Quote Originally Posted by gifted View Post
My opinions on Fantomex nearly got me unanimously disliked from the Psylocke appreciation thread circa 2010-2013. I was the only one actively voicing my fondness for Fantomex, while all the other fans absolutely wanted to, well... kill him with fire.

I consider Rick Remender's Uncanny X-Force one of my favorite, or if I'm not lying, probably my top favorite X-Men story in all of history. It was well-written, had great and consistent art, and the plot and characters were enticing. As a fan of books that focuses on a small cast of characters and darker tones, Uncanny X-Force was the book for me. I also think it was very similar in style to Grant Morrison's New X-Men and Joss Whedon's Astonishing X-Men.

Remember ushered Betsy into a role in which her actions and choices mattered, that gave her emotional depth, and allowed her to explore her powers. It was also during this time when Betsy was regularly appearing in three books and her character was written consistently across the board. Both Scott and Logan, even after during the Schism, depending on Betsy. She was BOTH of their go-to girls.

As for Fantomex -- I don't like him as a person, but I love him as a character. I think there's a huge difference in saying that. It was a plot that Remember continued from Morrison and he fit the story really well. Every good story needs a nice blend of characters that can bounce off each other. Betsy was arguably the main protagonist of Uncanny X-Force, and Fantomex was her foil. Without him, we wouldn't have gotten the to see the qualities of Betsy shine. There needs to be characters you love to hate, to keep the amp going.

As a Betsy fanatic, I do not like Fantomex as a healthy partner for her -- as a person; however, I think the type of relationship they had was a realistic, unhealthy relationship that was written well. Without his foil, Remember wouldn't have been able to give Betsy the agency she received.

Just like in real life, you're going to go through all sorts of relationships until you find the right one, and I'm totally fine with Betsy going through that with Fantomex. I found it a very enjoyable read, but not because I like them as a couple, but because it was an interesting and different relationship to read about.
Thank you for answering. That was really interesting to read.