Warren Worthington: (Arch)Angel Appreciation 2024

[Til]

I had my main reaction in the X-Factor thread, but I'm very happy that Warren is going to be in a book in the new era. It's not one of the flagship books, but I've always considered X-Factor and X-Force to be just slightly below X-Men, so I'm satisfied. I can't remember if X-Corp was always just a mini or if it was an ongoing that got stealth canceled, but this is the highest profile book Warren has had since Soule's Astonishing, I believe.

[mattsarchamp]

I'm just as a happy too that Warren is in this X-Factor team. The team is said to have more members than the revealed cover so, I'm really hyped and excited for the variants.

[Hakka84]

I had my main reaction in the X-Factor thread, but I'm very happy that Warren is going to be in a book in the new era. It's not one of the flagship books, but I've always considered X-Factor and X-Force to be just slightly below X-Men, so I'm satisfied. I can't remember if X-Corp was always just a mini or if it was an ongoing that got stealth canceled, but this is the highest profile book Warren has had since Soule's Astonishing, I believe.

If I recall right it was mean to be an ongoing if it debuted when it was planned (2020?).
When they put it out in 2022 it was already set to be a mini, I think, with the chance to continue if it sold well enough to warrant another arc. But I think that in solicits it was treated as an ongoing, or at least it wasn't specified it was a mini until issue #4. But I might remember wrong. Perhaps Thievery recalls better.

I'm just as a happy too that Warren is in this X-Factor team. The team is said to have more members than the revealed cover so, I'm really hyped and excited for the variants.

I'm trusting Unknown Comics to pull out a kickass Archangel.
They did an Archangel that was so, so cool, for (I think) X-Men #1 (the first volume of the Krakoan era). I don't see them commissioning a variant to another character. Warren and Alex are the only A-(B?)-list of the team, and even there, I'd dare say that Warren is a little bit higher than Alex?
Other than that, Archangel is visually a cooler character to portray, than Havok. IMHO.
Gonna edit the post when I find the link to the cover I mentioned!

Edit: my bad. Not the first, but the second X-Men #1 of Krakoa.
Anyway: link, for those who forgot this marvel.

Edit edit: should I finally change the avatar? Or I should wait for Giant-Size to not jinx it?

[mattsarchamp]

Yes, you should replace your avatar now because we are seeing brighter days ahead. Dark times like Dark X-Men is a thing of the past.

By the way, I'm getting the awesome, badass and cool Noto variant of the Giant Size X-men.

[Hakka84]

If Giant-Size is satisfying, I shall make a new avatar, but for now "Sunny high-flying Angel" is back!

That cover is so cool! Congrats for getting it!

[berserkerclaw]

I may just get Giant sized xmen. I want going to and just wait for new era but i love Angel being in X-factor

[mattsarchamp]

If Giant-Size is satisfying, I shall make a new avatar, but for now "Sunny high-flying Angel" is back!

That cover is so cool! Congrats for getting it!

Thanks! It's a good time to be an (Arch)Angel fan right now. We've seen worse for him. This should be good, I wish and I hope. Fingers crossed

[Hakka84]

^ I don't dare being too hopeful (I'm an all-empty glass person), but we survived the long drought and we're about to get to drink from a stream of fresh water!

[whitecrown]

Oh yes, Charlotte was very strong. In a certain way, I think she was the strongest of the lot, since she didn't have superpowers and faced Archangel (unlike Candy, who was friends with Warren since before he got his wings). Candy got it "easier", she dated the more happier and self-assured and proud Warren of his publication's history. It was very easy to be Warren's girl back then (if you liked the type, obvs). He got the whole superhero baggage (which is a lot, mind me), but that's all.
Charlotte got a depressed and hurting guy with anger issues, the moon to the Angel's sun.

