Powers of X 02: We are together now, you and I *spoilers*

[JKtheMac]

Anyway, whether or not Moira Life #10 is 616, Xavier fought Lucifer and was crippled by the time he started creating the School for Gifted Youngsters. He's already met Magneto (hence "old friend.") The problem I have with all this is, why would he let himself be crippled if he knows ahead of time everything that's going to happen? If Life #10 is really 616, there are an awful lot of unexpected, unanticipated, spontaneous events and variables and it makes one wonder how effective Moira's plans could ever be.

Given that Hickman has basically said he thinks continuity is broken and when Piskor was putting things in order he also came to the conclusion that it needed ordering rather than it being logical, I don’t think many people are going to worry about any of this.

[JKtheMac]

If the powers of 10 designations are so loose and modifiable, why the heck use them? If Hickman is so perfect and everything is deliberate, then why try to fudge what is clear to fit your theory?

This seems very antagonistic. Hickman is simply applying a flexible scale. What’s wrong with that. He is using them precisely because some readers don’t like to know the future even though the timeline of normal comics will never get near that.

This is the opposite of the scientific method, trying to twist theories to fit preconceived notions. So first, powers of 10 are variable by a few years either way (this from JDW, the editor). Then when the timelines don't fit, now it's "Oh, the designations go from 1 to 10 years, and 10 to 100 years, etc...."

Orders of magnitude didn’t change just because an editor was vague about them. I would recommend not listening to editors when it comes to these things. Just learn how orders of magnitude work, it’s much easier.

This without any supporting evidence from the writer or editor, and with the byproduct of throwing the entire timeline system into unnecessary confusion. Why even use "powers of X" except because it's cute and analogous to all the use of the "X" Hickman seems to love.

Hickman has chosen to use exponential scales as a theme. It is all across the story. That is how themes work. He isn’t just doing it because he likes the number 10, he is exploring how logarithmic scales apply to evolution, civilisations, and singularities.

Now, it seems that because POWERS OF X #1 shows a time span way beyond 10 years between the scene from X-0 and the scene from X-1, now some of you are trying to fudge it even further--oh, well, it's all vague and only means something like "early years of the X-Men" and is some mysterious step-child of logarhythms, the sliding Marvel timeline, and Moira's past lives. (Which of course only a few of you are intelligent enough to understand because Hickman's genius speaks only to those who understand how brilliant and perfect he is.)

What is this, anti-intellectualism? A writer dared to use some maths and we have briefly tried to explain maths. What’s wrong with that? Do you just not like cleverness?

I just think it's more simple than that. And, Hickman could be making a few continuity mistakes because he did a lot of research and X-Men continuity is massive and complex. But of course, Mr. Hickman never makes any mistakes.

Ah. Please illuminate us. The sliding timescale has been broken for at least a decade, the X-books were continually retconned and were never placed on a logical timescale in the first place, but clearly it all makes perfect sense to you.

The fact is, writers get to fudge things. Get over it. It’s not the Emperor’s new Clothes, this is an established writer who uses science fiction themes, who is enjoyed by those of us that like science fiction. If you don’t perhaps skip the series.

[TOTALITY]

I’m not saying Hickman is impervious to error or that everything is going to perfectly line up to everyone’s liking, just that none of these choices were made in a vacuum. E.g. Xavier was probably walking at the fair and in a wheelchair while visiting Magneto on the island with that specific Lovecraftian design because Hickman has some idea of when those events are supposed to take place relative to other events in X-Men history. As opposed to, like, “they forgot he was walking in the other X^0 scene.”

[JKtheMac]

I’m not saying Hickman is impervious to error or that everything is going to perfectly line up to everyone’s liking, just that none of these choices were made in a vacuum. E.g. Xavier was probably walking at the fair and in a wheelchair while visiting Magneto on the island with that specific Lovecraftian design because Hickman has some idea of when those events are supposed to take place relative to other events in X-Men history. As opposed to, like, “they forgot he was walking in the other X^0 scene.”

