team heavily influenced by the 90s era of X-Men.

The current event, Avengers: Armageddon by Chip Zdarsky, Delio Diaz, and Frank Alpizar, is set in the aftermath of One World Under Doom. With Latveria in disarray and Doctor Doom missing, the Red Hulk, aided by a machine that predicts the future and a group of renegade soldiers, is attempting to conquer nations. The Avengers and Fantastic Four are tasked with stopping this threat, even if it means defying international orders.

Maximum X-Men #1 is slated for release in December 2026.