#Is it me or does my kitty looks like iceman | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

silverbladexyz · 5 months

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This was based off a request in my inbox that I somehow couldn't find anymore ;w; but it was a cute one :)

The images do not belong to me. They belong to their original owners.

TW: Mentions of smoking. Gender neutral reader

Dazai, Iceman, and Ayatsuji with an S/O who has a pet kitty

Dazai:

-Despite Dazai being quite an energetic drama queen, I have a feeling that he'd be rather chill with your cat

-We all know that he has a special connection to a rather special cat (Natsume), so in the first few times he was alone with your cat, he definitely tried to find out if it was actually an ability user in disguise. And by that, I mean poking it a few times to see if his nullification ability could make it revert back to it's human form (spoiler: it did not)

-But suspicions aside, Dazai loves your pet kitty! When he comes home after a tiring day of work at the Armed Detective Agency, simply stroking your cat's soft fur is enough to temporarily distract his mind from everything. He might even hug the cat to his chest as he lies down on the couch, and prompt you to take a photo since he 'looks more handsome at that angle' Dark Era anime reference owuashaah

-If your cat doesn't warm up to other people easily, then you're in for a treat. Dazai would be chasing after the cat with sardines and toys and everything cats supposedly like to try and win it's affection and trust, while fake crying to you that your pet 'hates him'. He will even try meowing at your cat, and his meows are so surprisingly accurate that you sometimes think he's a cat in disguise

-Over time, your cat decides to finally trust Dazai, and he is overjoyed when it happens. Your beloved will become 10x more affectionate with the feline, and it is now a common occurrence where he hugs it and proclaims how adorable or beautiful it is; often sneaking in a compliment that it was almost as beautiful as it's owner, which is you :)

-Dazai definitely would try to teach your pet kitty some tricks to impress you. Some of the tricks he tries to teach it concerns you since 'no cat would need that knowledge', but he still insists on going forward with the training, since it 'might be useful someday'. You gave up trying to convince him, and you were glad that you did, because now you have one of the smartest and trick-y cats in all of Yokohama. Yay! Though you weren't too impressed when Dazai taught the kitty to fetch things for him... but you trusted his judgement

-He certainly loves having the cat perch on his shoulders while he does his paperwork at home (for once lmao), since I headcanon he likes the silky texture of your cat's fur against his cheek as he writes. Sometimes, when he takes a mini break, or when he's just admiring the lovely Yokohama scenery outside the window, Dazai would pet the cat's head, who in turn nuzzles into his palm

-On days where you're busy, he'll be more than happy to look after your cat for you! Even though he might purposefully mess things up just for laughs, Dazai will actually be more serious when it comes pet-sitting. He wouldn't want to let you down, and ensures that all care your cat receives will be top tier- including baths. You had never seen as many expensive cat shampoos than ever before in your life, and by the end of the entire ordeal your cat will be ✨immaculate✨. Dazai might even joke about starting to use cat shampoo too please don't let him use it

-Uses your cat as an excuse to slack off from work sometimes. Kunikida almost had a meltdown when he can't find Dazai in the usual places, only for Dazai to tell him through the phone 'But I just had to look after my lovely Y/N's cat!~ Or else they'll be quite sad that I'm not bonding enough with our precious child! u.u' #saveKunikidafromDazai'santics

-He would definitely take some videos of your cat doing tricks, and show them to Atsushi, asking him if he could do those tricks but in his tiger form. The poor boy is startled and is going all 'but I can't control my full tiger form!'; it does not help how Dazai says that his nullification ability could turn Atsushi back to normal if things were to go out of control. Fortunately Kunikida stepped in and reminded Dazai to get back to work

-Fun fact: crab meat can be a good treat for cats as it is rich in protein. And we know that our bandaged detective loves to eat crab meat too. So imagine if Dazai opens a tin of canned crab, about to eat it- only to see your cat sitting down at his feet, giving him the cute pleading Puss in Boots eyes as it stares at the crab meat held between his chopsticks. Sometimes, your lover would (begrudgingly) give the kitty his precious crab that was initially meant for himself to savour, but other times he'll just finish the entire can of crab meat while holding a staring contest with your cat as if daring it to do something

-If you wanted to get another cat, Dazai isn't opposed. The more the merrier, and he knows better than anyone else the feeling of loneliness. Be prepared for him to splurge a lot more money on cat products though; and don't even ask where the money came from /j

Iceman:

-Chill assassin dude doesn't show too many outward reactions with your cat, but don't worry since he thinks it's cute and would definitely take good care of it if you asked him to

-Oftentimes, you'd see them next to each other on the couch, with the cat on his shoulders or on his lap. Iceman will sometimes pet it, and despite his frighteningly cold demeanour most of the time, he's actually quite gentle when it comes to your pet

-Because your man himself is so calm and laid-back, he can make even the most energetic of cats be as tranquil as a lake. This definitely helps when you're trying to chase your cat down to give it a bath, because they run fast

-Iceman also stops smoking as often when he learns that cats dislike the smell of cigarette smoke. Keep in mind that he won't fully quit since it's difficult to do so, but he'll definitely be mindful about it and only smoke when he's certain that the lingering smell on his body wouldn't affect your cat

-He also plays music for your cat sometimes! It's scientifically proven that cats tend to like soft classical music, and luckily your partner has quite the collection of records that he'd put on for you, him, and your cat to listen to. It also calms you down after a stressful day, and it sets the perfect mood for your lover to embrace you in his arms

-When feeding your cat, Iceman sometimes leaves some tuna or sardines on top of it's food so that it would add some flavour to the kibble. He somehow always finds the freshest and best quality fish for his favourite feline, and don't worry about the cost since the Mafia pays quite a bit

-Is also the type of guy to buy plush and wicker cat trees for your cat to climb and jump on and off it. If it breaks, don't concern yourself with buying a new one because Iceman is actually quite good with his hands. In just a few minutes, he'd have fixed the cat tree up and made it look as good as new

-Sometimes, when he's had a tiring day, Iceman would cuddle you on the couch while your cat jumps onto your laps- and it's the cutest thing ever with all three of you sharing a nice big hug to wind down and relax

-If your cat is a rather mischievous one with dozens of antics, you can catch Iceman smiling a soft smile as he watches the cat being up to no good again. He'll always intervene and stop it if things were about to go south, but he does enjoy having a good chuckle at it's funny shenanigans

-Like Dazai, Iceman wouldn't mind if you wanted to get more cats, since he's quite easy-going with whatever you choose to do. And the fact that you have a soft spot for cats makes him soft for you too ❤

Ayatsuji:

-Now unlike Dazai and Iceman, Ayatsuji actually has cats too! And he's glad that you have experience in taking care of cats since it would make life much easier for him

-He definitely would introduce his cats to yours. They're actually quite well-behaved, and soon enough you'd have three gorgeous felines clambering all over Ayatsuji's office and being adorable menaces to anyone who visits the room. It brightens Tsujimura's day, but she'd never admit it

-Ayatsuji is a genius, which means that he most likely will also teach your cat some tricks. Such as sitting down, coming back when called, and many more! Even though he rarely would have time to play with your cats (yes his cats are your cats too now), he'd still try to feed them and pet them whenever he could

-Don't worry about your pet making a mess in his office, because your paramour will train it to be civil and docile, which can prevent many incidents from happening. Your cat does find some of the western furniture in there to be fun places to climb and leap onto, but it never damages anything with it's claws, which is what you're thankful for since you don't want a disappointed Ango on your heels

-Despite not being an affectionate person, Ayatsuji actually likes to pet your cat! It gives him a sense of relief and calmness, since he prefers to be alone with cats than with humans (you're the exception). If you ask him to, he'll definitely brush your cat's coat everyday; and he is so focused and detailed while doing it that it makes you think the cat was his own child (in some way it is hehe)

-He also likes the cat's company when he's looking over cases in his office. Ayatsuji doesn't bring your cat to crime scenes since he doesn't want to jeopardise it's safety, but when he is pondering over the perpetrators of the case, the feline would nuzzle itself up against his legs, which would make him become slightly soft inside

-Shopping for cat collars!! If you haven't noticed in the picture yet, Ayatsuji's cats both have cute collars that suit them very nicely, and there's no doubt he'd want the same for your cat (if you allow it of course). He has amazing taste, and knows where to get the cheapest but best looking cat collars in Yokohama. I headcanon he likes the collars with darker colours and a small bell on it; simplistic yet stylish

-As you all know, Ayatsuji likes dolls, and is talented at making them. So over the course of a few days, he might stitch together a few small dolls for your cat to play with. It keeps your cat entertained, and even Ayatsuji himself cracks a few rare smiles here and there at the adorable sight

-10/10 cat parent, and a 100/10 partner. Ayatsuji will treat you and your cat right :)

Now I want a pet cat too 🤧🐈

@circinuus @ruanais @yuugen-benni @oldworldpoolhall @kolyakisses @sariel626 @chocsra

#silverbladexyz #bsd x reader #bungou stray dogs x reader #bsd x gender neutral reader #bungou stray dogs x you #dazai x reader #dazai osamu x reader #bsd flags x reader #iceman x reader #bsd iceman x reader #the flags x reader #bsd the flags x reader #ayatsuji x reader #yukito x reader #ayatsuji yukito x reader

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tepkunset · 11 months

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Rating all* the Hellfire Gala 2023 Outfits in my Correct Opinion

*At least, all that I can find, because Marvel decided fuck making that easy in a little book or a single post like last year.

(Long post alert!)

Iceman, I love most of this look. The accented orange is perfect for the mostly blue look, and I love that he has a matching earring for his cuff-links. Such a nice touch! But those rubber boots, man... those rubber boots ruin it for me. 8/10

Fisk is giving off some Doctor Doom vibes with this outfit. I love the regalness of it, especially the golden leaves behind the ear. 9/10

??? I'm not sure who this is, but their outfit looks like they're going to a Halloween party rather than a gala. 3/10

Emma, oh my god, YES. Almost always delivering, and this is definitely one of those cases! 10/10

Xavier... I hate to say it, but I genuinely love this look. He's bringing major space man vibes, and it's super elegant at the same time. 9/10

Bishop doesn't even get points for effort. He got a red suit then slapped some belts on it. Boring as fuck. 1/10

I was about to write another "???" because I had no idea who this was, until it occurred to me that I think this is supposed to be Scarlet Witch? Except she is super duper whitewashed, so I did not even recognize her. Auto-failure regardless of the look. 0/10

Proteus looks moderately snazzy, but out of the Five is the least interesting in my opinion. 3/10

Egg has a cool coat, but those balls around his neck are way too big and awkward. 4/10

Hope looks a little like a fairy princess here, and I like that! 7/10

Tempus looks like she's going to a prom more than a gala, and I don't know what's going on with that giant shoulder piece. Did Cable lend it to her or something? 4/10

Elixir, my golden boy, is embracing the shiny and I love it! 9/10

Exodus seems to be trying out a new costume rather than a gala look, but in terms of style, it's fine. 5/10

Vision's outfit is as boring as he is. 1/10

Miles, holy shit. Miles should be giving lessons to everyone else on how to actually make a suit look unique! Bishop, take notes. 9/10

Old Laura looks like she's dressed for a gothic funeral more than a gala, but at least that's to her style rather than some crazy OOC look. So, points for that. 5/10

T'Challa... I. Am. Swooning. I know he's not a king right now but damn does he ever look like it in this outfit. The beautiful patterns and complimentary colours, holy shit. 10/10

Synch has certainly done way better in the past. It's just a plain black suit without a shirt, for fuck sake. 2/10

Captain Marvel looks like she's a marching bad, lol. The stars in the hair are a nice touch, though. 3/10

Jean's look is, I know, divisive. I've seen some people say they adore this design, and some people say they hate it. I'm personally on the fence. I think it would be better without the stupid helmet, that's for sure. And I think it looks a little too much like an Emma Frost design, if you were to just colour it white. 5/10

Fantomex? Where the fuck have you been? Anyway, he literally just looks like he always looks but with some sunglasses lmfao. 0/10

Dylan looks like a moody teen as ever, lol. I do like the black and white though. 6/10

Black Cat... Like I said, I like black and white together, but this is giving me too much Cruella de Vil vibes. 4/10

Mary Jane just picked up an evening gown off the rack I guess. 2/10

Firestar, I think? Not actually positive if it's her. Anyway, the sleeves are a bit too much for me, but I love the fiery frills on the cape. 5/10

Thor looks so ugly here lmfao I'm sorry but I hate this look. It's way too clunky. 0/10

At first I thought this was Kwannon, but then I remembered seeing panels and I believe it's Kitty/Kate. Anyway, I like the lace-up boots and I like the frills. 7/10

Hellcat looks like she's took some inspiration from a wrestler's pre-fight look, and I like that. It's simplistic but just enough stylish to pass. 6/10

Nova, going with a tits out look as well I see. I like the feathered shoulder pads, and I like the skirt. 6/10

Moon Knight, oh my god, I have a strong feeling it was Steven who pulled the strings to get a gala look, because there's no fucking way Marc or Jake would be caught dead there. Anyway, this is exactly the type of vibe I would expect from MK, maybe even a bit more playful than that with the mesh part of the top. And I really like it up until the strange boots. He and Iceman must've compared notes or something. Still, 8/10

Psylocke - now THIS is Kwannon for sure! I like the classical ninja meets evening gown look, and I like that she's sexy but not to the point of being objectified, which is a refreshing change for how artists often treat her. 8/10

Destiny and Mystique I will rate together because the score is the same: A what the fuck level of 0/10.

Forge looks fucking awesome, especially compared to last year. I love the fringe and the scarf and the jewellery and the cane... it's a complete look that gives me great vibes. 8/10

Cyclops, come on, man. You can do better than this, can't you? He looks like Mister Sinister dressed him or something. 1/10

Cuckoos look like they stepped off the set of Tron: Legacy. Or a Daft Punk concert. Not complaining to be clear, this look fucks. 10/10

#hellfire gala #x men #marvel comics #meta

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synergysilhouette · 9 months

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Remaking X-Men: Evolution (Season 3)

(Note: If this looks familiar, that's because this is a reupload. I've rewritten all 4 seasons, plus my own original season. Make sure to check them out!)

Continuing on with my X-Men: Evolution series remake, I decided to put all of the Apocalypse arc into this season rather than spreading it out through seasons 2-4. Take a look:

Day of Recovery--A chef’s kiss episode for me, so it’s mostly minor changes. It’s noted during the rescue mission that Daken, Polaris, and Colossus are not present, leading the teams to believe that Magneto is alive and has saved them, though the X-Men are still suspicious of the Brotherhood. Prodigy and Bobby are a duo (as Kitty has went with the Morlocks along with the rest of the New Mutants), and it’s Magik who rescues Wolverine instead of Spyke. Nightcrawler and Mystique have a brief bonding moment. Nightcrawler is disappointed that Cyclops left Mystique behind, though Destiny warns Scott that he will pay for his actions, and Havok supports him, despite having some misgivings. During her investigation with Toad, Wanda finds Psylocke and uses her abilities to revive her. While she awakens from her coma, Psylocke seems to feel more hesitant on being the Brotherhood’s side, but still uses her telepathy in order to allow the Brotherhood to live in Mystique’s house undetected by the police.

2. The Stuff of Heroes--Again we take some influence from my version of “Survival of the Fittest.” First off, Gambit goes with Rogue and Logan to the store, making out with Rogue to prevent her from being recognized and seriously injuring himself. However, they’re found out anyway. Magik accompanies Beast (who does most of the speech, being the only adult) and Storm to the summit. However, while the mutants watch, Iceman, Magik, Prodigy, Rogue, and Jean are transported into the Mojoverse and forced to battle Juggernaut and prevent him from destroying a dam–but they don’t realize they’re being televised on Earth and the dam is in their area. The rest of the X-Men are forced to defend themselves against the military. In the end, when the X-Men are transported back to Earth, Longshot attempts a failed rebellion against Mojo, who sends him and Shatterstar to Earth, though Longshot now has amnesia and the two are separated.

