Marauders was announced in July 2019 as one of the six launch titles for Marvel's Dawn of X initiative, a franchise-wide reset of the status quo of the X-Men series created by Jonathan Hickman. In October 2019, issues one was launched as a sister book to the flagship X-Men title, featuring a team of X-Men traveling the world by ship to protect mutantkind.
Plot Summary
When Kitty Pryde, now going by Kate, attempts to enter a gateway to for the first time, she is unable to pass through and breaks her nose. Kate instead steals a boat and sails to the island where she is greeted by Wolverine, Iceman and Storm. She is contacted by Emma Frost who explains to her that some of the human nations of the world refuse to recognize Krakoa's sovereignty. have rejected the offer of life-saving Krakoan drugs and refuse to let their mutant citizens enter the new mutant homeland. Iceman then heads through a gateway leading him to Russia where he is attacked by the military, who are using power-dampening technology to block access to Krakoa. Kate, Storm, Iceman and a newly-resurrected Pyro sail to Russia and take out the blockade, allowing the mutants passage. Emma offers Kate the chance to captain her own ship so that she can protect Krakoa's interests and she agrees. In London, Emma chastises Sebastian Shaw for his carelessness in running the Hellfire Trading Company's black market accounts and the two clash over their designs for the vacant seat on Krakoa's Council. The Marauders defeat a crew of thieves lead by Batroc the Leaper that had stolen some of Krakoa's medicine before rendezvousing with Bishop in Taipei, who is investigating the disappearance of the husband of Mrs. Zhao, an anti-mutant socialite. Shaw has The Five resurrect his son Shinobi, with plans on crowning him the Red King but he is thwarted by Emma, who undermines him and appoints Kate as the Red Queen, meaning she now sits on the Council. Enraged, Shaw reluctantly makes Shinobi his Black Bishop but promises him the Red Council seat soon, revealing that Kate and Emma were responsible for his death. While Iceman, Storm and Pyro rescue some mutants in Brazil, Kate and Bishop discover that Mrs. Zhao had locked her own husband away and blamed it on the mutants to increase tensions. They release the husband, who now worships mutants as gods following the establishment of Krakoa, embarrassing Zhao who partners with the Homines Verendi, a human supremacy group based in Madripoor, in the hopes of getting revenge. Iceman meets with Emma's White Bishop, her brother, with whom he has begun a causal relationship. Christian offers Iceman a place on his crew but he refuses and Christian theorises that Iceman and Storm are staying so close to Kate because, as she has been unable to access Krakoa, they fear that The Five will be unable to resurrect her should she die. Christian arrives at a Hellfire Company meeting where Shaw attempts to divert the Marauders to Madripoor. Although Christian abstains from the vote, Emma and Kate vote for Shinobi to continue his route to Madripoor but they soon receive news that his boat has come into conflict and needs help. When the Marauders arrive, they are attacked by soldiers lead by Zhao and Donald Pierce wearing power-dampening armor who were sent by Homines Verendi. During the fight, Yellowjacket, an agent of Verendi, sneaks into Pyro's bloodstream so that he can spy on the team. The Marauders split up, with Kate tasked with transporting the armor to Krakoa so it can be researched. Once alone, Shaw ambushes her and leaves her to drown so that he can claim her Council seat for Shinobi.
