Astonishing X-Men #1 & #2 Art Preview

Astonishing X-Men: All-Star Team

Marvel.com: A surprising rag-tag group of X-Men bands together to save our world from a new threat with results—dare we say—astonishing.

Writer Charles Soule’s new series, ASTONISHING X-MEN, hits on July 19 and it boasts double the drama, triple the mutant action, and a roster of artists to rival that of the characters. But let’s get one thing straight; you won’t find a typical X-Men story within the pages of this book. Why, you ask? We talked to Charles Soule to find out just what makes this title so different.

Marvel.com: Can you set the scene for us? What’s going on as this book kicks off?

Charles Soule: ASTONISHING X-MEN begins with an attack on the world’s psychics, both super hero-types and not. It’s vicious, and quick, and things are looking terrible from page one. We pick up the main thread of the story in London, where one of these attacks is taking place. Psylocke is at ground zero, and sends out sort of a psychic distress call to anyone nearby who might be able to help. A group of X-Men arrives to see what they can do…and we’re off.

Marvel.com: How does this book differ from other “team” books?

Charles Soule: Well, it’s not a team, really. This isn’t a group of X-Men with a mission statement and headquarters. It’s a cast of super-powered people, all of whom have been involved in questionable things in their past, coming together to try to solve a problem. Mostly, I’m writing it like a novel, or maybe a TV show; different characters have different arcs, and are more or less prominent at different times. The whole book is something like a puzzle box, with many layers of reveals; it’s not a “villain of the week” thing, really. It’s one huge story, with a lot of pieces that are all moving quickly, which start to link up or latch together as the story continues. It’s just…intense, I’d say. Focused and fast.

Marvel.com: Roll call! Give us a run down of the cast and what each member brings to the table.

Charles Soule: Psylocke, Logan—Old Man version—Rogue, Gambit, Fantomex, Mystique, Bishop, Angel. They all have their strengths as characters, but what I like about them is that they’re all sort of compromised, in a way. They all have dark moments in their past, secrets, strange interactions with the rest of the cast. Makes for some fantastic soap opera, which in turn gives real emotion and stakes to the action beats—that’s what you want, I think.

Marvel.com: What brought this mismatched group together and what’s the chemistry like? Any tension to deal with?

Charles Soule: The chemistry is interesting. Psylocke had relationships with both Fantomex and Angel. Fantomex has gotten together with Mystique before. Rogue is—sort of—Mystique’s daughter. Gambit and Rogue are one of the biggest romantic couples in X-land. Angel has a dark alter ego that he’s trying to work to deal with, the Archangel. Bishop was once a genocidal murderer—he was redeemed, but you know, still. And of course, back in his home dimension, Old Man Logan killed every last one of them. So yeah…there’s some tension.

Marvel.com: What is the biggest hurdle facing our heroes and what might they do to clear it?

Charles Soule: The main villain when we begin the story is a longtime X-Men foe: Amahl Farouk, aka The Shadow King. He’s an incarnation of evil and darkness that lives primarily on another dimension called the astral plane. He does manifest in our world from time to time, and he tends to do nasty things like possess people and use their bodies, or drive people mad. He’s a true X-Men “Big Bad;” the first “dark” mutant Charles Xavier ever met, back in the day, and the reason he started the Xavier Institute, to train up mutants to fight similar threats. The astral plane is sort of the Shadow King’s domain, and it’s a place where reality can warp and shift depending on the whims of the people inside it. Amahl Farouk tends to use that quality of the astral plane as a weapon, throwing people into their worst fears. He’s a tough foe.

Marvel.com: Where are the rest of the X-Men?

Charles Soule: As I’ve mentioned, the book moves very, very fast, and most of the events in the book take place before the other X-Men have a chance to get involved, or even get to where things are taking place.

Marvel.com: Do you have any favorite moments in the series so far?

Charles Soule: Every issue is being drawn by a different superstar artist, from Jim Cheung on #1, to Mike Deodato on #2, to Ed McGuinness, [to] Carlos Pacheco, and many more. I’m writing to each artist’s strengths, and making sure that they each get to do something sort of self-contained. Issue #3 is sort of a Wolverine-centered story, for example. They all delve into a lot of X-Men history and legacy, too—so that’s been fantastic, just seeing how all these artists approach this stuff. As far as specific moments, there’s a double-spread in issue #5 that I cannot wait to see. Should be incredible.

