25 years after publicly quitting Marvel Comics, artist/writer John Byrne is returning to the publisher to finish his most popular X-Men storyline of all time - and on his terms. He's been doing it for years as fan fiction, but now a new deal is making it all legitimate.

Marvel Comics and Abrams ComicArts have announced that they have reached a deal to publish John Byrne's X-Men Elsewhen webcomic which he's been creating and posting free online since 2018, with 32 issues to date. X-Men Elsewhen will be published by Abrams ComicArts as part of their Marvel Arts line of comics. Although Marvel Comics itself isn't publishing it, they are involved in this as licensors.

“We’re incredibly excited to be publishing X-Men: Elsewhen with John Byrne,” said Joseph Montagne, Publisher of Abrams ComicArts. “This project is something truly rare. It offers a chance to revisit one of the most iconic runs in comics history, told by the original co-creator in his own voice. Byrne’s passion for these characters comes through on every page. We’re proud to bring this long-awaited story to readers through our Marvel Arts line and to add such a meaningful project to this collaboration between Abrams and Marvel.”

Overseen by Byrne's longtime friend and sometimes editor Chris Ryall, the X-Men Elsewhen webcomic will be finished for publication with the help of inker Paul Wills, color artist Lovern Kindzierski and Leonard O'Grady, and letterer Patrick Brosseau.

“John Byrne has done something truly unique here,” Ryall says in a statement. “He’s created all-new X-Men adventures that not only serve as a reminder of why Byrne’s past work on these characters was beloved and influential, while at the same time presenting all-new and relevant stories that will captivate newer X-Men fans as well.”

X-Men Elsewhen picks up after Byrne's final issue of X-Men, 1981's X-Men #143, and the conclusion of the 'Dark Phoenix Saga.' The series continued with writer Chris Claremont and other artists, but X-Men Elsewhen offers a tangential reality - one where Byrne can and does decide a very divergent course for how the story should've gone if he were in charge - beginning with Jean Grey didn't actually die in the 'Dark Phoenix Saga.'

“They say you can’t go home again,” Byrne says. “They’re wrong.”

Byrne quit the X-Men series in 1980 over disagreements with the direction of the book under writer Chris Claremont and incoming editor Louise Simonson.

"I'd reach a place in my life and my career that I needed certain reassurances. I'd become the Number One Artist in the business - deservedly or not - and I really needed to know if that was because of me, or because of the X-Men," Byrne told CBR years ago. "Plus, I was increasingly unhappy with Chris's portrayal of the characters, and his scripting of scenes, many of which I'd plotted. So, I decided to leave."

Byrne continued to work on and off for Marvel over the years; however, after the cancellation of his series X-Men: The Lost Years over what he thought were spurious reasons, he publicly quit Marvel Comics and called what they were doing was like the company "committing suicide."

Then-Marvel editor-in-chief Joe Quesada confirmed Byrne communicated to them he would never work for them again, but was hopeful - and it turns out, correct.

"I think John made it very clear that he had no intentions to work with Marvel, but if he ever has a change of heart, he knows where to find us," Quesada told CBR.

X-Men Elsewhen will be collected in three volumes as deluxe 7.5" x 11" hardcovers, with the first due out in April 2026.

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