Marvel Comics X-Men NYCC 2018 Panel Recap

On the final day of New York Comic Con 2018, Marvel Comics held a panel with the X-Men creators to give fans a look at future books and stories.

X-Men Editor Jordan D. White accompanied Assistant Editor Annalise Bissa, writers Ed Brisson Dead Old Man Logan, X-Force), Sina Grace (Iceman), Matthew Rosenberg (Uncanny X-Men, Astonishing X-Men), Leah Williams (X-Men: Black), Zac Thompson and Lonnie Nadler (Age of X-Man Alpha).

The panel of creators dove into the current X-Men books, like Black and Dead Old Man Logan. The conversation also turned to the end of the current X-Termination storyline, the return of Uncanny X-Men and new titles spinning out of it.

Here are the highlights from the Marvel Comics X-Men NYCC 2018 panel:

X-Men Black: Emma Frost

Leah Williams: "I don't see [Emma] as a villain, but as someone who is capable of doing terrible things for the right reasons. She's compassionate and has a brutal heart. This is a love letter to the character.

She's an anti-hero but more on the heroic side, because time and time again she chose the difficult but right path, like mentoring young Jean. She's grown so much and has an incredible backstory."

Apocalypse Backup Story

A five-part story that runs with all X-Men Black #1 issues.

Lonnie Nadler: "We wanted to show how the mutant messiah thinks and see what he can do. Writing first-person narration in Apocalypse's voice may never have been done before."

Uncanny X-Men

Matthew Rosenberg: "This is a culmination of what's going on in the X-Men for awhile. If you like Blue, Gold, Red and Astonishing, this is a threat that comes from very close to the X-Men and brings everyone together. If you have a favorite [member of the] X-Men, there's a solid chance that they will be in there to try and save the world."

Ed Brisson: "We're taking a chance to elevate some of the younger X-Men."

• The Four Horsemen of Salvation are Magento, Blog, Angel and Omega Red.
• Uncanny X-Men #7 is the return to Age of Apocalypse.
• Uncanny X-Men Annual #1 has a cover that features every iteration of Cyclops. The solicit says, "Cyclops: Dead or Alive?"

Astonishing X-Men

• Issue #17 features Havoc is slipping back into a villain.
• "It's tragic and hard to read and this is the moment of truth for him and his legacy." - Matthew Rosenberg
• Dazzler, Banshee, Beast and Warpath will be featured in issue 17

X-Force

• This will spins out of X-Termination.
• X-Force is hunting after Younger Cable, after he killed the future Cable.
• Deathlok and "Kid" Cable are working with anti-mutant terrorists. X-Force are there to find out what's going on.
• Brisson teases more of Cable's backstory will be filled in with this book.

Dead Man Logan

• Logan is rapidly dying, but he wants to tie up loose ends before he does.
• He is after Mysterio, so what happened to him in the original Old Man Logan story doesn't happen.

What If? Magik

• This story explores the possibility that Magik didn't join the New Mutants after she got out of Limbo.

Iceman

• Issue #2 features Emma Frost who needs Bobby's character and powers.
• There's some weird Mister Sinister stuff in the background, because he's the big bad of the story.

Age of X-Man Alpha

• Nate Grey will be in this book in a prominent role

Highlights from Audience Q&A

Exiles or Blink to show up?

JW: "There are no current plans for them to be involved in the story."

Fantastic Four crossing paths with X-Men?

JW: "Now that the Fantastic Four is back, it won't be long until they run into each other."

Plans for Wolverine's son or Colossus' son?

JW: "No."

Plans for Sunspot?

EB: "As of right now, not in X-Force. He's a character I like a lot, but he doesn't fit with the story we're trying to tell."

JW: "He is featured in a story that hasn't been announced yet."

Will Xavier be around?

JW: "He'll never be far away, but we can't say just yet."