CBR: We have Rick Remender, the writer of Marvel Comics' "Uncanny X-Force," here to answer some queries and many others in today’s X-Position. Let’s jump right in…
Without Domino, Rahne, or Laura, this X-Force team is largely a boys' club. The fact that Psylocke seems to be the least willing to kill only emphasizes this. Do you think there are any X-women that would "fit right in" on X-Force?
Rick Remender: Elizabeth's hesitation to kill isn't based on her gender; it's based on her character. I know that she has killed in the past, and now that she's put in a situation where she must take life to protect her family she's willing to make the hard decisions. But given where her character comes from, taking her entire arc into consideration, I feel responsible to ensure that the voice of Betsy from years ago is still echoing in the head of modern Psylocke.
There are other X-women who could fit on the team, some you mentioned, others, like Marrow, who might warrant dusting off at some point.
I love what you're doing with "Uncanny X-Force," especially your depiction of Psylocke. I'm glad you cleared up the whole telekinesis debate, but I still have a question about her abilities. Is Psylocke still able to psycho-blast and get random premonitions? I recall that in the '80s, both powers proved vital to her and other X-Men's survival at times (like showing her what the Reavers had in store for the Outback team).
Rick Remender: Psycho-blast yes. Random premonitions... I suppose a telepath can gather things from the zeitgeist if she focuses on it and gather some predictive abilities. I know it's been done in the past. I just feel like she's plenty powerful and has plenty of abilities as is. More powers, and more abilities, do not enrich the character in my opinion.
With the Logan/Jean "flashback romance" and the Psylocke/Warren/Fantomex love triangle, it seems you are sticking some romantic overtones in this gory and violent (which we all love) book. What's your motive in tying romance with a book like this?
Rick Remender: First off, I don't see this book as being gory. I see this being action-heavy, high adventure. Yes, there have been a few shocking assassinations throughout, but we haven't shown any gore or very much blood.
As for romance, romance is part of all good X-stories and most stories in general. It adds drama, tension, and context to the action stuff, something more meaningful to live and fight for. A character's romantic life can reveal a layer you can't get to with anything else. Most of my favorite X-Men stories involve a love affair.
I really enjoyed the scene in "Uncanny X-Force" #12 where Fantomex broke down Betsy's relationship with Warren. Can we say at this point that the seeds of doubt have been sewn in Betsy? What will the "Dark Angel Saga" do for their relationship as a whole?
Rick Remender: I could tell you, but then there wouldn't be much reason to read the book. It's one of those questions that's impossible to give any answer to without spoiling the current storyline. Sorry.
Betsy has never showed any sign of affection for Fantomex as far as I can tell, then he just kisses her. Was he merely being impulsive, or is there something between them that we haven't seen yet?
Rick Remender: Obviously, the implication is that Betsy's hostility towards Fantomex is overcompensation as she guards her true feelings for him. She's clearly attracted to him, but also finds him repugnant on some level. I've always tried to play her attraction to Fantomex as guarded behind hostility, not spelled out and obvious.
Without Domino, Rahne, or Laura, this X-Force team is largely a boys' club. The fact that Psylocke seems to be the least willing to kill only emphasizes this. Do you think there are any X-women that would "fit right in" on X-Force?
Rick Remender: Elizabeth's hesitation to kill isn't based on her gender; it's based on her character. I know that she has killed in the past, and now that she's put in a situation where she must take life to protect her family she's willing to make the hard decisions. But given where her character comes from, taking her entire arc into consideration, I feel responsible to ensure that the voice of Betsy from years ago is still echoing in the head of modern Psylocke.
There are other X-women who could fit on the team, some you mentioned, others, like Marrow, who might warrant dusting off at some point.
I love what you're doing with "Uncanny X-Force," especially your depiction of Psylocke. I'm glad you cleared up the whole telekinesis debate, but I still have a question about her abilities. Is Psylocke still able to psycho-blast and get random premonitions? I recall that in the '80s, both powers proved vital to her and other X-Men's survival at times (like showing her what the Reavers had in store for the Outback team).
Rick Remender: Psycho-blast yes. Random premonitions... I suppose a telepath can gather things from the zeitgeist if she focuses on it and gather some predictive abilities. I know it's been done in the past. I just feel like she's plenty powerful and has plenty of abilities as is. More powers, and more abilities, do not enrich the character in my opinion.
