Genkai nante nai (No limits), Zettai nante nai (No absolutes)
Thank GOD for X'97. Cautious about "From the Ashes". Please no more Blue vs. Orange.
I wouldn't say I'm unhappy with the relaunch, I'm quite glad Hickman of all people took over this franchise actually, I've Always liked his writing and his ability to play with new concepts.
That being said, the idea that Xavier and, beyond him, the X-Men as a whole would ABANDON his vision of peaceful coexistence between sapiens and mutants without a backward glance is truly shameful.
So to me, there would be/ should be, one option explored Moving forward as a result.
Which is that:
- Xavier and his X-Men, after rescinding Xavier's ideals in HoX/PoX, are X-Men in name only, not in spirit. They should run down the path they are tradding upon to its logical end and do away with the name X-Men altogether. Naming themselves differently, as the Mutant Liberation Front mayhaps. The MLF are the organization with the closest beliefs they are conveying so far, it would make the most sense in that context.
- As a result the people, mutants and otherwise, who do still Believe in peaceful coexistence between sapiens and mutants, should rise and form a new team of X-Men. It would also make sense that said team of New X-Men should be carried mainly by the ones in the next generation of mutants who hold dear to Xavier's ideal, given the old guard seemingly gave up collectively on it, and mutants who are not parts of said Xavier's disillusioned old guard altogether.
This would be the changes I'd implement.
"The means are as important as the end - we have to do this right or not at all.
Anything less negates every belief we've ever had, every sacrifice we've ever made."
"Power corrupts. Absolute power corrupts absolutely."
"No justice, no peace."
If the lot of you are finding this new run to be perfect, why are you posting in this thread exactly? Beyond the obvious trolling/mocking/dismissive nature of your respective comments that is.
Surely you can read and know the point of this thread.
"The means are as important as the end - we have to do this right or not at all.
Anything less negates every belief we've ever had, every sacrifice we've ever made."
"Power corrupts. Absolute power corrupts absolutely."
"No justice, no peace."
In my opinion, and this is based on how I think most of the DoX books seem to not even rely on this stuff too much, I would have done away with the following:
- Moira stuff. Sure it allowed Hickman to go crazy with all these revelations and stuff. But the X-Men mythos did not need that, bad futures is their schtick already. It also got put on the backburner does not affect the DoX books directly but I do wonder how many people who came for the big event are just not interested in a day in the life of the mutants.
- Mutant resurrection machine. Again, not needed. Not only is it one of those things that you either use and it become ridiculous or you don't use and it becomes baggage.
- Abandoning the dream/Xavier status. How Xavier ended up not being X anymore is not explained. Him seemingly abandoning his dream is also not needed. Other characters have stood in as mutant leader to allow a different approach.
- Heroes and villains living in harmony. Having all these character sharing Krakoa could be more interesting, in my opinion, if they were distinct factions that had claims to their own areas of Krakoa. We have seen the heroes 'ally' with villains in the past, but the villains should always be seen as a possible threat, both to the heroes and to the reader.
Other than that, I think if these books came out with the status quo of this Genosha/Utopia hybrid without anything of the above these books would work just as well as they do and not be sitting in the shadow of "what the heck is Hickman's big plan?"
On the topic of Moira, I feel that’s another aspect where DOX and to some extent HOX/POX suffered a bit.
Hickman turns Moira into this big time player. Honestly she was probably the most interesting character during HOX/POX. HOX2 will go down as one of the greatest single issue comics I’ve read. It completely set the internet on fire. Then right after there was little to no Moira in the series. From the look of it...it also seems like she won’t be around for a bit during DOX. Granted I know she has a solo title coming soon but still...I do think the titles could use more of her.
I'm all for more orgies, but part of me wonders if the "orgy-coding" is actually making the "cult-coding" worse. Cults are famous for using sex and trading partners to make themselves seem more enticing and accepting.
