Welcome, X-Fans, to another uncanny edition of X-Men Monday at AIPT!
The Marvel’s Voices anthology series is known for spotlighting diverse storytelling across the House of Ideas’ many franchises. And really, there’s no Marvel franchise more diverse than X-Men, so it’s about time mutantkind receives the Marvel’s Voices treatment with Marvel’s Voices: X-Men #1.
On sale August 16, Marvel’s Voices: X-Men #1 features a mix of creators — some established and others new to Marvel — tackling stories and characters from throughout X-Men history. And fortunately for you loyal X-Men Monday readers, the writers behind these stories were nice enough to stop by to answer a few questions about their Marvel’s Voices contributions and more. So without further ado, let’s hear what Al Ewing (Solem), Jay Edidin (Destiny and Mystique), Sarah Kuhn (Jean Grey and Emma Frost), Raphael Draccon/Carolina Munhoz (Rogue and Gambit), Greg Pak (Jubilee and Lady Deathstrike), and Jay Jurden (Storm and Iceman) had to say.
Courtesy of Marvel Comics
AIPT: Welcome to X-Men Monday (and welcome back to our returning guests)! First, what does getting to contribute a short story to Marvel’s Voices: X-Men mean to you?
Al Ewing: It means a lot! It’s nice to have something to contribute to the Voices series — though I’ll admit, my bi imposter syndrome is kicking in harder than I thought it would. But the wonderful thing about the X-Men is that it’s a vector for so many personal stories — so many people see themselves in these characters that we can have a whole book of different facets.
Jay Edidin: Obviously, the X-Men are super important to me; but Mystique and Destiny in particular are such a tremendously iconic and — until relatively recently — tremendously underserved queer couple in the Marvel Universe. Getting to write them was an honor.
Sarah Kuhn: It’s almost impossible to put into words — it meant everything to contribute my own little bit to the X-Mythology. The X-Men were some of my first favorite superheroes — as a kid, I was a sci-fi-and-superhero-obsessed nerd and girl of color growing up in a small town. I always felt like an outcast. The X-Men were also outcasts, but they got to have cool outfits and wild adventures, and I think they showed me there was a bigger world out there for me. A friend and I used to always say we wished every day would start with the theme song from the ‘90s cartoon accompanying us through our morning routines, and I still kind of feel that way!
Courtesy of Marvel Comics
Raphael Draccon/Carolina Munhoz: Getting to write stories for Marvel’s Voices: X-Men is such an honor for us. The X-Men have been hugely inspirational, both in pop culture and personally. As immigrants, we really relate to characters navigating a new culture and facing prejudice, yet finding strength together as a chosen family. Having the chance to bring our perspectives by writing for these iconic characters is fantastic. The X-Men’s legacy has impacted so many fans, and being able to contribute to that in some small way is really meaningful. Our stories aim to highlight the complexities of their personalities and emotional journeys. We’re thrilled for these opportunities to delve into that and share it through our writing.
Greg Pak: It’s awesome! This is my first time writing Jubilee, which seems wild given that I’m an Asian American writer with a real interest in Asian American characters who’s been writing at Marvel for almost 20 years. So I was thrilled to get the call and the chance.
Jay Jurden: Getting to write for Marvel’s Voices: X-Men was an honor so great, that it is hard to put into words. I have been obsessed with the X-Men since I was a kid. The Fox Animated Series. Pryde of The X-Men. “A Firestar Is Born.” X-Men Evolution. The toys. The movies. (Yes, even the bad ones you’re thinking of right now). The first physical comic I remember holding was Uncanny X-Men #350 which was definitely WAY too complex for me to grasp but I was so interested in all of these instantly captivating figures. Needless to say, when Marvel reached out the answer was an extremely enthusiastic “YES!” I have to thank Stephanie Williams, Anthony Oliveira, Connor Goldsmith, Cody Ziglar, my editor Lauren Amaro, the visuals artists Wilton Santos, Oren Junior, Andrew Dalhouse, and the X-Office for helping make this happen. All of them played some part in this even if they didn’t know it. Oh! And thank you, Krakoa.
AIPT: What’s your elevator pitch for your story?
Al: It’s about Arakko’s messiest bi/pan guy (in what’s become a close field) — fan-favorite Solem! Turning up at a Pride celebration in the Red Lagoon, he tells Iceman and Kobak a story about his mysterious past — and about what pride means to him.
Courtesy of Marvel Comics
Jay Edidin: Mystique and Destiny vs. respectability politics.
Courtesy of Marvel Comics
Sarah: Jean Grey and Emma Frost must band together to conquer their greatest foe yet — a Krakoa Quiet Council team-building exercise at a thoroughly mundane summer carnival! Also (possible spoiler alert?), there’s a gigantic evil teddy bear. When I first pitched this to my fantastic editor, Lauren Amaro, I believe I mentioned that I wanted to do a little tribute to one of my all-time favorite issues of Uncanny X-Men — “Ladies’ Night,” an ‘80s classic by Chris Claremont and Marc Silvestri. A bunch of the X-ladies go to the mall for a day of fun and hijinks ensue. I love stories that play up that contrast between the mundane and the fantastical, and that particular story has been very influential in my own work — and hey, we all love hijinks.
