Warning: Spoilers for Uncanny X-Men #14!The dinosaurs have finally been given a canonical reason for their extinction in the Marvel Universe. Dinosaurs have always been an important staple of Marvel lore, to the point that, in official continuity, Marvel's first superhero was a dinosaur. That being said, Marvel has seldom touched on the actual extinction of these pre-historical creatures.

However, Marvel does offer such a canonical explanation for the dinosaurs' extinction in Uncanny X-Men #14 by Gail Simone and David Marquez. Below, readers can find a preview of the issue set to come out on May 14. The preview also arrives with cover art by Marquez and Matthew Wilson.

The Uncanny X-Men's first opponent, the dragon Sadurang, finds itself in a conversation with Gambit that quickly turns into a violent confrontation with Rogue. Before getting punched in the face, Sadurang reveals that the real reason dinosaurs went extinct is because "dragons found them so succulent."

Marvel Reveals Dragons Ate Dinosaurs to Cause Their Extinction

Uncanny X-Men #14 by Gail Simone, David Marquez, Matthew Wilson, and VC's Clayton Cowles

Dragons have just as much of a rich history in Marvel lore as dinosaurs. In fact, the two species make up for some of Marvel's most powerful. It's rare to see the two parties share the same storylines in the comics, but tying them so closely together is one of the more interesting explanations for the dinosaurs' extinction. Not to mention, it is a little hilarious to think that not only did dragons cannibalize the dinosaurs, but they were just so tasty that the dragons couldn't help but gorge their entire species.

In real life, researchers have concluded that the impact of an asteroid or perhaps even volcanic eruptions were the culprit in slaying the dinosaurs. Nevertheless, Marvel readers expect a more grandiose explanation in a world consumed by superheroes, supervillains, witchcraft, aliens, and similar oddities. The environment of fiction allows writers and artists to morph real situations into something far more fantastical. This is one of those examples, linking Marvel's dinosaurs to mythical dragons. That being said, this has not been Marvel's first attempt at offering a more extraordinary take on the dinosaurs' extinction.

How Has Marvel Addressed the Extinction of Dinosaurs in the Past?

Does the Dragon's Explanation Conflict with Past In-Canon Explanations for Marvel?

In Mighty Thor #12 by Jason Aaron and Russell Dauterman, readers are shown how the creation of Mjölnir killed the dinosaurs. Alternatively, Thor #19 by Donny Cates and Nic Klein suggests that the collision of two cosmic titans was catastrophic enough to cause ramifications across the universe, including manifesting an asteroid that incidentally hit the dinosaurs. While these reasons are vastly different from those suggested by the dragon, they can all co-exist. One can imagine that Marvel's dragons regularly consumed dinosaurs, and an asteroid or hammer creation were the final nails in their coffin that dinosaurs couldn't come back from.

Uncanny X-Men #14 goes on sale on May 14 from Marvel.