3. Mainstream--A few changes; Kitty is one of the students taken home, and being away from the X-Men allows her and Lance to still maintain a relationship. Bobby, like Kurt, is also unrecognized because he was in his ice form at the time he was on camera. Graydon works together with Principal Kelly (who doesn’t know about his heritage) and invites the Brotherhood back to school in place of Kelly, claiming he’s working for Mystique and has reconciled with her. Amanda becomes disillusioned with Kurt not sticking by his friends and threatens to break up with him if he doesn’t stick up for them, and Bobby decides to reveal himself as a mutant. Both Jean and David are accused by Kelly of using their powers to get achievements (which David did sometimes on tests, something he inadvertently reveals that gets him expelled, making him go to school online for the rest of the season). During the Brotherhood’s rampage, Nightcrawler tries to reconcile with Graydon, who only outs him as a mutant.

4. The Stuff of Villains--Combines elements of season 2’s “Mindbender” so that the Apocalypse saga fully occurs in season 3. Wanda is searching for Pietro, giving us flashbacks into her, his, and Polaris’ childhoods. Psylocke is trying to locate Daken, Polaris, and Colossus, but finds something blocking her. Destiny discovers Jean, Nightcrawler, Magik, and Gambit have been brainwashed to commit crimes, and Psylocke goes to the X-Men to see if there is a connection. The remaining X-Men and Psylocke rescue Quicksilver that evening before turning their attention to the brainwashed X-Men. After defeating them (but not before Mesmero gets the key), Psylocke is invited to join the X-Men, but the stress she’s experienced has her hesitant to engage in more battles. Xavier instead offers her a room at the institute with no obligation to join the X-Men (as long as she keeps going to school), to which she agrees to. She notes that for a second, she sensed the missing Acolytes and Brotherhood members, along with a powerful man she never met.

5. Blind Alley--Another great episode. In this case, Alex is kidnapped and Scott goes to find him. However, Scott is ambushed by Mystique, who steals his visor and abandons him in Mexico. Jean discovers both of the brothers are gone and a note from Scott. She rescues Alex first, during which time a man scares off Mystique, revealing himself as Mr. Sinister. He attempts to acquire a DNA sample, but is unable to do some before Mystique returns. When Mystique returns to finish Cyclops off, Jean and Havok rescue him from her. I know the episode is supposed to focus solely on Scott and Jean becoming a couple, but I thought it’d be a waste not to include Alex since he’s on the main roster in my version and he’s Scott’s brother.

6. The Toad, the Witch, and the Wardrobe--This is where everyone will hate me. First off, the Pyro that burns the bridge is actually Simon Lasker, kidnapped by Magneto and brainwashed by Mastermind to be a “fill-in” Pyro for the Brotherhood while the OG Pyro remains an Acolyte. Bobby attempts to break though to him by referencing their brief romantic relationship, allowing time for Storm to douse the flames before any major damage is done. Psylocke stays out of the fight mostly, but attempts to read Pyro’s mind, only to find the brainwashing has left his mind a fortress. Pyro II tries to escape, but Wanda captures him and finds a card. She angrily questions him about it, but unlike Pietro in the original version, is unafraid of her, goading her to visit the ski resort. After getting pep talks from Storm, Iceman, and Beast about being comfortable in his own skin, Nightcrawler and Amanda’s evening with her parents goes as well as it did originally–which is not at all. Pyro II wilingly tells Wanda where to go, only for her to be captured by Magneto. Toad enlists the help of Nightcrawler, who brings Storm, Iceman, and Prodigy with him. They all chastise Toad, who angrily accepts blame and sadly says he doesn’t care about what happens to him, but wants to save Wanda. When they enter Magneto’s sanctum, they notice how empty it is, and ponder if Magneto didn’t rescue Daken, Polaris, and Colossus. Bobby attempts to break through to Simon again, but both of the Pyros outdo him and Storm subdues them with snow. Prodigy helps Toad and Nightcrawler rescue Wanda, who has been conditioned to let her hate of Magneto go. Toad apologizes for being a nuisance to everyone and almost deceiving Wanda into kissing him, and Wanda says that she was cruel to say he had to be someone else and has to learn to care about himself more–something she was going to work on. Amanda and Nightcrawler officially break up, with Nightcrawler realizing he’s not secure enough with himself to date a non-mutant and reveal himself to the world, and that he doesn’t want Amanda to suffer because of him. They part amicably, and Storm and Iceman join them for ice cream.

7. Self Possessed--One of my favorite episodes. While Rogue flirts with Scott, it’s purely platonic, as Gambit and Rogue are on the cusp of an official relationship. A lot of Rogue’s anxieties are quelled in this version–except for the obvious split personality. Gambit is weary of Risty, but doesn’t mention it to Rogue since he sees how well they get along. Gambit and Rogue go to the concert with Risty, as well as Scott and Jean, Storm and Nightcrawler (hinting at a romantic relationship), and Havok, Magik, and Iceman. In my version, Jean and Scott are a bit more comfortable about the concert being a date. After Rogue absorbs Mystique again, she has flashbacks once more of her childhood, albeit seeing it from her adoptive mother’s eyes. She realizes that Mystique is her adoptive mother, and criticizes her for always using and manipulating Rogue, Nightcrawler, and even Graydon. Mystique acknowledges that at certain times she was driven by selfish goals (saying the whole thing in “Blind Alley” with Scott was personal, albeit reckless). She says that being friends with Graydon and Rogue was something she wanted to do because she knew they wanted nothing to do with her–in contrast to Nightcrawler, who she planned to pick up the pieces with later, knowing he’d be more forgiving. Rogue runs away, memories of her childhood flashing around her. When she uses her ability to fly, she finds Jean taking over. While Gambit and Nightcrawler try to soothe her, it is still Jean and Professor X who quell her raging mind. Psylocke visits her out of sympathy while she’s healing, while Gambit kisses her forehead. In the end, Rogue notes a conversation Mystique had with Destiny, something about “Apocalypse.”

8. X-Treme Measures--A freebie episode. It premiered earlier, but I moved it around for narrative purposes. With Spyke gone, this episode still focuses on the Morlocks–specifically taking from “Uncanny X-Men #169-170”. Making Callisto a bit more comic-accurate, she finds Angel saving humans, and invites him to join the Morlocks. When he refuses, she captures him, intent on breaking his spirit (I do want some of the “he’ll be my mate” vibes, but it could be weird since he’s a teen in my version and Callisto is still an adult). Prodigy sees this and attempts to save him, but is struck ill doing so. Storm battles Callisto in order to save both Angel and Prodigy, coming out victorious. There is a brief moment where Storm is almost overcome with hatred, and Nightcrawler talks her down from it, sharing a brief kiss with her. The X-Men invite Angel to join them, and he says he will consider it.

9. Under Lock and Key--Essentially follows the same beat, except Mesmero uses Quicksilver to get the relic instead of Gambit, Beast goes with Wolverine to track down Mystique, and the bonding scene between Rogue and Nightcrawler lasts a little longer, with Mystique’s memories giving Rogue flashbacks to her and Kurt’s childhood and discussing it with him. Gambit quietly listens in the doorway, not wanting to ruin their moment. It’s hinted that Mesmero knows the whereabouts of Magneto’s missing members, making Magneto almost kill him. Banshee also appears, and while not officially joining the X-Men, tells them that they have his number. At the end of the episode, Angel joins the New Mutants.

10. Cruise Control--Occurs in a similar way, but switching up the characters; Beast takes Storm’s role as chaperone, Storm takes Kitty’s role in having fun with Nightcrawler, and Magik takes Boom-Boom’s role, which includes making a woman’s food come to life and exposing the group as mutants (Somnus attempts to make them think they dreamt it, but very few passengers believe that). Kurt also mentions he wishes Rogue could’ve been there to enjoy the cruise. Both Magma and Rictor feel the volcanic eruption, and they team up to save the day.

11. X23--I don’t have a lot of changes for this. Obviously make Laura look more like Wolverine like she does in the comics, and give Wolverine a cathartic moment where X-23 reminds him of Daken, and he ponders if he only exists to cause pain and how he could help them. Psylocke also recalls her time in the Mojoverse and that she was an assassin while under his control.

12. Dark Horizon (Part 1)--Happens similarly, with a few changes: it’s Magik at the beginning of the episode, Graydon taunts Scott and Jean with Principal Kelly, Rogue using her powers on Wanda inadvertently loosens some of Mastermind’s brainwashing on Wanda (which also happens when Rogue uses her powers on Pyro II), it is up to Magik and Nightcrawler to find Apocalypse’s hidden room. During the investigation, Iceman attempts to break through to Pyro II, who vaguely recalls Magneto’s imprisonment.

13. Dark Horizon (Part 2)--The teams split up differently: Magik, Nightcrawler, and Prodigy; Cyclops, Pyro, and Havok; Quicksilver, Pyro II, and Iceman; Beast, Magneto, and Professor X; and Storm and Jean. During their investigation, Prodigy suspects the missing mutants are somewhere in the pyramid, and Mr. Sinister appears briefly when Scott and Jean reunite. Other than that, the episode plays out pretty similar to the OG episode.

14. Impact--It's so emotional as-is! Though I do have changes: Wanda’s hypnosis is wearing off (which explains why she’s sympathetic to Rogue and Nightcrawler’s situation) though she doesn’t remember all the painful memories yet; Magneto doesn’t disappear and is just repelled by Apocalypse; and Nightcrawler has an angry “how could you?!” With Rogue before they both break down into tears, comforted by Storm and Gambit. But neither of them see Mystique’s statue repairing itself, slowly turning her back into flesh and blood (protected by the bargain she had made to help Apocalypse).

15. Cajun Spice--Deals more with the pain Kurt and Rogue feel, having them jumping between screaming matches and depressed interactions. Nightcrawler, being who he is, attempts to find some wisdom in the experience while Rogue goes with Remy to New Orleans. The rest of the episode virtually plays out the same, but now Gambit and Rogue become an official couple while Rogue and Nightcrawler reconcile. Kurt apologizes for making Rogue feel as though her pain wasn’t justified, and Rogue apologizes for demeaning his wish to bond with his birth mother and taking away the chance. They agree that Mystique is easy to despise and love, and they wonder if she has the same feelings about them. Mystique secretly listens to this conversation.

16. Ascension (Part 1)--Remove Storm and Professor X being taken away by Apocalypse, instead they're only injured. The Four Horsemen are revealed: Daken as Death, Colossus as War, Polaris as Pestilence, and a new mutant known as Vulcan becomes famine. Mr. Sinister reveals that Vulcan is the brother of Havok and Cyclops, who he saved following the airplane crash that happened to the Summers family. Mystique reveals she’s alive to the X-Men and states that she will assist them take down Apocalypse. Everything else is the same.

17. Ascension (Part 2)--The teams in different corners of the world: Storm, Magma, Jean Grey, Multiple, Somnus, and Rictor face Death (Daken) in Egypt; Prodigy, Beast, Havok, and Cyclops face Famine (Vulcan) in China; Magik, Sunspot, Wolverine, Psylocke, and Angel face off against War (Colossus) in Mexico; and Magneto, Professor X, Gambit, Scarlet Witch, Nightcrawler and Mystique go to face Pestilence (Polaris) at the Sphinx. There’s A LOT going on–like 1 hour of stuff going on. I’d want there to be brief “Dance with Death” and “War of Swords” sequences (inspired by “X of Swords” parts 3 and 13), Magneto and Wanda trying to break through to Polaris, flashbacks to Vulcan’s (who almost wins before running out of energy) manipulation under Sinister’s tutelage and descent into madness, and a real apology from Mystique to Nightcrawler and Kurt about how awful she’s been to them. In the wake of saving the world, attitudes towards mutantkind shift a bit more positive, allowing for Jubilee, Shadowcat, and Wolfsbane to return to the New Mutants, and Prodigy being allowed to return to school. Along with this, Psylocke and Colossus join the New Mutants. It should be noted that Mr. Sinister and Vulcan survive, with Vulcan flying into space to escape Mr. Sinister.

Lemme know what you think! Be sure to tell me what your favorite episode(s) is!

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blazingstar29 · 1 year

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I'm Leaving On A Jet Plane - Chapter 4

Chapters: 1/2/3

Pairing: Iceman/Maverick

Summary: The layton mission is a success but Maverick has an unexpected caller.

Warnings: Panic attack, grief

Wordcount: 3.5 K

One week later.

They did leave Goose’s name on the locker.

The adhesive masking tape is stuck firmly to the metal reading Lt. Nick Bradshaw “GOOSE”. Maverick gently unsticks it and folds it carefully against the chain of his dog tags before tucking them beneath his shirt.

“Maverick!” Stinger exclaims rounding the corner of a locker bay.

“Sir.”

“How does it feel to be on the front page of every English speaking newspaper in the world? Even though the other side denies the incident. Congratulations!”

He forces a smile. The thrill of war doesn’t have the same excitement. “Thank you, Sir.”

“They gave you your choice of duty, son. Anything, anywhere, do you believe that shit?” It seems Singer doesn’t. “Where do you think you want to go?”

God, so many questions. His head is still spinning, fear and adrenaline mixes. That spin almost wasn’t recoverable. Once is an accident, twice and they’ll question if he’s fit to fly planes. Stinger blows a plume of smoke at him.

“I thought of being an instructor, sir. Pay it on and all that.”

Stinger’s eyes widened incredulously. He’ll never really balance the Maverick who left the Kitty Hawk and the one in front of him. The one thing that changed this boy's head was the greatest price he had to pay, besides losing his wings. Stinger had got word from Viper not only about Goose which was a piece of news he never wants to break again, but knows he will, but of Maverick’s options. It seemed like he was quitting just a week ago. Hell, an hour ago it seemed like Maverick might quit still.

“Top Gun?”

Maverick smiles bashfully. “Yes, sir.”

“God help us!” Stinger laughs as he leaves Maverick alone.

Later under the cover of dusk, Maverick steals himself away to the flight deck, to the railing at the bow of the ship. He pulls his dog tags from under his shirt and with great reverence unsticks the masking tape. With even pressure Maverick leans low and sticks it against the bow of the ship. It will be gone before morning, but it’s enough for Maverick that it’s there right now. That…that Goose will always be a part of the ship and as much as Maverick hates it, a part of the sea.

“You would have loved it,” he mutters. “Great balls of fire.”

Iceman passes him in the halls. He looks at Maverick’s windswept hair and the water spray on his browns. “Sneaking around, Mav?”

Maverick gives him a thin lipped smile. “Last I heard this was my ship.”

It brings a sharp, curt laugh from Iceman. Whatever brotherhood they had down on the beach, landing back on the flight deck is gone. Where, Maverick isn’t sure. Please let it come back.

“They gave you the same choice, where are you heading?”

“Lemoore. It’s where Slider and I first met. Managed to bring him along as a package deal,” Ice smiles. “And you?”

“Top Gun instructor.” There’s a flash of concern in Ice’s eyes. He underestimates you. “What?”

“Nothing, nothing,” Ice says quickly. “I’m just surprised you’d stay there. I’d have thought you’d want a change of scene.”

He never trusted you. Of course he wouldn’t. Why would he? Maverick’s mind flashes back to before the mission as they finished the briefing. Iceman had approached Stinger.

“Excuse me sir.” He had said it with the utmost respect, Slider at his side. He raised his hand as if to emphasise his point. “This is not personal.” Of course it was. “But with regard to Maverick.”

At the sound of his name he froze. Iceman and Slider talking to Stinger, his superior about him.

“Is he the best backup that–”

“I know what’s on your mind Kazansky, just get on with it.” Of course Stinger would know, of course he knew what Ice meant. Hell, he probably agreed. Maverick slipped away before they could catch him watching.

“No, no,” Maverick shakes his head. “I’m good. I’m good.”

—

They part ways at the hangar. The Navy has given them two weeks leave before it’s business as usual. Now that he’s an instructor, Maverick has off-base housing he needs to collect keys to. The guy at the desk chucks him the keys and a manilla folder with a look of respect. He’s no longer the MiG insulter, he’s the MiG killer. Maverick feels no remorse for shooting down those MiG’s. It was them or us, he thinks. But there’s something about knowing what someone on the other side is going to feel when they find out about the dead pilots. Maverick shakes his head as he gets on to his bike, those people are none of his concern.

The cruel path of fate that Maverick survived to go on and have two air-to-air kills doesn’t escape him. When he gets to the housing, the first he does ring Carol. Her surprised tone also fails to escape him.

