Nathan Summers is back running the team he founded back in the 1990’s. New Mutants evolved into X-Force. In recent years the X-Force concept evolved and the team was run by Wolverine as a covert ops unit doing the dirty work the X-Men couldn’t. In 2013 Cable and X-Force launches in the Marvel Now. Writer Dennis Hopeless recruits Colossus, Domino, Dr. Nemesis and Forge for this new team of mutants that have been branded as terrorists. Hopeless tells Comics Newsarama about his plans for the team and the roster.
I was really interested in the inclusion of Colossus who has literally been to several versions of hell and back thanks to Magik, his bonding with Cyttorak and possession by the Phoenix Force. Apparently things will get even worse for Peter.
“Colossus is coming out of a pretty dark period when our book kicks off. Peter has a lot of regrets. He’s an introspective guy and his recent past will definitely weigh on him. All of that will affect his decision-making for sure.
Unfortunately, we won’t be giving the guy much of a break in which to reflect. He’ll be busy running for his life.”
This new book marks a reunion between Nathan and Domino. Hopeless says don’t expect the former lovers to have the same dynamic.
“Domino has developed into a different kind of character lately. She’s matured some I think and like you said, she now at least tries to be a hero first.
Both Domino and Cable have grown into different people than when they were together. Cable may not look it, but he’s a lifetime beyond the man Domino knew. He raised a daughter, got married and grew old with his wife. Fans shouldn’t expect these two to pick right back up where they left off and fall into bed together. That wouldn’t make any sense.
But they are going to have to work together. They’ll have to figure out what all that history means in the here and now. It’s a complex relationship that’s very fun to write.”
I was thrilled to see that Dr. Nemesis will be part of the team. The genius egomaniac has a new look Hopeless said was redesigned by Salvador Larroca.
Hopeless says he will address Forge and his most recent appearance in which he was the bad guy in the Ghost Boxes storyline.
Sam Humphries and Ron Garney will launch a brand new Uncanny X-Force title. Hopeless says “there will definitely be some interaction between the two X-Force books. Just not right off the bat. These are very different books.”
Opinion: I’m in on this book because of Colossus, Domino, Dr. Nemesis and Salvador Larroca’s art. Making me like Cable? That’s the challenge for Hopeless but I’ll give it a try.
X-Man. Avenger. Headmaster. If you think Wolverine has been domesticated by his role as teacher think again. Frank Cho will let Logan unleash his savage side in a brand new Marvel Now series premiering this January.
Cho will write and draw Savage Wolverine. Logan will team up with Shanna the She-Devil for an adventure in The Savage Land. Cho told Marvel.com how he took over Wolverine’s solo title.
“Axel Alonso called me up after AVENGERS VS. X-MEN #0 was launched, and asked me if I wanted to work on Wolverine, which is a no-brainer since Wolverine is one of my favorite characters in the Marvel Universe. I asked who the writer was, and Axel replied, “You are.” I was speechless. Axel reminded me that he originally hired me as a writer-artist and [was] very excited [for] what I would come with. So I told him I’ll get back to him in couple weeks and see if I had a “Wolverine story” in me, one that I would like to tell.
I pondered and went through my story files to see if any of my story ideas would fit the Wolverine character. I’m a chronic scribbler and I’ve been scribbling story ideas for years. At that point, I was talking with my X-Men editor, Nick Lowe, about writing and drawing an Emma Frost, Black Cat and Spider-Woman team-up story.
So I came up with a cool Indiana Jones/Cthulhu type story that I’ve been toying around with, modified it and turned it into a Wolverine story. Axel loved the story and told me to start working.”
Cho says the story takes place in a forbidden area of the Savage Land. Wolverine and company will unleash an ancient God and Logan gets to cut loose
“Oh, it’s gets pretty bloody and savage—in a good way,” Cho teases.
Shanna the She-Devil #1 courtesy Marvel
You can look in a Frank Cho sketchbook or body of work and see his love of gorgeous jungle girls and monsters. Cho worked on a Shanna limited series before and says to expect the same tough She-Devil.
