| This article is written from the Real World perspective |  |
| X-Men '92 | |
|---|---|
 Teaser announcement image | |
| Tie-In Series | X-Men |
| Beginning date | June 24, 2015 |
| End date | December 28, 2016 |
| Number of Issues | 14 |
| Writers | Chris Sims Chad Bowers |
| Penciller(s) | Scott Koblish |
| Inker(s) | Alti Firmansyah |
| Colorist(s) | David Nakayama |
| Publisher | Marvel Comics |
X-Men '92 is an ongoing comic book series produced by Marvel Comics. It is a revival of the series X-Men that began as a tie-in to the 2015 series Secret Wars. The series ended after fourteen issues.[1]
Development[]
In 2014, Marvel began releasing teaser images to promote a then-mysterious cross-series event for the comics. In one of the latest images, they teased that the X-Men of the 90s series would be participating.[2] The teaser image showed Jubilee, Storm, Gambit, Professor X, Wolverine, and Cyclops in the style shown on the series, though this was inspired by the comics at the time of production. Though noticeably missing are series regulars Jean Grey and Beast. It was later revealed that there would a multi-universe conflict involving the main Marvel universe and many others.[3]
The creative team of writer Chris Sims, writer Chad Bowers, artist Scott Koblish, and colorist Matt Milla work on the series. In an interview with Marvel, they revealed that they intend to maintain the feel of the time, the voices of those versions of the characters, and the relationships built in the series.[4] When asked later on twitter, though, Sims revealed that this series was not a part of the animated universe's continuity.[5] However, this was disregarded by Marvel Comics who officially placed X-Men '92 in the same universe as the cartoon. X-Men '92 was later placed in a separate universe from the cartoon following the announcement of X-Men '97.
Sims said of the show:
- "I was ten years old in 1992, and that was the perfect time to get into the X-Men. There was just so much going on, and all those complicated stories and over-the-top characters were just so enticing, and not just because they were time-travelers with huge guns and scrappy little dudes with knives on their hands. It was this whole weird, complex world that I wanted to see more of, and now we're getting the chance to go in and make it even weirder."
Marvel Comics editor-in-chief Axel Alonso said of the show and comic:
- "For many of us, animated series based on the Marvel characters, with their exciting and accessible stories, provided a fresh new entry point for a new generation of Marvel fans. Now, through the magic of our digital-only Infinite Comic format, the new Secret Wars digital-exclusive X-Men '92 series will recapture the unique energy of the animated storytelling and continue to grow the legion of Marvel fans."
On September 22nd, 2015, Marvel announced that the series would be ongoing. Sims and Bowers will return as writers with Alti Firmansyah as interior artist and David Nakayama as cover artist. It will begin regular releases in Spring of 2016.[6]
In addition to classic enemies seen in the series, they will be introducing others that were created afterwards such as Cassandra Nova. Sims said, "I think that's what we're really concerned about: not doing the things you’ve seen before. The main reason we went with Cassandra Nova in the [first series] was that she was the one villain that you've never seen those '90's X-Men fight. Obviously, we're going to see some familiar faces in the ongoing, but it might not be who—and when—you expect."
Bowers said of the comic, "There are so many '90's era characters to look forward to in the ongoing, and not all of them X-Men, but I've said too much already. As for where the X-Men are going, well, they'll be going everywhere! We're both big fans of the X-Men in space, so you can look forward to that. And what would the X-Men be without a little time travel weirdness tossed in there? That said, don't expect us to simply retread old stories that you've already seen, because that’s the last thing we want to do. This is All-New X-MEN '92, and that means all bets are off; if you think you know the '90's X-Men, think again, mister!"
They will also be putting in many other 1990 references, like laser tag. Bowers said, "Working that stuff in is half the fun of writing this book. In fact, if you thought the first series was full of '90's touchstones, just wait. We got confirmation on something just the other day that has us both freaking out a little bit. I can't wait for peoples' reactions to everything we’re planning for the ongoing. I'm confident in saying if you liked what we've done already, you're going to be blown away by what we have coming up."
Firmansyah's favorite character on the show is Gambit and told fans to expect plenty from him. He was the first action figure she bought.
Sims noted how difficult it was to write for Deadpool. "I'd like to think we had a couple of good zingers in there, but man, getting that guy to actually be funny was a whole lot more work than you might think."
Bowers also said that he enjoyed writing for Psylocke. "Going into this, I was a Cyclops guy, but Betsy's my new favorite X-Man, and we've got big things planned for her and Bishop in the new series."
Sims added, "As for the core cast, Gambit and Rogue were about as fun as I figured they'd be, but so was Cyclops. He's such a huge grump about everything, so don't worry, Cyclops fans, he might've left the team during the original series, but I don’t think it's too much of a surprise to say that he'll be back before too long."[7]
Publication[]
The first issue was available digitally in May of 2015 and in print on June 24th.[8]
When talking about their favorite moments in the first series, Bowers said his favorite were the laser tag opening, Storm talking with Cassandra Nova, and everything with Psylocke. But if I had to narrow it down to one moment, my absolute favorite is Wolverine's rescue of the woman in the car. That scene’s incredibly funny, and has that great punch line, but then there's also this complicated sadness happening with him, which Scott Koblish just sells so well.”
Sims favorite was the picnic date between Gambit and Rogue. "I've said this before, but when I was a kid getting into the X-Men, I loved them as a couple, and then when I grew up, I kind of lost interest. Then, when I sat down to write that scene as an adult, I immediately got it again. They're so fun! So much repression, so many goofy accents."
Sims was surprised with one particular moment in the comics. He had the Gambit's "It not you, it Gambit" letter he wrote to Bella Donna in the script and was shocked when Koblish included the entire thing in the art. "That and the end of that sequence, with Gambit giving Rogue a purity ring, were the things that we were sure were going to get cut out. The thing is, once we started the script, our editors, Jordan D. White and Heather Antos, never once told us we couldn’t do something. It was all wide open."
Sequel[]
On January 14, 2022 Marvel Comics announced that a sequel series called X-Men '92: House of XCII was in development. The first issue was released in April 2022. X-Men: '92: House of XCII is a five issue mini-series.[9]
References[]
- ↑ X-Position: Bowers & Sims Tie Up X-Men 92's Loose Ends at Comic Book Resources
- ↑ Marvel at Twitter
- ↑ Marvel at Twitter
- ↑ Secret Wars Correspondence: X-Men '92 at Marvel
- ↑ Chris Sims at Twitter
- ↑ X-MEN '92 Returns As Ongoing Series In 2016 at Newsarama
- ↑ The Blast from the Past Continues in X-Men '92 at Marvel
- ↑ Marvel's X-Men: '92 #1 will bring the '90s cartoon X-Men to modern comics at Polygon
- ↑ The 90s Are Back! X-Men '92 Puts A Radical New Spin On House Of X at Marvel