Rachel Summers/Grey Appreciation 2019

[Daedra]

Well SUPPOSEDLY Wi-Fi has been looking for her amongst also bringing Cyclops back.......but no one else attempted. They just moved on. So its seems that EVERY X-Men, I'm looking at you the most Jean, decided that the parting words "I'll make this right" by a murdering teenager who might be a younger version of the person he murdered was good enough that everyone could shrug their shoulders and be all "I guess she'll be fine". Whenever anyone ever brings ups how loving and supportive the X-Men are to their own, I will continually bring this up. It is a stain the writers have put on them.

C'mon just because it did not happen on panel doesnt mean it did not happen, I dont think it's possible to believe the x-men havent made any attempt to locate rachel

[RachelGrey]

I just remembered, as per the UXM Annual, the X-men "died" in Disassembled a week after Extermination, so they only would have had a few days and I guess they were preocuppied with the stuff Nate was doing around the world. The Holiday issue and Extermination issue however showed that there was some down time and Rachel wasnt brought up in either. This 6 weeks later refers to a post-Diassembled world where only Cyclop's team and X-Force exist

I don't like giving them a free pass, but at least Kitty has somewhat of an excuse, Nate took Kitty and Apocalypse before he unleashed his Horseman, so Kitty at least was out of commission not long after Rachel was.

[Askani's Flame]

I just remembered, as per the UXM Annual, the X-men "died" in Disassembled a week after Extermination, so they only would have had a few days and I guess they were preocuppied with the stuff Nate was doing around the world. The Holiday issue and Extermination issue however showed that there was some down time and Rachel wasnt brought up in either. This 6 weeks later refers to a post-Diassembled world where only Cyclop's team and X-Force exist

Oh is that the timing? I wasn't aware they happened so quickly. So this explains why Cannonball is readily available and healed at least. I guess it makes it slightly less problematic from a standpoint of timing, but I still argue that leaving her fate solely to an unknown murderer is callous by her friends and family if we aren't told they did anything to work towards finding her.

C'mon just because it did not happen on panel doesnt mean it did not happen, I dont think it's possible to believe the x-men havent made any attempt to locate rachel

In the same vein, if it didn't happen on panel why would we think it happened? I DO think it's possible to believe that the writers didn't think about this so they moved into the next phase and assumed it would be swept under the rug when she potentially gets saved. And I DO think the X-Men are fallible enough that if Jean decided to vouch for "Cable" after that moment of him saying he would "make things right' then she dropped the subject and left it to him. Which is really sad that Kitty and Kurt may have been told it was being handled and they went with it. So yeah, it makes me cringe, but I do think that the X-Men could not looked for her. Because I can tell you, that if they really tried they could have easily located Ahab, Rachel, or the other hounds if Jean and Betsy used the previous link from the French kids to track him.

Additional evidence of them not caring: Astonishing X-Men - Kitty talks about the causalities of Extermination and Cable dying, but doesn't mention Rachel at all. you would think you'd say your best friend is lost or missing. Nope; The Exterminated: Not once is Rachel brought up in regards to being family or missing by Jean in the wake of Extermination. Yes, the issue was "about" Cable, but more poignantly the story was intended to read as it being about family. Who Cable's family was. And Rachel, as much as he cared for her, is not listed by Jean as someone who is his family. Just her and Hope.

[Daedra]

Oh is that the timing? I wasn't aware they happened so quickly. So this explains why Cannonball is readily available and healed at least. I guess it makes it slightly less problematic from a standpoint of timing, but I still argue that leaving her fate solely to an unknown murderer is callous by her friends and family if we aren't told they did anything to work towards finding her.



In the same vein, if it didn't happen on panel why would we think it happened? I DO think it's possible to believe that the writers didn't think about this so they moved into the next phase and assumed it would be swept under the rug when she potentially gets saved. And I DO think the X-Men are fallible enough that if Jean decided to vouch for "Cable" after that moment of him saying he would "make things right' then she dropped the subject and left it to him. Which is really sad that Kitty and Kurt may have been told it was being handled and they went with it. So yeah, it makes me cringe, but I do think that the X-Men could not looked for her. Because I can tell you, that if they really tried they could have easily located Ahab, Rachel, or the other hounds if Jean and Betsy used the previous link from the French kids to track him.

