AEW wrestler Nyla Rose writing return of classic X-Men member

AEW star Nyla Rose is moving into comics to pen the resurrection of a famous member of the X-Men who has been out of action for years.

Marvel recently brought back Thunderbird, one of their most notable mutants in the X-Men series over the years, after a long hiatus. Resurrected in X-Men: The Trial of Magneto, he is also getting his own Giant-Size one shot but that’s not all.

The solo adventure, Giant-Size X-Men: Thunderbird #1, features a redesign of the character’s costume and a special guest at the writers’ table. All Elite Wrestling grappler and former champion Nyla Rose is co-writing the issue with Steve Orlando.

Joining them is First Nation artist David Cutler who designed the new costume. Hoping people will like it, he shared detailed art with a cover for the issue on Instagram.

A classic X-Men member returns

In the special, Thunderbird, aka John Proudstar, like Captain America before him, rises from the grave to discover a world he doesn’t recognize. So he heads to an Apache community to meet someone from his past and for a dose of familiarity – but instead finds a threat looming over Indigenous mutants.

Orlando offered the following about the revived and redesigned Marvel hero’s first adventure in decades:

"“At last, the news is out! GIANT-SIZE X-MEN: THUNDERBIRD is coming, and I couldn’t be prouder to be a part of it! But this book wouldn’t exist without the incredible work of Nyla Rose and David Cutler, who are joining me on this blockbuster to tell a Thunderbird story that’s as raw, real, and riveting as possible. With their invaluable help, we’re taking Thunderbird on a two-fisted quest to reunite with his family and carve out a place for himself in this brave, new, Krakoan era. The world has changed while Thunderbird was away. The threats might’ve gotten more complex, but Thunderbird’s still sure there’s not a problem out there he can’t solve with his own two hands.”"

When the news of the Thunderbird one shot broke at the tail end of 2021, Rose tweeted she could finally talk about side projects keeping her busy.

Nicknamed “The Native Beast,” Nyla Rose is a Native American of Oneida heritage. She is also the first trans woman to wrestle for a major American promotion and hold a championship there.

Rose broke barriers but is not the only wrestler to write a comic book or even the first active one on the AEW roster to do so. CM Punk has written for Marvel in the past and his wife, former WWE Divas titleholder AJ Lee, recently penned Wonder Woman.

Created by writer Len Wein and artist Dave Cockrum, John Proudstar was the first character to bear the name Thunderbird, initially appearing in Giant-Size X-Men #1 (1975). He also holds the distinction of being the first X-Man killed in action, remaining deceased for 45 years.

But that streak is over in 2022. Giant-Size X-Men: Thunderbird #1 goes on sale in April.

Are you anticipating the return of Thunderbird and Nyla Rose’s comic book debut? Make your thoughts known in the comments or on social media.