Less wacky superhero junk and more high concept, genre oriented, myth exploring books. X-force does fit the criteria premise wise, making it intelligence/analytics + operatives/field agents dynamic is an inspired idea actually, only problem it was an unbearable garbage, so rework that one too.
Option 1: Drop the continuity bomb, and start over. Reinvent the X-Men core concept and cast from the ground up for contemporary sensibilities. Make Xavier (and Magneto) black and/or LGBT and the core cast, except Wolverine, teenagers. Explore what minority integration means in the 21st century instead of as a metaphor for 1960s liberalism. Explore what other ideologies exist in opposition to it, not just minority nationalism. Adopt a more international flavor, and explore what's going on in other countries. What's it like being a mutant in China? In sub-Saharan Africa (the real one, not Wakanda)? In the Arab world? What does social media mean for mutants? Climate change? Show the development of mutant subculture (and don't just have it suddenly appear like Morrison did).
The X-Men work best when a) the characters feel like real people with thoughts, feelings, hopes, and fears that we can connect with and care about and b) they live in a social and political environment that feels natural, relateable, and complex. Just like the real world.
Option 2: Engage similar themes as Option 1 but as a sequel to the existing X-Men mythos instead of as a reboot of it. Since Xavier's been retconned into being a villain, introduce a new character to fulfill his former niche as the benevolent integrationist. Introduce leaders of other mutant movements we haven't seen before, not just Magneto wannabes. Show the generational turnover among mutantkind. Introduce us to the people who've grown up under the Xavier-Magneto dialectic and how they've reacted to it--by choosing a side, rejecting the conflict altogether, or by taking another position entirely.
Show how the surviving X-Men react, trying to figure out where they fit in this new world. How do they handle being eclipsed by the next generation? What, if any, factions do they split up into? How do they stay relevant? What do they do?
Mutants take over the planet and turn it into planet Krakoa only for the pretender to spoil it all by proclaiming no more Krakoa.
Let's get some characterization going and spotlight on different characters. Krakoa is supposed to be a whole mutant nation and society. Not just some X-Men and the rest doing background cameos.
we should have
-A school/Academy book. Not just for powers either but educate these mutant kids. So much potential characters you can use. A mix of Academy X kids (before the senseless depowering/killing) and college age kids along with some of the younger ones separate. instructors from all over and some non mutant guests.
-Romance. all right we know with all these mutants on an island that well .... they banging. some mutant powers could lead to sexual escapades. Nightcrawler did what some more mutants made.
-An Acolytes book. Always interesting characters and you can even use the originals now. Magneto and Exodus could use them as police or enforcers or at least security so stuff like what happened in X-Force doesn't.
-A Thunderbolts/Suicide Squad/Whatever style book. You know there's jobs the X-Men don't or shouldn't have to do. Use all these baddies hanging around.
Mutant can live together on Krakoa and unite at times but still quarrel. I'll take fighting. I'll take other super powered villains. Just not all the damn bigot humans all the time.
Again let's see the society on Krakoa whether it's bars or mutant museums. There's got to be some interesting stuff going on.
For me it is extreme infantile and sensationalist how this come out. Very pandering
When I watched Midsommar I remembered of Krakoa x-men
LOL that would be the ultimate troll. But I think Krakoa will try to take over, it is a predator species
Last edited by spirit2011; 11-25-2019 at 02:24 PM.
Not a bad idea about the abandoning of Xaviers ideals and the MLF. This makes quite a bit of sense. Seems that someone else should be in the lead with Krakoa and Xavier should have formed a new team of Xmen to keep pushing for his ideals. This seems like what Cyclops and his mutant revolution should have become. Hell we could make Exodus a big player and have him be the one leading everything. Even if Xavier was abandoning everything and for all of this. It seems that someone like the New Mutants would step up and be on the other side
Last edited by GodfatherIV; 11-25-2019 at 03:55 PM.