Welcome, X-Fans, to another uncanny edition of X-Men Monday at AIPT!
Following interviews with Jed MacKay and Erica Schultz, our Age of Revelation coverage continues with a look into one of the more… sinister corners of this strange new world. That’s right, it’s X years into the future, and Mr. Sinister still hasn’t run out of schemes. But what’s he cooking up this time? And what role do Sinister’s Six — Havok, Domino, Fantomex, Omega Red, Black Cat, and Venom — play in these shenanigans?
Fortunately, David Marquez, artist of Uncanny X-Men and writer of Sinister’s Six (on sale October 15, 2025), is making his X-Men Monday debut to answer these and other questions. Read on to see what he has to say.
Courtesy of Marvel Comics
AIPT: Welcome to X-Men Monday, David! Let’s start back at the beginning — what was your first X-Men eXperience as a fan?
David Marquez: Oh, it goes quite a ways back! My first clear memory is right around Uncanny X-Men #275 — the big finale to the Chris Claremont/Jim Lee Savage Land and Shi’ar storylines with the gatefold Jim Lee cover. Honestly, I may have come in a couple of issues before that, but it’s all a bit muddled. So, I guess I had a fairly classic intro to the X-Men: Thrown into the deep end and left to my own devices to figure out what the heck is going on! But the addictive story and dynamic art had me hooked from the beginning!
Courtesy of Marvel Comics
AIPT: Since the From the Ashes relaunch, you’ve been an essential part of the post-Krakoan X-line, collaborating with Gail Simone on Uncanny X-Men. But how did the opportunity to pivot from X-artist to X-writer come about with Sinister’s Six?
David: I’ve been itching to write for as long as I’ve been making comics and finally had the chance to cut my teeth on my own creator-owned book, The Unchosen, which I both wrote and drew (and is now coming out through Image). It was the most creatively rewarding experience of my career, and I knew I wanted to continue writing.
Courtesy of Image Comics
Earlier this year, I was invited out to a Marvel creative retreat, the lone artist in a room full of writers, but I don’t think they knew that I’m a bit of a talker and not particularly shy about offering my two cents when given the chance. In the end, I guess I talked my way into pitching a book! I imagine that having already written and drawn a book of my own didn’t hurt.
AIPT: For the readers who are just learning about Sinister’s Six for the first time, what’s your elevator pitch for this Age of Revelation tie-in series?
David: X years from now, the X-Virus has wreaked havoc on the genetic map of North America, and Mister Sinister is a bit miffed he wasn’t invited to the party. This virus, a bio-weapon released by the terrorist organization 3K, has turned those humans it doesn’t kill into mutants while leaving the original mutant population seemingly unaffected. But not all is as it seems, and a small number of mutants find themselves infected by the X-Virus and suffering from new secondary and tertiary mutations — something that should be impossible.
These mutants seek out Mister Sinister — an evil mastermind, true, but a master of genetic engineering nonetheless — in hopes of a cure. He agrees to help them on one condition: They must help him uncover a secret hidden within the virus itself.
Courtesy of Marvel Comics
AIPT: The question on X-Fans Barrett, Harry G, and John’s minds — how did you settle on this eclectic cast of characters?
David: All the mutants on the team share a common history as experimental subjects, tortured in the name of science, and leaving them particularly vulnerable to the effects of the X-Virus. No spoilers to worry about here, this is very much opening-pages setup for the story. But I didn’t want to limit the cast to just mutants, the changes the world has undergone affect the entire Marvel Universe, so I leapt at the opportunity to grab two of my favorite characters from the Spider-Man books: Black Cat and Venom. How would they, as (originally) non-mutants, be affected by the X-Virus and creation of the Revelation territories? It’s led to some interesting places as readers will soon find out!
Courtesy of Marvel Comics
AIPT: Speaking of — X-Fans Isaiah Meehan and Reese Chow are both wondering about Venom and Black Cat’s spots on Mister Sinister’s team, as they aren’t names we usually see in an X-Men book. Reese asks if their inclusion in this lineup meant to show Revelation’s influence reaching beyond mutants?
David: Oh, that’s absolutely a huge part of Sinister’s Six and the Age of Revelation as a whole. The entire eastern U.S. has been swallowed by the Revelation Territories, with cities destroyed and the human populations ravaged by the X-Virus. It’s led to a realignment not just of the mutant population, but the wider superhero and villain communities as well, with everyone finding refuge wherever they can. These two characters have their own unique motivations to be on the team, and you’ll have to pick up the book to find out more!
Courtesy of Marvel Comics
AIPT: X-Fan Harry G can’t wait for Sinister’s Six and is wondering what personalities or dynamics you wanted to play with in your cast.
David: Havok and his history with Sinister are naturally front-and-center. Why would Alex ever willingly choose to work with someone who made a lifelong project out of torturing the Summers clan? We play with that a lot in the series. Fantomex is also incredibly fun and interesting to write — she’s a bottomless enigma, and having another of Fantomex’s selves appearing elsewhere in the Age of Revelation put an interesting spin on the ways I could explore the character.
