Marvel Comics has just announced at the Brazilian comic book show CCXP, a big X-Men crossover event for 2016, Apocalypse Wars featuring the All-New X-Men, Extraordinary X-Men and Uncanny X-Men.
Which, handily, will come out at the same time as X-Men: Apocalypse.
There won’t be any tie in, the Fox/Marvel division is still in full effect. But, just as you had time travelling between the past, present and future in the X-Men books during Days Of Future Past, so you’ll have Apocalypse up front and center again during the next X-Men movie.
@earthsmightiest: I wonder who the warring factions will be. I'm assuming Marvel will want an evil adult Apocalypse involved, so I think our little Evan will be taking a turn for the worse(better?). Archangel will no doubt play a role.
Wasn't the original Apocalypse taken by the Celestials? Maybe he'll return bigger and badder than ever.
Last I recall he was grabbed by the Celestials at the end of Blood of Apocalypse story arc. The celestials said something to the the effect that they wouldn't let him because they had work for him to do.
A couple of sites CBR and Newsarama are reporting this info:
CBR can confirm the "Apocalypse Wars" report. The villain himself last appeared in 2014's "Avengers vs. X-Men: AXIS," although a number of characters tied to the villain star in the new X-Men books. Kid Apocalypse is a member of "All-New X-Men's" teen team and Archangel, a character heavily influenced by the villain, is returning in the pages of "Uncanny X-Men."
@earthsmightiest: Why do they keep calling him Kid Apocalypse when his code name is Genesis? Anyway, I personally don't want Evan to become all evil, since I actually like him. If it's Evan against the real Apocalypse that'd be interesting I guess?
Lol idk....how am i supposedsupposed to be hype for something when one of the teams taking part in the event have even started to assemble...hell there aren't even 5 issues between all of them
If it's anything like the Twelve, or Blood of Apocalypse, or other trash Apocalypse stories, they shouldn't even bother. *insert here Adam's typical complaint about how they ruined the character with so much potential as Apocalypse*
But hey, for the first time Marvel visually acknowledges X-men movies, do you really think it's coincidental?
I hope this stops the rumour that Marvel is screwing over the X-Men just because they don't have the movie rights.
How does Marvel cashing in on the movies change the fact that they're denigrating the X-Men?
Marvel normally doesn't cash in on movies that are not produced by them, because it produces hype for that movie. However Marvel Producing a comic book event in conjuncture with X-men: Apocalypse shows that Marvel is not being petty just because they don't have the movie rights.
I hope this stops the rumour that Marvel is screwing over the X-Men just because they don't have the movie rights.
How does Marvel cashing in on the movies change the fact that they're denigrating the X-Men?
Marvel normally doesn't cash in on movies that are not produced by them, because it produces hype for that movie. However Marvel Producing a comic book event in conjuncture with X-men: Apocalypse shows that Marvel is not being petty just because they don't have the movie rights.
Yes, they do. Marvel has always appropriated elements of the movies i.e. black leather uniforms in Morrison's run. We even saw an influx of time travel stories to coincide with the release of DOFP. It's not about hype, but rather movie synergy to draw in new readers.
I don't think Marvel's petty for trying to make a buck off the new film, but it does nothing to disprove their plans to diminish the mutant brand. Marvel's own executives have more or less confirmed this agenda:
anonymous fan:
Why isn’t there any X-Men cartoons? Why wasn’t there any licensing for DOFP. WHY isn’t there Goldball toys or any new X-Men toys? Oh and of course No real X-News at the Cup o Joe panel. Thanks for your time
Tom Brevoort:
1) There are only so many hours in the day, and so many initiatives you can have going at once,. So you need to pick and choose where you want to spend your time and your efforts.
2) If you had two things, and on one you earned 100% of the revenues from the efforts that you put into making it, and the other you earned a much smaller percentage for the same amount of time and effort, you’d be more likely to concentrate more heavily on the first, wouldn’t you?
Marvel is focusing on properties they have a monopoly on; X-Men isn't one of those properties. Is Marvel petty because of this? Not at all, it's just good business; however, that provides little comfort for fans.
