X-Men: Raid on Graymalkin

X-Men (2024)

by Jed MacKay, Gail Simone, Ryan Stegman (Artist)

The first exhilarating crossover of the From the Ashes era of X-Men! With one of their own incarcerated, the X-Men move on Graymalkin Prison to free their teammate. But it’s not just one team: In Alaska, Cyclops’ X-Men scramble a rescue mission – while in Louisiana, Rogue’s X-Men strike out on their own sortie! Doctrinal rivals each with their own objective, will these two fractious teams find themselves at cross-purposes? Of course they will – after all, an “X” is made by two lines crossing! Rogue and Cyclops come to blows as emotions come to a head, pitting the two groups of X-Men against one another in a place where their only chance for survival is to stand together. Xavier’s dream lies shattered, and broken edges always draw blood! Collecting X-MEN (2024) #8-10 and UNCANNY X-MEN (2024) #7-8.

Genres: Comics, X Men, Graphic Novels, Marvel, Superheroes, Comic Book, Graphic Novels Comics

112 pages, Paperback

Published June 17, 2025

Reviews

[Frédéric · Rating 4 out of 5]

3,5*

As soon as the first arc of each series is finished, they're already beating the crap out of each other! Some things never change, don’t they?

Anyway, if I exclude the sometimes limited set-ups - the omnipotence and Corina Ellis, unjustified at this stage or her improbable psychopathy - the arc is pretty well done.
Whatever the writers, they hold their respective characters well and the last episode shows an excellent Scott, relentless and resolute, which warms my little heart. The opposition between him and Rogue is all the more credible.

The classic non-resolution of the situation is reasonably justified and leaves both teams hanging... until the next head-banging I suppose.

The art now... meh. Apart from Marques, who draws only a few pages, it's either not very good or not suited to the tone of the series

[James DeSantis · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed watching ALL The X-Men together in X-Men: Raid on Graymalkin. This crossover does a good job of bringing both McKay's team and Simone's team into the mix to face a genuinely wild challenge, infiltrating Graymalkin, the Shi'ar's super-fortress. And let me tell you, even though these guys spend most of the time seeming to be at each other's throats, it keeps up a fun dynamic. Both writers are just solid, and you can tell they bounce well off each other to make this massive team-up work as they march forward to save a old friend (or stop him from escaping).

That said, I do think the story feels overly stuffed. They're trying to pack a lot into what ends up being completed in only five issues, and it just feels rushed. You get some good fight scenes, and there are plenty of them when you're going up against the Shi'ar, but the overall plotting felt a bit lackluster to me. It's a fun concept and a great way to see so many X-Men in action, but the pacing just throws it off. For me, that makes it hit a 3 out of 5.

[Oscar · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not that good.

[Tyler Jenkins · Rating 4 out of 5]

A decent volume, lots of secrets, lots of weapons. A whole lot of threats and games within games. Mutants are never safe it seems. This involves a good crossover with The Uncanny X-Men and a real face off between their teams would be a much bigger fight than I initially realized it would be.

[Paul · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.3 stars

[Jesús De la Jara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Este volumen es un pequeño crossover entre X-Men de Cyclops y Uncanny X-Men de Rogue. la alcaide de Graymalkin, Corina Ellis, tiene un trato con el presidente López. Mientras, Bestia ha sido secuestrado en la prisión donde también están otros mutantes como Jubilee y Calico. Cuando Cyclops y Rogue van a liberarlos se encuentran y entre ambos equipose se presentan distensiones. Mientras, Ellis tiene su equipo de Trustees, mutantes controlados por ella, y Scurvy, quien es un psíquico poderoso. Durante el combate le da una revelación a Charles quien estaba también prisionero.
Buen número, sobre todo el final donde Cyclops defiende a los mutantes de ONE y el estado. La mención de Fénix me gustó. Y lo que pregunta Quentin también resulta escalofriante.

[Khurram · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good crossover of the Uncanny and X-MEN book, but I did expect a bit more action. However, it is the first interaction between the new recruits and Cyclops' X-MEN. As well as the first battle for Graymalkin.