With the Logan/Jean "flashback romance" and the Psylocke/Warren/Fantomex love triangle, it seems you are sticking some romantic overtones in this gory and violent (which we all love) book. What's your motive in tying romance with a book like this?
Rick Remender: First off, I don't see this book as being gory. I see this being action-heavy, high adventure. Yes, there have been a few shocking assassinations throughout, but we haven't shown any gore or very much blood.
As for romance, romance is part of all good X-stories and most stories in general. It adds drama, tension, and context to the action stuff, something more meaningful to live and fight for. A character's romantic life can reveal a layer you can't get to with anything else. Most of my favorite X-Men stories involve a love affair.
I really enjoyed the scene in "Uncanny X-Force" #12 where Fantomex broke down Betsy's relationship with Warren. Can we say at this point that the seeds of doubt have been sewn in Betsy? What will the "Dark Angel Saga" do for their relationship as a whole?
Rick Remender: I could tell you, but then there wouldn't be much reason to read the book. It's one of those questions that's impossible to give any answer to without spoiling the current storyline. Sorry.
Betsy has never showed any sign of affection for Fantomex as far as I can tell, then he just kisses her. Was he merely being impulsive, or is there something between them that we haven't seen yet?
Rick Remender: Obviously, the implication is that Betsy's hostility towards Fantomex is overcompensation as she guards her true feelings for him. She's clearly attracted to him, but also finds him repugnant on some level. I've always tried to play her attraction to Fantomex as guarded behind hostility, not spelled out and obvious.
“For so long, my life has been out of control. Chaos and serendipity, wrapped in insanity. I have suffered, I have lost. Not just my life, but my very soul, my self. But no more. Now I know who I am.” – Elizabeth ‘Betsy’ Braddock, daughter of Otherworld, mutant, telepath, telekinetic, defender of the realm and, above all, X-Man.
9 comments:
Ha! The pyscho-blast question was mine! Hopefully, we'll see her use it sometime instead of the psychic knife which isn't always optimal since it's a close-range attack. Thanks, George and Rick!
is it just me or did Rick seem really annoyed by the interviewer in these responses? lol... maybe he gets these questions a lot.
Changing subject for a moment, has anyone here read X-Men: Schism #3? Does Psylocke appear in it? I know it's unlikely that she did anything meaningful in this issue, but since she cameoed in issues #1 and #2, it'd be nice to see at least one small cameo of hers in issue #3 as well.
And what about Uncanny X-Men #542? I know she shouldn't even be in it, since she's working with the X-Force during Fear Itself, but one never knows...
Oh, about Remender's interview, I loved it! And I don't think he seems to be annoyed, he just seems to be trying to be as clear as possible in the answers, so that everyone understands clearly his answers.
Plus, Psylocke + Fantomex is a great match!
@FSaker
She does appear in Uncanny #542. No lines and only one panel.
No Psylocke in Schism, just Uncanny, plus, bad news guys, no Psylocke in X-Men: Destiny. You can only equip her power and costume:
http://twitter.com/#!/cbake76/status/102621325914406912
Haha, that's great. Glad you asked about her powers and that he so easily answered them, too. That doesn't necessarily mean we'll see a psycho-blast within these pages, but we might!
And, no, FSaker. Not a great match! lol. I personally feel it would be appropriate for Betsy to Psycho-Blast Fantomex to oblivion. Mhm. :)
Really good questions asked, and great answers given. I really hope Remender can keep writing for Psylocke for a loooong time coming. He seems to understand the character far more than any other writer presently, or past (even Claremont!) at Marvel HQ!
And: WTH no Psylocke in X-Men: Destiny? That's just weird to have her clothes and genes/power in the game... but not her? I'm guessing a bunch more will suffer the same fate.
Thanks for the information, all of you!
X-Men: Destiny with no Psylocke? Wow, the bad graphics were already a let-down, now I know I won't be playing this game. And equip her COSTUME?? Aren't the three playable characters two GUYS and a MINOR girl? The buttfloss will be very inappropriate for either of them...
It sucks that she didn't get a cameo in Schism #3. Well, at least she got one in Uncanny (even if she's traced in Land's porn-tastic art style. But from what I heard, this issue's plot is so good that it may overcome the flaws in art).
I love the Psycho Blast! I'm glad she still has it.
Yeah I'm dissapointed that Psylocke hasn't made it in X-Men Destiny either. She was one of the only 2 things that would have made me buy the game.
Post a Comment