All I'm saying is that the premeditated destruction of the mutant brand is far from a rumor.
@sprior93: well to be fair maybe this comes from the fact, marvel and fox made some deal. Maybe they decided to get along alittle bit, they are co-producing two shows. hopefully this is a sign a good things moving forward, or until next week when they hate each other all over agian
I hope this stops the rumour that Marvel is screwing over the X-Men just because they don't have the movie rights.
How does Marvel cashing in on the movies change the fact that they're denigrating the X-Men?
Marvel normally doesn't cash in on movies that are not produced by them, because it produces hype for that movie. However Marvel Producing a comic book event in conjuncture with X-men: Apocalypse shows that Marvel is not being petty just because they don't have the movie rights.
Yes, they do. Marvel has always appropriated elements of the movies i.e. black leather uniforms in Morrison's run. We even saw an influx of time travel stories to coincide with the release of DOFP. It's not about hype, but rather movie synergy to draw in new readers.
I don't think Marvel's petty for trying to make a buck off the new film, but it does nothing to disprove their plans to diminish the mutant brand. Marvel's own executives have more or less confirmed this agenda:
anonymous fan:
Why isn’t there any X-Men cartoons? Why wasn’t there any licensing for DOFP. WHY isn’t there Goldball toys or any new X-Men toys? Oh and of course No real X-News at the Cup o Joe panel. Thanks for your time
Tom Brevoort:
1) There are only so many hours in the day, and so many initiatives you can have going at once,. So you need to pick and choose where you want to spend your time and your efforts.
2) If you had two things, and on one you earned 100% of the revenues from the efforts that you put into making it, and the other you earned a much smaller percentage for the same amount of time and effort, you’d be more likely to concentrate more heavily on the first, wouldn’t you?
Marvel is focusing on properties they have a monopoly on; X-Men isn't one of those properties. Is Marvel petty because of this? Not at all, it's just good business; however, that provides little comfort for fans.
All I'm saying is that the premeditated destruction of the mutant brand is far from a rumor.
My rage is justified, Marvel is the devil.
#OpticBlastsCan'tMeltSteelBeams
You forgot to mention how Marvel has also made their characters resemble the actors from the Fox movies, like wolverine looking like Hugh Jackman and Bullseye getting a goatee and a bullseye tattoo on his forehead like he had in the Fox Daredevil movie. When people say that marvel is going to kill the X-Men I think that is stupid because the X-Men make marvel a lot of money, but there is no denying that there is favoritism in marvel, and there has been for years.
I hope this stops the rumour that Marvel is screwing over the X-Men just because they don't have the movie rights.
How does Marvel cashing in on the movies change the fact that they're denigrating the X-Men?
Marvel normally doesn't cash in on movies that are not produced by them, because it produces hype for that movie. However Marvel Producing a comic book event in conjuncture with X-men: Apocalypse shows that Marvel is not being petty just because they don't have the movie rights.
Yes, they do. Marvel has always appropriated elements of the movies i.e. black leather uniforms in Morrison's run. We even saw an influx of time travel stories to coincide with the release of DOFP. It's not about hype, but rather movie synergy to draw in new readers.
I don't think Marvel's petty for trying to make a buck off the new film, but it does nothing to disprove their plans to diminish the mutant brand. Marvel's own executives have more or less confirmed this agenda:
anonymous fan:
Why isn’t there any X-Men cartoons? Why wasn’t there any licensing for DOFP. WHY isn’t there Goldball toys or any new X-Men toys? Oh and of course No real X-News at the Cup o Joe panel. Thanks for your time
Tom Brevoort:
1) There are only so many hours in the day, and so many initiatives you can have going at once,. So you need to pick and choose where you want to spend your time and your efforts.
2) If you had two things, and on one you earned 100% of the revenues from the efforts that you put into making it, and the other you earned a much smaller percentage for the same amount of time and effort, you’d be more likely to concentrate more heavily on the first, wouldn’t you?
Marvel is focusing on properties they have a monopoly on; X-Men isn't one of those properties. Is Marvel petty because of this? Not at all, it's just good business; however, that provides little comfort for fans.
