X-Men Monday #273 – Ashley Allen Talks ‘Magik’

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

Let’s face it, if you’re a member of Cyclops’ X-Men team and wield a cool sword, there’s a good chance you’re getting an ongoing series. I mean, just ask Psylocke and Magik!

Jokes aside, there are many more reasons why Illyana Rasputina is finally getting an ongoing series in the X-Men’s “From the Ashes” era. In fact, the Magik series’ writer Ashley Allen has returned to X-Men Monday to share some of those reasons, field X-Fans’ burning questions, and more. Let’s see what she has to say.

AIPT: Welcome back to X-Men Monday, Ashley! A lot of Illyana fans loved X-Men: Blood Hunt – Magik, so an ongoing Magik series written by you is a dream come true for them. How did this opportunity come about?

Ashley Allen: That’s very nice of you (and them) to say! As storytellers, we have a responsibility to stay true to the heart of the characters we write so I’m really glad that came through for fans! Everyone’s been so welcoming and I’m really grateful for everyone’s support!

Shoot – I’ve already gone through my allotted 3 exclamation points for this question.

With the “From the Ashes” relaunch, there have been great opportunities to dive into new perspectives and highlight specific mutants due to the status quo shake-up. Early on when I first met my editor Darren Shan, I told him that my dream stories to write were supernatural stories with heart. After I wrote X-Men: Blood Hunt – Magik, Darren asked if I would be interested in taking Illyana through another supernatural journey. I didn’t hesitate to say yes. Ultimately, I think the fan support of Illyana and the one-shot is how this series came about.

AIPT: I think it’s safe to assume every X-Fan thinks their favorite mutant deserves a solo series. But, in your opinion, what makes Illyana Rasputina ideal for the solo treatment?

Ashley: Illyana is such an interesting protagonist. She’s a woman who’s gone through a dark past but refuses to let that stop her from doing good in the world. I believe the desire to leave the world a better place than before resonates with a lot of fans (myself included). While she’s snarky and has some walls up, she’s ultimately a sweetheart who loves her friends and family deeply.

Since we are talking comics, I’d be remiss to not also discuss the visual elements of storytelling. Illyana’s powerset has so many great opportunities for cool visual moments that we can really have shine in a solo series. Her spells, her mutant ability to teleport through space and time, and, of course, her Soulsword. Who doesn’t love a woman with a sword?

These aspects have all come through in the books she’s been in. However, with a solo series, we can explore this rich, internal landscape in a way that sometimes can’t be fully explored without a solo book.

AIPT: This week’s first X-Fan question comes from James, who was wondering which past stories greatly influenced your understanding of Magik as a character.

Ashley: Such a good question! There are so many great options but my top 4 would be: New Mutants #25-28 by Vita Ayala, New Mutants #1-2 by Jonathan Hickman, New Mutants #55-70 by Louise Simonson, and of course Magik: Storm & Illyana by Chris Claremont.

AIPT: X-Fan Jessi was wondering about the tone of your Magik series. When writing, are you aiming for horror, action, or something else?

Ashley: I would say our tone is more supernatural, with a few horror elements sprinkled throughout! In my writing, I always aim to have a sense of hope in every scene while not shying away from those darker elements of a supernatural story. To that end, my goal for this series was to have lots of action combined with softer moments for Illyana’s heart of gold to shine through.

I grew up with manga so I wanted to channel my favorite series like Soul Eater, Fullmetal Alchemist, and Demon Slayer, among others.

AIPT: X-Fan Annalise, Marceline, and RoyalBlue asked if we’ll see Illyana’s magical side in your series.

Ashley: Yes! It’s been one of my favorite things to come up with in the series. I’ve played Dungeons & Dragons for years so coming up with new ways to use spells in both combat and non-combat scenarios is always a fun time. Especially when you have the rich magical tapestry of the Marvel Universe and all its different branches of magic!

Choreographing fight scenes is one of my favorite parts of writing comic scripts so being able to envision fights utilizing both physical and magical combat is a real treat!

AIPT: X-Fan Lewis was wondering how the new iteration of Darkchylde will work. Is it more like the Hulk appearing unexpectedly during stressful moments? Is it like a symbiote taking over her mind? Or is it something else?

Ashley: You’ll just have to read the series… just kidding, I wouldn’t do that to you guys! I think you’re onto someone comparing it to the Hulk/a symbiote. I would say it’s a combination of the two. Ultimately, Darkchylde is part of Illyana. It is a response triggered when she is stressed or finds herself in danger (like the Hulk appearing). However, at this moment, it is also something that is all-consuming and makes her lose control (like a symbiote taking over her mind).

