Monday, August 31, 2015
Wednesday, August 26, 2015
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.
Tuesday, August 25, 2015
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).
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.
Monday, August 24, 2015
X-Men '92 #3 Preview
X-Men '92 #3Writer: 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
Wednesday, August 19, 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 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.
Friday, August 14, 2015
Secret Wars Journal #4 Preview
Secret Wars Journal #4Writer: 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
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“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.