All I'm saying is that the premeditated destruction of the mutant brand is far from a rumor.
My rage is justified, Marvel is the devil.
#OpticBlastsCan'tMeltSteelBeams
This argument is not worth getting into. But there is A HUGE difference between changing small parts of the comics to mimic the movies of a rival company and creating a huge event that actively promotes the movies of a rival company. Why would Marvel want to promote a movie that they are getting no profits from?
Marvel is putting there interests first, we already knew that. But the fact that they are willing to promote a movie they are getting no profits from, and is a rival to there own movies, shows that Mavel is not trying to sabotage the X-men comics to lower the sales of the X-men movies.
I hope this stops the rumour that Marvel is screwing over the X-Men just because they don't have the movie rights.
How does Marvel cashing in on the movies change the fact that they're denigrating the X-Men?
Marvel normally doesn't cash in on movies that are not produced by them, because it produces hype for that movie. However Marvel Producing a comic book event in conjuncture with X-men: Apocalypse shows that Marvel is not being petty just because they don't have the movie rights.
Yes, they do. Marvel has always appropriated elements of the movies i.e. black leather uniforms in Morrison's run. We even saw an influx of time travel stories to coincide with the release of DOFP. It's not about hype, but rather movie synergy to draw in new readers.
I don't think Marvel's petty for trying to make a buck off the new film, but it does nothing to disprove their plans to diminish the mutant brand. Marvel's own executives have more or less confirmed this agenda:
anonymous fan:
Why isn’t there any X-Men cartoons? Why wasn’t there any licensing for DOFP. WHY isn’t there Goldball toys or any new X-Men toys? Oh and of course No real X-News at the Cup o Joe panel. Thanks for your time
Tom Brevoort:
1) There are only so many hours in the day, and so many initiatives you can have going at once,. So you need to pick and choose where you want to spend your time and your efforts.
2) If you had two things, and on one you earned 100% of the revenues from the efforts that you put into making it, and the other you earned a much smaller percentage for the same amount of time and effort, you’d be more likely to concentrate more heavily on the first, wouldn’t you?
Marvel is focusing on properties they have a monopoly on; X-Men isn't one of those properties. Is Marvel petty because of this? Not at all, it's just good business; however, that provides little comfort for fans.
All I'm saying is that the premeditated destruction of the mutant brand is far from a rumor.
My rage is justified, Marvel is the devil.
#OpticBlastsCan'tMeltSteelBeams
This argument is not worth getting into. But there is A HUGE difference between changing small parts of the comics to mimic the movies of a rival company and creating a huge event that actively promotes the movies of a rival company. Why would Marvel want to promote a movie that they are getting no profits from?
Marvel is putting there interests first, we already knew that. But the fact that they are willing to promote a movie they are getting no profits from, and is a rival to there own movies, shows that Mavel is not trying to sabotage the X-men comics to lower the sales of the X-men movies.
The comics don't promote the movies the movies is what promote the comics. Comics have been mimicking television and movies since the Batman serial of 43. When the comics look more like what is on tv or in the movies casual fans are more likely to buy it.
@kcomicfan: It's not an X-Men: Apocalypse movie tie-in, and it's not a "huge event", just a crossover between three books that's presumably featuring the titular villain. It's nothing we haven't seen before, and it's certainly not promoting the movie, more like riding its coattails.
I do agree that the movies mostly promote the comics. However the comics can promote the movies, and I don't see why marvel would want to promote or even be associated with a movie that rivals their own movie franchise.
@kcomicfan: It's not an X-Men: Apocalypse movie tie-in, and it's not a "huge event", just a crossover between three books that's presumably featuring the titular villain. It's nothing we haven't seen before, and it's certainly not promoting the movie, more like riding its coattails.
It is coming-out at around the same time that X-men Apocalypse is coming-out. This comic event is clearly being done with the movie in mind. And even if it is riding its coattails, there is still the possibility that this comic will make Fox money. And no business would want to do that unless it is deliberate.
Three ongoing comics coming together to make one story is potentially big.
@kcomicfan: So you're saying that Apocalypse Wars will make comic book fans want to go see a comic book movie? What? As if they're not already going to see it in the opening week....
