Before moving on to help found Image Comics, Rob Liefeld and Whilce Portacio left their mark on Marvel’s X-Men titles in the early 1990s. They worked on X-Force and Uncanny X-Men, respectively, and between them created or co-created iconic characters like Deadpool, Cable, Bishop and more.
Now the two creators are returning to the X-corner of the Marvel Universe with the introduction of Major X, a mysterious new character who is getting his own six-issue miniseries. The series will run bi-weekly from April through June. It’s written by Liefeld, who will share art duties with Portacio and Brent Peeples (Titans, New Super-Man).
“I know my way around a good character design, it’s something I’m proud of,” Liefeld told Entertainment Weekly. “I made my name creating tons of characters. It was out of necessity: I had a book that needed a shot in the arm, so I gave it a shot in the arm and we changed the culture. But the opportunity to put a bunch of new X-Men toys in the sandbox does not lose its excitement.”
Major X hails from an alternate reality called the “X-istence” — “a mutant Shangri-La,” according to Liefeld. But something terrible happens there, and Major X ends up transported to the Marvel Universe circa 1991 — which also happens to be the year that another Liefeld creation, Deadpool, debuted.
“It’s 1991 again, I’m jamming with Whilce, we’re making X-Men comics,” Liefeld said. “It’s myself, Brent Peeples, and Whilce. We are handling the art. I’m the bookends, and then Brent and Whilce are the middle chapters. There’s a pride of ownership when you go this is my team, we’re gonna introduce Major X and these new concepts. Marvel gave me six issues to tell the story, and I’ve seen three so far. It’s explosive, it’s jam-packed.”
Here’s the cover to the first issue:
“I still remember when Rob made his Marvel debut, and the impact his art and storytelling had on comics,” said Marvel Editor-In-Chief C.B. Cebulski. “The energy and enthusiasm Rob brings to comics and every page he draws is still felt to this day, and it’s a joy to have him return to his roots with the X-Men. Rob may have started developing these X-ideas 30 years ago, but his story will leave an indelible mark on our modern mutants!”