Search Results for: x-men

The X-Men’s Bird of Prey

  Wolverine and the X-Men #13 by Jason Aaron and Nick Bradshaw featured a cosmic level slugfest between Gladiator and the Phoenix fueled X-Men but the real star was Warbird. The creative team showcases the warrior’s fury and reveals Ava’dara’s tragic past. This issue proves this new character deserves to a major star in Marvel’s future.

Wolverine and the X-Men #13 courtesy Marvel.com

  Aaron and Bradshaw deliver a brutal showdown between the Phoenix Five and their former ally while revealing Warbird’s brutal upbringing and violent past. The Shi’ar have always been portrayed as regal rulers over their sprawling empire but Aaron rips away the facade and shows life growing up as a Shi’ar warrior and how an act of compassion landed her on Earth in her current role.

 

Wolverine and the X-Men #13 courtesy Marvel.com

 Aaron takes Ava’dara’s attraction to Bobby Drake that started in Marjorie Liu’s first Astonishing X-Men arc and plays with that plot here even as the allies have become enemies. 

  Here’s hoping Gladiator survives but I have a newfound obsessive love for Warbird! Jonathan Hickman’s new Avengers series is said have a huge cast and he favors the old school cosmic epics so maybe Gladiator or Warbird might turn up on his book. And given the cosmic direction Marvel movies are going maybe we’ll see the Shi’ar Empire in an Avengers sequel or if a Guardians of the Galaxy movie happens?

By Editor

Kitty Pryde Takes Charge of Ultimate X-Men

Ultimate Comics: X-Men #14 courtesy Marvel.com

  Ultimate Comics: X-Men #14 is out this week. Brian Wood takes the mutants into the Divided We Fall crossover fighting against a Sentinel controlled America. Kitty Pryde is thrust into a leadership role and sports a new look.

  “Kitty’s new costume was an idea of mine that Jorge Molina kindly made into reality, and it’s entirely about supporting events in the story. It’s part of Kitty’s new no-hiding, no-label, no-codename philosophy—almost an anti-costume. For her to have anything else would be in opposition to the story. I generally like costumes when they feel real and are practical, that look like human hands made them. I don’t have total control over them, of course, these aren’t my characters, but whenever possible that’s the approach I’ll take.”

  “She makes herself a good leader. At first, she decides this is what she wants and then goes out and literally takes it; she aggressively becomes this mutant revolutionary, this freedom fighter. And I’m using those terms in an old school, 20th century way, shades of Che [Guevara] and of Malcolm X—people out to reclaim power from the occupiers, nothing more. And before anyone starts getting alarmed at those references, they’re not meant to be literal.”

 

Ultimate Comics: X-Men #16 courtesy Marvel.com

 Wood and Kitty take command in time for the Divided We Fall crossover with the rest of the Ultimate books. For the entire interview here’s the Marvel.com link.

By Editor

A Geek’s Dream: Emma Frost & Her Avenging X-Men?

  Disclaimer: This is just the raving speculation of an excited geek!

 

Astonishing X-Men #18 courtesy Marvel

  I love Jean Grey in every carnation (original, copy, post cocoon, dead, resurrected, etc) but Emma Frost was the best thing to happen to Scott Summers and the X-Men. Grant Morrison wedged Cyclops and Jean apart during his New X-Men run. Joss Whedon brought them together in Astonishing X-Men. Matt Fraction and Kieron Gillen developed Emma into a ruthless heroine capable of throwing one-liners as sharp as her diamond hard skin. Emma has kept secrets within secrets that come back to haunt her (Sebastian Shaw.) Now the Phoenix is ripping her away from Cyclops.

 The former White Queen’s road to redemption is one of my favorite character arcs in comic book history. Emma switched her allegiance to the X-Men and pledged her love to Scott but it was always too easy for her to fall back into her ruthless ways (Dark X-Men) to accomplish her goals. Kieron Gillen has ramped up the sexual tension between Emma and Namor. The Phoenix Force is attracted to, feeding off of and fueling the sparks between the former lovers. That passion is about to explode future chapters of Avengers vs. X-Men. It was only a matter of time but I think the Emma/Scott era is about to be over.

Avengers vs X-Men #11 courtesy Marvel

  This week’s Marvel NOW! announcement of an Uncanny Avengers title featuring Children of the Atom and Earth’s Mightiest Heroes will include Cyclops. The original Jean Grey is arriving from the past to star in an All-New X-Men. I can see Emma not fitting in with this new world order and thus the Avenging X-Men will be born.

  Emma Frost – mutant leader who isn’t quick to mend fences with the Avengers and still believes only mutants will truly be dedicated to protecting fellow mutants.