“Carol? It’s me, Maverick.”

“Mav? Hi! I wasn’t expecting your call, is everything okay?” She doesn’t sound angry at least. Maverick wonders when it will set in, when does the denial turn to anger?

“I won’t keep you long. But I’ve got a new address, I just wanted to pass it on.”

The conversation dies once she stops scratching the new address down with a pencil and paper. He lets her go, he’s taken enough from her already, he doesn’t need to take her time as well.

Life falls into mundane routine for a few days. With no friends, no family, Maverick spends his days reading the instructor package he was given when he got his housing key and cruising up and down the coast burning through as much fuel as possible. He parks down by the volleyball nets and walks as long as he can trying to find the rocky outcrop where he sat with Ice. Eventually he finds it but the tide is cutting him off from the comfort he seeks through the memory. Iceman was the first to reach out, reach out and say hey, don’t rush it.

But his flailing routine becomes rocky and cracks start to appear. They start in his mask, in his resolve to put as much life between him and Goose’s death as possible. So Maverick makes changes. He makes his routine so stead-fast there is not a second left in the day to even think about Goose. It works. Everything ran like a well oiled machine.

The routine fractures on his first day at Top Gun. Viper’s speech is familiar but the students hauntingly so. Immediately he spots the class Maverick and the Iceman. They don’t do the ridiculous staring contest during Viper’s speech but they look each other up and down as they stand to leave the classroom. Maverick wants to scream at them until he’s hoarse that those attitudes will hurt someone. In a bright eyed boy he sees Goose. Guilt brews in his heart when the kid catches Maverick glaring at him.

He returns to his flat with a weary head. The kettle is only just put on when the landline rings. Maverick’s head whips towards it. Unsure of who may be calling, he picks it up hesitantly.

“Mitchell speaking.”

“Maverick?” Iceman. “It’s Iceman.”

“How’d you get my number?” Is Maverick’s first question, his voice defensive. Why is Iceman calling? Probably to see if you’ve screwed up already.

There’s shuffling and voices on the other side of the phone. Iceman is ringing from the communal pay phone. “I asked around. People give you things if you’re a MiG killer.”

Maverick hums. “You move onto base today?”

“Yeah. First day as an instructor?”

“Yeah. Just got in.” The conversation halts. What’s he doing? Maverick clears his throat. “How’s Slider?”

“Good, good, yeah. Hold on, I’ll give you this number.”

Maverick writes the number down feeling strangely like Carol. Is this how she felt? Not rejecting Maverick’s call but clueless as to how to respond? They stall again. There’s more laughter in the background. People must be coming through before heading to the mess. There’s a wolf-whistle in the background. He hears Iceman put the receiver against his shoulder but it doesn’t muffle the noise.

“Ask your girl if she’s got any friends, Kazansky!”

Maverick freezes. But Ice doesn’t say anything and he knows the cold flat stare that the joker is now receiving. When he hears the phone go back to Iceman’s ear Maverick laughs.

“So you haven’t scared them all yet with your fantastic personality and MiG killer status?” Maverick teases. The conversation came randomly, out of the blue, but this feels normal.

Ice clears his throat. “That guy’s a real joker, figured that out in five minutes. He’s worse than you.”

“Goose was the funny one.” The words slip out before he can stop them. Shit, why’d you say that?

“Oh that’s right,” Ice says, his voice as smooth as an oil slick. “I should say his personality is as repulsive as yours.”

The weight in Maverick’s chest lifts a smidge but the crushing feeling is still there. He made the routine, he stopped the rumination. It was working. Wake up, eat, go to work, work out, eat, go to sleep. He had the system down but then Ice called. Ice had gone and mucked it up. Things were fine as long as he stuck to schedule. And now he has to reboil the electric kettle, shovel food in his mouth and figure out how to sleep with a brick on his heart.

“Maverick?” But all he can hear is the rustle of air.

The receiver swings gently by its cord, occasionally knocking against the wall. Next to it, Maverick twists his fingers in the fabric over his heart, waiting for muscle memory to remind him how to breathe.

—

They want Maverick to talk today, about MiG’s. He shifts uncomfortably in Viper’s office. Jester as always leaning in the back corner.

“What do you want me to tell them?”

“Well you’ve insulted one and shot down two more.” Viper looks at him over the corner of a folder. “These kids know about the aerodynamics of these planes, their specs. What they don’t know is what it’s actually like to fly against them. It’s one thing knowing the book. What you’ve seen is how those pilots fly the damn things.”

Maverick considers this for a moment. “I think it’s best if we stick to facts. Aerial manoeuvres, nothing about the fact three MiG’s were shot down on that mission. It’s going to fill their heads that people like us are untouchable.”

“That’s another thing,” Jester clears his throat. “After your class graduated the brass wanted some preventative measures against developing a culture amongst Top Gun pilots. Not only for when they return to their squadrons, but for their own safety.”

Goose.

“We’ve seen first hand it’s third time a charm when senior officers try to drill it in,” Viper continues. Me. “So they want a young gun to talk about it. We want you to do that.”

There’s no backing getting out of this, Maverick realises. “Yes, Sir.”

—

“For those that haven’t been paying attention, I’m Lieutenant Pete Mitchell, call sign: Maverick.”

There’s glimmers of recognition. Maverick and Iceman 2.0 shift in their seats, squaring their chins.

“The MiG-28 is the best weapon in the hands of the enemy. Luckily for us, we’re learning more about it everyday. What isn’t common knowledge is how the pilots can handle that plane. That’s what I’m going to tell you.”

At the back of the room a smile twitches beneath Viper’s moustache. The next fifteen–twenty minutes slip by as Maverick prattles off various manoeuvres and how the MiG’s have been proven to perform them and the differences between the Tomcat. As he draws to a finish, he catches Viper’s eye. The commanding officer gives him a nod, it’s time to segue. Maverick thinks there’s a glimmer of kindness in Viper’s eyes. Regardless, he uses it to steel his nerves.

“However,” he says, clearing his throat. “This information is only as useful as your ability to fly.”

There’s confused looks, like every student in the room is saying well, obviously.

“It’s only as useful as your ability to fly and come back home.” His quiet words send a silent ripple through the room.

“The fact is that you are the best of the best, you’re going to get better. The brass knows it, you know it. That’s why I’m still standing up here talking to you. What comes with that is the urge to preen like peacocks, show off. That attitude leads to mistakes, mistakes that are avoidable. Pushing that position, cutting the guy next to you off just to get ahead of them ends with bodies in coffins.”

“Sometimes you have to make those decisions. You can’t be afraid of the consequences,” someone, Crack, pipes up from the middle rows.

Maverick clocks his eyes on the framed photo at the back of the room. Walking slowly, precisely, Maverick walks down the aisle and unhooks the photo. With the same steady pace he returns and places the frame in front of the student.

He points at himself in the photograph before wordlessly tracing his finger to the figure next to him. Maverick makes sure to lean close to Crack’s face, staring him down.

“Pass that along,” he spits. Returning to his post at the desk, Maverick perches on it. “What Crack is going to hand to you is a photo of my graduating class. He’ll point out myself and the man next to me.”

Maverick keeps his blank gaze fixed on Crack as he hands it to the guy next to him. The frame silently makes its way around the room before a pilot at the front hesitantly hands it up to Maverick.

“That man beside me is Lieutenant Nick Bradshaw, call sign, Goose. He has a wife named Carol and a son called Bradley. Goose was my RIO at Top Gun. But he didn’t graduate.”

Eyes skitter nervously amongst each other.

“He didn’t graduate because I killed him. I killed my RIO pushing a position against my competitor. I was too close. I got caught in his jet wash and we were in an unrecoverable spin. Goose died in the ejection because I was certain that position belonged to me.”

Maverick allows the silence to sit uncomfortably in the room. Crack looks firmly at the floor.

Silence. Stone cold silence. Breathe in, breathe out. Breathe in, out.

In, out

in out

in in in out

Viper’s voice breaks it. “Gentlemen, you have a hop to take. Get moving.”

Breathe in, breathe out.

The room empties fast but subdued. Pursing his lips Maverick cautiously meets Vipers eye.

“That’s probably not what the brass wanted when they said they wanted safety talks.”

“They want the ego shocked out of these kids without losing lives. I think you’ve managed that pretty well.”

Maverick nods with the reassurance. He swallows the growing lump in his throat and glances back down at the photograph in his hands. Shaking his head, Maverick stands and returns it to its place.

Jester claps his hand down his shoulder as he leaves the room. “I’ll see you on the flight line.”

Alone, Viper moves to stand next to him. “You pushed that position, but you didn’t kill him.”

“I know.”

Liar.

—

Iceman rings again, days after his first call.

“Mav,” he says.

Exhausted from the talk he gave the flyers and the multiple consecutive hops, Maverick isn’t in the mood to talk. Especially after how the last call ended.

“Ice. What’s up?”

“Nothing,” Iceman says quickly. “Nothing, just thought I’d drop a line.”

God, it’s like he doesn’t trust that you won’t fuck up. He’s waiting for it.

“You’re keeping tabs,” Maveric accuses.

“No,” Ice says in the way he speaks when he’s choosing his words. “No Maverick, that’s not what I’m doing. I’m trying to…”

“To be what?” Maverick snarks. He’s too tired for this, for Ice to play whatever game. “I’m done in, Kazansky. Todays’ not the day.”

He hears a quiet sigh, a pregnant pause. “Tell me about it.”

What could he tell Ice how would he say it? Well, I divulged how my dumb ego got my only friend killed to a class that reminds me so much of us it makes me go insane.

“Just the students. Cocky. Too much like me.”

Breathe in, breathe out. Muscle memory. In, out. In–

“Stay unemotional, Mav.”

Snake.

In, out.

He tightens his grip around the phone. “Like you?”

“No, better.”

Iceman hangs up and Maverick is left with the brick on his heart. He can’t pry his fingers underneath to lift it off so he leaves it there. The evening melts away in a blurr. Pans become dirty and cloying pasta sits heavily in his throat. The brick doesn’t lift. He showers, or at least he thinks he does. There’s water on the tile and his skin is wet but he’s dressed in sleep shorts.

Muscle memory. Breathe in, out, muscle memory.

He’s got this. Breathe in, breathe out.

Breathe in

out

in out

lungs bursting to tight too big for his skin choking breathe in in in in

swollen hands tight skin breathe muscle memory, breathe in breathe in out out in for four hold seven out out in out eigh in four

fingers punching numbers punch punch

“Yo, who are you after?”

speak normal speak normal

“Kazansky.”

“Kazansky! Someone’s calling.”

to loud very loud

breathe in in in in in

“Speaking.” Iceman, steady. Cool, calm.

“Tell me – tell me about your day.”

listen he can listen if only Ice speaks

“Please.”

he can’t make out what he’s saying except that it’s Iceman’s voice talking, breathing, breathing just keep breathing in in in in out

breathe in in in out

breathe in in out

breathe in out

Breathe in, breathe out.

Iceman’s voice in his ear, speaking calmly.

“-And then our commanding officer grilled him for that. Not surprisingly, though.”

“Ice?”

“Maverick.”

“I’m sorry, thank you. Bye.”

This time Maverick hangs up. The brick is on his heart. It’s not crushing this time, it pinches.

—

Iceman dials the number he’s already ingrained into his memory the next morning. When Fetch hollered for him before dinner he was surprised. There weren't many people calling for him these days.

But the strained voice down the line sent shock waves down his spine. It was Maverick.

“Tell me – tell me about your day. Please.”

Maverick was grasping at straws, breathlessly teetering on the edge of reality and Ice was four hours away. But he did as asked, he kept talking. He talked until the ragged breathing began to even and he heard Maverick’s voice, rough and weary.

Something happened but Maverick didn’t give him the opportunity to ask. Almost sounding embarrassed, he hung up with a quick apology and a word of thanks. It left Ice guessing all night as to what happened but he doesn’t have contacts in Miramar, no one to ask.

At dinner Slider questioned him and Ice shrugged.

“He wasn’t right. He hung up on me earlier but then he rang me again sounding like he just finished a marathon.”

Plagued with concern, Ice waits until morning to ring again. The line almost rings out when Maverick picks it up at the last minute.

“Maverick?”

“What?”

“Are you okay?” He can imagine Maverick shuffling, tensing and untensing his jaw.

“Fine,” he says eventually.

Is he dressed for work or still in sleep clothes, the early morning sun melting to gold on his skin? Suddenly Iceman wants to be in the room next to Maverick, see the way he leans against the wall, glares at Ice’s every word.

“Is that it?” Maverick interrupts Ice’s completely out of place thoughts.

“I was worried,” he says lamely. There’s a pregnant pause as he puts the next few words together. “Something went wrong last night. That much was obvious.”

He knows he’s pushing the limit on how much time either of them has. But Maverick doesn’t hang up straight away which he hopes is a good thing. There’s a sigh in his ear and Fetch walks towards him, opening his mouth but Ice shoots him a frosty glare and he turns around immediately.

“We’re not friends, Kazansky,” Maverick says in a low voice. “I shouldn’t have called you. This…” He trails off. No, God please don’t say to never call again. “I’m trying to put my life together, Ice. Put as much life as I can between me and Goose. I have a routine and it’s too easy to break it if I keep talking.”

“I seem to remember you asking me to do just that.”

“We’re not friends,” Maverick repeats. “I don’t know what you’re trying to get at here.”

Ice scoffs without thinking. “Jesus you’ve really never had friends before have you? This is what people do, Maverick. They look out for people. I thought you got over your ego.” The words drip like venom from his tongue.

“And I thought you got that stick out of your ass but I think I’d still see it in your throat if I could see you!” Maverick shouts. It’s not his snappiest response but he’s angry and…and confused and frustrated and lost.

And lonely.

“Ice?”

“Yeah?”

Breathe in, out. In. Out.

in out

“Maverick?”

“When do you have a day off?”

#top gun 1986 #iceman x maverick #pete maverick mitchell #tom iceman kazansky #angst #top gun fanfiction #I'm Leaving On a Jet Plane fic #cross posted on ao3 #slow burn #enemies to lovers #rivals to lovers

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bamfdaddio · 3 years

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X-Men Abridged: 1981

The X-Men, those back-to-the-future mutants that have sworn to protect a world that hates and fears them, are a cultural juggernaut with a long, tangled history. Want to unravel this tapestry? Then read the Abridged X-Men!

(Uncanny X-Men 141 - 152) - by Chris Claremont and John Byrne, Brent Anderson, Dave Cockrum, Jim Sherman, Bob McLeod and Josef Rubinstein

While I also committed various fashion atrocities at the age of 14 (tye-die and fauxhawks, oh my), even Liberace would find Kitty’s outfits too much. (Uncanny X-Men 149; Uncanny X-Men Annual ‘81)

We dial back from the v. epic scope of the last few arcs. Instead, 1981 is just a lot of fun! We get:

Storm and Emma doing a Freaky Friday!

the X-Men vs. Magneto (again!)

A surprisingly effective Alien rip-off

An dystopian future! (OoOoOoOo)

Last year was the year of the Dark Phoenix, this is the year of Kitty Pryde. That’s not to say Jean’s death is swept under the rug: all throughout, we see her friends mourning her loss or remembering her fondly. (Scott even gets to have a demonic adventure about it.) But in general, Claremont puts Kitty in the forefront, fleshing out his YA-addition to the team. And what would a YA heroine be without a grim dystopia? Roll out the iconic Days of Future Past!

To be fair, 2013 was a dark time for all of us: What Does the Fox Say somehow got to the top of the charts and I was still watching Glee. (Uncanny X-Men 141)

How cool would it have been to see a name like Jonothon Starsmore or Eva Bell on those tombstones?

Anyway, that’s Kate. Kate’s had it rough. Mutants are at the bottom of the foodchain, most X-Men are dead and only a small cadre of resistance fighters remain, Sentinels dominate, and while she is married to Piotr, her children have been murdered. Bleak. Luckily, the rebellion has concocted the plan to shunt Kate’s spirit back in time to prevent this awful future from happening. (You’ve seen Days of Future Past, the last passably good X-Men film, you know what’s up.)

