... Interview with Brian Wood ...

... Making Battle of the Atom Plans with Brian Wood ...
The writer of X-Men talks about integrating his team into the major mutant event of the fall!

The fast-paced, organic evolution of writer Brian Wood’s X-MEN has made it a fan favorite over the past

four months. The only thing that comes close to matching the intensity of Wood’s X-MEN?  His enthusiasm for September’s 10-part X-Men: Battle of the Atom event.

Wood’s passion for Battle of the Atom and his part in it—writing X-MEN #5 and #6—permeates through this discussion of working alongside and learning from fellow event writers Jason Aaron and Brian Bendis. Along the way he reveals his ability to work in some great character moments amidst all of the Battle of the Atom action for Rachel Grey, Psylocke and Bling! plus much more.

Marvel.com:  Do you have an opportunity for some interaction between Rachel Grey and young Jean Grey in your Battle of the Atom issues?

Brian Wood: Absolutely; both from me and the other writers.

Marvel.com:  Can you elaborate on how the events connected to BOTA prompt the "cracks in the new all-female X-Men cast" to start to show? The team is made up of people of firm convictions and passions, so it should surprise no one that the potential for ever-increasing tension was there all along.

Brian Wood: Well, we've started that already in the first arc, when Rachel and Storm find themselves at odds over the decision involving Karima, Storm taking the practical route and Rachel the emotional one. I should remind people that this grouping isn't an official team in the pre-meditated sense; they came together to help Jubilee, so there's no clear hierarchy of leadership or defined roles. So they have to work it out if they want to stay together. I think that they think they have team potential, but maybe aren't there just yet.

There's also some significant "cracks" within the event story itself, which I am a little hesitant to detail in advance.

Marvel.com: Judging by the solicitation text for X-MEN #6—"Rachel Grey is the only X-Man qualified to defeat the mystery opponents"—it is clear that Rachel steps into the spotlight at this stage of the BOTA event. Your whole X-MEN cast is a collection of heavy hitters, no doubt. But when juggling the power dynamics of such a gathering of characters, what appeals to you in utilizing someone like Rachel in your cast?

Brian Wood: The story dictated it, really; there are crucial points in the story where it's really a telepath's time to shine, and there are enemies with special resonance to Rachel, so she steps up. Trying not to give too much away!

Marvel.com: Speaking of your X-MEN cast, we have already discussed Jubilee and Rachel, but are there certain other characters that really get some nice moments in the spotlight of your issues amidst all of the ongoing intense action?

Brian Wood: Psylocke, of course, with her expanding arsenal of telekinetic medieval weaponry, that's always fun. Bling!, sort of to my surprise, is sticking around as a close friend to Jubilee; that wasn't in the original plans but sometimes as you write, things just seem to make sense. So good for Bling!, getting some extra screen time. I just wrote a fun battle moment with Rogue.  And Shogo—he may surprise you.

Marvel.com: As a writer and as a reader and a fan, what’s got you most excited about this event?

Brian Wood: I think events get a bad rap for all sorts of reasons, but people always buy them anyway. I think events can create situations that can't happen in a book's regular story, and that right there makes it appealing. Events can show you new things, and in this case, there [are] a lot of new things going on. There's this whole extra layer of story in BOTA that hasn't even been hinted at yet.