Secret Invasion: Dark Reign Solicits Revealed

http://www.newsarama.com/comics/120805-Bendis-Dark-Reign.html

I can’t help but love Fraction don’t know what it is:

NRAMA: Is the dark turn at the end something that was always planned, or is it something that came to you as you were writing the story?

BMB: No, it’s part of the original pitch. What I pitched was that what happens at the end was there’s a power shift in the Marvel Universe that creates a situation where most of the heroes get to feel what it feels like to be Peter Parker all the time, that even when you win you lose. And it was interesting to me to have Luke Cage or Clint Barton or even Captain America feel like they know what Peter Parker always feels like. And everyone got charmed by that idea at Marvel.

While I was putting it together, Warren [Ellis]‘s Thunderbolts run made it very clear that if one would choose to do so, Norman was on track to head toward this kind of storyline, very organically, very in-character, and very much within the realm of what was going on. When Warren left Thunderbolts, I kind of raised my hand and said, “Hey, you know that thing with the thing there? This is it.” And everyone said yes, including Warren, thank God in heaven, and I got to go write my Warren Ellis fan fiction. So that’s great. So yeah, that’s where we ended up.

NRAMA: And from that came Dr. Doom, Osborn, Emma Frost, Namor, The Hood and Loki uniting as the Dark Illuminati on the last two pages of Secret Invasion?

BMB: The idea was, in the original pitch, that there was a secret group, a cabal, that got put together that was the mirror image of the Illuminati, with five or six characters who almost mirrored the other group. And we see them from their day one. I thought the most intriguing character would be Namor, who’s on both secret little groups and is the only one that knows both exist.

NRAMA: Namor kind of walks the line between both sides, doesn’t he?

BMB: Yeah, and he always has. He does whatever’s best for him and his kingdom. I love the relationship between him and Doom. I always have. The only change that was made from the original pitch was that Magneto was not available. So we sat down and thought, who would replace Magneto? And the idea of Emma was brought up — I think Fraction said Emma. And that’s not something I would have suggested unless an X-writer suggested it. Emma now becomes the most interesting person in that room. Now, it’s like, why is Emma in that room? And Matt and I have been working diligently to produce some really interesting stuff for her. So when you read Secret Invasion: Dark Reign, I actually rewrote it to be from her point of view, because I think her point of view is the most interesting. The initial meeting of the group will be seen through her eyes. I had the meeting set, but when Emma became part of it, it just became that much more interesting. So now Emma’s the one who has to make some hard choices.

NRAMA: So we’ll get to hear what’s going on inside her head?
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BMB: Absolutely. From page one of Dark Reign Special. Because we know what Doom wants, we know what Namor wants, we know what Loki wants, we know what everybody else wants. But Emma has wants as well. And is she willing to go this far to make them happen, in this climate?

And I’d like to publicly speak to Joss Whedon, whom I haven’t spoken to about this. I’d like to tell Joss, I’m not going to undo all the work you did to make her awesome.

I want Alex Maleev to draw Emma Frost to draw Emma forever. She’s absolutely stunning on that cover.

Yeah! Emma looks quite fabulous when drawn by Maleev. What’s up with her paws – err, hands – though? They’re bent in a very odd position.

@aimeeish – lol u could say that, though how come none of the artists arent drawing her corset top anymore?

@Anthony – I guess she uses her costumes interchangeably…? I really don’t know why.