X-Men Blue: Cullen Bunn Details The Original X-Men’s New Era

A new day is dawning for Marvel’s X-Men. With the Inhumans vs. X-Men conflict now behind them, the mutants have a future to look forward to, and that includes those of them that come from the past.

Writer Cullen Bunn will team up with artist Jorge Molina to write X-Men: Blue, one of the two new flagship titles of the X-Men ResurrXion line. X-Men: Blue follows the time-displaced original five X-Men – teenagers Beast, Cyclops, Iceman, Marvel Girl, and Angel – on a new mission. The catch is that the mission comes Magneto, who was still their greatest enemy during the era they were taken from.

ComicBook.com spoke to Bunn via email about the new status quo for the young original X-Men, including what new allies and threats may appear. Keep reading through the slideshow to see a preview pages from X-Men: Blue #1.

How do you describe the mission statement of X-Men Blue as a series? What is the mission statement of the team in the series?

For the series: Action, fun, adventure, team interactions, soap opera, layering in mysteries and intrigue in every issue (the payoff for some of which comes quite a ways down the road).

For the team: They’ve been tasked with going after some of the biggest threats to mutantkind in the Marvel Universe. They’re being guided by Magneto BUT this isn’t a covert kill squad or strike force dedicated to scaring the heck out of potential enemies. Magneto has decided that if mutants are going to thrive, they must do so in peace with humanity. A terrifying person like Magneto can’t publicly foster the peace of Xavier’s dream, but Xavier’s original X-Men can!

Of course, Magneto has some ulterior motives… as do the X-Men (see “layering in mysteries and intrigue,” above).

This is the third ongoing series for the original X-Men since they came to the present day. How is X-Men: Blue different from and similar to All-New X-Men in terms of mission, tone, and style?

I loved both ALL-NEW X-MEN series, and I’ve read and re-read them in preparation for this book. I think I’m drawing from my favorite elements of those series, and then putting my own spin on them based on my long-time love of X-Men. Maybe more than the previous books, this series is steeped in all the things that made those classic X-Men books so great!

The Blue team is being mentored by Magneto. Magneto once was headmaster of the Xavier School and helped lead the X-Men and teach the New Mutants. Is the concept of X-Men: Blue inspired by that era of X-men history? Is there some shared creative DNA there?

Definitely a bit of a call-back to that era. Magneto taking over as headmaster of the Xavier School occurred around the time I was at the height of my X-fervor, so it left an impression on me. I remember that I was never really sure what Magneto was up to… and I loved it. That’s going to be part of this series going forward.

This is the third consecutive series you’ve written with Magneto, following the Magneto ongoing series and Uncanny X-Men. How has Magneto changed since you began writing him? How would you describe the chapter of his life he’s now stepping into?

Magneto has gone through quite a bit since I started writing him. He went from a solo judge, jury, and executioner style character to leading a team of hard-hitting X-Men to (now) mentoring the original five X-Men–characters who remember him very clearly as their first enemy. He’s not comfortable with it, to be honest, and he keeps a kind of distance from the O5. He will not be running around on adventures with them.

There’s an added complication, too, in that Magneto is sort of in hiding. He feels that showing himself will only harm the mutant cause. The X-Men are the “face” of his endeavors. But when he does reveal himself… look out!

X-Men Blue

Jean was not part of this X-Men team during the “Extraordinary” era. How does her return to the fold effect the team’s dynamics?

It’s a bit of a shake-up for everyone, but all the other team members tend to agree that it’s time. It is Jean who convinces the team to sign on with Magneto, which is a big change for them. But it shows how much they trust her judgment.

Fans often say that, even though the X-Men didn’t seem to find their stride until the Giant-Size relaunch, there’s something “special” about the original lineup. What do you think it is about the group that makes them so special?

As I see it, the original X-Men have a connection unlike any of the other incarnations of the team. Maybe it’s because they were so young when they got together. Maybe it was working so closely before there were 200 other X-Men to team up with. These five will always be together… a family… and nothing will change that. They’ve changed so much since they arrived in our timeline, but the camaraderie between them will always be there.   

Which relationship within the team have you most enjoyed writing? Is it who you would have expected when you began?

That’s a tough one for me, but straight away I really love the interaction between Jean and Cyclops. I knew that would be a big part of the series long before I started writing, but it took me by surprise a bit. I’m also a fan of the dynamic between Cyclops and Beast. They aren’t seeing eye to eye as we start this series. And Angel and Iceman have an interesting dynamic forming, I think.

Of course, if more characters join the team, that could really shake things up.  

We’ve seen the original X-Men joined by X-23, Oya, and Genesis in past series. Do you plan to mix things up a bit in terms of roster, or are you focusing squarely on the original five?

I’m definitely mixing things up with this team. This book will have a supporting cast, much like the X-Men of Claremont’s run. I’m sure some readers can guess who some of these cast members will be. We’re also going to have two (three depending on how you look at it) new members of the team. 

I have sort of a guiding principle for adding new team members to the X-Men. I don;t want to say what that is because it might spoil things. 

What kinds of threats will you be throwing at the Blue team? Any hints as to what villains will be appearing?

As anyone who read my UNCANNY X-MEN run knows, I enjoy delving back into X-Men history, and I love revisiting classic X-villains. We’re seeing Black Tom and Juggernaut–as classic an X-Men villain pairing as there’s ever been–in our first issue. But were also going to be seeing a number of fan-favorite villains from the 70s, 80s, 90s, and beyond. I hope that I’ve managed to add a few surprises to some of these classic villains, some things you wouldn’t expect. And there will be characters you haven’t seen in decades joining the cast. 

Any last hints or teases you’d like to leave fans with?

These characters have gone through a lot of changes since they arrived in our time, and they will continue to go through even more changes as the series progresses. And since they are time travelers, they may find themselves back in the time stream. If they do that, there’s no telling where they’ll end up and which X-characters they may meet. 

Also. 

Watch the Blackbird.

X-Men: Blue #1 goes on sale Arpil 12.

X-Men: Blue #1
FEB170767
(W) Cullen Bunn (A) Jorge Molina, Matteo Buffagni (CA) Arthur Adams
THE ORIGINALS!
Join MARVEL GIRL, CYCLOPS, BEAST, ICEMAN and ANGEL as they reclaim the title of X-MEN. After the world-shaking events of IVX, the original five X-Men are here to bring mutant criminals to justice and restore a heroic sheen to their team. But with a new leader in JEAN GREY and a new mentor in their “arch-frenemy” MAGNETO, will old rivalries and new conflicts tear these heroes apart?
Rated T+
In Shops: Apr 12, 2017
SRP: $4.99

X-Men Blue

X-Men Blue

X-Men Blue