Marvel Heroes: "House of M" Costume Revealed

X-Men '92 #3 Art

X-Men '92 #3 Spoilers

Spoilers: While X-Force heads to the Clear Mountain Institute to find the X-Men, Psylocke decides to stay at the mansion and rehabilitate Xavier to follow the psychic traces of his attacker back to its source. Meanwhile Nova has Jean Grey and Cyclops trapped inside a Mind Field and subjected to psychological conditioning. Fortunately, Nova’s therapy session comes to an end thanks to the psychic intervention of Psylocke. Back at the Mansion, Xavier wakes up and warns Betsy that Nova intends to kill the Baron and take over Wetchester via the towering monstrous Ten-Sentinel. Xavier and Psylocke try to warn Baron Kelly, but instead he orders their imprisonment. Elsewhere, as Storm rallies X-Force and some of the X-Men, Nova descends on the X-Museum with a brainwashed Wolverine, Rogue and Gambit.

X-Position: Bunn Teases Romance and Violence in "Uncanny X-Men"

CBR: This week, "Magneto," "House of M" and "Uncanny X-Men" writer Cullen Bunn returns to X-POSITION and answers your questions about everything from Magneto's feelings towards his changing family tree to the mental states of Sabretooth, Mystique, Psylocke and more. And don't miss the exclusive first look at Greg Land's official cover for "Uncanny X-Men" #1, which reveals two new members of the Uncanny team.

When choosing these members for the ["Uncanny X-Men"] team, was there a theme or a quality to link them? Will there be other questionable members (like Bishop) or even villains?

When I started building this team, I wanted to make sure they were very different from Jeff [Lemire]'s "Extraordinary X-Men" and Dennis [Hopeless]'s "All-New X-Men." When readers look at these books, I want no question that this is a different team with a different mission statement. So, I started building a team of "morally questionable" villains and anti-heroes who maybe shouldn't carry the banner of the X-Men. I know that rubs some people the wrong way. Frankly, it's supposed to -- that's one of the themes of this book. That was the first quality that linked them. I also looked at which characters would give me the most dynamic and unexpected interactions. I don't think many people can guess how this team is actually going to function without tearing itself apart. Maybe it won't.

As for other characters… there are two team members who have not been revealed. Both of them will be head-scratching for different reasons. Both of them will add a new layer of "what the Hell is Cullen thinking?" And that's just among the X-Men! There are some other groups -- or clubs even -- showing up within a few issues that will feature some familiar and surprising faces.

With Mags and Mystique in ["Uncanny X-Men"], is there any chance Rogue will come up or appear in any form in this book?

There's a chance, I suppose, but I have no concrete plans for her right now. With Magneto and Mystique in the book, it seems like a natural fit for Rogue to show up. Not in the first couple of arcs for sure. She has her own thing going on right now.

Are you going to deal with Psylocke being on a team with Sabretooth and Fantomex, characters that she hates, right out of the gate or is that a simmering plotline?

I just decided they all buried the hatchet and become besties off-panel, so we won't even worry about that. Just kidding!

I will be dealing with these relationships in slightly different ways. With Psylocke and Sabretooth, it will be more of a simmering story, with bits and pieces showing up over time, leading to something down the road. With Fantomex… well… that will be a little more immediately explosive. And by explosive I mean very, very violent.

One character that I am looking forward to in your run is Fantomex. He has gone through so much development since his inception. I was hoping to hear what you had in store for him and how he will handle working beside Psylocke again after Simon Spurrier's "X-Force"?

Fantomex in this book is going to be stripped back down to the basics a bit, closer to how he was portrayed when he first appeared and in early issues of "Uncanny X-Force." That's not to say he won't have complexities, but he's definitely much more the mysterious super-spy that we originally met. The mysteries will be new, of course.

What do you think? Will he be happy about working with Psylocke? Probably not. My guess is he'll have to have some pretty serious reasons for doing so. Those reasons will form the backbone of the Fantomex story.

