By Marc Strom
Marc Guggenheim likes to remain young at heart.
The writer, notorious for his deft plot twists and expert characterization, has established himself as a mainstay of the Marvel Universe in recent months. As a member of the AMAZING SPIDER-MAN braintrust, he currently helps steer one of the House of Ideas' most lovable icons, and now he's added his own band of merry mutants to the mix with the launch of YOUNG X-MEN earlier this month.
Marvel.com caught up with the busy writer to talk about the future of YOUNG X-MEN, what to expect from his next AMAZING SPIDER-MAN arc and more!
Marvel.com: The first issue of YOUNG X-MEN ended on quite a cliffhanger. Where do you pick up from with the beginning of issue #2?
Marc Guggenheim: The new teammates respond to Cyclops' challenge the only way they possibly can: By going shopping! Kidding. Actually, the kids are going to go after the New Mutants/Brotherhood by attacking Dani Moonstar and Magma. But first, they have to train by going up against the original line-up of the New Mutants. How is that possible? Well, you'll just have to pick up the issue and see.
Marvel.com: What made you want to bring the former New Mutants in as the new Brotherhood of Evil Mutants? Have you always had a soft spot for those characters?
Marc Guggenheim: Yeah, I grew up with these characters. I vividly remember when I found out the New Mutants were coming—via an ad, this was in the days before announcements and Interwebs—and I remember when I picked up MARVEL GRAPHIC NOVEL #4 containing their debut. I was hooked from the beginning. So I just knew I had to have them in this series, even if I had to make them antagonists to do it. Now, I recognize that this choice has angered a lot of people, but I'm really staying true to the essence of these characters. All of them have gone over to the dark side in some way, shape or form over the years. I'm just running with that.
Marvel.com: What can you tell us about the direction you'll be taking the new Brotherhood in?
Marc Guggenheim: I'm not taking them in any direction, but the Young X-Men will be taking them
down. Or trying to, at least. If you remember back to when the X-Men first encountered the New Mutants, it was kind of a draw. And these kids have less training and the New Mutants have more experience, so it's gonna be quite the mess.
Marvel.com: Some of the Young X-Men were students at Xavier's while members of the new Brotherhood were teaching there. How do they feel about being sent after some of their former teachers?
Marc Guggenheim: They're a little doubtful at first that the New Mutants have gone over to the "dark side," but they trust Cyclops and there's actually quite a bit of evidence suggesting that the New Mutants have some evil in them—e.g., Roberto became Lord Imperial of the Hellfire Club, Magma destroyed a town, and Dani was, for a time, a member of the Mutant Liberation Front. Even Sam—Cannonball—started out as an employee of Donald Pierce.
Marvel.com: Why did Cyclops assemble the specific team he did in issue #1? Was there a certain rationale in his mind for why he picked each member?
Marc Guggenheim: Absolutely. With the exception of Blindfold, who he didn't pick, he had his reasons for each member: Dust is a good long-range attacker; Rockslide is the bruiser every team needs; Wolf Cub has the potential to be another Wolverine; and Ink's power is almost unlimited in its variety.
Marvel.com: Which characters should we keep an eye on in your first arc?
Marc Guggenheim: All of them! There [are] big moments for everybody. But I think Ink is going to surprise everyone. Particularly in issue #2. There's more to him than people realize.
Marvel.com: Come clean with us, Marc: Are the members of the new Brotherhood of Evil Mutants actually Skrulls?
Marc Guggenheim: Well, if they were—and I'm not saying either way—that would presume that Cyclops
knows that they're Skrulls, right? And how would he know that?
Marvel.com: How long will we have to wait for the Young X-Men's encounter with Donald Pierce that was prophesized at the beginning of issue #1?
Marc Guggenheim: Good question. That's the thing about the future: You never know how close or far it is to the present. The reason I introduced the series with that flash forward is that I want the team living under a ticking clock. You never know when they're going to catch up with the future—which is all the more dramatic because one of them won't survive the experience.
Marvel.com: Any more teases for what we can expect in your first arc?
Marc Guggenheim: Hmm. Let's see...Dust may have to change her codename. We find out how Magma's powers operate on someone made of, oh I dunno, rock. Blindfold vs Dani catfight. Somebody says the name "Cypher." Greymalkin vs. Cyclops. How's that?
Marvel.com: Switching gears, you have your second AMAZING SPIDER-MAN arc coming in July—what new villains will Spidey face in this arc?
Marc Guggenheim: Well, Fracture makes an appearance in the first issue, but he's not the main villain, just the appetizer. The main villain is...a teenage girl? Yeah. And she's the most vicious villain Spidey has ever faced. She finds out where he lives and things go to hell from there...
Marvel.com: Who in Pete's supporting cast has been the most fun to write so far?
Marc Guggenheim: Good question. I could say Jonah, but that's almost too easy. I'd have to go with Dexter Bennett, just because he's so different from JJJ that it's fun to play those contrasts.
Marvel.com: Finally, what kind of developments will we see to some of the long-running subplots in July?
Marc Guggenheim: Y'know, it's funny, but this new arc takes place over such a compressed timeframe [that] there wasn't much opportunity to forward the ongoing sub-plots, so it kinda stands on its own. I say "kinda" because this arc actually
kicks off a
huge Spidey sub-plot that will have repercussions for
years to come and one of those repercussions has
major significance for the serial killer storyline. In short, when you read it, it'll look like it is self-contained, but in the months to come, you'll see it's far more significant than it initially appears. In other words, it's collector's item fodder. Get 'em while they're cheap.
YOUNG X-MEN #2 ships on May 7 while Marc Guggenheim's next stint on AMAZING SPIDER-MAN with artist Phil Jimenez begins in July. Revisit the debut of the original New Mutants with Marvel Digital Comics Unlimited.
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 "YOUNG X-MEN #2 preview art by Yanick Paquette")
 "YOUNG X-MEN #2 preview art by Yanick Paquette")
 "YOUNG X-MEN #2 cover by Terry Dodson")
