Welcome, X-Fans, to another uncanny edition of X-Men Monday at AIPT!
Wait… Thanos?!? In X-Men Monday?!? What?!? Is this a sign of things to come? Post-Krakoa, is X-Men all about… Thanos?!? When the X-Men make their MCU debut… does Thanos return?!? Chris, what is happening right now?!? Ahhh!!!
Courtesy of Christopher Cantwell
Before you light up social media and message boards with righteous anger and confusion, if you’ve been keeping up with your Marvel solicitations, you know that the one and only Emma Frost not only appears in this new Thanos mini-series, but she’s representing mutantkind in the Illuminati! Now it all makes sense. And methinks you’ve shifted from righteous fury to righteous excitement because this story’s written by Christopher Cantwell of Doctor Doom and Iron Man fame.
Hey, Doctor Doom’s in the current X-Men arc and Emma married Iron Man! See, X-Fans? It all makes sense. Let’s get started!
AIPT: Welcome back to X-Men Monday, Chris! First, I’d like to point out that, despite never writing a comic with the letter “X” in its title, you’ve now made more X-Men Monday appearances than Chris Claremont. I crunched the numbers, it’s true. How does that make you feel?
Christopher: Man, I am just OWNING that guy. I’m on top of the world. There’s a new Chris in town.
Courtesy of Marvel Comics
AIPT: You’re here to discuss your upcoming Thanos mini-series with artist Luca Pizzari — on sale November 8! Obviously, Thanos isn’t an X-Men character, but a pretty famous mutant features in the story. Before we get to that, for X-Fans who haven’t added Thanos to their pull lists yet, what’s your elevator pitch?
Christopher: I think this is a Thanos book you haven’t seen before. It takes place in Fresno, California. That’s not a joke. The entire thing takes place in Fresno in about 24 hours. There is context for HOW and WHY we got to Fresno, but we’re in Fresno. We’re in the salad bowl of the United States. And of course for a very important reason. Thanos has been stuck in a black hole for about a year or more in comics release time. Something has pissed him off so much that he’s felt compelled to rip himself out and come to Fresno. He’s had time to stew in that black hole and think about where he went wrong. He’s arrived at a particular conclusion and is out to fix a mistake he perceives in his past choices. More than anything, this book to me is the apotheosis of one of Thanos’ most important relationships in his life.
AIPT: That’s a solid pitch. How did the chance to write this Thanos story come about?
Christopher: I did a short story in Thanos: Death Notes that was a direct sequel/coda to his first appearance in Iron Man #55.
Courtesy of Marvel Comics
Editor Wil Moss really dug it and he reached out when this project began to take shape. So I pitched him Fresno. The Marvel offices were ablaze with this Fresno pitch. People were weeping in the hallways. Finally — FINALLY — someone was bringing Thanos to Fresno. AND the Illuminati!
AIPT: I’m not sure if Emma Frost has ever been to Fresno, but she was famously a member of the Cabal — alongside your friends Doctor Doom, Namor, and Norman Osborn. What made the White Queen the right choice for this latest iteration of the Illuminati?
Christopher: She’s had senior leadership positions before as you point out. She’s been instrumental in the Krakoan age. It made sense to bring her into the Illuminati, especially given everything that’s taken up Xavier’s time in the X-books right now. Plus she’s married to Tony, who’s historically had an Illuminati position. Tony bringing her on certainly felt plausible. But it’s not like she’s going to immediately play nice with everyone.
Courtesy of Marvel Comics
AIPT: No matter the makeup of the Illuminati, sparks are guaranteed to fly. What should readers expect from an Illuminati made up of Mister Fantastic, Iron Man, Doctor Strange, Emma Frost, and Blue Marvel? (Not to mention there seems to be a Hulk in the mix.)
Christopher: First and foremost, this incarnation of the Illuminati finds itself in Fresno. Did I mention that it’s the salad bowl of the United States? It’s very flat there. Also, Thanos is there! Selfishly, and because this book came together very quickly, I pulled from characters I’ve written before. That’s true for all of them except Emma. I’ve gotten to write Reed in Doctor Doom, and the Fantastic Four: Road Trip annual I did. Blue Marvel was also heavily in Doctor Doom, and Strange appeared in both Doctor Doom and Hellcat. And Iron Man appeared in a book called Iron Man that I wrote for a few years. Greedily, I had tried to put Doom and Namor in the Illuminati as well, just to have everyone I’ve written be on the Illuminati, even Captain America, too, but that would have been stupid because this is a four-issue series that’s supposed to be about Thanos and it’s called Thanos. There would’ve just been talking and infighting among Illuminati members and we would’ve never even gotten to Thanos, let alone Fresno.
