Prequel portal

First

There’s always a beginning to everything, a genesis, a spawning and a birthright to determine our destiny. As amateur animators trained to sow our dream and passion, we embarked on a journey that would lead us to find not only our purpose but a challenge to test our spirit in the field of animation that is slowly expanding in the Philippines.

Wherever we are now, we owe it to each other and our mentors who taught us a lot of things in this craft. There’s no turning back and if we try to do so, we are called back by our instinct and passion no matter how we deny our gifts.

We reflect these feelings and thoughts on fictional characters called the X-men. Hailed by comicbook fanatics and lovers of fictional superheroes around the world as 21^st century’s most famous icons. They started out in early 1960s as one of Stan Lee and Jack Kirby’s popular comicbook creations, the X-men were part of Marvel Comic’s first superheroes along with Spiderman and the Avengers (Hulk, Ironman, Captain America, Thor). In the last years of 60s, the X-men became less in-demand and the comicbook series was cancelled. It found its resurrection in the comic circulation in late 1970s with an all-new characters and creative team. The revamp marks the coming of Wolverine, the most popular and mysterious X-man to date. A film adaptation of this famous berserker hero is coming to cinemas in May 2009 as prequel to the X-men trilogy film.

But let’s forget Wolvie for while. Instead it’s time to return to the very core of mutant history and the first class of Xavier’s dream---Cyclops, Marvel Girl, Iceman, Angel and Beast. Each one of these teens created by Stan Lee is gifted with unique DNA that makes them evolutionary powerful humans. Get this: Cyclops can unleash energy blast from his eyes, Ms. Marvel moves object with her thoughts, Iceman drops the temperature to sub-zero, Angel possess heavenly wings and Beast is stronger or faster than Kingkong. They we’re gathered, trained to use their gifts in protecting humanity from evil mutants by Professor Charles Francis Xavier aka Professor X against the radical ways of the madman Magneto and his Brotherhood.

The X-men is not just our average comicbook heroes. They are massively popular and phenomenally best-selling comicbooks which spawned more than 20 titles and mini-series throughout the history of Marvel Comics. Until now, X-men#1, a second X-series by Chris Claremont and Jim Lee in the early 90s, X-men Alpha by Scott Lobell and Roger Cruz and The Phoenix saga storyline by Chris Claremont are all included in list of best-selling comicbooks. X-men were also credited in dealing and expanding the issue of gender prejudice and human rights equality to the mainstream awareness. Being different is not a reason to be hated or feared. Instead, people should judge an individual through his deeds and good intentions.

In 2000, American film director Bryan Singer started the franchise of X-men films that later spawned other box-office sequels X2 and X-men: The Last Stand. X-men’s prominence in the movie industry pave way to the trend of superhero films in Hollywood. Making Hugh Jackman (Wolverine), Halle Berry (Storm), Patrick Stewart (Prof.X), Ian Mackellen (Magneto), Famkee Janseen (Jean Grey) and many others into prominent Hollywood superstars.

With the latest buzz on Wolverine film next year, another timely addition to the X-men franchise is the announcement of casting call and pre-production of “X-men: First Class” inspired by the same successful comicbook title that featured the work of popular Brazilian comicbook artist Roger Cruz. 20^th Century Fox will produce the film and would definitely bring X-fans to the very core of mutant genesis.

To wrap things up, we posted the latest teaser article we got from www.superherohype.com (the best source for news on superhero flicks). Hope you’ll be more excited like we do these days on the good news about our fave mutants…

Fox Opening Registration for X-Men: First Class?

Source: D.Mac

July 28, 2008

An interesting listing at Production Weekly caught our eye - "X-Men: First Class." Could 20th Century Fox be developing a movie based on the series written by Jeff Parker and pencilled by Roger Cruz? Or are they using the title of that comic for their proposed Young X-Men spin-off?

What makes it even more interesting is that X-MenFirstClass.com redirects to FoxMovies.com.

The "X-Men: First Class" was an eight-issue mini-series published from September of 2006 through April of 2007. As Special was also released in May of 2007 followed by a monthly series that started in 2007 with the same creative team. The comic is described as follows:

For millions of years, mankind's place on Earth was unchallenged – until five young people paved the way for a new kind of human. While students at the Xavier School for Gifted Youngsters, Cyclops, Marvel Girl, Angel, Beast and Iceman taught the world what it meant to be X-Men. These are the hidden stories of the team that laid the foundation of a mutant dynasty!

We'll have to wait and see if official news on this hits.