X-Men Monday #269 – Alex Paknadel Talks ‘Sentinels’

Welcome, X-Fans, to another uncanny edition of X-Men Monday at AIPT!

In case you haven’t noticed, X-Fans, all your favorite characters are getting their own series: Phoenix, Storm, Psylocke, the Sentinels. Wait, the Sentinels?!?

If you’re shocked… well, you really shouldn’t be. X-Men comics that don’t serve thought-provoking stories that challenge readers’ understanding of right and wrong aren’t doing their job, are they? And, having read Sentinels #1 early, I can confidently say it does just that. (Check out AIPT’s advance review of Sentinels #1 for another take!)

But if you still have questions about the “From the Ashes” era’s answer to mutant hunters, you’re in luck. Sentinels writer Alex Paknadel returned to X-Men Monday to discuss his team of cyborgs, their first target, Omega Red, and more. Let’s see what he has to say.

AIPT: Welcome back to X-Men Monday, Alex! Before we dig too deep into Sentinels, I’m curious, as a long-time X-Men fan yourself, was any part of you hesitant to write a series about purple mutant hunters? Or was it something of a unique challenge? (I ask this as somebody who thought it’d be fun to do Orchis Monday with former X-Men Senior Editor Jordan D. White! )

Alex Paknadel: It was a unique challenge, of course; but one I relished. I was under no illusions that I was writing a good guy book, but the dramatic potential of the Sentinels concept has always struck me as being boundless. My “in” to the piece was to try and think of the Sentinel team as victims themselves. They’ve been experimented on, patched up, anesthetized, and monitored from the moment the Sentinel nanotech was administered to them by Lawrence Trask. I don’t expect anybody to condone their activities, of course – I know I don’t – but I do hope readers find them compelling and complex in their own right.

AIPT: Let’s talk about your cast, starting with the Sentinels’ leader, Lawrence Trask — son of the original Sentinels’ creator, Bolivar Trask. Knowing he was resurrected on Krakoa makes me wish we’d seen that story unfold during the First Krakoan Age. Can we expect to see any flashbacks or learn more about how Krakoa impacted Larry as the series unfolds?

Alex: Not beyond the first issue, I’m afraid. Bringing Larry back is a real coup, and I hope to get into the weeds concerning his resurrection in the future — but for now, I have one mini-series and four all-new characters to introduce. Larry is fascinating and I expect the mystery of his return to deepen, but that might not be my story to tell. That said, his actions in this mini-series will give readers a good sense of his worldview post-Krakoa. X-Men readers will absolutely be able to read between the lines.

AIPT: This week’s first X-Fan question comes from 1407 Greymalkin Lane The Living Memory of the X-Men, who wanted to know what you’d say is the main difference between this group of Sentinels and say, the Reavers.

Alex: Good question. I would say the main difference comes down to their respective goals. Reavers are hell-bent on destroying mutants, whereas our Sentinels are simply apprehending them — brutally, I grant you. Being a Reaver is a hideous calling; being one of our new Sentinels is a job. Many would argue — not without merit — that the latter is worse, and that ethical quagmire is kind of where this series lives. At what point does blindly following orders make you complicit?

AIPT: X-Fan Harry G wanted to know which relationships and dynamics among the characters you were most excited to explore. Also, how did you decide on this clever idea to look at the more sinister aftermath of Marvel’s crossover events?

Alex: Given the limited nature of the series, I had to really zero in on two POV characters in a team of four. Drumfire and Sawtooth are the two team members who outwardly have the least in common, and yet both are struggling to maintain and retain different types of control. That control — and the lack thereof — is really the dramatic conflict at the heart of the book.

In terms of the crossover events’ prominence in our protagonists’ backstories, I wanted them all to be collateral damage from metahuman events. None of it’s tackled head-on because a whole other book would be required to do it justice, but I did want to convey a sense that these are all little people who’ve been ground up and spat out by a terrifying world of gods and monsters.

AIPT: A tough question from X-Fan Hero_Donnel: With all the damage and pain that Sentinels have caused mutants over the years, why should we care about this series involving individuals that only cause our mutants harm?

Alex: Because damage and pain are inflicted by people who have been damaged and are in pain. If we fail to understand this cycle, we’re condemned to repeat it. One thing that came up early on in our discussions was the idea that even the original Sentinels were products of emotion. We think of them as remorselessly logical and cold, but in reality, Sentinels are just human paranoia given form. They’re lumps of congealed fear, born of an acute sense of vulnerability and inadequacy.

