WW PHILLY '08: GREG PAK ON MAGNETO: TESTAMENT

[MattBrady]

by Vaneta Rogers

As announced at today's Mondo Marvel panel at Wizard World Philly, writer Greg Pak will be exploring the history of one of Marvel's most recognizable and revered supervillains in Magneto: Testament.

Magneto, best known as being one of the most powerful mutants in the Marvel Universe, has been a nemesis to the X-Men since his first appearance in 1963. Although seeking the same type of protection for the mutant race as his long-time friend and eventual foe, X-Men founder Professor Charles Xavier, Magneto has a more violent and drastic approach that conflicts with the mission of the X-Men.

A five-issue mini-series that begins in September, Magneto: Testament will explore that part of Magneto's life that shaped his ideas about persecution and influenced his violent efforts to protect mutants -- the childhood he spent as a victim of the Holocaust.

The series, which falls under the Marvel Knights imprint, will be penciled by Carmine Di Giandomenico, the Italian artist whose work was recently seen in Daredevil: Battlin' Jack Murdock. The series will also feature Marko Djurdjevic on covers and Matt Hollingsworth as colorist.

Pak was last seen writing X-Men characters with the Phoenix: Endsong and Phoenix: Warsong mini-series, although the concentration on Magneto's childhood means this will obviously concentrate on a different era. To get the scoop on Magneto: Testament, Newsarama caught up with Pak for a quick chat to find out why this story is so important to him and to the history of the character.

Newsarama: How did this project come about? Was this something you pitched or something Marvel wanted you to do?

Greg Pak: This is a project that editor Warren Simons has wanted to do for years. When first he told me about it, I felt the hair go up on the back of my neck and knew I had to be involved. We've been researching and planning for about three years now -- it's become something of a mission for both of us.

NRAMA: It's been awhile since we saw you playing with X-Men characters. How does it feel to get back to this universe, and why was this your choice for the next project you'd do?

GP: When I was a kid, the X-Men were the biggest and coolest characters around. So it's always been a huge thrill for me to work on any mutant related project. But Magneto in particular has always fascinated me because of his back story. And that's exactly what this new project is all about.

NRAMA: What is Magneto's status as we start this comic? Where is he and where's his head?

GP: He's a boy who wants to give a girl a silver chain. And then his entire world explodes.

NRAMA: Ah, so this goes all the way back to his time before the Holocaust? What can you tell us about the story?

GP: Magneto: Testament follows a Jewish boy and his family through Germany and Poland from 1935 to 1945 as they struggle to survive the Nazi rise to power and Hitler's Final Solution.

NRAMA: So is this all about Magneto's family? And will we see any other people with a relationship to Magneto?

GP: The book is all about our young hero and his family. His father in particular plays a huge role -- as our story begins, he's a German Jewish veteran of World War I who believes against all evidence that the nation that produced Beethoven and Mendelssohn will come to its senses.

And a young woman named Magda makes an appearance...

NRAMA: Will you be introducing any new characters in this story? What can you tell us about them?

GP: We're definitely introducing some new characters, including our hero's uncle and a schoolteacher named Herr Kalb.

NRAMA: How has it been working with Carmine on the story?

GP: Check out Daredevil: Battlin' Jack Murdoch for a taste of Carmine's great feel for character, period, location, and atmosphere. We've just started getting concept art from Carmine, and it's beautiful.

NRAMA: What do you think Magneto represents in the Marvel universe and more particularly, the X-Men universe, and why is it so important to tell this part of his story?

GP: Over the years, Magneto has developed into one of the most compelling characters in comics history. In the Marvel and X-Men universe, Magneto represents the most radical voice for mutant liberation -- the Malcolm X to Xavier's MLK, if you will -- which has allowed X-Men stories to delve into their central themes with greater drama and depth.

But Magneto's become a critical character far beyond the Marvel Universe. Because Chris Claremont gave him a backstory as a Holocaust survivor, Magneto's given multiple generations of readers and writers a way to learn about and explore a history that's absolutely essential and forever relevant.

For more information on Greg Pak, his fans can visit his website at http://www.pakbuzz.com

[HartyPotter]

Just the type of book I would trust Greg Pak with. AWESOME.

