The X-Men are out of prison, and now it's time to get payback on the man who put them there: Mesmero!

At the behest of anti-mutant lobbyist Lydia Nance, Mesmero used his mind control powers to brainwash a new generation of the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants to make the X-Men and other mutants look like a true threat to humanity. During their most recent encounter, Mesmero tricked Kitty Pryde, Storm, Colossus, Nightcrawler, and Prestige into attacking the police, which got them locked up.

Next week, writer Marc Guggenheim and artists Michele Bandini and David Marquez will continue the storyline in X-Men Gold #26, which also paves the way for the wedding of Kitty and Colossus. In our exclusive preview pages, we flashback to their first meeting during The Dark Phoenix Saga.

Marvel's comic book timeline has always been tricky, but it has to have been at least a decade or so since that happened. If it feels like a lifetime ago, it's because it was! In the present, Kitty is just enjoying a brief walk down memory lane while sharing brunch with Colossus in South America. The X-Men are there on business, and they're not alone.

On this mission, Kitty has called in some backup: Gambit and Rogue. Rogue was actually a member of the X-Men Gold replacement team, which doubled the roster.

The solicitations for this issue have hinted at dire consequences for Prestige. Her powers have been acting up in the last few months, and it looks like the disguised Mesmero is about to strike again.

Before you gaze upon Phil Noto's gorgeous cover for the next issue, keep in mind that the happy times may not last. Nance and the advanced Sentinel known as 0101 are targeting Colossus, so he may not make it to the altar intact.

X-Men Gold #26 will be released on Wednesday, April 18.