“I didn’t deviate too far from my original take of Shanna from nine years ago. Shanna is still abrasive, scrappy and confident. She knows how to take care of herself. Since Indiana Jones was my main inspiration for this story, I naturally envisioned Shanna as Marion Ravenwood to Wolverine’s Indiana Jones.”
Cho says no Ka-Zar in this series but expect lots of dinosaurs!
Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Nine #14 courtesy Dark Horse Comics
This week Buffy, The Vampire Slayer Season Nine #14 introduces a new twist on the famous vampire killer. Jane Espenson and Drew Greenberg will introduce Billy: a gay male without “slayer” powers.
The series went off the air in 2003 but adventures in “Buffyverse”continue in Dark Horse Comics. Joss Whedon (The Avengers) executive produces the continuing comic book series. In Buffy mythology only young girls are “chosen” to become slayers so why Billy?
Espenson says she developed the character while working on her web series Husbands.
“I already knew [the character] Cheeks, and he has a line in Season 1 of Husbands, that Brad [Bell] wrote, that really struck me about how Cheeks has an ‘exotic femininity’ that’s equated with weakness,” she told OUT.
“I thought: ‘Gee, all the work we’ve done with Buffy is about being female, and how that doesn’t mean that you are lesser’. It suddenly struck me: If being feminine doesn’t mean that you’re lesser, then liking guys also doesn’t mean you’re lesser.”
“For very good reason, we’ve focused on the female empowerment part of Buffy, but I wondered, ‘Did we leave something out? What if someone in high school is looking up to Buffy as a role model, and we’re saying: You can’t be a slayer’.”
Billy is a new character who trains himself to fight like a slayer.
“He may not have the actual powers of the slayers, but he’s determined to be his own kind of hero, one who’s sort of modeled after those who do have the power, and he sets out to make due with what he has,” said Greenberg.
“Batman doesn’t have super powers. He wasn’t gifted with an exotic foreign birth. So we take the Batman route; Billy is earning the Slayer mantle,” Espenson adds.
Billy’s introduction is the latest chapter in GLBT characters (Willow and Tara)and storylines of the “Buffyverse.”
“We’re hardly pandering when we make a comic book,” Espenson said. “There’s always growing pains when making progress, but I think cynicism in the face of inclusion may not be a profitable route in making progress.”
Editor Scott Allie tells Comic Book Resources part of Billy’s introduction is tied to the wedding of Northstar in Astonishing X-Men and revelation of Alan Scott in Earth 2.
“It’s funny. When we started seeing what Marvel and DC was doing, we thought, ‘Damn. They’re racing to get these stories out one after the other, so it’ll look like we’re chasing them. But we’d had this story planned for quite a while,” Allie said. “But I think you can see this as a natural extension of stuff Joss has done all along. Getting a gay male character doesn’t seem unusual for ‘Buffy.’ And it wasn’t so much that we wanted to get a gay character out in the mainstream for whatever reason. It was more that this is a story that Jane Espenson and Drew Greenberg wanted to tell. When you read the story, you’ll see that it’s responding to things in the culture beyond just representing gay male characters. There’s a bit of a response to the whole ‘It Gets Better’ campaign in a way that’s more than subtext. For Jane and Drew in particular, with the kinds of stories they’re used to telling and what they care about, the Buffy mythos was an extremely appropriate place to empower this young guy who needed to find a way to stand up for himself.”
Buffy, The Vampire Slayer Season Nine #14 comes out Wednesday.
A new era for Earth’s Mightiest Heroes begins this December. New writer Jonathan Hickman and Editor Tom Brevoort revealed the future of the Avengers in today’s Next Big Thing on Marvel.com.
Avengers #1 kicks off a 3-part Avengers World story establishing the team’s mission statement with Jerome Opena on art.
“We will see the back story of how Iron Man and Captain America have been quietly building a contingency plan for the day that comes in issue #1,” Hickman teases of the huge event that requires a bigger team that will reflect our modern world.
“One of the first things we all agreed on is that the roster should look more like the world. So far we’ve seen the biggest and most iconic characters, but as we reach issues #7 and #8, we’ll see more new characters and characters we’re reviving or recreating. Eventually there will be 24 characters. 12 will be either female or minority characters,” said Hickman of the growing roster.