Let’s do the time warp again! 1981!Kitty’s mind gets taken over by 2013!Kitty, who promptly tries to convince the X-Men that a new Brotherhood of v. Evil Mutants will try to kill Senator Kelly, a presidential candidate who tries to put the mutant menace on the agenda. (Mutants tend to blow stuff up when he’s around.) Since the X-Men recently took a literal trip to Dante’s Infero and also befriended a cosmic world-ending entity, they basically shrug and go: “Yeah, this checks out.”

Off to Washington they go (zoommm) and there, they happen upon the Baddest Bitches in Herstory:

“How dare you hate mutants, senator Kelly! We’ll fix that by killing you!” (Uncanny X-Men 141)

This All-New, All-Different Brotherhood consists out of:

Destiny, a blind woman who can see the future. Definitely the eeriest member of this group. Badass lesbian, though that won´t be canon for years.

Avalanche. Greek who makes things shake. Is a long-standing member of the X-Men Rogue’s gallery, but rarely features in the spotlight. I think he got more characterization in four years of X-Men Evolution than he ever did in the comics.

Mystique. Shapeshifter. Ruthless and unhinged, the Cersei Lannister of the X-Men universe. Absolute legend, secretly the wife of Destiny, currently not as unhinged as she’ll be later. Immediately implied to be related to Nightcrawler: it’s the yellow-eyes-blue-skin-combo.

Pyro. Can manipulate fire, not create it. Absolute pillock, in all the best ways of the word. Originally intended as gay, but they decided to make him Australian instead. (?!)

Blob. Big, strong, immovable. We’ve seen him before.

One of the details in this fight I enjoy is that Storm is still struggling with her leadership, although she has a better grip on things than Cyclops:

Wolverine then proceeds to use those iconic but deadly claws about twice per issue for the next, oh, forty years. (Uncanny X-Men 142)

While the X-Men fight the Brotherhood in the present, we cut back and forth to the future. There, the X-Men consist out of some familiar faces - Storm, Colossus, Wolverine - and some surprises: Magneto (in a wheelchair), Franklin Richards (son of) and an unfamiliar ginger girl called Rachel. (She’ll be important later.) We even learn (one of) Magneto’s names: this is the first time he’s canonically called Magnus.

One of the strengths of Days of Future Past lies in its brevity, the way it tantalizingly taunts us with a brutal but familiar future without giving away too much. It’s single-handedly responsible for all those dark future timelines the X-lines are so fond of which will eventually culminate in time-displaced grandsons from alternative dimensions and the impossibility of a succinct answer to the question: “Who’s Cable?” Too much of a good thing and all that.

Still, what Days of Future Past does so successfully is:

Put the idea of the mutant menace back at the forefront, hammering home the metaphor of mutants being a minority. Mutants being put in camps and being forbidden to breed should - regretfully - make us think of all too many real life equivalents. (Specifically, all of the imagery harkens back to the Holocaust.)

It starkly shows what happens should the X-Men lose, reminding everyone of the stakes. The X-Men are here for a reason: bridging the gap between mutants and humankind. If they fuck up, we end up with mutant concentration camps.

It helps that the X-Men in the future almost all die horribly: Franklin is incinerated, Storm is impaled… It's brutal stuff. The only one to survive is Rachel, who wonders if their plan actually changed the future or if they created an alternative timeline. (It did the latter, sorry ‘bout it, Rachel.)

In the present, Kate chases after Destiny, who trains a gun on senator Kelly. I always wondered how this works: if Destiny saw the future, she knew that killing Kelly would trigger a terrifying future. What in the current Marvel timeline made her decide that the Days of Future Past was better? Did she see her own death? Did she see the Onslaught-crossover coming? The Chuck Austen run? What was it?

In any case, time-anomalous Kate stops Destiny from killing Kelly and the future is safe! For now. Kate disappears, Kitty returns to her body and some of the Brotherhood are apprehended. All is well, for now.

After being a key figure in DoFP, Kitty is also the main character in the Christmas special, which is basically a straight up horror and a pastiche of the Alien-movie.

Seriously, John Byrne still isn’t sure why he wasn’t sued by Ridley Scott for this. (Uncanny X-Men 143)

If you love Kitty Pryde? Read this issue. If you’re not convinced you like 80’s Kitty? Read this issue. It’s not continuity relevant and it’s basically Kitty playing the part of a Final Girl in a horror where she’s being chased by a demon, but it’s so good. It showcases all her strengths and her foibles. Kitty’s intelligent, cute (sometimes preciously so) and brave, but she’s also young, self-conscious and hot-headed. And it's not as if the other X-Men automatically adore her: Storm berates her all the time, she’s afraid of Kurt because of the way he looks (though she grows out of that) and she fights with Professor Xavier a lot. Moreover, she has a clever power-set for a young superhero who faces menaces on a daily basis: a thirteen year old who can go intangible is far less likely to have reality ensue on her and be dramatically offed because she's better at protecting herself.

I’m sure there are people who thought Sprite was hogging the spotlight, but I, for one, say she brings more to the table than, say, Angel. She’s not the Dawn Summers of this franchise.

Scott also gets a side quest. Poor guy can’t catch a break: first the love of his life dies, so he quits the X-Men, then he realizes he can’t do much else than be a superhero. He becomes a sailor on the ship of spunky captain Lee Forrester, is drawn into the sadistic plans of a demon unironically named D’Spayre and then shipwrecks in Bermuda with Lee.

The X-Men, meanwhile, are tormented by a team-up of Doom (who’s currently Latverialess and working on a comeback) and Arcade, that annoying crony. Locke, Arcade’s dom, has kidnapped the loved ones of the X-Men (Moira MacTaggart, Jean Grey’s parents, Illyana Rasputin and Amanda Sefton) in order to blackmail them into getting Doom to free Arcade. Apparently, Arcade accidentally insulted Doom and DOOM DOES NOT FORGIVE THAT FOLLY.

While the B-Squad (Polaris, Havok, Banshee and Iceman) goes to save Arcade’s hostages, the X-Men sneak into Doom’s castle. Well, except for Storm, who doesn’t give a single fuck and simply flies up to Doom, demanding an audience. Doom likes the cut of her jib and invites her to have dinner. (This is pre-Tinder, so this is a legit way of scoring a date.)

If Storm has a flaw (I said if!), it’s got to be her atrocious taste in men. (Uncanny X-Men 145)

The X-Men find Arcade’s cell empty, while Arcade casually saunters up to Storm and says hi. Storm realizes too late that this is a trap: while the X-Men are all trapped in Saw-like traps, Storm is encased in ‘living chrome’.

If you remember she’s claustrophobic, you know why this is a bad move.

While the X-Men free themselves from their traps - Polaris hilariously has to deal with a murderous merry-go-round - Storm is slowly driven mad in her prison, triggering a worldwide tempest. (She causes Lee and Scott to shipwreck.) Under the threat of Wolverine’s claws, Doom releases Storm - or rather, unleashes her.

“Instead of a Dark Lord, you would have a queen, not dark but beautiful and terrible as the dawn! Tempestuous as the sea, and stronger than the foundations of the earth! All shall love me and despair!” (Uncanny X-Men 147)

The memory of Jean brings Ororo back to herself and she starts undoing the superstorm she created. (If only climate change were reversed that easily.) Their confrontation ends by Storm easily forgiving Doom, because she apparently trespassed on his grounds without adequate cause.

Mkay.

All of Arcade’s hostages return to their homesteads, except for Illyana Rasputin, Piotr’s sister: she’s staying at the mansion for a while. Angel, who’s sort of been a part of the team since the Phoenix thing, has had it with Wolverine and his ‘tude, and decides to quit the X-Men : he doesn’t want to be a part of an outfit that has a killer like Wolverine on it. (Or maybe he’s just mad Claremont didn’t give him any storylines: his presence has been mostly pointless.) It’s too bad he left before Kitty started experimenting with her outfits: I bet he would have loved her ugly-ass costumes.

Equally inconsequential is the introduction of a brand new character, who then proceeds to disappear from the narrative for the rest of the year:

Black Tom has tried to kill you at least twice, but him sending you a long-lost daughter doesn’t give you pause? Ugh, Sean, you deserve Moira. (Uncanny X-Men 148)

Intrigued by Theresa? TOO BAD, WON’T SEE HER AGAIN ANYTIME SOON.

Another new character is the lonely, decidedly mutant looking Caliban, who can sense “people like him” and is on the lookout for companions. Like many lonely people who try and grasp at friendship, he decides to overshoot his shot and ruin the night of Storm, Kitty and Jessica Drew at a Dazzler concert. Because he tries to kidnap Kitty, the girls react a trifle aggressively. When they realize their mistake - the eerily pale Caliban is a simpleton rather than a menace - he’s already fled. No mention is made of the Morlocks yet!

There’s also another dull annual where the X-Men team up with the Fantastic Four to save Arkon’s dimension from the Badoon and yaaaaawn. Far more interesting is the landmark issue #150. Slowly, through the adventures of Scott and Lee Forrester, Claremont has been setting things up for the return of a favorite villain. While the X-Men investigate Magneto’s old base in Antarctica on a hunch of Professor X and tangle with Garruk, Scott and Lee survive Storm’s tempest, only to wake up next to a strange island that seems to have been raised from the ocean.

It’s apparently some ancient citadel from a long forgotten civilization with a fondness for squid statues. (I don’t know man, I’ve never been to the Bermuda Triangle, maybe this is just super-accurate.)The tentacles make Lee Forrester feel very amorous, but before Scott can tell her he is way too repressed to just have sex with an attractive someone he’s known intimately for a month or two, Magneto saves his ass by revealing he, in fact, raised this island from the seafloor.

Oh, Magneto. So extra.

My ambitious little mutant demagogue then proceeds to take the entire world hostage, showing how much he’s grown from the pompous, raving madman from the sixties. (Sure, Magneto is still a bit of a madman, but increasingly, he starts being on the right side of history.)

“I’m trying to make Magneto more sympathetic.”

“Just put him on a page with some bigger villains who are less noble, like the Vanisher, Count Nefaria, or…”

“Reagan, Thatcher and Brezhnov?”

“Er.” (Uncanny X-Men 150)

It’s obvious Magneto is being pivoted as a more noble villain, codified into the well-intentioned extremist we know and love today. Not only do we get the first hints at his past, fleshing out his motivations, he’s also not wrong. Humans are historically not great at taking care of the planet or each other.

When the Russians call his bluff and launch nukes at Magneto’s new island, he quickly disarms them. His retribution is swift and ferocious: the entire citadel is a machine that massively amplifies his powers. He sinks the submarine that launched the missiles, condemning the entire crew to death, and he casually erects a vulcano in a Russian city in Siberia.

Damn. Not messing around this time.

Despite his good intentions, Magneto is still definitely in the wrong: not only because of his methods, but as Scott points out: if Magneto unifies the world under his kind of benevolent dictatorship, all of that will simply fall apart as soon as Magnus dies.

In a way, Magneto is just as big a dreamer as Charles is: Charles believes in peace and integration, whereas Magneto believes his iron fist will be enough to make a perfect world happen. Both of them ignore the reality that acceptance is difficult and messy, because you’re trying to change essential human nature: the fear of the other. Magneto believes in big, sweeping gestures that will fix the world in move, while changing the world is also boring, hard work. One step forward, two steps back. Magneto just wants to leapfrog to his ultimate goal.

The X-Men fly over the citadel, returning from Antarctica, and their plane crashes into the ocean. (Magneto does not brook planes over his territory, humans!) The Professor is also nearby, looking for Scott with Moira, Peter Corbeau and Carol Danvers. The X-Men sneak onto the island, but to their horror, their powers are nullified by some machine of Magneto. They reunite with Scott, who formulates a plan to thwart the would-be ruler of the world.

While the rest of the X-Men go to trash the machine, Storm, Kitty and Lee infiltrate the control chamber where Storm finds a sleeping, shirtless Magneto. Once again showing her terrible taste in men, she is not weak in the knees at the sight of a sleeping Magnus: instead, she contemplates killing him.

Storm knows how dangerous he is, but she also knows that he’s a great man who’s fighting for ideals, no matter how misguided. She hesitates too long: Magneto stirs, suspects an attack and tosses her out of the window, to her death.

Magneto quickly undoes the sabotage the other X-Men have wrought to his machine. A fight erupts. Storm, meanwhile, has managed to grab hold of a ledge. She crawls back up and smashes an important-looking computer, restoring everyone’s powers.

The battle turns grim, but Scott sends Kitty away to wreck Magneto’s machinery. She sneaks off, following Scott’s orders and destroying both Magneto's power-up device and all of his plans by phasing though the computer circuitry. Magneto senses this and furiously gives chase. Overcome by rage, he attacks Kitty and disrupts her phasing power with a magnetic bolt, seemingly killing her?

Everything about this story beat is great: mama bear!Ororo, mournful Magnus and even the fact that Kitty’s godawful outfit serves a narrative function: highlighting to us (and Magneto) just how young she is. The fact that Kitty’s Jewish is just icing on the cake. (Uncanny X-Men 150)

And thus, the softening of Magneto commences. 1981 might be a year with wildly varying narratives, but it has given us at least three enduring legacies to the X-Mythos: a new kind of Magneto, a fondness for dystopian futures and the character of Kitty Pryde, who's really come into her own this year.

Ugliest Costume: Kitty! Purposefully, but still. Best costume, by the way, goes to Destiny, with her creepy, creepy golden mask. Just imagine this lady casually strolling across a battlefield, eerily calm and collected, dodging everything you throw at her. Awesome design.

Best new character: I usually pick one character - what good is having a shared award when declaring the best of anything? - but this year, it’s going to one of my favorite couples: Mystique and Destiny. Can’t wait to see more of them.

Most audacious retcon: Blob somehow retroactively becomes a member of the original Brotherhood, which is not what happened. Ever weirder is Xavier pondering that he never met Magneto before his attack in X-Men #1, while their cordially adversarial relationship rooted in a youthful friendship would soon become a cornerstone of the X-Men.

What to read: Uncanny X-Men 141 - 143 and 150 - 152

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jessicasland · 2 years

Text

My Girl

A Wolverine and the X-Men Fanfiction Written by: Jessicasland

Plot: In a universe in which the explosion on the Xavier Institute and Professor X’s coma never happened and where after the fight between Cyclops and Wolverine over Jean, Jean and Wolverine have now become official. They have gotten married and now Wolverine is awaiting the arrival of his and Jean’s first child and, boy, is he ever nervous.

—————

Note: I don’t own Wolverine and the X-Men, Marvel, the X-Men, or any of its characters.

—————

Tick, Tock, Tick, Tock.

The ticking clock on the wall couldn’t be heard over the sound of pounding footsteps going up and down the hallway.

The footsteps belonged to the mutant called Wolverine, better known as Logan Howlett, and he was pacing back and forth in the hallway by the door of the medical bay awaiting on anyone to come out of there with any form of news on his wife, Jean Grey.

Two years ago, after the events of a fight that broke out between him and Scott Summers, also known as Cyclops, over who would take Jean as his own, Jean made the decision to stay with Logan despite Scott’s protests. As time passed, they’re love for each other grew and as predicted, everyone in the mansion erupted into celebration when Jean and Logan had gotten married and the celebrations continued a year before when Jean announced that she was pregnant with hers and Logan’s first baby.

The pregnancy itself was a breeze for Jean and with each passing month, she grew more and more excited to become a mother. Logan, however, became more and more anxious as Jean’s belly became larger and larger and that the due date was fast approaching. Not just for himself but for Jean and the baby.

Would they make it out alright?

Would the baby have powers like it’s mother or it’s father?

Would there be a complication after birth?

Will Jean be stable enough to handle the laboring process?

Would be a good father to his child?

All of these questions rang through Logan’s head as he kept pacing across the hallway. Kitty Pride, Shadowcat, Bobby Drake, Iceman, Kurt Wagner, Nightcrawler, Ororo Monro, Storm, Forge, Tildie Soames, Rogue, and Professor Charles Xavier we’re all lined up on the wall near the doors to the medical bay.

They were all there for the same reason as Logan was but they weren’t expecting the gruff and tuff Canadian mutant to pacing back and forth with a anxious look on his face.

Kitty was the first to break the silence, “…is it just me or does Wolverine look nervous?”

“Nein,” Kurt replied, “he’s been like this ever since Jean went into labor this morning. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him like this.”