[Lot 49]

In a previous interview, Pak mentioned that he was working on "the most emotional mini-series" (paraphrased) he had ever written...

I imagine that this is that project...

[GHERU]

so magneto is back to being jewish?
was't he a gypsy for a while?

[Ian]

1935 huh?

Maybe Wolverine will show up and help Magneto out. By 1935, Wolverine should be roughly 40 years old or so. He'd fought in WWI and the Spanish Civil War in the 30s. At the time Magneto is young and trapped in a concentration camp, Wolverine is also teaming up with Captain America as well as a young Black Widow. Black Widow is as old as Magneto--interesting. I suppose Wolverine would have to take a break from robbing banks with Mystique or teaming up with time-traveling Kitty and Rachel Summers to fight Nazis but maybe Wolverine can liberate the concentration camp Magneto is held in.

[durkadurka]

Originally Posted by Ian

1935 huh?

Maybe Wolverine will show up and help Magneto out. By 1935, Wolverine should be roughly 40 years old or so. He'd fought in WWI and the Spanish Civil War in the 30s. At the time Magneto is young and trapped in a concentration camp, Wolverine is also teaming up with Captain America as well as a young Black Widow. Black Widow is as old as Magneto--interesting. I suppose Wolverine would have to take a break from robbing banks with Mystique or teaming up with time-traveling Kitty and Rachel Summers to fight Nazis but maybe Wolverine can liberate the concentration camp Magneto is held in.

Now you're just being ridiculous.

[Ian]

Originally Posted by durkadurka

Now you're just being ridiculous.

Wolverine...Marvel's first superhero (also Marvel's first mutant...take that Namor! natch!)

[Bender-braü]

Originally Posted by Ian

1935 huh?

Maybe Wolverine will show up and help Magneto out. By 1935, Wolverine should be roughly 40 years old or so. He'd fought in WWI and the Spanish Civil War in the 30s. At the time Magneto is young and trapped in a concentration camp, Wolverine is also teaming up with Captain America as well as a young Black Widow. Black Widow is as old as Magneto--interesting. I suppose Wolverine would have to take a break from robbing banks with Mystique or teaming up with time-traveling Kitty and Rachel Summers to fight Nazis but maybe Wolverine can liberate the concentration camp Magneto is held in.

Could be. If memory serves me correctly, there was a short story that showed Wolverine in a concentration camp where he basically drove the commanding officer insane because every day the guards would kill him and the next day he'd show up again, like some kinda ghost. It was funny in a twisted kinda way (few things are as satisfying as mind-f@%king with evil Nazis)

[durkadurka]

Originally Posted by Ian

Wolverine...Marvel's first superhero (also Marvel's first mutant...take that Namor! natch!)

Wait, chronologically that would be Apocalypse for mutant. Take THAT Namor!

This series looks like it will be entertaining and pretty heart wrenching (those eyes...). Seeing as Magneto is more interesting than he's been in YEARS (thank you, Mike Carey), this could be a nice mini to go with that.

[0bsessions]

Originally Posted by Bender-braü

Could be. If memory serves me correctly, there was a short story that showed Wolverine in a concentration camp where he basically drove the commanding officer insane because every day the guards would kill him and the next day he'd show up again, like some kinda ghost. It was funny in a twisted kinda way (few things are as satisfying as mind-f@%king with evil Nazis)

No idea where it was from exactly?

That sounds like something I'd love to read.

[Dan Feeser]

Originally Posted by GHERU

so magneto is back to being jewish?
was't he a gypsy for a while?

Judaism is a religion. Gypsy is a group of wanderers (at least in the sense that he was ever one in the Marvel Universe). They aren't mutually exclusive.

[blehbeh]

Wonder what they're going to do in the not so distant future when Magneto (and apparently Xavier) get to be ridiculously old because of their connection to real events. For now we can use the "they got new bodies" excuse, but soon it'll border on silly..especially regarding their ages when they had children.

Magneto's Holocaust past, however, is such a huge part of the character that it would be equally ridiculous to retcon away or replace with another event. So in 20 years are we going to accept Magneto and Xavier as 100 year old men with the X-Men still in their 20's and 30's?

[Bender-braü]

Originally Posted by 0bsessions

No idea where it was from exactly?

That sounds like something I'd love to read.

