Welcome, X-Fans, to another uncanny edition of X-Men Monday at AIPT!
Courtesy of Leah Williams’ Twitter
This month, you finally get to read X-Terminators #1. (For a sense of what you can eXpect, here’s AIPT’s early review.) I also had a chance to read this debut issue, and let me tell you, if you love sharp dialogue, gorgeous artwork that pops off the page, and the unique combination of blood-soaked, explosion-filled, madcap fun only comics can deliver, then X-Terminators #1 is the book for you.
Fortunately, series writer Leah Williams was willing to answer a few questions before X-Terminators #1 drops September 21.
AIPT: Welcome back to X-Men Monday, Leah! X-Terminators #1 features Dazzler roller skating through blood, Boom-Boom blowing up vampire heads, and Jubilee dodging explosions in a monster truck. It’s a blast (pun very much intended). What was your writing process like for this series? Given the concept and content advisory warning, I can picture your editors and peers in the X-Slack encouraging you to push your story to its absolute limits.
Leah: My writing process for this is looking for the biggest, dumbest, funnest idea and then finding ways to make that bigger and dumber. Jordan and I talk stuff out frequently. My editors and peers are absolutely all acting as the little devils sitting on my shoulders, goading me to be the most delightfully unhinged I can be — they are my first and most important test audience. Few things are as satisfying as making my colleagues go feral when a new issue gets uploaded to the Slack.
Courtesy of Marvel Comics
AIPT: That devilish encouragement definitely comes through. Now, X-Fan Lyric said a lot of people think that Jubilee, Dazzler, and Boom-Boom are super similar. First, do you agree with these “people?” And if not, what are some of the ways that you’re making them distinct from one another?
Leah: Haha, I don’t agree at all. Their personalities are completely different, as are their power sets. We spend a decent amount of time distinguishing them in X-Terminators so I hope I can convince Lyric otherwise.
AIPT: X-Fan Catra loves your work, can’t wait for X-Terminators, and is wondering if there’s any chance we’ll see Jubilee really cut loose and show how destructive her powers can truly be.
Leah: Emphatic, enthusiastic yes.
AIPT: X-Fan PolarIce+ imagines that your “Blast Squad” (featuring Dazzler, Jubilee, Boom-Boom, and Gambit) from Marvel Comics #1001’s “616’s Best Stress Testers” was a bit of a precursor and setup for X-Terminators. Is that true, and if so, could you elaborate on the thought processes on bringing them all together (based on the similarities of their powers and/or archetypes)?
Courtesy of Marvel Comics
Leah: It’s a precursor in the way that I’ve always had a kind of fixation with mutants that have a similar “category” of powers — there are nuances to them each however, and I relish the challenge of demonstrating that in X-Terminators. With that one-page short, it was more about reaching for the toys I’d always wanted to put together and play with, and that was my first available opportunity.
AIPT: X-Fan Chandler Poling of the X-Reads Podcast asked, what films from the Grindhouse Cinema genre were an influence on your story?
Leah: Bless Chandler for the excuse to share my very-real watch list jpg which I made in my favorite memo app. This list is missing Crying Freeman, Kamikaze Girls, REC, Bacurau, and Bitch Slap which I’d also cite as influences.
Courtesy of Leah Williams
AIPT: You can’t have a Leah Williams interview without a little music talk, so X-Fan gonn1000 asked, other than Dazzler (obv) and (maybe?) Lila Cheney, who are Boom-Boom and Jubilee’s favorite pop singers?
Leah: I actually have playlists for each of these women — I think Dazzler is into K-pop, indie pop, and (perhaps obviously) dance music. Dazzler loves Arca, Prince, and Remi Wolf.
Boom-Boom is into punk, punk rock, and pop with some bite to it — powerful chanteuses. She loves Pom Pom Squad, Nova Twins, and Wet Leg.
Jubilee is into hip hop, experimental pop, and hyper pop. She loves Flo Milli, Slayyyter, and Shygirl.
You didn’t ask but Laura is into shoe gaze, acoustic alternative, drone pop, and dreamy vocals. She loves Kilo Kish, Kate Bush, and Alcest.
And here’s my playlist for the book, which I’d say is a more accurate curation of vibes you’ll encounter in X-Terminators.
AIPT: A lot to listen to, X-Fans — good thing this is this week’s last question! X-Fan Sophie Evergreen wanted to know each of the X-Terminators girls’ drink of choice.
Leah: I don’t think Dazzler drinks often, so when she does — she’s drinking to get drunk. She does tequila shots. Boom-Boom is probably good with whatever everyone else is drinking, but she knows that carbonated sugar-free drinks get you drunk much faster because 1) there’s no sugar to slow down your body’s metabolizing of the alcohol and 2) the carbon dioxide in carbonation increases the permeability of your biomembranes, which is basically a fancy way of saying your blood lets the alcohol in faster because bubbles. Jubilee likes gin and tonics because they taste like Christmas tree. Laura likes Guinness. They all like a good whiskey.
Courtesy of Marvel Comics
AIPT: Well, now I’m thirsty. But on that note, thanks for taking the time to field a few questions, Leah! Remember, X-Fans, X-Terminators #1 goes on sale September 21! As that’s still a few weeks away, here are a few eXclusive preview images from upcoming X-comics to tide you over, courtesy of X-Men Senior Editor Jordan D. White.
Courtesy of Marvel Comics
Courtesy of Marvel Comics
Courtesy of Marvel Comics
Courtesy of Marvel Comics
Courtesy of Marvel Comics
Courtesy of Marvel Comics
Speaking of Jordan, he’ll be back next week for the latest edition of X-Men Monday X Me Anything. So if you have questions about anything X-Men, click this link to submit them in the official form by Thursday, September 8 at 5 PM EST.
Until neXt time, X-Fans, stay eXceptional!
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