Brian Michael Bendis is taking on the original Children of the Atom after an epic era on the Avengers franchise. Bendis and Stuart Immonen’s All-New X-Men #1 debuts in November. The original Scott Summers, Jean Grey, Bobby Drake, Warren Worthington and Hank McCoy journey from the past into the modern-day Marvel Now!
Bendis tells Comics Newsarama taking over X-Men was always in his mind.
“Yes, but the whole time I’ve been at Marvel, there’s been someone steering the ship in a pretty fantastic way. When I took Avengers, I certainly saw the importance of a strong statement about the book. My friends and colleagues and people who I admire who have done well on the X-Men, or any book really, have come with a very strong statement. I wanted to make sure when the time came, that I had a strong position, something hopefully intriguing to fans and to people who hate me. [Laughs.]
It’s a little different from other writers who have come into X-Men. Like when Ed [Brubaker] joined X-Men, he had never written the X-Men, or Matt [Fraction], or Grant Morrison — they had done so pretty cold. Whereas over the course of my time at Marvel — House of M alone — I decimated the X-Men, I brought Wolverine’s memories back. I’ve done a lot of big things in the X-universe without ever writing a technical “X-book.” Avengers vs. X-Men, and some other things I’ve been involved in, have affected the X-Men in a great, powerful way, which I’m proud of — but that does mean that I’m coming into the X-Men with some notoriousness attached. “That’s the guy who decimated the X-Men!” Some people weren’t reading House of M but were reading X-Men — all of a sudden they opened up a book and [mutants] were down to 200. “Who did this? That guy!” I know that there’s a bit of X-Men fans who see me coming and are nervous, and also I’m known for murdering characters — even though that’s not fair. So I know I’m coming into it with quite a reputation. But on the flipside I’m coming to the X-verse, which is known across the comicsphere as the most dedicated fans, the loudest fans. So I’m diving in head first, whereas with Avengers I wasn’t prepared. [Laughs.] But I am now. On some level.
When Bendis took over the Avengers he literally blew up Earth’s Mightiest Heroes so an X-Men fan may be concerned about how he kicks off his run.
“I’m not blowing up the mansion or anything like that. I came in [Avengers], “I’m gonna blow up the mansion, and go crazy!” and some people really loved that, and some people were like, “Whoa, whoa!” It was tantamount to someone going on the playground and just knocking over your toys. You’re like, “I liked my toys, why are you doing this?” I didn’t see it that way at the time, but in retrospect — I wouldn’t have changed the story or anything, but I was shocked by some of the reaction, and then I went, “Oh, no, I get that. I literally just blew up the house on page three.”
What I am doing here is, I think, as big, but not as destructive. I think it’s additive, I think it’s emotional and dramatic. This idea has been floating through the Marvel retreats for a couple of years. Both [Jeph] Loeb and I would be looking at each other going, “That’s a great idea.” It never stuck to the wall. I literally asked Axel, “Where did that idea start?” It just inspired so many story ideas to me.”
Future X-Men (Rachel, Cable, Bishop) have gone into the present. This is a new twist on time traveling mutants.
“Yeah. I’m a big fan of “Days of Future Past.” I think it’s one of the greatest imagination-inspiring storylines — the idea that your future is going to be hell on earth. If the original X-Men saw what was going on at Marvel today, this is worse than “Days of Future Past.”
Fans always say, “Oh, I wish Stan Lee was still in charge, things would be different.” Joe [Quesada] would point out that that’s not true. Stan was changing the Marvel Universe so quickly, much quicker than we do. Tearing up tracks, switching the Avengers, and blowing up the X-Men, and he was the first guy to do this. If Stan Lee was still in charge, you wouldn’t even recognize the Marvel Universe. So that idea inspired, “what would it feel like if characters from the Silver Age saw the Marvel Universe today?” I did a little bit of it in Avengers, in the Kang storyline. It’s obviously inspired a couple ideas in my work.
There’s something about Jean Grey, there’s something about those original five being such idealists, coming here and seeing what those ideals turned into for good or bad, and deciding to fight for them. I couldn’t get it out of my head. Inside that idea is a bunch of different ideas. The idea itself is the headline-grabber, but what people have to look forward to inside the story is much more. It’s a much more emotional story involving all of the X-Men, and that’s what’s going to be coming in future issues.”
For the entire exclusive interview here’s the Comics Newsarama link. So how will the rest of the X-Men family and titles change? Stay tuned.
Opinion: One of my favorite elements of the Bendis Avengers era is the revigoration of classic characters like Spider-Woman and Luke Cage and newer creations like the Hood and the Sentry. I’m very curious to see how the X-Men will mutate under Bendis.
By Editor