Additional evidence of them not caring: Astonishing X-Men - Kitty talks about the causalities of Extermination and Cable dying, but doesn't mention Rachel at all. you would think you'd say your best friend is lost or missing. Nope; The Exterminated: Not once is Rachel brought up in regards to being family or missing by Jean in the wake of Extermination. Yes, the issue was "about" Cable, but more poignantly the story was intended to read as it being about family. Who Cable's family was. And Rachel, as much as he cared for her, is not listed by Jean as someone who is his family. Just her and Hope.

to me that's just bad writing, why would kitty not care about rachel? why would kurt not care about rachel? why would ororo not care about rachel? why would Jean not care about rachel? it's just not in character for all these people to ignore her situation..... it's the writing that sucks, it's the editing leaving much to be desired ....... It may be just my opinion but frequently we as comics readers have to fill the gaps with a bit of "common sense", I'm not telling you what you should or should not believe, I'm just expressing my conviction that if these were choerent/real characters there would be no chance in hell for them to not care about Rachel..... and I do respect your view as well.... it's just hard for me to ignore the "hand" moving the puppets behind the curtains when the writing it's so lame.

[Askani's Flame]

to me that's just bad writing, why would kitty not care about rachel? why would kurt not care about rachel? why would ororo not care about rachel? why would Jean not care about rachel? it's just not in character for all these people to ignore her situation..... it's the writing that sucks, it's the editing leaving much to be desired ....... It may be just my opinion but frequently we as comics readers have to fill the gaps with a bit of "common sense", I'm not telling you what you should or should not believe, I'm just expressing my conviction that if these were choerent/real characters there would be no chance in hell for them to not care about Rachel..... and I do respect your view as well.... it's just hard for me to ignore the "hand" moving the puppets behind the curtains when the writing it's so lame.

And I respect your viewpoint entirely. I would love to be able to fully agree with you. But I can't given the evidence. It's solely the fault of the editors and and writers that this is where we are with this currently. Do I fundamentally agree that Kitty, Kurt, Jean, or Ororo in general would not do something or search? Hell no. I think Ororo would be the MOST adamant that they find her. But there is no common sense in comics and we are left in a place where events and stories have taken place that since the timing of Extermination 5. We can draw all types of conclusions given where the art and writing has left us, in particular that parting scene.

At this time, we go from Rachel teleporting away with two hounds and Ahab immediately from Extermination to Transia. If we go with the timing the annual provides us, a week happens before Disassembled begins all over the world. Issue 6 will give us more insight, but currently I would presume that by week 2-3 Rachel is taken by Stryfe's forces. If that's the case, then yes nothing was done on panel to find her. Astonishing, the Annual, and the Exterminated reinforce that conclusion as they fill that week void in timing. She's not mentioned. By any of those characters above. Even a throwaway line would have been a nod and would have resolved any doubt. But we were given nothing. And maybe that is a result of editorial mandating that they couldn't mention her as it would "spoil" the ending to a majorly delayed book. But regardless she's not acknowledged.

At this current moment, the X-Men did more the first time Rachel disappeared (back in #209) by searching for her then they have even attempted now. And the stakes are seemingly more dire.

[Tycon]

I just remembered, as per the UXM Annual, the X-men "died" in Disassembled a week after Extermination, so they only would have had a few days and I guess they were preocuppied with the stuff Nate was doing around the world. The Holiday issue and Extermination issue however showed that there was some down time and Rachel wasnt brought up in either. This 6 weeks later refers to a post-Diassembled world where only Cyclop's team and X-Force exist

and Dead Souls 3-5, Multiple Man 1-5, and Rosenberg's Astonishing all happened immediately after Extermination

[Snoop Dogg]

Let's not forget that they had time for Iceman's birthday bash!

[Askani's Flame]

Let's not forget that they had time for Iceman's birthday bash!

Right? Parties for Bobby or Rogue/Gambit, prisons, fighting with Spider-Man, talking to the world about mutant peace, who has time to deal with that other red head?

[RachelGrey]

Wouldn't it be interesting if they actually address it. I wouldn't mind if Rachel comes back a bit different from her ordeal and even a lot darker. Sure she frees herself from Stryfe's control and somehow she regains part of the Phoenix Force in the process (which I think she has always had hidden inside her). When she returns to the present day she might not actually have friendly feelings for her parents or the X-Men. To maintain the integrity of the timeline she may wipe Kid Cable and Stryfe's memories of her being in their time again, she may wipe X-Force's memory of the future. I know this leads to her going solo on her own, but I wouldn't mind if she decides to take some time to figure things out and maybe even leaves Earth (for the Guardians of the Galaxy maybe).

