Welcome, X-Fans, to another uncanny edition of X-Men Monday at AIPT!
And this one’s truly uncanny, because Gail Simone, the writer of the all-new Uncanny X-Men series is this week’s guest!
As there are so many new voices contributing to Marvel’s “From the Ashes” X-Men line, a lot of creators are making their first X-Men Monday appearances. But did you know this isn’t Gail’s first time talking mutants with me? Gail’s first appearance was way back in 2019’s X-Men Monday #24 on — get this — the same day this edition goes live: August 19. Wild, right? Anyway, Gail and I chatted about Domino and, of course, Cyclops at FAN EXPO Boston 2019. So, if you missed it the first time, give it a read for a little more from Gail.
But back in the present, you’ve read Uncanny X-Men #1, you loved it, and you want to hear what Gail has to say about it and the stories to come — so let’s get started.
Courtesy of Marvel Comics
AIPT: Welcome back to X-Men Monday, Gail! Before we discuss Uncanny X-Men #1, I have to say, you seem to be having the time of your life. Comic fans don’t get much more passionate and opinionated than X-Fans, yet you’ve made yourself so available to them and respond with respect and candor. I know you’re only one issue into your Uncanny X-Men run, but where does this experience rank in your comics career?
Gail Simone: I am having a great time and you have to remember that this issue was written months ago. So I’ve been anticipating it getting out into the world and everyone seeing David Marquez’s art and having it all come together for quite a few months. So having it finally come out is super exciting.
And I do feel like this is a pinnacle experience for me, just because I’m writing a book that really affected me as a young preteen because it took place all over the world. Anybody could be a mutant, anybody could be a hero. And unlike the Justice League, which I also love — and I was particularly fascinated by Wonder Woman at that age — you don’t have to be from Krypton or an Amazon princess. You can literally be from anywhere. Your neighbor could be a hero or you could be a hero. That idea is just absolutely golden and it’s a blast to work in that space, be able to visit existing X-Men, and also create some new ones that reflect our modern times and our youth in this era.
Courtesy of Marvel Comics
AIPT: Let’s go straight from those positive feelings to discussing Corina Ellis. Speaking as someone who loves the X-Men, Warden Ellis seems quite terrible. But in the tradition of many iconic X-villains, might readers find there’s more to Ellis than meets the eye over time?
Gail: There’s a lot more to her and the story will unfold over time. But she definitely doesn’t hate mutants. It’s not that so much as that she’s looking for a few to come over to her side and… I just kind of want to leave it at that.
How she goes about that might be quite terrible. [Laughs]
Courtesy of Marvel Comics
AIPT: This week’s first X-Fan question comes from Sophie Coffey, who noted that Uncanny X-Men #1 was written from Rogue’s point of view. Sophie was wondering if Rogue will remain the series’ narrator or if it would shift depending on the story.
Gail: In Uncanny X-Men, Rogue is definitely the glue of this book. So we will see a lot of things from her point of view. She’s the one that we’re experiencing this through. However, she will be in other locations, so there will be issues that focus on other characters. That means there may be times where there’s less of it. But she’s still the glue of this book.
AIPT: First, X-Fan Meg Belmont admires you for being an influential woman in such a male-dominated and misogyny-filled space. Meg says thank you very much.
Gail: It’s so much less now. [Laughs]
AIPT: And Meg wants to know what your favorite things are about Rogue and Gambit — as a couple and individuals.
Gail: There are a few things. One is that it feels like they’re each a side of the same thing in that both of them had lives before the X-Men, and they were kind of brought in and rehabilitated through the X-Men. So they have that experience.
And then I just think they’re a super hot couple together — and a lot of people agree with me, it turns out. [Laughs] They’re like the Lois and Clark or Peter and MJ of the X-Men. I just think they fit really well together. They have common interests, common beliefs, and are super sexy.
Courtesy of Marvel Comics
And David Marquez just knocks it out of the park with all of that stuff. With all with their powers, with the action, with the intimacy, with the hotness. People are tweeting to me all the time little panels of his with a million hearts after. It’s so cute.
AIPT: X-Fan Hank is interested in hearing more about the comparison you made between Rogue and Cyclops and Professor Xavier and Magneto. What more can you tease about these two and the potential conflict between their teams?
