Marvel Live Event: Avengers vs. X-Men

As reported yesterday, Marvel’s next event is Avengers vs. X-Men, scheduled to debut in April 2012.

The event encompassed a live video feed, moderated by X-Men editor Nick Lowe, featuring the writers of the 12 issue event, Marvel’s Architects, Brian Bendis, Jason Aaron, Jonathan Hickman, Matt Fraction, and Ed Brubaker. Also appearing were Marvel Editor-in-Chief Axel Alonso, and Executive Editor Tom Brevoort.

The series will focus on the return of Hope, and Cyclops knowing she needs to be protected.

Matt Fraction says Iron Man is going to get a new set of armor for “specific foe,” just before referencing the word “plethora” and its use in The Three Amigos.

Ed Brubaker is most excited about the conflict of Steve Rogers and Scott Summers, as they are two fascinating characters, but he thinks Scott is more willing to make sacrifices.

Brevoort says it’s different than any other event they’ve had, in that they have five writers. They’ve met several times to hammer out the details. The first one took place at Bendis’ house where they set up the general story. It’s like “running a relay race.” Each single issue is structured so that the writer is the voice of that issue, as opposed to a singular voice.

Jason Aaron suggests that you don’t need to read all the X-Men stuff that comes before Avengers vs. X-Men, but it might make it better. Brevoort said that X-Sanction is a lead in to Avengers vs. X-Men. He calls it the “opening shot”.

Avengers vs. X-Men #0 will feature two new stories from Bendis and Frank Cho, and another from Jason Aaron that will explain everything you need to get started. But it’s all new content.

Bendis points out that Black Panther’s allegiance is to the Avengers, and his wife, Storm is split much more down the middle. It’s a big story point, and choice for Storm. Aaron talks about the odd spot Wolverine is in, but he’s been an X-Man much longer than an Avenger. Stay tuned.

When asked, where are the villains, Axel Alonso said the villains are busy doing their bad stuff. The primary characters will be the heroes though.

The artists will be split into three acts over the issuses, and the artists in order are John Romita Jr., Olivier Coipel, and Adam Kubert.

Tom Brevoort says that Avengers: Children’s Crusade does fit into this, and where it finishes in the last issue, showing where Scarlet Witch fits in.

There may be a Quasar appearance, so there’s that, if that’s your thing. So no information there.

Aaron says Professor X is going to play a role.

They were vague on Nova’s role, but he’ll be playing a role also. So more vagueness. Wait and see.

Brevoort said that Avengers Assemble will not be touched by this event. It’s designed for people who don’t want to be involved with the big event, such as people who want to read Avengers comics who liked the movie Marvel’s The Avengers.

Basically at this point, people are just asking what’s going to happen, and who is going to show up, and the writers are saying they can’t say, because it would ruin the story. This happens at all events with fan questions.

Then they started making fun of Brubaker and his hat and dog and gardener, and called it.

If you want to watch the whole thing, go here.

Comments

  1. You left out the part where someone in the chat room kept commenting on how cute they thought Nick Lowe was.

  2. Did they mention if the series was going to be available same day digital?

  3. “Basically at this point, people are just asking what’s going to happen, and who is going to show up, and the writers are saying they can’t say, because it would ruin the story. This happens at all events with fan questions.” -Pretty much why I tuned out when the questions started coming in.

    Was ok for a few minutes, didn’t really get much more info than what we already got from the initial announcement. Still looking forward to reading this, though.

  4. sound very interesting, also sounds like there wont be too many tie-ins at least there in the books i already have on my pull list, definitely count me in.

  5. The Marvel weekly e-news letter had the pole at the bottom: Avengers or X-Men. I thought it was kind of a goofy schtick until I had to make the choice for myself…I voted twice.

  6. or maybe pool** that would have made it really interesting.

  7. Sounds like Josh got a bit bored in those last few paragraphs

    • They don’t say much at the end, and there’s not much to write. This was a hell of a lot better than the Fear Itself announcement, where they didn’t say anything about anything. “Why are we here?”

  8. I like how once every 2 years or so there’s a major event where the X-Men rally around Hope and protect her, because they decide she’s the most important mutant on the planet. Then they spend the next year moving her out of the way and pretending she doesn’t exist.

    I think Marvel has been a disaster since “the architects”. If they don’t get this right it’s new Editor-In-Chief time and lots of note taking on what DC is doing across the street. Mark Waid anyone?

    • Hope is just barely 4 years old, and she’s only been in the present since March of last year.

    • Well no, I’m including Messiah Complex. I’m not going to try and out-snark you, I’m making a simple point and it’s that Hope has been a plot device when it’s convenient, and kind of a ship without a rudder. I never get the feeling that they ever knew what to do with her beyond the crossover du jour

    • i think Generation Hope has been really fun. She seems plenty important if you read that book.

    • I gotta great. Generation Hope was one of my favorite Marvel series this year. Along with Thunderbolts.

    • @cutty: Yeah, I have to agree with the other replies – Hope’s been featured pretty prominently since her introduction. Sure, she hasn’t always been front and center in Uncanny X-Men, but we watched her grow up and develop a personality in Duane Swierczyinski’s Cable, she was the major focus of Second Coming and the Five Lights arc that then launched Generation Hope, where she’s becoming a very multi-dimensional character. I don’t think anyone’s forgotten she exists.

      I don’t mean to be snarky, because it’s fine if you just don’t like Hope as a character, but if Hope is your scapegoat for not liking Avengers vs X-Men, I don’t think your argument holds up.

  9. I read all of that and the only thing that stuck in my brain is “hawkeye’s new costume is fucking terrible”.

  10. Sounds way too much like Schism, two sides disagree on something, so they fight about it. the fact that it’s 12 issues kills me, marvel events tend to be very drag-ass by the end, i’ll guess it’s a weekly.

    • Ahhh, you know…your first sentence kind of defines “dramatic conflict”, the heart of virtually every story ever written.

      What would you prefer? Avengers AND X-Men: COOKOUT!!

      (And even then, you know there will be disagreements that lead to “fights”…it’s what stories are about).

      The conflict just isn’t always spelled out in the title like it is with this and Schism and Civil War.

    • “What would you prefer? Avengers AND X-Men: COOKOUT!! ”

      Only if Beach Volleyball is involved.

    • I would totally read Avengers & X-Men: COOKOUT

    • I would very much like Avengers and X-Men: COOKOUT

    • Ken, the consensus is COOKOUT:)

      looking back on my favourite events (Infinity Gauntlet, Crisis on Infinite Earths, Age of Apocalypse,, Blackest Night, 52), it’s not a case of flat binary dilemas, it’s heroes put into desperate situations that’s interesting, Civil War at least had some nuance to it.

      give me COOKOUT any day:)

  11. I hope Beast is a main focus, he has the split Avengers/X-men loyalty thing more then Wolverine.

  12. I’m most interested how Nova fits into the story, because he’s the first to learn of the Phoenix Force’s return. Also I wonder what I’m gonna do about the Uncanny X-Men books. Wolverine and the X-Men and Uncanny X-Force are the only X-Men books I’m reading, also I’m reading Wolverine. I was really close to dropping The Avengers, but I guess I’ll stick around.

  13. ok, I was just getting into the X-Men again and now I feel like I am being strung along into another f*in event! I’m tired of events… I’m worn out Marvel… I can’t event with you any more… Didn’t buy one issue of Fear Itself and I feel damned good about it!