The son of writer Nicholas Gage (Eleni), Christos Gage was destined to be a writer, and his work has appeared both on the screen (Law and Order: Special Victims Unit, amongst others) and in print. Gage’s work has appeared at DC, Avatar, Dynamite Entertainment, IDW, and Marvel, and it’s at Marvel where his highest profile project to date, Avengers Academy, is rolling out next month. Also coming your way shortly is Spider-Man/Fantastic Four, which not only teams these characters up but gives Gage another chance to team up with his Spider-Man/X-Men collaborator, Mario Alberti.
The initial premise behind Avengers Academy is similar to the idea behind Avengers: the Initiative before "Dark Reign" changed everything. What would you say are the biggest differences between the two, and for those that were fans of the latter what similarities there might be?
Well, the biggest difference is that Avengers Academy is not a military setting. It's more the Avengers teaching the students how to be an Avenger. It's smaller scale; there isn't a desire to staff fifty state teams, the idea is to train the Avengers of tomorrow, giving them individualized attention. And there's a twist readers will discover at the end of issue #1. As for similarities, you have young superhumans discovering how to be heroes, and just my general writing style…but really, the two books are separate entities. Even if you've never read Initiative, you can get in on the ground floor with Academy… and if you did read Initiative, hopefully you'll like this too!
Other than Reptil, we have an entirely new group of students. Can you give us a little on each, and do any of them have any ties to the Marvel Universe outside of their first appearance here?
Some of them might have ties to the Marvel Universe that we will hint at – notably in issue #2 – but I didn't want to make every single one of them someone's child or cousin or clone. Some are just new characters. Others will have intriguing links to the Marvel universe revealed over time. As for the characters:
Reptil can transform parts of his body into dinosaur parts. He appeared before in an Initiative special I wrote. He's really eager to be a hero, but he's hit some bumps in the road.
Hazmat can give off various deadly substances – radiation, etc. – but a side effect is that she's poisonous. She has to spend her life in a containment suit. This doesn't make her happy.
Striker is a powerful electricity generator, but his goal is not so much heroism as fame. He wants the spotlight-by any means necessary.
Mettle is super-strong and nearly indestructible, but he can't feel anything… he's closed off from the world.
Veil can change her body into different types of gas, but that power comes with a hefty price.
Finesse can duplicate the abilities of anyone she sees and pick up skills and information at great speed. But human emotion and interaction confuse her. She could be on the autism spectrum…or a budding sociopath.
That's all I can reveal right now…but each of our first six issues will focus on one member of the student body to give readers insight into who they are.
As for the faculty, all of the characters coming in to teach are bringing in their own baggage. What brings them to the Academy, and what do you think each brings to the table as an instructor?
They come to the Academy for different reasons, but I think the baggage you mention is, in fact, what they bring to the table. Quicksilver has been both a teen hero and a teen villain, so he knows both sides of the street. Speedball and Justice founded the New Warriors, and both have direct knowledge of what can happen if you use your powers without the proper control or restraint (Justice accidentally killed his abusive father). Tigra has been on the East and West Coast Avengers, the Initiative, and the NYPD – she knows all facets of law enforcement. And Hank is a founding Avenger. He's seen the highest highs and the lowest lows. The reason I wanted these characters is precisely because of their baggage! That's what makes them interesting.
Might any characters from "the Initiative" pop up, such as the members of the Resistance?
Tigra, Justice, and Speedball are all part of the core faculty. And there is always the chance that other Initiative characters may make an appearance. Butterball and Taskmaster are two personal favorites I can never seem to stay away from for long.
With your Spider-Man/Fantastic Four miniseries, like your Spider-Man/X-Men mini, takes place out of the mainstream continuity. Do you have interest in trying your hand at the flagship title, or do you prefer writing Spider-Man when you can place him in different moments in time, unhindered by current events?
Well, just to clarify, both miniseries are in continuity and the final issue of each does take place in the present day with potential ramifications for current storylines. (Don't tell me you missed the mention of Xraven the Mutant Hunter from the Spidey/X-Men mini in Marvel's recap of the Kraven family's history!) But I hear what you're saying. Sure, I'd love to work on Amazing Spider-Man if the opportunity came up. But there's also a lot of appeal for me being able to look back on decades of the character's history and pick and choose moments that could provide new story material. I guess I'm just happy to be writing Spider-Man!
Each issue takes place in a different era - what can you tell us about those eras, and why were they the ones you chose?
Our first issue occurs soon after FF #40 and Amazing Spider-Man #33, with Peter Parker a freshman in college and Reed and Sue recently engaged. I wanted to start in the Silver Age, taking advantage of the fact that we never saw the Sub-Mariner seek revenge on Dr. Doom for his betrayal in FF #6, and this was the time period that worked best, for a variety of reason. The second issue occurs during the John Byrne era, a personal favorite of mine from when I was a kid. We wanted to show at least one different FF lineup, and this let us bring in the She-Hulk. Also, Dan Slott turned me on to a fun continuity bit I was able to exploit, involving the fact that the FF released Spidey from his alien symbiote costume and held it captive for a while, during which it showed a creepy interest in young Franklin Richards. Mario draws such amazing symbiotes, I couldn't resist… and man, has he outdone himself with this issue! As for #3, everyone involved agreed it would be insane not to bring in the 1990's “New FF”: Spidey, Ghost Rider, the Hulk and Wolverine. So we're revisiting that storyline in what promises to be an action-packed romp. And our last issue, of course, occurs in the present day.
Despite his protestations before joining the Avengers that he was not a team player, Spider-Man is one of the most commonly teamed-up characters in the Marvel Universe, and usually the easiest one to do so with. What is it about Spider-Man in your opinion that makes him work so well in team-up situations such as in your two minis?
I think the same qualities that made him NOT a team player for so long make him work well in a team-up. He has a strong personality, so he doesn't get lost in a crowd. And of course there's his everyman persona…you can provide a reader who may not be all that familiar with the other characters information through Spidey's eyes. One of my favorite bits in the Spidey/X-Men mini was when Spidey says to Cyclops, “Your school has a graveyard? And I thought P.S. 108 was tough…” To the X-Men, the graveyard was kind of part of the scenery, but for an outsider it really brings home the horrors the X-Men have had to face (as well as being a funny Spidey line).
Are you looking at doing a third miniseries, and if so can you give us any hints as to who will be in it?
If Mario is up for it, I would absolutely be, but as of right now there are no concrete plans. If you want to see more from us, let Marvel know! There are Avengers, Defenders, Legions of Monsters, and any number of other characters waiting for their turn in the spotlight!
