In their regular X-Position column (and X-Men Q & A), this week CBR talks to Executive Editor & X-Men Group Editor Axel Alonso and X-Editors Nick Lowe, John Barber and Will Panzo about all things X and they drop some fascinating hints of whats in store for the x-universe…

including the following overdue exchange…

James Figueiredo: I have a question for the X-Editors regarding the new phase the X-Men are about to enter beginning with issue #500. I’d like to know if we’re going to see more of the gay X-characters in the book, like Northstar and/or Karma (Anole would be awesome too).

All the press we’ve read so far on the new status of the book indicates how “at home” the X-Men will be in San Francisco given the city’s accepting nature, and I think it would be just obvious to finally have this correlation (mutants and homosexuals) acknowledged in the book.

Axel Alonso:: I’ll confirm at least two characters, James. Karma is going to play a large role in “Uncanny X-Men.” Anole is another person who plays a large role in more than one upcoming book.

JF: Also, I think it would be kind of odd to have no mention or depiction of gay relationships in a book where the core concept is all about tolerance and acceptance ” and set in San Francisco ” to boot. So I’d like to know what the X-Editors can tell me about how gay characters/relationships will feature in the book, given the change it’s about to embrace.

AA: We can’t go into details, James. That would be giving away story, but we understand and agree with your point. The basic fact is that when a character comes to the forefront of a book, you tend to see more of their personal lives. You see them on a human level. That isn’t going to change in the X-Books.

I’d have been happier if they confirmed Northstar too. I realize the character has always been aloof, but not the outright bitch he was to poor ‘lil Anole in Divided We Stand. The editors also dropped some names that have been missing from x-rosters for too long… Firestar, Karma, Shatterstar, Domino, Boom Boom/Meltdown or whatever she calls herself now, and FINALLY AT LAST someone addresses the great conundrum of the Marvel U… Is Santa Claus a mutant?

via CBR

Marvel is publishing some never before seen X-Men artwork from the man who brought you many early X-Men adventures… Dave Cockrum who passed away in 2006.

via CBR

All I can say is this… They better NOT kill Northstar again or I’m dropping the title. I don’t care how good it gets.

OK, just woke up from a nice 10 hour nap. I needed that. Did a quick check for items of interest… found the trailer for the new Iron Man cartoon. Jury is still out on the art style. I like my 3D to look 3D and my hand drawn animation to look hand drawn. But 3D with toonshder puts me off if its too obviously 3D.

via Newsarama

Hmmm. Now Marvel knows people gossip and make jokes often… in fact they make a few themselves such as changing As(s)guardian to Wiccan after he came out. Which leads me to wonder… Would they name Jerry Sledge, who is a big strong shirtless beefcake character “Stonewall” and NOT make him gay? I hope not. The Marvel Universe could use a few more of us. I hope his comment isn’t a ‘phobe joke. Having a character like the new Stonewall be gay could be a wonderful effort on Marvel’s part to give gay youth a hero.

I’m going on the new sobriquet and some pronoun confusion I vaguely remember from his first jail cell appearance (cannot find the issue at the moment - will keep looking and perhaps update this article). But if you have that issue and a scanner - send me a 450 pixel wide image of Daisy getting Stonewall outta jail! I’ll give you a shout out.

Just in case some of you have NO idea why I might think the name suggests he’s one of us… read all about the 1969 the Stonewall Riots and thank your predecessors for our strides in Pride since then.

There was a previous Marvel character named Stonewall who was part of the “Freedom Force” (X-men foes Brotherhood of Evil Mutants as government flunkies + a few hero stooges from the 50’s), but he’s dead.

Here is a preview of some Terry Dodson pages from the eagerly anticipated X-Men #500.

I do really like the look of Greg Land’s artwork, but am becoming a bit concerned with some of the things coming to light. He is obviously resusing artwork, and some may not be his own. Check out the image below - it was assembled by Solenna, of SolArts.net, and illustrates how a number of the images from the historic X-Men 500 cover are in fact blatant rip-off of poses he’s used previously.

via CBR and 4thletter!

Don’t forget that Comic Book day is Thursday in the US this week due to holiday weekend.

Captain Britain’s new team MI-13 has a new addition as of issue #5… Eric Brooks, who is much better known in the Marvel Universe and as Blade the Vampire Hunter. Blade has heard about the trouble that the Skrulls were bringing to his native homeland, England (who knew) and signed up to join Pete Wisdom’s merry band. Looking forward to how he and Spitfire get along now that she’s looking somewhat vampy.

via CBR

I hope the Last Defenders aren’t REALLY the last - that is unless this 6 issue mini is followed by an actual series that lasts long enough to get interesting. This mini has been all over the map as the team forms then collapses then reforms then collapses then reforms. Wait a sec - it IS just like the old Defenders!

I enjoyed the first issue enough to stick it out and watch as all the dots get connected in the web that is the Ultimate Universe.

Revealed: The secret history of the Ultimate Universe! For the first time in 70 years, a strange object within Project Pegasus has awoken — as bit by fascinating bit, the long buried mysteries are being exposed! Journey back to World War II, and discover that the deadliest threat to young Steve Rogers was not the Nazis, but an ancient threat from worlds beyond!

Brian Michael Bendis (SECRET INVASION, New Avengers, Powers) and Butch Guice (CAPTAIN AMERICA,) continue the lead-in to ULTIMATUM!