Therefore, like most things with Illyana, Darkchylde operates in a muddy ground. Previously, Darkchylde has been Illyana’s darker self. However, ultimately, it is up to Illyana to decide and define what Darkchylde is to her. In the past, that decision has been taken away from her, but in our first few issues, we change that.

AIPT: Let’s talk Limbo. X-Fans Arryl and Stannz asked if you plan to explore Limbo at all in your series. And X-Fans Brett Smith and Star asked if Limbo’s current ruler, Madelyne Pryor, might show up along the way.

Ashley: In our first arc of the series, we explore Limbo more as a concept – specifically the relationship that Illyana has with it. As of now, Magik has divorced herself from Limbo and given the reins to Madelyne Pryor. However, sometimes it’s not so easy to leave the past behind, even if your connection to the physical place is gone. Limbo is almost like a character in the story, still influencing Illyana’s response to the present day.

However, that’s not to say there aren’t plans for future adventures featuring Limbo and its inhabitants!

AIPT: X-Fans Dusklight, Jake, and Kit said most of the New Mutants Magik came up with in the comics are absent from the current X-series. Is it possible any of them will appear in your series?

Ashley: Oh no spoilers here from me. My lips are sealed BUT just between you and me, the New Mutants were my favorite X-team growing up so I think there’s a strong chance. :)

AIPT: In Magik #1, Illyana faces the Crow Demon. What can you share about this threat? And how did it feel to have Peach Momoko design the series’ first villain?

Ashley: First off – I’m a huge fan of Peach’s work, so to have her design the series’ first villain was a dream come true. Her cover for X-Men: Blood Hunt – Magik was amazing, so getting the chance to have her do more work with Illyana was such a treat!

In the creative process of developing the series, I provided mood boards and character descriptions to Peach for our villains. Honestly, it was one of my favorite parts of pre-production! She’s so talented and her mastery of movement in her artwork really brought the characters to life. It’s always so fun to see what she comes up with and I’m super grateful have her design our first villain, the Crow Demon.

To start off our series, I wanted a threat that could go head-to-head with Illyana… which is a hard feat! She has amazing close combat abilities but also can manage long-range attacks with both her portals and her magic. The Crow Demon is a long-range fighter with his demonic gun, limiting some of Magik’s agility. However, as you’ll see in our first issue, he has some major surprises with his fighting style that I won’t spoil here. Good thing Illyana has plenty of experience dealing with demonic threats… and the powers that may or may not control them!

AIPT: X-Fans Penny, Katyana, and sunofdarkchild asked if we’ll ever get an in-universe explanation for why Magik went from her gold costume to the black suit.

Ashley: Illyana’s had a ton of great costumes over the years! And going to different conventions this year, it’s been such a treat to see everyone cosplay as Magik in her different eras! While I can’t say for certain if the in-universe explanation will happen in our first arc, I think we need to think about it as a reflection of Illyana’s mental state post-Krakoa.

For lack of a better term, Krakoa allowed Illyana to loosen up and lower her defenses. However, I think the events of losing her home changed her. An external costume change may reflect that (or at least that’s my interpretation).

AIPT: Finally, what can you share about collaborating with Germán Peralta on the series’ visuals?

Ashley: Germán Peralta continues to amaze me with every page (and sketch!) he sends over. He’s so talented and has a true knack for balancing softer character moments with big action sequences. That’s a real gift and lets us do some amazing things with storytelling in our series! His art elevates our story to a whole new level and it’s a dream to get to work with him. It’s rare that an artist can encapsulate the exact image of a script but Germán is able to do it with ease while adding his own spin to it! Honestly, the hardest thing about waiting for the series to drop in January is waiting to share Germán’s artwork with fans!

AIPT: Well, fortunately for you (and X-Fans), we don’t have to — but more on that in a second. For now, that’s all I have for you, Ashley. Thanks for stopping by X-Men Monday!

Remember, X-Fans, Magik #1 goes on sale January 8, 2024. Here’s a look at a few unlettered Germán Peralta preview pages as this week’s X-Men Monday eXclusive.

In the next edition of X-Men Monday: Writer Gerry Duggan returns to discuss his upcoming West Coast Avengers series, featuring former X-Man Firestar.

Finally, and, most importantly, if you live in the U.S. and haven’t voted yet, be sure to do so tomorrow. I cast my vote early for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz and I hope you’ve done/will do the same. As X-Fans, we have an obligation to keep the kinds of folks who would happily greenlight the Sentinel program or turn a blind eye to Orchis out of power. And if you don’t want to listen to me, then just be like Cyke…

Until next time, X-Fans, stay exceptional!