Courtesy of Marvel Comics
Raphael/Carolina: Rogue thinks it’s just another date night, but nothing involving Gambit seems to be predictable, so she and Gambit end up battling… the Thieves Guild! Amidst the chaos, Gambit surprises Rogue with a nostalgic gift — a chance to finally recreate a memorable night from their past as a love letter to her and all the X-Men fans.
Courtesy of Marvel Comics
Greg Pak: Jubilee tackles the big questions of belonging with friends, family, and enemies while fighting gangster androids in the Hollywood Mall, with line art by the brilliant Daniel Bayliss!
Courtesy of Marvel Comics
Jay Jurden: My elevator pitch for the story which would become “Cryo-Therapy,” was very simple. A fun and funny sparring match between two Omega-level mutants. Very much in the style of an anime sparring match between rivals. The physical conversation and the verbal conversation being held at the same time offered a level of storytelling that really excited me. The idea of Storm and Iceman being able to really cut loose and get innovative with each other based on their unique power connection was also inspired by Storm and Magneto’s relationship during Uranos’ attack on Arakko. A mutant circuit but something even more intimate and elemental. Storm and Iceman training together is also (and eagle-eye Twitter/X users have spotted this) a concept that originated in X-Men #48. These two characters BOTH mean so much to me that I was thrilled when I started to outline. Did I mention it’s funny btw?
Courtesy of Marvel Comics
AIPT: Thanks, all! Now, let’s dig into a few more specific questions. Al, you’ve written a lot of Arakkii, but Solem’s mostly been in Ben Percy’s books. How excited are you to finally get your hands on this breakout character and what about him appeals to you?
Al: What I like about Solem is kind of what this story is about — he’s unashamed, he’s unapologetic, he doesn’t hide any part of himself, and he doesn’t give a damn what you think about that. He feels like the opposite of a lot of fictional LGBTQ+ people, who maybe have to walk on eggshells a little bit, be nice, be polite, be vanilla, be mainstream, be just exactly queer enough to make everyone feel comfortable. And hey, in the face of that imposter syndrome I mentioned, maybe I could do with a little more of Solem’s “yeah, and?” attitude in my own life.
Courtesy of Marvel Comics
AIPT: First, X-Fan KingdomX loves all that you do, Al! Second, KingdomX was wondering if we can expect any queer storylines coming up in X-Men Red.
Al: I think so — what there’s room for between the beats of the giant war. Feelings are expressed early doors, drama unfolds with some big players — admittedly, some of that is me turning the big dial marked “subtext” but if you know my work, you know I’ve managed to boil at least a couple of frogs that way.
AIPT: Jay, when Marvel’s Voices: X-Men was announced, you referred to Destiny and Mystique as “the queer elders of the 616.” Would you be able to expand on that and their significance in the Marvel Universe?
Jay Edidin: They are! Mystique and Destiny were a recognizably queer couple on the pages of Marvel Comics long before that queerness was allowed to be acknowledged. In particular, it always hit me really hard that, in the wake of Destiny’s death, Mystique had to mourn her without their relationship being acknowledged — something their real-world contemporaries were facing.
Courtesy of Marvel Comics
AIPT: Three quick questions from X-Fan Jacki/AppleJ: What do Mystique and Destiny disagree about the most? What are they most aligned on? And which is the better cook?
Jay Edidin: 1. Destiny’s involvement in the Black Womb project, probably. 2. Sticking together regardless. 3. I imagine they order in a lot.
AIPT: Sarah, X-Fan Dia wanted to know what drew you to writing Jean and Emma.
Sarah: Jean and Emma are two of my all-time favorite characters — I actually commissioned a Dark Phoenix dress to wear to my very first book launch party back in 2016. And I wrote an essay a while back for an anthology called Chicks Dig Comics about how much I love both of them, and how much it bothered me that they always seemed to be pitted against each other. I love how passionate and dynamic they both are, how consistently fabulous their hair and costumes are, and how they tend to have more in common than they think they do. I’ve always wanted to explore their relationship and potential bond further.
Courtesy of Marvel Comics
AIPT: You just alluded to this, but Jean and Emma are two X-Icons with very passionate fans — some of which love to pit them against each other, while others dream about the amazing friendship they could have. When you’re writing Jean and Emma, how would you describe their relationship?
Sarah: I love writing Jean and Emma’s dynamic as this really unusual yet undeniable bond that is never going to be easy but is also never going to be boring — there’s a certain kind of prickly energy always crackling between them. This is a relationship with so much baggage and bickering — but Jean and Emma are always able to see each other clearly, perhaps more clearly than anyone else in their lives. And they are just so freaking powerful when working together. I wanted to write one of those moments where they see each other clearly and share a moment of kinship because of that. (And did I mention the gigantic evil teddy bear?)
AIPT: Oh yes, very excited for the deadly teddy bear. Raphael and Carolina, so X-Fans can get to know you a little better, do you have an all-time favorite Rogue and Gambit story?
