This week saw the release of the fifth issue of legendary X-Men writer Chris Claremonts X-Men: Die By The Sword limited series.
While it ties into next weeks Exiles #100, the series finale which sets the stage for a relaunch of everyones favorite Cross-Time Crusaders in New Exiles #1 by Claremont and artist Tom Grummett, there is another one-shot special that pays tribute to the past, present and future of the reality hopping series.
Join Quentin Quire as he embarks on a journey across a Multiverse of worlds to search for the missing Exiles members.
Thats right. Januarys Exiles: Days of Then and Now by original series editor Mike Raicht presents an all-new universe-spanning tale that bridges the universal gap between Exiles and New Exiles.
Therefore, its only fitting to reminiscence about the good old days with Raicht and find out what the future holds for the Exiles.
Newsarama: Mike, how did Exiles: Days of Then and Now come about?
Mike Raicht: It was originally pitched to me by editor Mark Paniccia as something that would be a nice send off to the first 100 issues as well as a glimpse at the next 100 or so with Chris. Kind of daunting for 34 pages but a lot of fun at the same time.
NRAMA: You co-edited Exiles when it was launched back in 2001. How does it feel to be the one wrapping up the first volume while also setting the stage for the next?
MR: Weird. But in a cool way. This was always my favorite book while I was up at Marvel. It was the first book Mike Marts and I pulled together and developed. (Along side writer Judd Winick and artists Mike McKone and Jim Calafiore, of course). To be asked to say goodbye to the that original series I loved so much is a bit bitter sweet but it seems like the new direction is going to be cool as well so it's a happy sad moment if that makes sense.
NRAMA: How did you end up as an assistant editor to then-editor of the X-office Mike Marts on Exiles?
MR: While I was in grad school at Long Island University I interned at Marvel for a year. First in the Bobbie Chase and Brian Smith office every day and then with Jason Liebig and Lysa Hawkins three days a week. Mike Marts was hired shortly after I left and took over Deadpool, Spider-Girl and a few other titles... some X-stuff I think. I can't remember them exactly. Either way, he needed someone to come in a few days a week while he got things going and I got the call. From there we just kind of gelled and I was hired full time about a month later.
NRAMA: To this day, the Age of Apocalypse remains the most well-received story that featured an alternate reality version of existing characters. It was a story where anything could happen and fan favorite characters would not be guaranteed to stay alive to appear in the next issue. What did you guys hope to achieve with Exiles?
MR: Originally this came out of the Millennial Visions one shots which was a book of pin ups where we asked different creators to come up with alternate reality versions of the X-Men. We were eventually going to visit some alternate realities and flesh out some stories. We were attempting to give the readers a What If? X-Men book. Eventually that idea shifted into a Quantum Leap type thing where Blink, Morph, and maybe Sabretooth from the Age of Apocalypse would join some other heroes, most likely from the Millennial Visions books, to form a reality hopping super team that righted wrongs. When Judd was brought on board he brought a lot to the table. We started to shoot different characters back and forth. I think Judd suggested a son or daughter of Thor character. He booted Sabretooth. Mimic and T-Bird were floated back and forth. Judd brought in Magnus and a female Sunfire. We grabbed Nocturne from Jim Calafiore's Millennial Visions appearance. Obviously, the female Thor didn't make the cut but the rest did.
We really just wanted to create a book where everything and anything could happen. The heroes would be ours to play with, free of any outside concerns. They could die and age. To do this we knew we had to create characters people related to and cared about. The characters were always supposed to be more important than the realities they visited. The realities were meant to be window dressing. The meat of the stories were the relationships within the group. I think we achieved that and more. Exiles really had a family vibe in it that a lot of books strive for but never reach.
I might be a little close to it to look at it too objectively though. But I think we accomplished all of that and more.
NRAMA: Apart from stories that rocketed between realities in fast and furious motion, Exiles also developed the characters and made the readers care for them. For example, there was a story about the relationship between Nocturne and Thunderbird, which led to her being pregnant with his child. Did you miss working with writers Judd Winick and Chuck Austen?
MR: I loved working with both Judd and Chuck. Both of them brought some different things to the table. Obviously Judd worked on the series for a long time and laid a lot of the cool ground work. I do miss working with them both.
NRAMA: How much did you learn from them?
MR: I learned different things from every writer I worked with. That was a pretty cool benefit of working with so many different writers in the X-office. As far as Judd goes he was especially good with the relationship stuff in Exiles. He made you believe they were a family with a comment or a look. The work he and Jim did in the issue that focused on Nocturne and T-Bird's relationship was great stuff and kind of when I knew we were doing a different kind of book. His talky issues were always a lot of fun. But I think his early stuff was great for laying the ground work of what worked in Exiles.
Chuck had a tough task coming in. He was working on a book in Exiles which only had ever had one writer on it. Chuck was always willing to push the envelope on things and try new stuff. Sometimes it worked and sometimes it didn't but I think taking that chance is something not all writers are willing to do. I think his issues opened up some new ground for the group and added some internal conflict. Especially with Illyana.