  Magneto – the Red Skull is reborn with an anti-mutant agenda. The legacy of the holocaust and the Nazi symbolism surrounding the Red Skull will ignite Erik’s painful past and make him pledge his allegiance with Frost.

  Storm – rival queens may find a reason to unite in the post AvX world? Ororo and T’Challa’s marriage may be over and she distrusts Cyclops and Wolverine. 

  Frenzy – it will be easy for Magneto’s former Acolyte to rejoin him plus Joanna and Emma may be sharing bitter heartbreak caused by Cyclops.

  Again, this is just speculation. Only Marvel knows the post AvX fate of Emma Frost I just know the Marvel Universe is sexier and edgier with her in it.

By Editor

 

Marvel NOW! All-New X-Men

Marvel NOW! image by Joe Quesada courtesy Marvel and EW

  One of the most controversial elements of the Marvel NOW! relaunch is the return of Jean Grey and a new X-Men book by Brian Michael Bendis. Regenesis was just a year ago in which Uncanny X-Men was relaunched with a new #1 and Wolverine and the X-Men debuted. Now the man who reshaped and guided the Avengers franchise for 8 years is taking on the Children of the Atom. This is the original five X-Men (Cyclops, Marvel Girl, Beast, Angel, Iceman)from the 60’s transported to the present day. These teens do not like what they say.

“The X-Men is a tough nut to crack,” Brian Michael Bendis tells Entertainment Weekly. “It’s the Robert Altman movie of comics. There’s thousands of characters, all of which have a website dedicated just to them. I wanted to make sure I had a take that was unique.” So when it came time to plan for Marvel NOW!, Bendis — who’s been Marvel’s go-to Avengers guy for close to eight years — remembered an idea that had been floating around the Marvel writers’ retreats for a long time. “It was about the original X-Men. If they saw what the Marvel universe was now…well, it’s so much worse than the Days of Future Past that they’re always worried about. This would scare the crap out of them.”

  Jean Grey in all her incarnations is one of the most beloved characters. It was a question of when she would come back from the dead (again.)

Jean Grey image by Joe Quesada courtesy Entertainment Weekly

  “It’s the one thing X-Men fans have always asked for is: They want Jean Grey back. But they want Jean Grey. Not reincarnated Jean, or the ghost of Jean. Well, you’re getting Jean back. And Jean is gonna be looking at a world that rattles her.”

  Stuart Immonen (New Avengers, Fear Itself) is the artist on the title debuting in November. For more of the Bendis interview here’s the EW link.

 By Editor

Avengers vs X-Men Final Act “There Can Only Be One”

AvX #9 teaser courtesy Marvel

  It’s a one-two cosmic teaser punch hinting at the return of a fan favorite mutant. Earlier today EW revealed a Jean Grey teaser image. Now Marvel revealed this teaser image for the third and final act of the Avengers vs X-Men event.

  The Phoenix emblem worn by Jean Grey is blazing in cosmic fire as the hands of (X-Men?) are reaching for it with the slogan “There Can Only Be One.”

Here’s the solicitation accompanying the image:

  This August, the comic book event of the year – Avengers VS. X-Men – reaches critical mass as Earth’s Mightiest make their last stand against the Phoenix Force. But when the Phoenix Force yearns for a single host, who will it choose? There can only be one! Act Three kicks off in Avengers Vs. X-Men #9.

Expect more teasers and reveals between now and Comicon International but enjoy the speculation.

By Editor

Is Jean Grey Returning After Avengers vs. X-Men?

Jean Grey image by Joe Quesada courtesy Entertainment Weekly

  The Phoenix is back. The entity was destined to bond with Hope Summers but (due to Iron Man’s intervention) is hosted by the Phoenix Five (Cyclops, Emma Frost, Colossus, Magik and Namor.) Another famous mutant with red hair may be back.

 Entertainment Weekly unveiled a tease with art by Marvel CEO Joe Quesada sure to get X-Men fans in a frenzy!

Here’s what’s accompanies the image: 

   To answer your questions: Yes, this is Jean Grey — as in, the Jean Grey who’s been absent from Marvel comics ever since dying for a second time back in the mid-00s. And yes, she is modeling her vintage blue-and-yellow X-Men outfit from her Marvel Girl days. Does this mean that the fan-favorite character is finally returning? We can only confirm that her presence in the Marvel universe will not be imaginary. This will not be part of the Ultimate line-up. She will not be a zombie hologram, like Shard on X-Factor. What could this all mean? Check back tomorrow, when all the secrets will be revealed. (Or some of them, anyhow.)

  EW characterizes the Jean Grey news as part of “an upcoming initiative by Marvel Comics that will build off the current Avengers vs. X-Men crossover and radically alter the Marvel universe as you know it,”

Thanks to Comics Newsarama.

