1> What
are we to expect as far as group dynamics go in the new book? Past writers (and
you) have established some interesting dynamics between Gambit and
(individually): Bishop, Psylocke, Storm and of course Rogue. How have you
decided to play with these relationships? How will you compensate for the
change in the group dynamics with Beast out of the picture?
{Claremont}Expect, I hope, a measure of the unexpected. To start with, the
status quo is that Storm is the leader; Beast the veteran, the brain, the
good-humor guy; Rogue is the crazy gal; Bishop is the no-nonsense cop /
detective; Psylocke, the adventure junkie Action-Gal; Thunderbird, the rookie,
the one with major doubts about himself and the mission; Sage, the mystery
wrapped in an enigma, but also the team's "Gadget-Gal." She fixes
everything. How I decide to play with them, you can see for yourself as the
issues appear. Suffice to say, one advantage of having such a decent length of
lead-time is that it allowed me to think about the concept both before and
after I generated the stories and evolve bothas I went along. Which means that
even if I gave you a detailed character schematic a month ago for the book, it
would be significantly invalid today, and may change yet again tomorrow. Removing
Beast from the picture means, on one basic level, more space to devote to the
others. The results of that enhanced attantion have been quite exciting for me
and I hope they prove equally delightful for you readers.
2> How
will being a member of the team effect Thunderbird, him being the rookie member
of the team? And is he getting a whole new look? (Is he even considered the
rookie with Tessa on the team?) Can you give us a glimpse at what Thunderbird's
new look is going to be like? Have you considered renaming him after the
negative fan reaction which was mainly caused by him taking up the t-bird
legacy name?
{Claremont}In a sense, Thunderbird gets to be the audience's viewpoint
character. Because he's comparatively new to the team and the concept, a lot of
the status quo has to be explained to him -- which allows me to explain it to
new readers (because we really want to attract and hold new readers, because I
am so tired of watching industry-wide sales go down and down month after dreary
month!) Everyone in this book gets a revamp and a new look, to go with their
new beginning. And just because Sage (Tessa) is new to a line team doesn't mean
she's new to the canon. Trust me, in everyway that counts, Thunderbird is the
rookie. As for his appearance, I believe it was published a recent while back
in the "Our Man from Marvel" column at the Marvel WebSite. Or you can
wait three weeks and see him for yourself. The problem with names is that
reaction to an Indian hero name oriented around his character and powers (Agni)
was far worse; nobody undersood it or liked it. And the fact is, aside from the
canonical resonance of naming him after a slain X-Men and the fact that it
enables Marvel to retain exclusive ownership rights, there are enough points of
similarity between Agni and Thunderbird to make (in my opinion anyway) the
transposition acceptable.
3> How
will Tessa's past with the Hellfire Club play into the title? Are the
circumstances of Tessa joining the team going to be revealed and what about
those nasty looking tattoos under her eyes?
{Claremont}Wait and see. Perhaps. What d'you mean, "nasty"? Could
be make-up, could be stylish and cutting-edge?
4> Is
the title going to be always straight forward action or are we going to get to
see these x-men having some down time and enjoying the places they visit? There
was talk of Storm learning how to surf, is there any truth to this?
{Claremont}Yes.
5> Can
you give us a general description of What the X-treme team's first villain is
going to be like? I understand that he's an all-new character and he's
described in the previews as the "first true manifestation of Homo
Superior". What do you mean by that characterization?
{Claremont}The most dangerous adversary they've ever faced. (And one of the
best looking.) Basically, the notion behind Vargas is that nature, abhoring a
vacuum and perceiving one in the appearance of mass numbers of super-powered
mutants, is attempting to redress the imbalance by jump-starting Humanity to a
level where they can compete with mutants and super-beings on relatively equal
terms.
6> Can
we expect any new heroes and villains in the book? Will any of the villains
introduced in your recent run on X-Men (the Goth, the Neo, Crimson Pirates)
make an appearance in X-treme X-men? Are there any plans for bringing aboard
Sketch? What kind of guest appearances can we expect in the future (of the
X-treme X-Men title)?
{Claremont}Yes. I don't know, since there hasn't been a whole lot of
enthusiasm for them among the higher echelons of editorial and corporate
administration. I like them, I'd like to bring them back, but since subsequent
stories have gone out of their way to devalue their abilities, if not eliminate
the characters outright, I'm not sure what will be available to work with. It's
also a function of space. Stories for the first publication year are pretty
much locked up at this point, and we aren't likely to even consider a green
light for Year 2 for quite a while yet. If the book sells, if reader response
is enthusiastic and committed then we have a decent shot. Otherwise ... ? As
for guest appearances, they're planned and they're fun and they may even
include a surprise or three. Wait and see.
