My X-MEN: Days of Future Past Wish List

Uncanny X-Men #141 courtesy Marvel.com

With the exciting news that Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen will join the cast of X-Men: Days of Future Pastmy geeky brain starting thinking of what else would make this sequel even more thrilling for longtime X-fans:

Hugh Jackman leading the real Last Stand! In the classic Days of Future Past storyline Logan leads the underground resistance in a future North America ruled by Sentinels.  Magneto, Storm, Colossus and Kitty Pryde (now Kate Rasputin) are the only surviving X-Men. The heroes eventually break out of their concentration camp and join Logan on a suicide raid on Sentinel headquarters. Hugh Jackman is now in talks to join the film.

 

Uncanny X-Men #466 courtesy Marvel

Rachel Summers! The daughter of Scott and Jean is the key to the story. Rachel is telepathic and telekinetic like her mother and uses her psionic powers to send Kate’s mind into the present day body of a younger Kitty Pryde who must convince the X-Men to prevent an assassination that will lead to this dark future. Bryce Dallas Howard (yes I know she’s already been in a Spidey movie) would be perfect as tragic daughter of Scott and Jean. Rachel was forced to be a “Hound” and track down fellow mutants. In the comic books Rachel escaped the future and went into the past became the new Phoenix and joined the X-Men. She currently teaches as the Jean Grey School.

Franklin Richards! The last surviving member of the Fantastic Four is in love with Rachel. The son of Reed and Susan Storm Richards is in the camp with the surviving X-Men and I won’t reveal his final fate. Mark Millar’s new role as Creative Consultant for the Fox controlled Marvel franchises includes the upcoming reboot of Fantastic Four. This film could serve as a reboot point for both franchises similar to J.J. Abrams’s Star Trek.

Kitty Pryde/Kate Rasputin! Could Singer recruit Ellen Page to reprise her role? In the future Kate is married to Colossus (as it should be!) but agrees to have her mind travel into the past to rally the X-Men to stop a chain of events leading to the dark future. I think this is unlikely given the time period of the previous film.

Frenzy! I think the movie version will still have a Brotherhood of Mutants attempt to assassinate a Senator. The killing leads to the creation of the Sentinels. Magneto (Michael Fassbender) and Mystique (Jennifer Lawrence) will need new members of their Brotherhood. Why not have the gorgeous and formidable Frenzy aka Joanna Cargill on the roster? This would be a good way to have an African-American character in this retro time period as a way to explore race relations and the human/mutant conflict. In the comics Frenzy is a former mutant terrorist (who followed Apocalypse and Magneto) but joined the staff of the Jean Grey School.

X-Factor #243 courtesy Marvel

Polaris! Before I knew the X-Men: First Class sequel would be Days of Future Past I was hoping Magneto’s children (Polaris, Quicksilver, Scarlet Witch) would appear in the sequel. Polaris aka Lorna Dane is a green haired mutant with magnetic powers and falls in love with Havok (played by Lucas Till.) Polaris is one of the most tragic characters in X-history and having her could lead to romantic scenes with Till and powerful scenes with the men who would be revealed as her father (Michael Fassbender, Ian McKellen.) I think maybe Lorna would be the mutant sent back to save the future instead of Kitty.

Halle Berry returns as Storm! Ororo joins Logan in his assault on the Sentinel HQ in the future. I would love to see Berry (and Daniel Cudmore as Colossus) join Hugh Jackman in what is one of the most gripping scenes from the comic book series as the older broken heroes go on a suicide mission to save humanity one last time.

I’m sure I’ll think of more!

By Editor

 

Kitty Pryde and Iron Man?

A+X #2 courtesy Marvel

Will Tony Stark hit on Kitty Pryde?

A+X is a fun new series in the spirit of old school team-up books like (Marvel Team-Up which starred Spidey and a different guest star each issue and Marvel-Two-In-One which co-starred the Thing.) In the aftermath of Avengers versus X-Men this is a way to let the healing begin and for fans to enjoy some unlikely duos in action together.

This week A+X #2 brings together Iron Man and Kitty Pryde against the Brood! How will the genius inventor and the X-Men’s computer wiz defeat the alien invaders? Will playboy Tony Stark resist flirting with Kitty? Good thing she’s got a dragon to burn away Brood and unwanted suitors!