Absolutely. When Moira joins Magneto in M8 she is 24. Same island. I imagine she takes Xavier there within a couple of years either way in M10. This is seven years later than when she meets Xavier in M10. Hardly the next day.

[Havok83]

I mean... do we even know Magneto ruled Genosha in any of Moira’s previous lives for her to warn him of the attack? Could what Magneto attempted there not have been informed by Moira and Charles recruiting him, like a less advanced iteration of what they’re doing now with Krakoa?

How could Moira have warned him of the attack? Her lives are different experiences. Things happen differently based on different actions taken. Somethingn that happens in 1 life isnt guaranteed to happen in another

[Glio]

There is no evidence that Cassandra Nova existed in other timelines other than the current one, just like Proteus.

Both things can be either part of the plan or setbacks that arose and she could not predict but I doubt they lack meaning.

[TOTALITY]

I was just responding to all the speculation about why Magneto did nothing to stop Genosha from being leveled— seemed like a lot of people were taking it as a given that this Moira history must mean he knew it was coming, and trying to decide if the attack was part of Moira’s master plan, if Magneto was in on it, etc., when it seems more likely that the Genosha attack falls into the “unexpected setback” column.

That is an interesting point about whether or not Cassandra Nova even exists in Moira’s other lives. It seems like she would have to in some form, since you would think her earliest years would be well outside the sphere of Moira’s influence. (Barring a major retcon to her origin.) The more flexible variable seems to me to be whether Magneto had made Genosha such a haven (and consequently a target) in any of her other lives.

I do think I’m still expecting Proteus and possibly Legion to be part of the life 10 plan somehow though... just, as previously mentioned, as long as Moira’s actual assault by Joseph is not suggested to be intentional on her part.

[Glio]

Proteus has to mean something. It cannot be that after many lives without offspring Moira suddenly has an omega child by chance.

[Maestroneto]

There is no evidence that Cassandra Nova existed in other timelines other than the current one, just like Proteus.

Both things can be either part of the plan or setbacks that arose and she could not predict but I doubt they lack meaning.

But Cassandra was possessing Xavier in the scene that was directly referenced in Moira's second life.

[Snoop Dogg]

Proteus is new, in Life 10 she just forgot the pill.

[Havok83]

What if the retcon whom Proteus' father is? Xavier? Apocalypse? Magneto? Who's your daddy?

[Frobisher]

Absolutely. When Moira joins Magneto in M8 she is 24. Same island. I imagine she takes Xavier there within a couple of years either way in M10. This is seven years later than when she meets Xavier in M10. Hardly the next day.

23. Your 24th birthday is the day after your 24th year. You’re not one year old during your first year.

[Havok83]

23. Your 24th birthday is the day after your 24th year. You’re not one year old during your first year.

depends on your culture

[TOTALITY]

I’m thinking Joseph MacTaggert’s genes are necessary and part of the plan, since it’s extremely hard to imagine the woman with probably the most interesting life of anyone ever having a moment to spare for that guy otherwise. You know.. *him?* And I’m thinking the as yet unrevealed 6th life holds the key to how she knows. But still, I don’t know how to reconcile this theory with the implication that her assault then would be part of the plan too. I just hope they’ve figured that out, if that’s going to be a thing. Could be as simple as saying that using him was part of her plan but the violence wasn’t..?

[HomoSuperior]

I’m thinking Joseph MacTaggert’s genes are necessary and part of the plan, since it’s extremely hard to imagine the woman with probably the most interesting life of anyone ever having a moment to spare for that guy otherwise. You know.. *him?* And I’m thinking the as yet unrevealed 6th life holds the key to how she knows. But still, I don’t know how to reconcile this theory with the implication that her assault then would be part of the plan too. I just hope they’ve figured that out, if that’s going to be a thing. Could be as simple as saying that using him was part of her plan but the violence wasn’t..?

Certainly seems fertile ground for a retcon, considering Xavier formed the X-men because he feared a mutant like Proteus would come along. Then what do you know? Moira begets Proteus. Then what do you know? Gabrielle Haller begets Legion. With the exception of Lilandra, the women in his life sure have a way of fulfilling his worst fear.