Also… Psylocke and Fantomex are not hooking up again, just in case you're wondering.

Your "Uncanny X-Men" cast is unusual -- and thankfully so as it consists of two bisexual women (Psylocke and Mystique) and (maybe?) a bisexual man (Fantomex). Have you given any thought to this LGBT representation, and considering the nature of your cast, will there be time for some romance?

Interesting that you say "considering the nature of the cast" there might not be room for romance. Don't ass-kickers need love, too?

For real, though. Even though this is a shockingly different version of the X-Men, I want their story to have a classic X-Men feel. That means a lot of inter-character interactions, subplots and drama, both within the team and within the supporting cast I'll be introducing as time goes on. That also means there will be room for romance.

Yes, they are ruthless and merciless in their mission, but they are trying to keep Xavier's dream alive in the best way they know how. These are villains and hard cases trying to make it in the shadow of a dream many say they have no business trying to uphold.

As for Psylocke, Mystique, and Fantomex -- I've definitely taken everything that makes them who they are into consideration.

In the past few series Mystique has been in she's been a completely, unfocused mess. Hellfire School Teacher? Madripoor leader? Mad at Dazzler and Cyclops? Married to Professor X? Please tell me you have a solid plan for her motivations for being with these people who she hates (Sabretooth) and who just tried to kill her (Magneto). I love the character, but she needs some focus and not just random panel time.

I couldn't agree with you more. Coming into this, Mystique made my head spin, but I had a notion that I wanted to explore with her. Pages and pages of notes later, I have a big storyline in mind for Mystique, something that I think will alleviate a lot of the concerns you have with her, give her some focus and make readers care about her.

Speaking of big stories, I sat down and wrote out a plan for each and every member of the cast. I have a long-term story in mind for each team member. For some of the characters, the seeds of these stories will be planted in the first issue. For others, it might be a couple of issues before you see it taking shape. But there will be ongoing drama for all the Uncanny X-Men, with the stories playing out across several issues or longer.

When [Rick] Remender used Sabretooth [in "Uncanny Avengers"], he seemed to have a plan for his redemption. But now that he left Marvel, the character is all open to change. What can we expect Sabretooth to face in your book? Will he get a new costume?

It might seem strange, but Sabretooth is pretty close to this team's "moral compass." He's still very much on the path to redemption. He's not there yet, though. There's a long, long way to go and it will not be easy on him at all. My long-term plan for Sabretooth is one of my favorite elements of this series. It strikes a very personal chord for me, and I think it will resonate with readers. There's a lot of trouble, tragedy, and even romance -- not with Psylocke -- ahead for Creed.

'X-Men: Apocalypse' Cast Wrap Party

EW: Bryan Singer didn’t cancel the apocalypse, but it’s mostly wrapped. The filmmaker announced on social media that the main unit work on X-Men: Apocalypse has finished, and while there’s still some second unit filming to be done, the stars partied it up.

Olivia Munn, who plays Psylocke in X-Men: Apocalypse, posted photos from the film’s wrap party on Instagram. “A director and his #horsemen,” she wrote along with a photo of herself posing with Ben Hardy (Angel/Archangel), Alexandra Shipp (Storm), and Singer. The three actors and Michael Fassbender (Magneto) portray the Four Horsemen of Apocalypse, the main mutants enlisted to join En Sabah Nur (Oscar Isaac).

A director and his #horsemen. #xmenapocalypse #angel #storm #psylocke

Uma foto publicada por Olivia Munn (@oliviamunn) em Ago 22, 2015 às 11:41 PDT

X-Men: Apocalypse also stars Jennifer Lawrence (Mystique), James McAvoy (Professor X), Nicholas Hoult (Beast), Kodi Smit-McPhee (Nightcrawler), Tye Sheridan (Cyclops), and Sophie Turner (Jean Grey). The film takes place in the ’80s when an ancient mutant, Apocalypse, arises with a mission of global disaster. According to Singer’s tweets, there’s still a couple more weeks of second unit shooting to do before post-production.

