X-Men Monday #175 – X Me Anything With the X-Office

Welcome, X-Fans, to the 175th edition of X-Men Monday at AIPT!

How do you recognize 175 installments of X-Men Monday and celebrate this marvelous mutant milestone? You do a special edition of X Me Anything and see what X-Men Senior Editor Jordan D. White and the rest of the X-Office have to say!

So grab a snack or beverage of choice and get comfortable — next stop…

AIPT: Welcome to X-Men Monday #175, everybody! Let’s kick off this special anniversary edition with an introspective question from X-Fan Scott Redmond, who said with A.X.E.: Judgment Day almost complete and some titles already wrapped, there are for sure some changes in store for the X-line as a whole. While status quo changes in comics can often fade or change quickly, to what do you attribute the longevity of the House of X/Powers of X/Krakoan status quo, which is still going strong over three years later?

Kieron Gillen: We’ve decided as a group to not move on from the status quo until I can reliably spell “Arakiii” correctly.

Jordan D. White: It is taking everything in my power to not correct that spelling. Deep breaths. 

Kieron: Really, as a latecomer, I was watching it from the outside for the majority of it, and it does what any status quo should do — give a lot of unique possibilities made possible by it. As there were so many, it’s not a surprise that one wants to explore them. On a personal level, I admire the set-up’s ability to have people who actively hate each other forced to be in the same room, so they can do scenes together. That’s golden. 

Jordan: Yeah — I think it’s a really successful status quo in every sense in that audiences have really responded to it and also the creators really feel like the stories they’ve been able to tell in this status are working out well. The other thing to think of is to ask what counts as a status quo — I know some would argue that the “X-Men Disassembled” status quo and the Blue & Gold status quo and the Extraordinary status quo and the New X-Men and Jean Grey School and Utopia and O*N*E overseers… that all those are different status quos. And I can understand why… but from another point of view, I think everything after “Decimation” was all so affected by that that to me those are all phases of one long status quo that we only moved out of by making the seismic shift of House of X.

So… I think there is a question to be asked about what actually defines this era. Is it that there are a lot of plants around? Is it the gates? Is it the island? Is it resurrection? Or is it more about how the mutants position themselves in the world and their attitudes towards what they’ve been through? I think only time can tell.

Si Spurrier: One of the really genius aspects of this era’s setup is that it exponentially broadens the scope of the metaphors we can play with. Mutantism has been used over the years to speak to a whole gamut of profoundly important social issues: race, sexuality, gender, class, mental health, and so on. Incredible and moving stories that don’t preach, but do punch.

Sidenote: The “keep politics out of comics!” crowd have not been paying attention for [checks notes] 60 freaking years. In the Krakoan era, those possibilities are still very much on the table – they always will be, so long as there are fascinating mutant characters doing fascinating things. But now we also have access to a far grander and more abstract canon of metaphors. Now we can speak to civilizations, cultures, polities, policies, faiths, and fates. It’s an extraordinarily clever widening of the micro to the macro.

Al Ewing: There’s a richness of potential to Krakoa. The fact that so many stories have burst forth from the concept, blasting off in so many different directions, really speaks to how much bigger the horizons are now — and really, it was just tweaking the dial marked “mutants survive and thrive” up a couple of notches. That alone sparked so much, in-world and out of it. At the time House of X and Powers of X hit, I remember doing some to-camera for marketing, talking about how this was the dawn of a new era of the X-Men — and it really was. I don’t believe the genies we’ve unleashed will go meekly back to their bottles.

AIPT: They better not! Now, X-Fan Robert Furey said X-Men is often described as a never-ending soap opera, and sometimes storylines last for years before coming to a definitive conclusion, if at all. As writers and editors, what are some of the challenges of both creating stories without an ending and managing characters who have so much history?