Courtesy of Marvel Comics
I do think that as I write characters, I feel a certain unshakable empathy for them, so that’s why I pulled these folks on. I could step into their shoes quickly. The sparks are there, but there is also this very pressing real-time threat so they have to put their bullshit aside and focus. Even the Hulk has to as well. Because Thanos is in Fresno, the Salad Bowl of the United States.
AIPT: I mentioned Doom, Namor, and Osborn — all characters you’ve had a chance to dig into. Now Thanos. What is it about these iconic comic book villains and anti-heroes you find so attractive as a writer?
Christopher: Well, I’m a bad person. I’m evil and I condone evil things. So naturally I like to write villains. I write them because I hate good people and people who would rather live their lives without conflict and in complete harmony. I like to show the dimensions of villains and humanize them because I prefer them over good people. I think villains are better and should be in charge of everything, not just in comic book stories but in real life. I think that’s obvious, Chris. This is a weird question to ask because it’s right there on the page. I hate heroes and I love villains. End of story.
The serious answer is that I see these characters on a moral and ethical spectrum. All of them. On the far end of the spectrum, you’d probably find Steve Rogers, who is a paragon. He is Marvel’s Superman in a way. Tony is just to his flank. Tony is a great human being, but one who has faced some real internal struggles. He has an undying commitment to good, but he has been wrong, had trouble admitting he’s wrong, and then gotten angry at himself, hated himself, and suffered a lot.
Keep going down that spectrum and you get to people like Namor, who at times has thought it was good to wipe out humanity and partner with Doctor Doom because he loves Atlantis and believes Atlantis has been under the thumb of an abusive surface for too long, etc, and then there are times where he’s just gotten angry and egomaniacal and done some damage. But he’s also been an Avenger. He is full of virtue.
Courtesy of Marvel Comics
Keep going and you get to Emma Frost (destroy the X-Men! Magneto is right! Which… you know, Magneto has had a good point now and again, that’s what makes him a compelling villain) but then you see some of the amazingly heroic things Emma has done on behalf of mutants, other heroes, and humanity. She’s just maybe not very nice at times in conversation and has maybe killed some people or been part of some sinister plots. And Doom is right around here, too. Doom believes he is right above all like Namor and Tony, but also that he should be in charge. He also doesn’t admit he is wrong. He is also hellbent on destroying rivals, not a great quality. He has killed and murdered. But he also has this code that he abides by. And at times he advocates for Latveria like Namor advocates for Atlantis.
But then keep going and you’ll get to Norman, a cruel psychopath, a truly warped amoralist, albeit one who is currently trying to repent. Then Thanos thought it was a good idea to kill a lot of the universe. Thanos is exceedingly cruel at times. But even he has partnered with the Silver Surfer in stories for a perceived greater good.
It’s all about perspective and finding that lens for the character. Sorry, that was a really long boring answer I’m sure many people will feel is wrong. Let’s talk about Fresno some more.
Courtesy of Marvel Comics
AIPT: I’d love to talk more about Fresno, but since this is X-Men Monday, legally, I need to ask a few more Emma questions. I’m going to assume you’re a fan of Emma Frost. What’s your favorite aspect of the character?
Christopher: I like that Emma feels very aristocratic and measured, untouchable in a way. Like she immediately looks down on you. Getting into the head of someone who comes off as unapproachable is very fun because you can find an inner vulnerability and virtue, something that’s protected behind the walls and diamond skin.
AIPT: Do you have an all-time favorite Emma story?
Christopher: I really enjoy the New Mutants story where they “die” at the hands of the Beyonder and are just emotionally annihilated. Enter Emma Frost who gets to step into a more mature role as a kind of imperfect mentor to them. She is not the kindest instructor and has ulterior motives, but she ultimately helps the New Mutants through their trauma. This is a character who’d recently been torturing Colossus. You see what I mean? A “bad” person doing a “good” thing eliminates a binary here and dramatically it’s just very rich.
Courtesy of Marvel Comics
AIPT: Before we wrap up, do you have anything else cooking on the comics end beyond Thanos that hasn’t been announced yet you can tease? I feel like there’s always a new Cantwell surprise around the corner.
