Marvel’s Shocking X-Men Prequel: What You Need to Know About Claremont’s Return!

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The X-Men, one of Marvel’s most powerful teams, owe much of their success to Chris Claremont’s return for a special issue that ties into the iconic “Days of Future Past” story. Starting with X-Men #94 in 1974, Claremont wrote for the X-Men until 1991, creating masterpieces like “The Dark Phoenix Saga”. Alongside artist John Byrne, Claremont also crafted another remarkable early X-Men story: “Days of Future Past”, a dark dystopian future that has become a significant part of the X-Men’s lore. Marvel has revisited this tale multiple times since then and is set to do so again with Chris Claremont: Prelude to Future Past #1, scheduled for release in July 2025.

This book honors Claremont’s more than fifty years as a Marvel author, and the publishing house has chosen to make it even more exciting by incorporating a seldom-seen Claremont story. Originally published in the out of print hardcover named Marvel Made Paragon Collection: Chris Claremont, this rare piece is now included in the book.

Step back into the haunting world of tomorrow depicted in Days of Future Past, as penned by the esteemed writer and joined by his X-TREME X-MEN partner, Salvador Larroca! Unravel the mystery of how the remaining X-Men managed to rescue Rachel Summers from her torment as a Hound. Additionally, learn which unexpected characters played crucial roles in the mutant rebellion! This colossal one-shot comes complete with additional materials honoring Chris Claremont’s over half-century career in comics! Marvel has revealed their thoughts on this release and even shared an initial cover by Salvador Larroca.

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As an ardent fan, I can’t help but acknowledge Chris Claremont’s profound impact on the X-Men saga. His tenure, which spanned from issue #94 to #279, lasted a remarkable seventeen years! During this time, the storyline of “Days of Future Past” was born and, quite simply, revolutionized comic book narratives. This tale was instrumental in introducing dark futures into the comics realm, a narrative thread that has since enriched the X-Men mythology immeasurably.

Initially, the bleak future depicted in “Days of Future Past” was just one among many possibilities. Yet, under Claremont’s masterful pen, this dystopian reality evolved into the inevitable fate of the X-Men. The rise of the Sentinels as humanity’s rulers, once a mere speculation, became an unavoidable truth in the X-Men universe. Although the team has ventured away from the specific future portrayed in “Days of Future Past”, its influence continues to shape every conceivable X-Men timeline that followed.

It’s high time Marvel paid tribute to Chris Claremont, as his contributions to Marvel Comics have been undeniably significant and long overdue. Claremont introduced the world to the bestselling comic of all time, X-Men (Vol. 2) #1, propelling the X-Men to the top of the sales charts. Classic stories like “The Dark Phoenix Saga,” “Days of Future Past,” “Mutant Massacre,” “Fall of the Mutants,” “Inferno,” and others transformed the X-Men into something extraordinary and indelibly changed the Marvel Universe. Alongside creators such as John Byrne, Frank Miller, the Simonsons, Ann Nocenti, J.M. DeMatteis, Peter David, and many more, Claremont was instrumental in shaping Marvel’s growth. Although “The Dark Phoenix Saga” is often considered his magnum opus, “Days of Future Past” holds nearly equal importance for the Marvel Universe. Offering fans another opportunity to experience a Claremont-penned installment of this story, especially for those who missed it in 2020, serves as a powerful reminder of just how pivotal Claremont was to the X-Men’s legacy.

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Chris Claremont: Prelude to Future Past is on sale July 2, 2025.

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2025-04-05 15:42