Logan grumbled to himself as he leaned against the wall, now tapping his foot on the floor.

Ororo placed a hand on his shoulder and said, “Jean will be fine, she’s a strong mutant and has overcome so much since being apart of the institute.”

“You really think so?” Logan asked. “Yes, I’m sure,” Ororo replied, “we’ve all made sure she has gotten enough care, rest, food, and water for the past eight months already. Even with this summer drought, she looks as healthy as ever. She’ll be fine, I assure you.”

Logan sighs, “I know, it’s just… what if I ain’t a good dad? I’m not exactly the lovey-dovey type y’know.”

“Nonsense Logan,” said Professor Xavier, wheeling his way towards him, “you may not show it a lot but you have a heart of gold. You protect everyone around you before protecting yourself and if you can do that for your own child, that makes you a wonderful father.”

Logan smiled a little and only answered, “thanks Chuck.”

Suddenly, the doors of the medical bay opened and out came Dr. Henry “Hank” McCoy, Beast, walked out, a smile was spread across his face.

Logan walked up to Beast, hopeful for an answer. “Hank, everything alright?” he asked.

Beast only took Logan’s hand into his and shook it while replying, “Wolverine, I’m delighted to tell you that you and Jean are the proud parents of a beautiful daughter. Six pounds, eight ounces, and seventeen feet tall. As for Jean, she’ll be alright and much to my surprise, she’ll make a quicker recovery than I had originally thought.”

Everyone rejoiced and gave Wolverine their well wishes and congratulatory compliments. Professor Xavier smiled with pride.

Jean was one of his first students to ever join the institute. He had seen her grow up and helped her control her telekinetic powers and overtime, saw her become a powerful member of the X-Men. Now, she was a mother with a child, his grandchild.

“Can we go see Jean and the baby?” Kitty asked, eagerly.

“Yes,” said Beast, “you can all go in, but just for a while, Jean still needs her rest.”

The others made a beeline for the medical bay while Logan walked slowly behind them.

Then, he came upon a sight that made his heart stop for a moment.

There was his beautiful wife, Jean Grey, propped up in the hospital stretcher, still wearing the nightgown she was planning to take off earlier that morning. She looked exhausted yet she was still alert and gorgeous as ever. In her arms was a small bundle swaddled in a pink blanket. On it’s head was a thick mop of red hair.

Jean looked up from the baby and stared at Logan, who was looking at her with wide eyes.

“Logan,” she said, “c’mon, she won’t bite.”

Logan turned to the professor and he nodded with affirmation. He gulped and slowly walked towards Jean to get a better look at the baby.

His heart melted when he saw his daughters face for the first time.

She was beautiful.

Extra light almond skin, a dimple on her left cheek, and big, bright, blue eyes that were just like his.

Jean gently kissed the top of the babies forehead as she cooed, looking at her new surroundings. Logan gently ran his hand through the babies hair and on instinct, she grabbed one of Logan’s fingers with her tiny hands, feeling it’s texture.

The Canadian mutant blinked and smiled sweetly at his daughter.

“Oh, Logan,” gushed Ororo, “she’s beautiful.”

“She looks like you Jean,” said Kitty.

“It’s so… squishy looking,” added Bobby.

Kitty elbowed him.

“She’s perfect,” said Professor X, smiling proudly at his granddaughter, “have you both decided on a name for her yet?”

“We have,” said Jean, “Katherine. It was my grandmothers name.”

“Katherine,” said Logan, “…It’s perfect darlin’, just like ‘er.”

He smiled down at his new daughter and when little Katherine’s bright blue eyes met Logan’s, they twinkled and she let out a small smile.

Tildie remarked, “wow, her eyes were so shiny when she saw you Mr. Logan. Maybe Shine can be her code name when she gets older.”

Logan hummed and smirked, “maybe.” “..Logan,” said Jean, “do you wanna hold your daughter?”

He gulped.

Him? Hold his daughter?

“I dunno,” answered Logan, “what if-?”

“You won’t drop her,” said Jean, giggling, “I promise.”

Logan stared at Jean and Katherine for a while before sighing and sitting next to Jean on the stretcher.

Jean carefully handed Logan the small bundle and Ororo helped adjust his arms so that he could support Katherine’s head and neck.

Katherine looked at Logan with her shiny blue eyes before setting her head down on his chest while cooing. Logan smiled warmly at his daughter and back at Jean who kissed his cheek.

———-

“I've got sunshine on a cloudy day

When it's cold outside

I've got the month of May

I guess you'd say

What can make me feel this way

My girl, my girl, my girl Talkin' 'bout my girl My girl…”

Jean woke up later in the afternoon to the sound of someone singing but imagine her surprise when she turned to the left and discovered that the beautiful singing voice belonged to Logan.

He was sitting in a chair that Beast had brought in earlier across from the stretcher, holding little Katherine in his arms, and singing to her as the newborn was sleeping soundly.

In all her days since becoming an X-Men, Jean had never heard Wolverine sing before.

It was a strange yet touching sight and Jean just smiled tiredly not wanting to intervene before falling back asleep.

Logan turned to his sleeping wife and back at his new daughter.

Both of them were sleeping peacefully and all Logan could do was smile.

Katherine and Jean were both his girls and as long as he was around, no one would ever take them away from him.

—————

THE END

—————

Well, there you have it!

This is the end of the story!

For those who don’t know, Katherine makes her appearance in the comic series “Amazing Spiderman: Renew Your Vows” and is the daughter of Jean Grey and Wolverine. When I first found out about her, I just knew I had to write a story on how she came to be.

Please read, review, and no hateful comments please.

#wolverine and the x men #logan howlett #wolverine xmen #jean grey #logan x jean #katherine howlett #shine #amazing spiderman renew your vows

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katatonicimpression · 2 years

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Iceman!

do I like them:

Yes! Look, I know he's an annoying dork but have you considered that I too am annoying and I too am a dork?

5 good qualities:

He's smart. Smarter than people assume because he's always saying the dumbest things

He's kind.

He's creative, he makes sculptures and they're really good. He's an artist.

Connected to the previous one but he is just absurdly talented with his powers.

He's brave. Granted he is nearly impossible to kill so he doesn't risk a lot that often, but he's courageous as hell.

3 bad qualities:

His jokes suck and his fashion sense is terrible.

He shoots himself in the foot a whole bunch.

He's presumably a not great boyfriend...? Like, all his relationships fall apart and its not just the straight ones. Also he's lonely, almost always single and he HATES it. So what's going on there? By all accounts, he's a catch: he's nice, got broad interests, he's got money and he's hot - it's very clear that in universe he's supposed to be very attractive. So what gives? I think he's maybe just not all that much fun to be in a relationship with, probably because he's rarely that genuine with anybody.

favourite episode/etc:

I really love his storyline in the 90s with Emma taking over his body and the fall out from that. It's the one with the very blatant subtext that falls just short of saying he's gay because they weren't allowed at the time. Also it dives into his relationship with his dad which I find genuinely really upsetting. I also genuinely loved his 2017 and 2018 solo series.

otp:

Pyro (St. John Allerdyce). I can't help it I'm sorry.

brotp:

I like the Amazing Friends (Firestar & Spiderman), and his friendships with the O5, Kitty and Rogue. I also really like him with Bishop and I wished we'd got more of that in Marauders (although that one could easily not be platonic.. that said I feel like he's a bit too nerdy to be Bishop's type, but then again he's probably chaotic enough... who knows?).

ot3:

I actually did write him, St. John and Shinobi as having had a (non-explicit) threesome for some unknown reason...? It made sense at the time, and Bobby and Shinobi still had their situationships with Christian going on in that fic. Just one big poly disaster.

notp:

I don't think I gave any big "no way not ever" ships for Bobby, aside from not liking the straight ones for obvious reasons. I will say I'm not on board with him and deadpool..? I also don't really care about Christian as yet.

You think you've got problems. My fave's canon boyfriend is a bit boring. Think about that.

best quote:

So he's got a bunch of one-liners obviously. I googled iceman quotes and found this on the list:

"I am pulling the most totally bizarre vibes off the others."

Idk made me laugh. Why does he talk like this?

I liked his speech to thor here:

And is "Maybe I am a loser?" moment is iconic. Also when x-corps is happening like half his dialogue is just him calling Sean a nazi which is honestly pretty funny.

head canon:

I think he's not particularly religious in terms of his actual beliefs and associates conversation about religion with his very conservative parents (his dad is Catholic and his mum is Jewish) so prefers to avoid the discussion. That said, I think he's really into family traditions and that sort of thing. He still does all the holidays with enthusiasm... probably too much enthusiasm

He has being paying very little attention to any of the big events on krakoa (ToM, Inferno). Like, he's a few days out of the loop on events and isn't entirely sure what's going on but assumes they'll sort it out. I think he likes a lot of things about the island and the people there, but I don't think he's bought into it really. It's just another wacky stage of his life for him

He's often genuinely surprised by how alive his ice golems are and is secretly a bit freaked out by it

Despite being a teenager in the 60s, Bobby is clearly still under 35. With that in mind, I headcanon his music tastes as being very 80s and early 90s. There's a lot of synth pop in there, and I feel like he got really into Alanis Morissette.

#asks

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sammysdewysensitiveeyes · 3 years

Text

So Disney is putting out a new X-Men animated series that’s literally meant to be a continuation of the original X-Men: TAS called X-Men 97.

And, me being who I am, my first and most important question is: What about Morph? He was never meant to be a lasting character on the show, but he was repeatedly brought back and was part of the team when the original series ended.

My greatest wish would be Morph as a regular team member and main cast member, but I’m guessing that’s not likely. So I’d also accept:

Morph is not mentioned at all in the beginning, but several episodes into the first season, some minor recurring government worker is revealed to be Morph on a long-term undercover assignment. He then makes guest appearances for the rest of the series.

Morph is with the team in the first couple of episodes, but somehow gets dragged off with the animated series version of the Exiles, much like his comics counterpart.

After spending so much time in recovery on Muir Island, Morph winds up as some kind of research assistant for Moira, and gets integrated into the animated series version of Excalibur, with occasional guest appearances.

Morph does not appear at all until the final episode, but is constantly referred to by other characters as leading a separate team of X-Men, whose off-screen exploits are absolutely legendary and amazing, in an Unbeatable Squirrel Girl type gag. “Wow, good thing Morph’s team took out Apocalypse and the Horsemen while we were dealing with Fabian Cortez. We can always count on him!”

Speaking of which, I also hope for:

The GLORIOUS RETURN of Fabian Cortez, possibly possessed by Apocalypse.

The return of Pyro, Blob and Avalanche, possibly now with Mystique and Destiny as part of the animated series version of Freedom Force. Mystique and Destiny are obviously partners. So are Pyro and Avalanche, because fuck it, this is my wish list.

A Freedom Force-focused episode where they have to work with the X-Men, and it’s exactly the disaster you might expect.

Dazzler! (I just think she’s neat, okay?)

Iceman! Ideally as part of the team, and openly gay.

A version of the New Mutants and the original Hellions. I know TAS already showed versions of a few of those characters (Wolfsbane already with X-Factor, for example), but that can be retconned.

The Mutant Liberation Front, maybe to replace the Brotherhood if they’ve all gone Freedom Force.

Kitty, Nightcrawler and Colossus, now either part of the X-Men, or with Excalibur.

Shinobi Shaw, and the rest of the Upstarts. But maybe replace Fenris with, I dunno....Emplate or someone. (He’s also rich and murderous.) Or else let the rest of the Upstarts turn on Fenris when they realize that the twins are actual Nazi’s.

Haven! (Look, I know it’ll never happen, but I can dream, okay?)

A toned-down, slightly more child-friendly version of the Serpent Society.

Arcade.

Emma, on her way to redemption, but not quite there yet. Her heel-face turn can be an ongoing storyline over the course of the series.

A Gambit and Bishop adventure.

A Gambit and Quicksilver adventure.

Anything that lets Gambit get his bi on.

Also, Gambit being a diva in the kitchen again.

More Morlocks, now including Marrow. Maybe she usurps Callisto’s position and leads the Morlocks in a more violent direction.

Rachel Summers. They gave us Cable, the less interesting Summers child (in my opinion, of course), they should give us Rachel.

Madelyne Pryor? I don’t know how it would work, but somehow.

If Mr. Sinister returns, there should be an episode that ends with Cyclops, Havok, Morph and Madelyne just getting to curb stomp him into oblivion.

And, as long as I’m dreaming, all the OC next-gen child characters that I created when I was like, 12.

#x-men TAS #morph #kevin sydney #please do not throw my precious morph out of continuity #or kill him off again

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x-men-memes · 3 years

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Hey just bc ur a comics blog wanted to say - wandavision and the mcu/xmcu depicions of the twins are vvv racist. In 616 the twins are romani Jewish and have been for like 40 years. The mcu cast them as Nazis (hydra volunteers if u look on any mcu source material). the xmcu cast peter as a kleptomaniac despite thievery being a negative stereotype against romani people.

I get a lot of people don’t know this but please dont contribute to the erasure here. Please choose to do the right thing.

I don’t know if you’ve actually gone through my blog or if you’re just sending this to various blogs, but I have a post (albeit, subtly) criticizing the MCU and its erasure of Jewish identities.

I never really got into it before on here because it’s mostly jokes on this blog, but I guess now’s as good a time as any.

((Kind of a rant on some of the antisemitism in both series below the cut. It’s organized into manageable lists.))

XMCU:

Erasure of Kitty Pryde’s (Jewish) Ethnicity

Casting white actors as Jewish characters (I love Ian McKellen so much, but like- still not a good look when paired with the fact that they never really say it outside of the context of Nazism.)

The WHOLE destruction of Auschwitz scene

Magneto getting his helmet and cutting himself off from Charles by using a piece of Nazi technology and figuratively saying he’s “become just as bad as them” when the WHOLE point of Magneto is that grey part between obedience and accepting that you have to wait for oppressors to magically stop being oppressors and going all out and making yourself into the enemy they see you as.

MCU:

More white actors as Jewish characters

Crosses in Wanda’s room on top of that, the Christmas portraits in Wandavision, the fact that Wanda’s favorite time spent with her family was watching AMERICAN SITCOMS-

Attempted Removal of Nazism from Hydra (Redskull being dismissive of Hitler instead of idolizing him as he does in the comics, changing of the salute, relegation of Hitler and Nazism to secondary Hydra definitions as opposed to being the core of their ideals- All of this is done to make Hydra more marketable in the literal sense to sell cups and shirts with Hydra on it and to make characters associated with it more likable... even though they’re STILL Nazis.)

Changing of Pietro’s name to Peter. Can we avoid changing eastern European names to sound more Americanized? Please? What producer do I have to show An American Tail (1986) to?

((Caption: A quote from An American Tail where Tanya Mouskewitz asks, “Papa, why’d they change my name to Tilly?))

All of this talk of casting Denzel Washington as Magneto

No listen- before anyone asks about this last one- I want to point out that I’m ALL FOR retroactive inclusivity. I would love a black Prof. Charles Xavier, Scott Summers, Jean Grey- pretty much anyone other than the few, precious Jewish characters left in X-Men. Kitty Pryde’s ethnicity has been all but forgotten, Wanda and Pietro are no longer canonically his children and their heritage has come under question again and again in that same canon, and I struggle to name another past Iceman who is also not a well known identity.

Imagine if, in making a live action Teen Titans, they wanted to cast one of the titans as Korean since none of them are canonically Korean and decided to take Cyborg- the only black team member- and made him Korean. That’s not even getting into that of COURSE the Korean man would rely mainly on the strengths of his prosthetics and not his physical body and that he would be the primary brains of the team in everything but social situations and battle.

That’s how I see casting the one prominently Jewish character we have left as a black man when that character is also literally a civil rights leader who acts using demonstrations of violence to gain a voice for his group. You really want a black man in that role in 2021?

---

Anyway, thanks for giving me a space to air some of this! I hope that everyone on this blog is a critical consumer of the MCU and XMCU alike. Reactions to my “predictions” post only encourages that to be true.

#meta #Anonymous #not meme

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arizonaraine · 3 years

Text

X-Men Days of Future Past ala Sorting Hat Chats

This is my favorite X-Men movie! I’m focusing on the 70′s cast, but if you want me to sort the modern X-Men (Storm, Iceman, Kitty, etc.) let me know!

