Sam Humphries (Legendary Star-Lord) writes the first bookend issue that leads into Guardians of the Galaxy, All-New X-Men, Cyclops, Captain Marvel and Nova. The writer explains how this cosmic object draws in multiple heroes and powerful villains.
“The Black Vortex is an ancient artifact with the power to unlock the cosmic potential within yourself. Imagine the metamorphosis that turned Norrin Radd into the Silver Surfer, or Jean Grey into Dark Phoenix, available to anyone in the Marvel Universe.
But, of course, no amount of power comes without a cost—the Black Vortex makes its first appearance in The Legendary Star-Lord #5!” Humphries told Marvel.com.
“What happens when one person submits to the Black Vortex and becomes a titan of the cosmos? What happens when a whole team does it? Or a whole planet? We open the story ten billion years ago, at the birth of the Marvel Universe, and see what a Pandora’s Box the Black Vortex can be.
But against that epic scale, we’re grounding the story in the deeply personal conflict each character will go through just by encountering the Black Vortex.”
Ed McGuinness will be the artist on the bookend chapters.
Legendary Star-Lord #1 by David Marquez courtesy Marvel
Peter Quill flies solo in Legendary Star-Lord #1 this week. The leader of Guardians of the Galaxy stars in his own title by Sam Humphries (Uncanny X-Force, Avengers A.I.) and Paco Medina.
“This book is going to be Peter’s adventures untethered from the Guardians, where he gets to play a little more fast and loose in the cosmic playground,” Humphries told Marvel.com. Continue reading LEGENDARY STAR-LORD Blasts Off
Psylocke in her new Uncanny X-Force uniform courtesy Marvel
Psylocke has never been better.
Stronger. More resourceful. More powerful. More passionate and tragic.
Ok – she’s angry too but Elizabeth has never been written better than in recent years. I loved how Rick Remender wrote Betsy’s epic romance with Archangel during his Uncanny X-Force run and now Sam Humphries is taking the tragic, twisted romance of Betsy and Fantomex into new directions while revealing some “lost moments” between the lovers.
“Yes, we saw a change in Betsy emotionally between the end of Rick Remender’s volume of “Uncanny X-Force” and my new volume. Those changes are definitely connected to what happened between Betsy Continue reading UNCANNY X-FORCE: Psylocke’s Lost Time Revealed!
In the aftermath of Age of Ultron – Hank Pym will be on the road to redemption and leading a team of Marvel’s mightiest artificial intelligences. Marvel shared new images and covers for Avengers A.I. #1 and writer Sam Humphries explains the original Avenger’s role and his squad’s mission:
“As for the new team, it’s just a blast of excitement and nerves for Hank. Remember, Hank was there on day one of the Avengers, and he was a member of West Coast Avengers as well. I think the opportunity to assemble—sorry—a new team is like another chance to get it right, another chance to be a force for good in the world. It’s like that Continue reading AVENGERS A.I. Preview!
Uncanny X-Force #1 is X-Men with a twisted dose of nastiness and attitude swirling in those mutant genes. New writer Sam Humphries doesn’t try to follow in Rick Remender’s trail but uses what’s happened before to launch into new concepts and settings with new characters and favorites moving in new directions.
Psylocke and Storm are working out some “issues” in this adventure that takes them into a seedy, drug fueled Los Angeles underworld where they encounter Puck, Spiral and a new threat that may be behind a hive mind of drug addicted ravers.
Humphries reveals the aftermath of the previous Uncanny X-Force finale and how Wolverine and Elizabeth’s relationship and roles have changed. I like the way Humphreys writes Ororo as Betsy’s “wingman” so to speak. Storm has issues of her own to work out. I love seeing the driven, passionate Psylocke – especially when she unloads on Spiral. Those two women have a serious history of hurt. I didn’t mind but I definitely noticed that Humphies has Betsy cursing like she’s in an X-Men flick by Quentin Tarantino.
I loved Puck’s introduction, the new costume designs by Kris Anka, Ron Garney’s 90’s vibe art and the naughty surprise on the final page. This book has edge, an attitude and I’m ready for more.
Uncanny X-Force goes into action with a new volume this month. Sam Humphries and Ron Garney relaunch the covert X-team with Psylocke, Storm, Spiral, Puck and a new character called Cluster? In Rick Remender’s Uncanny X-Force finale the fate of Fantomex and Cluster was revealed.
Before I keep going here’s a:
SPOILER ALERT
IF YOU HAVE NOT READY UNCANNY X-FORCE #35 DO NOT KEEP READING
OK
HERE IT COMES:
In Uncanny X-Force #35 Fantomex’s three brains were born again in three different clone bodies. Sam Humphries tells Comic Book Resources two of those three will appear in the new volume of the series:
Uncanny X-Force #3 courtesy Marvel
“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.”
“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.”
The team battles Bishop in the first arc. Uncanny X-Force #1 hits comic shops on January 16th.
Uncanny X-Force relaunches in 2013 with a new creative team and new roster. Psylocke takes command and recruits Storm, Spiral, Puck of Alpha Flight and a new character named Cluster. Sam Humphries and Ron Garney take over after an acclaimed run by Rick Remender. Humphries and Editor Nick Lowe talked about the future of the team, shared new art from Garney and variant covers from Kris Anka on Marvel.com. Humphries revealed his plans after Remender’s The Final Execution finale.
“I am on pins and needles for Rick Remender’s final issue of Uncanny X-Force. It’s so good. So many big things happen. I’ve been privy to it for awhile now and kept my mouth shut. I’ve been a fan of Rick’s run long before Marvel knew who I was, let alone was stupid enough to offer me a gig. The last couple issues are the equivalent of walking off the stage and dropping the microphone.”
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.”
“It’s difficult to talk about Psylocke without spoiling Rick’s last issue. 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. 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
As for Cluster – she looks like a female Fantomex?
“We have a lot of surprises and tricks up our sleeves. We haven’t even talked about Lady Fantomex or our other villains,” said Lowe.
“I wish I could say more about Cluster other than that she’s dressed like Fantomex,” Humphries added.
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
In 2013 the Marvel Now will have two X-Force teams. 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.
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-Forcein January, 2013.
