Welcome, X-fans, to another incredible edition of X-Men on Monday at AIPT!
X-Fans, you may not have realized it yet, but your favorite characters like Phoenix, Storm, Psylocke, and Sentinel all have their own series. Wait, Sentinel?
If you’re shocked… well, you shouldn’t be. If X-Men comics don’t offer thought-provoking stories that challenge readers’ understanding of right and wrong, they’re not doing their job. And having read Sentinels #1 early on, I can confidently say that this is exactly the case. (For another perspective, check out AIPT’s advance review of Sentinels #1!)
But if you’re still wondering about the “From the Ashes”-era answer to mutant hunters, you’re in luck. Sentinels writer Alex Paknadel returned to X-Men on Monday to talk about his cyborg team, their first target Omega Red, and more. Let’s see what he has to say.
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AIPT: Alex, welcome to Monday’s X-Men! Before we dive deeper into the Sentinels, as a longtime X-Men fan, was there any hesitation on your part about writing a series about the purple mutant hunters? Was it a unique challenge? (I ask this as someone who thought it would be fun to do Orchis Monday with former X-Men senior editor Jordan D. White!)
Alex Paknadel: Of course, it was a unique challenge. But what I enjoyed. I had no illusions that I was writing a book about the good guys, but I always felt that the dramatic possibilities of the Sentinel concept were endless. My “participation” in this work was to consider the Sentinel team themselves as victims. They have been experimented on, repaired, anesthetized, and monitored since the moment Sentinel nanotechnology was administered to them by Lawrence Trask. Of course, no one is condoning their activities – I know I am not – but I hope readers will find them compelling and complex in their own right.
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AIPT: Let’s talk about the cast. Let’s start with Lawrence Trask, the leader of the Sentinels. He is the son of original Sentinels creator Bolivar Trask. Knowing he was resurrected on Krakoa made me wish I had seen the story unfold during the First Krakoa era. As the series unfolds, can we expect to see flashbacks and learn more about how Krakoa affected Larry?
Alex: Unfortunately, you can’t go beyond the first issue. Bringing Larry back is a real coup, and I’d love to get into the weeds regarding his return in the future, but for now we have one miniseries and four completely new characters to introduce. Larry is fascinating and I expect the mystery of his return to deepen, but that may not be the story I’m meant to tell. That said, his actions in this miniseries will give readers a better understanding of his post-Krakoa worldview. X-Men readers can definitely read between the lines.
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AIPT: This week’s first X-Fan question comes from a living memory of the 1407 Graymalkin Lane X-Men. What do you think is the main difference between this group of Sentinels and, say, Reavers?
Alex: That’s a good question. I think the main difference lies in their respective goals. The Reavers are hell-bent on killing mutants, but our Sentinels just capture them – cruel, I admit. Being a Reaver is a terrifying mission. Being part of our new Sentinels is a job. Many would argue that the latter is worse and that there is an ethical quagmire in this series. At what point do you become complicit if you blindly follow orders?
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AIPT: Harry G from X Fan wanted to know what relationships and dynamics between the characters you’re most excited to explore. Also, how did you come up with this clever idea to see the more sinister aftermath of a Marvel crossover event?
Alex: Given the limited nature of the series, we needed to focus on two POV characters in a team of four. Drumfire and Sawtooth are two of the most dissimilar team members outwardly, yet both struggle to maintain different kinds of control. This control, or lack thereof, is the dramatic conflict at the heart of this book.
Regarding the importance of crossover events in the backstories of the main characters, I wanted them all to be collateral damage from metahuman events. None tackles this head-on, as it would take another book to get this right, but I hope to convey the sense that these are all little people who have been crushed and spat out by a terrifying world of gods. It was. Monster.
AIPT: Tough Questions from X-Fan Hero_Donnel: Given all the damage and pain the Sentinels have inflicted on mutants over the years, why should we care about this series involving individuals who do nothing but harm our mutants? Is there one?
Alex: Because damage and pain are inflicted by the person who is suffering from the damage. If we don’t understand this cycle, we are doomed to repeat it. One of the things that came up early in our discussion was the idea that even the original Sentinel was a product of emotion. We think of Sentinels as ruthlessly logical and ruthless, but in reality they are simply a manifestation of human paranoia. They are a congealed mass of fear born of a deep sense of vulnerability and inadequacy.