Steve Orlando: I think the key is that while the story doesn’t end, the characters and their arcs can still reach satisfying resolutions again and again. Kate Pryde’s story may never be OVER, but the core of her character tells us what types of situations challenge, and thus teach her. That’s where arcs can be drawn from, where characters can struggle, overcome, learn, change, and sacrifice to come out the other side a little different — just like us in our own lives! And just like life is always challenging us as we think we’ve got it all figured out, the next character, or concept, to challenge your cast is always on the horizon. The story of the X-Men may never definitively “end,” but its characters are constantly evolving and changing — they’re not who they were 60 years ago when they debuted.

Kieron: Everything above is true, but I actually don’t try to think about it too much — almost the opposite. I just do a story with a start, beginning, and end, and leave the before and after to other people. As I hope Immortal X-Men shows, I take character history seriously, but I view that as actually a historical record I’m using to develop a character. I tell a meaningful, closed story with them, and then get out. This is part of my aesthetic, but also part of how I try to make my stories accessible. If Immortal is the only X-story you ever read, I want you to be cared for. I want everything else to be additive. 

Gerry Duggan: The Marvel Universe may never end, but our orbits through these books are finite. Since Deadpool, I’ve been pitching stories that have beginnings, middles, and ends. It’s very sweet to write and end, and not everyone in comics gets to enjoy getting to that finish line. We’ll be privileged to get to our end… someday. 

Victor LaValle: In the case of my very specific little sandbox, I found Sabretooth’s history (and that of many of the other mutants who ended up in the Pit) to be a treasure chest of intriguing, exasperating, and inspirational choices by the writers who came before me. It’s amazing, in fact, to imagine that any of these lives have as many twists and turns, highs and lows as they do. It’s freeing as well though because, in the end, you’re just adding to that long history, to be enjoyed and forgotten, like all life is eventually.  

Jordan: Yeah — exactly. It’s really interesting how comics as a medium has changed. It’s gone from something that was undeniably thought of as a disposable medium by everyone involved to a huge part of culture whose beginnings are lovingly restored and put out in gorgeous high-end hardcovers. I doubt anyone involved in creating X-Men #1 in 1963 thought we would still be reading about the concept of the X-Men 60 years later, let alone still reading and republishing that specific issue. So now, here we are with 60 years of history and it’s all we can do to make the best stories we can possibly make and hope that they resonate in that long tradition of the series and that someone will be excited to reference it in the future the way we’re excited to refer back to the rich past we’ve loved.

AIPT: These answers have been so thoughtful so far — time to get silly. X-Fan Chuck wanted to know, X-writers: What’s the funniest editorial note you’ve received about your X-work you can talk about at this time?

Steve: We did discuss the right color for Somnus’s underwear in the broken baths for a while in Marauders Annual #1…

Kieron: The early teething experiences with Nick Lowe in my first time in the X-Office were a joy. BRITISHISM ALERT! just splattered all over the document whenever I let my stiff upper lip show. My favorite is when I had to spend time finding pictures of a rockery to mail him so he could tell me what the U.S. word for it is (“rock garden”). 

The most embarrassing was my second script, which was a Sabertooth story, which I had entitled SABERWULF. “Kieron,” asks Nick, “Is there a reason why it’s called Saberwulf?” To which I had to answer “…No.”

Also the time that I spelled Hepzibah as Hezbollah. That may have been an autocorrect though. I hope it was.

In short, my brain is rubbish. It’s lucky I’ve got blackmail information on all the editors, or I’d be in trouble.

Al: I’m drawing a blank on getting notes that aren’t Britishisms, but I did fail to give an editorial note at the right moment and that’s why Nova is wearing a shirt in X-Men Red. My original intention was to have him topless except for the jacket. (In a different world where I was slightly more on the ball than I am, he’d be getting a lot of beefcake shots and the X-fandom would like him more as a result.) 

Leah Williams: 

Jordan: I cannot believe we are showing this.

Gerry: I read the question and couldn’t see this yet, but thought to myself, if Leah didn’t chime in on this, I should go rally her. Perfect. I recall one of my first emails from Tom Brevoort way back when I was on Deadpool was very short and simple: “We will not humiliate Kang in this way” and I can’t even remember what it was we asked to do. It’s been a decade since Marvel Now. Woof. 