A+X #2 will feature Spider-Man and the Beast against…zombies? Maybe they should call Doctor Strange for a consult?

By Editor

Halloween Flashback! Kitty’s Nightmare Before Christmas

Uncanny X-Men 143 courtesy Marvel.com.

 

  Uncanny X-Men #143 is a classic confrontation that’s perfect for Halloween. This issue titled “Demon” is one of my favorite comic book chillers. It’s a true nightmare before Christmas as a rookie X-man is alone in the mansion being stalked by a N’Garai, a nasty hybrid of Alien and Michael Myers.

  Kitty Pryde had just joined Xavier’s School and this issue was a lesson in fear and determination. The youngest X-Man is terrified by the relentless demon then learns the hard way that her mutant phasing power will not save her from the otherworldly predator. Just like horror movie heroines Kitty uses the adrenaline and thinks on her feet to find way to kill the monster. I’m not giving anything anyway obviously because we know Kitty is alive and well – until the next villain goes after her.

  You should give this one issue thrill ride a go to see how Kitty survives. If you can’t find this single issue, this story is collected in Essential X-Men Volume 2 by Chris Claremont, which includes another creepy one issue story with Cyclops facing the demon, D’Spayre, and features a guest appearance by Man-Thing.

  This creepy cover image above features the art of John Byrne and Terry Austin. Check out Marvel.com for more of the X-Men’s clashes with these demons.

By Editor

Romance With Wolverine and the X-Men

Wolverine and the X-Men #25 courtesy Marvel

I was so excited by the preview art and upcoming stories in Wolverine and the X-Men that I had to divide it up in two posts. Jason Aaron mixes action and humor but let’s talk about love at the Jean Grey School.

Kitty Pryde and Bobby Drake? Quentin Quire and Idie? Toad and Husk? Jason Aaron took unlikely couples and started spinning some sweet, and often hilarious romances. And I was a devout Kitty/Colossus fan! Aaron acknowledges the Kitty/Colossus fan base.

“I know some of the hardcore X-Men fans want Kitty and Colossus, but to me, one of the big themes of Wolverine & The X-Men is change, these characters growing up. It’s a book about family, about moving from childhood into adulthood, and Kitty and Iceman fit that perfectly to me. Once they were both the X-Men kids and now they’re basically Professor X. They’re bonding over that. They’re not necessarily head over heels in love, but there’s something there they want to explore.” – Jason Aaron

Here’s what Aaron revealed about upcoming issues and how it might affect other budding sweethearts at the Jean Grey School.

Will Toad be heartbroken because “the core of issue #19 is that Husk has left the school so they’re hiring a new teacher. ”

“Even though Husk has left the main cast, her story is not over. She’ll pop up in a crazy location,” Aaron shared, ” And even though she’ll be out of the book, you can follow her on Twitter. A Twitter mini-series focusing on Husk, unfolding in real time!”

 

Wolverine and the X-Men #21 courtesy Marvel

Storm will become a teacher at the school. There is an upcoming cover in which Logan and Ororo kiss! Is this the latest power couple on campus?

“I’m a huge Storm fan, so when I knew the Utopia team was breaking up, I wanted to bring her in,” said Aaron, “I love having strong women in the book, so she joins Kitty and Rachel.”

Bobby has reached a new level of using his mutant power and confidence! Did you him kissing Kitty Pryde!

“We’ve been building for a while to Iceman and Kitty going on their first date, so we’ll see that,” teased Aaron, “There’s something going on with Logan and Storm as well. They have a long history.”

It’s not just the staff of the Jean Grey School hooking up! The tragic Idie may bring out the softer side of snarky Kid Omega. Aaron teased the romantic forecast among the students:

“There’s a lot of stuff to come with Idie and Quentin, not all romantic in nature. There’s lots to come with Genesis, our Kid Apocalypse. Rick Remender have talked a lot about him. We’ve been shaping that story for a couple of years and have stuff planned as far as 2014. There will also be a surprising relationship with one of the kids.”

