Ask Kurt Busiek

[MaximoffTrash]

Mr.Busiek, I really like how you explore Wanda's power and the deeper conncetion to Chthon in early issues of your Avengers run.
It occurs to me that Morgan Le Fay kinda indirectly caused Wanda being marked by Chthon at Wundagore with her actions of trying to summon Chthon there.(Avengers 185-187)
Making her the antagonit that triggered Wanda's later development is an interesting choice.
So what's your own reason for choosing Morgan Le Fay as the first antagonist in that arc? (Or did I have a lucky guess?)

[Hypestyle]

happy new year, Mr. Busiek-

What is your take on "heroes vs. heroes" storylines?
Clearly, they sell, which of course, is part of the business. But from a creative standpoint, what makes for the best type of stories in this particular "sub-genre"? Does one side clearly have to be in the wrong? Does a "common foe" have to be revealed? Do people have to die or be gravely injured to up the tension?

[Kurt Busiek]

So what's your own reason for choosing Morgan Le Fay as the first antagonist in that arc? (Or did I have a lucky guess?)

Honestly, I just liked her, and thought she'd be a suitable villain for a story like that.

Some of that stems from the big finale to the Claremont/Leialoha storyline in SPIDER-WOMAN, and some, I'll admit, because I liked Kirby's Morgaine le Fay at DC, and thought Marvel's Morgan could be equally impressive. I had no idea of connecting her to Wanda's origin.

What is your take on "heroes vs. heroes" storylines?

As with anything, I like the good ones, and tend to be bored by bad ones.

I don't think there should be blanket rules about how to handle that kind of story, because different characters and different situations make for different stories.

Does one side clearly have to be in the wrong?

No. It depends on what you want to do with the story. You could get a lot out of heroes fighting because they're both in the right about different things. Or you could get a lot out of one hero desperately trying to show another that they're wrong, as the clock ticks ever nearer to disaster. Or anywhere in between.

Does a "common foe" have to be revealed?

No. Maybe they just don't like each other.

Do people have to die or be gravely injured to up the tension?

Of course not.

You could do a hero fight where Iceman's mad that Wolverine took the last pop-tart, and Wolverine's patronizing about it and Iceman's had enough, so they scrap in the kitchen until Storm and Cyclops separate them. Stories can cover all kinds of conflicts, and fights cover a wide range of conflicts too.

I don't think there's any formula that can't be broken to good effect, even in more lofty situations than a hero fight.

kdb

[Snoop Dogg]

mister busiek what do you like about the very handsome baron zemo and why did you choose him and a masters of evil lineup for thundabolts

[Kurt Busiek]

mister busiek what do you like about the very handsome baron zemo and why did you choose him and a masters of evil lineup for thundabolts

Because that was the idea.

It was "What if a new team showed up in the wake of Onslaught, appearing to be the kind of heroes that the Avengers were, and the public and the government embraced them, but they're really the Masters of Evil and they're doing this to get the security access they need to take over the world."

That was the pitch, that was the concept. So of course we used Masters of Evil members, and Baron Zemo, as their leader, made the perfect leader for the T-Bolts.

He was always lots of fun to write -- an arrogant, condescending power-hungry autocrat. Kind of like Alan Rickman in ROBIN HOOD and DIE HARD. Lots of fun to write dialogue for, with strong motivations and relentless drive.

kdb

[Marvell2100]

Hello Mr. Busiek, I hope the new year has brought you good health.

Are you doing or looking at doing digital comics in the near future?

Have you ever met someone in real life who you thought would make a great comic book character?

[Kurt Busiek]

Are you doing or looking at doing digital comics in the near future?

Not at present, no -- beyond that the comics I do will be made available digitally.

Have you ever met someone in real life who you thought would make a great comic book character?

Just a name that I thought would make a perfect comics name. And I intend to use it (or a variant of it) someday, so I'll keep it to myself...!

kdb

[Anthony W]

You never seemed afraid to venture outside of New York, setting stories in many different locations in the USA and outside of it. Do you think Marvel has gotten too NYC centric?