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Our human sentinels are no different, except they can be placed in dramatic situations where they can articulate their fears and inadequacies. As a long time X fan, I thought this was worth exploring.
AIPT: X-Fan Jude T. said there was a familiarity with Larry Trask’s premise of trying to maintain coexistence between humans and mutants by fighting “evil” mutants. He also operates at the former Xavier School, now Greymalkin Prison. Should we expect an explanation of the history of X-Men stories beyond the Sentinels?
Alex: That’s a very astute observation, and one I honestly hadn’t thought of before. thank you.
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To be honest, I’m not trying to comment on the history of the X-Men story, but on cognitive dissonance more generally. The idea of imprisoning mutants to protect them is quite Orwellian doublethink, but most people, myself included, have internalized the not-so-absurd contradiction into everyday life. I’m letting you do it. In many ways, this book is about the comforting lies we tell ourselves to cope with those contradictions.
AIPT: X fan Firena4Red, you wrote a great story about Omega Red in the comic “X-MEN: From the Ashes Infinity,” which inspired people to really learn about Arkady, his character, and his unexplored origins. I said it became. As a fan of Arkady, what can we expect from his appearance in Sentinel?
Alex: First of all, thank you for your kind words. I’m a huge fan of Omega Red, so it was a great honor to be able to tell more of his backstory. If someone wants an Omega Red: Origins mini, I’d love to be that person.
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But yes, the main thing I wanted to accomplish with the Infinity story was to humanize Arkady, ideally, tragically, before dehumanizing him again through the eyes of the Sentinels. When they meet Omega Red, all they see is a terrifying monster in a cage. Of course, our readers know better. The beast that emerges from the snow in Sentinel #1 has taken a difficult route to get there, but the team doesn’t know it. To me, that only makes the tragedy even worse.
AIPT: What was it like collaborating with artist Justin Mason on Sentinels?
Alex: Justin is a force of nature and I think his skull-cracking energy is the perfect counterweight to my inhibitions. This book needs to function as an entertainment piece first and foremost, so having Justin make the action as big and dynamic as possible makes my job 1,000 times easier.
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Justin has stretched me and I wish I could stretch him a little bit too. We both bring different things to the party, but I strongly believe that they are all complementary. I strongly believe that Justin is Marvel’s next superstar artist, and I was very fortunate to work with him.
AIPT: Looking ahead, I can’t help but notice the variant cover of Sentinels #2’s feature… Onslaught!?! What? What’s going on, Alex?
Alex: Speaking of a congealed mass of fear born of an acute sense of vulnerability and inadequacy…
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AIPT: Finally, we’re so excited to continue taking us on a tour of the new X-Men universe with X-Men: From the Ashes Infinity Comic. How fun would it be to spend time inside the heads of X-Icons like Havok, Magneto, and the Beast? Whose head are you going to poke fun at next?
Alex: Thank you. As I’ve said elsewhere, I knew going into From the Ashes that there would be a lot of backfilling. And that was fine with me. It was impossible to address the influence from Krakoa in all the new X books. Especially since the new status quo is worth exploring in its own right. But I’m interested in the aftermath and long-term effects. So when I was asked to lean heavily into the drama and psychological impact of the return of mutants, I grabbed the opportunity with both hands.
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The most pleasant surprise was finding out that so many key players were on the table, including Xavier himself. There are a lot of characters on your bucket list, so you can give them all emotionally impactful arcs. As for who’s next, you better keep your big mouth shut because you never know when this interview will be canceled.
AIPT: Now, Alex, we’re just live! But that’s okay. I welcome new surprises every Monday (the good kind, of course). That said, thanks for stopping by Monday’s X-Men, Alex! (For more from Alex about Sentinel and other projects, listen to his recent appearance on the AIPT Comics Podcast.)
Remember, X fans — Sentinels #1 will be released on October 9, 2024. And since we’re sure you’ll all be in for a Monday surprise, here’s this week’s X-Men Monday eXclusive: Sentinels #1, eXtra preview early! This is courtesy of writer Alex Paknadel, artist Justin Mason, color artist Federico Blee, and letterer VC Travis Lanham.
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Next time on X-Men Monday, writer and artist Declan Shalvey returns to talk about the upcoming Mystique mini-series. Click here to submit your question to Declan by 5pm ET today (September 30, 2024).
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Until next time, have a special time, X-fans!
