John Byrne Returns to X-Men, the Superheroes that Made Him Famous, to Say Goodbye: “Leaving in a Blaze of Glory”
In 1980, Uncanny X-Men was one of the most influential comics at Marvel, attracting readers with its stories of heroes shunned by society, yet willing to don costumes and save a world that hated and feared them. The comics featured unique-looking, internationally-seasoned characters such as Wolverine and Nightcrawler, romance between various teammates, and melodrama galore. Working as a team, writer Chris Claremont and artist John Byrne were riding a high rarely seen in the industry, creating the now famous “Dark Phoenix” storyline and following it up with “Days of Future Past,” stories that still influence today. Then, the unthinkable happened. Byrne, fed up after months of creative differences, quit the book, packing up his pencils and art board to work on other Marvel titles. Following popular runs on Fantastic Four, Alpha Flight, and The Incredible Hulk, he eventually left the company he had helped propel out of the sales doldrums of the late 1970s. Both would survive apart. X-Men would dominate Marvel in the 1980s and 1990s. Byrne built a dynamic career, becoming an even bigger personality. But legions of fans have long wondered, what if…Byrne had never left Uncanny X-Men? That question is (sort of) answered with X-Men: Elsewhen, Byrne’s first published work in over a decade. Elsewhen, which arrives in stores June 23 from Abrams ComicArts, is not exactly an authorized Marvel title, however. It is, rather, a work of fan fiction. Byrne’s fan fiction. “Something I’m doing that wasn’t for intended for publication is the definition of fan fiction,” the semi-retired writer-artist tells The Hollywood Reporter. “Some people use the term as a pejorative, and I don’t think it is.”
