Age of X-Man: The X-Tremists #5 Art

Age of X-Man: The X-Tremists #5 Spoilers

Spoilers: Hours before Jubilee regained her memories, she was caught up doing paperwork as usual at Department X. Nezumi Sen, after having giving birth to a baby boy and freeing herself with the help of rats, confronted Jubilee, who remembered Shogo upon seeing Nezumi’s baby. Jubilee was upset and worried about Shogo’s whereabouts, confused about this new reality and took it upon herself to help Nezumi. At first she intended to keep a low profile, but then just stopped caring. She tracked down Department X’s van, came across Moneta’s corpse and stole the keys from her dead co-worker. Jubilee then proceeded to stealing money, while setting the world on fire. Blob’s house was one of which caught fire, but him and Betsy managed to escape in time. Blob was upset because that was the place he fell in love with Psylocke. Betsy took the opportunity to reveal that Moneta was right all along. She never erased their prisoners’ memories as she thought it just wasn’t right at all. Betsy instead harbored the memories of thousands in her subconscious and decided it was now time to give everyone their memories back, including prisoners in the Danger Room Complex. That’s when Jubilee met Northstar, Iceman and Rictor, and Jean-Paul regained his memories. All four of them caused chaos around the city, destroying whatever was in their way. Iceman was the last one to wake up, and was deeply upset and shocked about what was taken away from them and what they did to other mutants, specially Nezumi. It’s revealed that Jubilee was recounting the events of that day in a letter to Shogo to explain to him the time his mom was missing. What happened next is to be told in Age of X-Man: Omega, however Jubilee managed to help Nezumi and her baby escape in Department X’s van and with a large amount of money. She also mentioned that Blob and Betsy went their separate ways.

Age of X-Man: The X-Tremists #5 Preview

Age of X-Man: The X-Tremists #5

Writer: Leah Williams

Art by: Georges Jeanty

Cover by: Razzah

The Story:

The Age of X-Man Concludes!

• Some X-Tremists want to know love.
• Some X-Tremists want to know freedom.
• But some X-Tremists… just want to watch the world burn.

In Stores: May 26, 2019

Leah Williams Unpacks ‘Age of X-Man: X-Tremists’

Adventures in Poor Taste! reached out to writer Leah Williams to learn more about all the thought and care that’s gone into making Age of X-Man: X-Tremists special to so many X-Fans.

AiPT!: X-Tremists is one of those series that sneaks up on you and stays with you long after you’ve put it down for many reasons. One is unrequited love and all the feelings that come with it. Everything Fred goes through after revealing his love for Betsy is so relatable. Did you draw on your own past experiences to help readers experience something that is universal while also feeling so deeply personal?

Williams: More so than anything else I’ve written in comics, and it’s very uncomfortable to me. I obfuscate everything, of course, I am not self-inserting because that’d be one of the shittiest things I could do with this opportunity. However, my bottom-line is just wanting to provide something authentic. I like an airtight narrative (and obviously that gets more complicated in a collaborative medium like comics; not all of the moving components, many of which aren’t your responsibility to interpret, will land together perfectly), so drawing from some emotional experiences I know are authentic just as a means to provide gravitas is something I made an exception for in Freddy’s case. He deserved the credibility at the expense of my discomfort.

The way readers reacted to the moment of him confessing his feelings was sort of harrowing and humbling at the same time. For me, what he describes is a part of the queer experience–like, knowing you are attracted to your same-sex friend while closeted and fearful of consequences should you speak up. You love them. But you also love just getting to be around them. So you choose the pain of longing instead of the pain of loss or rejection, and after awhile you convince yourself that you’re maybe even happy like this. It was for the best. Then you dig yourself a pain rut and remain inside it indefinitely.

When X-Tremists #2 came out I learned the extent to which that’s a shared experience, though, and the way I learned this was because maybe dozens (I want to say?) of people reaching out to me and admitting they’re each feeling that same pain. And they just live like this. I’m still staggered breathless by that day.

I was similarly unprepared for how Betsy’s confession in X-Tremists #3 would land. Someone tweeted “Thank you.” and only that to me, and after glancing at their profile and seeing them speak to their own audience with the specifics of what they were going through and why Betsy’s confession mattered to them, I knew what that “Thank you.” meant and it made me want to cry just looking at it. You know exactly what it means in that context. And then for the second time, I just had this day of learning the extent of just how many people who read it are all hurting with the same specific pain.