Marvel.com: Is there anything else you can tease about what’s in store for our heroes? Any surprises headed our way?

Charles Soule: Absolutely: there’s something big about this series that I haven’t discussed anywhere at all yet—and Marvel’s been great about working with me to make sure we keep a lid on it. There’s a key element to this book that I think will have people very excited, but I think it’ll be best for fans to discover it in the book itself. My Twitter feed should be interesting that day, for sure.

Start watching all the awkward group tension and surprise battles unfold in ASTONISHING X-MEN #1, written by Charles Soule with art by Jim Cheung, out July 19.

Astonishing X-Men Retailer Variant by Philip Tan

Charles Soule Twitter Q&A

Will this series be big and overarching or quick 2-3 issue story arcs?

Soule: Astonishing X-Men is big and overarching. Builds and builds. Think like a season of Game of Thrones.

Will Dr. Doom make an appearance?

Soule: You may have to look elsewhere for that particular pairing - but the villains here are great.

Is there a Weapon Plus arc as Fantomex is on the team? Which character on the team is your favourite?

Soule: Nope re: Weapon Plus. I'm enjoying Psylocke a lot.

Will it feature any Inhumans?

Soule: Not so far, but not impossible.

Will it tie-in with Secret Empire?

Soule: Nope.

Will any aspect of Psylocke's past come back to haunt her? I mean other than her arch enemy Shadow King.

Soule: Astonishing is extremely forward-looking. Not much dwelling on past stories. The idea is to take this cast to new places.

Will there be non X-People showing up?

Soule: Yes. A big part of the story involves the X-Men interacting with the non-X world.

What would you say is the most innovative thing you've done with this book?

Soule: I'm not sure if it's "innovative," but I'm working a lot on pace. Intense, intense, intense.

Are there any particular runs of previous X-Men you'd recommending reading before this run of Astonishing?

Soule: The book is designed to be picked up cold.

Who is the big bad?

Soule: Shadow King is a significant presence.

What sort of X-Men Villains can we hope to see pop up? Other mutants? Evil people people? Maybe other heroes villains?

Soule: All of the above.

Will adult Beast join the team?

Soule: Wait and see!

What can you tell us about Rogue? How are you handling her return to the X-Men?

Soule: She keeps busy.

Will there be anything in Astonishing that we read in a few years that "Soule has been planting the seeds to this for years" ?

Soule: There's a thing. I just haven't decided if I'm going to pull the trigger on it here or not.

What kind of themes are you looking to explore in it?

Soule: Identity.

How would you sell this to someone like me who is interested in the X-Men but not necessarily a diehard fan? What will pull me in?

Soule:The accessibility of the story. Grabber from page 1, and all you need is to enjoy reading good comics.

How much of the last 8 years or so are you incorporating into your portrayal of Bishop?

Soule: Specifically from Messiah Complex, etc? Nada. Sam Humphries' Uncanny X-Force handled that masterfully. Bishop, in Astonishing, is a hero.

Is each arc going to be standalone? If it's not a continuous team, will we be able to start any arc with a team we like and not be confused?

Soule: It's not a team, it's a cast, and it's largely consistent throughout. I suggest you start with Astonishing X-Men #1 and never, ever stop.

How do you handle timelines? Esp re: the quantum Marvel universe. 

Or, what does time (see: fabula) mean to you when creating stories?

Soule: Great question. Like sand through the hourglass. Lotta days, lotta lives.

Will we see anything do with the World? Fantomex was messing with it last in IvX.

Soule: Nope.