The film is set for release on May 27, 2016. Check out more photos from Singer, Munn, and Shipp below.

A director and his #horsemen. #xmenapocalypse #angel #storm #psylocke

Uma foto publicada por Olivia Munn (@oliviamunn) em Ago 22, 2015 às 11:41 PDT

#happydirector #wrapparty @alexandrashipppp @oliviamunn #xmen #xmenapocalypse

Uma foto publicada por Bryan Singer (@bryanjaysinger) em Ago 23, 2015 às 2:05 PDT

X-Men '92 #3 Preview

X-Men '92 #3
Writer: Chris Sims, Chad Bowers

Art by: Scott Koblish

Cover by: Pepe Larraz

The Story:

• When the X-Men are in trouble who can Westchester depend on?

• How about X-Force ’92?

• Cable, Deadpool, Domino, Psylocke, Archangel and Biushop enter the fray!

In Stores: August 26, 2015

Magneto Forms an Unlikely Band of Allies in Bunn's "Uncanny X-Men"

CBR: This December, one of the most unlikely groupings of the team ever comes together as writer Cullen Bunn and artist Greg Land kick off an all new volume of "Uncanny X-Men." The series finds Magneto assembling his own team of titular characters, including Sabretooth, Mystique, Fantomex and Psylocke. We spoke with Bunn about the tone of the book, the methods and dynamic of Magneto's team, how the other X-teams will view his group, and how incredibly meaningful it is for him to be working on "Uncanny X-Men."

CBR News: "Magneto" was a series that followed the morally gray, and often violent, exploits of the title character as he rededicated himself to protecting mutantkind by any means necessary. How does it feel to move him to such a storied title like "Uncanny X-Men?" And could this be viewed as sort of a sequel to or a continuation of the ideas you were exploring in "Magneto?"

Cullen Bunn: "Uncanny X-Men" is a book that means a lot to me for many reasons. I've always loved these characters, ever since I was a kid. Even though my dad didn't read comics, "Uncanny" was a book we collected together. He loved going to conventions with me, hunting down issues, and bargaining with dealers. He traveled a lot for work, and during his trips he would often find comic shops and try to grab an issue or two from my want list. He knew the importance of "Giant-Sized" #1 and Issue #94. It makes me a little sad that he didn't live to see me writing the title, because I think that would have thrilled him to no end.

I suppose there are threads from "Magneto" that carry over into this book. Some of the themes will be further explored, both through the eyes of Magneto and the eyes of the other characters on the team. But I think the tone of this series is vastly different from "Magneto." That book was kind of a noir/horror/detective story with Magneto in the lead role. This book is definitely more of a super heroic action title, featuring characters you might not expect. I want this book to have the dynamism of the classic X-Men stories I loved. I want it to feature the interactions of the characters -- the making and breaking of relationships -- that make the X-Men so exciting. Yes, we're exploring these things with an unexpected group of characters. Even that -- the shocking shake-up of the team -- is an X-Men tradition.

What can you tell us about Magneto's role?

This is a new and unexpected team for the X-Men, with Magneto taking the role of leader. He saw the world come to an end in "Magneto," and his efforts to prevent the end of days -- and many of the events that have unfolded in the world post-"Secret Wars" -- have changed him in a number of ways. That's not to say he's a kinder, gentler Magneto. That's definitely not the case, but he is looking at how he has been going about his mission. He knows he can't go it alone.

What can you tell us about the reason why this team has been assembled? How will they operate, and what sorts of missions might we see them on?

Many events (about which I am sworn to secrecy) have brought this team together and set them on their missions. We'll explore how and why they came together, but not in the first few issues. We're starting the story with most of the team already in the thick of it.