Hickman will be writing a new New Avengers – a new version of the Illuminati. This new secret cabal working behind the scenes will be Captain America, Iron Man, Doctor Strange and Beast. Black Bolt will return and Namor will be involved.
“It’s about the guys who quietly, secretly run the world. It’s thematically much different than Avengers. The plan I’ve worked out is that the Avengers are the utopian Avengers, the ideal ones we want, whereas the New Avengers are real world, they live in the dark, apocalyptic world as it is,” revealed Hickman.
“The books will work in tandem. You don’t have to read both, but they are two sides of the same coin. Two different stories,” he added.
Wakanda was devastated by Namor’s invasion during Avengers vs. X-Men. Hickman says T’Challa’s home will be rocked again. In the original Illuminati stories Black Panther refused to join the inner circle but he will need them in the Marvel now.
New Avengers #1 courtesy Marvel
“The catalyst is an event in Wakanda with Black Panther, the only man who told the original Illuminati it was a mistake. Something occurs so earth-shattering he sees no other course of action than to call on them,” Hickman teases, “This event is so huge than even the people in the Illuminati who do not currently like each other are forced to put differences aside.”
Hickman recently sent the Fantastic Four to Wakanda. It looks like Hickman was planting the seeds for his upcoming Avengers run.
“Going into Fantastic Four, Jonathan hadn’t even wrapped up Secret Warriors. Going into this, people know from FF what a big thinker Jonathan is and how he plays the long game. It’s an even bigger canvas here,” explains Tom Brevoort.
“My Avengers pitch probably could have gotten approved as is on its own, but if I hadn’t done FF, I don’t think there’s any way my New Avengers would have gotten approved. I think it’s gonna be a sleeper hit. It’s so cool. I’m so jacked that I get to write it,” revealed Hickman.
Some of the most surprising and exciting additions to the new team are New Mutants Sam Guthrie and Roberto Da Costa.
“You’ll get an issue where Cannonball and Sunspot get to spend time with Captain America,” Hickman revealed, “I’ve always really liked them. I wish it was more complicated than that. I pitched a Bobby and Sam in Mojoworld book, and somehow it got made.”
One reason I love Sam and Bobby getting this “promotion” is that they never got to rise up to true X-Men status.
“Cannonball and Sunspot are at least chronologically younger characters. It’s always good to have those types of figures in Avengers to bring a fresh viewpoint. That said, they’re also established Marvel characters,” Brevoort said, “When Brian Bendis brought Luke Cage and Spider-Woman into the Avengers, they weren’t the most popular characters, but they had legitimacy. I think it will be the same thing with Cannonball and Sunspot.”
“When we get to 24 characters, their will be several subgroups of characters, and one tier will be a group of younger, more idealistic people like Cannonball and Sunspot,” Hickman explained.
New Avengers courtesy Marvel
Hickman confirmed the logo with the Avengers A and the Omega symbol is the logo for the New Avengers.
“Avengers is the day book and New Avengers is night. Avengers is how we want the world to be, New Avengers is how it is. One book is about life, one is about death. The logos reflect all this,” he said.
The new era begins in the aftermath of AvX, bad blood and old rivalries between some heroes.
“I don’t think people will be surprised to learn that even as these guys go about their job, some will grow to hate one another,” Hickman explained, “This is not a cheery happy story. This is the ‘Death Avengers.'”
I’m thrilled to see T’Challa as a central character in the Marvel Now. He’s a single man now. He’s the leader of a broken country.
“Black Panther is the lynchpin character of New Avengers. The central character. He’s very important to the Avengers franchise as a whole,” Brevoort explained.
“Black Panther is certainly the moral center of New Avengers,” adds Hickman.
Hickman explained the leadership hierarchy of this new Avengers.
“Cap is in charge, of course, and he has two vice-captains in Captain Marvel and Iron Man. For bigger stuff, it splits into three teams. There are other factions within that, but generally, that’s the command structure. In New Avengers, they all think they’re in charge and none of them are,” explains Hickman.
Hickman confirmed Avengers will start with the 3 big arcs then 3 stand-alone stories and he’s creating new villains. Mr. Fantastic and Beast will be on New Avengers. Hyperion will be part of the team. Eden Fesi of Secret Warriors will be in the Avengers.
