Sam Humphries and Ron Garney relaunch the covert X-team book this week. Uncanny X-Force #1 stars Psylocke, Storm, Spiral, Puck and a brand new (sorta) good bad girl: Cluster!
In the finale of the previous series Fantomex’s three brains were born again in three different clone bodies. Sam Humphries tells Comic Book Resources which of the three will appear in the new volume:
“We knew when I started plotting the new ‘Uncanny X-Force’ that Rick was going to split Fantomex in three, and we also knew that he planned on ‘killing’ Fantomex for a certain number of issues. We didn’t want to undercut that though. So that’s why we’ve been very coy about Fantomex, the identity of Cluster and how and why they’re involved in the book. We wanted the end of Rick’s run to have as much impact as possible.
So we can finally reveal that Fantomex is in the new ‘Uncanny X-Force.’ Both Fantomex and Cluster are in issue #1 and joining the rest of the crew in this new era of mutant ninja noir. We can also reveal that Cluster is not a ‘Lady Fantomex’ or ‘She-Fantomex.’ She’s the cloned third brain of Fantomex; an aspect of what used to be ‘Fantomex Prime’ now split off into an individual person.”
Uncanny X-Force #1 courtesy Marvel
“Cluster is the nicest and most nurturing of Fantomex’s brains, but that doesn’t mean she’s the most heroic. I don’t know if heroic is quite the right word to apply to any Fantomex. To some people saying you are the nicest version of Fantomex may be like saying you are the tallest version of Danny Devito,” Humphries said with a laugh. “‘Fantomex Prime,’ or the old Fantomex, was constantly wrestling with the three sides of his personality. He had Fantomex, Cluster, and Jean Philipe. Jean Philipe being the dark, evil sentinel brain within him. Cluster calls herself ‘the nicest’ and that’s certainly true. She’s the most loving and most in touch with her feelings and her emotions. She’s not the rakish, devil-may-care, Fantomex.””All three Fantomexes have feelings for Betsy, and all three Fantomexes are still Fantomex,” the writer remarked. “So you’ll see the immediate ramifications of how that dynamic plays out in the first issue of ‘Uncanny X-Force.’ It will be something that we’re going to play with in the long-term future of the book.”
Uncanny X-Force #1 hits comic shops tomorrow.
By Editor
Op: So does this mean Betsy and Fantomex could rekindle their attraction but in a very different way? How very Trill Love aka Jadzia Dax of Deep Space Nine could that be?
Uncanny X-Force reloads this week with a new creative team pulling the trigger! Psylocke takes command and recruits Storm, Spiral, Puck of Alpha Flight and Cluster. Sam Humphries and Ron Garney take over after an acclaimed run by Rick Remender. Humphries and Editor Nick Lowe revealed the battle plan Marvel.com as the squad faces a old friend in the first arc.
Uncanny X-Force #1 courtesy Marvel
Wolverine has been the leader of both recent incarnations of the team. Humphries will tell how the title will pass from Logan to Psylocke.
“Something develops between Wolverine and Betsy that kicks off the whole formation of the team. He’s moved on to a new era in his life. That’s a story other people are telling. Despite that, there’s something about X-Force and what it represents that Wolverine will always respond to; not just the killing, but being an outside and on the fringes.”
“Even though this is a new era for X-Force, we’re not ignoring what has come before. Where Betsy is in her life is one of the strongest threads we pick up from Rick (Remender). She’s not satisfied with her life. Her and Storm have a lot to bond over. She’s a survivor on a lot of levels. I’m fascinated by all the changes she’s gone through in Rick’s run, to explore those and put her front and center. It’s her time to shine.”
Over the years the X-Force concept has evolved to fit the changing Marvel Universe.
“Taking the last idea and morping into something new is the X-Force tradition, from the 90’s to Pete Milligan and Mike Allred to Craig Kyle and Chris Yost to Rick. I’m excited to present stories from the mutant end of the Marvel Universe you can’t find anywhere else. This is a new line-up, a bunch of characters in a complex web with a complex history really together for the first time exploring the dark shadows of the Marvel Universe that don’t get touched on in Uncanny Avengers or All-New X-Men.”
“In a world where Rogue and Sunfire are Avengers, where Wolverine is running a prep school, there still has to be a dark side to this bright world.”
Uncanny X-Force #1 courtesy Marvel
One of the biggest shocks from the teaser poster is Storm’s new “old” look. Ororo is sporting her Mohawk again. She hasn’t worked a mohawk since the Chris Claremont/Paul Smith/John Romita Jr era. Humphries explains why he went retro with Ororo.
“I will take full credit for the return of Storm’s mohawk. I have more knowledge of the X-Men than I do of the United States. I am an old school fan. It’s a dream to not only be on an X-Men book, but one where I can touch on stuff we haven’t seen in awhile. The first time Storm had a mohawk, it was about the transformation she had been going through, coming down from the goddess pedestal. The mohawk is a symptom of the transformations in Storm’s life. She’s now going through an even bigger transformation. She was a goddess and a queen who got unceremoniously dumped, in my opinion. The future that she banked on is no longer there. Her family in the X-Men has changed. None of her friends are the same. She has to redefine herself and get back to the core of who she is.”
The new roster is full of tough women…and Puck?
