Welcome to another creepy edition of X-Men on Monday at X-Fans, AIPT!
Following an interview with Jed Mackay and Erica Schultz, our age of reporting of revelation continues by examining one of the evil horns of this strange new world. Yes, that’s a few years from the future, and Sinister hasn’t run out of plans yet. But what is he cooking this time? And Sinister’s six six roles – Havok, Domino, Fantomex, Omega Red, Black Cat, and Venom, will they play in these shenanigans?
Luckily, David Marquez, an artist of Uncanny X-Men and author of Sinister’s Six (October 15, 2025), is making his X-Men Monday debut to answer these and other questions. See and read what he has to say.
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AIPT: Welcome to X-Men Monday, David! Let’s start from the beginning. What was your first X-Men experience as a fan?
David Marquez: Ah, that’s going quite a while ago! My first clear memory lies around Uncanny X-Men #275. This is a major finale to the storyline of Chris Claremont/Jim Lee Savage Land and Shi’ar. Honestly, I might have had some issues before that, but it’s all a bit confusing. So I think I had a rather classic intro to the X-Men. Thrown into the deep edge, I left it to my device and realized what the hell was going on! But the addictive story and dynamic art made me hooked from the start!
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aipt: Since renewing from Ashes, you have been an important part of the post-cracon X-Line and have been working with Gail Simone on the creepy X-Men. But how did the opportunity to pivot from X-Artist to X-Writer come about?
David: I was feeling itchy as long as I was making comics, but finally I had the opportunity to cut my teeth in my own creator-owned book, The Unchosen. It was the most creative and rewarding experience of my career and I wanted to continue writing.
Courtesy of the image comic
Earlier this year I was invited to Marvel Creative Retreat, the only artist in a room full of writers, but I was a bit of a speaker and didn’t know that I wasn’t particularly shy about offering two cents when given a chance. In the end, I think I told my own way to market the book! I don’t think I’ve hurt my writing and drawing my book already.
For readers who have just learned the six of AIPT: Sinister for the first time, what is the elevator pitch for the Tie-in series of Revelation in this era?
David: XX years later, the X virus wreaked havoc on the genetic maps of North America, and Mr. Sinister is a bit concerned that he was not invited to the party. The virus is a biological weapon released by the terrorist organization 3K, which has turned humans that do not kill into mutants, while still not affected by the original mutant population. However, not all are the case, and we find that a small number of mutants are infected with the X virus and suffering from new secondary and tertiary mutations.
These mutants are looking for Mr. Sinister, the evil mastermind, but nevertheless, the master of genetic engineering – wants treatment. He agrees to help them on one condition. They must help uncover the secrets hidden within the virus itself.
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AIPT: Questions about X-Fans Barrett, Harry G, and John’s Minds – How did you settle for this eclectic character cast?
David: All the mutants on the team share a common history as experimental subjects that have been tortured in the name of science and remain particularly vulnerable to the effects of the X-virus. There are no spoilers to worry about here, but this is a very opening page setup for the story. But I didn’t want to limit the cast to just mutants. The changes the world went through had an impact on the entire Marvel universe, so I jumped at the opportunity to grab two of my favorite characters from the Spider-Man book, Black Cat and Venom. How will they be influenced by the creation of X-Virus and the Revelation Territories (originally) as nonconfusing people? It led to some interesting places as readers find it soon!
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AIPT: Speaking – X-Fans Isaiah Meehan and Reese Chow wonder about Venom and Black Cat’s spots on the Mister Sinister team. Will Rees ask if they intend to include in this lineup to show the impact of revelation that reaches beyond mutants?
David: Ah, that’s an absolute big part of the Sinister Six and the Age of Revelation. The entire eastern US was swallowed up by the territory of revelation, cities were destroyed, and human populations were destroyed by the X-virus. Not only the mutant group, but the wider community of superheroes and villains has been reorganized, finding the best shelter for everyone to do. These two characters have their own motivation to join the team, and they need to get a book to find out more.
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AIPT: X-Fan Harry G can’t wait for Sinister’s Six and wants to play what character and dynamics he has in the cast.
David: Havoc and his ominous history naturally centers back and forth. Why would Alex be happy to work with someone who created a lifelong project by torture the Summer’s Clan? There’s a lot to do in the series. Fantomex is also very fun and entertaining to write. She is a bottomless mystery, and having another Fantomex self that appears elsewhere in the Age of Revelation puts an interesting spin on how she can explore the character.
