X-Men: Revisited

In late June of 2018, artist/writer John Byrne could be found penciling and then posting in his forum a few off-the-cuff pages of the X-Men in all-new action (yet as they still were in both garb and lineup during the fall of 1980), when a thought occurred--which subsequently materialized as a separate post he would make in said forum:

"Just had one of my wilder ideas. Remember when Chris was doing X-MEN FOREVER, picking up from when he left the book? Immediately some people started speculating about me doing the same, X-MEN EVERMORE, picking up from my own exit point.

"But just now I thought of something that would be even more fun. For the sake of reference, let's call it X-MEN ELSEWHEN, picking up with the coda of X-MEN 136, but proceeding as if Shooter hadn't thrown his king-sized monkey wrench into the works! So Jean doesn't die, Scott doesn't leave, and, well, a whole bunch of other stuff does and doesn't happen.

"(And, no, not scripted by Chris!!)

"Never gonna happen, but fun to think about."

Forum readers were receptive. Further pages were sporadically posted, again with no narrative or dialog--simply various scenes with the team in action in what appeared to be the Savage Land. But as Byrne continued to nurture this inclination, and the back-and-forth in the forum continued, a pattern gradually began to emerge, and the pages began to appear sequentially; and as they progressed to a bona fide story, talk eventually surfaced about the possibility of approaching Marvel (or, as it happened, vice versa) about turning this idea into a commercial project.

To make a long story short, that prospect was explored but ultimately abandoned. But eventually it became clear that Byrne was interested in continuing with this story's premise--and one year later, he decided to begin releasing it on his forum, a page at a time, scripting the story as he went along, complete with dialog, narrative, titles, and would you believe even sound effects. There would be no inking, coloring, formal lettering, or covers, but he did design a masthead for the "book":

To date, there have been ten full "issues" of X-Men: Elsewhen posted, with issue #11 in progress. All issues are free, and viewable by the general public--as are all forum comments related to each issue (though to submit a comment you're required to register with the forum). And while what's being produced is naturally not as polished as a copy you'd pick up at the store, the work is of course first-rate considering the source, while giving the reader an intriguing look at the creative process fresh from the drawing board.

Following is a limited number of sample pages which should give you an idea of what to expect if you decide to have a look at the issues in their entirety. As Byrne notes, the story begins at the point where the Shi'ar are returning the X-Men to Earth following their defeat by the Shi'ar Imperial Guard on the moon, a battle that never progressed to the point of the rebirth of Dark Phoenix or Jean's subsequent decision to end her life. As to the whys and wherefores in regard to what exactly happened... true to Byrne's piecemeal style in plotting a story, those answers will unfold in their own good time in order to accommodate an ongoing sense of drama in the overall tale. (Assuming they do unfold in full--the story is at the writer's discretion, after all. ;) )

In addition, nestled in with these preview pages are a selection of Mr. Byrne's comments at various points of the process which give a sense of the project being ironed out from the ground up, while also offering fascinating nuggets of behind-the-scenes info. (The segments may or may not align with the pages you're viewing here--if by some miracle they do, I assure you it's mostly accidental on my part.) If you've read Byrne's turn-of-the-century series X-Men: The Hidden Years, you already have an idea of how he would handle the X-Men (and Xavier) if holding the reins--though whether or not you agreed with his take on the team, you may still appreciate a different look at both the timeline and the characters, as well as a number of nods which Byrne gives to continuity taking place in both Uncanny X-Men and other titles.

And adding my own 2 cents, I think on the whole you'll find it to be compelling reading.  :D

****

"As long as we're playing this game, let me point out that in a scenario like X-MEN ELSEWHEN, I would not use any of the post-Phoenix storylines Chris and I were planning, and that would necessitate having the Shi'ar perform some OTHER procedure on Jean. Perhaps even introducing the Jean/Phoenix schism at that point. (Phoenix being literally sucked out of Jean could certainly make for some drama!)

"Dammit, I need to stop thinking about this!!!"

****

"I should probably mention, for the benefit of those of you who are starting to see this a[s] me laying down a yellow brick road back to Marvel, that even if that happened, you'd not be likely to see these pages there.

"STORY: When I set my eyes on THE DEMON, at DC, I did a whole "pilot" issue, on spec. 22 pencil pages. I showed these to the powers that were, and the reaction was, to say the least, enthusiastic. We were all set to go. Then one of the higher higher ups stepped in to say we could not use that issue, as I had drawn it when not under contract. I offered to sign any kind of releases necessary, but no go. So I ended up breaking up the issue and using the pages where applicable in other stories.

"Same thing is likely to be the case with Marvel."