Two members of the Uncanny X-MEN and one member of the X-MEN have been captured and taken to Gratmalkin Prison. Both teams want their members back but want to do it themselves. The difference in both teams' leadership and philosophies is apparent. As well as a couple of puppet masters, hidden weapons and personnel a very dangerous game is being played. Will either team come back to the other?

I was expecting more action in the book, on top of that to me it looked like either team could have torn the doors off the Prison and kicked everyone's butt and been home for dinner, but I guess they are building to something. The book finishes with a thumbnail variant cover gallery.

[MoonKnight · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really loving this current run!

[Andres Pasten · Rating 3 out of 5]

Entretenida y nada de complicada. Los.puntos de vista de Cyclops y Rogue simples y claros, el resto es solo acción

[Dakota Morgan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Raid on Graymalkin is a generally exciting crossover for the two X-Men teams (Cyclops' in Alaska, Rogue's in New Orleans) with my only real issue being that the villains simply aren't very intimidating. Graymalkin, formally home of the X-Men, now a mutant prison, is run by some lady who hates mutants. She has armed guards and a mutant psychic who can apparently keep Professor X in check, but otherwise... it's just kind of a normal prison? Wouldn't the X-Men normally tear this place apart with their hands tied behind their backs?

To account for this fact, most of the book features the two X-teams fighting each other. Much more formidable foes, even if it's blatantly designed to keep the pages turning in what would otherwise be a single-issue story. In the end, we free a few mutants and receive a couple revelations about Professor X and the mysterious other potent mutant being held at Graymalkin. But like... the prison remains standing? Why wouldn't these two X-teams just burn the place down since it's literally designed to hold innocent mutants against their wills?

So: a super silly story that offers some decent action, good art, and a few repetitive sequences (the overlaps between X-Men and Uncanny X-Men issues aren't well planned out). I did like the final X-Men issue in which Cyclops clearly explains to the government dweeb how he'd burn down the world if the government tried to take him out. Where was that energy during the raid?

[Alex Sarll]

One of incoming editor Tom Brevoort's complaints about the Krakoa era was that the shared base of operations made the X-books feel too similar, and he wanted to separate them out a bit, make them more distinct. This turns out to mean the flagship titles get a whole trade each before the inevitable crossover. Which, just to deepen the impression that nobody can decide what they're doing, reads as if the issues were each meant to be collected in isolation, as part of the parent book, but has here been collected with them interleaved, so you'll read a scene in an issue of X-Men and then get a contradictory version of it in Uncanny. Excellent work, everyone. Plus, obviously the Stegman art on most of the adjectiveless stuff remains at once hudeous and hard to follow, and the villains who've turned the former Xavier School into a mutant gaol are somehow even more boring in their evil than the similar venal racists currently doing so well in the real world; I never thought I'd say this, but I'm almost missing Orchis. Still, for all that the central arguments and fights between the two teams never really work, not even when explained by psychic interference, and the way Cyclops' team especially gets tied into nonsensical knots by the idiotic editorial insistence on non-lethality, MacKay does write some excellent scenes on one of his favourite themes: absolute psychos trying very, very hard to play nicely.

[Tyler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read as individual comics, ratings below:

Uncanny X-men
#7= 5 stars
#8= 4 stars

X-men
#8= 3 stars
#9= 4 stars (loved the artwork in the first half but then it switched in the 2nd half to match the art style of 8)
#10= 3.5 stars

Overall rating of 4 stars

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent crossover loaded with drama, ideas and A, B, C and D plot threads. This is what happens when real writers get put on books.

GrayMalkin, the fate of Xavier, Deathdream, Sarah Guant, the Trustees, Dr Ellis, Scurvy, Inmate X, the Avians, the drama between the two teams.

Loads packed into the two main Xbooks and this crossover and long may McKay and Simone’s runs continue. This is a far cry from the Krakoa mess followed up Hickman’s sublime HoXPoX books.