Tini Howard: It was the phone call where Jordan had to explain to me that the very cool name I’d given to a recent character was also the name of an adult performer, for sure. I had no idea! Just two cool names put together! Zeitgeist, I guess.

Victor: In the first issue of Sabretooth, when he ruled his own personal Hell, I remember we had to throw some shadows over a few of the X-Men’s torn limbs. A little too much bone and sinew was showing.

Si: Most of mine are to do with trying to sneak curse words into print, because I’m extremely grown up and not at all immature. There was an issue recently where Banshee says “feck” a whole lot. It was quite fun watching Jordan’s margin-notes go from “I don’t think we can say this” to “again, no” to eventually just a bunch of unhappy emojis. 

Jordan: When we discussed it later and Si was surprised because “feck” was so much more of a problem to Americans, I told him to us it just sounds like saying “fuck” with an accent. To which he replied that was fair because that’s what it is. 

Si: I did once get an email that just said “SI, STOP TRYING TO USE GRAWLIX SO THEY LOOK LIKE RUDE WORDS.” I can’t even remember which @$$#0!€ sent that.

AIPT: Amazing. OK, we’re several months into Destiny of X — X-Fan Rasputin IV Fan Ben wanted to know how it’s decided to change from one Krakoan era to another. For example, from Reign of X to Destiny of X.

Jordan: So far, it’s been when a big X-story happens and shifts things in the world. We had House of X/Powers of X start things, then we kicked off Dawn of X. That ended when “X of Swords” broke out — and you’ll notice that XOS is not in either the Dawn or Reign trades, it exists between them. Then Reign of X runs until both Inferno and X Lives/Deaths of Wolverine, which again are collected separately. Then we pick up with Destiny of X… and where that will end remains to be shown. 

Gerry: Tho… we did announce Fall of X at NYCC or did I hallucinate that?

Al: We find ourselves in fall, Gerry. And I fear winter.

AIPT: X-Fan Minnie said the X-Office has been really great with connectivity across the line and finding ways to use all of Krakoa across X-series. What is your favorite concept or world that another X-writer has introduced?

Steve: For me, it’s been Si’s work on THE SPARK, which the group knows, I recently raved about — not only has it given us a really clear motivator for Captain Pryde’s grand actions coming up in Marauders #11-12, but it’s also formed a nice prism with which to challenge any character’s actions — is this mutant thinking? Or is this latent human socialization? Am I reacting to something like a mutant, or like my life among humans taught me to? And it’s all the more challenging as a writer since, of course, spoilers — we’re human, too!

Charlie Jane Anders: There’s so much! Not to jump on the Si praise train, but I love the holodeck inside Legion’s head, the Altar, that Si created in Legion of X. It’s such a cool concept and a weird setting to have things happen in, and a really neat use of Legion’s longstanding ability to contain multitudes. Love it. Also, so much of the stuff that KG and the others have been doing with Sinister has been so fun to watch.

Si: The Si Praise Train sounds like a really mopey session at a megachurch. I’m here for it. (Thanks, guys.) To speak to the general stuff that’s going on here, I think we’re all reacting to the sheer fertility of the Krakoan experiment. Jon’s genius was to simultaneously reduce mutants and mutantkind to units of utility — uniquely tooled cogs in a beautiful hard-sci-fi machine — and to let them express their characters and hearts as explorative beings within that new context, all at once.

The first part of that paradigm throws up some incredible ideas to do with mutant powers behaving as technologies (I think of Kieron’s recontextualization of Moira’s abilities, Gerry’s plans with Darwin, Leah and the Waiting Room, Victor and the Hole…) while the latter part cracks open endless possibilities to do with characters exploring new social dynamics — Vita’s work in particular stands out there — or creating incredible new cultures from tabula rasa, where Al, Tini, and Steve have all made big, beautiful swings. 

Kieron: It’s not a specific, singular idea, but as a body of work, what Al has done to make Arakko a credible and coherent place with its own philosophy is a hell of a thing. 