Raphael/Carolina: We’d have to say our all-time favorite Rogue and Gambit stories are still their introductions during Jim Lee’s X-Men run. Their partnership as teammates, their brewing attraction, those unforgettable first meetings — it all started there. For us, revisiting those comics always brings us back to what made us fall in love with them in the first place.
Courtesy of Marvel Comics
AIPT: X-Fan Jacki/AppleJ wanted to know what it is about Rogue and Gambit as a couple that makes them most appealing to write and keeps you rooting for them as a couple.
Raphael/Carolina: As writers, what makes them so appealing as a couple is how complex and multi-layered their relationship is. With their unique powers and backgrounds, exploring the trust issues, vulnerability, and self-acceptance they wrestle with makes for really compelling storytelling. We also love how their own experiences overcoming adversity brought them solace in each other. Their resilience and finding love against the odds resonates so much with X-Men’s core themes. It’s incredibly moving and human. My favorite X-Man was always Gambit, and Carolina’s was always Rogue, so there’s no better duo for us, a married writing team, to bring to the pages.
AIPT: Greg, you’ve written some pretty big X-Men stories in the past — Phoenix: Endsong and Magneto: Testament to name a few. How does it feel to return to the world of the X-Men all this time later for a short story with smaller stakes?
Greg: In a weird way, the stakes never feel smaller! Any time you get a chance to contribute to the legacy of one of these classic characters, it’s a pretty big rush.
Courtesy of Marvel Comics
AIPT: What made you want to focus on the unique pairing of Jubilee and Lady Deathstrike?
Greg: Lady Deathstrike has a long history of hunting Jubilee and Wolverine. But almost everyone in the Marvel Universe seems to eventually get a shot at turning hero or villain, and these days Lady Deathstrike seems much more chill. So it seemed like a great time to pair her up with Jubilee, first because Jubilee always works great with a more grim and gritty character, and second because despite their very different backgrounds, it felt like Jubilee and Yuriko could bond over these themes of family.
AIPT: X-Fan Wiccan Phoenix wanted to know why you chose to focus on Storm vs. Iceman. Would you say it’s because their powers are very similar in some ways? Do you think that Bobby is one of the only people that could actually post a challenge to Ororo? What can you tell WiccanPhoenix?
Jay Jurden: Thank you for the question, Wiccan Phoenix! (The demiurge + the cosmic entity of fire and life incarnate… no pressure on me to get this right.) I can say that when I found out that Storm and Iceman were available I reverted to my younger self and screamed out, “MINE!”
Their shared status as Omega-level mutants is one connection but the deeper connection of them both being Omegal-level with hydrokinetic and cryokinetic powers was really fascinating to me. Weather is a bit of an umbrella term (pun count is at 1) so if we break it down: Storm can manipulate water (in various states) and temperature (in both directions) and atmospheric pressure (which is directly tied to temperature) and create a host of atmospheric phenomena plus tons of other stuff. Damn, she really is good huh? But those first two things water and temperature, Iceman is also VERY good at manipulating those, so my nerd brain just thought, “Wouldn’t it be fun IF…” plus they both have a bit of natural immunity to each other’s powers so they can go pretty hard and BOOM! a lil training short story was born. I’ll also confess that for a silly Queer person like me, getting to play with Storm and Iceman is a dream because MuthaNature and Otterpop/Twinksicle are definitely LGBTQ+ community favorites.
Courtesy of Marvel Comics
AIPT: A very important, two-part question: Which mutant do you think would make the best stand-up comic? And which mutant thinks they’d make the best standup comic? (But, you know, they shouldn’t quit their day job.)
Jay Jurden: A comedy question?! First, this is very funny because I discussed this exact concept with X of Words AT LENGTH and secondly I think categorization would help because there are so many answers:
Nightcrawler is a prankster.
Iceman is quippy.
Emma Frost is the funniest mean girl. Especially when Kate is showing her outfit choices.
Mystique is a great impressionist.
Destiny ruins every knock-knock joke.
One of the Mardox dupes has to be a stand-up comic. Lord knows there are enough of us in NYC.
Cyclops tells pretty good dad jokes. Havok laughs very loudly. And if you hear Vulcan laughing, just start running.
Cypher UNDERSTANDS humor but isn’t the best at executing it.
Sinister thinks he’s very funny and his city of clones agrees.
Beast was probably the funniest. Emphasis on the past tense. You would just need a thesaurus handy to get some jokes.
Sabretooth has a very fucked up sense of humor.
Thanks for the questions and I hope you enjoy the story when it comes out!
AIPT: Very thorough, Jay, and I hope someone is hard at work updating each of those characters’ Wikipedia pages with those important factoids.
But on that note, this was a lot of fun! Thanks, everybody, for taking the time to stop by X-Men Monday! X-Fans, remember to pick up your copy of Marvel’s Voices: X-Men when it goes on sale August 16. Here’s the full cast of creators if you’re curious.
Until next time, X-Fans, stay exceptional!
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