Do NOT read this post until you’ve read All-New X-Men #5
Seriously.
Here it comes.
OK.
All-New X-Men #2 courtesy Marvel
All-New X-Men #1 opened with Beast dying from his mutating mutation. In this week’s All-New X-Men #5 Henry McCoy survives (thanks to help from the young McCoy) and emerges with a new look. The Ape looking beast is back but without haircut that looks like Wolverine or the Owl. Stuart Immonen designed the new look.
This is a big shift from the feline Beast that debuted in the Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely New X-Men era. X-Men Editor Nick Lowe talked about Hank’s transformation with Comics Newsarama.
“I’m a big Beast fan, period. I do love the Cat Beast look, as not only do I think that he looks more like a “beast” in that look rather than the classic Gil Kane/George Perez/etc… rendition but I pretty much love every line Frank Quitely has put on paper, so…
Anyway, we would often get in big disagreements (by we, I mean me and most of the room) at editorial retreats about Cat Beast vs. Ape Beast. Also, the old design doesn’t look like an ape! Anyway, my resistance was against reverting to the older version because I thought that the more beastly looking works better for the actual character. But since this is a new, still beastly design and not just a furry guy with big hair, I was all in! But my passion on the subject does open me up to lots of ridicule. But that’s OK, I’m the youngest of three in my family so I’m used to that.”
Now that Henry is NOT dying can we expect a return of the happier, bouncing Beast? Maybe a reunion with Trish Trilby? Hank and the reporter split after his change into the Cat Beast.
I’m really showing my age here but since the Ape Beast is back – how about a limited series with Wonder Man? That would take me back to the classic George Perez days!
Tis the season so I wanted to share a special Christmas issue of the X-Men.
X-Men #109 was dubbed a 100 page monster issue featuring a new story by Chris Claremont plus 3 classic tales set around the holidays. While the previous stories are all action packed with Sentinels, a demon stalking Kitty and Gladiator versus Cannonball, the main story is very moving and reminds us how Chris Claremont poured a lot of heart into the team he wrote so many years.
“Ceremonies” shows the X-Men family in a snowball fight, ice skating, enjoying a date, breaking up, giving each other comfort. Comics always deliver action, thrills and battles but once in a while, a change of pace issue like this one makes you remember why you’re cheering for the X-Men to win.
I may not be posting as much as you’re used to this week because I’m spending time with family but I will be back up to full speed after the holiday. Thanks for visiting and supporting Comics Blend. As you unite with friends and family I wish you safe travels and a happy holiday.
Brian Michael Bendis and Chris Bachalo will launch a brand new Uncanny X-Men in 2013. It’s not quite the Avenging X-Men concept I predicted but it is a darker Children of the Atom. All-New X-Men and Wolverine and the X-Men represent Xavier’s dream. The new Uncanny X-Men team is on a mutated mission for mutants with Cyclops following Magneto’s more extreme vision and tactics. Brian Michael Bendis recently previewed his upcoming Uncanny X-Men but this geek has some burning questions:
Sebastian Shaw? The former Black King of the Hellfire Club was mindwiped by Emma Frost but recently learned about his evil past. Shaw was last seen helping teen mutants escape from captivity during AvX. Will he return to his evil ways and seek revenge against his former White Queen? I would love to see Shaw recruited by Scott. I remember in New Mutants #35 when the fragile alliance of the then Hellfire Club (Shaw, Magneto, Frost and Selene) was shattered in that powerhouse issue.
Stepford Cuckoos? I love Emma’s girls. Will the triplets reunited with Emma? I could see Mindee, Celeste and Phoebe become powerful recruiters in the search for new mutants.
Uncanny X-Men #2 courtesy Marvel
Namor? The long simmering passion between Namor and Emma flared up in an explosive way during Avengers vs. X-Men with devastating results. I loved the Sub-Mariner’s alliance with the X-Men and wondered where the King of Atlantis would turn up in the Marvel Now. Scott and Emma are over. Namor will be a huge part of Jonathan Hickman’s New Avengers series. Could Emma start a long distance relationship with Namor to make Scott suffer?