Erik: Double Lion. For a bit, I thought that he was a loyalist who only counted mutants as people. But it becomes apparent that he has no qualms about hurting the people closest to him for the sake of The Cause (TM). In First Class, he abandons Charles-- who has a BULLET IN HIS BACK. In Days of Future Past, his history with Raven doesn’t stop him from trying to kill her once he’s decided that it’s necessary for The Cause. For Erik, the ultimate good is the freedom/supremacy of mutants. He’s also a Lion secondary. His method of going things is to show up and use his powers to raise hell. He’s not a planner, he’s an improvisor. Not a Snake, though, he wants the world to recognize him (and all mutants) in their full glory.

Raven: Raven, unlike Erik, is a loyalist primary. One of her most telling moments in this film is when she tells Erik: “I’ve seen too many friends die... I don’t want a war. I only want the man who murdered them.” She clung to Erik and his cause for a while, but it becomes too much for her. I believe Raven is a Badger Primary, and I’ll cite another line from the movie for this. She tells Charles “I have compassion. Just not for Trask. He’s murdered too many of us.” That looks like some Badger-style dehumanization to me. There are also a few times in the movie where she has the opportunity to end lives, but she doesn’t. I think that’s a point for a Badger’s belief in the value of life. As for her secondary, Raven is a Lion. She had to build a Snake model to survive her early life, but I think that First Class breaks down that model for her. She bonds with Erik in First Class over that Lion Secondary. “Mutant and proud!” Once she’s embraced her power, she encourages Hank to be his true self too. She still uses the Snake model, literally changes faces, but she what she wants is to be accepted for who is really is.

Logan: Logan is another Lion secondary. He’s good at improvisation, and his gruff, upfront way of speaking and sarcastic sense of humor read as blunt Lion honesty to me. He method of doing things is to charge in and do what needs to be done-- seen when he says to rambling Charles: “I’m sorry, were you finished?” For his primary, I think Logan is a Badger. His community is the X-Men-- you see how he grows as a member of that community throughout the series. He also emphasizes that many humans tried to help save mutants from the Sentinels. This point reflects his belief in people.

Charles: Charles is the first person on this list who is not a Lion secondary. Charles is so bad at improvising. I mean... “We are... Special Operations... CB... FI...CD...” The dude struggles when things don’t go according to plan, that’s not his comfort zone. Charles’ skills are in community building. He built the school, created the X-Men, taught young mutants how to master their abilities, took in starving Raven as a child. He’s also a Badger primary, but at the beginning of Days of Future Past, he’s badly burned. He lost his community-- Erik, Raven, the X-Men, the students... and he’s lost hope as a result. If he were a Lion, he might cling to the cause-- teaching mutants to master their abilities-- even without the people. But Charles, without the community, suffers with their loss. He starts the process of unburning when Logan, a fellow Badger, and the future version of himself show him that he can have that community again. And then Charles settles down and does the work to bring back the school, gather the X-Men, and keep his promise to Logan. One of the most beautiful, Badger-y lines in the film is spoken by both past and future Charles: “Just because someone stumbles, loses their way, doesn’t mean they’re lost forever.”

Hank: I think Hank is a double Bird. He models Badger secondary when taking care of Charles, but that’s not the tool that first falls to his hand. Hank has an arsenal of skills. He’s the team science guy. He built the X-Men’s jet, created the formula for Charles’ spine, monitored the news feed, and he pulls up all the blueprint information for the Pentagon. When Cerebro isn’t an option, he’s the guy who pulls out the phonebook. He’s also a Bird primary. He cites theories about the nature of time-- the stone in the river, the current correcting itself. He’s taking in external data and using that to shape his understanding of the world, his morality.

Peter: Peter, Peter, Peter. I think that there’s some Snake in him. He has no problems with lying, stealing, or breaking a prisoner out of the Pentagon-- which might raise some moral quandaries with other people. I think he’s a Snake primary, and his inner circle likely includes himself, his mom, and his sister. In the next movie, after he’s found out that Erik is his father, he’s willing to fight the main villain for him (I’ve only seen Apocalypse once, so I could be wrong in on this point). think that Peter, like his father, is a Lion secondary. He is great at improvising, he thrives in that space. He loves being ahead of everyone. He’s not going to hide what he is, his powers, because they’re “nothing anyone would believe if you told them”. He could be a Snake that just chills out in neutral, but I don’t think that’s the case (also, I really really want him to houseshare with Wanda. I’m so excited to see what becomes of Peter/Pietro in WandaVision).

TL;DR

Erik- Double Lion

Raven- Badger Lion, models Snake secondary when she has to.

Logan- Badger Lion

Charles- Double Badger, burned, may model Snake

Hank- Double Bird

Peter- Snake Lion

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sebastianshaw · 3 years

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Hey there @vvithteeth! So, this isn’t EXACTLY what you asked for the readlist to focus on, but I think it’s worth checking out all the same for a general sense of Emma’s history leading up to her current character!

EVIL 80s EMMA She’s not good reference for who Emma is NOW, but a good look at what she used to be, and what she’s overcome. I think looking at Emma when she was at her worst, helps one appreciate her at her best. If you see what she had to rise above in herself, you understand the self that she’s fighting back, you have a better appreciation for the kinds of things she’s tempted towards---and the kinds of things she no longer does. X-Men (1st series) #129-131 is her introduction, as she tries to recruit Kitty Pryde to her school before Xavier does. One of the most chilling moments, for me personally, is when she threatens to destroy Storm’s mind so that she will be “human only in physical form” And then Jean drops a house on her, which is why she’s not involved in the Dark Phoenix saga, as she was still recovering. Emma continues trying to get Kitty and other kids into her clutches in Uncanny X-Men (1st series) #180 and New Mutants (1st series) #15-17, but in New Mutants (1st series) #38-40 she finally manages it by exploiting their current fucked-up state and having her student Empath use his powers to manipulate Magneto. But when the kids decide to return to Xavier’s school, Emma allows them to do so without a fight, and just tells them that they’ll always have a place with her if they need it. Which seems nice, but then her thought balloons reveal that this is just so the kids won’t believe it when Magneto tells them she’s evil. Firestar #1-4: Whoa mama, Emma is at max abusive here. See, she desires to eliminate Selene, and to this end she trains a young mutant she names Firestar. She does so by manipulating the girl, isolating her, convincing her that she NEEDS Emma to help her control her powers or else she’s dangerous to others, and even KILLS HER PET HORSE. Emma is someone who says “I love children. Teaching is my life.” and she MEANS IT, she has a genuine call to teach and her love for her students is her driving force, but here we see how she USED to treat her students. Then put her against who she is now, it’s a huge contrast. Honestly, I don’t know why SOME WRITERS want to erase her growth by pretending she was Actually Good All Along but yeah, here’s Bad Emma. This is who she fights. This is what she has risen above. EMMA’S BACKSTORY ISSUES Emma’s history is. . . kind of multiple choice. She tells one version in Generation X #24, but this doesn’t fit at all with the Emma Frost miniseries that came out from 2003 -2004, which also doesn’t exactly fit with “X-Men Origins: Emma Frost” single-issue backstory. I personally would read the “X-Men Origins” one and at least the beginning of the miniseries, specifically the parts that deal with her home life. The reason is that both of these show how unhealthy Emma’s home was growing up, and how that made her who she is. When I saw I think Emma is “wired” to be a villain, I don’t mean I think she was born like that, but as in, I think her environment trained her to become like that. It’s kind of like how a lot of personality disorders aren’t something a person is born with, but come from being in a shitty environment where certain behaviors will help you survive better, and then even once that situation is over, you can’t get rid of those behaviors because it’s how your brain is wired now. That’s how I read Emma---she came out of this toxic, duplicitous environment of manipulation and abuse where she and her siblings were set against each other, and that’s now her default for how she interacts with the world, even though she was originally just a sweet little nerd who only wanted to be a teacher. The “Origins” one features a generic Shitty Abuser Shaw and isn’t as good as the more drawn-out miniseries, as it focuses more on physical abuse (like her father suddenly slapping her) to get a point across that her family is toxic, rather than the more drawn-out miniseries, which I think works better for explaining Emma’s specific brand of. . .Emma-ness. But the bit where her mother tells her that her father is hardest on her because he likes her most of all, is really important I think, since that reflects her relationship later with the Hellions, which is also shown in this. Because Emma is cruel to the Hellions, even though she loves them, and in fact because she loved them. Her love for them and her agony over their deaths is what drives her to join the X-Men in the first place. As for which origin story is true. . .I think the miniseries one is probably MOST true, as it’s the only one that Emma herself isn’t telling as a story. But as the friend who helped me assemble this list puts it, “ Think of any origin story of Emma's as "a sort of fairy tale, a parable," where it's the theme that matters, not the precise events or timeline “ 90s EMMA Emma spent most of the 90s teaching Generation X. I don’t remember a lot of stuff for specifically what I’m talking about with her, but here are a couple issues that strike me as significant. Uncanny X-Men (1st series) #311-314: In Uncanny X-Men (1st series) #281-284, the Hellions were killed and Emma Frost was left in a coma, her body taken care of by the X-Men. This is when she wakes up, takes over Iceman’s body, and goes on a rampage thinking she’s the prisoner of the X-Men. When she finds out what happened to her Hellions, she collapses in despair and turns herself over to the X-Men. This is her turning point. This is when we found out Emma Frost had a soul. That she LOVED the Hellions. That they were not just tools. And there’s this one line in the yellow narrative boxes that really sticks out: “As the Hellfire Club’s White Queen, she spent the better part of her life traversing from one mind to another, violating the very essence of anyone she so chose. Losing herself in the memories of others. Altering, at times, the opinions of those who opposed her. This time is different. This time it is about survival. This time. . .it’s for the children.” The words are echoed when she agrees to join Krakoa's Quiet Council, after Charles and Erik tell her their plan and convince her it might just work. "One more time, then. For the children." Emma’s true love, in my opinion, isn’t Scott. Nor is it Namor. It’s teaching. Emma becomes the teacher to Generation X, as mentioned, and in Generation X (1st series) #18-19, during the Onslaught crisis, she’s so terrified of losing them like she did the Hellions, that she snapped, took the kids to a safehouse in Canada, and put them under her telepathic control for their own safety. This is an Emma who has learned that abusing her students isn’t the right way, but still doesn’t respect their autonomy or consent even as she’s desperately trying to protect them, and has to learn from Monet (who is. . . .actually not Monet) that this isn’t the right way to do it either. Emma did not grow up with adult models who showed her how to love and care for a child, she has to figure it out herself, and it’s a rocky journey at times, even though she has the best of intentions. I think this is a good issue to show an Emma who is in the process of evolving. She’s getting better, but she still hasn’t got it “right” yet. CURRENT-ERA EMMA Emma really becomes the Emma we know with Grant Morrison’s New X-Men in the early 2000s. This is where she starts affecting a British accent, calling everyone darling, and the delightfully witty Queen of Mean while also still a devoted teacher with trauma over losing her students. She always was witty and a little mean, but Morrison takes these traits up to 11 and gives Emma the foundation of what a lot of writers would build upon. It’s also when she begins her telepathic affair/seduction of Scott, which is a more than slightly problematic dynamic, as I’ve discussed. Also, this is when she got her now-famous diamond form. We get a lot of lovely Emma nastiness in this series. New X-Men #128-139 all have lots of great moments for her where she’s just WICKED yet still on the side of the angels, and New X-Men Annual 2001 starts us off. However, character-wise, I think what really comes out here is Emma going from blaming her past actions on substances (she tells Scott in the New X-Men Annual 2001 that she just probably out of her mind on drink and drugs all those times she was doing bad things) to being forced to face her past and herself for the first time when confronted by Jean & the Phoenix in New X-Men #139. It’s the first time we get a look at what Emma’s family and home life was like, as well as the first time she’s established as having a brother, but more than that is the emotion that gets brought in. This is also when Morrison decided to retcon the Hellfire Club as a strip joint (which I hate and also shows up in Emma’s “Origins” story) but that’s neither here nor there. The point is, Jean makes Emma face all her flaws and pain and nasty, most vulnerable parts of herself. Emma is left mentally broken...then one page later, physically, shattered by a diamond bullet that we later find out was fired by none other than Esme, the Stepford Cuckoo whom Emma later says reminded her most of herself. There is definitely poetic symbolism there. As my friend put it “This cycle of her students dying and Emma losing it and trying again but never facing the roots of her issues goes on and on until her roots literally kill her, and Jean of all people resurrects her. Jean, who saw right through Emma, saw something there worth saving, and literally and metaphorically put her back together again.” The next place I’d go is Astonishing X-Men, which is the first time Emma and Kitty work together. Kitty HATES Emma at this point, because, as she points out, Emma is the villain in her origin story. And Emma KNOWS this. That’s why she WANTS Kitty there. She knew that Kitty would keep an eye on her, wouldn’t trust her, and that’s what Emma WANTS, because Emma doesn’t trust HERSELF. So this shows that Emma KNOWS her moral compass is a very flawed one, and that she WANTS to be better so consciously that she’s getting someone she knows doesn’t like or trust her to be around because she knows she’ll watch her like a HAWK. This also means Emma is admitting she can fail, and giving some control to someone else. There’s. . . so much that happens from here. Utopia. Phoenix Five. The Terrigen Mists shit. Secret Empire. I feel like there are probably great Emma readlists out there that include these, but honestly I just kinda zoned out through a lot of it. These are some additional read lists for her I found: https://lornahs.tumblr.com/post/87230882649/where-to-start-reading-emma-frost-lets-start https://www.reddit.com/r/comicbooks/comments/2bwwok/emma_frost_reading/ It’s definitely a LOT and I wish you the best of luck tackling it! Also, I wouldn’t feel you have to read EVERYTHING, or incorporate everything into your depiction. Pick and choose what you feel works best for your version!

#out of shirt #readlist

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justfandomwritings · 4 years

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Like a Human (Erik Lensherr - Part One)

Pairing: Magneto/Erik Lensherr x Mutant!Reader

Word Count: 3.5k

Warnings: none yet.... spoilers maybe? Do you have to warn for spoilers for movies that are old? This takes place entirely inside Days of Future Past

Summary: “Our roles are nothing more than how the times choose to cast us.” -Magneto

Notes: The summary is just an epigraph of a Magneto comics quote, but it does more to explain the inspiration of this fic than a proper summary would. This one goes out to some of the 38 Magneto fic requests I got when I put up a post asking for some.

Charles had wanted to go himself.

Charles knew the world Logan was going back to. He knew what he himself was going through, where Erik was, how Mystique thought. Had Charles gone, he needn’t worry about Logan convincing him of the future, pulling him from his despair, reuniting him with his abilities. Had Charles gone, he would have been in control of his own body. Breaking Erik out and stopping Mystique would have been far easier.

It was with a heavy heart he admitted that Logan was best suited for the task at hand. The task before Logan was more monumental than he knew.

The three of them, Charles, Erik, Logan, they were all very different men at the time.

There was no telling where Logan would wake up, what situation he was in, how far he would have to travel. He was no one to Charles, and Charles may as well have been no one to him. Logan would have to convince a total stranger he was time travelling to save the universe. Not to mention if the link broke too soon, they would be throwing a wild, unpredictable man into the heart of the action and could leave the situation far worse than they’d found it.

Charles was without his abilities, and he was a long way from getting them back. He was weak, depressed, and alone; even with Hank around, he was alone. He would need to be rescued from the brink in a way Charles wasn’t sure Logan would be capable of, not because Charles doubted Logan but because he doubted himself. Logan would turn up on his doorstep, and Charles wouldn’t know if he was lying or not. Charles would need to be convinced of everything, and even if Logan managed that Charles would be of almost no help whatsoever unless he stopped his treatment months before he ever had in this timeline.

And Erik? Erik was miles away from Charles. He wasn’t just miles underground; they were miles apart emotionally. They blamed each other, hated each other.

It had taken a miracle to get them speaking again.

A miracle with a name.

“You’ll need help,” Charles voiced the thought before he could stop himself. “You can’t do this alone.”

Kitty sat up in her seat, back rigid as a board. “Charles,” her tone was warning again, “I can’t send you back. Even if I could send two people…”

“You won’t need to.”

