Comics Official UNCANNY X-MEN Discussion Thread

[Colossal Spoons]

I like how Cyclops' eyes are smoking

 

[Manic]

There's this blog I read called 4thletter[/rul]. Back when Ultimatum was coming out, they created parodies by scanning in pages from the actual issues and editing the text. There was a lot of dialogue edited in about Cyclops' eyes leaking. Also, everyone kept calling Angel "Sentry" because Finch draws them exactly alike.

 

[Havok83]

I love how Cyclops and Magneto are standing side by side

not side by side. Magneto is actually behind him. I do like Illyana standning side by side with her brother. Now we need some actual interaction between them in the books

The kid is younger than her current self in the future.

Maybe thats her mutant power...the ability to age and deage as the story fits

 

[UraniaChang]

I like how Cyclops' eyes are smoking

There was a time when there's always a spark on his visor, which annoyed me to no end.

This leaking smoke thing at least, doesn't occur as often.

 

[roach]

I hate the Nightcrawler and Colossus costumes

 

[bengan]

IGN Comics: First, let's tackle the concept of Second Coming. We know Cable and Hope are returning, what else can you tell us about the storyline at this point?

Nick Lowe: I love how you phrased that. "So Cable and Hope are returning, but what's actually cool about this?" RICH! This is the culmination of five years of X-Men stories!!! The ending of House of M kicked off a series of events (Decimation, Messiah Complex, Messiah War) that all leads to this event. The last two years of X-Books have all been set-up for this! I can't tell you how big this is for us and how much we've poured into this. The X-Men have been living off of fumes for a year with nothing but the faith that the baby born in Alaska will come back and save them as a species. This is the story that she comes back in!

Axel Alonso: And don't forget: She's got red hair and green eyes!

​

IGN Comics: In terms of the structure of the storyline, are we looking at something similar to Messiah Complex? Are all four titles going to directly tell the story or will some books be more involved than others? How many chapters will there be?

Lowe: Yup, this is the classic X-Crossover structure. We have an oversized one-shot that kicks the whole thing into gear, continuing in our four core X-Books (Uncanny X-Men, X-Force, X-Men Legacy and New Mutants) over four months, with another one-shot to cap the whole thing off. So it's 14 chapters of awesome.

IGN Comics: When looking at a storyline like this, how do you determine what titles will play a part? For example X-Factor was involved in Complex, but not in Second Coming. Will that series, or its characters, be involved in the crossover? Will we see other titles affected – Deadpool, perhaps?

Lowe: We're still discussing some of the elements that you're talking about, but the main thrust of the story is over the four main X-Books. X-Factor, which is an amazing book and everyone should go pick up the latest awesome issue, doesn't really revolve around current X-Continuity from month-to-month, so it didn't work for this story. But the impact of this event will have its effects on books like X-Factor and Deadpool, I can guarantee that.

IGN Comics: A more specific follow-up to that question. The current Cable series was very much born out of the events in Messiah Complex, tracking the movements of Cable and Hope throughout time. What role will that series play in Second Coming? With Cable and Hope back in modern time, will the series be ending or "revamp" in concept similar to how X-Men Legacy changed post-Complex?

Alonso: Leading right into "Second Coming" is a huge arc of Cable called "Homecoming" – issues #21-25. It's the final showdown between Cable and Bishop, with Hope's fate in the balance. Who gets out alive? Who returns to the present? Our lips are sealed.

IGN Comics: The structure of Complex was interesting in that despite telling an ongoing story, each series managed to focus on its own characters during its respective chapter. Will that be the case here?

Lowe: What I loved about how it worked in Messiah Complex is that it started like that, but by the time we got knee-deep in the story those boundaries disappeared. You'll see a little of that here, but this is one big story that will end up being pretty seamless through the books.

IGN Comics: By our count this would be the third (or fourth, if you count Utopia) crossover involving a major X-Men title within one year. How challenging is it to make sure each title retains its own identity while still playing into the larger narrative? Are retailers and fans reacting positively to the more integrated, weaving approach or do you think this will be the last crossover for a while?

Lowe: When we were plotting out '08-'09 at the X-Summit in July/August of last year, we noticed that a lot of the stories that we were building were just huge. It got us really excited and proud that these stories were organically story-driven and not marketing driven. These events that we've built have all been necessary in telling the stories. But this is the big momma of them all. This is the story that it all has built to.