Cyclops’s New Headgear? I love Chris Bachalo’s new costume designs but Cyke’s headgear is a curiosity – no visor? How does the optic blast…blast out?
The Void? During AvX I kept thinking Scott’s extremist behavior was because he was holding a sliver of The Void in his mind. The Sentry’s battle with his evil alter ego was a big story threat during Bendis’s Avengers run that affected the X-Men’s power couple. First Emma Frost and then Cyke held a sliver of the Void in their mind.Perhaps Bendis will revisit this in Uncanny X-Men.
Those are some of the burning questions I have but I will trust in Bendis! He made me love Avengers again 8 years ago.
It’s the confrontation we’ve been waiting for! Scott, Jean, Bobby, Warren and Hank confront Scott, Emma, Magneto and Magik in this week’s All-New X-Men #4. The modern Beast brought the original five X-Men from the past into the Marvel Now hoping the idealistic young originals could be the key to preventing what could be the end of the mutant race.
If you think the modern Cyclops is a match for his younger self think again!After last issue I developed a theory about the mutant race post AvX. Tell me what you think.
Uncanny X-Men is back in February 2013. The revolution is on as Cyclops, Magneto, Emma Frost and Magik are recruiting new mutants in All-New X-Men. The mission continues in Uncanny. The former Phoenix Five hosts will star in their own series in 2013 by Brian Michael Bendis and Chris Bachalo. Bendis and Editor Nick Lowe previewed the new volume of Uncanny X-Men on Marvel.com.
“In All-New X-Men, we’ve been able to lay out what the X-Men universe looks like now. We’ve shown in a way what Uncanny X-Men will look like. After the first arc of All-New X-Men concludes with issue #6, Uncanny kicks off with Cyclops, Magneto, Emma Frost and Magik trying to save new mutants across the world.”
“Chris Claremont made X-Men a revolutionary piece about the differences between us. Times have changed and we’re going to see where that fits now.”
“We have existing characters at their darkest points mixing with fresh new characters looking at the Marvel Universe in a new way.”
“When I was doing two Avengers titles, they succeeded because they existed in the same world but were so different. That’s what we’re getting with All-New X-Men and Uncanny X-Men.”
“I’m a big believer that when people go through large changes in life they alter their appearance, whether they realize it or not. Super hero uniforms are a great way to explore that. This is a great way to express that Cyclops, Emma and Magneto are in a very different place with a very different perspective. Cyclops is the face of what he calls the mutant revolution, taking a harder stance than ever before.”
Uncanny X-Men #2 courtesy Marvel
The former White Queen has evolved from villainess to hero. Bendis says Frost’s signature look will evolve.
“Emma Frost has evolved immensely over the last 10-15 years. Once she was just this outfit and this look, now there’s so much going on with her. She’s taking a leap into a different direction, and I think her costume design will be the most controversial. It’s no longer just how guys wanted to see her. It’s who she sees herself as. I teach. If I showed up wearing Emma’s outfit, people would be startled. But I could pull it off.”
Bendis teased a major villain for the new series:
“This book will have a Doctor Doom level villain who I think is a surprise. I don’t think they’ve ever been a villain in an X-Men book, but there’s a connection that makes sense.”
Magneto, Emma Frost, Magik and now Cyclops have been heroes and been branded as villains. The theme of who is seen as a good or bad guy will be explored in the new characters for the series.
“Among the new mutants that show up, there will be villains. New powers cause a lot of chaos in the Marvel Universe. Not everybody is ready to have these powers and some want to get back at the world.”
“Many people reading Uncanny X-Men will think Cyclops is the villain.”
Many fans assumed All-New X-Men would be the only new X-book and the flagship.
“The last page of Uncanny X-Men #1 is one of my favorite things I’ve laid out at Marvel. It reveals the reason for the book and completely shifts the X-Men universe.”
