X-Men Monday #205 – Steve Foxe Talks Marvel’s Voices: Pride 2023 & Dark X-Men

[JB]

https://aiptcomics.com/2023/06/05/x-...-voices-pride/

AIPT: Let’s talk a bit about that oddball squad. For a short story, you managed to pack it with more than a few cameos, including Graymalkin, one of Cyclops’ former Corsairs, one of the Five Lights, and quite possibly the grossest mutant of all time. I’m tip-toeing here to avoid spoilers, but what can you share about your process for integrating these “deep cuts” from past and pretty recent X-Men history? Are you flipping through Marvel Handbooks or are these inclusions automatic no-brainers?

Steve: I can guarantee you I’m never flipping through handbooks — my brain is just a sieve when it comes to practical, real-world information and an adamantium trap for Marvel ephemera. I love the generational aspect of the X-Men — New Mutants to Generation X, Academy X to Wolverine and the X-Men. So Carmen’s crew of five mutants is meant to reflect this moment in time: three members are entirely new from House of X and Powers of X onward, one is a deep cut who had been depowered and went through the Crucible, and then Graymalkin is the experienced member by comparison. His inclusion is partially inspired by J. Holtham’s squad in Bishop: War College, where Armor and Surge are matched up with total newbies, but also because this is Pride and I always appreciate when teams don’t just have a sole queer member or a sole PoC or a sole mutant with visible mutations.

For that deep cut, though — and I don’t think it’s the spoiler of the year to say it’s Specter from New X-Men: Academy X — I have to give a shout out to my good friend Josh Cornillon, who does extensive tribute art of Marvel and DC’s teen heroes, including the one-appearance weirdos everyone else forgets. One of his group shots reminded me of Specter, who I discovered had never actually used his powers on panel — powers that theoretically pair perfectly with a certain darkness-loving mutant I already had my eye on for this.

As for the gross-out antagonists of this short, they had actually already been drawn into a spread in Dark X-Men #1 as a background cameo, and I realized this was the perfect place to give them a moment of their own. They gross me out real bad too. Yuck.

AIPT: In this story, we learn a bit more about New York’s Limbo Embassy and how it operates. Is it safe to assume we’ll learn even more about it in Dark X-Men?

Steve: That’s a very safe assumption, as I can use this question to break the news that Dark X-Men #1 includes, in addition to a 20-page main story illustrated by Jonas Scharf and Frank Martin, a 10-page backup with art by Nelson Daniel that takes a look at one of the first weeks of the Limbo Embassy’s operation. Zeb Wells and Adam Kubert gave us an incredibly fun setting to use coming out of Dark Web and we’ve been taking full advantage of it. Not to say we’re going to spend a lot of time on demon-dimension bureaucracy, though — mostly horrific maiming and whatnot.

This week's eXclusive preview images:

[JB]

[Jackraow21]

Dope pic of Logan and Maverick.

[dragon1440]

Who is that with Tempo and Cerebra in the background.... that head shape and tentacles give off the essence of Squidboy, but he didnt have tentacles. But couldthis me sammy? quick where Juggernaut haha

[mugiwara]

At long last somebody remembered that Graymalkin exists!

[Malachi]

I felt it was a very light X-monday. Perhaps that is because the majority of it dealt with the pride issue. Witch is no surprise, it's published in 9 days.

Nothing new on Dark X-men or any art for it. Well that Maddie&Alex piece might be, I can't remember if it was included in the already released art or not.

That Gambit picture is from the R&G mini I assume. Remy trying to remove one of those control chips I wager. Might be on Rogue, might be on Manifold. Someone with yellow or beige clothes.

[Master of Sound]

Where is it that Graymelkin and Specter will appear?

[StormBorn06]

I like the picture of the White Sword. He may have been waiting for his death.

[Krakoa]

Who is that with Tempo and Cerebra in the background.... that head shape and tentacles give off the essence of Squidboy, but he didnt have tentacles. But couldthis me sammy? quick where Juggernaut haha

It's Theia from Marauders.

[NicoPony]

I felt it was a very light X-monday. Perhaps that is because the majority of it dealt with the pride issue. Witch is no surprise, it's published in 9 days.

Nothing new on Dark X-men or any art for it. Well that Maddie&Alex piece might be, I can't remember if it was included in the already released art or not.

That Gambit picture is from the R&G mini I assume. Remy trying to remove one of those control chips I wager. Might be on Rogue, might be on Manifold. Someone with yellow or beige clothes.

Looks like Manifold to me, and isn’t that disc the Caliban suit tech?

[Rift]

SPECS my 2nd favorite obscure boy. Glad to see him getting some love. Count me in.

[Malachi]

Looks like Manifold to me, and isn’t that disc the Caliban suit tech?

Yes I didn't remember if Manifold was drawn with big curls like that but he is. The chips are also drawn as basic chips so the Caliban suit looks like the match. It has the same shape and two rings design.

[dragon1440]

It's Theia from Marauders.

Ah that makes so much more sense. I didnt realize they had tentacle-like things to their headpiece. Also maybe artist perspective thing walking away so shorter in distance. But they seem really really short, and weren't they taller then most of others in Marauders. There goes my hope someone, ANYONE remembers Sammy dashed again.

[Uncanny X-Man]

Pretty light X-Men Monday in terms of scoops and even preview art, but Steve Foxe always comes across as competent and passionate which whets my appetite for Dark X-Men.

A bit of a cynical take perhaps but, as cute as it is to read about a creator geeking out over D-list characters for multiple paragraphs, it's really hard to get invested in the likes of Gimmick and Specter when they make an appearance after years of limbo which is where they'll inevitably end up again.

[Devaishwarya]

The White Sword...that's it...that's all I got.