Editor Nick Lowe said to expect Pixie to appear at the school. She won’t have a big role in the book but “will have a place in the Marvel Now.”

For the entire interview and new art here’s Marvel.com link. Here’s my first post about the Wolverine and the X-Men preview including stories in Savage land, Logan’s brother and the fate of Broo and more.

Update: Want to relive the many love and adventures of this cast? Here’s the link to the Wolverine and the X-Men Omnibus.

By Editor

Wolverine’s Brother, Jean Grey and More X-Men Plans

Wolverine and the X-Men #4 cover courtesy Marvel.com

  Wolverine and the X-Men became my favorite post-Schim X-book. Jason Aaron was pitch perfect balancing action with dark humor, romance, teen angst and ultimately a shocking tragedy.

It’s back to school time. Writer Jason Aaron and Editor Nick Lowe share their lesson plan for the students and staff of the Jean Grey School. One character that experienced huge growth was the arrogant heir to the Shi’ar throne. Kubark learned to love his human classmates and was humbled when his father was brutally beaten Continue reading Wolverine’s Brother, Jean Grey and More X-Men Plans

The Return of Jean Grey by Bendis

All New X-Men #1 courtesy Marvel

Will a blast from the past rekindle Xavier’s dream in the Marvel Now? The five original X-Men will be brought into the here and now in All-New X-Men by Brian Michael Bendis and Stuart Immonen. The original teens arrive to see their mentor killed by Cyclops. Their future is a nightmare. Imagine how the young Jean Grey will react when she learns the truth of how her life turned out?

The return of Jean has been teased for years but the idea of the original pre-Phoenix Jean was a surprise. Bendis talked with Marvel.com about how he sees this Jean Grey of the past.

  “I think she’s the quintessential X-Man. I think that’s why everyone gravitates to her so much. Her powers are unique; her powers are something she has to work on, something she has to control. Every time her powers build, it sets a new set of problems for her, and at the same time, a new set of goals and challenges that make her a better hero, And we know, as fans, that she has met with tragedy a couple of times, because of the rocky road of the mutants and the X-Men. In this story that I’m telling, we’re going to meet a Jean that is fully aware of everything that has happened to her, more than any of the other X-Men, and now we get to see how that information will inform her choices as a human, and as a mutant, and as a person, and as a girl going forward.

  It’s a very interesting challenge as a writer. I literally cannot stop writing her. It is absolutely fascinating. We know that Jean is a sweetheart, and we also know that Jean has an incredible edge to her. How will that edge manifest itself, knowing everything that she knows about the destiny of her life?”

All-New X-Men #5 courtesy Marvel

This is perhaps the biggest reveal – this Jean is not just pre-Phoenix but this is Jean before her mutant power manifested.

  “I don’t want to spoil too much, but when we meet Jean in this story, she is specifically brought here when she’s not telepathic, so it would make it more palpable for her to understand what’s happening. But the event of bringing her here unlocks her telepathy earlier than it had prior. She gets a shock to the system discovering that Scott Summers killed Professor Charles Xavier, and that she had died. She is witness to everything at once, so it’s not just elements of her life that is shocking her, it’s the accumulation of all of it.

  It’s literally like reading a Wikipedia page as fast as you can. It’s not just the facts of her life, but it is experiencing all of the emotions at once. Love from someone like Wolverine that she cannot reciprocate, to discover the rise and fall and rise and fall of Scott Summers, all of this happens to her in a flash. That I think is going to be the most shocking thing. It’s literally just her seeing Scott Summers standing next to Magneto. Remember, when they were 16, Magneto was Hitler. That’s what we’re gunning for.”

I loved this next question and response because I remember the relationship between Jean and Ororo during the Chris Claremont era. How will young Jean react to the modern-day X-women like Storm who was adult Jean’s closest friend.

  “And that’s not a best friendship that teenage Jean can reciprocate right now. But what you do get is her gravitating very strongly to Kitty Pryde because they are very much of the same cloth. And that’s what I’m saying: Jean Grey is now Jewish because I’m writing her [Laughs]. No, I’m joking. But it’s not just the other females. It’s a smorgasbord of species and mutations. Remember the original five X-Men, they’re all still pretty human looking, but walk into the Wolverine and the X-Men book, and half those kids are alien looking, if not full on alien. So it certainly is an eye opener.”