I really want Rachel to confront her parents and the X-Men though and throw this whole situation back in their faces. Where were you when Ahab took me? Why didn't you kill Ahab before he could take me? Why didn't you even try to look for me?

Realistically Rachel should be furious when she gets back. I don't want to say that she goes dark, because of course Logan being Logan he would stab her just like he stabbed Hope or any young woman who wants to use similar methods to Logan. Except Laura of course, she always gets a free pass when she kills people. But Rachel and Hope will always get gutted by Logan.

[Daedra]

Wouldn't it be interesting if they actually address it. I wouldn't mind if Rachel comes back a bit different from her ordeal and even a lot darker. Sure she frees herself from Stryfe's control and somehow she regains part of the Phoenix Force in the process (which I think she has always had hidden inside her). When she returns to the present day she might not actually have friendly feelings for her parents or the X-Men. To maintain the integrity of the timeline she may wipe Kid Cable and Stryfe's memories of her being in their time again, she may wipe X-Force's memory of the future. I know this leads to her going solo on her own, but I wouldn't mind if she decides to take some time to figure things out and maybe even leaves Earth (for the Guardians of the Galaxy maybe).

I really want Rachel to confront her parents and the X-Men though and throw this whole situation back in their faces. Where were you when Ahab took me? Why didn't you kill Ahab before he could take me? Why didn't you even try to look for me?

Realistically Rachel should be furious when she gets back. I don't want to say that she goes dark, because of course Logan being Logan he would stab her just like he stabbed Hope or any young woman who wants to use similar methods to Logan. Except Laura of course, she always gets a free pass when she kills people. But Rachel and Hope will always get gutted by Logan.

if no one really looked for rachel she wouldn't even have a reason to come back, if true it should be addressed and Rachel should leave again after expressing the deepest F-U to her extended family, but it would be almost comedic, we are talking about dark-humor parody...... nothing would surprise at this point....

[RachelGrey]

if no one really looked for rachel she wouldn't even have a reason to come back, if true it should be addressed and Rachel should leave again after expressing the deepest F-U to her extended family, but it would be almost comedic, we are talking about dark-humor parody...... nothing would surprise at this point....

I have a small tiny hope that she is coming back to the present because of her presence in HoX/PoX. However, I have this pessimistic part of me that thinks they are on the verge of writing her out to be Mother Askani. It's almost realistic in a way that Rachel would lose faith in her parents and the X-Men and just stay in the future where she is actually wanted as the "Guiding Light" of Clan Askani. If Blaquesmith is present he will definitely try to convince her to stay and help Clan Askani and Clan Chosen. I want her to come back as an ongoing character, but I have this feeling that they are planning to write an exit story for Rachel.

I would love to see Rachel come back to the present and be so angry at the X-Men that she goes and joins up with Emma Frost.

[phoenixzero23]

to be honest i'm starting to think her absence on the exterminated could have been more related to not wanting to spoil anything from the end of extermination and then other books didn't care for that because is one of the main plots of x-force.
if the issue is already being solved somewhere why would other writers derail their own stories.


or at least that's how i see all this mess

[Askani's Flame]

to be honest i'm starting to think her absence on the exterminated could have been more related to not wanting to spoil anything from the end of extermination and then other books didn't care for that because is one of the main plots of x-force.
if the issue is already being solved somewhere why would other writers derail their own stories.


or at least that's how i see all this mess

The only story that could have had a hiccup might have been Exterminated but only if the plan was to include her in the story. Which I highly doubt they were going to. The story is about Jean and Hope. Would it have been an amazing moment to have all three of them on panel mourning their son/brother/father? Absolutely. It would have been epic and almost expected. But nothing about the delay of Extermination would have made them rewrite that. Rachel should have been mentioned by name. You don't have to say anything about her current situation to mention her name and her relation or importance to Cable. But the writers didn't care. And in every instance I mentioned her name being referenced would have made sense and not affected the storytelling or detract at all. Maybe in the case of Astonishing because it came out in November (and what would have been after Extermination 5 was released) it would have been telling because of Kitty. But again, nada. So yeah, is it likely the convenient answer is that would have spoiled part of Extermination? Sure. But not addressing it just makes it look bad.

[phoenixzero23]

I don't know, this is just speculation but i think there was a lot of chaos at the end of Extermination.
Extermination was the last book pitched under Pannicia but JDW wanted Cyclops back, thats why cyclops return was shoehorned into it and it was delayed.
Everything was rushed and poorly thought and this book was only closing everything for the start of JDW era.

[Snoop Dogg]

Extermination was a terrible mistake, come to my TED talk to hear more!