[Adam Fisher · Rating 4 out of 5]

As far as X-Men crossovers go, this one was on the shorter side. I did like it overall, but seeing the mutants squabbling amongst each other is disheartening. The loss of Krakoa really hurt them all.
Highlights:
- Beast is taken to Graymalkin, standing trial for the things he did before his resurrection. This Beast has no memories of anything his "Dark Beast" persona, which was around for years, did.
- Jubilee has also been taken (though that happened right before this crossover)
- The X-Men (team led by Cyclops) and the Uncanny X-Men (led by Rogue) converge on Graymalkin to get back their team members and others. A fight and conflict breaks out between the teams over whether or not Xavier should be freed.
- We are introduced to a new concept: Avians - mutants with strong telepathic abilities on par with Professor X. They are all afflicted with a brain tumor. There are 5 known avians: Xavier, Cassandra Nova, Scurvy (who introduces us to the concept and works at Graymalkin, Harvey X (we are told he is deceased), and the mysterious Inmate X who is locked in the basement, unseen.
- At the end, Xavier chooses to stay there, Beast, Jubilee and Calico are freed and Cyclops uses the Hellions (King Bedlam, Jesse Bedlam, Locus, Boom-Boom, and Fantomex) to cause chaos till O*N*E* backs off.

Overall, this was an alright crossover. Looking very much forward into diving into more X-Books again.
Recommend.

[Amory · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don’t know enough of current X-Men canon to know the larger context this was taking place during, but it had Rogue, Wolverine, and Jubilee running around and fighting so I’m content.

[Joey Nardinelli · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m really glad the volume after this one opens by making mention of the invasion in Graymalkin, as otherwise I’d have saved this one for later. It’s fine! Probably like 3.5 star territory. Some of the art in the last two issues is a bit wonky (the X-Men suddenly looking like children in the fourth issue is very strange), but Marquez/Salazar in Uncanny #7 do some great work. That it takes four issues to play out this scenario feels like some bloat, and the final issue with Scott’s showdown only really landed for me when he got the joking-but-serious moment to let Quentin know that he’s the last line for the X-Men now. I am glad this was shorter given the content, but the release schedule on these is slow enough that I’d largely forgotten about the Louisiana X-Men and their plot threads coming into this given how little time I’ve spent with them up to now.

[Dean · Rating 2 out of 5]

Has some good art and that's about it.
It was good they used the villain's captive to augment their emotions to fight. At least that made some sense of the fighting.

Most egregiously, Xavier says no to being helped to escape, then three issues later this Manhunt crossover starts and it's all about Xavier needing to escape for his daughter. So dumb. Great work Brevoort; definitely passed your prime.

[Mel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Two things:

One: There’s something insane about reading about actual Nazi’s and war crimes happening and no one outside of the X-Men care. I refuse to believe that they would actually behave like that but it happens time and time again 😭

Two: I agree with Scott. Fuck Charles Xavier. Like I get it, Anna Marie, he was the first man to ever believe in you bc 90s Charles was cool. Charles now is a dick. 14 year old Scott would die for him, 34 year old Scott would die trying to kill him

[M. J. Fabula · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very fascinating look into what a divided mutant population looks like! Makes me want to read the rest of this X-Men run as well as the Krakoa era comics that preceded it, which took a look at a unified mutant population.

[Andrew Alvis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another genrally beautifully drawn X-Men graphic novel.
I did prefer Jed's work (especially in UX#10) over Gail's but I'm am quickly warming to to her writing style as well.

Amazing how much the X-Men lore has changed since I first got into comics in the early to mid 90's.

[Jason · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.75
Nonsense.

[Liz (Quirky Cat) · Rating 4 out of 5]

3 1/2 stars rounded up

Summary:

Following the fall of Krakoa, many teams have stepped in to pick up the pieces, including the X-Men. Cyclops is at the helm, with Beast, Magneto, Psylocke, Kid Omega, Temper, Magik, and Juggernaut acting as backup.

Graymalkin Prison was made on the ashes of the Xavier Institute, and thus was always destined to be a thorn in the side of all X-Men. However, things come to a head when the Uncanny X-Men have some of their own kidnapped, forcing a confrontation.

