When the X-Men were launched, in 1963, literature, cinema and comics fed back with new stories and concepts about science fiction. And while the mutants’ adventures always have a social backdrop because of their difference from “normal” humans, the Children of the Atom have come to be known for a complex sci-fi of their own. And one of the plots that most contributed to this will be revisited to celebrate 60 years of the group created by Stan Lee Jack Kirby at Marvel.
Originally published in 1981, Days of a forgotten Future settles its own sci-fi foundations, alongside the Phoenix Saga. The story was told in two editions, Uncanny X-Men #141 e #142, and revolves around a future where mutants have been hunted nearly to extinction. The plot shocked by showing several beloved characters buried, and Wolverine, at the height of his popularity, being wiped off the map by a Sentinel.
The comic not only influenced the tone of X-Men stories for years to come, it even became a reference for other works. Terminatorby James Cameron, was released three years after Days of a forgotten Future and has basically the same premise: a warrior from the future returns to the present to try to change reality.
Days of a forgotten Future there was also an on-stage adaptation by Fox Films, by the hands of Bryan Singer. But it is not possible to say that the conversion was up to the original work of Chris Claremont and John Byrne, which, until today, is acclaimed by fans and new readers.
What will the new episode of one of the most important X-Men stories be like?
Well then, X-Men: Days of Future Past – Doomsday is part of the X-Men’s 60th anniversary celebrations. As you can tell from the title, the same alternative future as the plot of Days of a forgotten Future will be revisited, this time by veteran writer Mark Guggenheim and artist Manuel García.
The idea, according to the authors, is to expand the story told in the past of Days of a forgotten Future, exploring the fates of many mutants that were not seen in the original publication. “My goal with this story is to fill in some missing gaps in the thirty-year span that Kate Pryde summarized in just four panels at that time,” says Guggenheim. “Prior familiarity with the original story will not be necessary. The end result is an event that feels like the X-Men story to end all X-Men stories. At least, that’s the target we’re aiming for!”
X-Men: Days of Future Past – Doomsday #1 will be on sale on July 12th in foreign stores.