[Kurt Busiek]

You never seemed afraid to venture outside of New York, setting stories in many different locations in the USA and outside of it. Do you think Marvel has gotten too NYC centric?

I'm not familiar enough with what they're doing at present to make that kind of judgment. The books I've read recently -- issues of DOMINO, FF, AVENGERS, LIFE OF CAPTAIN MARVEL, BEST DEFENSE, IRON HEART -- seem to have been reasonably spread around, geographically.

For me, it depends on the book. Spider-Man mostly sticks to New York, the Avengers are global (and more), and so on.

kdb

[Gaastra]

If you could choose any hero for a "marvel spotlight" single issue who would it be?

If you were told you had to choose to bring back and update wally the wizard, Homer the happy ghost, or little lana, who would you choose?

[Seren]

Hello! Did you read that first trade of Dennis Hallum (Hopeless?) Spider-Woman run yet? Did you like it?

[Tony Stark]

Sorry I figured you were probably have answered this already, but what drew you to Iron Man/Tony Stark? Were there certain attributes that drew you to him? What was you're favorite story you wrote featuring him? Is he one of your favorite characters to write? I just going over you and Sean Chen's omnibus again and it's such a great and fun read and I wanted to get your perspective on your time on the character? Sorry again if you have answered these questions before and thanks for writing such and amazingly fun run of my hero.

[Kurt Busiek]

If you could choose any hero for a "marvel spotlight" single issue who would it be?

I don't know.

But just to pick someone, Jack of Hearts!

If you were told you had to choose to bring back and update wally the wizard, Homer the happy ghost, or little lana, who would you choose?

I think I've read a couple of Wally the Wizard stories, but no Homer or Lana.

So maybe Homer, just because I like the name.

Hello! Did you read that first trade of Dennis Hallum (Hopeless?) Spider-Woman run yet? Did you like it?

Haven't read it yet.

Sorry I figured you were probably have answered this already, but what drew you to Iron Man/Tony Stark?

I just like him a lot -- he's got a lot of interesting character focuses. He's not just a superhero, but also a businessman, and inventor and a ladies' man, and all four of those make for good story engines.

I go into this more in my intro for the next Iron Man Masterworks, which has a run of stories that were very influential on me...

What was you're favorite story you wrote featuring him?

I'm not the guy to judge the stories, really, and I don't do "favorites" very often. But if I need to pick something, I think I might pick THE IRON AGE.

Is he one of your favorite characters to write?

One of them, yes.

I just going over you and Sean Chen's omnibus again and it's such a great and fun read and I wanted to get your perspective on your time on the character? Sorry again if you have answered these questions before and thanks for writing such and amazingly fun run of my hero.

Very glad you liked it!

kdb

[Marvell2100]

Hello!

Do you have any idea of how many creators you've worked with over your career?

What artist did you have your longest run with?

Do you identify yourself with any of the characters you've created?

In your Avengers run, I think you've written a story arc(all very good!) for every major villain except Thanos. Did you have any plans to do an arc with him?

[Kurt Busiek]

Do you have any idea of how many creators you've worked with over your career?

I've never counted, no.

What artist did you have your longest run with?

Brent Anderson and Alex Ross on Astro City, and we're still going.

Do you identify yourself with any of the characters you've created?

While I'm writing them, sure. It's been said by many authors that every character is in some way an extension of the author, a facet of their personality, because we imagine the characters from the inside out. And at the same time, none of them are really us, either, because they're artificial constructs.

In your Avengers run, I think you've written a story arc(all very good!) for every major villain except Thanos. Did you have any plans to do an arc with him?

No, I thought at the time that Thanos was a character who never quite seemed to work unless Jim Starlin was involved, so I figured, not being Jim, I'd leave him alone.

I realize others have written Thanos since, and maybe they did a great job, but I probably missed it.

kdb