As for how this team operates, they do have a "headquarters" of sorts, but it is definitely not a school. They are frequently on the move, striking at threats to mutantkind, taking a very proactive approach to handling the threats facing mutantkind -- and I don't think these threats will be expected at all.

What can you tell us about the dynamic of your "Uncanny" team? The teaser images featured some characters that don't exactly have the highest regard for each other ,like Sabretooth, Psylocke, Fantomex and Mystique. Will this group have someone or something motivating them to get along?

There will be reasons for this team to stay together and get along. Much of that I can't reveal right now, but there's not a lot of trust here, and many of these characters hate each other. That will, of course, factor into how this team operates. As I mentioned earlier, character relationships and interactions are big parts of what makes the X-Men the X-Men. We'll be seeing that here for sure.

All that said -- who's to say the "team" we saw on that promo image are working together?

I say things like that, because I'm a complete jerk.

[Laughs] What can you tell us about your general plans for the characters in the teaser? Are there certain aspects of their personality you're especially interested in exploring?

So, when I started developing this series, I did a character study for every member of the team. These studies covered the personality and motivation for the character, details on how they would interact with their fellow team members, and some mysteries and subplots that would develop over the course of the series. I have big plans for all of the characters, but I'm really, really looking forward to shaking things up for Sabretooth, Mystique -- and someone I can't mention just yet.

The teaser does not show the full line-up of the team. In fact, the cover of Issue #1 will feature a different line-up altogether, with a couple of surprise additions to the team. While the team will be "mostly" assembled when the first issue comes out, there will be a couple of people (from the teaser image) who are not with us just yet. How this group comes together as a whole is a story that will take a few issues to tell. In the end, there will be a group of seven main players on the team, with a little wiggle room built in.

What can you say about the enemies your "Uncanny X-Men" cast will be up against?

It takes a special kind of villain to really challenge this group of X-Men. My first inclination when taking over the series was to cherry pick from the classic X-villains, and we will be seeing encounters with some familiar faces. However, for the first arc I wanted to focus on a threat that is a mix of old and new. You'll be seeing some villains who haven't been around for a little while. They will have received a bit of an upgrade, making them even more dangerous. But you'll also be seeing some newer villains who haven't squared off against the X-Men yet!

Artist Greg Land, is no stranger to the world of X-Men, having drawn several previous incarnations of the group, but what made him the right artist for this particular team and book?

I'm really excited to be working with Greg on this book. The first few pages have started to roll in, and they are phenomenal. He brings dynamic, clear, exciting storytelling to this title. For a team like this, it was important (to me) that the artist could bring some superhero action to life. Greg loves the X-Men, and I think readers are gonna be wowed by his work on this book.

Finally, it seems like an X-Men team that features Magneto, Mystique, and Sabretooth might not necessarily be an "officially sanctioned" one. So what kind of relationship will they have with the other X-teams?

There are other X-Men teams?

For a little while, this team will be keeping to itself. They do, however, have a vastly different "mission statement" than the other X-teams. It's quite likely that these different agendas will put them at odds with the others. If nothing else, this group would be viewed with significant mistrust by every other X-group.

Secret Wars Journal #4 Art

Secret Wars Journal #4 Spoilers

Spoilers: In the Sentinel Territories, a domain in which mutants are hunted and contained in camps, Psylocke has been hiding for almost a decade by faking her death and using her psychic powers to disguise herself as Lizzy Patterson, a suburban wife. When Kyle Jinadu asks her help to free his husband Northstar, Psylocke decides she can’t live hiding anymore. Betsy and Kyle break into the concentration camp at night and fight their way towards Northstar. Once Kyle and Jean-Paul are reunited, eight Sentinels corner the trio. Betsy decides to stay behind and fight while the couple flees, reflecting that she lived long enough to fight for something that matters.

Secret Wars Journal #4 Preview

Secret Wars Journal #4
Writer: Sina Grace
Art by: Ken Lashley
Cover by: Stephen Thompson

The Story:
• And hiding amongst the humans in the DAYS OF FUTURE PAST, Psylocke finally decides it’s time to make her move and liberate her fellow mutants! But can one psychic ninja hope to take on an endless army of Sentinels?

