What If…? Uncanny X-Men #1 is written by Gerry Duggan, with art by Jan Bazaldua. The issue will explore a timeline in which Scott Summers and Madelyne’s notoriously messy break-up never happened.
However, don’t expect the couple to ride off happily into the sunset. According to Marvel, this will be “the most terrible thing to happen to mutantdom and Earth itself.“
Marvel Celebrates 5-Decades Of “What If?” By Resurrecting Cyclops & Madelyne Pryor’s Chaotic Romance
Uncanny X-Men #1, Written By Gerry Duggan; Art By Jan Bazaldua; Coming June 2026 From Marvel Comics
Here’s the full synopsis for What If…? Uncanny X-Men #1:
WHAT IF… CYCLOPS HAD STAYED WITH MADELYNE PRYOR? Imagine a world where Madelyne Pryor, the Goblin Queen, had survived the Inferno. What would have happened if Cyclops had saved her soul? What would have happened if he and Maddie had raised their son, Nathan Summers? What would that world look like? And why would that be the most terrible thing to happen to mutantdom and Earth itself?
For starters, this lets us know the story’s point of divergence from X-Men canon: the end of Inferno, the infamous 1989 crossover that turned Madelyne Pryor into a villain. From there, it poses the major questions the story will set out to answer.
Except for maybe the last, most ominous one, these are all questions that X-Men fans have been asking for decades. Which gives this one-shot issue the feeling of a classic What If? And the throwback is deliberate, because this issue is, in part, a celebration of What If’s upcoming 50th anniversary.
Marvel launched What If? in 1977 by asking “What if Spider-Man joined the Fantastic Four?” What If? went on to become a Marvel institution, and it played a key role in helping to shape the Marvel Multiverse as we know it today, by popularizing alternate continuity stories. What If? showed that Marvel canon could be greater than a single timeline.
Madelyne Pryor Is One Of X-Men’s Most Complicated Characters; “What If?” Will Make The Most Of That
A Controversial X-Men Retcon Will Have Renewed Consequences
Looking back, Inferno might not be a 10/10 storyline all the way through, but it is an essential part of X-Men lore. It was the capstone of the franchise’s 1980s renaissance under Chris Claremont. The sprawling story started in 1988 and took most of 1989 to play out; arguably it’s most impactful moment was the death of Madelyne Pryor.
It was a tragic end to a tumultuous six-year run in X-Men comics. Madelyne Pryor briefly returned in the mid-90s, before making a full-scale comeback in 2008. In the nearly twenty years since, she has been an off/on part of X-Men lore. Often, but not always, as an antagonist.
Which is where she may very well end up by the time What If…? Uncanny X-Men #1 is said and one. By taking Inferno as its starting point, the story is committed to honoring the crossover’s convoluted retcon of Madelyne’s origin story. Which is to say, she’s still a clone of Jean Grey created by Mr. Sinister.
There’s A Lot Of Drama To Be Mined From Cyclops & Madelyne Pryor’s Ill-Fated Relationship
What If? Is The Perfect Way To Return To The Couple
Madelyne Pryor was always meant to be a Jean Grey doppleganger, but the complicated “truth” of her creation was a later pivot. The result was one of the messiest love affairs in Marvel canon. Once Marvel mandated the real Jean’s resurrection, Scott Summers abandoned Madelyne, starting her down the dark path that culminated in Inferno.
10 Biggest Misconceptions About X-Men’s Cyclops, Including His Hidden Powers
Every X-Men fan knows Cyclops, but there are also some huge misconceptions about Scott Summers and his powers. Here’s the truth.
There’s considerable drama to be mined from the couple’s history, and even more from their possible future together. That makes What If…? Uncanny X-Men #1 one of the most exciting new X-Men releases of the year so far, and Marvel fans are rightly stoked about it. You know who isn’t, though? Cyclops. Because he’s definitely going to be put through the ringer.
Uncanny X-Men #1 will be available June 3, 2026 from Marvel Comics.
X-Men fans, speak up! How do you think Scott and Madelyne’s romance is going to go horribly wrong this time?
- Movie(s)
-
X-Men (2000), X2, X-Men: The Last Stand (2006), X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009), X-Men: First Class (2011), The Wolverine (2013), X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014), Deadpool (2016), X-Men: Apocalypse (2016), Logan (2017), Deadpool 2 (2018), Dark Phoenix (2019), The New Mutants, Deadpool & Wolverine (2024)
- First Film
-
X-Men (2000)
- TV Show(s)
-
X-Men: Pryde of the X-Men, X-Men (1992), X-Men: Evolution (2000), Wolverine and the X-Men (2008), Marvel Anime: Wolverine, Marvel Anime: X-Men, Legion (2017), The Gifted (2017), X-Men ’97 (2024)
- Character(s)
-
Professor X, Cyclops, Iceman, Beast, Angel, Phoenix, Wolverine, Gambit, Rogue, Storm, Jubilee, Morph, Nightcrawler, Havok, Banshee, Colossus, Magneto, Psylocke, Juggernaut, Cable, X-23
- Video Game(s)
-
X-Men: Children of the Atom (1994), Marvel Super Heroes (1995), X-Men vs. Street Fighter (1996), Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter (1997), Marvel vs. Capcom (1998), X-Men: Mutant Academy (2000), Marvel vs. Capcom 2: New Age of Heroes (2000), X-Men: Mutant Academy 2 (2001), X-Men: Next Dimension (2002), Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds (2011), Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 (2011), X-Men Legends (2005), X-Men Legends 2: Rise of Apocalypse (2005), X2: Wolverine’s Revenge (2003), X-Men (1993), X-Men 2: Clone Wars (1995), X-Men: Mutant Apocalypse (1994)
- Comic Release Date
-
213035,212968
The X-Men franchise, created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, centers on mutants with extraordinary abilities. Led by the powerful telepath Professor Charles Xavier, they battle discrimination and villainous mutants threatening humanity. The series explores themes of diversity and acceptance through a blend of action, drama, and complex characters, spanning comics, animated series, and blockbuster films.