I think you're getting all of this backwards. This crossover is for the people who want to check out X-Men comics because of the movie i.e. non-fans. They're taking advantage of the hype by using the titular villain and releasing it around the same time as the film. It's not for FOX's benefit at all.
@kcomicfan: So you're saying that Apocalypse Wars will make comic book fans want to go see a comic book movie? What? As if they're not already going to see it in the opening week....
I think you're getting all of this backwards. This crossover is for the people who want to check out X-Men comics because of the movie i.e. non-fans. They're taking advantage of the hype by using the titular villain and releasing it around the same time as the film. It's not for FOX's benefit at all.
Yes, it can work that way. Not every comic book fan wants to watch every comic book movie.An example of this is I am an X-men fan but I doubt I am going to watch X-men: Apocalypse, as the movies premise does not interest me and IMO DOFP was disappointing.
Again It can work both ways. Fans might watch the movie just because of the comic, and Marvel would not want that, unless they don't mind doing something that could advertise a rival movie.
Ugh way to ruin the X-men lol. Nothing worse than a forced cross over 6 issues into a story :/ and totally a bummer that they are still trying to force ANXM to be relevant. Just accept that having doppelgangers is pointless.
This is really nice, since it gives the entire X-Men franchise nice exposure which is what we want.
Ever since the hysteria-inducing Orson Welles 1938 radio broadcast of H.G. Wells invasion-paranoia story "The War of the Worlds" [1898], American audiences have been sensitive about sci-fi paranoia themes, and the X-Men (Marvel Comics) certainly offer a cornucopia of sci-fi paranoia storytelling (i.e., genetic engineering fascism).
In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if a re-make of Invasion of the Body Snatchers is fastly-hatching in the wake of the 2008 remake of The Day the Earth Stood Still (starring Keanu Reeves).
Sci-fi paranoia/apocalypto storytelling is hot right now, so we welcome X-Men: Apocalypse with all kinds of sociological confetti.
@kcomicfan: When your talking about comics and movies promoting each other it is a big difference considering that Millions of people will watch the X-Men movie and only around one or two hundred thousand people read the comics. So by doing the apocalypse story they are letting Fox promote them a lot more then they are promoting Fox.
@kcomicfan: Oh, I agree with you. I know they promote each other, my point was that by Marvel will make a lot more money from letting Fox promote them in this since then Fox will make off of Marvel. While marvel is promoting Fox a little it is still best to do so considering the extra profit they get from letting Fox promote them. Therefore this decision could of been made simply to maximize profits and not to promote Fox.
Mutantkind is an endangered species once more. But what better way to ensure your people see the future…than to skip ahead right to it? As the mutant race’s last hope is jettisoned into the time stream, the Extraordinary X-Men make a startling discovery: the fate of their kind is about to fall into the hands of one of their most formidable adversaries — the immortal APOCALYPSE. Now, the X-Men race into a perilous future, desperate to reclaim what was taken from them…and completely unaware of the horrors that await them.
What is the excitement like for you being able to bring back a villain as big as Apocalypse?
Lemire: One of the first things I looked at when accepting the Extraordinary X-Men assignment was Apocalypse. To me, Apocalypse stands with Magneto at the premier X-Men villains. The original Apocalypse story in X-Factor by Walter and Louis Simonson is a real touchstone for me. As a kid that story had a massive impact on me.
So I wanted to craft a story that had the same energy and imagination as those early Apocalypse stories, but something where Humberto Ramos and I were also able to put my own spin on things. I think we've come up with a big story that will be very fresh, but also harken back to the classics.
What is it about Apocalypse that makes him such a perfect foil for the X-Men?
Lemire: Apocalypse has always had an aura of menace about him. There is just something inherently scary about the character, something haunting and larger than life. He is a very ominous figure and probably one of the few villains powerful enough to match an entire X-Men team.
Will fans get to see how the future that the X-Men are headed to got to that point?
Lemire: The future aspects of the story are very rooted in Mutant's present-day situation. It;s not just some imaginary story or some pocket universe. This story, even though partially set in teh future, will have lasting impact on the Extraordinary X-Men team and Mutants in the Marvel Universe moving forward.