X-Men #1 courtesy Marvel

Bendis talks about how knowing Jean’s future history is part of the challenge of writing this young Jean in the Marvel Now.

  “She is the one that everyone wants back the most, and what’s great about this situation. She is the most interesting of the group. They’re all interesting, but because she will have the knowledge. Even if she tells them, “here’s what happens to us,” they’re not going to feel it like she feels it. She is just so interesting to write, Most of us that have read a Jean Grey story know that her dark side is a real thing, and seeing her pushed to limits like this will be interesting for people to see. Will she hold it together? Does she want to hold it together?”

  All-New X-Men arrives November 7th. For more of his interview here’s the Marvel.com link.

By Editor

President Captain America?

  An embattled and divided America unites and voters choose a war hero to lead them…a SUPER war hero!

 

 

SPOILER WARNING!

 

IF YOU HAVE NOT READ ULTIMATES COMICS ULTIMATES #15 AND #16 YOU MAY WANT TO STOP READING THIS POST

 

SERIOUSLY

 

OK HERE IT COMES

 

 

The Ultimate Comics United States was divided and fell. The Ultimate U.S.A. is about to stand as one nation under…Steve Rogers?

 

Ultimate Comics Ultimates #16 courtesy Marvel

One man will unite the country – President Captain America?

In this week’s Ultimate Comics Ultimates #16 Captain America is sworn in as President of the United States. Writer Sam Humphries tells Marvel.com about the making of this huge event for the book and the entire Ultimates universe.

 

Ultimate Comics Ultimates #16 courtesy Marvel

“Jonathan Hickman, my predecessor, very generously gave me all his notes for the title. There was a line in there about making Cap the president. It was an intimidating idea to pitch to Marvel, especially on my first big book. But the more I talked about it with editorial, the more we all became convinced it was the right story to do.”

Humphries explains how this story will play out.

“Cap is a soldier, not a politician. He’s not trying to make a career change. He’s answering the call of the people. They want him to do a job—unite America—and he’s going to do anything he can to do it.”

 

Ultimate Comics Ultimates #16 courtesy Marvel

What kind of President will Steve Rogers be?

“This isn’t the first time Cap has answered the call of an America in crisis. He’s not going to let the presidency change who he is; he’s going to do the job he was elected to do.”

Mutants of the Ultimate Universe have had it particularly hard thanks to the Sentinels. Brian Wood writes Ultimate Comics X-Men. Wood tells Comic Book Resources the new leader of the free world will reach out the leader of the mutant underground.

“Captain America and Kitty Pryde will sit down and talk about what the future holds for mutants in this fractured America he needs to put back together. That’s all I can say right now, since this is where the future of this title starts, in that actual meeting. You’ll see in November.”

This is the same comic book line that killed most of the X-Men and Fantastic Four, has the U.S. defeated by its foreign enemies and inspired the alien warrior seen in The Avengers movie. Humphries explains why this election could only happen in this universe.

“In the Ultimate Comics Universe we do stories with iconic characters you can’t find anywhere else—in the Marvel Universe, the movies, video games, anywhere. President Cap fits that definition by shaking up Steve Roger’s status quo in a radical fashion, and hopefully getting to know him in new ways.”

For more of Humphries interview here’s the Marvel.com link.

In the Marvel Comics Universe Captain America is still leader of The Avengers and not entering politics.

Humphries (Higher Earth, Fanboys vs. Zombies) is launching a brand new Uncanny X-Force in January, 2013.

By Editor

Jet City Comic Show Reunion With Kitty Pryde and Colossus

photo by ComicsBlend.com

Jet City Comic Show is a back to basics one day of comics and costumes in Seattle.

photo by ComicsBlend.com

It was a reunion with my favorite X-Men couple (Seattle’s own Kitty Pryde and Colossus.) Since I last saw this costumed couple at Emerald City Comicon the cosplay couple has added some fine touches.

photo by ComicsBlend.com

Kitty is now sporting Lockheed the dragon and Peter is has an optic option to give him the complete organic steel look!

 

photo by ComicsBlend.com

By Editor