The "X-Babies" are genetically modified toddler versions of classic X-Men characters created by the deranged, evil ruler of the Mojoverse, Mojo. While the first X-Babies were actually de-aged X-Men, Mojo was so impressed by the media ratings the young mutants got that he tasked his team of geneticists with manufacturing his own version of the X-Babies, who have appeared several times throughout the history of the X-Men, starting in the 1980s.
It was recently revealed in X-Men Unlimited Infinity Comic #62 that the X-Babies are still alive and well, after not being seen or heard from since 2015, and that Krakoa's Quiet Council is attempting to make a deal with Mojo's legal team to safely retrieve the X-Babies as mutant citizens of the island nation. Now, the return of the X-Babies has been teased even further, with an image of the X-Baby version of Cyclops' brother Havok turning up in one of their mission briefings, much to Alex Summers' surprise. However, the arrival of "Lil' Havok" is an even bigger treat for hardcore fans of the X-Men, as his appearance has been teased since Jonathan Hickman's 2019 soft reboot of the franchise with House of X/Powers of X. In an exclusive interview with AIPT, Steve Foxe - writer of X-Men Annual #1 (2022) - discusses how "Lil' Havok" actually first appeared on promotional artwork for HoX/PoX by Mark Brooks, joking, "It’s true, all of it: Mark Brooks predicted that I would one day find a way to get [Lil' Havok] into an X-Men Annual, even though Marvel had no idea who I was in 2019."
