CLAREMONT'S FUTURE: NEW EXCALIBUR, AND YOU CHOOSE

[MattBrady]

by Benjamin Ong Pang Kean

So, what's new in the X-universe?

According to Marvel Editor-in-Chief Joe Quesada, big changes are a-coming in the pages of the X-books this summer. And it all starts with Ed Brubaker's X-Men: Deadly Genesis limited series. Incidentally, Brubaker will take over the writing chores on Uncanny X-Men from long-time X-writer Chris Claremont later this year.

In a recent Joe Fridays installment, Quesada teased: "Did I mention the third Summers brother appears for the first time in a currently running high profile X-Men mini-series written by Ed Brubaker who just got named the new writer on Uncanny X-Men?

"Did I mention that elements of Deadly Genesis are the seeds out of which the Uncanny story will grow?"

So, where does that leave Claremont then? In the same discussion, Quesada said that there are plans for more projects from the living legend. He said: "Chris has done a remarkable job on X-Men over the years and what he’s created will live long after all of us our gone.

"Chris will still be involved with X-verse so you haven’t seen the last of him but we felt that now was a good time to make a change on the core books. Anyone who is in the publishing game is aware of this, it’s part of the business, but it in no way diminishes what Chris has done or created over the years or the undying respect we have for him. It’s just a change that we felt needed to be made in order for us to take the books in a different direction."

While Quesada promised to reveal more in next week's Joe Fridays, he did confirm the team roster for the "Adjectiveless" X-Men series: "Cable, Mystique, Rogue, Cannonball, Sabretooth, and Iceman..."

Now, Rogue and Iceman are currently featured in Peter Milligan's monthly X-Men series. Cable was a member of Uncanny X-Men during Claremont's "second coming" in early 2000. Cannonball has been a member of the team as well. As for Mystique and Sabretooth, well, the two have been part of the X-Factor series in the 1990s. And Victor Creed played a crucial role in the formation of Generation X during the whole "Phalanx Covenant" saga. However, it should be interesting to see just how well these new additions to the team affect the team's new direction.

Again, the question on everyone's mind now is: what'll happen to Claremont? Isn't he still writing New Excalibur? Well, the X-scribe did reveal a spoiler or two on the ComiX-Fan boards. Firstly, he posted that Betsy Braddock aka Psylocke will be appearing in New Excalibur #8.

Also, he touched on more upcoming plot points: "FYI -- (afaik) -- since the Hellfire Club seems to be a major element in the forthcoming season of Astonishing, it's effectively off-limits as far as Excalibur is concerned. That said, we have more than enough toys to play with -- between the existing mythology and what's been (and being) established over the first half-dozen issues -- to keep us going for quite a while.

"As currently structured, #'s 4 & 5 constitute an arc, which is meant to bring Lionheart on-stage and also introduce another major player, The Black Prince. Art by Steven Cummings and Rick Ketchum.

"Next, #'s 6 & 7, will be drawn by Michael Ryan (first pages look fantastic). And (this one's for you, Lisa) it's All-About-Black-Tom, and Cain, of course. I also think there's a better than even chance of Dazzler getting killed again, something she's likely to keep trying 'til she gets it right. (And yes, there's a reason and yes we plan to explain it before the year is out.

"#8 is Betsy.

"#'s 9-11 are a projected arc, as are 12-14, but since the green-light for the stories isn't official yet, I will say no more.

"However -- at this juncture, the series has a green-light through #14, which is to say December of this year. If you want to see more issues, ya gotta buy more copies, and badger your local retailer to up-order accordingly. There are some fun stories planned for the months (and dare I say, years) ahead and if you want to read 'em -- well then, you know what to do."

But what about Uncanny X-Men? What has he planned for the current team before he passes on the torch to Brubaker? He said: "To the best of my knowledge, my final issue on Uncanny is the concluding issue of the "First Fallen" arc, with Chris Bachalo, #474. Rachel will be staying in Uncanny, Betsy will not."

So, there you have it. In summary, Chris Claremont will be leaving Uncanny X-Men, to be replaced by X-Men: Deadly Genesis writer Ed Brubaker. Rachel Summers will still be a part of the Uncanny team, though the recently resurrected Psylocke will be leaving the title. The latter appears in New Excalibur #8.

New Excalibur is safe until at least issue #14, which is scheduled for December.

X-Men's team will consist of the following team members: Cable, Mystique, Rogue, Cannonball, Sabretooth, and Iceman.

Finally, there's a poll currently going on at Marvel.com where fans are given a chance to determine what 6-issue X-Men mini-series Claremont will tackle after X-Men: The End.

There are:
Days of Future Past - This series would pick up the moment after Kitty Pryde sent Rachel Grey into the past from the original story. The world is under the rule of Sentinels, most mutants are either killed or in camps, and only a strange alliance of outlaws stand a chance at changing this dark future.