For every Gambit there is a Maggot. Remember him? One of the biggest challenges of writing the X-book is creating new mutants.
“You’re very aware as a writer debuting new characters, especially mutants, that the first images of them is being judged next to years of another character. People immediately want to know why this character is better than that one. You need to show a lot right away about why they are different and why you should care.”
“When Peter Parker got bit by a spider, he was excited. When Miles Morales got bit, he was scared. Different people react differently to being given power. Do you really want it or not?”
“Coming up with unique powers is the hardest thing.”
“I’ve been collecting ideas for powers and characters for years, waiting for a place to put them. When I found out I was writing X-Men, I pulled out my file.”
“With training, one power can become something else. Look at Iceman. What are the limits of power?”
Bendis’s two books are about the opposing sides of how to best protect the future of the mutant race. He teases how they teams and book will crossover:
“Uncanny and All-New will intersect once in awhile. Where the two teams are physically and emotionally could not be further away, but there are some places where they have to connect. In issue #9 of All-New and issue #3 of Uncanny, Cyclops and his team show up at the Jean Grey School unexpected. You see it from both perspectives. Something huge will happen that affects both book.”
“The Avengers will show up in Uncanny X-Men with a lot to say about what’s going on and their responsibility for it.”
“Uncanny X-Men is darker than All-New X-Men, but it’s not Dark Avengers. Everybody in that book was nuts. Some people reading it may feel that way, others will see Cyclops and his goal and be rooting for him, because that goal is full redemption. There’s nothing more noble than that.”
Uncanny X-Men #1 courtesy Marvel
In All-New X-Men #3 we saw Erik giving Cyclops some hard lessons about his new role and for his actions during AvX:
“Magneto is an interesting character. He’s made every mistake and given into every villainous desire. He’s done wrong. There are people in this would who get to a certain age and realize they’re the villain of the story and run around trying to make up for it. There’s some of that going on with Magneto. He didn’t do right by his kids and is trying to make up for it in a way with Scott and Emma.”
“Magneto is the one who could fall the farthest without realizing he’s fallen. He’s also a constant reminder to Cyclops of what happens if he makes the wrong decision one more time.”
I believed Cyclops would be on a road to redemption after AvX but Scott is becoming more and more like Magneto.
“He’s making a lot of noise that’s making him very popular with some people and rubbing others the wrong way. There’s always somebody who talks about peace and somebody who takes a more radical stance. Neither is right, neither is wrong, each has their day. I think it’s fascinating to have the lead of the book being equally terrifying and empowering to those around him.”
Logan rebuilt Xavier’s. Scott is using a haunt of Wolverine’s past as his new base.
“Using the Weapon X base as a school is taking something horrible and turning it into something positive. Mutants will never go looking for Cyclops in the Weapon X base.”
A fan asked if Scott picked the Weapon X location because he’s angry at Logan for naming the new school after Jean.
“I think the opposite. Wolverine is angrier at Cyclops than Cyclops is at Wolverine. You’ll be seeing Wolverine/Cyclops interaction in the crossover I mentioned. I think Cyclops knows Weapon X haunts Wolverine so he wants to make it something better. If Wolverine ever does see it, he might be quite touched, though Cyclops doesn’t ever want him to see it.”
“Although if Cyclops threw out Wolverine’s diary that would have solved all his problems this whole time…”
I was afraid Cyclops and Emma were going to be killed off in AvX.
“In early talks with Brian, I was very pleased when he showed interest in having a book with Cyclops, Magneto and Emma as leads. I was glad he felt these ideas warranted further exploration,” explained Lowe, “When we were planning Schism, we didn’t have the plans for All-New X-Men, but seeing how it has come together is very gratifying.”
“It’s good to have a plan and there a lot of readers who like to know there is one. Then other things start happening and you go ‘Does my plan fit?’ It’s like your day: You have a plan for your day and then life happens. Sometimes your day goes well, sometimes it completely gets ruined. As a writer you want to be open to either, because both can make for good stories.”
