X-Men: Expectation vs. Reality - A Study on Character

[Silver Fang]

Hear, hear! I completely forgot about Pool-O-Vision. Tried so hard to block it from memory.

Deadpool has become a "way out" for writers to ignore character continuity because they can just say he's crazy and write him however they want. I talked about how that really bugged me in another thread. Now, it's all about who can make the best joke in a Deadpool book. I liked the new #1 enough, but you could tell Skottie Young was trying so hard for laughs on every panel. Give me back the sadistic, wise cracking, dangerous merc who sometimes has a heart and shows a glimmer of hope for himself.

Agreed. I read a bit of the new #1. It wasn't Waypool, and Thank goodness for that. But it still seemed a step back from Duggan or Kelly Pool. But I give it a break since it's the first chapter, and Duggan didn't start off on a high note either. lol So I am hoping it will get more gritty with some seriousness and tragedy.

Otherwise though, DP is a character that is just gonna continue to bounce around. All the characters have fallen into that. You can't just enjoy seeing your favorite. You have to be cautious because there's like 3 different versions of all the characters running around. Will it be the one you like. lol

I can't get excited about Sabretooth & Deadpool being in books because many writers flanderize them for often than not. Am I gonna see character Deadpool or caricature Deadfool. Am I gonna see intelligent & effective Sabretooth. Or the incompetent, ineffective Jobbertooth.

[Tycon]

Surge:

Correct: Noriko's a lot of things. Headstrong, impatient, brave, etc etc. Before her life went to utter hell for the second time, she was a little obnoxious and not as friendly as some of her peers (Wallflower, Sooraya). But she was a teen who had already been hardened while trying to survive homelessness, an addiction to drugs, and the disownment from her family. And the kid was a teenager at the time, so you can only imagine the ways she had to cope without barrelling down into something suuuuuuper self-destructive. Now, after The Bus™, Laurie's assassination, Quill & Josh's murder, and Sofia abandoning the team, Noriko had to step up and be a leader for the last generation of mutants. And while she was just as arrogant and headstrong as #1, you could tell how much she really loved her friends. And she wasn't ever a jerk just to be one, there always was a reason behind the attitude. And it seems like only Nunzio DeFilippis, Christina Weir, Craig Kyle, and Chris Yost actually got her character.

Incorrect: Yikes. Where to even begin. Somehow the "cutthroat leader who isn't afraid to take chances in order to keep her friends safe" character got dramatically shifted to just a plain ol' jerk. Take X-23 #1, for example, where she unnecessarily antagonizes Laura over being in X-Force. And this is after Second Coming, where she clearly voices her concern for Laura's safety. Or the Nation X mini, where she confronts Jubilee over hanging around Utopia despite not being a mutant anymore. It was out of place and made no sense for the character. The only writer that I knew to calmly walk the line between the two versions of the character was Christos Gage. But Liu and Cebulski have to stay far, farrrrrr away at all costs.

[blanchett]

Storm

Correct: Worldly, wise-beyond-her-years, tactically brilliant(and sneaky), Ororo is a loving, compassionate friend and fierce protector. She fights for those who can not fight for themselves, and sufficiently provoked, will smite any who stands in her way, though she would rather be watering her plants, sunbathing, or dancing. Her extremely powerful connection to the forces of nature have always made her a goddess, not to mention her enrapturing presence and jaw dropping beauty. She does have spiritual and magical connections beyond her x-gene, but it is largely mysterious and bears further exploration. Her desire to be wild and roam free is often at odds with her role as leader of the X-Men strikeforce (but not the school administrator), but an occasional night out on the town, or excursion to some untamed wilderness, lets her refocus on the mission, which is to ease the suffering of all life on earth, human, mutant, or otherwise(including animals, plants, the environment itself). And one day she may yet expand her horizons, to the stars and the Great Mystery beyond.

Incorrect: A mousy schoolmarm who is unsure of herself, dependent on Wolverine/Black Panther/Cyclops/Prof. X/Jean/Kitty/etc; she struggles to aim her lightning bolts and is often found knocked unconscious for no reason at all. She is unable to effect a Cloud, and would rather hide in Limbo than raise a hand to the Inhumans. I blame principally the Fox-Men films(both for their piss poor representations and the fact that the movie rights hampers the character in other mediums), and also Hudlin for derailing her just as her XSE had gained global authority. She's been crap for a solid decade and more, outside of a few shimmers here or there. So sad to see.

Yes to everything. I would love a high concept Storm where she deals with gods etc like we got with Azzarelo's controversial Wonder Woman.

Okay really controversial one

Expectation : Kitty Pryde is likeable as a character.

Reality: Kitty Pryde is not remotely likeable as a character. She's arrogant, incompetent and severely entitled. She also has a bad hairdresser.