Charlotte was a blessing for him, the right woman for the right moment, IMHO. Because she's so strong that he leaned on her to help while he attempted to find himself.
Which made all things more tragic for Charlotte because as Warren finally found himself back on track (around his and Jean's encounter with Candy, time speaking), he ghosted her.
Poor Charlotte.
I know that any author could've made Warren re-establish himself by his own, but canon gave us Charlotte. So, canon speaking, he owns his 90s recover to Charlotte and, fundamentally, even his being ready for a romance with Betsy is thanks to Charlotte (for I don't think late X-Factor's Warren would've been in the place of mind to romance someone like Betsy). IMHO.

Hmm. I do remember this jab, but might be from Uncanny X-Men? When Betsy literally is holding Warren (an Archangel actually) on a leash?
(I checked UXF up to the confrontation with SK, to search the Phantomex jab about dependency, and nope)

I can see that with Charlotte being the strongest even if it's a more quiet strength. She's a woman who kept her head down and would do her job every day, even at risk of her own life. She was also a mother and always put her kid first, knowing she'd break off the relationship with Warren if she felt it would endanger Timmy. I think even Claremont liked her a lot and saw her as one of his fellow Claremazons because she's one of the few characters he's used who he didn't create. That's rare for him. And like you said, Charlotte got Warren at his worst.

I agree that Warren has Charlotte the most to thank for his recovery and I don't think he'd have been in the right frame of mind for a relationship with Betsy otherwise. Really wish she wasn't a forgotten character and was brought back.

Maybe that jab is from UXM then rather than UXF. If it sounds familiar to you too, then it must be real and I'm not imagining it lol.

[whitecrown]

Warren and Alex are the only A-(B?)-list of the team, and even there, I'd dare say that Warren is a little bit higher than Alex?
Other than that, Archangel is visually a cooler character to portray, than Havok. IMHO.

I'd say Alex is B-List. His time as an A-Lister was during the Uncanny Avengers period. Regardless of how badly Warren's been used the last several years, I'll always see him as an A-Lister even if he hasn't been treated as such.

I can't remember if X-Corp was always just a mini or if it was an ongoing that got stealth canceled, but this is the highest profile book Warren has had since Soule's Astonishing, I believe.

Wow, that's depressing when you put it like that. It's been so long.

[From The Shadows]

I'm happy to see Warren being focused on in the upcoming era.

[Hakka84]

Just read Giant Size.

Don't ask me to make the thread because I suck at these things, so I'm hoping someone else will.

I won't review nor comment for the sake of spoilers. Just saying this:
Not counting the story about the charity in Unlimited nor the Crimson Dawn mini (since he was with Betsy), last time Warren got a solo/one-shot focused solely on him was Phantom Wings. Which is a jewel.
Nocenti knocked it out of the park.

[Til]

I enjoyed it too. I'm glad that while it did examine his flaws, it also examined his strengths. TBH from the interviews, I was expecting it to go much harder on him. I was pleasantly surprised that wasn't the case. I was thinking about making a review thread for it, but I feel like I'd leave out important character details since I haven't read a lot of Warren's earlier stories.

[Hakka84]

I too was a bit worried. I jumped to say so to Ann Nocenti's X. Glad that we tortured ourselves and we got this.
It's definitely a good week to be Warren's fan!

Nocenti planted some references, so I understand you. She definitely knows canon (or does her research).
I think she got few things a bit wrong in
spoilers:

the flashbacks but, as Maze says, "We're all unreliable narrators when it comes to our childhoods" so wrong details might even be wanted, or you can easily explain them away with "Warren recalls wrong/changed his memories" (like Betsy herself did in her Hellfire Gala memory so there's precedents)

end of spoilers

I also re-read with pleasure the second story. Warren was portrayed as the right amount of competent when in costume and the right kind of (bored) billionaire when out of the costume. And loved that Ben showed to respect him (with the kind of "abrasive" treatment Ben gives to people, he's not one to sugarcoat or drown someone with compliments).

[Til]

I love your new avatar, Hakka!