This thread's for all of the X-Men comics and spin-offs (X-Force, X-Factor, New Mutants etc.), whether they're decades old or brand new.
- Apart from the main Marvel Universe titles, Ultimate X-Men, X-Men 2099, X-Men "What If?" stories, crossovers, guest appearances in other books, Alternate Universe tales and things like Marvel's manga adaptations are all on-topic here.
- X-Men 'family' books are on-topic (as are their own crossovers, guest appearances etc.) - e.g. Wolverine, Deadpool, Ms. Marvel and Cable.
- Characters and comics that originated in X-Men and its related books but are no longer connected to the franchise are not on-topic, unless you're discussing historical connections and crossovers. If in doubt, check before you write a long post. If this isn't the right place, there's a more general Marvel Comics thread
which covers them.
Technically, Marvel's Infinity Comics (and their predecessors, Infinite Comics) are webcomics, not comic books, but it's fine to talk about their X-Men related stories here.
Discussions that are only about X-Men adaptations in other media (films, video games etc.) are off-topic, but discussing the differences between the adaptations and the original comics is fine - as long as spoilers for the adaptations are tagged.
Please follow the spoiler policy rules
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I have to say that the X Men franchise has been going on for decades. Maybe not as many as the Superman franchise has, but it still has quite a number to it.
One thing I am certain of is that the franchise seems to be subverting Status Quo Is God in recent years. Magneto and Professor Xavier seem to be fading into the background, with Cyclops and Wolverine taking their places. A lot of villains associated to the X-Men have been killed off and have actually stayed dead so far.
All this gives me the general impression that the franchise is trying to reinvent itself. Do you think that's what's going on here?
Edited by Mrph1 on Nov 29th 2023 at 10:02:23 AM
I only read Onslaught part 3 as a kid and I kinda liked it, though I thought too much was going on with too many characters.
But Calvin and Hobbes cameoed so it was okay. XD
The Protomen enhanced my life.
The Merry Monarch of Darkness
District X is pretty cool; it's all about the trials and tribulations of the average mutant-with-lame-powers-in-the-street, and I think we need more of that. The metaphor loses a bit of its bite if every mutant looks like a supermodel and can juggle buses.
The pig of Hufflepuff pulsed like a large bullfrog. Dumbledore smiled at it, and placed his hand on its head: "You are Hagrid now."
District X is pretty great. I liked the Bishop focus, and it sells "Mutant as culture" better than the Morrison run ever did.
I deeply regret selling my trades of that.
I prefer "mutants as superheroes" compared to "mutants as weird freaks with three eyes on their chin", but it did a great job. I think some mutants should be weird looking (actually weird looking, not handsome blue guy Nightcrawler weird looking) but I prefer when they mostly look like regular dudes.
edited 3rd Oct '17 10:59:13 AM by Mr.Badguy
The Merry Monarch of Darkness
![[up]](https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/smiles/arrow_up.png "[up]"){kind=icon}
Heh, I'm pretty much the exact opposite. I think the mutant narrative works better if you assume most mutants are like the guy with eyeballs growing out of his chin, but he still gets the tar beaten out of him over something Sabretooth did. The innocent whole punished for the actions of a few bad apples.
I think, with proper direction, the X-books would be big enough to encompass both visions. Grant Morrison took it too far one way, whre everyone is dressing up in BDSM leather and smugly talking about how superheroes are dumb, Joss Whedon (puking noises) took it the other, where um actually were superheroes now with misguided pretensions toward depth, and now everyone else is stuck picking up the pieces with years and years of mass extinction storylines that we're just now coming out of, and even then, there's only one oddball X-book in Generation X.
My ideal new mutant would be someone who really really wants to be an Avenger, and keeps fighting against their fate of being dragged into Mutant-only issues.
edited 3rd Oct '17 5:48:04 PM by Mr.Badguy
That would actually be an awesome idea.
The Merry Monarch of Darkness
I actually have to say I agree with Morrison that the X-Men should be more than just superheroes (though I think I agree that having the characters in-story insult the idea was a bit much) - I think they could do far more with outreach and activism than with corralling the Vanisher or the Blob every time they show up.
