Friday, September 30, 2011

"Dark Angel Saga" Sets Stage for Lapham's "Point One" Story

CBR: Marvel has released a fifth teaser image for November's "Point One" one-shot, this time revealing a bit of art from David Lapham and Roberto de la Torre's chapter in the oversized anthology. Presenting the most inscrutable illustration of the bunch, la Torre's image pictures a group of unfamiliar, unnamed characters, though the female carries sais, not unlike Elektra, and the man to her left bears some resemblance to Crossbones. The characters are X-linked as the updated press release tells fans the story spins straight out of "Uncanny X-Force's" Dark Angel Saga with more information coming during New York comic-Con's X-Men: Regenesis panel on October 16.

This follows the week's previous teasers, each highlighting other creative teams' contributions to the anthology designed to set the stage for the next year of Marvel Universe stories: a possible Scarlet Spider return by Chris Yost and Ryan Stegman, Matt Fraction and Terry Dodson's Defenders, Brian Michael Bendis and Bryan Hitch's tale starring multiple Ultrons and Jeph Loeb and Ed McGuinness' story featuring Nova.

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Psylocke by Mahmud A. Asrar


Psylocke sketch by comic book artist Mahmud A. Asrar 
(Avengers: Initiative, Realm Of Kings)

Monday, September 26, 2011

Fear Itself: Uncanny X-Force #3 Spoilers

Spoilers from X-Man's Comic Blog: Thanks to Fantomex's misdirection, coupled with Psylocke's telepathy, the two heroes manage to trick the Purifier they were tangling with last issue into believing that he had successfully blown himself up and was allowed into Heaven. After the Purifier reveals that Standish was headed to New York where his brain bomb would kill everybody within a 25 square mile radius, Psylocke breaks the fantasy and Fantomex proceeds to shoot the Purifier in the head. Now knowing where Standish was headed, Fantomex and Psylocke hop into EVA, collect the rest of X-Force and fly towards NYC. Standish is slowly flying into Manhattan, and is being pursued by two US Air Force fighter jets. After Standish fails to turn around, the jets launch missiles at Standish's airplane, which Wolvie orders Fantomex to intercept with EVA since he feared the missiles would detonate Standish's brain bomb. Fantomex unhappily does as asked and EVA gets knocked out, causing all of X-Force (except for Fantomex, who was still hooked up to EVA) to fall out of the ship. Archangel goes to catch Psylocke, but Wolvie instead instructs him to stop Standish's plane, telling Archangel that he'd cushion the fall for Psylocke with his own body. Pool, Wolvie and Psylocke smash down onto a rooftop, while Fantomex manages to land EVA in the streets of NY in one piece. As for Standish and his plane, Archangel lands on top and cuts the wings off, which causes the plane's body to slam down in the street right in front of St. Patrick's Cathedral. Standish emerges from his damaged plane and takes the sight of the Cathedral as a sign that he was doing the right thing before pulling out a gun. Archangel tells Standish it was all over, but ends up getting shot by Standish. Standish walks back in the plane and prepares to push the button to blow the brain bomb up, but has his hand chopped off by Deadpool. Standish falls to the ground and is surrounded by X-Force, at which time he tries to explain that he only wanted to save humanity from the evils of superhumans and their ilk. Wolvie tells Standish that the world would be better off without him and lops his head off.

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

December X-Solicits Update: Uncanny X-Force #19 & X-Men #22 Covers

    
Uncanny X-Force #19 by Rafael Grampá & X-Men #22 by Adi Granov

Uncanny X-Force: Fall and Rise


Marvel.com: Rick Remender discusses the end of the Dark Angel Saga and the future ahead for his team in Regenesis.

        
    
Uncanny X-Force #16 Preview Art

“Anytime anyone murders or kills, they have no idea what the consequences could turn out to be, especially if the target’s considered evil since whoever takes their place could potentially be worse.”

Writer Rick Remender offers these ominous words as Uncanny X-Force circles to the close of its first year and the conclusion of the Dark Angel Saga, the next chapter upcoming in issue #16 on October 5.