X-Solicits for August 2017

	Astonishing X-Men #2 Charles Soule (W) • Mike Deodato Jr. (A/C) Variant Cover by: Ryan Stegman Character Variant Cover by: Elizabeth Torque Villain Variant Cover by: Leinil Francis Yu Enter: The Astral Plane! In the next chapter of this action-packed X-Men epic, Psylocke, Rogue, Old Man Logan and the rest of their impromptu team travel to the astral plane in pursuit of the dastardly Shadow King. But on the astral plane, not everything is as it seems, and reality is only as reliable as what you think it is… Will the X-Men be able to contain the chaos from spilling out into the world? From superstar writer Charles Soule and rock-star artist Mike Deodato Jr., Astonishing X-Men is the book you cannot afford to miss!
	Jean Grey #5 Dennis Hopeless (W) • Anthony Piper (A) Cover by: David Yardin • After an adventure with the legendary God of Thunder himself, Jean Grey realizes that fighting the Phoenix will take more than just mettle…it will take metal. • Luckily, there’s an X-Man who knows something about turning resolve into ordnance… • Enter: Psylocke!
	X-Men Blue #9 Cullen Bunn (W) • Cory Smith (A) Cover by: Arthur Adams Secret Empire Tie-In! • Jean and Jimmy continue their assault on Emma’s stronghold, trying to free their teammates… • ...Meanwhile, Cyclops must fight to free himself from a particularly hellish mindscape. • Can the X-Men win against Hydra when all hope is lost?
	X-Men: Blue #10 Cullen Bunn (W) • Julian Lopez (A) Cover by: Arthur Adams Now, Watch As I Pull A Beast Out Of My Hat! • When BEAST’s meddling with magic catches up to him, what nightmares will the X-MEN be forced to deal with? • There is a cost to hexes and spells, and Hank McCoy is about to pay it. • Will Cyclops, Iceman, Angel and Marvel Girl be able to save their teammate from himself?
	X-Men: Gold #9 Marc Guggenheim (W) • Ken Lashley (A/C) • Kitty Pryde has sworn off men named “Peter.” • But when she and her first love – Peter “Colossus” Rasputin – are caught in dire straits, will she find herself going back on her word?
	X-Men: Gold #10 Marc Guggenheim (W) • Lan Medina (A) Cover by: Ken Lashley • Colossus and Magik return to Russia to help a stranger with ties to their past… • …only to discover him in the clutches of Omega Red! • But surely the newly resurrected cyborg serial killer means the X-Men no harm though, right?

Astonishing X-Men #1 Art Preview

Legendary X-Men Deck-Building Game Details Released

Upper Deck has released new details and the first previews for the upcoming Legendary: X-Men expansion to the Marvel: Legendary Deck Building Game.

Legendary: X-Men includes 394 new cards to expand the Marvel: Legendary game and is completely compatible with all other Marvel: Legendary products, requiring the Marvel: Legendary Core Set to play.

Legendary: X-Men includes 15 new characters with the X-Men team affiliation, including Beast, Banshee, Cannonball, Dazzler, Legion, and Psylocke, seven new villain groups, five henchmen groups, eight schemes, and six masterminds, each with a second Epic side, including Onslaught, Shadow King, and Dark Phoenix.

It also features the return of divided cards, last seen in Legendary: Civil War, and introduces two brand new card types: Horror Cards and Heroic Bystanders. The first print run of Legendary: X-Men will include a foil promo card.

Legendary: X-Men releases June 28. Check out the preview cards in the gallery below.

Secret Empire #1 Spoilers & Art

Spoilers: During the Secret Empire event and the Hydra takeover, New Tian is a mutant territory off the coast of California, and Xorn, Sebastian Shaw, Psylocke, Beast and Nate Grey are seemingly affiliated with it.

According to the solicitations of Secret Empire: United, While the country cowers in obedient fear of the oligarchy of Hydra’s High Council, Steve Rogers revels in the peace he’s finally brought to his planet. But when a contingent of mutants, led by Emma Frost, stokes the fires of rebellion in New Tian, the mutant-controlled territory of the United States, Steve’s leadership is called into question. So the supreme leader takes to the frontlines to face down those who would dare oppose beginning with the White Queen herself!

Astonishing X-Men #2 Preview by Mike Deodato

Betsy Braddock vs. the Shadow King: A Psychic Feud

The tumultuous and deeply personal rivalry between Elizabeth 'Betsy' Braddock and the Shadow King has spanned decades, marked by a series of psychic battles that have tested both their powers and their psyches. From the moment the Shadow King first targeted Betsy Braddock, the two have been locked in a conflict that blends the astral and physical realms, with Farouk using every opportunity to twist Psylocke’s vulnerabilities while she continually overcomes his control. Their feud has seen betrayal, death, resurrection, and the manipulation of minds on a global scale, as the Shadow King sought to dominate reality itself and bend it to his will. Psylocke’s journey has been one of constant resistance, fighting both within her mind and on the battlefield, always striving to protect those around her and thwart Farouk’s schemes. This article explores the history of their conflict, the pivotal moments where their paths crossed, and the ultimate battles that defined their deadly rivalry, culminating in a final showdown that sought to restore reality itself.

