The parasitic predators known as the Brood are set to make their return to the Marvel Universe in a big way, and their latest plan to infect the cosmos will be both Captain Marvel and the X-Men's biggest nightmare.
Currently unfolding in the pages of Kelly Thompson's acclaimed Captain Marvel run, Carol Danvers has taken to the stars to answer a distress call, only to confront horrors at the hands of her vengeful old enemies: the Brood! Luckily for Captain Marvel, she won’t be alone.
Not only will the story arc guest-star various X-Men including Rogue, Gambit, and Wolverine, but Gerry Duggan's ongoing X-Men title will connect with Captain Marvel starting in February's X-Men #19. Joined by artist Stefano Caselli, the arc will see the X-Men realizing that despite their efforts, the Brood are still a threat that needs to be put down quickly and permanently.
Titled "Revenge of the Brood" and "Lord of the Brood," both arcs represent a reunion of sorts as Captain Marvel and the X-Men fought alongside each other in the original Brood Saga by Chris Claremont, Dave Cockrum and Paul Smith.
The iconic adventure changed Captain Marvel forever as she unlocked her Binary form and saw the X-Men make some of their most intense sacrifices. This latest war with the Brood will pack the same emotional punch and once again, it sounds like neither party will walk away unscathed.
"It's really exciting to have all of it coming together finally in one story - our biggest Captain Marvel story yet - feels right, y'know? It especially feels right because The Brood are truly [some] of Carol's greatest nemeses," Thompson says. "[Considering] how we've been pushing on her powers, her role in the Marvel Universe, and her commitment to being a hero - it feels like things all coming to a head."
Duggan adds, "The Brood are back, and they're worse than ever. The X-Men must make some hard choices about their pest control services, and what about Broo, the former student at the X-Mansion, we thought he was the Lord Of The Brood? The problems are galactic and it's all hands on deck including Captain Marvel, Rogue, Gambit and Polaris. Check for parasites."
To mark the occasion, upcoming issues of both series will have one giant connecting cover by Juan Frigeri that will run on Captain Marvel #46 - #48 and X-Men #19 - #21. This latest Captain Marvel/X-Men epic will conclude in Captain Marvel #49 where both stories will converge in what Marvel Comics is billing as a "galaxy-changing finale."