I don’t know where to put this knowledge. It’s definitely breaking my heart, and overall, the X-Tremists experience has changed me on some fundamental level. I didn’t know what the f--k I was doing with Fred’s confession, to be honest–I just wanted something real and raw, and ringing with sweetness. I mostly feel like I stumbled into significance with Fred’s confession. I knew it rang true for me; I never realized the extent to which it would for everyone else. And learning it leveled me.

AiPT!: In the regular Marvel Universe, Psylocke is often portrayed as one of the X-Men characters who is most confident in her own skin–even when the skin hasn’t been that of her original body. Where did the idea come from to explore Betsy’s body issues?

Williams: Betsy Braddock was only ever body-confident when inhabiting Kwannon. She’s never once been satisfied with the body she was born with. She expresses this a few times prior to her journey through the Siege Perilous but earliest, I think (?) is when she just indicates dissatisfaction with her body’s physical limitations compared to her brothers’. Then there are some circumstantial details that could or could not be used in a discussion of Betsy’s body image issues, depending on how you feel about it–she starts dying her hair purple. She starts modeling. These things aren’t indicative of anything in particular on their own. But later, Betsy allows Mojo to give her cybernetic eye implants and that’s when we really start to explore Betsy Braddock’s profoundly unsettling obsession with body modification. And after this, we get a truly harrowing glimpse into Betsy’s body dysmorphia: in the Uncanny X-Men Annual #11 by Chris Claremont and Alan Davis, each of the X-Men is presented with their heart’s one true desire via the Siege Perilous. The trick is not to fall for this trap, obviously, and they have to resist overwhelming temptation despite it being the one thing they’ve always desperately longed for. All of them succeed.

Except Betsy. And her dream, her most desperate desire, is to be physically perfect–an armored woman. Sleek and made of steel. Impenetrable and strong. She says she chooses this path to protect those that she cares for, but once this is undone by the end of the issue: cut to like a year later, in a different book, of a different run, but with same pre-Kwannon Betsy: she’s still chasing the “perfection” of this ideal body and has started wearing custom armor just to mimic it.

It’s the usage of the word “perfect,” plus her blatant disregard for her original body that alarms me the most. She’s only joyful and confident once she’s inside Kwannon. That’s when she’s finally as dangerous, lethal, vicious, strong and sexual as the way she’s always dreamed of being. Closer to perfection. She outruns all of her insecurities inside Kwannon, and sure enough, whenever she’s presented with the option of reverting to her old self throughout the years, Betsy still consistently chooses to remain inside Kwannon. Betsy’s body issues have been in the canon for a very long time. I find them terrifying and sad.

AiPT!: While there have been many surprising relationships in Age of X-Man, Blob and Psylocke seemed to take many fans by surprise. But forget the fans–what was the initial reaction to Blobsy in the X-Office from the wider Age of X-Man team?

Williams: [X-Men Senior Editor] Jordan’s polite and professional no matter what canon shenanigans (cananigans) I propose. I pitched Blob/Psylocke on the phone to him when we were just tossing ideas back and forth about the cast as I learned who was still available, and I found out Blob still was. Betsy was already locked in as someone I definitely wanted by this point, so it was considering Blob as a possibility and then realizing how this world would affect him uniquely when I started to see the pieces fall into place. Betsy’s deep-seated body dysmorphia + the chance to give Fred an environment that loves and supports him regardless of his size and the resulting changes of who he’d be in this world. To me, it was just a natural alignment.

I made this connection instantly but internally, so what I blurted out on the phone to Jordan was more like, “Oh, Blob’s available!?” and then two seconds later “Blob/Psylocke romance!” I think his instinctive reaction a polite “????” but after hearing me out, he was just like “Sure!” and then I questioned him for months about whether or not he was still sure.

Age of X-Man: The X-Tremists #4 Spoilers & Art

Spoilers: As Blob and Psylocke take Moneta into custody, Northstar notices how friendly they got. Jean-Paul runs off alone caught up in his thoughts. The next morning at Department X’s HQ, Northstar comes across Moneta, who’s been reconditioned as lost memories of her transgressions. Blob and Betsy brief the team on their two assignments for the day, and Northstar volunteers to check on an illegal movie theater showing romance pictures. It turns out the theater is run by Rictor and Northstar is a regular movie goer. Jean-Paul uses his position in Dept. X to warn Rictor in advance. Back at the HQ, Iceman decides to follow Northstar. Moneta is left alone and uses her powers on herself to recall what she had been made to forget. At the theater, Iceman joins Northstar and Rictor, and the three of them hang out and drink together, while Jean-Paul opens up about the feeling of missing someone he doesn’t know. Elsewhere, Moneta is attacked by the followers of Apocalypse. While Iceman, Northstar and Rictor comfort each other, Jubilee sets the town on fire and says she now remembers having a child. Northstar also remembers his sister Aurora and husband Kyle, and Jubilee confirms she was at their wedding. They realize memories were taken away from them and suggest rioting.