Asgardian War Stories - During the Asgardian War, the X-Men, Alpha Flight, and the New Mutants all fought alongside the Norse Gods. But what would have happened if they never returned to Earth and stayed in Asgard?

neXt - Witness today’s generation of X-Men if the Marvel Universe aged in real-time. Both the first and second teams of X-Men are approaching 50 and the New Mutants are now in their thirties. This series will follow this new generation of X-Men and the new reality they find themselves in.

What If? X-Men - Continuing from 2004’s What If Magneto and Professor X Had Formed the X-Men Together?, this series would be a re-imagining of the X-Men in contemporary times from an entirely all-new perspective. Because of Magneto helping found the X-Men, not only has the history of the X-Men changed, but that of the entire world. Every character’s life and future is up for grabs here.

At the time of this posting, neXt is leading the rest with 33 per cent out of the over 19,000 votes so far.

Check back later this week for a chat with Brubaker, and more X-Talk in this week’s Joe Fridays.

[sequart]

There isn't enough work with a fantasy bent coming from Marvel so I would love to see this.

Although, this neXt concept is pretty interesting...

[Egg]

Originally posted by MattBrady
As currently structured, #'s 4 & 5 constitute an arc, which is meant to bring Lionheart on-stage and also introduce another major player, The Black Prince. Art by Steven Cummings and Rick Ketchum.

I've had a chance to see some of Steven's pages for New Excalibur over at his forum on PaperFilms.com and he's knocking'em out of the park! His renditions of the team are good, good, good! I’m looking forward to those issues!

[ghostly1]

Uh... wasn't this 'What should Claremont tackle next' poll done, like, months ago? What, did they just toss out the results of that and are trying again, or is it still going on from way back when?

[lordlad]

That was a really a nice way to say 'Chris, you're fired'.......

Seriously, as much as Claremont 'the legend' has wrote classics such as 'Days of future past', 'God loves, men kills' and 'Dark Phoenix saga', the stuffs he is writing now is more like a 'day job'.....

Ed Brubaker will be a breath of fresh air though.......hopefully he can do the 'thing' like he did with Captain America.

[algertman]

I've really enjoy Deadly Genesis so far, and can't wait for the Brubakers X-Book. It will be nice to have one good "X" book that won't hit delay hell after a few issues

[the hungry w]

well, i voted neXt before, and i'm gonna do it again now..

[kilroy]

I wish this could get me to go back to the x universe but it isnt. Its a matter of a little too late for me. I was brought back in when morrison came aborad and that actually brought me back to marvel in a big way after giving up marvel as whole in the middle of the 90's. I was suprised to find myself caring about the xmen again. And I know I'm in the miniority on this one but I felt that what Chuck Austen was doing was in the same vain as Morrrison it was a different refreshing take on the mutants. Then Morrison left Austen was fired and the xmen were brought back to status Quo with claremont and I was back to the early 90's no longer caring about the charcaters as they became one dimensional again. I like ed but so far deadly Genesis is putting me to sleep. Thank god for X factor the best x book out now. And astonshing whenever it is out as much as I like Whedon and the book. Lets be honest. He knows the characters and the dialogue is just outrageous, the art is stunning but what has really happened in 12 issues. two storylines. One where yet agian the dead is now alive and the danger room got pissed. More happened in 6 issues of morrisons run. I know all the morrison haters are going to start lighting there torches now but I liked his concepts. I miss beak, angel, the cucokds, The u men, a more real jean grey ( only thing i didnt like about his run killing her off.) Scott having a persoanlity. and wolverine being part of an ensemble and not the center of the universe. Depending on how deadly gen. plays out maybe i will try uncanny again but xmen gave up after milligans second arc. And I love Milligan but hes not doing it for me on the book and with that new lineup I really have no interest

[pifpog]

Originally posted by MattBrady

It’s just a change that we felt needed to be made in order for us to take the books in a different direction."

While Quesada promised to reveal more in next week's Joe Fridays, he did confirm the team roster for the "Adjectiveless" X-Men series: "Cable, Mystique, Rogue, Cannonball, Sabretooth, and Iceman..."

First Juggernaut, now Sabertooth and Mystique on regular X-teams? I miss the days when villians were... well, the opposition. Besides, they already had Sabertooth as a pseudo-member of the team awhile back and that ended... badly. Hard to believe anyone around during that time would let it happen again.

[LostAndFoundFan]

Didn't they already do the 'What if the X-Men had stayed in Asgard?' What If, Vol. 3, number 13 or 14, IIRC. As for me, neXt sounds like an interesting concept, but I'd rather see a different writer on it.

-Tony!

[User Name]

The only one on there that looks interesting at all to me is neXt.

But as somebody already mentioned, we've seen this poll before!

[Chigurh]

Claremont hasn’t written a decent story in decades, and even those don’t hold up terribly well (writing wise).