NRAMA: An evil Charles Xavier
the Dark Phoenix Saga revisited
the Mojoverse
What're some of your favorite moments or stories from your time as editor of the series?
MR: I love a lot of the stories. All the ones you mentioned above... except maybe the Mojoverse. I was never a big Mojo fan. T-Bird's Death. Illyana arriving. All of the Weapon X stories. I loved them all to be honest. Even Mojo in a way. It gave us our first glimpse of an angry Morph which was kind of cool.
NRAMA: At the time it was launched, Exiles was like a "What If?" story that not only featured characters from the X-Men but also brought back the ones that weren't really big time players before such as Mimic and Thunderbird and then made them cool. How much editorial influence was there at that time? Who decided on which characters to bring back and who to kill off?
MR: I can't remember whose idea it was to bring in T-Bird and Mimic. I know Marts and I wanted to make sure we had characters who people were not getting on a month in and month out basis. Even if they were different versions of them they were characters that were missed. We knew Blink was a big one. We both liked Morph although Judd surprised us a bit by switching out the Age of Apocalypse version and bringing in the Morph we now know and love. That was genius though. It gave us room to really play with the landscape a little.
I know when Blink was floated as being a character that got to go "home" we knew that Illyana was important to bring onto the team. We felt her fan base would get some fans at least giving us a peek.
We always knew just due to the nature of the book we'd be losing people throughout the series. We knew Magnus was going. We all loved T-Bird but knew that meant his death would resonate. We always knew Blink would be back. We felt that was a bit of a gamble to remove her from the book but it seemed to not kill us. If anything the book seemed to stay really steady reader wise. We hoped all of these things would give the readers that feeling of "What the heck is going to happen next!" I think some books lose that. Exiles should always have that feeling of dread to go along with their triumphs. They are dealing in world changing events with realities on the line. It's what makes the book exciting to me at least.
NRAMA: Blink was a new but fan favorite character who was killed off during the earlier Phalanx Covenant story arc in the X-Men titles. In Exiles, she was the version from the AoA reality. Why was she crucial to be included as part of the original team?
MR: We definitely felt she had a fan base. People remembered her and wanted to see more of her. And we thought she could be a great centerpiece for the team. Plus she looks cool.
NRAMA: Nocturne was another popular character with X-fans when she was first introduced in the pages of 2000's X-Men: Millennial Visions. Why was she an important part of the series?
MR: Nocturne was kind of the break out player in the book. Jim Calafiore came up with a cool look and then Judd gave her a rock star personality. She was kind of the heart of the series along with Morph. The ones who made the team a family.
NRAMA: Popular characters like Morph and Magik, while not the ones that regular Marvel Universe readers were familiar with, were brought back in the pages of Exiles. There was a story arc with Mary Jane as Spider-Woman. Name five of your favorite reality-altered characters. Why did they strike chord with you then?
MR: I like a lot of the good guys gone bad. It was just fun to see different versions of characters we expected something noble from.
I liked Spider and Vision from Weapon X. Spider because he was nuts and sadistic, willing to do or kill anyone to accomplish the mission. The Vision because he was cold and calculating in his methods. He calculated the best way to accomplish the mission and pushed for that solution.
I thought bad Xavier was a good twist in the first story arc. It was well set up by Judd to give the reader and the team the chance to hang themselves with expectation of what Xavier's role in every reality truly was. Plus shutting down someone's mind is just cool.
T-Bird was also a favorite. He was just a wonderfully conflicted and deep character. He was a weapon of destruction who would have given anything to be normal. It was a great twist on the initial version of John Proudstar. A proud, conflicted, dangerous man who felt more deeply than he was willing to show. Judd did a nice job with him.
And I'm going to cheat a bit on the last one and say Quentin Quire from the story I wrote in Exiles: Days of Then and Now. I always loved him in Grant's X-stories and felt he was a pretty tragic guy. In my mind he was a few tough breaks away from being a hero in the normal Marvel Universe. I give him the chance to show what could have been in this story.
NRAMA: Well get to Quentin in a bit. Now, in the first year of the series, Weapon X, another reality-hopping team formed to do the dirty work for the Timebroker, was introduced and fans were thrilled about the AoA Sabretooth reuniting with Blink, even though it was just for a brief moment then. He was brought back after winning a fan poll, right?
MR: I don't remember the fan poll aspect of it to be honest. He had always been in the works and popped up two times in the first year. I think in issues #5 and #6 when the team was supposed to save Alpha Flight from the Hulk and then again at the end of the first year when they were brought in to kill the son of Rachel Summer and Franklin Richards... I think. It's been awhile.
NRAMA: Aside from being another fan favorite character, he was like a father figure to Blink during the AoA. Did you have any reservations about diluting the AoA too much by bringing him back into the fold?
MR: Not really. Especially after Judd had Morph not be from AoA. I always thought it was good to have him there. AoA was a great series and seeing them again felt right.