Charles wheeled his chair around to face the corner. Bedecked in all but his helmet, Magneto sat on the sill of one of the window, looking out into the blizzard without really seeing anything past the glass. “Erik,” Charles called to his friend.

Magneto didn’t turn at the name. He didn’t break the glaze that seemed to have washed over his face. Wherever he was, it wasn’t in the room.

“June 1973.”

The rest of the room was silent. They’d been bustling around. Iceman had been barricading the other entrances for what good it would do. Storm had been agitating the sky, bringing in mountains of snow for some kind of cover from the approaching army. Warpath sat at the doors, watching for anything that might be coming, and Kitty and Bishop had been explaining the process to an unflappable Wolverine.

There was something about the way Charles spoke. Whenever he opened his mouth, they all stopped to listen. His words were for Magneto, but for some reason everyone felt the need to hear them.

Magneto turned his head, meeting Charles’s gaze. They sat like that for a moment, watching each other. Those who didn’t know them, would be forgiven for thinking that was all they were doing, but the subtle nods and gentle shakes of Charles’s head told the rest of the room that they were talking amongst themselves.

Whatever they were discussing, it seemed to be frustrating the older mutant. Magneto’s face contorted in further discomfort at every hint of movement Charles made. They spoke without words, and Magneto clearly didn’t like where the conversation was heading.

Only Magneto seemed to know what Charles meant by telling Kitty, ‘You won’t need to.’ All the rest were baffled, not only at what Charles could be implying but at how Magneto had understood it instantly from nothing.

They argued in silence, and it was unmistakably an argument. Magneto was more on edge with every moment that Charles stared.

“She could help, Erik.” Charles pleaded quietly. “June 1973.”

There was another long pause as the men squared off, the other occupants waiting to see whose will would bend first.

Magneto sighed and pushed to his feet. It seemed a sign of resignation. The desperation still touched his brow, but he was done debating.

“After you find me,” Magneto addressed Wolverine, even though he still faced Charles, “Stop in London, on your way to Mystique.”

“What’s in London?” Wolverine asked.

“A girl.”

Not a very helpful explanation. There were many girls in London; Logan would even wager there were many mutant girls in London. “How will I find her?”

“You won’t.” Charles rolled back to Logan’s side with a sad smile. “She’ll find you.”

“Why does he need her?” The question came from Kitty. It was probably one Logan should have asked, but in truth it hadn’t occurred to him.

Magneto walked over and shared a long side-eyed look with Charles, as if they hadn’t whispered in front everyone enough that night.

Charles answered, hedging on how to explain without giving Logan too much. “She may well be one of the greatest mutants to ever live. If you find her, she could save you all.”

Magneto’s lips twitched up, only slightly, into a sneer. “She’s more than that,” he argued before turning to Logan. “She’s my wife, or at least she will be.”

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“Are you Logan?”

The man came running up to their group while they exited the plane.

Logan paused on the steps as the man approached Hank at the bottom of the stairs.

Hank glanced back up the steps towards the rest of the group, clearly pleading for help, for how to respond.

“I’m Logan,” Logan pushed by Magneto and made his way down to join the worried Hank.

“Of course you are. I should’ve known.”

The frazzled young man, clad in a jacket that labelled him ‘landing crew’, was clearly flustered. He fumbled around, patting over his chest and down to the pockets of his jeans.

“Here,” He tucked two fingers into his back pocket and produced a piece of paper. “She told me to give you this message.”

“She?” Logan snatched the paper from the man’s hand and unfolded it quickly.

‘It’s rude to yank things from another person’s hand, Logan. Do apologize to Tim, but make it quick. You need to meet me at the address on the back as soon as you can.”

“How did she…” Logan froze. He read the words twice, mumbling them under his breath to make sure he got them right. “I-I’m sorry,” Logan half-heartedly said to the man, side stepping past him onto the tarmac, “but we have to go.”

“Yes, she said that too,” The younger man pointed into the distance where a black van was speeding off the road towards their chosen hangar. “That’s for you.”

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The van pulled to a stop in front of a block apartments not far from the airport.

“Third floor,” The driver didn’t bother to turn around but instead pointed up at the building just behind his parking spot.

“Do we even know who this woman is?” Magneto growled as he slipped out of the car.

Logan eyed the peeling yellow facade of the apartment complex. He stuffed his hands into his pockets to hide the claws that were slowly beginning to push out of his skin. “I think I have an idea,” or at least he had the start of one, and it was not at all an idea he liked.

Charles, Hank, and Magneto filed along after Logan through a heavy metal door, which the metal wielder pulled closed behind the group.

They slogged up to the third floor where Logan glanced down at the paper the airport employee had handed him. “317.”

“This way,” Charles pointed out a sign and headed off away from the landing.

Apartment 317 was six doors down on the left. It was the only number placard that hadn’t been defaced with some form of graffiti or stolen all together. The otherwise dingy hallway was slightly brighter in front of the door, underneath the only bulb that was actually shining as opposed to flickering out its last burst light.

This was the sort of place Logan was used to before he met Charles Xavier. Shady tennants, dirty floors, questionable facilities. This was the sort of place most mutants were used to outside of the school. Even, apparently, the incredibly powerful ones.

Charles lifted his hand, but before he could knock a voice inside shouted, “It’s open!” He hesitated for a moment before he tested the knob.

The door swung wide on an incredibly bare apartment that looked just as old and lackluster as the hall outside, albeit far cleaner.

There was nothing more to the room than an oversized couch shoved against the opposite side of the room and two doorways, both open, on the right-hand wall.

The old wooden floorboards squeaked in protest when the men stepped over them to enter the living room.

“In here,” A voice called from one of the open doors.

Logan caught Charles by the shoulder as he made for the voice. “Behind me,” Logan whispered, stepping ahead of his would-be mentor.

Logan led Magneto followed by Hank and Charles into the room from which the voice had come.

Instantly, the smell of food overwhelmed them.

The kitchen was similarly bare to the living room. A stove, an oven, a fridge, and a hodgepodge of mismatched counters took up most of the tiny room. There was only just enough space for the rickety round table and the five chairs shoved under its lip. A door against the back wall, no doubt, couldn’t be opened without entirely removing the nearest seat from the room.

In amongst the shabby appliances was the back of a young woman. She moved busily between two burners on the stove and the plates and utensils cluttering the table. As they entered, she turned and deposited a healthy portion of eggs on each of the four plates.

Her eyes didn’t even look up at their approach. It wasn’t like she could’ve missed them. The floor groaned and creaked with every move made by any of the men, a built in alarm against intruders if there ever was one.

“That really wasn’t necessary Logan,” The woman didn’t bother to check who was in the doorway and continued cooking. “I don’t bare Charles any ill will.”

Seeing there wasn’t an immediate or hostile threat, Charles took an uncertain step around his new found bodyguard and asked, rather skeptically, “Then do you mind telling us what we’re doing here?”

“Well,” The woman picked up a pan and began dispensing bacon onto three of the plates, “You’re in London because Charlie wanted Logan to come and find me, and Erik told him where to look.” She dropped the empty pan back on the stove. “And you’re in my apartment,” speaking absently, she fiddled with the knobs to turn off the burner, “because I know none of you have eaten since you broke Erik here out of his cell.”

The woman in question wiped her hands clean on a dish rag before finally turning to properly face the group of men for the first time.

She was pretty. Most people would even call her beautiful. Though, she was by no means otherworldly as Logan had been expecting; there was nothing about her appearance that conveyed to him that she was a mutant of any real power.

Logan wasn’t particularly enchanted by her voice or drawn in by any of her features. Sure, she had a kind smile and an even complexion, lips colored a shade of red that could go from sophisticated to sinful in a heartbeat. But she was just a woman, a beautiful young woman, a seemingly normal one at that. She looked human.

“Telepath?” Charles asked, moving cautiously towards the nearest chair. “How else could you know where we just came from?”

The woman laughed, though it wasn’t a very hearty sound. It tinkled half-heartedly then died in the air. “If I was a telepath, I would’ve had to read your mind across the Atlantic for Tim to be waiting for your plane to land.”

“Then what are you?” Hank asked.

He and Erik both moved to join Charles at the table. Their steps were both slow, cautious. Neither of them trusted this woman, and while Hank’s expression seemed worried and concerned, Erik’s was deadly.

“A mutant, like all of you.” She chirped.

“And do you have a name?” Erik stood behind the seat he’d claimed.

Something told Logan he was waiting for everyone else to sit down, waiting for everyone to be well within range of the metal knives their host had placed on the table.

“(Y/n),” The woman slumped into the chair without a plate in front of it and motioned to the empty chair. “Do join us Logan. You’re not actually worried about me killing you. We both know poison couldn’t do the trick.”

“No,” Logan agreed, taking one deliberate step after another, “But I’m pretty sure you can.”

A smirk tugged the edge of (Y/n)’s lip, but it was gone as quick as it appeared, and Logan took his seat.

“Bold assumption,” She mused, “Would it settle you at all to know I have no intention of hurting any of you?”

“No, not even if I believed you.”

“Fair enough,” She shrugged.

With the rest of the table occupied, Erik took the final chair at the woman’s side and an uncomfortable silence settled over them.

No one made a move to eat, and no one seemed to know what to say to fill the silence.

No one except (Y/n), perhaps. She lounged comfortably in her chair, pushing it up on the back two legs. There was a content grin on her face, and she was inspecting her nails with a deep interest that Logan was fairly sure was fake. Something in her expression told Logan that she was amused by all of this. A glint in her eyes as they scanned over her fingers, an arch of her brow.

Over the years, Logan had, out of necessity, gotten good at reading people, and he didn’t need any powers to do it. She was enjoying this, he could tell. How uncomfortable she made Erik and Charles, she was revelling in it.

“I know who you are.” Logan pressed her. They didn’t have the time for these games, or at least he didn’t think they did.

Her eyes flitted up to him quickly. “Well obviously,” she hummed, “you wouldn’t be here if they didn’t send you.”

Logan leaned in, hovering over his plate on the table, as if getting closer would help get his point across. “I know who you are, what you did. Erik told me everything.”

There was a loud bang as the front two legs of her chair came crashing to the floor. Even as she brought herself crashing back to earth, (Y/n)’s expression didn’t change. Her features froze as they were before. The life didn’t leave her eyes, but it seemed, for a moment, to pause its merriment.

“Then he really must be in dire straits.” Her tone had cooled off, slipped into an emotionless droan of words.

“Would you mind,” Charles cut in, “explaining it to the rest of us?”

(Y/n) trailed her eyes over Charles, “It’s sad you have to ask.” (Y/n) let her sentence hang in the air with genuine grief before she pushed to her feet.

Charles, likewise, looked down, pained.

“Eat while I talk. This will take some time, and we don’t want to waste a moment.”

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(Y/n) returned to the table with a paper and pen and set it out before the men who were hesitantly chewing down breakfast.

“So,” She drew two parallel lines coming up from the bottom of the paper, “Think of time as a road, and we, the universe, are a car.” A boxlike shape joined her sketch between the lines. “The road is one way, and while we’re on it, we have to be moving forward.”

As she talked, (Y/n) began to add roads, branches coming off every inch on both sides of her original path. “Everyone, young and old, is inside the car and has a hand on the wheel.” Some took steep angles away from her first road; others ran virtually parallel to it; others still branched off from the branches she was adding. She was, slowly but surely, making a web of lines across the page. “And every time any of us make a decision, we turn the wheel.”

She traced an arrow from the car up one of the roads running parallel to it. “Most decisions have little effect on the world beyond the person who’s made them. We’re so close to where we were before that when we look out the window the scenery and direction haven’t changed, and none of us can tell the difference.”

(Y/n) continued arrow, this time following a branch off the parallel that took a far steeper angle. “Other decisions, turns of the wheel, change the world so emphatically that everyone feels the effects, and our course is forever altered.”

(Y/n) went back to doodling in lines, slowly filling up the bottom of the page as she carried on. “Every turn off the first road is a decision someone made, and every decision someone makes results in a turn. The only question is how drastically it removes us from where we began.”

Ceasing her doodles for a moment, (Y/n) drew their attention by circling three times around a section of road she had just added, two parallel roads in the bottom corner, both taking a sharp curve away and off the edge of the page.

“There are, however, some things that are beyond decision. Bends in the road, as it were. Things that, by virtue of being on the road we are on, will happen; things no one decided and no decision can avoid. Call it karma or fate, whatever suits you, but they’re there. Some of them are small, only happening on a few paths we create. Others are so colossal,” (Y/n) vigorously shaded in a strip of paper an inch above the end of her highest road, “that by virtue of moving forward in time, we will encounter them, and they will happen. The difference between a bend around a hill, only taken by roads that come at it from a certain angle, or the inevitable need of a bridge crossing over a river.”

(Y/n) drew in a road, a bridge presumably, going over the shaded strip and continuing up to the end of the page.

Her pen ran off the top of the page, and with it she went silent, and a long moment passed as she stared at it, unseeing.

She hadn’t looked up or ceased once during her entire explanation, not as they ate, not even when Hank let out an audible huff.

“This is an interesting theory of time, but what does it have to do with why the future sent us here?” Hank pressed. There was a subtle inflection to the way he said the word theory. He was far too kind to call anyone wrong to their face, but Hank was a scientist in heart and in mind. He didn’t generally stand for rambling misinformation.

(Y/n) returned his expectant look with an equally expectant smile, as if she’d already known the answer to his question before he even thought to ask it. “Darling, I’m the map.”

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Next Time on Part Two…. Coming Soon

Taglist

Forever Taglist:

@maybe-a-fangurl / @libbymouse / @geeksareunique / @deathbyarabbit / @spilltheearlgrey / @ryanbarnesrogers / @bloodorangemoonlight

Marvel Taglist:

@the-high-queen / @iamverity / @darktownairspeed / @radicalstars / @hermione-is-my-queen

#erik lensherr x reader #erik lehnsherr x reader #magneto x reader #x men #x men imagines #xmen imagines #marvel imagines #marvel fanfiction #xmen fanfiction #x men fanfiction #erik lensherr imagine #erik lehnsherr imagine #magneto imagine #magneto fanfiction #magneto x you #erik lensherr fanfiction #erik lensherr x you #erik lehnsherr x you

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kurtty-drabbles · 4 years

Text

House of M- Redone

N/A: I think I did a House of M before. One where Kitty helps Wanda and Pietro and that´s cool, but, I had an idea for this au, and well, let´s see if I can do here.

@dannybagpipesarecalling @djinmer4 @bamfoftheundead @muninandhugin

One thing must be said about professor Katherine Anne Pryde. One of many things if you ask anyone that knows this professor even for one day. The woman takes her job seriously-the school was in dire need of a mutant to teach the history of mutants once proving the teacher wasn´t a real mutant and such employment could cause a scandal- all her 22 students are equal in her eyes.

Now, is important to point out how this school, in Genosha, is not exactly top-notch or elite like as the school where the Princes of Genosha attended- the School Emma Frost owns has all the stereotype images of elite and Emma never shies away- the education system in Genosha is great, but, still Kitty´s school is not an elite. No one in her classroom is a future king, or has omega level powers or is the reincarnation of a great figure- as Kitty never look down at any of her students.

Now! let be register in any record available that Kitty Pryde takes her job seriously. Donning herself with her most comfortable jeans and wearing a white shirt- her Magen David in display and proudly as always- the teacher is counting the heads of her students. "22 as always, thank god. I didn´t lose anyone...for now" Kitty jokes and her students follow along.

"Teacher...what about Larry?"

"Larry...is our secret" she makes a shush sign and wink at them. A few chuckles happen and now she´s back to the program. "Ok, everyone knew knows what are you looking?" the question has Kitty point directly to the big museum- the words museum is extremely hard to miss- as a few hands raise.

"We´re here to see the story of Genosha and our founders. And to be away from our class" and the other kids' nods. Kitty feels old as she´s not getting the joke nor the memes they´re sharing, well, it doesn´t matter in the end. She´s here to do her job.

"Correct and most important..." her words die-off in her lips and even brains as Emma Frost is climbing down the stairs with her little students- some of them are the princes of Genosha-wearing a smirk hauntingly beautiful for a woman who only wears white.