Where there is Apocalypse, horsemen can't be far behind? Can you tease if we'll see new horsemen or if any of your cast are at risk of falling under the influence?
Lemire: No way! I'm not spoiling that. I think we've got some really fun and unexpected twists in store.
How will your story tie into the other books happening during the event. If not - can you talk about what you think makes Apocalypse such a popular villain that has stood the test of time?
Lemire: With Apocalypse Wars, X-writers Cullen Bunn, Dennis Hopeless and I are trying to craft something a little different from traditional event or crossover stories. So, each of our Apocalypse stories will be able to be read alone, but also tie together in unexpected ways for readers who check all three books.
I think it it a testament to the depth Apocalypse character that three book can tell three Apocalypse stories from three very different points of view.
Whatever happened to Evan, the kid clone of Apocalypse? It wouldn't make any sense to do this event without him. I want to see him face Apocalypse and spit in his face.
CBR News: This spring, the X-titles will kick off a new publishing style event dubbed "Apocalypse Wars" with the second arc of each of the three core X-Books. How would you describe this crossover event?
EXCLSUIVE: Greg Land will provide covers for Bunn and Lashely's "Apocalypse Wars" story arc
Cullen Bunn: "Apocalypse Wars" is more of a thematic crossover, with each of the core X-Books featuring an Apocalypse-centric tale. There might be a little connective tissue between the three titles, but the stories will stand on their own.
Apocalypse has been a significant part of the X-Men's world since the 1980s and you're a long time X-Men fan. What was your initial impression of Apocalypse, and ultimately, what do you feel En Sabh Nur and his related characters have added to the X-Men mythos?
I was a huge fan of Apocalypse from his very first appearance. He's always ranked fairly high, not only as one of my favorite X-villains but as one of my favorite super villains, period. He's a force of nature, a villain who is one of the very first mutants, who has on numerous occasions wiped the floor with the X-Men. I love how his mythology has changed and expanded over the years, making the X-mythos as a whole seem all the more epic. I'm excited to be adding to those tales in my own way.
Your story focuses on the cast member with the biggest ties to Apocalypse: Archangel, who is making a mysterious return after being seemingly destroyed in "The Dark Angel Saga" storyline from Rick Remender's "Uncanny X-Force" run. What made you want to bring the character back?
For years -- long before I was ever writing for Marvel -- I would daydream about the team I would want to use if I was writing "Uncanny X-Men." That fantasy team I was developing changed a lot, but Archangel was always a part of it. I've just always liked that version of the character.
Archangel will be the center of quite a bit of mystery in the first arc of my run. In the "Apocalypse Wars" story, I'll reveal how ended up back in this form and how he ended up on the team. The big question, of course, is if the Dark Angel persona is still alive and well.
What can you tell us about Archangel's personality and role in "Uncanny X-Men" leading up to this story?
Not to be a stick in the mud, but I don't want to reveal anything about Archangel until the first issue comes out! All I'll really say is that he's back to being the blue, metal-winged, featherblade-hurling figure we know and love -- sort of. Almost as soon as Archangel appears in the first issue of the series, readers will realize that something very important is different about him. Those differences will be explored in the Apocalypse arc
"The Archangel problem" is something that is on the minds of each and every one of the X-Men. Some of them have seen firsthand how bad things can get if Archangel goes off the chain. Magneto and Psylocke in particular are very concerned by the possibilities. They are watching for signs of dangers to come. When they receive a message that hints at a possible dark future, they race to uncover what few clues they can find before the apocalyptic shoe drop
Psylocke, was romantically involved with Archangel and was the one who destroyed him in the "Dark Angel Saga." Her ex-lover Fantomex also played a significant role in that story. How big of a role will they play in this tale?
Psylocke and Fantomex play a huge role in this story -- and it is not as a power couple. The dynamic between them is icy, to say the least. In fact, many readers have asked me if we're ever going to see Psylocke and Fantomex go toe-to-toe. Well, this arc will provide the brawl they've been waiting for. There's a lot of anger and bad blood between Psylocke and Fantomex, and it comes to a head in a confrontation I've listed in early outlines as one of the most vicious battles we've seen in the Marvel universe.