Phoenix: Endsong #1 Cover by Greg Land. Marvel.com

 The “return” of Jean Grey? The former host of the Phoenix Force died (a second time depending on how you look at it) in New X-Men #150. Jean ascended to a higher plane (the white hot room) and encouraged Scott to be with rival Emma Frost and rebuild the school – thus preventing a horrific future.

 I’ve been speculating that the Scott/Emma era may be over and that Cyclops will be sacrificed or face a heavy loss before Avengers vs X-Men is over. Namor wants Emma. Cyclops would never commit to her – as in propose. An upcoming AvX cover image shows Scott and Emma in Phoenix forms attacking each other. Marvel may be plotting cosmic level breakup! 

  As I posted back in November – I love you Jean. I hope you stay dead. I may be in the minority on this issue. Let the speculation begin.

By Editor

 

Gladiator’s Cosmic Throwdown with the X-Men Updated!

 

Wolverine and the X-Men #13 courtesy Marvel.com

  An outer space army has come to earth to kill X-Men! Gladiator is here to snuff out the Phoenix Force and rescue his son. Wait until he finds out what Wolverine did to Kid Gladiator? Nick Bradshaw is bringing the cosmic conflict to life in Wolverine and the X-Men #13. Marvel.com revealed some of Bradshaw’s kinetic and color packed pages.

  Remember the first time you saw Gladiator and the Shi’ar Imperial Guard? I was a very young geek. Chris Claremont, John Byrne and Terry Austin had already blown my mind with what would become the Dark Phoenix Saga. As I opened Uncanny X-Men #137 to see my favorite heroes on an alien spacecraft surrounded by Empress Lilandra and her Imperial Guard. This elite squadron of the most powerful alien warriors dedicated was led by a muscle-bound alien with mohawk. Gladiator (real name Kallark) was created by Claremont and Dave Cockrum. He had an array of powers like Superman and carried a noble air. Gladiator remains one of the coolest creations I ever saw in a comic book.

Wolverine and the X-Men #13 courtesy Marvel.com

   Gladiator has fought with and against the X-Men to protect the universe from the Phoenix. Emperor Kallark now leads the Shi’ar Empire and his son is at Wolverine’s school – protected by Warbird. The Phoenix is back on Earth. Gladiator and his alien army have come to save his son and take on the Phoenix Five.

 

Wolverine and the X-Men #13 courtesy Marvel.com

  The tease for this issue also promises to reveal more about Warbird’s past. This is my favorite X-book. Jason Aaron has been knocking my out with each issue. Nick Bradshaw’s art has an Art Adams vibe.

  This Avengers vs X-Men tie-in chapter comes out in July. Gladiator beat down Colossus in the Dark Phoenix Saga but a Phoenix powered Colossus may be the warrior’s biggest challenge. Here’s hoping Kallark survives!

Wolverine and the X-Men #13 courtesy Marvel.com

  A post-thought: given the cosmic direction Marvel movies are going maybe we’ll see the Shi’ar Empire in an Avengers sequel or if a Guardians of the Galaxy movie happens?

By Editor

X-Treme X-Men Reunion

 

X-treme X-Men #1 courtesy Marvel.com

  This new X-Treme X-Men #1 variant revealed on Marvel.com inspires great X-memories for me. Salvador Larroca is one of my favorite artists and this marks a homecoming of sorts for the Spanish creator. The new X-Treme X-Men debuting in July is a team of mutants from various dimensions by Greg Pak and Stephen Segovia. Dazzler, Kid Nightcrawler, Emmiline Frost and Captain Howlett (an alternate version of Wolverine) will venture through time and space to save the multiverse. This series is a spinoff of Pak’s Astonishing X-Men run.

X-Treme X-Men #1 Vol 1 courtesy Marvel

 Larroca teamed with legendary Chris Claremont on the first incarnation of X-Treme X-Men featuring Storm, Gambit, Rogue, Psylocke, Sage, Bishop as globetrotting team in search of Destiny’s Diaries. I have this #1 issue in a frame on my mantle. Larroca later joined Peter Milligan on X-Men with weird tales like Golgotha, The Blood of Apocalypse and Bizarre Love Triangle: Mystique’s “foxxy” infiltration of the team. Larroca even worked on Chuck Austen’s X-Men’s run.

Uncanny X-Men #174 courtesy Marvel

Ed Brubaker welcomes Larroca back on Uncanny X-Men for his Morlock storyline. Larroca always seems to be evolving his style. His interpretation of Storm in particular.

Since 2008 Larroca has worked with Matt Fraction on Invincible Iron Man. I highly recommend newuniversal by Warren Ellis. With the rumored creative changes coming to Marvel’s main books perhaps Larroca will return to an X-Men book but until then let’s Marvel at this gorgeous cover.

By Editor