Uncanny X-Men (Vol. 1) #273

As Jean Grey attempted to use Cerebro to locate former X-Men on the Astral Plane, she was ambushed by the Shadow King. Psylocke entered the Astral Plane to intervene, ultimately using her psi-knife on Jean to break his hold. Upon returning to the real world, neither woman was certain of their enemy's identity or his true intentions.

THE MUIR ISLAND SAGA

Uncanny X-Men (Vol. 1) #278-280, X-Factor (Vol. 1) #69

After receiving warnings from Forge and Banshee, a team of X-Men—including Psylocke—set out to investigate Muir Island, where the inhabitants had fallen under the Shadow King's control. However, they were quickly captured, and Psylocke was among the many mutants he possessed. Forge managed to defeat Betsy and used her psychic knife on Polaris, who had been manipulated as a nexus between the physical world and the Astral Plane by Farouk. With his power source destroyed, the Shadow King was torn apart.

PSI-WAR

X-Men (Vol. 2) #77-78

Years later, following the Onslaught incident, Farouk managed to return. Disguising himself as "Ananasi," the Shadow King took control of an African tribe that worshiped Storm. Psylocke entered the Astral Plane to confront him but fell into his trap. Inadvertently, she triggered a chain reaction that crippled the psionic plane itself, damaging the collective subconscious of all beings on Earth—especially those born with psionic abilities. As Farouk ascended to dominance, Psylocke’s astral form was destroyed. While the Shadow King began corrupting mankind, the Crimson Dawn intervened once more, granting Psylocke the ability to command the shadows of the Psionic Plane. Sensing her presence, Farouk expanded his power to infect every mind on Earth. However, Psylocke discovered that he had left his nexus exposed and used her shadows to contain it. Channeling her telepathy, she successfully trapped the Shadow King—though in doing so, she sacrificed her ability to use telepathy ever again.

Wolverine (Vol. 2) #147

Some time afterward, Psylocke was compelled to use Cerebro to reach Wolverine and Archangel, cleansing them of the Death persona. The Shadow King seized the opportunity to manipulate Betsy, attempting to convince her that releasing him was the only way to save both men. Just as she was about to yield, Warren intervened, stopping her. Following the encounter, Betsy shut down Cerebro, once again imprisoning Farouk.

X-Treme X-Men Annual 2001

The Shadow King was freed from his prison after Psylocke's death during a battle with the mutant hunter Vargas. Once released, he took control of the Reavers and launched an attack on the X-Men. However, Rogue harnessed her strength of will to stop the Shadow King and imprison him, just as Psylocke had done before.

New Excalibur #8, #19

After Jamie Braddock resurrected Psylocke, she traveled to England to reunite with her twin brother, Captain Britain, and confront the Shadow King once again. Farouk revealed that when Psylocke died, her consciousness was pulled by the very threads of reality, and part of him managed to escape into another universe, where he took control of an alternate version of Charles Xavier. The Scarlet Witch's Decimation Wave allowed the Shadow King to return to Earth-616, where he sought revenge on Betsy. Immune to his influence, Psylocke used her telekinesis to induce a stroke in Xavier’s body. However, before she could finish him off, Betsy was unexpectedly transported to the Crystal Palace at the Nexus of All Realities. Farouk was eventually defeated by Lionheart, who killed Xavier's host body, sending the Shadow King back to the Astral Plane.

Uncanny X-Force (Vol. 1) #8, #10

The Shadow King later reappeared in Wakanda, where his plans were thwarted by Storm and the Panther God, Bast. Some time afterward, X-Force investigated a nuclear facility after Psylocke detected unusual psionic readings. Betsy quickly identified the source— the Shadow King— who confronted her in battle on the Astral Plane. In his attempt for revenge, Farouk freed the Archangel persona from the psychic prison within Warren's mind. The Shadow King intended to use Warren to launch nuclear missiles at Utopia, a sanctuary for mutantkind. However, Archangel defeated the Shadow King on the Astral Plane and killed a soldier at the military facility, despite the fact that the soldier was no longer under Farouk’s control. Later, the Shadow King provided a reporter with a USB drive containing images of Archangel and X-Force, hoping to expose the team as assassins working in secret.