What other faces will we see in "Apocalypse Wars?"
Clan Akkaba is at work in this story, and you can't really have a proper Apocalypse story without the Four Horsemen, so we'll be meeting a new incarnation of those villains as well.
But that's not all!
In addition to the Apocalypse story, this arc will also provide a secondary tale featuring the return of a fan-favorite villain who has some familial ties to one of our X-Men!
The X-Men's battles with these characters will be depicted by Ken Lashley, whose action scenes just crackle with power and emotion. What's it like working with Ken?
This is a pretty dark story, but with lots of super heroic overtones, and I can't wait to see what Ken does with this diverse group of characters and locales. He drew one of our fantastic variant covers for issue #1.
I'm happy to report that Greg Land will be part of our art team for this arc as well. He'll be providing covers.
Finally, we've talked about what your "Apocalypse Wars" arc means for some individual members of your team, but what can you tell us about what the story means for the "Uncanny X-Men" as a whole? What sort of challenges is the team facing when your story begins? And how would you describe the group's overall dynamic? Are they gelling as a team by this point?
This is a story that will really shake things up for this team -- and I wouldn't say they will be gelling all that well to begin with. The Uncanny X-Men will not be the same going into this story as they are coming out of it. We'll be looking at a major shift in the team dynamic, and some significant changes for two of the characters.
Coming out of this arc, after facing an all new new incarnation of Akkaba and the Horsemen, the group will be facing yet another new version of a classic X-antagonist: the Hellfire Club.
Bunn's Uncanny sounds the most promising out of all the X-books for sure.
I agree with the thought that they are using the movie to promote the comics. I think @invain and @immolation put it best. Plus its not like Marvel doesn't make anything off the movies. People are saying why promote a movie you font get profits off of and why help out Fox, but that's just not true. Marvel still gets a percentage of profit from a movie using their characters. Marcel can do zero promotion and still make some money off the movie. Its just not as much as they make off of Avengers and other properties that they own completely. It sort of like Mark Cubans whole grape-half of a watermelon analogy. They are using the momentum and buzz generated by the movie to try and boost sales on the comic. The comic readers are there regardless but if they somehow double or triple comic sales because a percentage get interested in following the comics based on the movie they will take it. Its playing numbers really.... Out of the millions that will go see the movie opening weekend or later at discount theaters or on ppv or even buy/rent on DVD/streaming/download etc if they can get 30,000 or 60,000 to become buyers of the comic, then the comic numbers get huge like around 60000-100000 per issue. That's the goal and that would be big long term.
All that said...it still doesn't mean that Marvel is not petty. They are purposely reducing the focus on Xmen in favor of the properties they own completely.
I'm happy Bunn actually provides real answers to the questions. So many of these interviews end up being non-answers and wastes of time for everyone involved.
Good luck to the current lineups - they are ridiculously underpowered for Apocalypse if he is written right. Storm brings a lot to this fight, it's unclear what Magneto's power level is at, Monet needs more experience, and Iceman needs a bit of direction to operate at full capacity. Not sure if the rest of the lineup carries much weight here - Marvel Girl is nowhere near the level 616 Jean was at even w/o the Phoenix experience-wise, and the other characters are nonfactors. I hope there is no PIS, and they get stomped a few times.
It'd be interesting to see Apocalypse's take on the current situation, because the Terrigen Mist Fiasco on one hand embodies the Survival of the Fittest philosophy, and on the other hand, he maybe affected too. I'd personally like him to go against the Inhumans (kind of proving that he's stronger than them and their piddly Mist for example).
This is a story that will really shake things up for this team -- and I wouldn't say they will be gelling all that well to begin with. The Uncanny X-Men will not be the same going into this story as they are coming out of it. We'll be looking at a major shift in the team dynamic, and some significant changes for two of the characters.
I'm tired of hearing this, mainly because the teams were just formed, so a big shakeup isn't really going to do anything. Not trashing on the potential storyline(s), though. I just think too many creative teams seem to worry about shaking things up, when things haven't settled down, yet.
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