Gail: I think one of the first melding of the stories between books is going to be with X-Men and Uncanny X-Men. We are going to see that Cyclops and Rogue are on complete opposite sides of Xavier’s Dream and they’re butting heads about it. It’s going to be a lot more dramatic, I think, than what people are expecting. Their viewpoints are just so different on how they want to carry on his legacy. It’s going to be very powerful. I don’t want to give away too much because we don’t want to get into the details of their differences, but it’s just a huge difference in ideology.
Courtesy of Marvel Comics
AIPT: Is that what it’s like between you and Jed MacKay in the X-Office?
Gail: [Laughs] I don’t quite have a blood feed with Jed yet.
AIPT: There isn’t a poster up of you and Jed back to back?
Gail: [Laughs] No, but we have this huge discord where we all talk pretty much every day, so there are just so many conversations going on and coordinating and everything in there that we feel like we’re best friends or brother and sister or something.
AIPT: X-Fan AppleJ (Jacki) was very intrigued by Marcus and this secret house from Gambit’s past. Will we be getting some backstory on Remy’s childhood or past, in general, as your story unfolds?
Gail: Yes, we will, and it will take a bit. But first off, Remy ran away when he was young, and the only one who would take him in were Marcus and his wife Alice. Their saying is they welcome all orphans. It doesn’t matter where they’re from, what ethnicity they are — any of that. They’re all welcome as long as they don’t hurt each other. So that is his safe haven — Haven House. We’ll learn a lot more about their family as we go along.
And Marcus is definitely based on someone who did survive a hurricane, so we deal with that a bit in this story arc as well.
Courtesy of Marvel Comics
AIPT: While we’re talking about Gambit, how does it feel to be Remy’s writer while Deadpool & Wolverine is dominating the box office?
Gail: Well, I was talking to Tom Brevoort before I was getting ready to go to the premiere, and he said, “I’m not going to the premiere but I’ve already seen it and you are going to love it.” And I was like, what is he referring to? And when I saw the film, I realized that was what he thought I would love — and I did. It was hilarious. I just like all the attention Gambit’s getting right now.
AIPT: It’s a good time to be in the Gambit business.
Gail: You’re going to learn a lot more about him in this book. And he’s had a bit of a power-up and some things going on with him, so I’m excited for that to all unfold.
Courtesy of Marvel Comics
AIPT: As are Gambit’s fans, I’m sure! Next, X-Fan Ed Young said Uncanny X-Men #1 was an absolutely amazing first issue and all he wanted from an X-Men comic. Ed’s a science writer and wrote a feature in 2019 about endlings — individual animals who are the last surviving members of their species. The word is one of the most beautiful and tragic that Ed knows of, and not to ask for spoilers, but he’s so curious if the new character concept for the Endling reflects that scientific usage.
Gail: It does. I’m not a scientist, but I have read up on this a bit. And I would love to read his paper if I could get ahold of it.
But it’s kind of like a songbird is putting out their call repeatedly, and no one is answering that call because they’re the last songbird — the last one of its species. And we have that going on in this book that will unfold over time. It’s very beautiful and very tragic for sure. And very large and devastating.
Courtesy of Marvel Comics
AIPT: Ed, if you’re reading — get Gail that feature! Next, X-Fan Mike Lepp was wondering what inspired the ‘invisible disabilities’ approach for the Outliers? Mike has seen so many people (himself included) immediately find something to identify with in these kids, and (as of this writing) they haven’t really had any page time yet, so it’s definitely struck a chord with readers.
Gail: I don’t think I’ve ever cried as much or as often as when I’m getting emails and tweets just from this first issue of Uncanny X-Men. Like I said earlier, what attracted me to the X-Men book was that you could be from anywhere and anybody could be a hero. I think that dealing with neurodivergence and various other invisible disabilities is something that isn’t represented a lot in mainstream comics. And I think that an X-Men book is the perfect place to have characters with them because Nightcrawler, Beast — when you look at them, you know they’re mutants, right? With these new characters — the Outliers — you don’t necessarily know upon first look that they’re mutants.
Courtesy of Marvel Comics
And I think that’s really struck a chord. Some of the areas in the world that these characters are from struck a chord. I’ve received some amazing emails. I got one this morning that made me cry. I had to really get the water out of my eyes before doing this interview because a woman showed her son, who looks about 5 or 6 — I could be wrong on the age — but they’re from Argentina. And he’s looking at a panel of Valentin and he’s saying Valentin has the same color skin as him. It’s just beautiful, and the little boy is so thrilled.
