The latest episode of X-Men: The Seminal Moments dives into Jonathan Hickman‘s fast approaching X-takeover with House of X and Powers of XEditor Jordan D. White is joined by veteran writers Jason AaronGerry Duggan and Hickman himself. The five-episode YouTube series, produced by Marvel, examines the most important points in mutant comics. Previous episodes covered Giant Size X-Men #1 (1975), X-Men #1 (1991), Age of Apocalypse (1995), and New X-Men (2001). It’s the best primer to get ready for what Hickman has in store — what Marvel is hyping up as “the most important story in the history of mutantkind.”
House and Powers of X are said to pick up on just about every milestone in the team’s history, spanning all the way back to 1963 and even leaping to current series. With that grand of a claim, an entire YouTube show is probably necessary. According to this episode, though, the story wants to stay humble.
Although this story may be approachable for the uninitiated. In this episode, titled The Future of the X-Men, Hickman says his story won’t rely on any mind numbing time travel, not even any alternate universes like the current (and excellent) Age of X. “There’s no alternate universe version of the X-Men that we’re doing – time travel, or any of that kind of stuff. This is a very cause and effect, very linear narratively straightforward story,” Hickman says. “I think the most important thing about X-Men is obviously the way that individual readers identify with the characters…my obligation is to be true to the character even though you’re putting them in new circumstances and be true to the spirit of what it means to write an X-Men book.”
Given Hickman’s plan to challenge who the X-Men are – all of them, he assures – it only seems appropriate to give him a spot in the Seminal Moments series. It’s so groundbreaking that when Hickman pitched the idea, White was in shock. He told Hickman “we can’t do that, we can’t do that.” Whatever Hickman had planned, it upset him. But he came around. White says now that this story could “change the way people think about the Marvel mutants forever.”
House of X and Powers of X were some of the hottest upcoming comics since they were announced back at C2E2 and somehow they just keep picking up steam. Jonathan Hickman writes both series, with art from Pepe Larraz (X-Men Red), R.B. Silva (Domino: Hotshots), and colorist Marte Gracia (Fantastic Four). If you’re one of the many X-fans who can’t wait another month for their release, check out the video below for more details on what to expect.
House of X releases on July 24 and Powers of X releases on July 31.