The mission and characterization of Cyclops in this title are beginning to make me suspect he is running some kind of ruse on the “Young X-Men” to test them. An elaborate graduation exercise or a way to expose Ink as a potential traitor.

I don’t see why else he’d set up this kind of situation. If he was a Skrull, he’s have better things to do. And if he REALLY thought the New Mutants had gone bad, he’d send in a telepath first to make sure they weren’t under someone else’s control.

Check out this Newsarama interview with Guardians of the Galaxy writers Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning. They go into detail on issue #2 and discuss some upcoming surprises in #3. All this PLUS… Starhawk!

via Newsarama

We’ll have plenty of hype and hoopla for the historic Uncanny X-Men #500 (6 variant covers, 2 one-shot collectors item specials and 2 large posters of the Greg Land and Alex Ross wraparound covers). Not only does it kick off the latest X-Epic - Manifest Destiny - The X-men’s exodus to their new home in San Francisco, but from the looks of the 4 preview pages and solicit released today on Newsarama Magneto is back too, along with the Master Mold and Sentinels! Lets hope this is the real Mags. I don’t want another MGH huffing cheap copy.

via Newsarama

The pilot will be premiered at the 2008 San Diego Comicon, so get your tickets now!

via Marvel

Jon Favreau says they’ve been focussed on getting Hulk out there. Well it’s out there so, Marvel talk to the driector of your biggest hit ever about what he’ll can do for you next… I could deal with someone else doing Iron Man 2 if Favreau gets to do the Avengers (which he refers to as “the fun one”).

“What if I told you we were putting together a team?” says Tony Stark in the last few minutes of The Incredible Hulk. And what a team it will be. Well eventually at least…

After the success of Iron Man, marvel announced plans for a series of movies culminating in a silver screen teamup of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes - The Avengers, and fanboys like me have been babbling about it ever since. Here are some oldschool thoughts on the subject from real life Marvel legends Stan Lee and Joe Simon…

Thor - Release date: Solo film to be released June 4, 2010
Screenwriter: Mark Protosevich (I Am Legend)
Origin: Disabled medical student Donald Blake discovers a mighty hammer that transforms him into his alter ego, the Norse warrior Thor. Lee recalls meeting years ago with Fabio, the romance-novel cover boy, about playing the part. “Someone brought him up to my office to see if he could play Thor,” Lee says. “Visually, he would have been good, but in those days we weren’t even in a position to do a movie.” Lee says Thor “will have to be someone big and strong and kind of blondish. And there should be a nobility.”

Ant-Man - Release date: Solo film, but timing not yet available
Director: Edgar Wright (Shaun of the Dead)
Screenwriters: Wright and Joe Cornish
Origin: Biochemist Hank Pym can alter his size as well as communicate with and control insects. Ant-Man creator Stan Lee recently had lunch with Wright to discuss the direction of the film. “There’s never been a hero like this in the movies,” Lee says. “I did one comic book called The Man in the Ant Hill about a guy who shrunk down and there were ants or bees chasing him. That sold so well that I thought making him into a superhero might be fun.”

The First Avenger: Captain America - Release date: Solo film to be released May 6, 2011
Origin: Captain America made his debut in 1941 as lowly U.S. Army Pvt. Steve Rogers. “We had him peeling spuds,” creator Joe Simon recalls. “The government shot him up with a super-serum, which made him the first of what was to be an army of superheroes.” Simon and comic-book artist Jack Kirby, who died in 1994, created the character during World War II as an all-American adversary to Adolf Hitler. “We were a war-consumed nation, just like today,” he says. “Hitler was a comic foil for our character, and every comic sold out that first year.” Simon now suggests that Osama bin Laden might be an appropriate foe for Captain America to pursue. But Captain America more likely will take on his most famous adversary, the Red Skull — a Nazi (later turned Communist) introduced by Simon in Captain America Comics #1.

Nick Fury - Release date: Not intended as a solo film, but character will appear in The Avengers universe in summer 2011
Origin: Stan Lee introduced the character in 1963 in the war magazine Sgt. Fury and His Howling Commandos. “It did very well, But after a couple of years, I got bored with it and wanted to kill it. Years later, I got a lot of fan mail asking, ‘What happened to Sgt. Fury?’ In those days, there was a popular show called The Man From U.N.C.L.E., so I brought Nick back as a colonel for S.H.I.E.L.D.: Supreme Headquarters, International Espionage, Law-Enforcement Division.”

via USA Today

Check out this adorable take on the boys of Marvel by Dustin Nguyen.

via pinkkryptonite and MajorSpoilers

After issue 120’s fantastic rant by Norman Osborn as he retrieved his Green Goblin costume, I can’t wait to see what’s the psychopathic wackjob is up to next! All that plus Doc Sampson and Penance/Speedball kicking the crap out of a mind-addled Moonstone.

via ComicsContinuum

There must be something in the air. The ancient love story of Hercules and Hylas keeps showing up this week. First I read the Incredible Hercules 118 and found myself treated to Hercules worst nightmare… losing Hylas I mentioned it in this weeks Weekly Stack. Then today I see Queerty talking about DJ Andy Butler’s Hercules & Love Affair which is based on the Hercules/Hylas relationship - see “blind” from DJ Andy Butler after the artwork from Incredible Herc.

Via Queerty, and the NY Times

Xavier’s quest for his past continues… Soon to crossover with Wolverine’s similar search.

via ComicsContinuum