The tragic loose ends of Marvels Messiah Complex began to play themselves out last month with the release of X-Men: Divided We Stand Book Ione of two bookend comics featuring vignettes spotlighting several characters directly effected by the ramifications of the Messiah Complex. In May, Marvel releases the second installment of X-Men: Divided We Stand. Today, Newsarama continues to discuss the ramifications of the Messiah Complex with several of the writers involved with the Divided We Stand bookends.
This time around Mike Carey returns with Duane Swierczynski and CB Cebulski riding shotgun. Readers will remember that CB stopped by a couple of weeks ago with
this little spoiler
Click
here for a look at the original interview with the writers involved with
Divided We Stand Book I.
Newsarama: In
Divided We Stand: Book I, readers were given a taste of the effects and aftermath of
Messiah Complex with various characters from the X-books. Who are the three of you telling stories about in Book II? What can you divulge about the stories?
Duane Swierczynski: I wanted to tell a story about Forge because it seemed like he
really got the raw end of the deal in both Messiah Complex and
Cable #2. I was curious about what was going through his headspecifically, how a creative mind like Forges recovers from the trauma he suffered.
Mike Carey: My story in
DWS 2 centers on Beast. It's kind of a "putting the chairs on the tables and turning out the lights" story: it has Hank going back to the mansion and doing all the things that need to be done there before the X-Men abandon it for good. There's very little action, in one sensecertainly no fights. It's a quiet character piece, but with a lot of nods towards the incredible history of this place and the part it's played in the X-Men's lives.
CB Cebulski: I'm actually lucky enough to have two stories in issue two. The first story features Surge, from
New X-Men, and Dani Moonstar from the New Mutants; the second is a short story about Darkchylde/ Magik.
The Dani story has her trying to help Surge deal with her feelings of loss over the disbanding of the X-Men. The kids on her team pretty much became the only family she had in her life and now that they're gone, Nori has turned to a dark place. She's heading down a path that might possibly lead her back to past problems and she turns to Dani for advice. But will she get it?
And in the Magik tale, we see more of Illyana's Rasputin's true personality emerge as she takes her first steps toward reclaiming her soul. She finally leaves Limbo only to find out what's happened to the X-Men after Messiah Complex, which does not make her happy!
NRAMA: Who are the artists involved on your two projects?
CBC: The Dani/Surge story marks ChesterQuest finalist David Lafuente's first work at Marvel. However, he did a Hellion story after this one which was printed first in
DWS 1. Christina Strain beautifully colored his story. And my Illyana story was penciled and inked by the incredible David Yardin!
NRAMA: Does the story featuring Dani Moonstar shed any light on her upcoming role in
Young X-Men as one of the members of the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants?
CBC: I have to be a walking cliché here and say you'll just have to read to find out! (smiles) ReallyI dont wanna spoil anything.
NRAMA: Everyone still wants to get their hands on "the baby"Exodus mentions it to Xavier in the issue of Legacy that hits shelves next week and Cable is fighting in the future with Bishop. As
DWS wraps up, will there be a change of pace involving this mysterious "savior" or will this story continue to linger into the summer and fall storylines?
MC: I'd say the fate of the baby is a slow-burn thing. The story is ongoing, as you say: it's only a question of when she impacts the X-Men's present-day reality again, and in what way.
DS: Clearly you dont have children. What, do you think they grow up overnight? (laughs)
NRAMA: Mike, in your Cannonball story in Book 1, Sam seems very angry and somewhat "aloof"...and then, at the end, he flies off and sees something in the sky--is that elaborated on in Book 2 or will this plot thread be examined elsewhere?
MC: It's not anything specific that he sees. He's looking inward, not outward: staring down his own ghosts. We will revisit Sam again soon, and we'll see how his mental state progresses.
NRAMA: Duane, are any other characters from Cables elaborate past going to be showing up in the near future?
DS: Oh yeah. Youll see a familiar face in
Cable #3, and a whole bunch of themokay, Ill spill it: the rest of the X-Menin
Cable #6.
NRAMA: CB, are we going to see more of your fingerprints on any X-titles in the near future? Which characters would you really like to sink your teeth into?
CBC: I hope so! An issue of
Uncanny X-Men was my first comic and I've been reading them non-stop for 30 years. More so than any other characters at Marvel, they're where my heart is and I would love to spend more time playing in their world in the future.
NRAMA: The last time we talked, Nick [Lowe] was clear that "things aren't so sunny" right now. Have they ever really been? In your minds, what are your favorite X-stories from the past?
DS: Grant Morrisons E is for Extinction, because it was brilliant, and because that was the story that brought me back into the X-fold after a long layoff. And speaking of things not being sunny
genocides a hell of a way to kick off a story arc. I still remember the sound of my jaw dropping.
MC: I always like the X-Men best when they've got their backs against the wall and things are falling apart big time. It's all the usual suspects, for me: I loved the way the first Hellfire Club story morphed relentlessly and unexpectedly into the Dark Phoenix saga, just when it seemed like the crisis was starting to blow itself out. I loved the unfolding mayhem of Mutant Massacre. And I loved Morrison's Imperial arc, where the full extent of Cassandra Nova's scheming finally became apparent. Those were all stories where bad went to worse, and worse to apocalyptic. I think that's a great template for an X-Men story.
CBC: Wow, there are quite a few to be honest. I'm a Claremont/Byrne guy, so most of that run has a special place in my heart, especially the intro of Alpha Flight in #120-#121. The Wolvie wedding arc by Paul Smith in #171-#174 leading up to the Dark Phoenix's "return" in #175 was amazing. "Young Dragons in Love" in #181 was a fantastic done-in-one I always go back and read. Then there's issue #205 by Barry Windsor-Smith with Wolvie and Katie Power in such a heart-warming little tale. And that's just the start!
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