Our human Sentinels are no different, except we can place them in dramatic situations in which they can articulate those fears and inadequacies. I thought — as a longstanding X-Fan — that this was worth exploring.

AIPT: X-Fan Jude T said there’s familiarity in the premise of Larry Trask seeking to maintain human-mutant coexistence by fighting “evil” mutants. He even operates from the ex-Xavier School, now Graymalkin Prison. Should we expect commentary on the history of X-Men stories beyond the Sentinels?

Alex: That’s a very astute observation and something I honestly hadn’t considered until now — so thank you.

Honestly, I’m trying to comment less on the history of X-Men stories than I am on cognitive dissonance more generally. The idea of incarcerating mutants to protect mutants is some pretty Orwellian doublethink — and yet most of us, myself very much included, internalize less absurd contradictions in our daily lives. In many ways, this is a book about the comforting lies we tell ourselves to cope with those contradictions.

AIPT: X-Fan Firena4Red said you wrote an amazing story about Omega Red in the X-Men: From the Ashes Infinity Comic that really gave people a look at Arkady, his character, and his under-explored origins. As a fan of Arkady, what can we expect from his appearance in Sentinels? 

Alex: First of all, thank you for the kind words. I’m a huge Omega Red fan, so it was a signal honor to be allowed to put more flesh on the bone of his backstory. If anyone wants an Omega Red: Origins mini, I would very much like to be the guy.

But yes, the main thing I wanted to achieve with the Infinity story was to humanize Arkady — tragically, ideally — before dehumanizing him again through our Sentinels’ eyes. When they encounter Omega Red, they see only a terrifying monster that belongs in a cage. Readers know better, obviously. The beast that erupts from the snow in Sentinels #1 found his way there via a painful route, but the team doesn’t know that. For me, that only compounds the tragedy.

AIPT: How has it been collaborating with artist Justin Mason on Sentinels?

Alex: Justin is a force of nature, and I think his skull-cracking energy is a perfect counterweight to my restraint. This book has to function first and foremost as a piece of entertainment, so having Justin on hand to make the action as big and as kinetic as it can possibly be makes my job 1,000 times easier.

Justin has stretched me, and I hope I’ve stretched him to a lesser extent. We both bring different things to the party, but I firmly believe they’re all complementary. I’m very confident that Justin is Marvel’s next superstar artist, and I’ve been very lucky to work with him.

AIPT: As we look ahead, I can’t help but notice a variant cover to Sentinels #2 features… Onslaught!?! What? What is going on, Alex?!?

Alex: Speaking of lumps of congealed fear born of an acute sense of vulnerability and inadequacy…

AIPT: Finally, I love that you continue to take us on a tour of the new X-Men universe via X-Men: From the Ashes Infinity Comic. How much fun has it been getting to spend time in the heads of X-icons like Havok, Magneto, and Beast? And any teases for whose heads you’ll get into next?

Alex: Thank you. I’ve said this elsewhere, but I knew going into From the Ashes that I would be doing a lot of backfilling — and that was fine by me. It would not have been possible to address the fallout from Krakoa in every new X-book — not least because the new status quo is worth exploring on its own terms. However, I am fascinated by aftermaths and long-term consequences. Therefore, when I was asked to lean heavily into drama and the psychological repercussions of the mutants’ return, I grabbed the opportunity with both hands.

The most pleasant surprise was learning that so many major characters — including Xavier himself — were on the table. So many bucket list characters, and I can give them all emotionally consequential arcs. As for who’s next, I have no idea when this interview will drop so I should probably keep my big mouth shut.

AIPT: Right now, Alex — it’s live right now! But that’s fine, I welcome new surprises every Monday (the good kind, of course). But on that note, thanks for stopping by X-Men Monday, Alex! (And for more from Alex on Sentinels and other projects, listen to his recent appearance on the AIPT Comics Podcast.)

Remember, X-Fans — Sentinels #1 goes on sale October 9, 2024. And since I’m confident you also enjoy the good kind of Monday surprises, here’s this week’s X-Men Monday eXclusive: The preview for Sentinels #1, eXtra early! This comes courtesy of writer Alex Paknadel, artist Justin Mason, color artist Federico Blee, and letterer VC’s Travis Lanham.

In the next edition of X-Men Monday: Writer and artist Declan Shalvey returns to discuss his upcoming Mystique mini-series. Click here to submit questions to Declan today by 5 PM ET (September 30, 2024).

Until next time, X-Fans, stay exceptional!