Leah Williams reveals changes made in X-Factor #10

[Kingdom X]

What backlash happened with Prodigy?

Basically the story of how Prodigy died gets squeezed into the last issue. It’s revealed that he was was murdered and sexually assaulted by some random creep and there is an image of his naked corpse in the dude’s basement. The issue got leaked early and people were calling Leah a racist for so casually and exploitatively putting a queer POC through all that. She was endlessly harassed only for us to now find out she didn’t know about the aforementioned panel and her script was somewhat changed (we don’t know how much).

[Mercury]

At its worst, the vicissitudes of working for a big corporation, especially as a creative, i.e., writer or artist, must be stifling, exhausting, and ravaging. I am not familiar with Leah's work, nor have I read more than one or two issues of X-Factor, but she - no one, really - deserves to have their work trampled on and trashed in such a manner. Reprehensible.

[rcaguy]

Yeah I just got finished listening to this and wow. X-Factor was my favorite post Hox/Pox book and the shenanigans around its cancellation are really tragic for me. Listening to the pod and learning everything left me with mixed emotions. Relief to get answers but also the answers further fueled my disappointment at its loss. I'm very hopeful for what Leah brings in the Trial mini.

To think that the Trial pitch was such a big factor (pun intended?) in the book's cancellation. Also I love the proposals Leah had for Siryn's post Morrigan powers (being able to hear the dead)and becoming a Krakoan "god" of rebirth and Shatterstar's becoming a Krakoan "god" of battle. Leah drawing parallels to how these comics are like crafting grand mythologies was lovely. Such a tragedy hearing how devastating the cancellation was for she and David Baldeon. So much lost potential.

Empath Engine is my new favorite concept.

Sorry. The Siryn and Shatterstar nonsense was and is just plain stupid. Almost as stupid has having Pixie letting her head get blown off. No wonder it was gotten rid off.

[Kingdom X]

Sorry. The Siryn and Shatterstar nonsense was and is just plain stupid. Almost as stupid has having Pixie letting her head get blown off. No wonder it was gotten rid off.

It’s fine if you think that and fine if editorial thinks that too, but those cuts should be communicated beforehand and not replaced with other people’s writing that the actual author isn’t aware of.

[NewMutant]

Basically the story of how Prodigy died gets squeezed into the last issue. It’s revealed that he was was murdered and sexually assaulted by some random creep and there is an image of his naked corpse in the dude’s basement. The issue got leaked early and people were calling Leah a racist for so casually and exploitatively putting a queer POC through all that. She was endlessly harassed only for us to now find out she didn’t know about the aforementioned panel and her script was somewhat changed (we don’t know how much).

I hadn't heard that. Thanks for the explanation. I'm continually disappointed in hearing negative things (and more often) about Marvel.

Surprisingly I thought Polaris leaving the book was the reason the book was ending. I never know what to expect with publishing anymore. Fallen Angels is the only things that I don't feel like was advertise as a mini (like X4 or ToM or Inferno) that has been cancelled. Way of X is in a similar situation to X-Factor too cancelled and rebranded as X-Men "Subtitle". I'm keeping positive for ToM and it being an extension of X-Factor.

[Wolverine12]

Dang I don’t have an hour right now to listen to the podcast. I’m curious if Leah says who the writer is that changed the script?

[charliehustle415]

Dang I don’t have an hour right now to listen to the podcast. I’m curious if Leah says who the writer is that changed the script?

No she didn't, she didn't even know it was changed until it hit the newsstands

[Anduinel]

Dang I don’t have an hour right now to listen to the podcast. I’m curious if Leah says who the writer is that changed the script?

She doesn't name names. Traditionally, this kind of thing is micro-managing from editorial, though. Jake Thomas is the third name on that role, after Ashida and JDW.

[Exodus]

uff, the queerest comicbook in the X-Men comics is treated so horribly...not a coincidence...Just remember everything Sina Grace said about his experience with marvel....

Can someone remind me why we are reading mainstream comicbooks in the first place?!?!

[Frobisher]

uff, the queerest comicbook in the X-Men comics is treated so horribly...not a coincidence...Just remember everything Sina Grace said about his experience with marvel....

Can someone remind me why we are reading mainstream comicbooks in the first place?!?!

Because we think we can recapture our youth by reading reheated old stories about characters who had their heyday when we were still kids in the 80s.

[Exodus]

Because we think we can recapture our youth by reading reheated old stories about characters who had their heyday when we were still kids in the 80s.

you are old. :-p

[Starfish]

I feel so bad for Leah Williams and wouldn't be surprised if she's done with Marvel after the Trial of Magneto. It's bad enough that there seems to be no communication going on before editorial changes plans on short notice without giving creative teams any opportunity to adjust their stories, but the fact they just let her face the criticism for their handling of the Prodigy plot is so upsetting.

Also, it's hard to ignore that it often appears to be the books with queer content such as X-Factor, CotA, and Way of X that seem to get their runs cut short, while titles with worse sales are allowed to meander endlessly.

[jpmst17]

uff, the queerest comicbook in the X-Men comics is treated so horribly...not a coincidence...Just remember everything Sina Grace said about his experience with marvel....

Can someone remind me why we are reading mainstream comicbooks in the first place?!?!

didn't x-factor also have pretty bad sales too? i'm sure that didn't help it's cause

[DAHX]

I should add that she wasn’t talking badly about Marvel. It felt like she wanted to give an explanation about how things work in the business, about the cancellation and the rushed final issue (probably because the mess it was and the backlash it received). She said it is business, it’s Marvel’s IP after all and they can do this(changing things without the writer being involved) and the decisions are theirs. She was talking respectfully the whole time.

[mugiwara]

Some important parts from the interview:

[B]
[LIST][*] X-Factor was canceled because Leah’s pitch for Magneto/Wanda story became very popular at Marvel but they thought the reader numbers for X-Factor wasn’t big enough for this story, so they wanted it as a separate comic.[*] it was supposed to be X-Factor issue 15 originally.

And once again the less popular characters get screwed by the X-nobility.

I go back at wishing that somehow, Marvel loses the rights of all Kirby co-creations. (I know, never gonna happen, but a man can dream)