IGN Comics: Can you describe the leadership status of the X-Men heading into Second Coming? Specifically, how do Cyclops, Emma Frost, Charles Xavier and Magneto react to Hope? Also, can you tease the fans on what impact Necrosha will have leading to Second Coming?

Lowe: MAGNETO?!?! WHAT?!?! You better read Uncanny X-Men #516 this week! One thing that Axel has done tirelessly since he came in as Executive Editor on the X-Books is drive home the idea of Cyclops as leader. He is the leader of the X-Men and it's not up for debate. He's the general, the X-Men are the army. And that is never clearer than in Second Coming. As for the reaction to Hope, that's the whole beauty of this story. It's about that stuff. How the different people view her return. As for Necrosha, it's the storm before the storm that sets up the pieces for Second Coming to knock them all down.

IGN Comics: This storyline has been building for quite some time, and I think a lot of fans are really wondering when some definitive answers regarding Hope will be set on the table. Is this the storyline that will finally do that? Can this be considered the "final" act of a "Messiah" trilogy?

Alonso: Yes, that's absolutely what this is. This is where you see what Hope will mean to the X-Men and to all of mutantkind.

IGN Comics: Is there anything else you'd like to add about Second Coming at this point?

Lowe: I don't think everyone understands how big this is for the X-Men. All the steps they've taken over the last few years have led to this, and not everyone will make it out of this alive. And it's not something like "OMG, LIFEGUARD JUST DIED!"

Alonso: We don't kill Wolverine.

 

[chris moore]

You just know they're going to sodding kill Iceman...

 

[OutcryX]

so a semi to recurring character gets offed...cuz they aint killing off anyone important.

 

[squeekness]

Stoopid crossovers, making me buy books I normally don't.

 

[Colossal Spoons]

Manic's gonna love that Lifeguard crack

 

[UraniaChang]

Sigh...I've spent enough on X-Men comics that one more crossover is nothing...but crossovers are happening too often these days imo.

 

[Mike555]

I hope beast,rogue and gambit make it.

 

[Jake Cassidy]

Angel, Psylocke and Iceman better make it. If not, I'm going strictly DC.

 

[Mike555]

Angel and psylocke will probally live.

 

[Jake Cassidy]

^ Yeah, probably.

 

[Mike555]

Iceman could die to be complety honest.

 

[Jake Cassidy]

If that happens, screw Marvel.

 

[Mike555]

It will problay be someone like pixe or dazzler because ice man has lots of fans.

 

[YoungE808]

Iceman can not be killed.

 

[Manic]

Manic's gonna love that Lifeguard crack

I would laugh my ass off if she popped up for two panels only to die. That power-sprouting whoor aside...

They had better not kill Iceman!

 

[Specter313]

Ok, seriously, this Iceman paranoia is getting kinda out of hand. They played up death in the last two parts, and only smaller characters died in both of those as well, if any. Let's not get carried away.

Also, I'm not sure why this was posted in the Uncanny thread to begin with since it ties in to more than one book, but it has its own thread now with more interviews and information in it, so lets move the convo over there please.

 

[Havok83]

final showdown between Cable and Bishop. Please tell me that means they are going to finally kill him off

 

[Manic]

Ok, seriously, this Iceman paranoia is getting kinda out of hand. They played up death in the last two parts, and only smaller characters died in both of those as well, if any. Let's not get carried away.

Ha! I totally forgot about the faked-out deaths of Messiah CompleX. Who actually died in that whole story? Sinister, Caliban, and Deathstrike? Maybe Vertigo? It's kinda funny how Hellion survived the multiple impalements, Xavier survived the bullet to the head, Forge survived getting his head bashed in twice, and Rogue's attempt to kill Mystique with her powers failed S*P*E*C*T*A*C*U*L*A*R*L*Y (in case you can't tell, I really wanted Mystique's death to stick).

 

[UraniaChang]

The ones to die are probably Hope and Bishop.

I don't know why I just have a feeling that Hope won't make it, almost all messiahs were pretty tragic imo.

 

[chris moore]

Recently Iceman has done bugger all, but they've given him one line per issue just to remind us he's there - which will makes us all the more aware when they kill the bugger!