Age of X-Man: The X-Tremists #4 Preview

Age of X-Man: The X-Tremists #4

Writer: Leah Williams

Art by: Georges Jeanty

Cover by: Razzah

The Story:

The Age of X-Man Continues!

• Northstar — the guiding light that keeps the traveler reassured they are going in the right direction.

• If only the name rang true for poor Jean-Paul...

In Stores: April 29, 2019

 

Age of X-Man: The X-Tremists #3 Art

Age of X-Man: The X-Tremists #3 Spoilers

Spoilers: Betsy approaches Blob sensually, but engages no further when he replies that it hurts. The next day, everything is business as usual at Department X’s office. A prisoner is taken in, and Betsy cleans up his mind. Blob then gets an anonymous call about rebel kids throwing a party at an abandoned building. While Blob warns the others, Moneta storms in and accuses Psylocke of being part of the resistance because she found out there was no trace of mind-wipe in the prisoner brought in earlier. Betsy explains the prisoner needed to rest after the wipe to confirm the procedure was successful. Blob is fed with Moneta’s behavior and orders her to take the rest of the day off. She says she’ll prove there’s a resistance movement. Betsy swears she mind-wiped the prisoner, and her co-workers vouch for her. Jubilee takes the chance to address Nezumi and how they’ll have to deal with her situation sooner or later. Later that night, Betsy visits Blob at his house, and the two of them begin a sort of book club. Betsy opens up to Blob and talks about personal feelings, like self-loathing and body image, and her eating disorder. Blob assures her she’s beautiful and the heart of the team. Days later, Department X investigate the abandoned building and come across kids getting together. Moneta reveals she was the one who phoned in the tip to prove the resistance is real. Department X soon find out that the kids are untrained and unarmed and committed no crime whatsoever. Northstar accuses Moneta of leading them into a trap. The team has to come to terms with the fact they're seen as monsters. Blob has no choice but to fire her. Betsy thanks Blob.

Age of X-Man: The X-Tremists #3 Preview

Age of X-Man: The X-Tremists #3

Writer: Leah Williams

Art by: Georges Jeanty

Cover by: Razzah

The Story:

The Age of X-Man Continues!

• All love is forbidden love.

• Blob knows this. Psylocke knows this.

• The X-Tracts enforce the law. And yet…

In Stores: April 24, 2019

X-Men Monday with Jordan D. White #8

Adventures in Poor Taste!: Hickman recently shared his favorite X-Men characters, so this seemed like the perfect time to ask Comicbook Addict’s (@casterlylion11) question: Who are Jordan White’s top five X-Men?

Jordan D. White: 1. Kitty Pryde 2. Nightcrawler 3. Beast 4. Psylocke 5. Madrox

The X-Tremists Pin-up by Georges Jeanty

X-Men Monday with Jordan D. White #7

Adventures in Poor Taste: We get a ton of Psylocke questions, so for Betsy’s fans, I have to ask Avalon’s question‏ (@braddocklegacy). Are there any plans to delve into Psylocke’s mindset after reclaiming her original body?

Jordan D. White: Yep, there are.