Al: Ta! That was something I felt strongly about. For me — to speak a little selfishly — there are almost too many things to count, it’s such a big soup. Weaponless Zsen is a fascinating character who dovetails well with the Fisher King — I think that started as me and Si having a conversation about how Arakko would treat those without powers or without useful powers, implementing our thoughts on the page and then connecting the dots in a way that’s built a fun side-story in the background. I hope I do her justice in X-Men Red #8-10. Similarly, Leah’s Waiting Room is very fertile soil to tell the kind of story I love to tell way down the road, and what Tini did with Apocalypse was a great bit of character growth that I can’t wait to build on.

Gerry: Honestly, we’re crushing it.

Victor: Agree with all that was said above and I would add Vita Ayala’s arc in New Mutants, particularly the nuanced and surprising twists and turns in the Amahl Farouk/Shadow King storyline. The story of Amahl’s eventual freedom and the start on the path to recovery/redemption was beautiful.

AIPT: And all that just scratches the surface. Next up, X-Fan Dave (Comic Book Herald) said that some of his favorite X-potential is from all the Powers of X sci-fi. Dominions. Phalanx. Rasputin IV. Concerningly cute Nimrods. Without spoiling anything, how eager is the X-Office to take the Krakoa era into the distant future?

Steve: Distant future? Distant past perhaps…

Kieron: Three words. “Sins of Sinister.” Three more words. “Will Include This.”

Al: I think about this a lot. I think about all the moving parts a lot. I think about crashing them together. I even think about them when I’m writing other books sometimes…

Gerry: Same. And I’m not the only one that is thinking, Forge is also thinking. And tinkering in his shop in fact.

AIPT: Well, we just got some teases… so let’s get a few more. X-Fan TheMidNightKing17 asked, which characters will have a big 2023?

Kieron: Rasputin. Also, now that I think about it, Emma Frost will be big in Sins of Sinister.

Al: A lot of fans were upset when Storm moved from the seat of Peel Me A Grape While I Tell You How To Run Your Planet to the seat of Come To Me When The Crap Really Hits The Fan. And they’re right — she’s only going to have a big 2023 now if the crap absolutely hits the fan for Arakko in a spectacular way. And what are the chances of that?

Anyway, Genesis is going to have a big 2023.

Gerry: Forge, Synch, and… Bring On The Bad Guys. 2023 is a big year for Black Hats. Stasis has a revelation that I can’t wait to get to. Firestar burns bright. 

Si: Silver Sable. 

Jordan: There are some Kate Pryde plans that I am both excited and scared by.

AIPT: Speaking of fear, you’d be surprised how often nervous X-Fans submit questions about this next topic… so I’m going to do them a solid one last time. X-Fan Mr. Shoebill said, with Gerry Duggan taking over Iron Man, has there been any discussion regarding the Tony Stark/Emma Frost wedding? Mr. Shoebill pointed out that the last time this was mentioned was X-Men Monday #104 in May 2021.

Gerry: I remember that being a late addition to that book? Maybe I’m crazy, but I don’t think anybody was asked? It was just “Oh, yeah, future shit? Okay, have fun.” I think it’s a terrible idea and I think fans would rightly be all over me for it.

AIPT: And that’s the last time we’ll ever talk about that in X-Men Monday. Thank you, Gerry. Now to the big screen — X-Fan Wilberd Gijzel wanted to know, what was everybody’s first reaction to the news Wolverine will be in Deadpool 3 and finally in the MCU?

Charlie Jane: I love it! I think Deadpool always needs a straight man to drive to distraction, and it can’t always be Cable. Plus, I can already tell that Hugh Jackman will be having a lot of fun cutting loose. But I’m waiting until we can see the whole Wolverine family in live action.  

Kieron: I laughed a lot. What a way to announce it, right? Beautiful. Applause.

Al: Great, now I have to watch X-Men Origins: Wolverine so I can get all the X-Men Origins: Wolverine jokes.

Alyssa Wong: WOLVERINE! WOLVERINE! WOLVERIIIINE!!!

