Cody White
Marvel solicits confirm that Nate Grey/X-Man will be returning to X-Books in Uncanny X-Men, but now it appears that his return may be the harbinger for a much larger story. Promo art from Marvel’s Rahzzah (textless image below) has been released with the text “After Disassembled, the Age of X-Man Commences”.
Nate Grey’s journey has been a complicated one from the outset. He hails from the “Age of Apocalypse” timeline, a refugee in our world. In the AoA, Grey was a test-tube mutant created by Nathaniel Essex/Sinister from the DNA of that world’s Jean Grey and Scott Summers to eventually defeat Apocalypse. As an analogue for the 616 character Cable, Nate’s origins and intent are strikingly similar, however Nate was never infected by a techno-organic virus, thus giving him his powers at full capacity, whereas Cable was always hindered by the virus.
Through numerous adventures and evolutions, X-Man would eventually take on a role as a Shaman or spiritual leader for all the mutants on the 616 Earth. Early art from the “Age of X-Man” seems to indicate that he will take such a role to the next level, perhaps assuming a role as mutant messiah. Phil Noto’s cover for Age of X-Man: Alpha #1 can be seen below featuring a distinctly Christ-like (in appearance) Nate Grey:
Age of X-Man: Alpha #1 will be written by Zac Thompson and Lonnie Nadler (Cable), with art from Ramon Rosanas (The Mighty Captain Marvel) and a Phil Noto cover. It is expected to release in January 2019.
