Comics fans, rejoice! Acclaimed writer Kieron Gillen, who is currently wrapping up the Krakoan Era of the X-Men, has announced his explosive new creator-owned comic, The Power Fantasy, from Image Comics. Revealed during a spotlight panel at Emerald City Comic Con, Gillen is partnering with the incredible Caspar Wijngaard (Home Sick Pilots, All Against All) on The Power Fantasy, which Gillen described as, “If Immortal X-Men were on HBO.”
While many Marvel fans may know Gillen primarily from his work on Eternals, Immortal X-Men, and Rise of the Powers of X, he is also beloved for his iconic pop-culture mythological epic Wicked + Divine, as well as the bleak but beautiful fantasy horror comic DIE, both from Image Comics.
The Power Fantasy, which will also feature lettering from the impeccable Clayton Cowles, has the tagline “The eternal fight against fighting,” and follows a group of six superpowered individuals – the only ones in Gillen and Wijngaard’s world – as they struggle to contain their powers and avoid conflict.
“The first extranormal individuals appeared in 1945. Some described them as having “superpowers.” It’s easy to laugh at the naivety. We now know the term has a specific technical meaning. To be a “superpower” means you possess the destructive capacity of the nuclear arsenal of the United States of America. There are six beings with superpowers on Earth. The world’s continued existence relies on them never coming into conflict.”
The Power Fantasy Is “Immortal X-Men On HBO”
Gillen and Wijngaard revealed a series of five gorgeous teaser pages from The Power Fantasy, each spotlighting a different main character from the upcoming comic, with Gillen saying the panel of the man telekinetically floating a spliff was one of his favorites. Gillen said that in many ways The Power Fantasy is “Immortal X-Men on HBO,” a daunting statement seeing as how Immortal X-Men was already a pretty intense, philosophical, and action-packed series. Gillen went on to say that The Power Fantasy asks, “What if Watchmen had six Doctor Manhattan,” the famous omnipotent being from Alan Moore’s classic superhero work.
The Power Fantasy will take place over a 54-year period, starting in 1945 and working its way through 1999, focusing on the relationships between the six superpowered main characters. While this won’t be surprising, based on the series title, Gillen spoke about the new comic’s focus on power, and how it changes a person and directs their life saying, “It’s a book about power… like billionaires shouldn’t exist, these people shouldn’t exist, however they do. If you suddenly found yourself with that level of power, what would you do to the world?” Gillen went on to describe The Power Fantasy as a mix of Wicked + Divine’s pop culture aesthetics, the Cold War philosophies of Uber, and the interpersonal relationships of DIE, showing just how much his past work has informed this new series.
Gillen’s Epic Krakoan X-Men Run Is Almost Finished
Kieron Gillen’s Immortal X-Men was one of the most highly acclaimed and beloved series of the X-Men’s iconic Krakoan Era, a fascinating and deeply personal exploration of different members of Krakoa’s Quiet Council. Gillen is now tasked with wrapping up the Krakoan Age, through Rise of the Powers of X and X-Men Forever, which will mark the last Marvel work the writer does for a while, as he shifts back to his creator-owned projects. At the Emerald City panel Gillen said, “You can stop reading Immortal X-Men and then jump over to this new book, which takes it further,” a hopeful message for any fan of Gillen’s X-Men run who wants to keep exploring the talented writer’s mind.
Caspar Wijngaard’s art for The Power Fantasy looks breathtaking, with incredible vibrancy and evocative imagery, and the decades long setting of the series will give the talented artist plenty of room to expore. While many fans are disappointed that Kieron Gillen is leaving the X-Office after X-Men Forever, it is very exciting to know this creator-owned series is coming, an exciting new look at how power changes a person… and the entire world.
The Power Fantasy from Image Comics debuts in August, 2024.