****

"SIDEBAR (of sorts): One of the things that depresses me whenever I take a look at one of the X-Men movies, is how much of Chris' mythology has become canon. When I left the book, it seemed there was no longer anyone there to say "No" to him. Backstories and origins got turned inside out. Interpretation of powers became more and more wonky. The biggest insanity, of course, being Magneto transforming from a fiendish mass murdered [sic] into a "freedom fighter". Oy!

"This will be one of the biggest hurdles to be faced by this little exercise. Already we have seen people trying to figure out where it "fits". We can be certain, as I go on, that there will be those who will protest the further my course carries me from the established timeline.

"If we extend the fantasy and imagine this becoming a real series, the internet would explode."

****

"Having a father who was a professional architect skewed my brain in a lot of ways. One was to make me hyper-aware of the set designs in TV shows, and how rarely interiors fit into exteriors.

"One exception was the Stevens house on BEWITCHED. It matched the exterior quite well, and when I came to draw Jean's family home, I used the design (from memory) as a little nod of appreciation."

****

"The events that followed 137 turn further and further from their original paths as this series progresses. Jean didn’t die, but was left with the intellect of a five year old. That’s a big stone to drop into this particular pond. How do the ripples impact upon what we think we know?

"One idea I have in mind is to refer to some of those stories without repeating them. And there is one major reveal that came long after 137 that will form a significant thread in my new tapestry."

****

"As with each time I drew the Shi'ar back in the day, I am struck once again by how WRONG that storyline was in UNCANNY. FF, AVENGERS, sure, there you can put the big cosmic stories. But X-MEN was supposed to be earthbound (the Stranger notwithstanding).

"Thing was, Chris always seemed to want to take the characters off into realms in which they did not really belong. I resisted, but when I wasn't on duty--well, recall that the first Annual done on my watch but not by me had an interdimensional Conan avatar, and the second had Dracula!!"

****

"BTW, before anyone leaps to accuse me of hypocrisy, since I am obviously including the Shi'ar and Lilandra in my ongoing scenario, let me mention that Jean surviving leaves a whole bunch of dangling threads, and the Shi'ar, unfortunately, are pretty much the only way some of them can get tied up."

****

"Let’s pump the brakes for a moment and consider the biggest hurdle in the way of this becoming a real book. I refer, of course, to JOHN BYRNE THE CONTROVERSIAL FIGURE.

"A quick perusal of the Internet produces all kinds of terrible things I have said--often referring to those things without providing an actual quote, or, the favorite move, quoting responses without what the response was directed toward. As I’ve often said, the Internet is where context goes to die.

"So, we know Disney is nervous and unforgiving, as, it seems, are so many corporate entities these days. Realistically, they have to be in today’s climate. But will this new sensitivity sink this ship before it’s even launched?"

****

[On What If stories where Phoenix had not died...]

"As I noted in the SyFy interview, I am not the first to do this, tho I am the first to attempt it as an ongoing series--and, if I may, my version might have a higher degree of, shall we say, credibility.

"Also, unlike various oneshots, this series would not be ABOUT Phoenix/Jean surviving."

****

"As most of you know, Jean’s exposure to cosmic rays (tac tac tac) was intended as nothing more than a boost of her existing powers. Something to make her a more serious member of the group. Unfortunately, Chris wrote her bigger and bigger until the X-Men were in danger of becoming guest stars in their own book. That was when Steven Grant spoke the words that will live in infamy: 'Make her a villain.' "

****

"Y'know, even tho I coined it, I'll admit I am not totally in love with "Elsewhen" as a title. Don't hate it, it just doesn't SING for me."

****

"I've recently learned that since the first whisper of this project made it onto the internet, Marvel and Disney have been deluged with vitriol from Byrne Bashers wanting to make sure everyone knows I am the Great Satan and this should be killed aborning.

"Which is a pity. If Marvel decides they don't want this, based on all this noise, the only ones who will be "hurt" are the fans who are so looking forward to it. Won't hurt me at all. I'll just "publish" here, as fan fiction.

"It's all too typical, unfortunately. The internet trolls who don't want to see something published, and therefore don't think ANYONE should see it. Joseph Goebbels would be proud."

****

"The stammering and stalling and general dropping of the ball by Marvel is a great frustration. After all, they approached me, remember. I’m not even working for them and I feel myself sinking into the same old 5H17.

"And remember, their first date for the release was MAY!!

"...this has been stewing since AUGUST of last year, when they surely must have known what their game plan was for 2019. That was when MAY was suggested as the launch date--by them, not by me.

"Serialization on the JBf [John Byrne forum]--my original plan--is becoming more and more appealing."

****

A quick note to let you all know I’ve decided not to take ELSEWHEN to Marvel. Many and diverse reasons, none of which need be mentioned here. File under "Just One of Those Things".