Time to retire, old boy – no need to keep (bloody continually!) rehashing the same crap.

I vote None of the Above.
Save the trees.
j

[DeadpoolFX]

I'll vote for nExt. I"m a big fan of Claremont but i think his writing on Uncanny with the exception of the current arc has been nowhere near anything he's done in the past. Brubaker on Uncanny is the best news for and X-Men title i've read in a while. After the first arc Whedon on Astonishing did nothing for me (not even mentioning the delays). Milligan hasn't really impressed me until this current arc on X-men. I'm a huge X-men fan so i read all the x-titles but i'm glad new blood is being put back into the books.

that new line-up could be interesting....

[BlueThunderArmy]

Originally posted by MattBrady
While Quesada promised to reveal more in next week's Joe Fridays, he did confirm the team roster for the "Adjectiveless" X-Men series: "Cable, Mystique, Rogue, Cannonball, Sabretooth, and Iceman..."

I kind of thought he was joking about this...

[dr.no]

Originally posted by Chigurh
Claremont hasn’t written a decent story in decades, and even those don’t hold up terribly well (writing wise).

Time to retire, old boy – no need to keep (bloody continually!) rehashing the same crap.


j

(sigh) Like you would know....

[rwsmith]

Originally posted by pifpog
First Juggernaut, now Sabertooth and Mystique on regular X-teams? I miss the days when villians were... well, the opposition. Besides, they already had Sabertooth as a pseudo-member of the team awhile back and that ended... badly. Hard to believe anyone around during that time would let it happen again.

Yeah, Sabretooth and Mystique have been tried as good guys before and it didn't really work out.

However, I'm thinking this has a lot to do with the state of the mutant community these days. Their numbers have basically been "decimated," no pun intended, so perhaps even formerly villainous mutants are seeking refuge at the Xavier Institute. Still, I think it's a pretty bad idea to have someone like Victor Creed around a bunch of students. Perhaps this team won't be based out of the mansion, though.

[Thumper]

Originally posted by MattBrady
Quesada teased: "Did I mention the third Summers brother appears for the first time in a currently running high profile X-Men mini-series written by Ed Brubaker who just got named the new writer on Uncanny X-Men

I've been away from the X-books for quite some time, so I'm probably out of the loop on this, but...

Wasn't X-treme supposedly the 3rd Summers brother?

Or had that been resolved in a different manner?

[cyberv]

...I see the "tell him to jump off a cliff" option still isn't available...

(mutters under breath about an awful Fantastic Four run)

Didn't we just HAVE this poll last year?

[rwsmith]

Originally posted by pifpog
First Juggernaut, now Sabertooth and Mystique on regular X-teams? I miss the days when villians were... well, the opposition. Besides, they already had Sabertooth as a pseudo-member of the team awhile back and that ended... badly. Hard to believe anyone around during that time would let it happen again.

Yeah, Sabretooth and Mystique have been tried as good guys before and it didn't really work out.

However, I'm thinking this has a lot to do with the state of the mutant community these days. Their numbers have basically been "decimated," no pun intended, so perhaps even formerly villainous mutants are seeking refuge at the Xavier Institute. Still, I think it's a pretty bad idea to have someone like Victor Creed around a bunch of students. Perhaps this team won't be based out of the mansion, though.

[aceatkins]

That X-Men line-up is honestly terrible. There are maybe two characters--Rogue and Mystique--I'm even mildly interested in. Thanks for helping me trim down my pull list!

[Hawk fan]

Looks like it's time to vote for neXt again. I'd love to see Claremont's take on them to (I'm enjoying The End dang it!)

If people think Claremont is writing badly I can only assume they missed out the Casey (good on Avengers, not so much the X-Men!), Austen and Morrison runs (Morrison had a total of maybe two good ideas!).

Yep definitely going to have to be neXt IMHO.

Cheers.

James.

[NightRiver]

I like Cable on the team. But how the hell can Sabretooth be a good guy?

None of those new ideas for CLaremont interest me.

Id rather he stay on New Excalibur and keep it going. That, along with X-Factor, has has been a good read.

[EmeraldGuy32]

Days of Future Past

[Angelophile]

NeXt gets my vote again too. It sounds the least recycled out of all the options.

I admit to being a little disappointed to see Claremont shufled off the X-books. I was enjoying his Uncanny run. Still, with Excalibur pickingup the mantel of sightly cheesy, mutant-fest, it'll be interesting to see what Brubaker can do.

I'd personally rather have seen Brubaker take over on Adjectiveless and a reshuffle of the teams again to suit everyone. Oh well.

Milligan has a long way to go before his stops disappointing me. I had high expectations for him. Sadly, he's not met them.

[Doug Smith]

Interesting that none of those poll options appear to be in-continuity books. Almost seems like they want to give Chris his own little X-universe to play with to his heart's content, but want him nowhere near the core X-books.