Nope. I totally can't remember and it's really starting to drive me nuts. I'll dig through my collection and I'll let you know once I find it.

[Lemurion]

Originally Posted by 0bsessions

No idea where it was from exactly?

That sounds like something I'd love to read.

If I remember right it's in the novel "Wolverine: Lifeblood" by Hugh Matthews.

Decent book, good author, great guy.

[Bender-braü]

Originally Posted by Lemurion

If I remember right it's in the novel "Wolverine: Lifeblood" by Hugh Matthews.

Decent book, good author, great guy.

Hmmm....can't say. I don't own that one so if it's in there then they must have printed the story twice.

[HartyPotter]

Originally Posted by GHERU

so magneto is back to being jewish?
was't he a gypsy for a while?

You might be thinking of Doctor Doom

[Dirk_Anger]

Originally Posted by Bender-braü

Could be. If memory serves me correctly, there was a short story that showed Wolverine in a concentration camp where he basically drove the commanding officer insane because every day the guards would kill him and the next day he'd show up again, like some kinda ghost. It was funny in a twisted kinda way (few things are as satisfying as mind-f@%king with evil Nazis)

Yeah, I'm fairly certain that was the Millar/Andrews one-shot that followed the "Enemy of the State" arc a few years ago.

[Doozer]

Originally Posted by Bender-braü

Could be. If memory serves me correctly, there was a short story that showed Wolverine in a concentration camp where he basically drove the commanding officer insane because every day the guards would kill him and the next day he'd show up again, like some kinda ghost. It was funny in a twisted kinda way (few things are as satisfying as mind-f@%king with evil Nazis)

I flipped through that, but never actually read it panel to panel. Was it a real, functioning, people-are-dying-every-day concentration camp? Because if it was, and all Wolverine did was play games with officer day in and day out, thats some pretty ______ storytelling.

[Lemurion]

I recall it in a prose novel--- not a comic at all.

[WOLVERINE25]

Wasn't Marvel Knights supposed to be eliminated?

I dunno, Pak rocks the Hulk, but the X-Credits they listed there were first rate drivel. I'll decide when it comes out if I'll be picking it up or not (a likely $4 cover price will work against it's favor).

[timbre68]

Originally Posted by 0bsessions

No idea where it was from exactly?

That sounds like something I'd love to read.

Wolverine Issue #32 http://www.comics.org/details.lasso?id=250047

[Dave_Garcia]

Originally Posted by 0bsessions

No idea where it was from exactly?

That sounds like something I'd love to read.

It was the last issue of Mark Millar's run, drawn by Kaare Andrews.

[Jayzgame]

Originally Posted by Lemurion

If I remember right it's in the novel "Wolverine: Lifeblood" by Hugh Matthews.

Decent book, good author, great guy.

Actually it was a done-in-one issue that Mark Millar wrote at the end of his Enemy of the State run a couple of years back. Its was drawn by Kaare Andrews and was in black and white. Wolverine never says a single word the entire issue, and its very well done, kind of haunting actually.

[GuitarSmashley]

Really impressed calling it testament since the story of a holocausts survivor is called their testimonial. Well done pak hats off.

[roblewmac]

[quote=MattBrady]by Vaneta Rogers

As announced at today's Mondo Marvel panel at Wizard World Philly, writer Greg Pak will be exploring the history of one of Marvel's most recognizable and revered supervillains in Magneto: Testament.

Magneto, best known as being one of the most powerful mutants in the Marvel Universe, has been a nemesis to the X-Men since his first appearance in 1963. Although seeking the same type of protection for the mutant race as his long-time friend and eventual foe, X-Men founder Professor Charles Xavier, Magneto has a more violent and drastic approach that conflicts with the mission of the X-Men.

A five-issue mini-series that begins in September, Magneto: Testament will explore that part of Magneto's life that shaped his ideas about persecution and influenced his violent efforts to protect mutants -- the childhood he spent as a victim of the Holocaust.



GP: Check out Daredevil: Battlin' Jack Murdoch for a taste of Carmine's great feel for character, period, location, and atmosphere. We've just started getting concept art from Carmine, and it's beautiful.

wow that's a strange statement I read the first Batlin' Jack Murdock and was totally distacted by having No idea Where we were in time. It looked like the 1930s but with TV