Exclusive Interview with Greg Pak: Part Two

[Stephanie]

Continued from part one …

Photo by Paige Barr

Impulse: The little moments between Max and Magda were great; at this point, only a few words have been said. So as far as this origin story is concerned, we don't know much about her. I imagine you have a unique take on her, too, and the way she fits into Magneto Testament. Can you talk a little about what we'll see not only regarding the relationship between her and Max, but her own development and personality, as well?

Greg: As folks who have followed Magneto over the years know, Magda plays an important role towards the end of the story. We'll build up to that as we go along. For now, I'll just say that Magda will be as important to Max as Max is to his father.

Impulse: There were several things in the first issue's "Afterword" that caught my attention. For one, you referred to Max---who later becomes the villain Magneto---as a "hero." Right now, there couldn't be a more perfect way to describe him. Max isn't just the protagonist---he has a good heart and comes from a hardworking, honest family. Taking into consideration that this is an origin story, when you sat down to write this did you want to make sure you carried that hero element through to the end or are we going to start seeing the tragedy of this traumatic experience take a dark toll on our hero by the conclusion?

Greg: Warren and I have talked a lot about this very topic. And we agree that at this stage in his life, our hero is exactly that---a hero.

Impulse: In the Afterword you also mention that you had to make some compromises, as expected, with comic book and also historical continuity and accuracy, and that you had to choose "one detail over another." What were some of the things that you found especially challenging to address or deal with, or some of the obstacles you had to overcome, when it came to writing this story? How did you work through them?

Greg: Since the comic book continuity is sometimes self-contradictory or conflicts with actual historical events, we couldn't always be completely true to it. Our goal has been to be true to the essence of the character. But we've always chosen real-world historical accuracy above comic book continuity. When writing about the Holocaust in particular, we're taking every precaution to avoid making historical mistakes.

There were also certain points when we finessed the comic book continuity for dramatic reasons. For example, different information from earlier comics might lead to the conclusion that Magneto's family was Polish. But we felt it was important to the story to show the gradual but inexorable rise of the Nazi state, and the most effective way to do so would be to make the family German Jews who would experience first hand things like the Nuremberg Laws and Kristallnacht. In the end, we decided that that making that choice would do no harm to the spirit of the earlier stories and would allow us to add greatly to the story and characters.

Impulse: What is it that draws you to this character? What makes him so interesting and appealing that you wanted to write Magneto Testament?

Greg: I'd first learned about the Holocaust as a grade schooler in Dallas, Texas. Over the years, I continued to learn about the time period while studying German in high school and college, political science in college, and history as a grad student. So I was probably drawn to the project partly because I thought I might have the background to tackle it. But most importantly, I was compelled by the idea of writing about a boy trying to save his family from the Nazi onslaught. The idea that this quiet schoolboy might find within him the strength to overcome his terror and do his best to save his family totally compelled me.

Impulse: Can you give us a little teaser about the rest of the mini? Something that'll hook people into reading Magneto Testament?

Greg: This is the first and only series to tell the complete story of Magneto's childhood---and, as far as I know, the first Marvel comic book to depict this historical time period [with] this kind of detail and accuracy.

Impulse: Thanks again, Greg! I can't wait to read the next issue.

Greg: Thank you, Stephanie!

Learn more about Greg Pak and his projects on his official website. Magneto Testament #3 releases November 12. Catch up with issues #1 and 2 today at the Impulse Creations shop!