As one of the founding members of the X-Men, Angel lost his wings during the infamous “Mutant Massacre” storyline. Tempted by the villain Apocalypse to have them replaced, Warren Worthington joined his Four Horsemen as the Archangel of Death. Eventually, the X-Man seemingly had his Archangel persona expunged and returned to being Angel, but all things involving Apocalypse can be deceiving.

Remender points out that the entire story has been a direct result from the bullet Fantomex shot through the head of Apocalypse’s latest incarnation in Uncanny X-Force #4. Like a domino effect, those events have been unraveling over the course of the first three arcs with Archangel rising to the forefront, consuming Warren once more. The situation becomes dire after a new revelation states that as Celestial servants of evolution, once an Apocalypse dies his or her Death ascends into the role.

“Archangel has been dormant in Warren for a long time,” says Remender. “Then in the last incarnation of X Force, his alternate persona re-emerged. It's interesting because prior to that, he rejoined the X-Men and went to do his own things. The simple brilliance of Apocalypse choosing Warren as his Archangel of Death [is that] Angel's a member of the family; everybody loves him. No one notices this murderous second personality percolating in the background until it’s too late and no one would take any preemptive strikes against him. They would first try to find another way to stop him. Even after they realize that he’s beyond control, killing indiscriminately, they’re still not ready to kill him.

“The end of the saga will hit people on the side of the head. We’re not going to talk about it. We’re not even going to announce anything. We’re just going to do it. I think when people get there they will have enjoyed what we have done. We've had the stuff plotted out since issue one. It's a nice sort of end-cap to X-Force’s first year.”

Remender teases that the second year of Uncanny X-Force will tie closely with another book he’ll be working on that has yet to be announced, which will in turn have major Marvel Universe-wide consequences.

“Not that it should be hallmark of a good story but I do think that a good story has lasting ramifications,” he states. “We all want to read stories that matter, stories that change the landscape of the characters that we care about, focusing on their relationships. Same way we dusted off and reinvented the Apocalypse mythology, we plan to do the same for two other mythologies. The first one we have already announced: Other World. It will be a great place to define Psylocke for our readers and to deal with her background given that Betsy is the sister of Brian Braddock [the hero Captain Britain] and Jamie Braddock [the reality-warping villain]. The second, I can’t talk about yet.”

At his disposal, the writer will continue to have a wealth of amazing artists, joining the ranks of those stalwarts who have already contributed to Uncanny X-Force.

“Other World is a wonderful four-issue story arc with Greg Tocchini, whose artwork on it has been astounding,” promises Remender. “Definitely on the same level as the great Jerome Opena. With Jerome and Greg working on alternating arcs, joining them will be the brilliant Robbi Rodriguez coming in to do the art chores for another Point One issue.”

As X-Force charges toward the Regenesis era, it’s no secret that Wolverine will be undertaking significant change as he establishes a new X-Men team. Regardless of this, Remender feels it alters very little for X-Force, just adding another job to the team’s list.

“The membership will go through a shake up,” he notes. “Kieron Gillen, Jason Aaron [writers on Uncanny X-Men and Wolverine and the X-Men, respectively] and I have been working very closely to make sure that it all interconnects. Expect an entire arc in each of those books to be built around things that have come from the Dark Angel Saga. Then we plan to circle back around in a year and reconvene so these books continue to tie into one another since X-Force’s continued existence rocks the X world in a big way for years to come.

“I think if you're an X-Men fan like I am, it’s a hell of a time to be reading the books. There will be some incredibly exciting things coming up. Working very closely with [editor] Jody [LeHeup] and [Senior Editor] Nick [Lowe], I find they have a real enthusiasm for the material and really care. I believe soon we’ll experience a new Golden age to the X-line; it's just such a solid family of books across the line.”

Link

X-Solicits for December 2011

Uncanny X-Force #18
Written by: Rick Remender
Penciled by: Jerome Opena
Cover by: Esad Ribic
Spoiler Variant available
Rick Remender (VENOM, Fear Agent), Jerome Opeña (PUNISHER, Fear Agent) and Dean White (AVENGERS, AMAZING SPIDER-MAN) bring you a tale of devastation, bravery, and salvation.