Avengers #1 and #2 arrive this December. New Avengers #1 and #2 arrive in January.
Captain America wants YOU….Alex Summers? In the aftermath of Avengers vs. X-Men – the Uncanny Avengers are born. Captain America assembles Thor, Wolverine, Rogue, Scarlet Witch and Havok as team leader in a new title by Rick Remender and John Cassiday.
Uncanny Avengers #1 hits next week. Comics Newsarama has the first look at the finished colored pages – some you saw earlier in black and white in this post.
Avalanche (formerly of Mystique’s Brotherhood of Evil Mutants) attacks. Havok, Cap and Thor rush into action. The Odinson tries to save innocent civililans while Havok and Cap test a variation on the fastball special.
Why Havok?
X-Factor #71 courtesy Marvel.com
Alex became a high ranking magistrate in Genosha but when he regained his memory – he took out Cameron Hodge (during the X-Tinction Agenda storyline) and stayed behind to rebuild the nation and help the formerly enslaves mutants of that country.
Alex lead the government sponsored X-Factor team.
Alex took over his father’s role as leader of the Starjammers and helped end Vulcan’s reign over the Shi’ar Empire.
Alex has demonstrated leadership, determination and the ability to inspire and he has one of the coolest power signatures in comic books!
Famke Janssen as Jean Grey/Phoenix in X-Men: The Last Stand courtesy 20th Century Fox
Famke Janssen holds a very special place in the heart of this devoted geek. The beautiful Dutch born actress beautifully played two roles in two genres that are very important to me. I’m thrilled to see her back on the big screen in Taken 2 out this week.
In Pierce Brosnan’s first 007 film Goldeneye, Janssen played my all time favorite James Bond villainess. Xenia Onnatop was a Russian femme fatale who could slink across a casino in an evening gown, pilot a military helicopter, get turned on while she’s killing and strangle a man with her thighs. Pure evil.
Janssen brought Jean Grey to life in X-Men, X-Men United and X-Men: The Last Stand. She was perfect as the good girl attracted to the bad boy and always holding her power and passion in check – until the final film.
Janssen reprises her role as Liam Neeson’s ex-wife in Taken 2 but will we see her as Jean Grey in a future X-Men role? Janssen talked about her directorial debut Bringing Up Bobby with MTV News and was asked about returning to the X-Men movies.
“One never knows,” she said coyly. “Jean Grey, the Phoenix … she finds a way to reincarnate herself constantly, so one never knows.”
“I have no idea,” she said. “Stay tuned.”
In the comic books – the original pre-Phoenix Jean Grey is returning to the Marvel Now in All-New X-Men.
The X-Men: First Class sequel is based in part onDays of Future Past. Patrick Stewart has hinted he may appear in that film. If the film follows the comic story Hugh Jackman could appear as a Wolverine of the future. I’d love to see Janssen and James Marsden return to erase the events of The Last Stand and restart the franchise. If all this talk is making you nostalgic let’s take a look at Famke as Dr. Jean Grey in the trailer for the first X-Men movie.
For giving us Jean and Xenia I will always love and welcome Famke Janssen on the big screen!
This Op/Ed followup should not be read unless you’ve read Avengers vs. X-Men #12.
Avengers vs. X-Men could be retitled Operation: Hate Cyclops. When AvX was first announced I was on fully on board with Cyclops and the mutants. I posted “Cyke Is Right!” on my blog and all over rallying my fellow X-Men fans. X-Men were my first comic book and I’ve always identified with them. Captain America and the Avengers were yanking away the one Hope the mutants had to save their species.
The architects of AvX turned the greatest hero and leader in comic books into an arrogant, power mad egomaniac. The Marvel masterminds even did the unthinkable – turn me against Scott! I’ve actually rooting for the Avengers. Cyke was right. Now I’m not so sure.
AvX is a dark and critical chapter in Scott’s life. The man Professor Xavier chose to lead the mutants has never had it easy. He’s been put in incredible scenarios against impossible odds and faced tragedy after tragedy. His fellow mutants have constantly been under attack and he’s been forced to make tough calls without a single Avenger coming to his aid. That’s what I love about him.
