Dawn Of X entirely focuses on mutant team dynamics in its first group of titles, but as it enters its second wave, solo characters start to get their time in the spotlight. Wolverine gets a new ongoing series in two weeks, and the following week sees the debut of Giant Size X-Men, a series of one-shots zeroing in on specific mutants. Written by Jonathan Hickman with art by top talent like Russell Dauterman, Ben Oliver, and Alan Davis, Giant Size X-Men launches with one of the most contentious pairs in the Marvel Universe, Jean Grey and Emma Frost, and then continues with Magneto and Nightcrawler stories in March and April. May brings a non-mutant character into the fray with Giant Size X-Men: Fantomex #1, reuniting Hickman with his current New Mutants collaborator, Rod Reis, to explore what the French super-thief’s life looks like in the age of Krakoa.
Hickman’s X-run has been deeply indebted to the work of Grant Morrison, and Fantomex is one of Morrison’s most enduring creations. He’s gone through a lot of changes over the last few years, including having his body serve as the host for Charles Xavier’s resurrected mind, giving Hickman a lot to explore as he takes Fantomex back into The World, the artificial, time-shifting habitat where he was created to be a weapon against growing mutant population. The A.V. Club has an exclusive look at Reis’ cover and the solicitation text for Giant Size X-Men: Fantomex #1 along with upcoming pages from New Mutants #7, continuing Hickman and Reis’ thrilling and delightful saga of the New Mutants bumbling their way through space.
“As Jonathan Hickman and I were talking about characters for this Giant-Size X-Men issue, I said I was looking for crazy and weird characters that would allow me to play with panel layouts and do crazy stuff,” says Reis. “So we decided that Fantomex would be the perfect choice. I loved what we did with New Mutants. I had so much fun working with those characters and people can expect this book to be a lot of fun too.” Reis is one of the most imaginative artists in comics when it comes to linework, coloring, and layouts, and taking Fantomex back into The World gives him endless opportunities to experiment with a endlessly adaptive hero in an environment that is constantly transforming and introducing new dangers.
GIANT-SIZE X-MEN: FANTOMEX #1
Written by JONATHAN HICKMAN
Art and Cover by ROD REIS
The hit creative team of Jonathan Hickman & Rod Reis (NEW MUTANTS) turn their attention to the covert activities of the Weapon Plus program’s Weapon XIII! A bred killer who chose the life of a gentleman super-thief, Fantomex has always defied expectations… For example, who would expect him to break into the World, the artificial realm of his creation? And then again? And then… again?
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So if this takes place in the present, I guess Xavier either cloned a new body for himself and gave Fantomex his own body back or cloned a new body for Fantomex. (Well, either would make sense since Xavier already has died and come back again.)
Well they have their resurrection process so it wouldn’t have been hard for them to create a new body for either of them.
Right?!? I’m used to the heightened soap-opera of comics, but even this gave me pause: He’s gone through a lot of changes over the last few years, including having his body serve as the host for Charles Xavier’s resurrected mindDid he wash and dry-clean it before returning it at least?Fine, death has no impact for the mutants, but Fantomex isn’t a mutant, so there’s no good reason (except being creepy) for X to have his engrams/mental imprint/brain-tape on file in Cerebro. Technically, he was created to kill them.None of this is really a complaint. I’m liking the new books/style. It’s just…well, they’ve been cloned, shunted to alternate histories/dimensions, wiped out through chaos magic, yanked out of their own past to meet their future selves. It is just the weirdest corner of 616. It’s often a blast to read, impossible to explain.
Yeah, I forgot: Fantomex was initially created to be a Super Sentinel, but he escaped and rebelled, refusing to be anybody’s soldier. I guess, however, when Xavier occupied his body, it turned him into a mutant?In any case, I think Xavier just created a new body for himself and left the old one to Fantomex, because that makes the most sense. In fact, I think Fantomex’s mask blocks all telepathy, so copying his mind for a new body would be impossible.
EIC: “OK, Grant, you’ve pitched us some pretty weird original characters…”GM: “Quitely also wants to redesign some of the characters. I thought maybe…like it’s a second mutation…”EIC: “We’ll circle back to that. What’s the next character you’ve got?”GM: “Well, he’s a super-assassin raised in a virtual environment by an extension of the same super-secret program that created Wolverine…”EIC: “So what mutant mutation does he…“he”, right? We already have a couple of female mutant assassins in our roster…so what’s his special mutant power?”
GM: “He’s not a mutant; he’s a cyborg Super-Sentinel created to seek out and kill mutants. His mask even blocks physic influence…”EIC: “OK…ummm…but you know the name of the book is New X-Men, right? Not New X-Men and Friends…”GM: “Sure, sure, you know that music video for the Beastie Boys’ ‘Body Movin’?”EIC: “Ummm…where is this going?”GM: “He’s going to be designed just like that character!”
I know we’re not really meant to… but I do so enjoy Fantomex. Largely due to him a) being our window into the world of The World, and b) due to his time in X-Force.
Damn, that X-Force was great
Are we not supposed to? He’s terrible but also great.
Man, this Hickman X-men stuff has been, and continues to be a ton of fun. Not sure where it’s all going, but the ride has been more fun than anything in capes books in a while.
Wait, Fantomex isn’t a mutant? I always thought his power was EVA, like how Maggott’s powers were his maggots.
I thought this was the Fantomex preview but I only see a New Mutants preview?
hell yes, more Sunspot content.
Good timing- Marveling at Marvel’s Marvels just did an episode on Fantomex. He’s a weird, weird, dude…
http://matmm.libsyn.com/episode-152-fantomex