Uncanny X-Force #19
Written by: Rick Remender
Penciled by: Robbi Rodriguez
Cover by: Rafael Grampa
Variant Cover by: Nick Bradshaw
Spoiler Variant available
The aftermath of The Dark Angel Saga! A member lost! New members gained! An Avenger discovers the secret of X-Force! Fantomex and Ultimaton must allow the world’s most powerful weapon to leave their care. Elizabeth Braddock must say goodbye to the man she loves. New friends must stand and make a suicide march. Next generation superstar artist Robbi Rodriguez joins Rick Remender to break your heart.



X-Men #22
Written by: Victor Gischler
Penciled by: Will Conrad
Cover by: Adi Granov
X-Men Regenesis: The X-Men and War Machine are on a collision course with an international incident of catastrophic proportions. No longer content to fend off attackers, the Governor and her army of Sentinels are hell-bent on going on the offensive…leading towards one of the worst ethnic cleansings in the history of the world.


Uncanny X-Men #3
Written by: Kieron Gillen
Pencils & Cover by: Carlos Pacheco
X-Men Regenesis: Mr. Sinister’s tampering with the Golden Celestial has summoned the immortal Space Gods to earth, to render judgment upon all mankind. If the X-Men we’re looking for a chance to prove that they are earth’s mightiest heroes, HERE. IT.IS!


Wolverine & The X-Men #3
Written by: Jason Aaron
Pencils & Cover by: Chris Bachalo
X-Men Regenesis: With the Hellfire Club on the verge of overwhelming the X-Men, the team’s only hope is…Quenton Quire?! The big question is, does he care enough to do anything? Wrap up the first adventure of Wolverine’s branch of the X-tree with Marvel Architect and writer of X-MEN: SCHISM Jason Aaron, and superstar artist Chris Bachalo!


X-Men Legacy #260
Written by: Mike Carey
Pencils by: Khoi Pham
Cover by: Clay Mann
X-Men Regenesis: Veteran X-scribe Mike Carey wraps up his five-year run on X-MEN: LEGACY with a story that marks the end of an era! In the aftermath of SCHISM, the X-Men are divided. Magneto has chosen to stay with Cyclops on Utopia. Gambit has chosen to follow Wolverine to Westchester. And now Rogue must decide who she is going to follow…

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

It's Speculation Time!

Twitter can be a great source for information sometimes, and every once in a while Marvel writers like to tease us a little bit.

Rick Remender often interacts with fans and answers some interesting questions about ‘Uncanny X-Force’, a book he plans to write for 2-3 years. When asked about Fantomex’s bullets from issue #15, Remender says he’ll be dealing with them in the Otherworld arc (issues #20-23). He also adds that after Schism, X-Force will have more new members than the ones seen in the teaser.


You also might have noticed subtle changes to Psylocke’s uniform in the current arc. Remender confirms it’s her new suit for ‘Uncanny X-Force’. Jerome Opeña told us he was asked to design something similar to Betsy’s classic uniform. He adds that he still might tweak it a bit in upcoming issues, but it will stay pretty close to how it was seen in issues #14 and #15. Did you like it?


Let’s also not forget Victor Gischler, the writer of ‘X-Men’. When asked about who’s really leading his team, Gischler says Storm is, but that Psylocke plays an important role as well. Are you guys excited?

Friday, September 16, 2011

Regenesis: Storm, Psylocke, Kitty, Colossus & Transonic

    
    
Preview art from the "X-Men: Regenesis" one-shot, written by Kieron Gillen and penciled by Billy Tan.

