Trevor -- Let’s talk about some other characters with-in the X-Mythos.
What about an old character that has recently came back into the spotlight, Sunfire? He has lost his legs; his powers have been stolen from him, what is in store for this hotheaded mutant? How will his future look like in the world of Marvel? Has he lost the use of his powers and how will an amputee become a hero once more?
Mike Marts -- The story of Shiro Yashida is far from over. True, when last we saw him in ROGUE things looked pretty bleak…but these X-Men have a way of overcoming adversity and rising from the ashes! Give it a few months, but definitely expect to see Shiro reappear in the future. Probably not the same Shiro, but, hey—I can’t promise everything!
Trevor -- X-23 is the newest X-Character, what is it going to be like for her as she takes on the role of a student at Xavier’s? Will she continue to fight alongside the X-Men on their away trips? Will more of her past be revealed? What does the future hold for her?
Mike Marts -- NEW X-MEN writers Craig Kyle and Chris Yost have PLENTY planned for X-23, starting with NEW X-MEN #20, on sale in November. Expect to see her interact more with the kids from that title as opposed to the older X-Men, however. Well, with the exception of Wolverine, that is.
Trevor -- Dani Moonstar is one of the quiet heroes in comics; she is a teacher and mentor. Taking the role of Xavier for the next group of heroes has to be stressful. Will we see more of her in the future? How will her roles change with the new creative switch? What can we expect to see in her future?
Mike Marts -- Dani’s life takes a drastic change come this fall. She’ll be forced to re-evaluate her role as a mutant and her status at the Xavier Institute.
Trevor -- Rachel Summers has gone to the future and back, what does she bring to the X-Men and what is in store for her in the near future?
Mike Marts -- Directly following HOUSE OF M, the first arc of UNCANNY X-MEN is entitled “End of Greys”…you can draw your own conclusion as to what that means, but count on one thing—it ain’t good! She’ll be assuming a primary role in UNCANNY X-MEN over the course of 2006. Expect her to take some unexpected (and some familiar) turns.
Trevor -- Dazzler is a character that has not been seen in a long time, as a member of the X-Men, but after the HoM she joins New Excalibur. Why bring her back now? What does she have to bring to Captain Britain’s new team that another character couldn’t have brought? What can you let the fans know about the future of this long lost mutant?
Mike Marts -- As you’ll see in the opening pages of NEW EXCALIBUR #1, Alison Blaire is going through a rough period of her life…so it’s good timing when she happens upon Brian Braddock and crew and offers to help them out in the ongoing adventures.
Alison’s a character who hasn’t experienced monthly exposure in a long time, so I think readers will be excited to see her back in the regular X-rotation. Wait till you see what Chris Claremont has planned for her character—it’s pretty bold!
Trevor -- Wolverine is a character that even non-comic readers know. What makes him so popular? Why does Marvel saturate their comics with Wolverine appearances? How will the X-Office handle the sharing of Wolverine with the New Avengers, can their ever be a semblance of continuity for this character? How is Wolverine going to change after the HoM?
Mike Marts -- Everyone knows Wolverine’s secondary mutation is to be everywhere at once. With a power like that, this guy’s obligated to appear in a bunch of titles each month!
But seriously, what makes this guy the coolest of the cool? I don’t know, where to start…mysterious past, claws on his hands, healing factor, ninja training, a century old, the best he is as what he does…should I go on, bub?
Trevor -- The ending of all these series has to mean that others will arise to take their place. Can the fans be given any hints about what’s coming in their future?
Mike Marts -- We’ve already teased fans with the debut of NEW EXCALIBUR in November…expect a few other House of M-related projects to spin out of this summer’s event. Hints…numbers are important. So are letters.
Trevor -- Can you tell the fans a little about why they should pick up this Wednesday’s titles: MUTOPIA X #1, NYX #6, ULTIMATE X-MEN #61, WEAPON X DAYS OF FUTURE NOW #1, X-MEN THE END HEROES AND MARTYRS #5?
Mike Marts -- MUTOPIA X #1 is a great House of M project by David Hine and Lan Medina…in NYX #6, Joe Q’s urban-mutant drama continues! ULTIMATE X-MEN #61 is the first exciting part of “Magnetic North”…in WEAPON X, Frank Tieri continues his saga of the crazy intricacies surrounding the Weapon X project. And in X-MEN: THE END, another great look into the final days of the X-Men, courtesy of Chris Claremont and Sean Chen!
Next week, while I’m in San Diego, MwM will be guest-hosted by X-Men Associate Editor Nick Lowe.