The pig of Hufflepuff pulsed like a large bullfrog. Dumbledore smiled at it, and placed his hand on its head: "You are Hagrid now."
See, I disagree, because if we go down that road then every superhero should do more than just superheroing. Fantastic Four should be about Reed Richards curing cancer with his children's tears.
X-Men is such a wild, varying brand that it should be able to do both. Somehow Marvel was able to publish District X and New X-Men Academy X at the same time.
Regardless of the metaphor inherent to the X-Men, they're primarily adventure characters, like how people keep trying to ruin Superman by making him Jesus. The colourful costumes and interpersonal drama and softball games are just as important as Kitty Pryde throwing racial slurs when the comic wants to get topical.
Actually you know what? A Mutant SJW book would be awesome. Your point about outreach and activism is really good, because even when the books tip the scales on the public's perception of mutants, they never really do anything with that. I'd read an entire book about that.
edited 3rd Oct '17 6:06:46 PM by Mr.Badguy
Yeah, your ideas are on the mark. I do think they should be a little bit more than heroes, and actually be shown as regular people. As said before, since mutants stand in for minorities it's good to see their rights be more and more acknowledged.
Two new series announced: Legion and Rogue & Gambit.
I was honestly surprised it took them this long to do something new with Legion.
edited 4th Oct '17 7:29:54 AM by comicwriter
The Merry Monarch of Darkness
Non-Wolverine X-solos are good, yes.
The pig of Hufflepuff pulsed like a large bullfrog. Dumbledore smiled at it, and placed his hand on its head: "You are Hagrid now."
I guess Rogue and Gambit are a thing again.
I'm tentatively excited. I like the pairing but it's had some really bad showcases.
Still better than Rogneto though :V
Funny thing is Rogue and Magneto have a fanbase behind it, even with the huge age difference factor. Good thing to see Gambit getting some spotlight, because he's been underused since after his heyday in the 90's.
Rogneto is just the worst.
And that's in comparison to Rogue being with a scumbag pick up artist.
(Although funnily enough, Chris Sims and Chad Bowers, who loathe the hell out of Gambit, wrote him perfectly in X-Men 92).
Anyway I think Gambit needs a team to be good. Despite seeming the obvious, he's not enjoyable on his own.
edited 4th Oct '17 10:22:48 AM by Mr.Badguy
Deranged X-Mas Figure
Eh, I dunno; I didn't mind Rogneto in Ao A. Then again, that was an alternate universe, so I guess that gives it some leeway by default.
"Hey Erik take care of my daughter for me, who has absorbed the powers of your other daughter."
"Imma bang her."
Deranged X-Mas Figure
...
Okay, when you put it that way...
Doctor Who — Long Way Around: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13536044/1/Doctor-Who-Long-Way-Around
The Head of the Hydra
Wait which daughter did she absorb?
"I am Alpharius. This is a lie."
Deranged X-Mas Figure
Polaris. Instead of Carol Danvers, she's got Polaris' powers in Ao A.Which is also what lets her and Mags get jiggy with it.
The Head of the Hydra
Wait how does that work?
"I am Alpharius. This is a lie."
This is the Marvel universe, convoluted situations and explanations are the norm.
Deranged X-Mas Figure
Well, you see, when a mommy mutant and a daddy mutant love each other very much...
Or you get Grayden Creed, who turns out normal. I really wish they didn't kill him off for real, because he actually could have been a more complex recurring villain figure. The guy is a unrepentant bigot, but man being rejected for being normal by your parents really has got to screw you up. Also it brought up a topic of how mutants themselves could reject a child, if they don't turn out to be powered.
But he's NOT LIKE THEEEM. He's NOOOOOORMAAALLLL.
Re-reading Claremont's 2014 Nightcrawler run and it got me thinking, what's your favourite cult, underrated X-Men series?
Mine's definitely Nightcrawler. It's a brilliant retro throwback to the best time in the X-Men's history, starring one of their best characters written by the master himself.