Age of X-Man: The X-Tremists #2 Art

Age of X-Man: The X-Tremists #2 Spoilers

Spoilers: As Psylocke and Iceman tend to a little boy who fell off his bicycle, Betsy thinks about how at some point children are picked up by their parents never to be picked up and held again. Upon returning to Department X’s office, Blob warns the team they have a “controlled purge” on their agenda today. It turns out that Department X is actually responsible for setting the forests on fire so that the X-Men can put out and make people feel safer. Later that night at their HQ, Psylocke is left alone with Blob and lets him know that she’s picked up his attraction towards her earlier that day. Betsy offers to purge such thoughts from his mind. Blob is caught off guard and simply leaves in a hurry. For the following three days, he calls in sick and avoids work. Moneta is upset with all other members as they all seem content with simply pushing papers behind a desk instead of doing real work and volunteers to interrogate Nezumi. Jubilee finds out Moneta has been keeping Nezumi chained to their basement in poor conditions. Jubilee apologizes to their pregnant prisoner, but Nezumi calls her out on being a complicit for being worse than Moneta and pretending to care. Meanwhile, Psylocke finds a note from Blob explaining that he doesn’t want to forget his feelings for her. Betsy visits Fred’s house that night and the two of them engage in an awkward conversation. Blob reveals he’d rather lose his job than be forced to forget his feeling and feel nothing at all. He just wants to feel something. Betsy tells him of a recurring nightmare about mourning the corpse of her mother, but that she can’t bring herself to remember the last time her mother ever held her. As she approaches Blob, Psylocke says she’ll let him keep his feelings if he answers if it still hurts.

Age of X-Man: The X-Tremists #2 Preview

Age of X-Man: The X-Tremists #2

Writer: Leah Williams

Art by: Georges Jeanty

Cover by: Razzah

The Story:

The Age of X-Man Continues!
As Department X continues its work of purging and revising the ill-fitting elements of society, an encounter with a pregnant rebel begins eating away at the team from within. Cleaning up the minds of the world can be a dirty job…

In Stores: March 27, 2019

X-Solicits for June 2019

	Age of X-Man: X-Tremists #5 (of 5) Leah Williams (W) • Georges Jeanty (A) Cover by: Rahzzah The Age of X-Man Conclusion! • Some X-Tremists want to know love. • Some X-Tremists want to know freedom. • But some X-Tremists… just want to watch the world burn.
	Age of X-Man: The Marvelous X-Men #5 (of 5) Lonnie Nadler & Zac Thompson (W) • Marco Failla (A) Cover by: Phil Noto The Age of X-Man Conclusion! • Perfect is an idea…an idea that by its nature does not fit into reality. • The X-Men have seen the truth of a perfect world. • That world is coming apart at the seams.
	Age of X-Man: Prisoner X #4 (of 5) Vita Ayala (W) • German Peralta (A) Cover by: Patch Zircher The Age of X-Man Continues! • The walls begin to crumble around the inmates! • Can Bishop keep his sanity long enough to break free?
	Age of X-Man: Nextgen #5 (of 5) Ed Brisson (W) • Marcus To (A) Cover by: Chris Bachalo The Age of X-Man Conclusion! • The students must confront the truth behind their reality! • What must they sacrifice for freedom?
	Age of X-Man: Apocalypse & The X-Tracts #4 (of 5) Tim Seeley (W) • Salva Espin (A) Cover by: Gerardo Sandoval The Age of X-Man Continues! You think this “A” stands for “America”? Think again! Genesis takes the field in the name of Apocalypse to fight for love and friendship!
	Age of X-Man: The Amazing Nightcrawler #4 (of 5) Seanan Mcguire (W) • Juan Frigeri (A) Cover by: Shane Davis It's Curtain for Kurt Wagner! • Nightcrawler’s life hangs in the balance as the Age of X-Man crumbles around him! • Plus: The fate of baby TJ revealed!
	Uncanny X-Men #19 & #20 Matthew Rosenberg (W) • Carlos Villa (#19) & Salvador Larroca (#20) Covers by: Whilce Portacio Issue #19 - Marvels 25th Tribute Variant Cover by: Phil Noto First – learn the truth about the Hellfire Club’s involvement in the X-Men’s quest. Then, the mutant race faces elimination at the hands of a vaccine erasing the X-Gene from future generations…

X-Men Monday with Jordan D. White #4

Adventures in Poor Taste: X-Men Senior Editor Jordan D. White will talk a bit more about Marvel’s X-Men plans for C2E2, as well as provide your eXclusive first look at the cover of Marvelous X-Men #5. But first, he’s got a few X-Fan questions to answer!  

AiPT!: Psylocke (@MentalMonarch) had a question about… Psylocke! We’ve seen Psylocke’s new telekinetic weapons but have yet to see the katana. Is it safe to assume that’s not part of her repertoire now that she’s back in her original body?

Jordan D. White: I don’t think she CANNOT form it, but I think it’s not her go-to anymore. I really liked her new sword and shield and would like to see her keep using them for a long time. Let’s hope they stick!

Age of X-Man Secret Variant Covers by Carlos Pacheco

Age of X-Man: The X-Tremists #1 Secret Variant Cover

Age of X-Man: Apocalypse & The X-Tracts #1 Secret Variant Cover