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Across pretty much every form of fiction, some of the most interesting stories are those about what could have been. They’re the stories that take a look into alternate worlds in a sense, answering the questions of what might have transpired if we had turned left instead of right, bought a lottery ticket instead of opting not to, or even situations where one person had survived while another perished. It’s that last scenario that is particularly interesting and one that Marvel Comics is set to explore this summer with What If…? X-Men #1.
Hitting stores on August 26th, What If…? X-Men #1 is written by Ashley Allen with art by Sumit Kumar and takes on a question that has long lingered for many X-Men fans over the years: What If Cassandra Nova had killed Charles Xavier in the womb rather than the other way around and what sort of world would we have with Cassandra’s X-Men? It’s a fascinating and almost chilling concept, one that promises some very different takes on the Marvel Universe. We spoke with Allen about the book and its exploration of some of our favorite characters through a lens we might not have thought about before as well as have an exclusive first look at the issue.
This Isn’t Just a World Without Charles Xavier
: One of the really interesting things about the X-Men, I think, is that they have so much lore and possibility to draw on when it comes to What If stories. What, for you, appealed most about a What If scenario where Cassandra Nova killed Charles Xavier instead of the other way around?
Ashley Allen: So much of the X-Men universe revolves around Charles Xavier’s impact and influence within it. Therefore, it was incredibly fun to picture not only what would happen if Xavier never existed BUT also what would happen if he was replaced with his antithesis. How would the world change? How would Cassandra change herself not having her counterpart or any challenge? When a bastion of good is replaced with a bastion of evil, how will the light survive? That tension is what I love to explore in writing, so this was an amazing project to get to work on.
This story sees Jean Grey and Emma Frost escape and Cassandra having her own X-Men and it feels like it is going to be a very different take on some of our favorite characters than perhaps what we’re expecting. What was your approach to reimagining these iconic characters?
It’s always the nature versus nurture debate, isn’t it? Do you believe a character has some fundamental traits core to who they are regardless of influence or do you believe those aspects of soul are malleable? For me, I believe each character has fundamental traits core to who they are. Events might bury those aspects or mutate them into new forms, but at the end of the day, these are the characters we know and love. I kept this idea central to when I was writing, taking the core personality of my favorites and picturing how that might bend due to differences in the What If universe. It was a really fun exercise and I think fans will love where we ended up.
This Isn’t the Cassandra Nova You’d Expect
Was there a character in this What If world that you found particularly challenging to write?
This version of Jean was a fun challenge to write. What I always love about Jean is how powerful of a character she is – both in terms of mutant abilities but also personality and inner strength. But what happens when an adult views that as a threat? What happens when that aspect is purposely suppressed by an outside source? Balancing Jean’s inner fire with the outside influences around her made Jean a fun challenge to write in this story!
I find that the What If stories often make me reevaluate how I see some of Marvel’s characters. Is there a character in this story that you saw in a different light after writing it — and is there someone you think readers will come away thinking very differently about?
Honestly I thought I would never say this but Cassandra Nova herself. She’s terrifying in the canon universe. Pure evil and chaos. There’s truly no other way to put it. But in this universe, she has no equal and with that, comes boredom. Readers will see a very different side of Cassandra and maybe (dare I say it) understand her a little bit more. I can’t wait
Everything You Need to Know About What If…? X-Men #1
Here’s how Marvel describes What If…? X-Men #1: What if… Cassandra Nova killed Professor X? In a world where Cassandra Nova killed Charles Xavier in the womb, telepaths are hunted and experimented on — and what she’s making from them is far worse than what she’s taking. But when telepaths Jean Grey and Emma Frost escape, Cassandra Nova will stop at nothing to bring them back! Bring on Cassandra’s X-Men!” The book goes on sale August 26th.
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