X-Men Monday #228 – Chris Claremont Talks ‘Wolverine: Madripoor Knights’

AIPT: What can you share about the origins of Uncanny X-Men #268? What made you want to tell that story?

Chris Claremont: It was Jim and me just getting started. We had Logan, Jubilee, and Psylocke in Madripoor. We had just finished what happened with Betsy in the three-part story that was, in a way, Jim’s audition. So, I think I just wanted to do a one-part story. You get on, you say your piece, and you get off. Tell a story in a single issue, hand it to someone who’s never read Uncanny X-Men before, and see if they can get to the end of the story and know all they need to know. And maybe they want to come back and see what happens next without resorting to tender hooks.

This comes out of my upbringing, I guess. Stan Lee’s philosophy was that since the distribution of comics was so wretched, every issue should be a one-part story because you can never guarantee that the same store will get the same series next month. On the other hand, he would say, if it’s a really good story, like God Loves, Man Kills, you can have two issues.

AIPT: Can we expect Jubilee and Psylocke to play a role in Wolverine: Madripoor Knights as well?

Chris Claremont: No. That’s what the first issue’s all about: Get it focused on Cap, Natasha, and Logan. On the other hand, that doesn’t mean that at some time in the future, the question might be asked, “Well, what the heck were Psylocke and Jubilee doing for those two days?” Well, maybe we should do a story that shows you what they were doing for those two days.

AIPT Comics Podcast Episode 247 with Steve Foxe

Steve Foxe: Betsy and Rachel’s fans are very passionate, very excited. They’re going to have lots of things to look forward to in the spring. 2024 is for you guys. In 2024, we’re going to hit the ground running. You’re going to see plenty of Rachel and Betsy. […] I said before, Betsy was planned for a relatively small role in the spring, and once Gerry leaked that I was working with Rachel and Betsy, and I saw how excited people were, Betsy’s role grew probably five-fold, and that is not to say that you should ask creators or demand… no. But it was a moment where I was like “Okay, you know what? People are very excited at the prospect of Betsy. I should reconsider what I was thinking. I think she could have a much bigger role in this. It’s going to serve the story. It’s going to make sense.” And that was the thought process that began from seeing that passion. Source: AIPT!