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. 

W4W's BEHIND THE COMICS: X-Men: First Class

Today Marvel and X-Men's fans were previewed to the cover of the new Brian Michael Bendis title, All New X-Men.  As part of the Marvel NOW campaign happening after Avengers vs. X-Men, All New X-Men will be about the original five X-Men coming to the present day Marvel Universe.  Bendis has been writing Avengers titles since 2004 and saw them through Avengers: Disassembled, Civil War, and Dark Reign, but now Bendis says he's ready to step into the X-Men world and mix things up. 

I'm not sure how AvsX will leave the mutant race, but I do know the original five have come a long way since their first introduction back in 1963.  I've always had a soft spot for the fab five.  When they started out they were just teenagers trying to figure out how to protect a world that fears and hates them.  And trust me when I say the drama in their lives since then has put Greek tragedies and soap operas to shame.  They've been government recruits forming the original X-Factor, school head masters and mistresses at the Xavier Institute, Avengers, and even the world's greatest threats.  One of the members is even dead, again.  So before Cyclops and the rest of gang meet their teenage-selves I figure we'd look back and see just how messed up their younger counter parts will think they are. 

HANK MCCOY / BEAST

Hank McCoy used to be a high school quarterback until the people around him discovered he was a mutant.  Neighborhood mobs then tried to kill him so he came to Xavier's school as an escape and too be accepted for who he is.  He started hitting the books and is now considered one of the smartest people in the Marvel U.

While taking a job in a corporate lab an accident left Hank with blue fur all over his body to complete his transformation into Beast.  With this new look came heightened sense, a descent healing factor, and the ability to run on walls and ceilings; kinda like Spider-Man I guess you can say.  But in recent years these side effects are becoming worse.  Hank feral/animal instincts are growing more and more like he's De-evolving and as a brilliant scientist he has yet to find a cure.

Because of his appearance Hank has had a lot of trouble with love.  Most women seem to not like a guy who will shed in the bed.  He had a brief relationship with his lab assistant, then a long term relationship with TV reporter Trish Tilby.  But neither relationship lasted due to the not only Hank's appearance, but his life as a superhero as well.  He's currently dating S.W.O.R.D. (Sentient World Observation and Response Department) director, Abigail Brand.     

In the last few years Hank has broken away from the X-Men, due to not being happy about how is longtime friend, Cyclops has taken the X-Men.  But Hank is back in Westchester, NY at the Jean Grey School for Higher Learning, ran by Wolverine and Kitty Pryde. 

BOBBY DRAKE / ICEMAN

Robert Louis Drake was barely in his teens when his mutant power first manifested.  He was then beaten-up by a mob so the sheriff placed him in jail for his own protection.  He was found by Professor Xavier and given a place where he could let his powers grow and be accepted.  Bobby, being the youngest of the original five, was always the prankster.  Whether he was throwing snow balls at his friends or make jokes at Magneto during a fight, he always lightened the mood.

Throughout the years Bobby has turned into an Omega-Level mutant using his ice manifestation to make himself stronger, have thermal vision, and moisture conversion.  He's also been known to team-up with other young heroes like the Human Torch and Spider-Man back in the day.

When Loran Dane joined the X-Men Bobby found his first girlfriend, but the relationship did no last and Bobby ended up leaving the X-Men to go to college and eventually joining X-Factor with the original X-Men. 

During M-Day, where most mutants lost their powers, Bobby was one of the fallen, but gained them back through still unknown means.  He's tried to live a normal life on several occasions; especially when his dad was almost beaten nearly to death for defending mutants, but Bobby knows, like the rest of his friends, he's a hero at heart.

Bobby is with Wolverine and Hank at Jean Grey's school, but when the AvsX went down he joined back with Cyclops like most mutants, but then has switched back after the Phoenix has manifested itself.  And right before this started Kitty Pryde planted a big wet one on him. Watch it Bobby, her ex is part of the Phoenix Five.

  

WARREN WORTHINGTON III / ANGEL / ARCHANGEL

As heir to a billion dollar corporation Warren had all the time he needed to save people from burning buildings and muggings after he first developing his wings.  Xavier soon recruited him into the X-Men and he started dating Jean Grey, who happened to be in love with another classmate, Scott Summers.  Warren soon gets over it and has had an on-again-off-again relationship with Betsy Braddock, a.k.a. Psylocke, for quite some time.

During his time on X-Factor, Angel was attacked in the Morlock Tunnels and his wings had to be amputated off of him.  Warren makes a deal with the villain Apocalypse to get his wings back so long as he served as one of Apocalypse's four horseman.  Warren soon becomes Archangel, an-evil-to-be reckoned with.  With the help of his friends and some inner strength Warren breaks Apocalypse's hold on him and becomes one of the good guys again.

