Every year, Marvel Comics introduces new heroes and villains. With 2024 being the launch of the X-Men’s From the Ashes arc, it’s no surprise that several new mutants have appeared on the scene. One group, the Outliers, is stealing the show, but they’re far from the only ones worth talking about. These new heroes have immense potential, with at least one prophecy tied to their stories. Naturally, their powers, styles, and personalities vary quite drastically. Some are bubbly rays of sunshine, while others are obsessed with death, though perhaps not in the way one might expect. Readers have already begun figuring out which characters they love, and which they can do without.
From the Ashes is the latest X-Men event, following the fall of Krakoa. As such, the newest generation of mutants comes at a time of uncertainty, as mutant-kind is forced to reintegrate with humanity. Some heroes are up for the challenge, while others are less certain of what their path in life is going to look like. The bulk of new heroes hail from Uncanny X-Men, or Exceptional X-Men, with a few stragglers coming from X-Factor and NYX. So if you’re not reading all four series, you may have missed their debuts.
10) Xyber (Daniel Choi)
Intro Series: X-Factor
Daniel Choi, aka Xyber, is one of two new mutants introduced during the X-Factor‘s ten issues. He’s the youngest member of the team, and honestly, he’ll tug at your heartstrings. Daniel Choi was a late addition to the team, replacing the ever-shifting roster (things have not been going well for this team, to put it lightly). Unfortunately, this does mean that Daniel was thrown a bit into the deep end. Daniel’s first mission was at the Yardslac nuclear power plant, where he went up against a bunch of armed and dangerous enemies.
Here’s the problem for young Daniel Choi: as a new mutant, he knows that his ability lets him create strong electromagnetic pulses. However, he lacks one serious advantage, as he doesn’t know his own limitations. He must have missed getting assessed by Beast, and that stinks. As such, Daniel is terrified that each major blast he causes could be his last, literally. Daniel lives in perpetual fear that his gift will stop his heart. Poor kid. In a way, we hope we don’t see him again, as he’s better off living a quiet life without action or danger.
9.) Local (Real Name Unknown)
Intro Series: NYX
Local is a new mutant introduced during NYX, and while he never becomes an official X-Men, he does make friends with the likes of Kamala Khan. Readers never got to learn Local’s real name, though we do know that he is some form of techno-path. He can short-circuit surveillance, tie systems together, and create all sorts of merry mayhem in the technological field. This is exactly why Mr. Friend (a puppet of Mojo) targeted the young mutant.
For a few issues there, it looked like Local was either dead or a permanent victim of Mojo’s schemes. On the bright side, the actions of NYX took down Mojo, sort of freeing Local in the process. Local joined in on the fight, ultimately sacrificing himself in the process. At least that’s what they want us to think. Local became part of the city, in a very literal sense, with his consciousness transferring into the city itself. There’s a chance he’ll live on like this, much like Danny the Street in DC Comics.
8.) Axo (Alejandro Mateo Luna)
Intro Series: Exceptional X-Men
Alejandro Mateo Luna, aka Alex, is a young mutant first introduced in Exceptional X-Men. He’s a kind soul with the rather unfortunate luck of being an obvious mutant after the rise and fall of Krakoa. Alex has the unique ability to perceive and control emotions around him. More specifically, he can make people confess their biggest secrets or vulnerabilities. He can also make them feel whatever he wants, with the color of his skin changing accordingly. However, it’s safe to say that Alex doesn’t always love or appreciate his ability. Much like the early days for Rogue, he sometimes struggles to turn it off.
Alex is one of three mutants who begin training with Kate Pryde. It all began when a fellow classmate stepped in to try and protect him from being bullied. Instead of helping, she sort of escalated the situation, resulting in Kate stepping in to help out. Since then, they’ve been training with Kate and later Emma Frost and (sometimes) Iceman. As part of this new team, Alex picked up the mantle of Axo. He’s still feeling a bit reluctant about the whole superhero situation, but recent events may change his perspective.
7.) Melee (Thao Tran)
Intro Series: Exceptional X-Men
Remember that student who tried to help Alex? That was Thao Tran. She saw that he was being bullied for being a mutant, and as a fellow mutant, she couldn’t let it slide. As mentioned above, that didn’t go so well. At least it brought her and Axo to the attention of Kate Pryde, who reluctantly agreed to train the three teens. Thao is a stubborn and determined character who believes in speaking up for others.
Thao Tran has two abilities that can work together. First, she can go intangible, allowing her to pass through people and objects. So finding Kate Pryde as an instructor was huge for this young mutant. The second ability is invisibility, but she seems to have even less control over this aspect, at least for the moment.
6.) Bronze (Trista Marshall)
Intro Series: Exceptional X-Men
Trista Marshall is the first new mutant introduced during the events of Exceptional X-Men. She and Kate Pryde met at a concert, where the two had to work together to safely get away from an anti-mutant guard and his wraith. Kate simply wanted to drop Trista off and be done with the whole thing, but Trista had different ideas, having, in her mind, found her new mentor.