In Stores: August 19, 2015

 

More of Olivia Munn Wire Training as Psylocke

#psylocke in training with @oliviamunn

Um vídeo publicado por Sara Potts (@mamapeachsb) em Ago 14, 2015 às 8:42 PDT

COMIC LEGEND: Psylocke Was Supposed to Turn Asian Temporarily

CBR: This week, in honor of two comic book characters in the news, we’ll do a pair of legends featuring Psylocke.

COMIC LEGEND: Psylocke was only supposed to turn Asian temporarily.

STATUS: True

COMIC LEGEND: It was Jim Lee’s idea to turn Psylocke Asian.

STATUS: I’m Going With False

You can’t really split these two legends up, so I’ll do them as one legend.

Psylocke has been in the news a lot lately, with her upcoming appearance in the next X-Men film as well as concerns about the nature of her racial-switching.

What’s interesting is that there is still a lot of mystery surrounding the origin of Psylocke’s transformation from a white woman to an Asian ninja character in the pages of Uncanny X-Men #256 by Chris Claremont, Jim Lee and Scott Williams.

Our story begins in Uncanny X-Men #251, when Psylocke (who sensed that the Reavers were about to attack their depleted team of X-Men, as the team was down to just four members at this point in time) used her powers to trick the other three heroes to join her in transporting through the Siege Perilous, a mystical “get out of jail free” card that Roma had given them some time ago.

Psylocke then takes a trip to Mojo’s Body Shop in Uncanny X-Men #256…

And when Wolverine next encounters Psylocke during the Acts of Vengeance (where superheroes fight villains they don’t normally fight – here, the X-Men take on the Mandarin) storyline in #256-258, she is now an Asian assassin working for the Mandarin…

She even goes by Lady Mandarin…

Eventually, Wolverine breaks her free from her brainwashing and she is now once again a member of the X-Men, only as a telepathic Asian ninja…

The decision to make her Asian has been shrouded in a lot of mystery, including whether it was even intended to be a permanent change and whether the idea came from artist Jim Lee, who just liked drawing a hot Asian ninja.

The whole “was it meant to be a permanent change?” thing is likely born out of the fact that around the same time, Claremont also made Storm a child and that obviously was not permanent.

The Jim Lee stuff, well, I really don’t know where that stuff comes from.

Anyhow, in an interview with Darwin McPherson in Amazing Heroes #192, Claremont gives the scoop:

Darwin McPherson: What’s with this race-changing scenario you indulge in occasionally? You changed Officer Corsi and Nurse Friedlander from Caucasians to Native Americans, then you changed Psylocke into an Asian. This is a twist I don’t think anyone else has done.

Chris Claremont: I guess it’s a way of examining old prejudcies from new perspectives.

In the case of Psylocke, it was something we had originally just intended for the “Acts of Vengeance” three-parter, the rationale being that the Hong Kong gangs would not accept an Anglo, a pure Caucasian, as the Mandarin’s emmisary, as a Lady Mandarin; therefore, the Mandarin had to take steps to make her more physically acceptable to his people.

Then Jim did such a bang-up job. It was such an effective presentation of her and it seemed to strike such a powerful chord in the audience. We figured, “Let’s go with it and see what happens.” And from the reader response, it seems to be an extremely positive move.

So that clears the first legend up and I think it clears the second one up, as well. This was only the second X-Men story that Jim Lee ever drew and he would not become the regular artist on the series for another NINE months, so it really doesn’t seem very likely that Claremont would be taking plot cues from Lee at the time. Not only that, but right there in that interview question, if Lee HAD been the one who came up with the idea, THAT’S where Claremont would have said, “Jim suggested it.” Yes, the “we” there makes it a BIT confusing, but I think it is pretty clear Claremont is referring to himself and editorial, who obviously conferred routinely. It’s certainly not absolutely definitive, but I think it is enough to go with a false there.