Christopher: My book Briar is returning at BOOM next year after a long hiatus. I’m very excited about it and a new artist has come on board for the middle arc, someone I’ve worked with in the past and is an incredibly gifted colleague and friend. This is the middle arc of our story, too, so our characters have some growing up to do. Later next year I’m also debuting a big new book with Vault that dare I say brings back a character who hasn’t been in comic print for 75 years. Vault heroically went and got the rights somehow, I don’t know how they pulled it off. These are new adventures that very much speak to the original strips and stories, unfortunately, which were almost entirely destroyed in a printing press catastrophe where the soda plant next door exploded, in turn incinerating and saturating with cola the warehouse of copies to the point of being unreadable. You cannot find these original books or strips. The writer/artist, Pep Shepard, also buried his only copies of his work in an unknown field in Nebraska and then himself disappeared in the late ’50s, so… needless to say I’m just thrilled to be bringing this character back.
Courtesy of IDW Publishing
Star Trek: Defiant continues to rip-roar every month on shelves as well. So many fun stories planned for the months ahead. We just announced our Tasha Yar/Commander Sela annual that hits in January. Much more Trek to come beyond that, too. Sadly, there are no plans for Star Trek: Fresno at this time.
I’ve also got a couple of DC Comics things happening — one soon and one later, both of which feature characters I’ve been dying to write for, I don’t know, decades?
And I’m already working on a couple of original books for 2025. So I’m here to stay in comics. You may hate that idea, but I’m not going anywhere and there’s nothing you can do about it. Expect some exciting social media posts on Bluesky for the next few years, ones that at least get five likes before getting buried in the feed. Eventually, imprints will realize their grave mistake in working with me, but it won’t happen until I’m in my mid-40s at this point. I’ve contractually made sure of that.
AIPT: That Vault stuff is fascinating — can’t wait to find out more about that. Finally, you got to write Tony and Patsy Walker falling in love throughout your Iron Man run — and Tony even popped the question. Obviously, it didn’t work out, and now in Thanos, you’re writing Tony and Emma — who are actually married! How do you keep landing in the middle of Tony Stark romance drama? Is this at all awkward for you, or is it all giving you life?
Christopher: Nothing gives me life anymore, Chris. Let’s be honest. I’m damaged goods upstairs. Tony/Patsy was a really wonderful thing to write in all honesty, because I wanted to do a story about how beautiful things in one’s life don’t necessarily get to last forever. Patsy and Tony had their dynamic and now it’s over, but the end wasn’t acrimonious. It was sad for sure but they both moved on in a healthy way I believe and then they can stay in each other’s lives so to speak. I think that speaks to their mutual maturity. Gerry Duggan is doing something very different with Tony and Emma. There’s a Venn diagram but also, he’s got his own things to say. Mostly I just wanted to make sure I was careful with what he’s doing. Again, 24 hours in Fresno. I’m borrowing some chess pieces from Gerry and then giving them right back.
Courtesy of Marvel Comics
I will say some people think I hate Tony, but I really love him. I’m looking at five different Iron Man toys on my desk as I do this interview. I love Patsy, too, but I did not necessarily give her a happy ending at the end of her book I did with Alex Lins this year. But for both Tony and Patsy, and for characters that appear in Thanos, I think that what makes them the most heroic is that they keep getting up to fight the fight, no matter what burdens they may be carrying internally. They show up. They keep going. That’s a unifying principle for every Marvel character, no matter where they fall on that spectrum — resilience. Even Thanos pulls himself out of a black hole. He’s not giving up. Most people, if they got stuck in a black hole, would probably just stay there. But not Marvel Comics characters. They keep pushing forward, one step at a time. And that’s the hardest part. At least it is for me many days of the week.
AIPT: An inspiring note to end on. But on that note, thanks for taking the time to stop by X-Men Monday to talk about Thanos, Chris! (There’s a sentence I never thought I’d type in this column.) Remember, X-Fans, Thanos #1 is on sale this Wednesday, so be sure to pick up a copy for the latest Emma Frost appearance.
Before we wrap, here’s an eXclusive first look at Taurin Clarke’s variant cover to Thanos #4, courtesy of our friends at Marvel.
Courtesy of Marvel Comics
Forget the Fall of X — looks like Emma might not make it out of Fresno in one piece!
Before we call it an X-Men Monday, here’s me yesterday at Rhode Island Comic Con 2023 — leading the X-Men!
I’m cosplaying as somebody who doesn’t want to catch COVID after all the horror stories coming out of New York Comic Con. But isn’t this art installation astonishing? They’re all courtesy of Greg Maraio (as is the picture). You can see more shots (including one of Phoenix) over at AIPT’s Twitter. I’ll have more from RICC next week.
Until next time, X-Fans, stay exceptional!
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