Then I have that from people from Singapore for Jitter. I’m already being contacted about Singaporean ADHD charities and education. So it’s really hitting people pretty much in the heart, which makes me feel really good — because representation matters. It teaches people about things they may not know. It makes other people feel welcome and seen, and it makes interesting stories.
And these mutants couldn’t be cooler.
Courtesy of Marvel Comics
AIPT: And it seems like we’re really going to get to know these new characters in Uncanny X-Men #2.
Gail: We are going to learn more. The way that I’m telling this arc is we learn more about everyone as we go along, but we’re definitely going to get more into the Outliers and see what’s up with them. But we don’t know that much right now. We don’t really know how their powers work exactly. We don’t know if they’re on the good side or the bad side. We just don’t know. So we will be learning this stuff as we go along.
AIPT: I’m looking forward to learning more about Calico.
Gail: Calico is so cool. Becca and her horse are kind of psychically connected. And the horse can be a war horse. She can order it to kick and a bunch of different things that are just really cool. David is making them visually stunning as hell. I can’t wait for people to see that.
Courtesy of Marvel Comics
AIPT: I just think the idea of an elitist raised to hate mutants who ends up being a mutant and has to spend time with the X-Men sounds like a great recipe for interpersonal drama.
Gail: Oh, yeah. Her mom said they were goblins and ugly. [Laughs] She’s struggling with the fact that she might be one.
AIPT: As we wrap up, X-Fan Monet Baggs wanted to thank you for finally confirming Monet as part of this series. What interests you most about Monet as a character?
Gail: I like her character a lot, and I think she brings some class and some legacy to the book, too. I don’t want to give away too much because we don’t want to do that yet. But when she comes in, she’s going to have a really good place within this team in the story.
AIPT: Finally, you’re writing the “uncanny” X-Men. What is Gail Simone’s formula for crafting an issue of Uncanny X-Men?
Gail: Well, you want to give the characters their own spotlight. Basically, I have like a thousand ideas and I have to narrow them down to one comic’s worth of ideas, which is more of a struggle than you might think. And it’s the opposite of what a lot of people go through where they’re trying to fill it with ideas. I’m trying to pair it down so it’s not too overwhelming. I always feel like it’s kind of like a snow cone without the ice. All it is is flavor. So I have to figure out how to make some structure to it.
Courtesy of Marvel Comics
There are just so many tools to choose from. I’m having a blast. It’s so much fun too because there’s been so much cool fan art and so much support that it’s almost overwhelming how much is coming through all my social media accounts. That just makes me feel like we’re touching people in the right way with this book. And you know, Tom had two things when he asked me about writing this. He said, “I want Rogue in it, and I want it to break people’s hearts.” I’m like, OK, let’s go. But can I do other things too? Can it be sexy? Can it be scary? Can it have badass action? And he was like, “Of course — but Rogue, and break people’s hearts.”
So I took that seriously. [Laughs]
AIPT: Well, mission accomplished so far. Is there anything else you’d like to say or tease?
Gail: Just thank you to you, to people who are getting the word out, to the fans and readers who are reading this and supporting it and talking about it. It’s really great to see so many people actually having fun and going into a comic book store — or even if they get it digitally — just being excited about something and then wanting to know everything right now. [Laughs] You have to wait for the story to unfold — that’s a part of the fun. But it’s just really fun to see people excited enough about something that they can’t wait to know what happens. And hopefully, we will keep that going for a long time.
AIPT: Well, on that note, thanks for stopping by X-Men Monday, Gail!
X-Fans, as Uncanny X-Men #2 goes on sale September 11, 2024, you still have a bit of a wait before you can learn what happens next. But, as this week’s X-Men Monday eXclusives, we’ve got the preview pages to hold you over, courtesy of our friends at Marvel.
Courtesy of Marvel Comics
Courtesy of Marvel Comics
Courtesy of Marvel Comics
Courtesy of Marvel Comics
And in case you missed it, Marvel.com has a few more preview pages from the issue.
Coming Soon to X-Men Monday: Writer Jason Loo will return to discuss his upcoming “From the Ashes” Dazzler mini-series. Click here to submit questions to Jason by August 21, 2024 at 5 PM ET.
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And in the next edition of X-Men Monday: X-Men: Heir of Apocalypse artist and rising star Netho Diaz will make his X-Men Monday debut to discuss his career and next gig — sharing art duties with Ryan Stegman on Jed MacKay’s X-Men!
Courtesy of Marvel Comics
Until next time, X-Fans, stay exceptional!
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