Mark Basso: I’m hyped! And hey, if they want any inspiration, Ben Percy wrote Deadpool into a bunch of the last year’s Wolverine issues…

AIPT: We’ve officially entered the #SeriousComicsJournalism portion of the interview (are you paying attention, Eisner judges?). X-Fan Ensign ‘Ro said, from Mister Sinister to Forge to Fred Dukes, the Krakoan mustache appears to signify salient members of the national infrastructure. Who will be the next mutant to have this honor bestowed upon their lips?

Mark: Wolverine’s had it a bunch, he just keeps shaving with his claws between panels.

Steve: I think the closest we got is Horsepower’s powerful beard, hmm…

Al: There’s a certain mutant I very much want to grow a beard, but I warn you now, it will be the most traumatic beard ever grown in X-history. Mustache only — I mean, is it time Roberto grew his own Tom Selleck in honor of his TV hero, Magnum P.I.? Or is that too dangerous? I mean, I’ve seen Stefano’s art from X-Men Red #9. Putting a mustache on that could kill someone.

Jordan: I am sold. 

Si: Covid lockdown – ie, mask-wearing combined with zero barbershops being open – made me wonder what Juggernaut would look like if we went the full Alan Moore. Like… would the beard jut out of his mouth- and eye-slits? Would he look like some sort of creepy hairy smoke-breathing diving-bell? Would there be an audible pop sound, like a champagne cork leaving the bottle, every time he takes off the helmet? We need to explore this. We could have something to rival SNIKT and BAMF on our hands here.

AIPT: X-Fan mole the morlock said Judgment Day has all this action at the North Pole. But where is the magical merry mutant Santa Claus? Someone should tell him the Progenitor is trying to steal his thunder! This guy even made a naughty-or-nice list!

Kieron: I’m not sure who leaked the team-up that ends Judgment Day to you, but we will hunt them down and punish them. This kind of spoiler ruins stories for everyone. I’m outraged.

Gerry: As an aside, I saw Harbour as Santa in Violent Night and it’s really fun and a lot more brutal than I thought they’d swing for.

Jordan: Now I am sad it’s too late to do a Holiday Judgment Day parody of all the heroes getting visions from Santa about whether they deserve presents or not.

AIPT: It’s never too late for an idea that good, Jordan. OK, as we wrap up, let’s say Mister Sinister gets his hands on the X-Office’s DNA. What are some of the X-Office chimeras he whips up in his lab?

Steve: Just imagine how deep the cuts would go on a book written by Stephal Ewingdo.

Kieron: My mutant abilities are my appendix was on the wrong side of the body and I have acidic enough skin to slowly melt metal glasses. I hope that other people in the X-Office are bringing more to the gene-party than I am.

Al: I’m shoe size 12 in the U.K., I wear glasses, and I’ve listened to Stevie Wonder in a bedsit, so in some ways you could say I have all of Beast’s mutant powers.

Gerry: I’m really adept at finding parking. 

Si: True fact: Leah once invited a real actual living breathing bleating goat to appear among us during an X-Office Zoom meeting. The little dude seemed super happy, and the quality of goat-related puns during our brainstorming chat really stepped up. Truly the goat-G.O.A.T. Splice me with that guy, please.

Jordan: No, I don’t have any thoughts on whose “getting scripts in on time” genes I would make sure to splice into all these chimera and whose I would immediately throw in the fire, I don’t know what would give you that idea.

AIPT: Finally, let’s close out this X-Men Monday anniversary with a question about the X-Men’s upcoming anniversary. X-Fan Uncanny X-Man asked if there are any teases for what’s in store for the X-Men’s 60th birthday in 2023?

Gerry: You’re Cordially Invited To The Wedding Of Emma Frost & Tony Stark!

Gerry: Free Comic Book Day may be relevant to your interests. 

AIPT: Just when I thought I’d put the Emma-Tony questions behind me… but that’s a problem for another edition. For now, I want to give a giant-size THANK YOU to everybody for taking the time to celebrate 175 editions of X-Men Monday. Let’s do this again in 25 weeks!

X-Fans, before you leave, here are a few eXclusive party favors from the not-too-distant future, courtesy of Jordan.

Until next time, X-Fans, stay exceptional!