WIZARD WORLD L.A.: X-MEN PANEL

LOS ANGELES -- Yannick Paquette has signed an exclusive deal with Marvel Comics and will be working with David Hine on Civil War: X-Men, it was announced Saturday during Marvel's X-Men panel.

Paquette most recently worked on Seven Soldiers: Bulleteer for DC Comics.

"He's starting to turn in pages and they look gorgeous," editor Nick Lowe said.

The four-issue mini-series launches in July. The timing is for specific tie-ins to the overall Civil War story.

Lowe said that Archangel will be "making a major, major appearance" in the mini-series. "He's a touchstone character," Lowe said.

In other highlights from the panel.

* Newly exclusive John Watson will be providing multiple covers for Uncanny X-Men.

* Lowe said that Uncanny X-Men Annual #1 will "answer a lot of questions about Storm" and will be Chris Claremont's last Uncanny story.

* Writer C.B. Cebulski said that the fourth issue of X-Men: Fairy Tales will spotlight Mystique, Rogue and Gambit in a Southern fairy tale.

* Lowe said Paul Pelletier will remain as artist of Exiles when new writer Claremont jumps on. As previously reported, Claremont is bringing Psylocke into the book, although Lowe said that the core of the team -- Blink, Morph and Sabretooth -- will remain.

* To conclude the visual presentation, Lowe showed off designs by Mark Brooks for new Sentinels called Shrapnel and Ogre.

"Keep on reading the X-books," Lowe said in regards to the new Sentinels.

* Salvador Larroca will finish up the "Blood of Apocalypse" story in X-Men before moving on to a yet-to-be-announced project.

* Lowe said Mr. Sinister will return either late this year or early 2007.

* Asked about a rumored Wolverine/Storm romance in X-Men: The Last Stand when Storm is getting married to the Black Panther in the comics, editor-in-chief Joe Quesada said that at this point both the movies and comics can live on their own.

* Quesada said the first arc of Wolverine: Origins will have "interesting ramifications" regarding Wolverine's healing factor.

* Quesada said there are no plans to bring Jean Grey back. "Emma's too cool," he said.

* Sales numbers are "so far, good" on X-Factor, according to Quesada.

* New X-Men writer Craig Kyle said, "It's time for them to grow up. We're going to make them X-Men. It's on the title."

Stryker has a destiny, Kyle said, "And he's going to see it realized in this book."

* Quesada said Marvel has a "pretty hard" list for the 198 known mutants, with some spots open for new characters. He said the actual number of mutants in the Marvel Universe might be closer to 350.

Why 198? "It just sounded like a cool number," Quesada said.

* Quesada said that it has been worked on in advance on why Scarlet Witch's "No more mutants" did not effect all mutants.

* Lowe said Chamber's status will be dealt with. "All in good time," he said.