X-Position: Remender Gives a "Final Execution" to Uncanny X-Force

CBR: In the first of a special two-part X-Position, Rick Remender answers your questions about "Final Execution," explores the decisions involving Psylocke and Archangel during his "Uncanny X-Force" run, reveals which side the team falls on in "Avengers Vs. X-Men" and "Schism" (hint: It's not what you'd think) and teases what has yet to come for the series.

The "Final Execution" storyline seems to be leading up to X-Force being outed to the world. Whether or not this arc culminates with that particular high note, how much story do you have planned out going forward?

Rick Remender: The story up until issue 35 is locked in. I've been working on for some time now with editor Nick Lowe and we've spent many hours on the phone beating it into shape. I'm very excited about the payouts that are coming up in people's reaction to them. Big changes are coming.

I've noticed Angel continues to be depicted with metallic wings. If the Life Seed truly cured him from the Death Seed (which is Celestial technology), shouldn't his metallic wings (also Celestial technology) also have been erased and replaced with his natural feathery wings? Unless the Life Seed didn't completely erase the Archangel persona.

Rick Remender: In my mind, the seed took Archangel as soil and grew a new person. Metal wings and all. What you see there is an entirely new being created by pure life energy. To see how that will play out, keep reading Jason Aaron's "Wolverine and the X-Men."

I've always wondered: which side of the X-Men's Schism do Fantomex and Deadpool fall under? Do they even care about the argument between their team leader and Cyclops?

Rick Remender: Neither of them are/were very concerned. Both of them continued to work with Wolverine, so I suppose that's the side of the fence they fell on.

I've been loving Final Execution and think it's so cool that you gave EVA a new evolved form. How long have you been planning to give her a body and a more active role in X-Force?

Rick Remender: It's been an idea I've had from the beginning. Grant Morrison set it up in his final arc, and I thought it would be cool to show actually happen. The character has some very cool moments coming up so keep reading.

When did you first plant the seeds of bringing old X-Men villains back to form a new Brotherhood? I haven't been able to find any signs of it in previous issues. Is there anything you threw into previous story lines to tease "Final Execution?"

Rick Remender: It's been in the works for some time. All of the characters that we have seen in the series up until this point play some role in the new Brotherhood, as well as picking up threads that Jason set up in the "Wolverine" ongoing series and what Rob Williams was doing in Daken's book. It was important to me that all of the villains have a personal connection to each one of our cast members so that the conflict coming up was very personal. I also wanted to make sure that this was the toughest bands we had ever seen, and an obstacle far too large for X-Force to actually overcome.

There was a great moment in issue 26 where Deadpool made a hilarious "Arrested Development" reference. Are you a fan of the show? More importantly, is Deadpool? When does he have time to watch TV?

Rick Remender: I am a huge fan of the show. That particular line was Phil Noto's idea, so all kudos to him. Phil and I talk on the phone quite a bit while we work, and I think it leads to more cohesive end product. Deadpool's down time probably consists of a lot of Netflix and "Arrested Development."

If they were forced to choose, whose side would the team members in X-Force (other than Wolverine) be on in "AvX?"

Rick Remender: I haven't really given it much thought. The majority of the cast have only been involved in peripheral battles, like we saw with Psylocke and Daredevil, and the rest don't really have a pony in the race. We've seen Betsy and her reaction to it all. AoA Nightcrawler isn't very interested, and Deadpool and Fantomex, well, one is indisposed and the other is dead.

What has been the most satisfying contribution to the X-Men mythos you've crafted in Uncanny X-Force?

Rick Remender: I feel like we did a good job of cleaning up the Apocalypse continuity and rebuilding the mythology so he and his can be a huge, important threat in the Marvel Universe moving forward. Taking all of the various pieces and connecting them into one understandable hierarchy and mythology. There is so much great stuff to work with, and I feel very proud of how we've compiled it together to make a new whole. Obviously, I put a lot of time into Psylocke and Fantomex as well and hopefully developed them further in a way that is satisfying to readers.

How will the new Brotherhood come into play in the Marvel universe after Final Execution, if at all?

Rick Remender: If I would answer the question, I would give away the ending. Suffice to say our team is up against the toughest band of mutant villains we've ever seen. How it ends and where the Brotherhood land after this is a big part of the story I wouldn't want to give away here.

You wrote some regal badasses in Thor and Brian Braddock but you still kept romantic tones pushing with the likes of Fantomex, Warren and Psylocke. Which do you prefer to write: stories with more action or more intrigue and romance?

Rick Remender: I think a good story has a nice balance of both. Too much action just becomes images of people punching and jumping and smashing through glass. You need to build the context and the emotional ramifications for the conflict. However this is not television or film, one must be very mindful of the quantity of quiet moments. It forces you to be very concise and make sure you're using every bit of real estate to its utmost.

Who was your favorite character thus far in 2012 to write?

Rick Remender: I find a way to love most every character in writing. I don't have a particular favorite and try to give them all the same amount of attention, figure out what makes them tick, what are their motives, and who they are at their core. Once you do, you can find a reason to love most any character.

How long until we see the Clan Akkaba pop up in UXF again, specifically Pestilence, who last we saw was pregnant with the child of Archangel?

Rick Remender: Those things all sound like huge stories that I am likely planning huge things with. Can't say anything other than that right now.

Can we expect the infamous Weapon Plus creation Doctor Mind Bubble you hinted about before to appear in your next "Uncanny X-Force" arc?

Rick Remender: Big plans for Dr. Mind-bubble await!

Can you share any insight into Psylocke's head as to what she would have said to Angel had he been the person she wanted him to be when she visited the school? With her regret erased, did she even feel the need to justify sleeping with another guy? I understand that her mourning and sadness being gone opened the floodgates with Fantomex, but being that she and Angel truly loved each other, wouldn't that have been a deterrent for involving herself with Fantomex so quickly?

Rick Remender: Her Warren is dead. The trip to the school was a visual reminder of this. We deal with her complex feelings for Warren and Fantomex in upcoming issues. It is quite possible for someone to have intense and complex feelings for more than one person. I also think that sex holds less significance for adults than it does for younger people, and I try to avoid the double standard where a man who sleeps around is a stud while a woman is viewed as promiscuous. Betsy had strong feelings for both of these characters and she has complex reasons for her actions.