AvsX: Did Everybody Win or Did Everybody Lose?

Well, it's finally over.  It's been months of two sides blowing their horns, trying to find the best way to put the other down, and both sides knowing this one day would come and make the difference.  You see my word play?  You think I'm talking about the presidential debate, but really I'm talking about something much more important; a fictional battle in a world full of comic book characters.  For almost six months the line has been drawn between Avengers and X-Men fans.  Both sides trying to claim that they're doing what's in the best interest for the world, and bashing the other with dirty tricks and vicious scowls.  Ok, this time I really am talking about the presidential debate.

If you're reading this chances are you know me, and chances are you're seem me post something or talk about the Marvel event that has been in the making for seven years.  Since in 2005, with House of M, the mutant race has been an endangered species, and Cyclops, leader of the X-Men, has had to step-up and do whatever was necessary to keep his people alive. All of his faith has been put on Hope Summers, the first mutant born since M-Day, who was raised in the future and is now a teenager.  The cosmic power known as the Phoenix comes to Earth.  And while Captain America and the Avengers saw it has a sign of destruction Cyclops saw it as a possible rebirth for his species.  Sides were chosen, with Hope caught in the middle, and months later we have a winner, or do we?

Thanks to Tony Stark, the Phoenix was split into five pieces while he was really trying to kill it, each piece going into a different X-Men.  Cyclops, the White Queen, Namor, Colossus, and Magik all had a part of the Phoenix, and they used it to recreate the world the way they felt it should be.  This made everyone else in the Marvel U. nervous so the fighting continued, but with each Phoenix member that went down the others got stronger, absorbing their fallen comrades power, until finally Cyclops was the sole possessor of the Phoenix Force.  Now this is very ironic in so many ways since the Phoenix is responsible for so much pain and heart ache in Scott Summers life; most notably taking is wife, Jean Grey, and turning her evil.  Cyclops kept saying the Phoenix could be harnessed if he just trained Hope enough.  Well once Scott possessed all of the Phoenix he could not control it as he fought the entire Marvel U. as the new Dark Phoenix.

WARNING BEYOND THIS POINT ARE SPOILS INTO THE END OF AVENGERS VS. X-MEN!

So after month the final issue of AvsX was released today.  In the end it took the combined powers of Hope and the Scarlet Witch to take down the Phoenix.  It then possessed Hope for a brief moment to where she did control it, and used to bring back mutants into the world.  Hope re-started the mutant race.  So what was all that twelve issues of fighting for?

Everyone who truly knows me knows I'm not only an X-Men fan, but a Cyclops fan, so ever since he went full-on dark side I've been a little distraught.  But didn't what he want to happen, or said could happen, back in issue #1, happen?  Hope used the Phoenix power to jump start mutant kind.  Yes, he killed his mentor, Professor Xavier and hundreds of others in the process, but Professor X has died like four times, twice in the last four years.  So it's not that big of a deal, trust me.  All this proves is that Scott was right, Hope was the key to saving her people, she could control the Phoenix, and Scott Summers is a happy man sitting behind his patted prison cell.

On the flip side, hundreds, if not thousand of people, are dead because of this event.  The world was rocked by natural and unnatural disasters. Friendships and loyalties were tested and some broken, most notably the marriage between Storm and the Black Panther.  "You played Russian Roulette with the planet," as Captain America told Cyclops.  Mutants have survived, but at what cost?  Their greatest symbol of what good they can be, the X-Men, has been completely tarnished in the eyes of the world.  

Back in the beginning the writers of this tale said that their would be a winner and loser, but I don't see it.  To me both sides can claim that they won, and that they lost.  With Marvel NOW about to be underway a new era begins in the Marvel U.  One where superheroes and mutants will no longer be separate, but integrated to ensure the mistrust and doubt in each other will never be brought up and threaten the world again.  It truly is a new era in Marvel comics, and just typing about it makes me realize that the House of Ideas has probably a lot of good ones ahead.  

And what about Cyclops?  Some say he's now a villain in the Marvel U.  To those people I say this. Don't you know the X-Men at all?  Everyone at one point on that team has been considered a villain.  This just means Cyclops is now a true X-Man. 

My Avengers vs. X-Men Smack Down

This week Marvel comics announced this summer’s big event, Avengers vs. X-Men. And in that moment every fan boy soiled themselves. It’s been a while since the two teams have had any kind of throw down, and never to this level of nastiness. From what I can gather the prelude to this event will be Avengers: X-Sanction, in which Cable comes back from the dead, again, and has 24 hours to take down the Avengers. I’m not sure why but I'm pretty sure it has to do with Cable’s adoptive daughter, Hope. Whatever the outcome, it’s a precursor to the arrival of the most powerful force in the universe, The Phoenix. The last time the Phoenix inhabited a human body it almost destroyed the whole universe, and with the Phoenix flare showing up in Hope’s eyes all the way back at the end of Second Coming I’m guessing it found its new host.