Scott Summers must always been in control. Holding back his optic blasts is a symbol of the life Scott has been forced to lead. Professor Xavier made him team leader. Cyke pushed himself to be a better leader while the other X-Men got to laugh and escape from training at Harry’s Hideaway. Scott is always living in the Danger Room.
Scott has lost Jean, Madelyne, Nathan. Cyke has held firm despite insults from Wolverine and wavering support from longtime friends. He’s a better X-Man than any mutant…including Logan.
Avengers vs. X-Men #11 courtesy Marvel.com
In AvX #11 the Phoenix possessed Cyclops and Emma Frost turn on each other because there can be only one. AvX appears to be the end of a powerhouse Marvel romance. Grant Morrison slowly separated Scott and Jean and paired Cyke with the reformed Emma Frost during his New X-Men run. Joss Whedon united Scott and Emma as the mutant power couple in his Astonishing X-Men epic. As much as I love Jean, Emma is the one true woman for Scott.
The Phoenix Force is now divided between Scott and Emma. Scott has been transformed into arrogant cosmic level zealot. The God-like power of the Phoenix Force has twisted Scott’s intense dedication to save his race. Emma’s behavior is now dangerously similar to the Dark Phoenix. The reformed White Queen has always kept her ruthless streak and it’s been necessary and easy for her to slip back into the role of a villain (Dark Reign & Dark X-Men Saga) to use it for the sake of saving the mutants.
I kept hoping Scott and Emma’s extreme and ruthless behavior was a result of having slivers of The Void (The Sentry’s evil alter ego) in their minds. It was these two mutants who sacrificed to trap the Void when the Avengers couldn’t stop him. I wanted some excuse so it would be easy to redeem Scott and Emma for their actions. Alas, I can blame the Phoenix Force but isn’t the entity just feeding off and empowering the emotions and motivations existing in my favorite Marvel power couple?
Avengers vs. X-Men #12 courtesy Marvel
Cyclops betrayed Emma and stole her Phoenix Power, killed Professor X, became Dark Phoenix and began burning the earth. In this week’s final chapter Hope and Scarlet Witch (with an assist from Jean Grey?) forced the Phoenix out of Scott. The leader of the X-Men now sits in prison as the most hated man in the Marvel Universe. Cyclops is taking all the blame even though he was right about Hope, The Phoenix and how to save the mutant race.
Every hero falls. Every fan loves redemption. I hope Scott and Emma survive AvX to rise to greatness again in the Marvel NOW.
The Wolverine solo book is ending this December but don’t bet on a Logan solo title being left out of the Marvel NOW reboot. Who will take over Wolverine? The teaser for Savage by Frank Cho supports the fan theory that Cho will steer Logan’s solo adventures in 2013.
Remember back when Wolverine starred in the Marvel Comics Presents book which gave us the classic Weapon X by Barry Windsor-Smith. Back in the day there was excellent one shots like The Jungle Adventure by Mike Mignola and Blood Lust by Alan Davis.
Logan is already starring in multiple X-Men and Avengers books in the Marvel Now so why not a Wolverine book with arcs in the past, present and future with rotating all-star creative teams?
Origin #6 courtesy Marvel
These ideas pop into my mind:
Paul Jenkins (Origin) with a tale of James Howlett in Alberta.
Mike Carey (X-Men Legacy) takes Logan to hell with Doctor Strange.
Jeff Parker (Hulk, Dark Avengers) with Logan as a mercenary in Wakanda
Paul Cornell (Excalibur) with a Logan on assignment with MI-13 and Spitfire in WWII.
John Byrne (Alpha Flight, Wolverine) crafting a long-lost Patch story in Madripoor.
Mike Mignola (Hellboy) returning to The Jungle Adventure one-shot of Logan versus Apocalypse in the Savage Land and the child he left behind.
Chris Claremont and Frank Miller returning the era of the Wolverine in Japan adventure in time for Hugh Jackman’s next film The Wolverine, based on that story.
I’m sure we’ll soon see plans for a new ongoing Wolverine solo book but a geek can dream of a more anthology book with the best of the best writing stories of Logan being the best there is!
