Comics
Published November 28, 2017

Secret Warriors: Underground

Matthew Rosenberg’s Sinister plot puts the Warriors on the run!

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It makes sense that a dude who has an obsession with evolution would go after the Inhumans. But that infatuation soon becomes an existential threat, forcing the Secret Warriors into hiding.

On December 13, writer Matthew Rosenberg joins artists Javier Garrón and Will Robson to deal the Inhuman squad an impossible hand in SECRET WARRIORS #10! So how will they play their cards? We caught up with Rosenberg to get a few ideas.

Marvel.com: What do you think makes Mister Sinister such a great antagonist for the Secret Warriors?

Matthew Rosenberg: First of all, he’s amazing. So there’s that.

I’ve always loved Sinister because he is the classic mad scientist of the X-universe. He’s smart, driven, and more than a little psychotic, and that can be such a great combination. And obviously we all know him as an X-Men villain, but here he gets mixed up with our little team. I think the idea of them getting mixed up with one of the most dangerous X-villains just makes sense. This team only works well when they are in over their head and can’t turn back.

Marvel.com: Sinister has a fascination with the science of human evolution, so it seems likely that he’d be interested in the Warriors and their Inhuman DNA…

Matthew Rosenberg: I think Sinister is fascinating because of his obsession with genetics and evolution. We spend all this time reading about the adventures of these super heroes who differ genetically from the average human, and he’s the villain that has as much of a fascination about that as we do. He doesn’t take mutations and Terrigenesis for granted. He wants to know how they work, to conquer them. It’s a logical idea, but also terrifying, because he will do anything to get his answers. He is a man ruled by obsessions and that obsession is now Inhumans.

For the Warriors, jumping in between Sinister and the Inhumans he’s after definitely won’t be good. But that might be what makes them heroes…or just dumb. I guess we’ll find out which.

Marvel.com: Sinister has a pretty complicated history with mutants. Does this inform his views on the Inhumans and the Warriors?

Matthew Rosenberg: Yeah, I think Sinister really likes two things: figuring out the things no one else can figure out and preying on the vulnerable. Those go hand in hand for him. Mutants, as a group, have amazing powers but are hated and feared by society. That makes them easy targets for Sinister. The Inhumans, put into labor camps, having lost their leaders, with no chance to continue the species without the Terrigen Mists, seem just like the type of vulnerable that Sinister loves. So the shift in focus for him has been an obvious one. But, much like with the mutants, his relationship to the Inhumans isn’t quite what it appears. He hurts people and does unconscionable things, but he has a goal. And that goal might not be what people expect.

Marvel.com: As someone who values science and scientists, going up against Mister Sinister has to have an impact on Moon Girl, right?

Matthew Rosenberg: In a lot of ways this will be a real fork in the road for Lunella. She is a good person, no question. A hero and sweet kid, but she’s also a genius. She values science and exploring new ideas above almost anything else. In that way, Sinister looks like a cautionary tale for her. What happens when the pursuit of science and knowledge lacks humanity? It might be easy to see how Lunella could be seduced to Sinister’s way of thinking—she finds most people kind of annoying. But will she be willing to do what’s morally right to stand in the way of his quest for knowledge? I mean, probably. But read the book.

Marvel.com: Final thoughts?

Matthew Rosenberg: Mister Sinister has always been one of the great Marvel villains and I’m so happy to get the chance to throw our Warriors up against him. This will really be a test that will make or break them. Either way, there will be some crazy science, insane fights, and ice cream breaks along the way.

SECRET WARRIORS #10, by Matthew Rosenberg and artists Javier Garrón and Will Robson, drops on December 13!