NRAMA: Moving on, there was also a crossover with the regular X-Men series where the Exiles were brought to the world of the 616-Earth. Apart from both the series being written by Chuck Austen at that time, what was the purpose of the crossover? I remember that the issues didn't receive the thumbs up from hardcore Exiles and X-Men fans back then
MR: Originally the crossover was going to be very small. We were going to have two or three X-Men interact with the Exiles and help them prevent a small moment which would cause a disaster later on. I believe we were going to have Havok, Iceman, Angel and maybe Nightcrawler involved and that was it.
It was also a good chance to have the writer of the X-Men come over and possibly bring some of the readers with him to this other book.
But then things started to grow a bit. We included the entire team. We brought in the villains from the Dominant Species arc Chuck had just done which weren't completely fleshed out yet. Honestly, I blame myself for allowing it to get a little too big. I had just taken over as full editor on the book and I was excited to give the fans a big crossover with the X-Men. Looking back I should have kept it small like we originally planned. The main hope was to hook some new fans and have some fun in the main Marvel U. We may have bit off a bit more than we could chew in just a few issues.
I do love Chuck Austen's initial story on the series though which showed Magik's first mission on the team. I think that was a nice little story that showed what happens when someone not so heroic or morally challenged was thrown into the mix. And it had Clayton Henry on art. I thought he was a great addition to the Exiles artistic team.
NRAMA: After you left, the series then went on even bolder directions with the invasion of the Timebroker homeworld; then, the team chased the reality-manipulating Proteus across several realities, including an alternate version of 2099, Squadron Supreme, Future Imperfect, and Heroes Reborn where they recruited new members Longshot, Spider-Man 2099, and Power Princess during the World Tour arc. Chris Claremont brought Earth-616's Psylocke, Cat, Mystiq, Rogue into the team. Have you been keeping up?
MR: I checked in now and then.
NRAMA: Were there things that you would have done differently had you been given the opportunity to do so? Is Exiles: Days of Then and Now the platform for you to tie up loose ends then?
MR: I probably would have had other ideas but I'm not sure if they would have been any more successful. By the time I left the formula had been pretty well established. I remember talking with Chuck Austen about his upcoming King Hyperion and return of Blink stories and discussing pushing certain aspects of the book. Chuck always questioned the nature of the Timebrokers. We also always wondered what would happen if the team decided to not do as they were told. I think I would have pushed in that direction more. I'm not sure if anything could have compared to readers expectations of what the homeworld was going to be.
I liked World Tour quite a bit but I always thought there should have been consequences for the Exiles not doing their "duty" while they were chasing Proteus. I pitched something that addressed that as a writer a few years ago but it was a no go.
However, I am kind of addressing some of those concerns in this one-shot. Not in the same way I wanted to back then but with some similar characters. It's odd you mention loose ends though. This one shot does attempt to deal a bit with those.
I have to say, the thing I miss the most are the beginnings of this book where it was this team against the reality they were in, fighting for each other to return to their home worlds. Fighting for each other and becoming a family. I think the book was in its purest form while they were doing that.
NRAMA: Was it a challenge to come back to the characters as a writer now instead of an editor?
MR: I've always loved dreaming up stories for Exiles so honestly this felt really comfortable. I want to write a story people will enjoy which is the challenge part, but I do think I have a handle on the book as a whole.
NRAMA: Now, from the solicits, the one-shot will feature Quentin Quire, a Grant Morrison-created character whom you'd also co-edited during your New X-Men days, in search of the Exiles?
MR: Yup.
NRAMA: What kind of worlds will the readers be traveling to then?
MR: Some of the worlds in the one-shot will be ones the readers have seen before. I don't want to give away too much. I will say we will be revisiting some old friends, meeting heroes who were not heroes in the normal sense when we last saw them, and meeting a whole new cast of characters as well.
Realities and moments from every writer of the series will be referenced in some way. We're really trying to give old readers a chance to say goodbye to the first 100 issues of the book and new readers who may just be coming on board for Chris Claremont's New Exiles a glimpse into what made Exiles so great to begin with. Hopefully we're up to the task and still able to deliver a full story to the casual reader.
NRAMA: What is your favorite scene from the one-shot? C'mon, do tease
MR: I have a few favorites. Quentin Quire referencing and using knowledge from a class taught to him by Rachel Summers, introducing a hero inspired by the Exiles and a visit to an old friend's grave.
Before I go, I have to say, the artists on this book really outdid themselves and that the story would be nothing without them. This book has been a bit different in that each reality is being handled by a different artist. It really gives the book a cool change of pace in each reality. I love what all of them have done. If they are reading this, I want them to know it was much appreciated. Thank you all.
NRAMA: Wrapping things up, have you been privy to what Chris is doing with New Exiles when it relaunches in the new year?
MR: I've heard a few things but I've been sworn to secrecy.
NRAMA: Why do you think fans of Exiles, old and new, would get a kick out of New Exiles?
MR: It's reality changing, dimension hopping on an even grander scale written by the biggest writer in X-Men history with super cool art by Tom Grummett. I think that should be enough reason, don't you?
Look for Exiles #100 on Wednesday, December 19th. Exiles: Days of Then and Now is due in stores on January 2nd, and New Exiles #1 hits on January 16th.
Which is basically code for Claremont saying "I don't know how the **** to write her, so she'll just go bye bye for now."