Fear Itself: Uncanny X-Force #3 Preview

Fear Itself: Uncanny X-Force #3
Written by: Rob Williams
Pencils and Cover by: Simone Bianchi

The Story: Fear Itself” Tie-in! With The Serpent's destruction spreading across the globe and time seemingly running out for Planet Earth, Jonathan Standish and his Purifiers make their final move. How many human lives can they take before the 'devil' claims the souls of the human race? And can X-Force successfully track down the location of Standish's 'brain bomb' and the Purifier's main target? In the final moral battle against sin, can a mutant kill crew possibly win?

In Stores: September 21, 2011

        

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Uncanny X-Force #15 Spoilers

Spoilers: Pestilence tries to comfort Psylocke. Betsy doesn’t care and defeats her. She runs away, only to be stopped by the hands of the AoA Blob. Meanwhile, at the town Genocide destroyed, Archangel and Dark Beast plan to use the life seed and The World’s time manipulation to begin a new evolution of species, emerging new types of creatures, spanning millions of years in just two real days. They’ll do the same with the entire planet. Fantomex, Deadpool and Deathlok track the World’s energy signature and find Famine, Death and Archangel outside the World. Famine uses his powers on Deadpool once more, while Archangel and Fantomex fight. Death’s powers are useless against Deathlok, who ends up beheading the Horseman. Fantomex manages to hurt Archangel, but Genocide comes to his rescue and they run away. Deathlok catches Famine and forces him to tell them where Archangel went. Famine cracks and reveals they’re in an Akkaba city underneath the North Pole. In San Francisco, Archangel and Dark Beast talk to the Dreaming Celestial. Archangel explains his mission to protect his kind from the weaker species. Dark Beast tells Archangel it’s time for him to choose his heir as every Apocalypse has its death. Archangel takes the Death Seed from the Celestial and says there’s only one candidate to be his successor… Psylocke.

Friday, September 9, 2011

"Gold Team" Fully Unveiled



Joining Wolverine's "Gold Team" are:
Fantomex in "Uncanny X-Force", Oya in "Wolverine and the X-Men", Rachel Grey in "X-Men Legacy" and Polaris, Madrox and Longshot in "X-Factor". So, what's your favorite team, Blue or Gold?

Thursday, September 8, 2011

Uncanny X-Force #15 Preview

Uncanny X-Force #15
Written by: Rick Remender
Pencils by: Jerome Opeña
Cover by: Esad Ribic
Marvel Architect Variant Variant Cover by: Mike Deodato

The Story:Dark Angel Saga Part 5. Genocide has incinerated half of Wolverine’s body, leaving only two remaining members of X-Force to defeat Archangel and his army. Someone has wiped out a small town in Northern Montana and in its place a new alien landscape has grown. What is Tabula Rasa? Can Fantomex and Deadpool work together to survive its harsh terrains long enough to unlock its mystery? The acclaimed team of Rick Remender (Venom, Punisher), Jerome Opeña (Punisher, Moon Knight) and Dean White (Avengers) return to introduce you to the strangest territory in the Marvel Universe.

In Stores: September 14, 2011

        

"Blue Team" Fully Unveiled



Joining Cyclops' "Blue Team" are: Zero in "Generation Hope", Domino in "X-Men" (vol. 3), Cyclops and Magneto in "Uncanny X-Men" and Magma and Cypher in "New Mutants". Do any of these rosters interest you?

Wednesday, September 7, 2011

Marvel Reveals "Gold Team" & Psylocke (Again!)



On Wolverine's Gold Team are: Psylocke in "Uncanny X-Force", Quentin Quire and Beast in "Wolverine & The X-Men" and Strong Guy and Siryn in "X-Factor".

Oops!...She did it again. What do you think it's going on with Psylocke?

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Marvel Reveals "Blue Team" & Psylocke



On Cyclops' Blue Team are: Primal and Transonic in "Generation Hope", Psylocke in "X-Men" (vol. 3), Danger in "Uncanny X-Men" and Dani Moonstar in "New Mutants".

Friday, September 2, 2011

Marvel Reveals "Gold Team"



On Wolverine's Gold Team are: Toad and Kitty Pryde in "Wolverine and The X-Men", Gambit and Frenzy in "X-Men Legacy" and Monet and Rictor in "X-Factor".