Joe Madureira Returns to the X-Men Universe with New Covers for X-Men of Apocalypse

Joe Madureira is coming back to the X-Men universe, and fans of the classic Age of Apocalypse storyline have a big reason to get excited. Marvel Comics has just announced that Joe Mad, one of the original artists who helped shape the 1995 crossover event, will return to draw variant covers for the new series X-Men of Apocalypse.

The news comes from an official Marvel press release, and it’s clear that they’re going all-in to celebrate this new chapter in the X-Men saga.

The new series is written by Jeph Loeb, who also wrote the original Age of Apocalypse story back in the ’90s. Art for the main covers and interiors will be done by Simone Di Meo, a rising star who has already been nominated for an Eisner Award.

This six-part series will start with X-Men of Apocalypse Alpha #1, arriving in comic shops on September 3, 2025. From there, the story will continue through four main issues and wrap up with X-Men of Apocalypse Omega #1.

This series picks up right after the original Age of Apocalypse ended. Back then, the X-Men from a dark future reality fought to save their broken world after Professor X was killed in a time-travel accident.

Magneto led the team, and they believed they had sacrificed everything to defeat Apocalypse. But now, it turns out their world didn’t just vanish. It survived, and its X-Men are back. In X-Men of Apocalypse, they enter the main Marvel Universe and come face to face with their classic versions. The meeting won’t be friendly, and the consequences will be huge.

Joe Madureira, who was a huge part of the original story’s success, is drawing variant covers for every issue in the new series. He’s excited to return to the world he helped bring to life nearly 30 years ago. “I am beyond excited to be dipping back into this corner of the X-Men universe,” Madureira said. “I was literally a kid when I drew the ASTONISHING X-MEN—it feels like several lifetimes ago, and I want to bring something new to these characters on my covers. Hopefully, I can do justice to Simone’s incredible, explosive pages!”

Jeph Loeb also shared his excitement about teaming up with Joe Mad again. “I met Joe Mad during the original 1995 AGE OF APOCALYPSE,” he said. “His style and storytelling brought a revolutionary look that is still influential today. When Marvel and I first started talking about this project, there was no way we couldn’t ask Joe to do his distinctive, incredible covers. We were so thrilled when he said ‘Yes!’ I should point out that despite our friendship and overlooking his role in designing these characters, his real reason for joining was he’s a huge fan of Simone Di Meo! Uncanny!”

For longtime fans, this is a major moment. Seeing Joe Madureira return to the world of Age of Apocalypse brings both nostalgia and excitement. And with a fresh creative team and new twists on old characters, X-Men of Apocalypse is shaping up to be a wild ride.

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