Uncanny X-Force (Vol. 1) #26-27, #32-35

The Shadow King later allied himself with Daken’s Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, plotting an attack on X-Force. Psylocke was psychically assaulted by Farouk, who exploited her weaknesses and insecurities. However, Fantomex used his psi-shielded mask to break Farouk's mind control over her. When X-Force clashed with the Brotherhood again, the Shadow King attacked Betsy on the Astral Plane, reminding her of his vow to destroy her life. Psylocke unleashed the full force of her psionic power, and the Shadow King was defeated. Despite this, Betsy chose not to kill him, which Farouk seized as an opportunity to fracture her psyche. In the physical world, Betsy used Omega White to drain the Shadow King’s psychic essence and trap him. Later, she asked her brother, Captain Britain, to imprison the Shadow King in Otherworld.

Nightcrawler (Vol. 4) #8-10

Brian Braddock sealed the Shadow King’s host body in a tomb in the Gobi Desert, where it remained in stasis until it was accidentally discovered by the Crimson Pirates. The Pirates mistakenly trapped it inside Omega Black’s body, and their telepath, Bloody Bess, unintentionally released the Shadow King. Seeking help, Bess turned to Nightcrawler, and together, they battled the Pirates and the X-Men, who had fallen under the Shadow King's control— including Psylocke. After Bess broke the Shadow King's hold on Betsy, the two women sent Nightcrawler to confront Farouk on the Astral Plane, armed with Psylocke’s psi-blade. The attack stunned Farouk long enough for him to be sealed once again inside Omega Black's body.

Astonishing X-Men (Vol. 4) #1-6

No prison could contain the Shadow King for long, and soon he found new ways to amuse himself. When Charles Xavier was killed, Farouk seized the opportunity to capture Xavier's psyche as his body perished, holding it in the Astral Plane for one final confrontation. To keep their conflict engaging, Xavier subtly guided the Shadow King into a game that unfolded in the real world. A series of attacks on psychics worldwide slowly escalated, and Psylocke became one of his first victims, assaulted by her old adversary. With a new source of psionic power, Farouk had the ability to control any psychic mind on Earth. Psylocke was transformed into a Mothra-like psychic construct, rampaging through the Spire, until her desperate mental cry for help reached the X-Men. Xavier ensured that select X-Men would respond, leading them to form a team to help him defeat the Shadow King once and for all. Psylocke guided this team into the Astral Plane, determined to stop Farouk from causing further damage. As the Shadow King began claiming minds in the real world, turning Old Man Logan and Gambit against their teammates, Psylocke found herself fighting on two fronts: battling physically on Earth while maintaining the psychic link with her team still locked in the Astral Plane. With Farouk distracted by the chaos he caused, Xavier seized the chance to finally defeat his longtime foe, ending their deadly game once and for all.

Astonishing X-Men (Vol. 4) #8-12

The Shadow King resurfaced once more, this time with an even more dangerous power source— the energy mutant Proteus, who was once again able to manipulate reality itself. The X-Men reunited to track down Proteus, with Psylocke appointed as their team leader due to lingering doubts about Professor X’s involvement in the situation. Proteus sought to reshape all of reality to be as psycho-reactive as the Astral Plane, using the Scottish village of Fetters Hill as the epicenter for his “reality garden,” where he planted the seeds of chaos in the minds of the villagers. These seeds then spread globally, warping reality wherever they touched. In a desperate attempt to stabilize things, Psylocke and Professor X reconnected to the psychic network Farouk had used, tapping into the collective mental pathways of all psionics on Earth to maintain the current structure of reality. But the Shadow King had laid dormant within Professor X like a cuckoo's egg, emerging during this union to seize control of the network once again. Psylocke fought against Farouk's influence for a time, but the battle was relentless until Professor X broke free from the Shadow King’s grip. With their combined strength, they rejoined the psychic network to stabilize reality and banish Farouk from the physical plane once and for all, restoring order and ending the Shadow King's reign of chaos.