When Kate introduced Trista to Thao and Alex, she immediately organized them into a group of three and convinced them they needed Kate as their collective mentor. The rest, as they say, is history. As an aspiring mutant hero, Trista dubbed herself Bronze, a hat-tip to her ability to transform her skin into a bronze-like metal. In this form, she’s quite durable and strong; she just needs to learn how to fight. She can also create retractable cables of the same material, giving her a more ranged attack.
5.) Ransom (Valentin Correa)
Intro Series: Uncanny X-Men
In many ways, Valetin Correa is the most assertive of The Outliers, so he often gives the appearance of being the leader. He hails from Argentina, and he was quite literally born without a heart. That’s not a figure of speech, as there’s a black hole where his heart should be. This black hole heart can absorb attacks and redirect the force out through his hands. Basically, his ability is both offensive and defensive.
Valentin didn’t have the best childhood, having been kidnapped at a young age. Rather than pay the ransom, his parents let him be. Unsurprisingly, the stress of the situation let his powers manifest, killing his captors in the process. That may explain why he opted to go with Ransom for his hero name. Ransom is young and determined, and it’s clear he cares deeply for his crew. He has been seen lecturing them about safety and respecting each other’s feelings. No wonder he often comes off as the group’s leader.
4.) Jitter (Sofia Yong)
Intro Series: Uncanny X-Men
Sofia Yong made her way to America from Singapore. Much like the rest of her new group, we don’t know much about how she got here. Sofia has a very unique ability, in that she can acquire virtually any skill, but only for a minute. She used this to her advantage at school, passing exams and the like. It didn’t go as well when she tried to use it to defend herself against bullies, as she accidentally really hurt one of them. There is one thing that lets Sofia stand out among her new group, as she deals with stuttering when she’s feeling less confident or talking to new people.
Now she’s a member of The Outliers, having been chased by the Hag. Taking on the name Jitter, she has learned the limits of her abilities. Basically, she can learn anything, from physical skills like martial arts and acrobatics to linguistic skills and beyond. Touching upon the same areas repeatedly has given her a better grasp of hand-to-hand combat and acrobatics.
3.) Deathdream (Hotoru)
Intro Series: Uncanny X-Men
Hotoru, aka Deathdream, is a powerful mutant who has embraced the darker side of life: death. He died four times on the day he was born, and since then has been able to change his state (alive or dead) at will. He can control spirits but struggles with concealing his inner darkness. We don’t know how Hotoru ended up in the US or with The Outliers, but it’s safe to say he’s found a family with this group. The only time Hotoru has allowed himself to appear vulnerable is with the group, including his attempts at being kind around Calico and her situation.
By controlling the spirits of the dead, something he learned from his deceased mother, Deathdream can do all sorts of things, including letting these spirits inhabit his body to gain access to their abilities. Thanks to his connection with death, Hotoru doesn’t need to worry about things like poison, and he has an accelerated healing factor. It probably helps that nothing will keep him dead for long.
2.) Calico (Becca Constance Simon-Pinette)
Intro Series: Uncanny X-Men
Becca Constance Simon-Pinette is the last of the new mutants introduced in Uncanny X-Men. As part of The Outliers, she goes by Calico. She lived a sheltered life, but the more we learn of her story, the clearer it becomes that she also lived a life of fear and abuse. As such, but the time she runs away with the rest of The Outliers, she’s still firmly denying that she’s a mutant. With time, she does learn to grow and accept that part of herself.
Calico has a psychic connection with her horse, Ember. Honestly, it’s way more complicated than that, as both the girl and the horse are not quite what they seem. She can summon Ember at will, create armor for the two of them, and even psychically create flames. Calico easily has the potential to be the most powerful in her group, but she has yet to work through all of her mental blocks. However, with Jitter and Ember at her side, she can probably do just about anything she sets her mind to.
1.) Granny Smite (Real Name Unknown)
Intro Series: X-Factor
Last but not least, there’s the oldest member on this list. Granny Smite may not be young by any stretch, but she only recently learned of her mutant ability. That makes her of the latest generation, in a warped way. Granny Smite’s origin is pretty tragic. She is both immortal and invulnerable, a fact she didn’t learn until her house burned down, with both her and her husband inside. Granny Smite survived, but her husband did not.
Sadly, that was only the beginning. One incident could be chalked up to luck or a miracle, after all. She was on a plane with her son and his family when it crashed. Everyone died except for her, confirming her ability. Because of this, and because she’s now alone in the world, Granny Smite signed up for X-Factor. Here, she hopes they’ll finally throw her into a situation that will lead to her death. Yeah, it’s dark. That said, Granny Smite has quickly become a fan-favorite character. With X-Factor canceled, many fans have expressed hope for seeing Smite in another series, any series.
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