Broken Frontier

This November, Marvel takes a second look at the alternative House of M reality with a miniseries focused on Luke Cage and the Avengers. With that in mind, writer Chris Gage stopped by to give us the inside scoop on the project.

Broken Frontier: What's the premise of House of M: Avengers? What characters can we expect to see?

Chris Gage: It's an examination of two things: in a larger sense, the history of the House of M reality from 1979 (the end of the human/mutant wars) to the dawn of the 21st century; and, more specifically, the story of how Luke Cage went from escaped convict to leader of a band of freedom fighters - including Hawkeye, Moon Knight, Iron Fist, Misty Knight and others - who fought to make sure normal humans got justice in a world ruled by mutants.  Aside from the characters I already mentioned, you'll see Tigra, Mockingbird, the White Tiger, Cloak, and many others who aren't Avengers:  Shang-Chi, the Punisher, Taskmaster…the list goes on and on!

BF: The House of M trade collections are some of the most consistent sellers in Marvel's back catalog. What do you think it is about this reality that makes it resonate so well with fans?

CG: It's a well thought out alternate world that's similar  enough to the one we know to be familiar, but different enough to offer intriguing new spins on the characters and situations we're used to.  The entire world is full of possibilities to be explored and questions to be answered.  Like the Days of Future Past world, I think it excites the reader's imagination and makes them want to know more.

BF: Luke Cage has seen a bit of a resurgence in the last few years, going from a tiara wearing stereotype to one of the power players in the Marvel universe. Why do you think the character is so appealing in this day and age?

CG: It's partly in the way he's written - Brian Bendis has done a great job with him - and partly in how he's perceived.  Luke was introduced in the "blaxploitation" era, and I think there was a time when he was considered outdated, just as movies like Shaft or Superfly were.  Today those films are more appreciated, so the "yellow shirt and tiara" look in Luke's past isn't the baggage it once was for the character.  Which I think is good - there's no reason he has to be tied to any particular era any more than, say, Colossus' pointy shoulder pads should tie him to the '70s.

BF: We know that Luke's Avengers are in direct opposition to Magneto's forces. But is there a main villain in this series and if so, can you drop any hints?

CG: The main villain, ironically, is someone who Marvel fans know as a hero: Thunderbird.  In the mainline Marvel Universe, he died heroically in Uncanny X-Men #95.  In the House of M world, he lived, but his experiences and upbringing made him an angry, vengeful man.  Of course, there are other bad guys, like the Blob, Taskmaster, the Kingpin, Elektra, and Bullseye…and you might even see the likes of Piranha Jones if you look really hard!

BF: Did you read House of M actively when it came out or did you have to go back and do some research after accepting the assignment?

CG : I had read the main series and a few of the tie-ins, but not all.  Fortunately, the trades made it easy to catch up.

BF: What's it been like collaborating with artist Mike Perkins again?

CG: Terrific!  Mike is the consummate pro, able to handle anything I throw at him and draw it beautifully.  I'll always jump at any chance to collaborate with Mike, and I think he's doing the work of his career on this book.

BF: Since the miniseries starts in 1979 after the human/mutant war ends, is there any chance we’ll get to see new House of M origins for some of the characters?

CG: You'll definitely see Luke's and the Punisher's.  The origins of other characters will be mentioned or referred to, but not shown per se.  But many of them are quite different - for instance, in this world, Shang-Chi never found out that his father was an evil crime lord; he was killed by Magneto before that could happen.  So instead of being the spiritual man of peace he is in our world, this Shang-Chi is filled with anger, vengeance and a determination to recreate his father's empire.

BF: Was this always planned as a Luke Cage/Avengers story? Were there ever any other characters you wanted to focus on in the House of M continuity?

CG: I was approached with the idea of using Luke and his band of freedom fighters, which was more than cool with me because they're all characters I love.  But I did get some leeway in choosing supporting characters.  For instance, I thought it would be interesting to see The Punisher in this world.  Like many in the House of M reality, he's had his fondest wish granted - he saved the lives of his family.  But there's a dark side as well…in this case, Frank Castle is the "token human" on the Brotherhood, Thunderbird's FBI task force that Frank soon realizes does not have his peoples' best interests at heart.  Unfortunately, a man with a family has to think about what might happen to them if he doesn't toe the line…

BF: Continuity-wise, will this series run up to the "No More Mutants" mind wipe or are you looking to end this before Wolverine begins to piece things together?

CG: The series will end before the other House of M books begin, but not too long before.  Over the course of the miniseries, we'll cover twenty years or more.

BF: If this Avengers series proves successful enough do you think it's possible we'll see more visits to the House of M reality?

CG: I'm sure Marvel would consider it.  It's really up to the fans…if they show they want more by supporting this book, they'll more than likely get it!

House of M: Avengers #1 is on sale this week from Marvel Comics priced $2.99.