top of page

REVIEW: 'X-Men' #21 Pushes The Team To Their Limit

A blond woman looks down,  next to text reading "X-Men #21 Review"
X-Men #21 © Marvel Comics

If there's one thing long-time X-Men fans love, it's drama — whether it's familial, romantic, or political. And in X-Men #21, Jed MacKay delivers exactly that, continuing directly from the events of issue #20.



The emotional fallout from Jen Starkey’s tense conversation with Beast lingers, as expected. Still shaken, Jen is approached by Kid Omega, who tries somewhat awkwardly to comfort her. As a telepath, Quentin could hear her intense thoughts but refrained from reading them, citing a very specific threat from Psylocke involving dismemberment. Their exchange is revealing, as Jen opens up about her lonely life before joining the X-Men, making Beast’s cold dismissal in the previous issue hit even harder.


Comic panel from 'X-Men #21'
X-Men #21 © Marvel Comics

There’s little time to dwell on feelings, though. Magik soon arrives to recruit Jen and Kid Omega for a mission against Fitzroy and the Upstarts — a group that’s been hunting mutants for sport. Interestingly, Sugar Man, the Upstarts' manipulative benefactor, has grown tired of their failures and abandons them, leaving them to face the consequences.


Meanwhile, Cyclops remains jailed, and Magik takes full initiative to lead the team. What follows is a brutal battle. Despite their considerable power, the X-Men are pushed to their limits. Jen initially freezes in combat, unable to muster the will to fight. But when Magik is nearly taken out and Juggernaut struggles to protect Kid Omega, Jen finally snaps, unleashing a monstrous, reptilian transformation and taking Fitzroy down.



Earlier in the fight, one of the Upstarts mocked Cain for having "gone soft." Juggernaut had leveled a death threat his way in the moment, and in the end, he delivers. Even after the battle ends and the enemy is subdued, Juggernaut executes the mutant Ocelot in cold blood, fulfilling his earlier vow. It’s a shocking and unsettling moment that raises real questions. Why does Cain, now ostensibly a hero, kill a defeated opponent, especially when far more dangerous human enemies have walked away unscathed? It's a jarring moment that may suggest a volatile nature still beneath the surface.


The issue ends on a surprising note, with Sugar Man reappearing not on Earth, but on Arakko, in the twisted domain once ruled by Tarn the Uncaring: The Spire Vile. Given both villains' obsession with genetics and body horror, the pairing is disturbingly perfect. With the Age of Revelation on the horizon, this connection could spell major trouble for the mutants’ future. MacKay continues to weave emotional depth with high-stakes action, and if the pacing holds, X-Men readers are in for a gripping ride.




X-Men #21 © Marvel Comics
X-Men #21 © Marvel Comics

About X-Men #21

Release Date: August 17, 2025

Written by: Jed MacKay

Art by: Netho Diaz

Cover by: Ryan Stegman

Page Count: 28


Synopsis: While Cyclops spends the night in jail, the younger X-Men take advantage of the break and head out on their own. Their mission? Revenge on the social-media thrilkillers, the Upstarts! Can Jen overcome her fear and embrace her new self? Or will she begin to tread a dark road of her own?


bottom of page