“Due to the drama with the Phoenix Force, all of these characters’ powers have been broken or shifted. Magik actually finds herself more empowered. She has more control over Limbo and other elements of her powers. The cost of that power will be a big story point moving forward. Also, one of the students immediately falls in love with her.”
Chris Bachalo has been a frequent X-Men artist and key to co-creating new mutants. Bachalo worked with Scott Lobdell on the creation of Generation X and new looks for the X-Men in the Age of Apocalypse.
Uncanny X-Men #1 by Bendis and Bachalo arrives in February.
Director Bryan Singer really is getting the old gang back together for X-Men: Days of Future Past. Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen and Hugh Jackman will reprise their roles in the sequel. Movieweb reports that 20th Century Fox wants Halle Berry and James Marsden back for the next movie. I had predicted Halle Berry could be next to reprise her role as Storm but Marsden is a welcome surprise.
In the comic book version of Days of Future Past:
In a future ruled by Sentinels – Storm, Magneto, Colossus, Kate “Kitty” Pryde, Rachel Summers (daughter of Scott and Jean) and Franklin Richards (son of Reed and Sue of the Fantastic Four) are in a concentration camp. Logan leads the resistance movement. Rachel (has telepathic powers like her mother) sends Kitty’s mind into the past to warn the X-Men of the past about an upcoming act of terrorism by evil mutants that will start a chain of events leading to the dark future. While the past X-Men try to stop the assassination – the future Logan, Storm, Magneto and Colossus lead an assault on Sentinel Headquarters. The final battle of the older X-Men is epic!
Could this mean Daniel Cudmore and Ellen Page could return as Colossus and Kitty since those characters are critical to the storyline? Famke Janssen (Jean Grey) could have a cameo too.
Cyclops was killed by Jean (in Dark Phoenix mode) and Jean was killed by Wolverine in The Last Stand but if producers decide to use Rachel in the movie this could be a way to erase those deaths (and Professor X’s death.)
I’ve been hoping this film could serve as a reboot for the entire franchise (like Star Trek) and you can start over.
In All-New X-Men #1 Brian Michael Bendis set up the new status quo of the mutant race in the Marvel Universe. In Issue #2 past met present when Beast brought the original five X-Men into the our time in order to save the future. This week’s All-New X-Men #3 focuses on the future cast of the soon-to-be relaunched Uncanny X-Men. Cyclops and Magneto have a bitter reunion with Emma Frost. It’s going to be fun seeing the former lovers forced to work together after what happened in AvX. We also learn in this issue that the former Phoenix Five may be paying a terrible price for hosting the entity during AvX.
I really enjoyed the scenes between Cyclops and Magneto. The former enemies are now allies. The Master of Magnetism became a follower of Scott in recent years. In this issue the Master delivers a powerful lesson to Scott. The appeal of Magneto as a great villain is that he believes his motives are just and he’s willing to play the villain. Cyclops has been on that same journey but accepting that role is not as easy. There’s a moment when Erik basically calls Scott out and it shows Bendis’s great understanding and handling of these characters.
The previous issues were packed with more joy and action. It’s appropriate this chapter is darker and shows how Scott, Erik and Emma are paying for their sins but still pushing for revolution. The final panel is exciting and sets the stage for a huge showdown next issue.
After this issue I have a theory:
Are the new post AvX mutants killing the pre AvX mutants?
The mutant race was reborn because of the Hope/Scarlet Witch/Phoenix act in AvX #12. New mutants are emerging at an alarming rate. Beast is mutating again and it’s killing him as we learned in All-New X-Men #1. In this issue Cyclops, Magneto and Emma’s mutant powers are weaker? It was a stuggle for Scott to generate his optic blast.
Did that energy surge in AvX #12 that re-ignited the mutant race start a genetic transfer among Earth’s mutants? Could it be that for every new mutant now born it will cost the powers and maybe lives of the existing mutants before AvX? It would be an interesting long-term story element for Bendis to explore and something to watch for as he chronicles the future of the X-Men.
