Yesterday Marvel announced that the next big event to take hold of the Marvel Universe will pit the Avengers against the X-Men in a major battle. The event will not only bring Marvel's two biggest franchises together, but it will showcase the return of the Phoenix Force to the Marvel Universe. Marvel got their "architects" together to discuss the upcoming story and to answer many questions ranging from what the connection between X-Sanction to Avengers vs. X-Men will be, to whether one of these groups will actually lose the battle.
Avengers writer Brian Michael Bendis was quick to compare the upcoming event to Civil War in that the reader will have the opportunity to choose between the two sides, and that one of the two groups will ultimately lose.
There's never been an Avengers vs. X-Men story. We as creators are scared of it; we're nervous...and like Civil War there will be a winner and there will be a loser. The heroes are being tested. How is the world seeing the Avengers? It takes a toll on society and the Avengers. [This event will] connect what's been happening with the Avengers, with the X-Men and what's been going on with Scarlet Witch in Children's Crusade.
Current Wolverine writer and fellow "Marvel Architect" Jason Aaron divulged that Hope will take center stage in the event and that her role as the "Mutant Messiah" will come into play, as well.
== TEASER ==We will see the X-Men pushed to their limits like never before. The mutants have been fighting against extinction. Then they got a miracle in the birth of Hope. She is the "Mutant Messiah." Without her mutants would be falling into non-existence. Since SCHISM, Cyclops had a falling out with Wolverine, he had to become harder, he's still fighting for survival and has to protect this little girl; this Messiah. Wolverine is also in an interesting place, going into this...we're trying to deal with the Phoenix in a way that is accessible. Youd don't have to have read the Dark Phoenix Saga. This is a new reader friendly take on the Phoenix.
The writers also implied that the Phoenix Force will be searching for a new host and that this host will have "red hair and green eyes." Hope, perhaps? The event will also divulge Hope's connection to Jean Grey and Scarlet Witch. What could that mean?
Fans who have always wanted to see Captain America and Cyclops throw down will be happy to hear that this battle will indeed take place, and will likely be written by Matt Fraction. The writer will be penning a "strategic battle between Cyclops and Captain America" that is "definitely interesting."
Writing the strategic battle between Cyclops and Captain America is definitely interesting. I love Hope and love writing her, writing Hope at her best is definitely exciting. And the opportunity to write Scarlet Witch is exciting. A new armor for Iron Man...putting Iron Man in this new suit is exciting. And Thor is going to be involved in some "cosmic shenanigans."
Writer Ed Brubaker also discussed the strategies that the two leaders must employ in order to win and stated that they may have more in common than either of them thinks.
Cap and Cyclops and similar characters in that they are both patriotic characters that will do what it takes to get the job done. I think Cyclops is definitely more willing to do what it takes than Captain America.
The creative team for this big event also expressed that the upcoming X-Sanction will serve as a sort of a prelude to Avengers vs. X-Men, which will officially hit stores with issue zero in February. What do you think of the reveals? Are you looking forward to the event? How do you think Hope will factor into the story? What would you like to see happen?
Source: Marvel