"Well, well, well. What we have here? a little cat" Emma spares no punches. "A school trip or are you with your kids? Did Piotr finally got his wish?" and Kitty is a professional and she knows that punches the daylight of Emma is a big no(for many, many reasons)

"No, Emma. Thank you for caring. I´m here with my students to see the museum...and I ought to teach all of them the importance of not dress like a whore, something you must teach your students...right, Emma?" she feigns innocence as her big doe eyes transmit nothing but good-will towards another professional.

Emma looks back to see her students equally confused. "We´re going back...oh, Kitty, carefully, the guide´s name is Peter but I heard he´s married already" and she fakes concern putting her hand on her heart as if taking real pity of the situation.

"Ah, thank you for the warning, by the way, Scott always loved and will always love Jean Grey. Had a nice life and try to not be naked on your way back" Kitty states cheerfully as Emma leaves not looking back.

Kitty´s students- Mercury, Rockslide, Pixie to name a few- did a clumsy bow. The future ruler of Genosha is there and while they want to show respect for this future leader, and the kids have many people in their lives hamming this idea into their minds, they aren´t sure how to do the bow. The result? something too clumsy to resemble a bow.

Well, the princes didn´t seem to care.

_________________________________________________________________________________________

The museum has a renovation and it shows. Long gone are the days where the building would resemble a haunting church. Kitty is guiding her students- the guide, Peter, had to take a leave to solve a problem and Kitty is more than well-prepared to do this job-to each section of the museum.

Many questions are being made right now. "Hey, hey. One at a time" Kitty chided them. They didn´t seem to care though.

"Teacher, what´s this?" she points to the war section. To be more exact, to the many fights the X-men fought in the past. Kitty follows her gaze and seems to get the underline question here.

"The X-men in the past fought many adversaries. Bigger than you can imagine. This one here...is Apocalypse" and the students are muttering among themselves impressed by the sculpture- it was a bit of controversy as the X-men feel it would be as if they´re giving a shrine to Apocalypse, but, a deal was made and in the end, a small size sculpture of Apocalypse is in the museum- "and he caused a great problem to the team"

"He killed Prof X...right?"

"Right...he did and Jean Grey was the one to finally locked him in his tomb"

"Will he come back?"

Maybe...he was locked. Not killed.

"Of course not. Jean Grey took care of that"

______________________________________________________________________________________

"Alright, who can tell me the names of the original X-men?" Kitty asked as this prompts all the other kids to stop and think. Few hands are raised.

"There´s Logan" and Kitty crosses her arms in an X position. "Wrong. Logan was never an X-men. He helps them here and there but he is not an X-men nor Avenger"

Silence is her ally.

"First we have Jean Grey" she look at them bemused. How they did not know Jean Grey is the first X-men? "she is one of the most powerful mutants in the group"

"Second, we have Dr. Hank MCcoy"

"Third we have Iceman aka Bobby Drake"

"Fourth, we have Scott Summers" a few hands raise up to speak and Kitty can roll her eyes already knowing the answer. "Yes, my bad. Mr. Scott Grey"

"And finally, we have Angel aka Warren Warrington"

The students are taking photos of the original team. Making jokes about how young they all look "defeating evil wearing that? They´re fearless"

________________________________________________________________________________________

Kitty claps her hands together and has a big grin on her face. "Ok, kids. This is where the good part begins. Do you reconize those 3 in the painting?" and the students send a sarcastic no to her face. Kitty ignores them. "This is Pietro, the prince of Genosha and the diplomat of our land. This is Lorna, the mistress of magnetism and this...this is our Witch Queen, Wanda"

And the students take pictures and take a moment to admire this moment. "and their father?" Kitty rubs her arms and refuses to lie. "Magneto is a complex story, even to a bystander, Magneto is banished from Genosha and is whereabouts is unknown" and her words sink in for the others.

Suddenly a hole in the wall appears. The one and only Juggernaut appears and speaks. "I´m Juggernaut, Bitch" and the children scream -some take selfies- and Kitty is in front of the students. "And I want the princes of Genosha"

Oh yes, he´s dumb.

Oh no, he´s dumb and strong.

_________________________________________________________________________________________

He´s big. He´s dumb. I can work with that.

Kitty looks at the students and hissed. "when I count to 3 runs to the exit, got it?" and they nod in silence.

"1" Juggernaut is in a position to attack. Head-fist is his special move.

"2" she can feel the tension.

"3!" she said and the kids run as Juggernaut is stuck on the flooring-half of his body is stuck in the flooring-Kitty´s powers are far more useful than anyone would give credit. The kids managed to leave the museum and Juggernaut is now pissed.

Kitty crackle her knuckles. "Wanna stay here to cool off?" she suggests deadpan. Juggernaut has a smart reply and sadly it can´t be appreciated as Kitty doesn´t seem to understand stupidity fluently as he does. "Fine, let´s end this soon"

And she caught a whiff of brimstone. "The cavalry is here" in his german accent and Kitty can reconize one of the most famous mutants in the Red Guard.

"You´re late," said Kitty open the bottom case of Juggernaut´s helmet. She chides him without looking at the azzure figure of Nightcrawler. She can miss his astonishment expression.

Juggernaut, however, is not here to take autographs from Nightcrawler. And using his superior strength the man breaks the flooring and is now free.

"Miss, let the professional" he stops as Kitty looks at him with fire in her eyes. "do you have a plan, Nightcrawler?" and she smirks as she says. "I do...can you give me a sword?"

The nerve of this woman!

And Juggernaut is angry. Juggernaut ignored Nightcrawler to go chasing Kitty. "Come back here, Bitch"

"I´m not Juggernaut!"

Kurt Wagner watches the scene with his jaw drop.

Snapping from his daze, the mutant goes after the strange woman. Kurt notices her intangibility and how she´s pressing the second bottom on his helmet.

Oh...OH...

And Kurt is quick to press the remain buttons and taking his helmet off.

Mark Cain is now powerless without the helmet. And Kurt can take care of the rest.

"That was incredibly risque of you" Kurt begins looking up and down to the woman-in no moment she ever said she was an X-men or Avenger which makes her action even more reckless- "But at the same time...that was incredibly brave of you, thank you"

"Thank you...he tried to hurt my students...motherfucker had come"

Who is this woman?

"What´s your name, fraulein?"

"Uhm, what´s yours?"

"My name is Kurt Wagner, I´m from the Red Guard"

"I´m Kitty Pryde. History teacher" and adds. "no swords?"

"No swords, miss History teacher...is against the laws"

"Damn"

________________________________________________________________________________________

"Wow! Rogue" Kitty said as she saw Rogue carrying Mark Cain to the van without breaking a sweat. Kitty and the students are impressed to see Rogue, however, Kurt is not amused she´s showing more reaction to his own sister than him.

"I´m still here, you know..."

"I know...and we fought against Juggernaut" and she winks at him. Kurt is never this confused about a woman as he´s now.

__________________________________________________________________________________

Emma Frost is ever happy that Juggernaut is a complete moron and mistakes the future leaders or leader- is not sure if Wanda´s sons would want to share the throne or not. They both seem uninterested now- of Genosha with Kitty´s students.

"Miss Frost...are you and Miss Pryde in love?" one of her students dare to make such an idiotic question.

They´re only children after all.

"EWW. If I have to date a woman...I can pick someone who is on my age and has a better fashion sense than Kitty...plus, I meet Kitty when she was a teen and it would be eww in so many ways"

#House of M redone #Kitty Pryde #Kurt Wagner #Kurtty #nightcrawler #Kurt she´s not impressed yet #Rogue is awsome and everyone should know this #Emma and Kitty are frenemies

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newx-menfan · 4 years

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Marauders #5 Review

*Spoilers*

The issue starts by talking about Climate change (I would totally give the X-Men kudos points if Krakoa manages to somehow fix this lol).

Bobby's getting his flirt on with Christian Frost (I've never been a big Iceman fan....but this would actually endure me to him a little bit.)

(Also...Christian's hair looks atrocious, Emma really needs to find him a better stylist...)

Christian points out the resurrection protocols might not work for Kitty because she can't use the portal.

Sebastian gets shot down in the voting to have Shinobi on a solo mission.

Emma and Kitty have bonded. (ALTHOUGH LETS BE HONEST...if you had chosen Emma...you'd probably have been dead...just saying...I LOVE Emma, but her history with students...isn’t the best...).

The team head out to deal with a problem in Madripoor.

Shinobi and refugees are cornered because someone's paying people to kill Mutants.

Storm and Bishop get attacked by soldiers in power dampening gear (Storm's about to also cut a b****.)

Teen Hellfire is STILL obnoxious (sigh).

Kitty literally runs into Shinobi's ship and phases through it. (Kind of anticlimactic after Astonishing...).

Opinions:

While this issue does have great moments, it does feel a lot more choppy than other previous ones.

Part of that is, in my opinion, trying to jam in too many plot points...

Still hate the Hellfire brats, although it looks like Duggan is keeping them to a minimum.

Hopefully the next issue is a bit stronger.

Theories:

Really HOPING QQ isn't thrust in this book because the Hellfire teens are in it.

Would be interested to see Idie show up.

Shinobi is probably going to become allies with Kitty after this arc.

#review #spoilers #Mauraders #x men #dawn of x #Gerry Duggan #Marvel #House of x #Powers of x

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spaceorphan18 · 4 years

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Marvel Movie Night: X-Men The Last Stand

So - when this came out, I worked at a theater. We got to see an early screening of it. When we walked my mom turned to me and said -- that wasn’t good, right? I had to agree.

So. Here we are. I feel like I have a very complicated relationship with this film, because I know a crap ton about X-Men and knowing more means this film feels like even more of a mess than maybe a general audience would know. It’s hard to really comment on whether or not this is a good film. It’s definitely far more watchable than the Fantastic Four, or the other Marvel related films coming out at the time that weren’t Spider-Man. However, it doesn’t hold together too well overall.

The biggest issue this film has is that it’s trying to shove too many story lines with too many mutants into one film, and it kind of fails at everything that it’s trying to do.

But first - a comment on production. It was kind of a mess (though, I’m super fascinated that there was an original draft of this that Emma Frost played by Sigourney Weaver. Damn, I’m sad we didn’t get that). Directors switched, writers switched, actors were no longer under contract -- and I mean, most productions have things change, but all of this resulted in this film getting pulled in fifteen different directions, and I do thing that did have an effect on the final result.

So - let’s talk about what this film is trying to do.

The Dark Phoenix saga. One of the most iconic X-Men stories ever told, and it is for a reason. Having just reread it last month, it’s egregious to me how much this movie misses the point. Look - I’m fine, in general, when other media changes original stories for adaptations. Film is not comics, but I do think you need to understand the essence of the story in order to do it well in an adaptation. And The Last Stand just doesn’t understand the Phoenix story.

See - in the comics, it’s a lot about manipulation, control, and power - and how Jean Grey is being manipulated, but breaks out of it with her extreme power. (There’s also a ton about crazy space forces, but I understand why they didn’t go there, it’s... uber complicated.) But, the point is that this ends up being an internal story -- how Jean deals with the power once she’s broken free from the manipulation, how how her relationships with various X-Men help her cope with split identity. At the end -- with her friends behind her, she decides to end her own life, and her sacrifice is make sure she doesn’t destroy the universe. And it’s very beautifully told.

There are three things (major) things I have issue with in this film -- 1. With the exception of Cyclops, in a limited role, and slightly Xavier, Jean’s relationships with other people are just not explored enough to have an emotional impact; 2. At no point is Jean ever back in control of her own agency. Xavier manipulates her, then Magneto, then she just stands around for a long time until Wolverine finally kills her. It cheapens everything about Jean Grey and agency the original story has, and I hate it. 3. The story in the movie seems to service the goddamn Logan/Jean Grey love story that I hate in the comics, and I hate it more here - but I’ll spare you the diatribe.

The other thing, though... The animated series got this right -- but it could because it had time to. See, the comics drew this whole story out for years, and it’s emotional pay off works better over a long period of time, which a two hour movie just doesn’t have. And it’s especially hurt when it’s truncated due to a whole other plot in the film. Which leads me to...

The Cure - the second plot of the film. Joss Whedon’s Astonishing X-Men at the time was a big hit, so they decided to use this story. It’s not a bad story -- it has to do with the big political element that the X-Men always are dealing with, and that’s fine. But, because it can’t be the full focus, it too feels overstuffed. (Really the film wants to be this plot, and should have never done Dark Phoenix in the first place.)

Unfortunately, because they need to shoehorn in Magneto, the brotherhood, the Morlocks, and every other mutant in the X-Universe (except Gambit for some reason) - this turns into a mess, where Magneto is his Silver Age, scenery chewing self, and a whole lot of people punch each other because that’s what these third acts usually devolve into. The Cure story line is and can be a much smaller story, too, and maybe works better as such, but this is a major blockbuster - which I’m sure studio mandates a certain amount of CGI nonsense. Ah well.

Other Thoughts (dear god, get ready for all the thoughts!):

The Danger Room scene at the beginning of the film is a goddamn delight -- that is how you use the X-Men working as a team, and that’s how you use Wolverine in a good capacity.

One thing I’ll credit this film - it does better with its action sequences, and specifically letting the X-Men actually work as a team.

I can’t help but feel, though, that I wish more of the classic X-Men teams had been together for their last stand. Something about Wolverine’s little pep talk felt hollow - maybe because these characters we’ve barely met and/or interacted with and the emotional resonance isn’t there.

FWIW - the special effects in this film are such an upgrade than all the crud had has come before it -- especially Fantastic Four, which was only a year or so earlier.

Hugh Jackman has finally really settled in his role as Wolverine, he’s great, yadda, yadda

Famke Janssen continues to be an excellent Jean Grey, and I’m sorry her story line stunk so badly. The scene with her and Wolverine, where she goes through the gamut of emotions, is really quite wonderful. It’s a shame she spends half the movie just standing (or sitting) there.

I understand that James Marsden kind of tapped out of the franchise to go do Superman, but I’m so sad that they really didn’t do Cyclops well in any of these films. He’s such a great character, and you wouldn’t know it at all by these films.

The Beast! Who’d have thought that Kelsey Grammer would have been a good choice for Beast -- but it works.

I think Halle Berry asked for more to do as Storm. Well -- she has more to do, but she still doesn’t feel like Storm. I want an X-Men film where she Ororo Monrue is given the proper chance to shine.

Oh - I should mention Storm vs Callisto is a thing here, as an easter egg to long time fans, but it’s not satisfying to me as a long time fan because, like, most everything in this film, they kind of fucked it up.

Meanwhile... oh Rogue, maybe we shouldn’t get me started on how my favorite X-Man is the utter worst in this film. Not only is she barely in this film but... this is such a complicated issue for this character -- to be given five minutes of screen time is just the utter worst. And no, Rogue would never do that. No, no, no.

Ellen Page as Kitty Pryde is amazing, and she should have had her own movie. I find it hilarious, though, that she and Iceman kinda flirt with each other here -- since Iceman is canonically gay, and Kitty is subtextually bi. It’s just... funny.

Iceman - in his ice form. Yes, more of this.

Angel is here! He literally does nothing, but he doesn’t do much in the comics either, so it kinda hilariously works. I like the actor, too, he’s a great match.

The dude playing Colossus is a delight - again, more screen time needed! I kinda love that he’s just carrying around a TV to show his strength.

Lord help me - the Juggernaut is the worst. I hated that meme. I hate that he looks like a literal dick head. I hate that he’s portrayed as a mutant when he’s not, etc, etc.

There’s so much more to comment on, but I’ll spare you the time -- I mean there’s Moira MacTaggart, and the Morlocks - who are also the Omega Gang?, and Leech, and Eric Dane playing Multiple Man, and really... they brought in Stacey X (you guys ask me about Stacey X...), and apparently Psylocke is supposed to be in here somewhere, and sentinel camoes, and Trask, and Mystique... But, this review is long enough.

I do need to point out - the President is played by Josef Somer, who played Ducksworth in The Mighty Ducks, and I can only think of ‘quacking’ whenever I look at him.

Final Thoughts: It’s probably more enjoyable for a non-fan than a hardcore X-Man fan. It’s not as bad as people make it out to seem, but it’s not good either. Overall, there’s a lot of potential that gets squandered and exploded. Ah well.

#marvel movie nights

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