Deadpool Creator Alleges Legal Complications Killed Major X-Men Comic

Deadpool co-creator Rob Liefeld opens up about an iconic X-Men storyline, albeit with some massive allegations.

In a recent social media post, Liefeld wrote, "As I understand it - the reason [House of X]/[Powers of X] derailed so quickly was that the most exciting element was tabled immediately following the author of The First 15 Lives Of Harry August bringing up questions of plagiarism, citing [writer Jonathan] Hickman's previous mention of the book as a favorite."

Rob Liefeld's House of X Plagiarism Accusations — Explained

The prominent comic creator was quick to defend his stance on the controversy. "The raves died as the crucial Moria stuff had to be greatly diminished," Liefeld continued. "Once the lawyers make a call, it's over. This most important aspect has been buried with time but it's there for any the investigate."

House of X and Powers of X played out across 12 issues in 2019, and introduced the concept that Moira MacTaggert, the X-Men's longtime ally and Professor Charles Xavier's former romantic interest, was always a mutant entirely unbeknownst to them. As it turns out, Moira's mutant ability saw her life, and the rest of her entire timeline, reset with each of her deaths and subsequent rebirths.

Over numerous lifetimes, Moira attempted to chart a peaceful course for both mutantkind and humanity, only to be met with utter tragedy every time. Eventually, Moira was left completely shattered by the apparent fact that there was never going to be any hope of achieving such a future, leading her to ultimately side with the anti-mutant organization known as Orchis, who went on to launch an all-out war on mutantkind before very nearly ushering in the rise of a near-omnipotent version of Mister Sinister known as Enigma.

What Are House of X and Powers of X About?

House of X and Powers of X had a profound impact on the general trajectory of the X-Men and the rest of mutantkind in the Marvel Universe, with each miniseries building up to some of the biggest changes to the status quo that Marvel's mutant heroes have seen. That being said, the addition of Moira's powers reportedly drew the threat of litigation from author Claire North, whose 2014 novel The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August features surprisingly similar plot threads.

The official solicit synopsis for The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August from Redhook Books reads, "Some stories cannot be told in just one lifetime. Harry August is on his deathbed. Again. No matter what he does or the decisions he makes, when death comes, Harry always returns to where he began, a child with all the knowledge of a life he has already lived a dozen times before. Nothing ever changes. Until now."

At the time of House of X's release, various accusations of plagiarism were lobbed at Jonathan Hickman, though none of them ever became a genuine legal or professional issue. Most of these accusations merely pointed out similarities between House of X and other works, with a few pointing to specific titles, although The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August was mentioned at various points.

House of X and Powers of X can be purchased wherever Marvel Comics are sold.