But the X-Men are now divided after Schism. Wolverine is trying to keep the kiddies out of trouble with his school in Westchester, and Cyclops is leading his superhero Extinction Team to fight back the ugliness that threatens not only mutants, but the world. Let’s not forget that Wolverine, Beast, and Storm, who are X-Men, are also Avengers now. So it looks like we’ll have the Avengers vs. the X-Men for the fate of Hope Summers, mutant kind, and possibly the galaxy. Before Marvel’s most all-star writing team maps out this epic I’ve broken down what I think would make some good fights between the two teams, but I’m not saying who’ll win because I honestly don’t know. Since Hope is part of Cyclop’s Extinction Team I’m guessing they’ll be the ones trying to protect her. I’m also going to leave Wolverine and his team on the sidelines for now.

Warpath vs. Spider-Man

One likes to talk too much, and the other likes to gut things with his knife. No, it’s not a new sitcom, but a rumble in the Bronx. Spider-Man has tangled with Kraven the Hunter quite a few times, whose animal instincts aren’t too far away from James Proudstar’s killer qualities. Picture a game of cat and mouse, or cat and spider if you will. To be honest I just had no idea what other X-Man to put Spider-Man against who wouldn’t kick the crap out of him.

Psylocke vs. Hawkeye

It’s ninja’s versus assassin’s when these two go at it. They’re both well trained in hand-to-hand combat so I think the fight would be interesting. Sure Psylocke has badass telepathic abilities but I’d be guessing Hawkeye would have some way of blocking it to make it a fair fight. Plus they’ve both got a little bit of an edge to take this fight to the next level.

Hope Summers vs. the Black Widow

Natalia Romanoff may have stolen the show away from Robert Downey Jr. in Iron Man 2 just by looking like Scarlett J., but she’ll need more than that when she goes up against the so-called “mutant messiah.” Hope spent the first sixteen years of her life traveling from one apocalyptic future to another, being trained in the art of survival by her father, Nathan Summers a.k.a. Cable. The Widow has some moves and is very resourceful, but can she take the heat when Hope starts pulling out her bag of unlimited mimicking powers? I’d pay to watch that red-headed cat fight any day.

Colossus vs. Red Hulk

For years General “Thunderbolt” Ross fought against the incredible Hulk and tried so many times to beat him. And he found the best way to beat ‘em was to join ‘em. Ross became the Red Hulk, and has more control over his alter-ego than Bruce Banner ever did. But that could be a bad thing when you’re going up against Peter Rasputin, a steel-skinned mutant who just inherited the powers of the unstoppable Juggernaut. The two would shake the Earth and make cities crumble, but who would be left standing would be anyone’s guess.

X-Man vs. Thor

I had to think about who would be able to handle the God of Thunder. His strength and power rival that of Superman so who could Cyclops pull out of his dugout to face this giant? Why Nathan Summers of course. No, not Cable; the other Nathan Summers. Nathan grew up in an alternate reality known as the Age of Apocalypse. He was genetically brewed to be the ultimate mutant by Mr. Sinister, with the DNA of Cyclops and Jean Grey. Nathan found his way to our reality and ever since people from Norman Osborn to Apocalypse himself have tried to sway the boy to their side. X-Man’s powers include telepathy, telekinesis, and cross-dimensional travel. He may not have the muscle, but he has so much more. If his power were unleashed on Thor I’d be the clash of the titans.

Iron Man vs. Magneto

Tony Stark has a suit made of metal, so you’d think that would be nothing for the master of magnetism, but Mr. Stark would be too smart for that. I’m sure Tony has some plastic suit prototype he’s been dying to use for years on Magneto and now he can. Tony would shoot some missiles at Erik; Erik would throws some cars and buildings at Tony. It’d be fun for the whole family. But let’s not forget that Magneto once reversed the Earth’s magnetic pull. Your move, Iron Man.

Cyclops vs. Captain America

This would be the main event! The two captains/quarterbacks going at it. Scott Summers has been threw the ringer in his life with dead wives, best friend betrayals, and trying to lead his people out of extinction. Steve Rogers was frozen for decades and woke up in world he didn’t understand, and not sure what he was still fighting for. He just lost his best friend, again, and he’s back from the dead leading a country that wanted to see him in jail at one point.

Both of these guys have issues and a lot of tactical skills. They’re both soldiers and leaders who have been fighting since before they had chest hair. It all comes down to who is willing to get their hands dirty and make sacrifices that will win it for their team. Cyclops has already shown he’s not the professor’s protégé anymore, and Steve just brought Earth back from a war with the gods. Oh, I can’t wait till April!