Sometimes it takes a monster to catch bigger monsters. Old Man Logan knows this; it's why he allowed vicious killers like Sabretooth and Lady Deathstrike to remain among the ranks of his strike team, Weapon X.
But what happens when one of those monsters is not only taken off his short leash, but given the reins of command? Readers of Weapon X are starting to find out. In issue #17, Fred Van Lente, Greg Park and Yildiray Cinar kicked off a brand new arc titled “Sabretooth's In Charge” that found Old Man Logan sidelined by injuries. As a result, Victor Creed is now leading a mission into Russia to take out the mutant serial killer known as Omega Red.
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Of course, it remains to be seen how team members like Warpath and Domino will handle Sabretooth's promotion. There's also the question of what role S.I.C.K.L.E., the Russian counterpart to S.H.I.E.L.D., plays in the story. And just how long will Sabretooth remain in charge of Weapon X? For the answers to those questions and more, CBR spoke with co-writers Pak and Van Lente about their plans for the team.
CBR: In Weapon X #17, you kicked off a new era of the series that found Sabretooth in charge of the field team. When he joined the group back in issue #1 he was still under the effects of the inversion he experienced way back in the AXIS event. These last few issues though seem to indicate that the inversion effect may be slipping and the original savage and bloodthirsty Sabretooth might be returning. What can you tell us about Victor Creed’s mental state? What’s your sense of his moral compass?
Fred Van Lente: I think Sabretooth is more interesting the more feral he is. So definitely the inversion has been slipping a bit, and it's a part of a major new arc for him, kicking off really in the previous bit, where he tormented Logan on his birthday, as he is wont to do.
Greg Pak: I've pretty much always loved heroes who struggle with the monster within -- or monsters who struggle with the hero within. Which one is Sabretooth? Keep on reading, friends!
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Lady Deathstrike and Warpath seem to have already cemented their stances on Sabretooth as Team Weapon X's field leader. Domino strikes me as a wild card, though. What can you tell us about her role in this arc and what the Weapon X team means to her?
Van Lente: Unlike the others, Domino is a mercenary. Her motive is profit, which she has not had a lot of opportunity to pursue. But that may change very shortly...
Pak: I'll just note that Domino and Warpath have had a kind of a thing going on over the past few issues -- keep your eyes open to see where that might be going!
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Weapon X's target in this story is Omega Red. What made you choose him for the antagonistic role? What do you find most interesting about him as a character?
Van Lente: Omega Red, for me, is the most '90s of all characters, a Russian mutant serial killer. He has been a lot of fun to write, and he is a good contrast for Sabretooth, because in many ways he's even more savage than Victor.
In issue #17, Omega Red takes over a prison run by S.I.C.K.L.E., the Russian version of S.H.I.E.L.D. Has this organization been fleshed out in other Marvel books? Or is this a group where you’ll introduce a lot of the elements involved?
Van Lente: My understanding is that we are doing most of the fleshing out of S.I.C.K.L.E., which is a lot of fun. I can't wait for you guys to see the "Mothercarrier," the Russian version of you-know-what. I can't really say much more, except that there is a surprising connection between S.I.C.K.L.E and Omega Red himself...
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What else can you tell us about the remaining issues of this arc?
Van Lente: New mutants, and some surprise cameos -- well, maybe not too surprising since Weapon X spends this arc in Russia. I always like it when the X-Men interact with characters outside the mutant realm.
Pak: TIGERS. AND BABY TIGER. I'll say no more.
Yildiray Cinar is drawing this arc for you guys, and I really enjoy the way he does kinetic action and his facial expressions, especially when characters are amused.
Van Lente: He is so terrific, isn't he? Chris Robinson, our terrific editor, encouraged us to let Yildiray plot his own fight scenes, and he's done a bang up job. Wait until #18, when Omega Red and Sabretooth throw down against a trio of ... well, I’ll just let you see it for yourself.
Pak: Yildiray's having tons of fun on every page -- he gets the over the top action and the touches of humor. Love working with him!
Finally, if the July and August solicits are any indication, it looks like the era of Sabretooth's leadership continues into the summer. Can you leave us with some hints and teases about what's coming up in Weapon X after this current arc?
Van Lente: Yeah, Sabretooth is the leader of Weapon X for the foreseeable future. We are in the middle of the next arc right now and having a blast creating it. A little early to spoil right now, but I can say there are TWO -- count 'em, TWO -- new members on the team by the time that rolls around.