“Puck has been a lot of fun to write. My biggest surprise,”
“Puck will be a breakout character,” added Editor Nick Lowe, “What Fantomex was to Rick’s Uncanny X-Force, Puck will be here. This isn’t a little guy who bounces around like a bowling ball, he’s a force to be reckoned with. This is a heroic take on Puck.”
Spiral was created by Ann Nocenti in the Longshot limited series then joined the Brotherhood (and most recently Sisterhood) of Evil Mutants. Spiral and Betsy share a long twisted history as both victims of Mojo. So why is Spiral working with X-Men?
“The hero of anybody who has played Marvel Vs. Capcom 2, Spiral is front and center in Uncanny X-Force. She’s a deadly fighter from a crazy sci fi world. She’s trapped on Earth and needs to come up with a way to survive life on the fringe. She can’t be an Avenger, she can’t got to the Jean Grey School, she can’t join up with Cyclops; she doesn’t belong anywhere. She needs to decide where she’s going to be, which puts her on a collision with Storm and Betsy, and longtime fans know Spiral and Betsy have a long unpleasant history. The two of them spending more than 10 seconds together without drawing blood is a challenge. She’s been a villain, a great villain, but you’re going to see anew side of her. She’s a victim of Mojo, like so many others. We’ll see a little bit more of a grey area in Spiral.”
The first enemy this new X-Force will face is former X-Man Bishop.
“How and why Bishop comes back will have a huge impact on the team. It’s a situation they can’t walk away from. Bishop is such a great character who has had so many roles. I’m excited to take him on after he’s been gone for two years our time, stranded in the future. He went to great lengths to try to murder a little girl because he believed it was the right thing to do. Having failed to do that and coming to terms with the fact that maybe he was wrong is going to change a man. We’re going to see a Bishop who at his core is the same person, but who has been through a lot since we’ve last seen him.”
Uncanny X-Force #1 courtesy Marvel
Ever since Messiah Complex the new X-Force has done the dirty work, wetwork and covert missions the other X-Men shouldn’t know about.
“How these characters feel about killing and black ops and their place in the Marvel Universe will be affected by the end of Rick’s run and where we begin here.”
“This is the book where we go to the dark places in the Marvel Universe. Sam calls it Mission Impossible or James Bond if it were directed by David Lynch,” said Lowe.
Uncanny X-Force #2 courtesy Marvel
“Of all the books that have Uncanny in the title, this one will be the Uncanny-est of them all. If the X-Men are feared by mankind, Uncanny X-Force deals with the stuff that’s feared by the X-Men.”
Earlier teasers made it seem like Psyocke would lead the team but Humphries says that role may change.
“In my mind, Psylocke is as strong in the Marvel Universe as Wolverine or Rogue or Storm. Who’s calling the shots? That’s an open character. We’ve got at least one other character on the team with leadership potential in Storm. They’re friends, they’re both working through things and changing. We’ll see.”
“Gender, race and nationality are all things we thought about when making this team. It’s a team of outsiders. But then again, it wasn’t any sort of affirmative action. It’s about the team dynamic and previous relationships.”
Uncanny X-Force #3 courtesy Marvel
There are two X-Force teams in the Marvel Now. Will this team interact with Cable and X-Force by Dennis Hopeless?
“As far as my team is concerned, they are the ONLY X-Force team. If these two teams ever intersect, it’s gonna be heavy! Dennis Hopeless smells!” said Humphries, “Right off the bat, you’ve got Cable leading one team and Bishop fighting the other. Those two cannot be on the same planet in the same year without trying to beat the crap out of each other. Let’s just say those two have unfinished business.”
For the entire liveblog here’s the Marvel.com link.
Uncanny X-Force #1 blasts into comic book shops this week!
Taylor Kitsch and Lynn Collins in Disney's John Carter
Disney’s John Carter (Taylor Kitsch) will be swinging his sword on the big screen next month. Fans of the legendary character can enjoy a new comic book adventure. Sam Humphries is an up and coming writer at Marvel on double duty. Humphries will become co-writer of Ultimate Comics: Ultimates with Jonathan Hickman and writer of John Carter: The Gods of Mars. The series is set a decade after events in the movie. Humphries spoke with Marvel.com about the hero’s time away from Mars.
John Carter: The Gods of Mars #1 courtesy Marvel.com
“Every year sticks in his ribs like a knife that won’t stop turning. At some point during his first trip to Mars, it stopped being the place that trapped him, and started becoming the place he fell in love. The planet that used to be his prison became his home, and vice versa. Now that he’s back on Mars, he’ll do anything to be reunited with his true love, Dejah Thoris.”
The limited series picks up right after events of the first novel, A Princess of Mars, exploring the world of Barsoom and mythology of the Martians.
John Carter: The Gods of Mars #3
“There’s a lot to contrast between John and all the societies that populate Mars. He’s an earthling, an American, a soldier. His sense of independence and freedom runs deep. John Carter is a great character to throw into the complex layers of interlocking civilizations; just by being in their midst he illuminates so much about them—and so much about himself. How he compares to the Martian gods themselves is integral to the core of the book—a key theme I’ll keep to myself for now.”
Ramon Perez is the artist while Julian Totino Todescro provides covers for the series. For the entire interview here’s the Marvel.com link.