Review:

X-Men: Raid on Graymalkin is part of the larger From the Ashes relaunch, making it the first (I think) crossover event of this new X-Men era. It pits the X-Men against the Uncanny X-Men, with a few extra twists, because apparently, there wasn’t enough going on.

So, in this volume, we have two factions of the X-Men, both of whom are trying to raid Graymalkin. However, they’re doing it for very different reasons, and thus it sets up a natural conflict. At the helm of this conflict is the tension between Scott and Rogue.

The conflict itself may steal the show, but there’s a lot of subtext and teased drama happening behind the scenes (sort of). You know just know that all of that is going to come back around at some point.

All things said and done, X-Men: Raid on Graymalkin is an interesting addition to the series (both of them) as a whole. I don’t love that we always come back around to the different teams fighting, but it’s also not an ‘end of the world’ level complaint.

Highlights:
From the Ashes
Different Mix of X-Men
X-Men vs Uncanny X-Men

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[TR Naus · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story really should be billed as Cyclops vs. Rogue, but even that was a deeply forced confrontation. While the script tries to frame it as a fundamental disagreement on leadership and the legacy of Charles Xavier, the friction never feels organic. These are two characters with decades of shared history, so seeing them resort to a "civil war" style physical clash before even attempting a tactical dialogue feels like mandated drama rather than a natural character beat. It’s a conflict that exists simply because the plot demanded a "Schism" moment.

Dr. Corina Ellis is a villain defined by an almost unbelievable level of hubris. It is difficult to buy into a threat when she seems entirely oblivious to the power scale of her opponents. Her belief that a small security force and a few security protocols could contain two full teams of veteran X-Men (many of them Omega-level) crosses the line from "confident" to "irrational." It robs the story of genuine stakes when the villain’s plan relies so heavily on the heroes simply deciding not to win.

The hand-off between X-Men and Uncanny X-Men was shaky at best. Teams appeared to meet at different times and locations depending on which book you were holding, leading to a jarring reading experience.

With nearly fifteen X-Men on the pages, the story suffered from character noise. Most of the cast was relegated to the background, serving as visual filler while the narrative focused entirely on Scott, Rogue, and Ellis.

Perhaps the most frustrating element was the cover of the final issue. Featuring a menacing Mister Sinister, only to have him completely absent from the interior pages, felt like a cynical marketing move rather than a narrative tease.

Raid on Graymalkin is the definition of "style over substance." It delivers the big-budget action fans expect from a flagship crossover but doesn't quite meet my expectations.

[Shannon Appelcline · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sorry to say, Moonbeam, but this was an awful waste of a crossover.

Part of the problem is that X-Men and Uncanny X-Men couldn't be more different. X-Men genuinely feels like a post-Krakoa comic where the X-Men are struggling to survive. Uncanny X-Men isn't even really an X-Men comic. It's a Gambit and Rogue gothic romance with a bad parody of Wolverine and a bunch of kids that no one will even remember in two years, in part because they're barely characterized. (Just compare the new kids in UXM and Exceptional X-Men, and though admittedly none of them are likely to stand out in the overcrowded X-Men universe, at least I know who the ones in Exceptional are.)

But this crossover is just not good, in large part because it could almost be skipped.

Are they going to save Xavier? No, he's just randomly wandering the torture mansion for some reason.

Is there a fight between the two teams? Yep, and though the authors explain it, it's still an old, bad trope that takes up way too much of this crossover.

Is there another race of super mutants or post mutants or something? Yep, like this hasn't been done a half-dozen times by now to the point where we don't care.

Do we solve the mystery of Patient X or Inmate X or whatever? Nope, it's just dangled in front of us.

This isn't the worst X-Men crossover ever. I mean, we have Curse of the Mutants, Inhuman vs X-Men, Onslaught, The Twelve, and so many others. And at least this one's brief. But it accomplishes nothing, which is a mortal sin for what should have been an exciting meeting of X-teams in the new ashes era.

[Chris Lemmerman · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first X-crossover of the From The Ashes era brings the X-Men and the Uncanny X-Men together in the bowels of Graymalkin Prison as they attempt to rescue some of their own.

