We do love the Alien franchise. We rewatched the whole thing last Halloween, and Alien: Earth brought that love roaring back this past year, it was some of the best television we’ve seen in a while, and season 2 cannot come soon enough. So when Marvel and 20th Century Studios announced Alien vs. X-Men, a four-issue crossover arriving September 30, 2026, following the success of Alien vs. Avengers, we were already sold before we even got to the creative team. Then we got to the creative team.
Alien vs. X-Men #1
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Writers: Kieron Gillen, Chris Claremont
Artist: Geraldo Borges
Release date: September 30, 2026
New to Alien? Here’s What You Need to Know
If the Xenomorph is more of a pop-culture silhouette to you than a franchise you’ve actually followed, here’s the short version. It all started with Ridley Scott’s Alien in 1979, followed by Aliens (1986), Alien 3 (1992), and Alien: Resurrection (1997). Two prequels, Prometheus (2012) and Alien: Covenant (2017), filled in the backstory, and Alien: Romulus arrived in 2024 as the seventh core film. There are also two separate Alien vs. Predator crossover movies if you want to go further down the rabbit hole. Most recently, Alien: Earth premiered on FX in 2025 as the franchise’s first live-action TV series.
And this isn’t the Xenomorphs’ first time in comics either. Dark Horse published Aliens comics for over 30 years starting in 1988, until Disney’s acquisition of Fox moved the license to Marvel. Marvel’s own Alien debuted as an ongoing series in March 2021, with further volumes in 2022 and 2023, well before Alien vs. Avengers paired the Xenomorphs with a superhero team. So Alien vs. X-Men isn’t Marvel’s first Alien book, just the first time it’s the X-Men on the other side of the fight.
So, What’s the Story?
The X-Men went looking for a Phoenix egg. They found something else. The main story picks up as the team returns to Earth with deadly cargo in tow, kicking off a violent battle between mutant and alien, with no guarantee that everyone makes it out. Alongside that, a four-part bonus story takes things back in time: a young Kitty Pryde finds herself hunted by two of the galaxy’s greatest terrors at once, the Brood and the Xenomorphs, pitting Chris Claremont’s own parasitic creation against its real cinematic counterpart.
Who’s Making Alien vs. X-Men?
Kieron Gillen writes the main story, with art by Geraldo Borges. Chris Claremont writes the four-part Kitty Pryde bonus story, and the main cover comes from Ryan Stegman. Marvel hasn’t announced a colorist or letterer yet.
Kieron Gillen is one of the biggest names in comics, The Wicked + The Divine, Die, and Eternals are books plenty of readers already know, but for us the real proof is Immortal X-Men. That 2022-2023 run is one of our favorite recent X-Men series, and Gillen followed it with Rise of the Powers of X, so putting him on a crossover this big feels like the obvious next step rather than a stretch. Borges is an artist we’ve been keeping an eye on too, he just wrapped up Alias: Red Band, and his other work includes Dick Tracy and Image Comics’ NO/ONE.
And then there’s Claremont, co-creator of Rogue, Gambit, Emma Frost, Mystique, Mister Sinister, and Kitty Pryde herself, writing a bonus story that puts Kitty front and center against his own creation, the Brood. That’s about as strong an argument for picking this up as a bonus story could possibly make.
Why We’re Watching This One
This is exactly our kind of crossover. Every Alien movie has something to love, well, all of them except Alien 3 for me personally, and Sigourney Weaver remains an icon of the genre no matter which entry you’re watching. We’ve also been enjoying Marvel’s recent run of Alien-branded books, Alien vs. Avengers from Jonathan Hickman and Esad Ribić was a genuine highlight, and this new one has just as strong a pedigree behind it. Between that track record and the Gillen/Borges/Claremont lineup, this is one of the crossovers we’re most excited to see land this year.
If you’re looking for more of Claremont’s characters in current X-Men books, we’ve reviewed a few recently: Exceptional X-Men follows Kate Pryde solving her trauma by accidentally starting a team, Magik digs into Illyana Rasputin’s soulsword and sorcery, and Rogue: The Savage Land sends Rogue into full jungle-adventure mode.
Who Should Add This to Their Pull List?
Fans of Alien vs. Avengers should already be circling this one, and so should anyone who enjoyed Gillen’s Immortal X-Men. If you’re a longtime Claremont reader who wants his own characters up against the Xenomorphs directly, the bonus story alone is worth the price of admission. General X-Men and Alien fans both have a reason to be here.
Release Details
Alien vs. X-Men #1 releases September 30, 2026, from Marvel Comics, priced at $5.99 for 40 pages, as the first issue of a four-issue crossover series. The main cover comes from Ryan Stegman, with variant covers by Alan Quah, Björn Barends, John Romita Jr., and Leinil Francis Yu.
Alan Quah
John Romita Jr.
FAQ
When does Alien vs. X-Men come out? Issue #1 releases September 30, 2026.
Who is writing Alien vs. X-Men? Kieron Gillen writes the main story, with a four-part bonus story by Chris Claremont.
Who is drawing Alien vs. X-Men? Geraldo Borges illustrates the main story.
What publisher is releasing Alien vs. X-Men? Marvel Comics, in partnership with 20th Century Studios.
Is Alien vs. X-Men a new series, limited series, or one-shot? It’s a new four-issue crossover series.
Does the bonus story connect to the main Alien vs. X-Men story? Not directly, it’s a separate four-part story set with a young Kitty Pryde facing the Brood and the Xenomorphs, written by Chris Claremont alongside Gillen and Borges’ present-day main story.
Who should read Alien vs. X-Men? Fans of Alien vs. Avengers, X-Men readers who loved Gillen’s Immortal X-Men, and anyone who wants to see Claremont’s own creations go up against the real Xenomorphs.