The fact that this series will occur in the future X years, X years from the usual mainstream 616 setting means that it is not limited to the boundaries of Marvel history as previously written. Everyone has been deeply influenced by the years that spanned the other.
Dominoes, Omega Red, Black Cat – they are all in very different places and their motivations may be similar to some degree, but the differences are important. Venom, on the other hand, is a more passive participant, and its role has proven to be a little more unpredictable. Are you seeing how all these elements bounce back against each other as they get closer to their target? It’s fun!
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AIPT: Clearly, featuring Havok and other strange balls, the team led by Devious Mr. Sinister brings back memories of the fan-favorite and hilarious Hellions series. What do you think is the tone of this latest, ominous, focused series?
David: Readers will certainly find humor scattered throughout the book, and while Sinister is very enjoyable to write, the tone here is probably a little more serious than some of the previous books he has appeared in. The book is action packed with questions about the essence of X-Virus, which advances the story. X-Men I’m the first to jump into the end of Mythos science fiction. So, ominously, it means it’s not the focus – playing with the meaning of genetic engineering and virology in this new setting, it’s scary if you’re scared.
But at the heart of this, the story always starts with the characters. Trust, betrayal, loss, trauma, redness, death, hope, family, memory… having such a contrasting cast provides a rich theme soil for the story to grow.
AIPT: From Brian Michael Bendis to Gale Simone, you have collaborated with the comics’ most acclaimed authors and well-known series. Do you think these illustration gigs have in any way influenced the writing of the comics?
David: Ah, absolutely. I am blessed with the front row seating of a decade-long master’s class in comic book writing. And I’m taking notes!
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Nowadays, it’s easy to forget that comic artists are storytellers. Everything you feel when reading a cartoon is very driven by the choices the artist makes, such as the character’s faces, body language, how they are framed, and juxtapositions between elements on the page or across the problem. But as artists, there is a difference in scope between what we deal with and the writer’s storytelling. It is likened to tactics and strategies.
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The artist focuses primarily on small storytelling mechanisms: panels to panels, pages to pages, scene to scene. There are so many subtle skills to master, and doing our job well can make and break comics. Writing, on the other hand, must take a more overall bird’s eye view. Where is this going? How do each question or chapter relate to the other questions? How much time should I spend on each character and what trade-offs should I make within the limits of the 20-page comic? People like Brian and Gale excel in all this effortlessly and I have worked so hard to steal their secrets!
AIPT: I work with artist Rafael Loureiro on Six on Sinister. Mike Trobaugh of X-Fan wonders if the writing process is different when writing another pencil.
David: It’s a very insightful question, and yes, it’s very different. I don’t know what it would be like for other writers who have not been able to portray my career, but for me, yeah, as I write, I draw books in my head too. My stylistic taste and habits flow into the script. Brian Bendis once gave me great advice. Always know your artists before you start and write about their strengths and style. That is absolutely true.
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As editor Darren Shan and I were putting together a book and searching for the right artist, Rafael’s Dazzler’s work popped out to me. We share a lot of similar storytelling and artistic instincts. He does an incredible character work, including great acting, face, body language. Each character is unique and expressive and I feel that I can quickly relate to and connect with them. And I love his costume and character designs. He really knocked that side of the book out of the park. He couldn’t be proud of how this book was put together as I exceeded all expectations in the book and teamed up with the incredible color art of Alex Sinclair.
AIPT: Finally, under the belt of Sinister’s six, we may see more incredible work from writer David Marquez in a not too distant future.
David: Ah, the writing bug bit me hard – no doubt, I write as much as other duties allow.
aipt: I’m looking forward to it! But on that note – David, thank you for stopping by X-Men on Monday! Don’t forget that X-Fans, Sinister’s Six #1, will be released on October 15th, 2025.
Courtesy of a Marvel friend of mine to see what you can expect from artist Rafael Roureiro and colour artist Alex Sinclair.
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Next X-Men Monday – September 10, 2025
Yes, I know that September 10th is Wednesday, but when the X-Tom Breboat conductor wants to speak of the age of revelation and bully what comes after the event, you break the rules!
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Until then, X-Fans will remain exceptional!
