Marvel kicks off its “Giant-Size” era with a bold blend of past and present in Giant-Size X-Men #1, throwing Ms. Marvel into a classic X-Men-era adventure that’s as much a love letter to mutant history as it is a new beginning for Kamala Khan’s identity as a mutant. With a main story by Jackson Lanzing and Collin Kelly and art by Adam Kubert, plus a powerful backup tale from Al Ewing and Sara Pichelli, this oversized issue punches hard with style, energy, and mutant mythology.
From page one, Giant-Size X-Men #1 wastes no time revealing the villain of this time-warping escapade: Legion. The unpredictable, multiverse-scrambling son of Xavier is back, and he’s doing what he does best—messing with the timeline. His target? Key turning points in X-Men history. But fate, or perhaps Kamala’s unknown mutant abilities, intervenes, tossing her back in time to the same era Legion seeks to disrupt.
This is where things get fun.
The story drops Kamala into a team dynamic that echoes the mid-’70s X-Men revival, complete with Cyclops, Wolverine, Nightcrawler, and more. The writers cleverly weave in Kamala’s Spidey-style chatter, her fish-out-of-water awkwardness, and her earnestness without making her feel like a sidekick. Her energy adds levity to a plot that could’ve easily gone too heavy on nostalgia or exposition. Plus, Cyclops remembering her from his time-displaced youth? That’s a smart continuity pull that long-time readers will appreciate.
While time travel can often feel like a narrative reset button, this issue treats it with purpose. Legion’s reality-bending threat feels personal and chaotic—especially because Kamala seems to be unknowingly tethered to him across time. There’s a ticking clock vibe here, but also enough humor and character chemistry to keep it from turning grimdark.
Veteran artist Adam Kubert turns in a wildly energetic issue, refusing to be boxed in—literally. One of the most distinctive visual choices is his use of vertical layouts. That’s right—at several points, the comic asks you to turn it sideways, following stacked panels in a downward flow that mimics a descent through chaos or time.
A standout moment uses this format during Legion’s psychic attack. Kubert arranges circular panels in a spiraling freefall as each X-Man is mentally and physically overwhelmed. It’s disorienting in the best way, drawing you deeper into the mayhem and reminding you that this isn’t just another “big issue”—it’s an event.
Kubert also nails the retro designs of the team without making them feel like cosplay. Wolverine feels feral, Nightcrawler moves like a shadow, and Cyclops is the stalwart field leader, blasting optic fury while trying to keep the timeline (and his team) intact. Xavier, meanwhile, is drawn with a classic gravitas, speaking in that stiff-but-nostalgic voice longtime readers will immediately recognize.
If the main story is a time-hopping joyride, the backup tale is a slow-burn detonation.
Written by Al Ewing and drawn with sharp elegance by Sara Pichelli, this short introduces a new Italian mutant who challenges everything Xavier stands for. She’s powerful—very powerful—and not remotely interested in joining a group she views as morally compromised. Xavier’s usual smooth recruitment routine hits a wall here, and it’s refreshing to see someone push back.
While the story is brief, it sets up a potential new player whose ability might be a game-changer. Pichelli’s art gives the new character poise and simmering intensity, and Ewing packs in layers of ideology and tension in just a few pages. If this is a teaser for bigger things, we’re in for something special.
Giant-Size X-Men #1 walks a fine line between homage and progression—and sticks the landing. It offers long-time fans a return to one of the most beloved eras of mutant storytelling while pulling in new readers through Kamala’s lens. The time-travel mechanics, while potentially messy in terms of long-term continuity, feel purposeful and exciting here rather than arbitrary.
Kamala’s mutant identity remains a central question, and while we don’t get a full explanation, we do get a tantalizing glimpse of her connection to this unfolding mutant mystery. She’s not just along for the ride—she’s becoming integral to the timeline itself.
Add in Legion as a wonderfully chaotic antagonist, Kubert’s experimental layouts, and a compelling new mutant debut from Ewing and Pichelli, and Giant-Size X-Men #1 becomes more than a nostalgia trip—it’s a genuinely fun, clever, and confident kickoff to a new era of mutant misadventures.
Giant-Size X-Men #1 is a strong, stylish start to a bold experiment. It’s got action, weirdness, a few laughs, and just enough heart to make you care about the mutants all over again—even if time itself is about to break.