Both Jed MacKay and Gail Simone turn in great scripts here, and write their respective team and their co-writer's team very well. There's a good reason for everyone to be fighting one another, and then to come together against a greater threat - it's all very by the books superhero team-up, but the baggage between them and the damage that Doctor Ellis inflicts elevates things above the usual. There's definitely going to be fallout from this story.

I've also gotta mention the final issue, the aftermath issue of X-Men, which MacKay just writes the hell out of. Cyclops is NOT playing around any more, and this issue is full of tension, and plot twists that had me chuckling, as well as just shaking my head at the guy. He's had enough, and this issue really makes that clear.

Artwise, series artists Ryan Stegman and David Marquez do show-up for an issue apiece, while their fill-in fellows Javier Garron and Netho Diaz slip in to assist as well. It's nice that both books have a solid stable already, and I hope that continues as the books go on.

[Craig · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ugh. I guess we're back to the status quo. I get so tired of the "everyone hates the X-Men" stories and this split between teams is even reminiscent of the last time around when there was a group at Westchester (with Logan and Kitty, I seem to recall, running a school) and another...somewhere else (I'm forgetting the specifics, but there is a definite sameness to these stories). And we even have mutant vs. mutant battles, when everyone should be on the same side (granted, there's an explanation--the character Scurvy has to be one of the most pathetic mutants ever). I guess, since Orchis was taken down (though isn't this prison one of the remnants of Orchis? I thought Dr. Ellis was an Orchis operative)), the freedom to kill enemy combatants has been taken off the table (Dr. Ellis certainly seems worthy of a violent death, if you ask me). It's not a terrible story, just a bit too much, "been there, done that" for my liking. And it doesn't help that the art seems to change with each issue, even midway through one of the issues. I really hope this new era can get back onto some sort of interesting track and doesn't keep trotting out all the same-old stories we've all read a hundred times before.

[John Henley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this collection and think the one continuous story works well. It was super interesting, and I think all the characters get great moments to shine and awesome fight scenes. Scott not wanting Xavier back, and Rouge def wanting him back was great. Both feel real in why they do and don't want him. The rest of it was pretty good, didn't feel as strong as the last, though that may be because it's split between the two series, X-Men and Uncanny X-Men. I do think it's odd this isn't counted as volume two, though I guess I get it. This volume does make me more excited for the next one and has even made me think about buying the Uncanny X-Men series since it seems pretty well written as well.

I also think the writer has put a lot of plot points up that are now spinning plates of the series. I trust him to do well, and I'm interested in each one. Just noticed there's a lot going on.

Overall, a good fun read, excited for the next.

[Wendy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I came from the first volume of Uncanny X-Men or the X-Men of Louisiana and that artwork is beautiful. I'm not sure about the Alaskan X-Men volumes/issues but man am I not enjoying this artwork. Why do they all look so doughy at times? 100% I'm being judgy and to each of their own, but......ick on the artwork. It's also inconsistent, not just in style but apparently they keep forgetting about what Jubilee is suppose to wear. In her fight against Temper she's wearing her classic outfit and coat whereas before and then right after that fight she's wearing her red prison garb and anklet....

Also Scott threatening the world with The Pheonix? Ha. Question, why doesn't he just do that with The Warden then? Guess all those inmates aren't worth it.

This was honestly just another story. Felt like No More Humans - pretty skippable.

[Chad · Rating 4 out of 5]

The two main X-Men teams meet up for the first time back in Westchester where their former home has been turned into a private mutant prison. This was better than I expected. Yes, they fight but they actually gave them a good reason for doing so. Professor X returns but not as you'd expect. I wish the 2 main artists were able to do more of the artwork but that's the kind of thing that happens when you suddenly go bi-weekly.

[Natalia · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am rather tired of X-men fighting each other instead of the enemy.
And if the authors of X-men and Uncanny X-men decided to make a colaboration, the least they could have done was to agree on who is wearing what. Instead of Jubilee wearing a prison garb one minute, then her usual suit the next second. It's simply inconsistent.

I am not big fan of Scott, but respect for his conversation with Lundqvist at the end of the volume. That was ballsy.