The fact that this series takes place X years in the future and out of the regular mainstream 616 setting means I’m not limited to the boundaries of Marvel history as it’s been written to date. Everyone has been deeply affected by the intervening years, some for the better, some not so much.
Domino, Omega Red, Black Cat — they all are in VERY different places, and while their motivations may be similar in some regards, the differences matter. Venom, on the other hand, is a more reluctant participant whose role proves a bit more unpredictable. Seeing how all those elements bounce off each other as they get closer to their goal? That’s the fun stuff!
Courtesy of Marvel Comics
AIPT: Obviously, a team led by the devious Mr. Sinister, featuring Havok and other oddballs, brings back memories of the fan-favorite — and hilarious — Hellions series. What would you say the tone of this latest Sinister-focused series is?
David: Readers will certainly find humor scattered throughout the book, and Sinister is INCREDIBLY fun to write, but the tone here is perhaps a bit more serious than some of the previous books he’s appeared in. As both a reader and a writer, I’m very drawn to mystery, high-concept exploration, and theme. The book is action-packed, with questions about the true nature of the X-Virus driving the narrative forward. I dive headfirst into the science-fiction end of the X-Men mythos — I mean, with Sinister, how can that NOT be a focus — playing with the implications of genetic engineering and virology in this new setting with some fun, if possibly scary, results.
But at its core, story always starts with character. Trust, betrayal, loss, trauma, redemption, death, hope, family, memory… having such a contrasting yet interwoven cast provides rich thematic soil for the story to grow.
AIPT: From Brian Michael Bendis to Gail Simone, you’ve collaborated with some of comics’ most acclaimed writers across high-profile series. Would you say these illustration gigs have in any way influenced your comics writing?
David: Oh, absolutely. I’ve been blessed with a front-row seat to a decade-long master’s class in comic book writing. And I’ve been taking notes!
Courtesy of Marvel Comics
Now, it can be easy to forget that comic artists are storytellers, first and foremost. Everything one feels when reading a comic is very much driven by the choices the artist makes: The characters’ faces, their body language, how they’re framed, and the juxtaposition between elements on a page or throughout an issue. But there is also a difference in scope between the storytelling that we, as artists, deal with and that of writers. I liken it to tactics vs strategy.
Courtesy of Marvel Comics
Artists focus primarily on the smaller-scale storytelling mechanics: Panel to panel, page to page, scene to scene. There are a lot of subtle skills to master, and doing our job well can make or break a comic. Writing, on the other hand, has to take a more holistic, birds-eye view. Where is all this going? How does each issue or chapter relate to the others? How much time do we spend with each character, and what tradeoffs have to be made within the limitations of a 20-page comic? Folks like Brian and Gail excel at all of this effortlessly, and I’ve been hard at work trying to steal their secrets!
AIPT: You’re collaborating with artist Rafael Loureiro on Sinister’s Six. X-Fan Mike Trobaugh wonders if your writing process is different when you’re writing for another penciler, vs when you write a book you’re drawing yourself.
David: That’s a very insightful question, and yes, it’s VERY different. I can’t know what it’s like for other writers who haven’t spent their career drawing, but for me, yeah, as I’m writing, I’m also drawing the book in my head. My stylistic taste and habits bleed through into the script. Brian Bendis once gave me a great piece of advice: Always know your artist before you start, and be sure to write to THEIR strengths and style. It’s absolutely true.
Courtesy of Marvel Comics
As Editor Darren Shan and I were putting the book together and searching for the right artist, Rafael’s work on Dazzler jumped out at me. We share many similar storytelling and artistic instincts. He does amazing character work: Great acting, faces, body language. Each character feels unique and expressive, and I feel myself immediately empathizing and connecting with them. And I love his costume and character designs; he really knocked that aspect of the book out of the park. He’s exceeded every expectation I had for the book, and, teamed with the incredible color art from Alex Sinclair, I couldn’t be more proud of how the book has come together.
AIPT: Finally, with Sinister’s Six under your belt, might we see more Marvel work from writer David Marquez in the not-too-distant future?
David: Oh, the writing bug bit me hard — without a doubt, I’ll be doing as much writing as my other obligations allow.
AIPT: Something to look forward to! But on that note — David, thanks for stopping by X-Men Monday! Remember, X-Fans, Sinister’s Six #1 goes on sale October 15, 2025.
Here’s an eXclusive look at what you can expect from artist Rafael Loureiro and color artist Alex Sinclair, courtesy of our friends at Marvel.
Courtesy of Marvel Comics
Courtesy of Marvel Comics
Courtesy of Marvel Comics
Next X-Men Monday – September 10, 2025
Yes, I’m aware September 10 is a Wednesday — but when Conductor of X Tom Brevoort wants to talk Age of Revelation and tease what comes after the event, you break the rules!
Courtesy of Marvel Comics
Until then, X-Fans, stay eXceptional!
You must be logged in to post a comment.