In a surprise reveal, the X-Men franchise's outgoing senior editor Jordan D. White has revealed plans to permanently kill Cyclops' brother Alex Summers, aka Havok. The plans wouldn't have just killed off the character however - he would have become an undead zombie, permanently continuing on in Marvel lore as one of the living dead.

The reveal comes in a recent interview with AIPT, where White reveals that he had plans to keep Alex as a zombie. Currently, Marvel is transitioning from its 2019-2024 Krakoan Era to the new From the Ashes Era. White confirms that if he'd remained in the same role, Havok's death in Dark X-Men (by Steve Foxe and Jonas Scharf) would have stuck, and Alex Summers would have continued on as a zombie resurrected by his lover Madelyne Pryor.

The killing blow came in Dark X-Men #1, when the team went up against Albert - a robotic version of Wolverine working for the anti-mutant group Orchis. After Havok's injuries proved fatal, Pryor used her magic to stabilize him in a state of living death. While the 'From the Ashes' era will see Alex recover from this state, White reveals he had a very different fate in mind, saying:

Poor Havok. But he's not a zombie anymore. So I guess in some ways, things are looking up for him. And if anybody wants to be happy I'm not the X-Men Editor anymore - I was going to keep Alex as a zombie. I'm not even joking. I was like, "I want him to stay a zombie permanently."

X-Men Senior Editor Jordan D. White Wanted Havok to Stay a Zombie

Alex's Dark X-Men Fate Was Meant to be Permanent

Alex Summers is the more powerful brother of Cyclops, with the ability to convert ambient energy into superhot plasma blasts. First introduced in 1969, Havok has had a hard time lately, as the residual trauma of having his mind tampered with (and his daughter removed from history by Kang the Conqueror) have left him struggling with outbursts of violent rage. Alex found some comfort with Madelyne Pryor - the clone of Jean Grey - but even this brought more hardship into his life, as she was initially an enemy of mutantkind. During the last couple of years, Madelyine has received closure in her anger towards Jean, becoming something of an ally to the X-Men and even founding her own short-lived Dark X-Men team.

Alex's zombie transformation played with the themes of submission and dependence in Alex and Madelyne's relationship, making Havok's habit of drawing a sense of identity from Madelyne (even when she's arguably pursuing evil) even more literal. The comic had hinted that Havok's devotion to Pryor would have dark consequences, and becoming a zombie would have fit the bill (though it would still have been preferable to just dying.) Sadly, the ending of X-Men #35 (from various writers and artists) shows Alex looking lost next to a poster for Angel's new X-Factor team, setting up his new status quo while also confirming he's recovered from zombification.

Havok was played in 20th Century Fox's X-Men: First Class movie series by Lucas Till.

Instead of a Zombie, Cyclops' Brother Is Becoming a Government Stooge

New X-Factor Series Sees Havok Working for the Government

In Marvel's new From the Ashes era, Havok will instead by headlining a new X-Factor series from Mark Russell and Bob Quinn. Alongside Angel, Frenzy, Pyro and Feral, Alex Summers will become a government agent in a series exploring the idea of superheroes as marketable celebrities, fighting to "make the world safe for democracy." It's an interesting premise and one that Alex - always in the shadow of his more famous brother Cyclops - is pretty perfect for, however those fans who wanted X-Men to remain in the Krakoan Era will be saddened to know there was still more story to tell with zombie Havok.

X-Factor #1 is coming August 14 from Marvel Comics.

Source: Chris Hassan, AIPT

• X-Men

  Comic Release Date:

  213035,212968

  First Film:

  X-Men (2000)

  TV Show(s):

  X-Men: Pryde of the X-Men (1989), X-Men (1992), X-Men: Evolution (2000), Wolverine and the X-Men (2008), Marvel Anime: Wolverine (2011), Marvel Anime: X-Men (2011), Legion (2017), The Gifted (2017), X-Men '97 (2024)

  Movie(s):

  X-Men (2000), X2 (2003), X-Men: The Last Stand (2006), X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009), X-Men: First Class (2011), The Wolverine (2013), X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014), Deadpool (2016), X-Men: Apocalypse (2016), Logan (2017), Deadpool 2 (2018), Dark Phoenix (2019), The New Mutants (2020), Deadpool & Wolverine (2024)

  Character(s):

  Professor X, Cyclops, Iceman, Beast, Angel, Phoenix, Wolverine, Gambit, Rogue, Storm, Jubilee, Morph, Nightcrawler, Havok, Banshee, Colossus, Magneto, Psylocke, Juggernaut, Cable, X-23

  Video Game(s):

  X-Men: Children of the Atom (1994), Marvel Super Heroes (1995), X-Men vs. Street Fighter (1996), Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter (1997), Marvel vs. Capcom (1998), X-Men: Mutant Academy (2000), Marvel vs. Capcom 2: New Age of Heroes (2000), X-Men: Mutant Academy 2 (2001), X-Men: Next Dimension (2002), Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds (2011), Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 (2011), X-Men Legends (2005), X-Men Legends 2: Rise of Apocalypse (2005), X2: Wolverine's Revenge (2003), X-Men (1993), X-Men 2: Clone Wars (1995), X-Men: Mutant Apocalypse (1994)