7> In
an older interview for wizard magazine you had mentioned that you had already
thought up the story about Kitty's death, and that we wouldn't see it unless
you returned to the X-men titles. Can you reveal what this ending would be? And
did it tie in with your revelation in X-Men #100 that Kitty is a Neo? Is she
still considered one?
{Claremont}You have me there. If "Wizard" says it, then it must be
so, but I honestly don't remember talking about Kitty's death. Swiss cheese
memory, sorry. As for whether or not she's a Neo, what's the point, since -- as
I mentioned earlier -- issues subsequent to my removal from X-Men and Uncanny
have substantially devalued the concept and the characters. I have plans and
stories in mind for Kitty, but they hinge on the book's success. If we make it
to Year 2, then we'll see what happens with them and with her.
8> Are
there any new developments concerning the artist for the Storm Mini? What
aspect of Storm's character are you going to play around more
{Claremont}There are developments on the artist front, but no final decision
has been made. Her humanity.
9> Will
the New Mutants reunion be centered solely on the original five students, or
will LATER members be included? Will you be using Karma, Sunspot and Wolfsbane
in their latest incarnations? When last they made an appearance Karma had died
her hair pink and was hinted at being a lesbian (X-force #75), while Sunspot
has joined Selene's hellfire club (X-Force #98) and Wolfsbane has lost her
powers (dreams end storyline). Is it true that Cecilia Reyes will be making an
appearance in the story?
{Claremont}The cast of the reunion story scheduled for X-Men Unlimited is:
Dani, Sam, Rahne, Bobby and Xi'an, the five original students, together with a
cameo by either Jane Foster or Cecilia Reyes, editor's choice. Regarding
physical appearance, I assume it will be consistent with their current
incarnations but that will be Bill Sienkiewicz's call. Regarding status quo,
Bobby's still affiliated with the Hellfire Club, Sam's post X-Force, Rahne has
no shifter powers and Karma's sexual orientation is nobody's damn business!
10>
What is your opinion on the "mutants of the nineties", most of them
introduced by Scott Lobdell: Husk, Chamber, M, Marrow, Maggott, and Pete Wisdom?
{Claremont}They were fun to read. I'm sorry I never got the chance to write
some of them, like Marrow. On the other hand, I have another shot at Bishop so
we'll see where we end up.
11> Do
you have any other projects (x-related or not) on the designing stages right
now?
{Claremont}Yes, but since nothing's finalized it would be inappropriate to
talk about them just now.
12>
Have you seen the preview art and line-ups for the Uncanny and New X-Men
titles? Will you be reading the titles in May? Are you following Scott
Lobdell's > run? What did you think of Colossus death in Uncanny X-men #390
and of Illyana's way back in #304?
{Claremont}Yes. Yes. Yes. I'm always sad to see characters go, especially
those I had a major hand in shaping and who I created. But the nice thing about
comics, and one of the most infuriating of course, is that nobody ever dies
forever.
13> The
new X-force revamp by Mike Allred and Peter Milligan has divided fans and upset
old fans of the New Mutants title. What do you think of the New Team?
{Claremont}Since I haven't seen the first issue and know only the barest
bones of the concept, there's nothing for me to think about. I'll read it first
and then make up my mind, as I'd hope readers do with my own work.
14> In
a recent interview you had mentioned your plans about Stryfe, and you were
grooming him to be a major villain in the x-men titles. Can we expect him to
make a return appearance in the new title?
{Claremont}Nope.
15>
What comics are on the top of your to-read list? Have you read any good books
lately? Who Are your favorite writers?
{Claremont}Batgirl. Hitman. Authority. Laurie Garrett's "Betrayal of
Trust." Lotsa folks.
16>
What were your plans considering Valeria Von Doom in FF? Are there any plans of
tying up this storyline either by you or the current creative team of Loeb and
Pacheco?
{Claremont}I had quite a few plans and ideas for Valeria (Marvel Girl) but
since the writing assignment on her mini-series went to another writer, that's
pretty much out of my hands. To me, there's little point anymore in rehashing
possibilites for characters I have no more connection with. I have no idea what
Carlos has planned for the FF so any questions relating to the FF canon are
better directed either to him or to the title's editor, Bobbie Chase. The only
FF oriented project I have in the pipeline is a one-shot, "The Fantastic
Fourth Voyage of Sinbad", which artist Pascual Ferry has been pencilling
for the better part of a year now and which should with luck be on sale early
this summer.
If you have any further questions, you know where to find me.
Thanks for the interest and support.
Chris Claremont