REVIEW: 'X-Men' #20 - Mutant Politics And Personal Fallout

This review contains minor spoilers for X-Men #20.

After X-Men #19 detoured to focus on Doug Ramsey and set up the Age of Revelation event, issue #20 shifts the spotlight back to the main team. Though it doesn’t directly continue that plotline, it reintroduces unresolved threads and presents new challenges—chief among them, the return of Agent Lundqvist, who has unfinished business with Cyclops.

The story opens with a compelling reveal tied to Krakoan lore. We finally revisit the alien ship known as the Marauder, previously acquired by Emma Frost and in possession of the X-Men. With help from Juggernaut and Magik, Kid Omega collects large debris to rebuild the vessel using its core, a small, square, biomechanical shapeshifting device that survived when it was shot down. It’s a satisfying callback that answers what the shapeshifting telepathic ship really looks like.

© Marvel Comics

From there, the issue moves into quieter territory as Psylocke and Temper discuss Temper’s new relationship with Ransom of the Louisiana X-Men. The conversation touches on old tensions between the teams and hints at Kwannon’s relationship with Greycrow, before shifting focus from Idie to Beast, and newcomer Jen Starky. While it’s a bit on the nose to pair two beast-like characters to start a romance, Beast and Jen are kind of cute. He’s haunted by his darker past and struggles with being recruited by new enemies, while Jen tries to adjust to mutant life as an adult. Their dynamic is subtle but layered.

Meanwhile, the tension between Cyclops and Lundqvist boils over in a diner brawl. Through this conflict, MacKay efficiently reintroduces the new mutants and reveals that Lundqvist knows Scott has been hiding them, including Ben, who was thought dead. Their argument over how 3K and the new mutants should be handled ends with both men getting tased and dragged off by the sheriff.

The issue’s closing moments add a layer of moral ambiguity. Lundqvist claims he isn’t anti-mutant, instead suggesting (in an interesting reference to Battle Royale) that while mutants don’t choose what power they get, someone still has to deal with the dangerous ones. It’s an uneasy rationale that Scott rejects, and the scene leaves readers with an ominous twist: the new director of O*N*E is revealed to be a mutant.

X-Men #20 doesn’t push the main narrative forward much, but it’s a strong, character-driven issue that blends mystery, tension, and relationship drama. With solid pacing and a few intriguing reveals, I’d say it’s a worthy entry that sets the stage for the next arc.

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About X-Men #20

Release Date: August 13, 2025

Written by: Jed MacKay

Art by: Netho Diaz

Cover by: Ryan Stegman

Page Count: 28

Synopsis: A second Iron Night brings with it consequences, and Cyclops has some explaining to do on behalf of the X-Men. But even a born leader can reach a breaking point - and Cyclops has had to do ever so much explaining recently…