X-Men Forever Preview

In 1991, Marvel kicked off a second X-Men book headlined by writer and industry icon Chris Claremont and artist Jim Lee. The series, entitled simply "X-Men" shattered previous records and helped catapult Marvel’s foremost team of mutants to the forefront of the minds of many fans. The pair collaborated on just three issues before the writing was handed off to John Byrne, causing an abrupt shift in direction. X-Men Forever is an ambitious "What If..?" series where Chris Claremont has been given the opportunity to continue writing the story of the X-Men as he might have written it more than 17 years ago.

What does this mean for Rogue and Gambit fans? The couple will essentially be granted a tabula rasa, erasing years of angst-ridden interaction and storytelling that has made many devoted fans of either character anxious that the two go their separate ways. Some key events in the couple’s history that will be erased include:

• A sexually-charged basketball game and romantic picnic (X-Men 4, 8)
• Gambit’s secret marriage to Bella Donna Boudreaux of the Assassin’s Guild in New Orleans (and Rogue’s subsequent, accidental absorption of Bella Donna’s memory) (Gambit mini-series 1-4, 1993-94)
• Rogue and Gambit’s first date, complete with romantic carriage ride through Central Park (X-Men 24)
• Gambit’s involvement in the death of Genevieve Darceneaux, a jewel thief who had been seduced by Gambit and allowed to fall to her death so that he might save his brother, Henri instead (X-Men 33)
• Bella Donna’s murder of Cody Robbins, Rogue’s childhood friend and the first victim of her burgeoning mutant powers (Rogue mini-series 1-4, 1995)
• Rogue’s passionate kiss of Gambit as a final act of desperation before the Crystal Wave signalling the onset of the Age of Apocalypse hit (X-Men 41)
• The appearance of Joseph, amnesiac and de-aged version of Magneto (later revealed to be his clone) for whom Rogue temporarily developed romantic feelings during the Onslaught storyline (Uncanny X-Men 341)
• Rogue’s resulting absorption of Gambit’s memory of the Morlock Massacre, in which he had been unknowingly involved prior to joining the X-Men and the separation that resulted when those memories finally surfaced in Rogue (Uncanny X-Men 350)
• Rogue’s selfish decision to pull Gambit back from the brink of death - and ostensibly paradise after both were nearly killed by Vargas (X-Treme X-Men 18)
• Rogue and Gambit discovering themselves temporarily powerless as a result of their near death experience and deciding to move to Valle Soleada, California to attempt a "normal" relationship (X-Treme X-Men 31)
• The Foxx debacle, whereby Mystique impersonated a young mutant female named Foxx in an attempt to seduce Gambit and drive a wedge between the two (X-Men 171-173)
• Gambit’s transformation into Death, a Horseman of Apocalypse and repeated attempts to kill Rogue (X-Men 183-187)
• Gambit and Mystique’s cooperative effort to infiltrate the reformed Marauders, apparently in order to save Rogue as prophecied by the Destiny Diaries (a storyline which concluded in X-Men 207)

Where exactly does this leave our two heroes? For one thing, Rogue is still just a team member, not yet having any leadership experience. She should also still have the powers she absorbed from Ms. Marvel (flight, superstrength, and invulnerability), never having undergone the repeated depowerings/repowerings of the last few years. Gambit isn’t even necessarily a part of the team and is really just hanging around because of his friendship with Storm. He has yet to be accused of betraying the X-Men (X-Men 8). To give some additional context, according to ComicMix.com:

During their latest mission, the Blue Strike Force met the newly formed Acolytes and witnessed the apparent death of Magneto (at the hands of his Acolyte Cortez) on Asteroid M, which has just been destroyed.

Alan Kistler, ComicMix.com

When asked in an interview by Wizard Universe about the direction he intends to take the books, Claremont explains:

It’s very much an evolution of the story elements and structural elements that I had in mind but, as often is the case, the devil is in the details. The fact is that the characters have changed and evolved since then and the world has changed and evolved significantly since then. X-Men Forever is presenting what Mark and I visualized as the next step in the mutant saga.

Chris Claremont, WizardUniverse.com

Claremont has always done a good job writing an empowered Rogue (Uncanny X-Men 269, 274), though fans give mixed reviews of his previous treatment of Gambit. In fact, when asked about the changes that were made to his plans for Gambit’s backstory (which he had originally intended to strongly link to that of Scott and Alex Summers), he responds:

The Gambit in X-Men Forever is the Gambit who was in Uncanny up to #278 and X-Men #1 through #3. He’s technically not even an official X-Man. He’s just been hanging around for a bunch of weeks and, as we establish in the preview, he’s not even sure he wants to stay. He’s playing it by ear. Circumstances will arise that may make up his mind for him, but everything is considerably more fungible. Nothing in this is going to be like what you’re used to seeing.

Chris Claremont, WizardUniverse.com

From the first cover preview, it’s clear that many characters are being re-envisioned - at least in appearance. There’s a good chance that this decision was made to match intended changes to the characters’ previous continuity, or at least to give them a more updated appearance. Gambit in sunglasses and a suit definitely has my curiosity piqued, and I’m pleased with the two-toned, tailored nature of Rogue’s costume.

X-Men Forever will be released bi-weekly and premiers in May, 2009. Preview issues will be released in March and April. Artwork will be by Tom Grummett.