The teams Astonishing X-Men, X-Treme X-Men and Age of Apocalypse will clash in a major crossover in March 2013. Marjorie Liu, Grek Pak and David Lapham (writer of the three books) tell Marvel.com about the collision of X-Men from alternate realities. The talented trio is writing X-Termination Alpha #1 together before the story hits each title.
“I think we each write our X-Family books from a non-standard perspective. We’re exploring areas outside of the usual X-Men dynamic. Alternate worlds, alternate takes on characters,” said Lapham, “I’ve never met either Marjorie or Greg before and what made this engaging are these story sessions, e-mails, and conference calls we’ve had to develop this crossover event. That has been enormously fun and engaging with everybody playing ideas off each other. I had never really done that, and was a bit wary about it. So far AGE OF APOCALYPSE has operated in its own space. But the plan always was once we established the AoA series to start to tie it to the regular Marvel Universe.”
X-Termination: Alpha #1 will focus on the Age of Apocalypse Nightcrawler trying to get back to his own universe. As we’ve seen from Uncanny X-Force: The Final Execution this Kurt is ruthless and willing to betray his own teammates to achieve his goal.
“It’s a cliché, but ever so true: Home is where the heart is. And AoA Nightcrawler’s heart is in another world. In fact, our world still doesn’t feel all that real to him. It’s not where he grew up, where he made friends, fell in love, and lost his love. All these people aren’t his people. And that lack of connection and empathy will prove to be incredibly dangerous,” said Liu.
Age of Apocalypse #13 courtesy Marvel
“The AoA is Nightcrawler’s home. That’s where his family and friends are, that’s where he’s spent his whole life fighting Apocalypse and then Weapon Omega. That’s what he was trying to liberate. Just because he leaves to another place and has an adventure doesn’t mean he turns his back on all that and says “this new universe is a lot safer and cushier. I think I’ll stay here while my loved ones suffer.
We see that in the real world all the time, a political exile from another country comes to the safety of the United States only to return to fight in their homeland even at the price of their life. And with Nightcrawler it’s a step further; as much sympathy as he’s had for what he’s seen and done here in the Marvel Universe, he just can’t bring himself to feel it’s a completely real place. The Marvel Universe is some kind of dreamland. The AoA is real,” said Lapham.
“As far as the greatest damage he could cause. Well, that’s part of our crossover event…”
X-Treme X-Men #12 courtesy Marvel
“As I intimated back when we launched X-TREME X-MEN, eventually our story curls back around to the Marvel Universe. The stakes are huge—multiple realities are at risk, including our own, and something’s definitely gonna break,” said Pak.
Age of Apocalypse #13 will serve as a prologue to the event. In that series – Wolverine of that reality is Apocalypse and Jean Grey is still alive. X-Treme X-Men #12 picks up the story. Pak’s book stars Dazzler (along with alternative reality versions of Emma Frost, Wolverine and Nightcrawler) on a mission to kill ten evil variations of Professor X.
Logan has worked with the AoA Nightcrawler but in Astonishing X-Men other members of team meet this version of their beloved team member who died in Second Coming to save Hope.
“None of them will have an easy time. Imagine your best friend died, and then you found him again, alive, except he has no memory of your friendship, lived a totally different life, and doesn’t want to have anything to do with you? That would hurt,” said Liu, “You might tell yourself it shouldn’t, that it all makes perfect sense, that this isn’t the same person you loved, but that wouldn’t really matter, would it?”
Astonishing X-Men #60
When asked if we might see Wolverine vs. Wolverine?
“There’s more than one Wolverine in the multiverse, and who is to say they will all get along?” teased Liu.
For more from the writers here’s the Marvel.com link.
By Editor
(All this Nightcrawler talk makes me miss the real Fuzzy Elf! I want him back – I don’t care how they explain it!)
This is where it all began: the original Age of Apocalypse still rocks.
