Between 2019 to 2022, comics legend John Byrne challenged himself to plot, write, and illustrate a whole new comic book using the team best known from his and Chris Claremont's run on Uncanny X-Men (1963), all from scratch. Satisfied with the results, Byrne repeated this process and wound up producing over thirty-two issues worth of new X-Men material, with Marvel at one point holding discussions with Byrne to possibly publish them officially.
Talks eventually proved fruitful, and it was announced
at San Diego Comic Con 2025 on July 24th that fully coloured and inked trades of the collection would be published and distributed through Abrams Comicarts as part of their 'Marvel Arts' line
Following health concerns as well as admitting to having writer's block regarding a certain sequence in the last issue, requiring a rewrite if it were to be revisited, Byrne lost the motivation to continue and the book was left on a cliff-hanger.
It can be read here.
X-Men: Elsewhen provides examples of the following tropes:
- Dead Alternate Counterpart: The main alternate universe focused on in the later multiverse arc is one where Charles Xavier was crushed to death rather than crippled and Magneto recruited the young mutants who would've become the X-Men to wipe out the Avengers and the Fantastic Four, with Toad and Mastermind mentioned as casualties in Magneto's attacks on Avengers Mansion and the Baxter Building.
- Emotional Regression: This for Jean Grey's mental state after the Shi'ar's treatments, she is more infantile and child-like, which makes her all the more dangerous when the power of the Phoenix begins to resurface.
- Family-Unfriendly Violence: Taken to the 'extreme' when Magneto obliterates Logan's hands when pulling at his adamantium skeleton.
- Giving Them the Strip: Nightcrawler escapes from Spider-Man's webbing by teleporting out of his hospital gown.
- Holographic Disguise: In conversation with Spider-Man, Kurt mentions he uses one of these when visiting his girlfriend.
- Killed Off for Real: Sebastian Shaw perishes for good in the beginning of the Sentinels arc, while an alternative universe version of Nightcrawler dies during the multiverse arc.
- The Multiverse: Gradually plays a big part in several of the arcs, with Magneto meeting an alternative world double, and the series-ending cliff-hanger where Logan discovers Doctor Doom has been recruiting variants of himself.
- Neurodiversity Is Supernatural: The series at one point involves an autistic child whom Charles Xavier discovers is actually the way he is because of his mutant gene.
- Special Guest: Spider-Man drops by to help out Nightcrawler in one issue. Thor, Captain America, and other Avengers members also make appearances. Doctor Doom is a recurring guest due to his heavy involvement in some of the arc storylines.