Years later Warren shed his robotic wings again to regain his natural ones, but then again turns into Archangel years after, much like a man turns into a werewolf.  Warren is now suffering from amnesia after the Dark Angel Saga that almost turned him into the next Apocalypse, but broke him of his Archangel persona.  He is currently being watched over by his long-time friend, Bobby, at the Jean Grey school.

JEAN GREY-SUMMERS / MARVEL GIRL / PHOENIX / DARK PHOENIX / REDD DAYSPRING

She's had more names then Sean "P. Diddy" Combs, but she's deserved everyone one of them.  Jean Grey was Charles Xavier's first student and after teaching her from home for a while he convinced her parents to move Jean to his school in Westchester.  There Jean learned to grow her telekinetic abilities and even develop telepathy like Xavier.  Jean became so powerful that she was a host to the Phoenix force, the most powerful being in all the universe.  However, Jean's human emotions mixed with the Phoenix became a deadly combination, turning her into the Dark Phoenix.  After destroying an entire galaxy with billions of life forms Jean is sentenced to death by the Shi'ar Empire, but kills herself rather than risk harming anyone else.

At the time Jean was dating her long time boyfriend, Scott Summer, a.k.a. Cyclops.  She had always flirted with Wolverine, but her and Scott's psychic link made her believe they were meant to be.  Jean soon rose from the dead; because the Dark Phoenix really wasn't her.  The Phoenix replicated Jean's mind and body after bonding, leaving Jean's original body safely at the bottom of the Hudson River, and found by the Fantastic Four.  

Jean woke to a world that had moved on without her, as Scott was married to another woman and had a son.  After re-joining her friends in X-Factor Jean and Scott rekindled their relationship and eventually got married.  Years later, Jean started developing Phoenix-like symptoms again, but died by the hand of Magneto before the possible return of the Dark Phoenix.

Jean's been dead since 2001, not since Barry Allen has a popular comic book character been gone that long.  With the Phoenix back into play in the Marvel U I feel like Jean Grey could make a come back, and if not I'd hate to be teenage Jean and arrive in the future only to find out you died; twice. 

SCOTT SUMMERS / CYCLOPS / SLYM DAYSPRING

Warren Ellis was quoted in Wizard magazine in saying that when X-Men is all over it'll be Cyclops story.  Scott has been with the X-Men since issue #1 and has never left.  But he's had a hell of a tragic life along the way.  His parents died when he was young, forcing him into lots of bad foster homes away from his brother, Alex.  Scott eventually wound up at Xavier's where he became field leader for the X-Men and fell in love with Jean Grey. 

After Jean's death Cyclops took a leave of absence and met a woman Madelyne Pryor who reminded him so much of Jean, physically.  Scott married Madelyne and they had a son named Nathan.  When Jean Grey returned Scott felt confused, but then news broke that Madelyne was actually a clone of Jean Grey, created by Mr. Sinister to combine their DNA to create the perfect mutant child, Nathan.  Madelyne went nuts and sacrifices herself while trying to stop Apocalypse from infecting Nathan with a techno-organic virus.  She fails and Scott's only way of saving his son is to let his future daughter, Rachel, take him into the future to be raised by himself and Jean under the aliases "the Daysprings".  Once Nathan is almost grown Scott and Jean return to the present, with an adult Nathan following shortly after.

Jean and Scott get married and are happy for a short time, until Scott sacrifices himself to stop Apocalypse.  Jean and Nathan find a way to bring Scott back, but not entirely how he was.  Scott begins having a psychic affair with Emma Frost, the same woman who once helped turn Jean into the Dark Phoenix.  After Jean's death Scott and Emma run Xavier's school together, relocate to San Francisco, and Scott is now assuming the role of leader for the entire mutant race.  I have a feeling after AvsX Scott might not end in such a good position.

And this is just him and Jean.  His daughter Rachel is also back from the future and taking her mom's name, Marvel Girl.  His father who was dead turned out to be alive, and then dead again.  His brother Alex was good, then bad, and then good again.  Finally, he has another brother he never knew about who pretty much has tried to destroy the whole galaxy.    It's not easy being Scott Summers, and that's why I love him as a character.

I'm very interested to see what young Cyclops thinks of his present-day self and where Scott will be after AvsX is over.  Ellis said Cyclops is like the Batman of the Marvel Universe.  He's been training as a superhero most his life, so somehow, I think Scott will be OK; eventually.  

  



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!