Thanks to Darwin McPherson and Chris Claremont for the information!

‘Psylocke’ Oliva Munn wire training for "X-Men: Apocalypse"

Thanks to Mutant 101, here's your first look at Olivia Munn wite training for "X-Men: Apocalypse". You can also check Psylocke's katana in detail.

"Uncanny X-Men's" Bunn Addresses Psylocke's Racial Indentity

CBR: For the past 25 years, Psylocke has been one of the most prominent members of the X-Men -- and she's also been one of the most heavily discussed. In 1989's "Uncanny X-Men" #256, a new version of Psylocke was introduced when the white, British-born Betsy Braddock underwent a body swap with the Japanese assassin Kwannon. This iteration of the character, characterized as a psychic-knife wielding ninja, proved to be popular enough to become the default version of the character.

This hasn't set well with some fans who view the body swap, which switched the bodies of a white woman and Japanese woman, as plot device born of unintended ignorance at best or outright appropriate at worst. With Psylocke a mainstay in the X-Men, many readers wonder why the issue of Betsy's racial identity -- specifically the character's immediate appropriation of Asian culture following her body swap -- has never been thoroughly explored by an X-writer. Tumblr user tazirai posed this very question to Cullen Bunn, the writer responsible for writing Psylocke in this fall's new "Uncanny X-Men" series.

"I was wondering do you plan to ever address her 'problematics' with racial identity or lack thereof, or put her back in her original body, like some writers at Marvel have said they wanted to like GWW?" asked tazirai, referencing Marvel writer G. Willow Wilson. "Even if you don't I know she'll at least be written beyond the ninja trope, hopefully."

Bunn responded on his personal Tumblr: I’ll definitely do my best to write Psylocke as more than “just a ninja”. As to the “problematics” you mention, I’m torn. I would definitely like to address some of those notes. My X-Men notebook has pages dedicated to that idea. However, I also want the book to be accessible to new readers, so I don’t think it’s a good idea to hit that too heavily in early issues, you know? When it is the right time, I’ll tackle it.

Since it's been subjected to numerous retcons -- as well as one failed attempt by Psylocke co-creator Chris Claremont in 2001 to put her back in her original body -- Betsy Braddock's backstory has become one of the more convoluted in the X-canon. The new "Uncanny X-Men" series, written by Bunn with art by Greg Land, arrives this fall.

Note: G. Willow Wilson previously acknowledged Psylocke's racial problematics and desire to put her back in her original body here.

Cullen Bunn's "Uncanny X-Men" To Be Launched in December

According to Axel Alonso, Cullen Bunn's "Uncanny X-Men" featuring a cast of Psylocke, Magneto, Mystique, Sabretooth and Fantomex will only hit the stores in December.

"The big X-Men relaunch kicks off in October with "Extraordinary X-Men" #1 and #2 by Jeff Lemire and Humberto Ramos. It's followed in November by Dennis Hopeless and Mark Bagley's "All-New X-Men" and Tom Taylor and David Lopez's "All-New Wolverine." December will bring Cullen Bunn and Greg Land's "Uncanny X-Men," and then we'll get Jeff Lemire and Andrea Sorrentino's "Old Man Logan" in January."

#tbt: Fantastic Four vs. the X-Men #4

#tbt: Fantastic Four vs. the X-Men #4 – Psylocke explains to Dr. Doom that her own powers are maintaining the coherence of Kitty’s consciousness as the lifecell does her being. Written by Chris Claremont and Art by Jon Bogdanove. Read full summary here.

"Uncanny X-Men" #600 Coipel Variant Celebrates Iconic "Outback" X-Men Era

Olivia Munn Freestyles

Freestyle #latergram @karine_lmx

Um vídeo publicado por Olivia Munn (@oliviamunn) em Ago 1, 2015 às 11:15 PDT