Excalibur [04} : Fall back and think of England Spoilers

[Beetle]

This is another lacklustre issue on what used to be a great X title. It's an improvement over previous issue, but still not hitting the mark.

Most of what disturbs me about this issue has already been mentioned by others so I'll just point out my top offenders.

- An X team that works directly for the Crown. What? Does that even make sense? Did they forget they already have a team for that called MI:13.
- Shogo is a baby while Maggie is a toddler. Huh?
- Why is Meggan being portrayed as a scared housewife now? She's literally been through wars and has a power set that would give Omega level mutants pause.
- Rictor become Druid king? Wait till these guys realise that Rictor doesn't actually manipulate the Earth

Also just a random note, why is a Hydra and Chimera apart of the beasts of Otherworld? Me thinks Tini doesn't really know her subject matter very well.

Captain Britain is a mutant now. The Queen of England is concerned because their representative and Champion in Otherworld now has ties to Krakoa. Formalizing a relationship with Betsy and her current team just makes sense. It's helping to make sure that Betsy will prioritize an emergency in Otherworld over something like say Xavier's assassination placing the island on lockdown.

Meggan's a mother now, and her husband was just brainwashed and turned into a servant for one of the most powerful sorceresses in history. That's all very concerning, and if she isn't confident enough then she's more vulnerable to losing control of her empathic powers and letting the hate mobs get to her. So right now her priority is protecting her kid.

[JKtheMac]

There is also a probable nod to the powers of Captain Britain being tied to the mood and outlook of the nation. Although it hasn’t been overtly political there is a sense that it is obliquely referencing the divided nature of the nation over recent years.

There is a subtle xenophobic undertone that echoes the immigration issues and also some constitutional relevance that could read as a kind of treaty.

As an thinly veiled Arthur figure, and as such a kind of esprit de corps of Britain. Brian becoming a puppet to Morgan also could covey some symbolism of a loss of direction and lack of unifying identity, as well a a subversion of traditional national values.

[Knightmare]

Captain Britain is a mutant now. The Queen of England is concerned because their representative and Champion in Otherworld now has ties to Krakoa. Formalizing a relationship with Betsy and her current team just makes sense. It's helping to make sure that Betsy will prioritize an emergency in Otherworld over something like say Xavier's assassination placing the island on lockdown.

Meggan's a mother now, and her husband was just brainwashed and turned into a servant for one of the most powerful sorceresses in history. That's all very concerning, and if she isn't confident enough then she's more vulnerable to losing control of her empathic powers and letting the hate mobs get to her. So right now her priority is protecting her kid.

The first problem with this whole thing is that the Queen is doing any of this. She's a figurehead, parliament would handle any matters like this. Betsy should be meeting with the Prime minister, but that's neither here nor there.

Actually I'll retract my statement about the X team, it's really just Captain Britain who is answerable to the Crown and responsible for the other members of her team. I'm sorry I get that motherhood changes you, but doesn't make you do a complete 180 in personality. As I said before she's literally been to hell and back, I'm not really sure what confidence issues she should be having.

[Knightmare]

There is also a probable nod to the powers of Captain Britain being tied to the mood and outlook of the nation. Although it hasn’t been overtly political there is a sense that it is obliquely referencing the divided nature of the nation over recent years.

There is a subtle xenophobic undertone that echoes the immigration issues and also some constitutional relevance that could read as a kind of treaty.

As an thinly veiled Arthur figure, and as such a kind of esprit de corps of Britain. Brian becoming a puppet to Morgan also could covey some symbolism of a loss of direction and lack of unifying identity, as well a a subversion of traditional national values.

Captain Britain powers have never been tied to the "mood and outlook" of the nation.

[JKtheMac]

The first problem with this whole thing is that the Queen is doing any of this. She's a figurehead, parliament would handle any matters like this. Betsy should be meeting with the Prime minister, but that's neither here nor there.

I would give that one a pass because here the Queen is treating the post of Captain Britain as kind of a constitutional equivalent of the PM for Otherworld affairs.

[JKtheMac]

Captain Britain powers have never been tied to the "mood and outlook" of the nation.

Never is a strong word. There have been hints of this to explain why his powers have not been static over the years.

[Londo Bellian]

There is also a probable nod to the powers of Captain Britain being tied to the mood and outlook of the nation. Although it hasn’t been overtly political there is a sense that it is obliquely referencing the divided nature of the nation over recent years.

There is a subtle xenophobic undertone that echoes the immigration issues and also some constitutional relevance that could read as a kind of treaty.

As an thinly veiled Arthur figure, and as such a kind of esprit de corps of Britain. Brian becoming a puppet to Morgan also could covey some symbolism of a loss of direction and lack of unifying identity, as well a a subversion of traditional national values.

That's wicked brill! Granted, this title will never be so blatant, but that makes perfect sense. A Captain Britain who is no longer a Briton first, and the nature of her full power potential as such being tied to a very unbalanced nation (IRL).

I would give that one a pass because here the Queen is treating the post of Captain Britain as kind of a constitutional equivalent of the PM for Otherworld affairs.

Never is a strong word. There have been hints of this to explain why his powers have not been static over the years.

Yes, CB sort of plays up the thing in the "Excalibur" King Arthur film about the "You and the Land are One" concept.

[Beetle]

I'm sorry I get that motherhood changes you, but doesn't make you do a complete 180 in personality. As I said before she's literally been to hell and back, I'm not really sure what confidence issues she should be having.

Yeah and when Meggan went to hell she was turned into a monster by all of the negative emotions surrounding her and overwhelming her. And she amplified those emotions in the demons around her, it was a bad scene where they fed off of each other. She only broke the cycle because she felt happiness in a memory, which was why she was able to regain her human appearance

If Meggan fears for her daughter and her husband too much, if she loses control and influences the anti-mutant mob in some way she could cause more harm than good. So for now she's hiding out on Krakoa where it's safe, where her kid is safe.

[JKtheMac]

Yes, CB sort of plays up the thing in the "Excalibur" King Arthur film about the "You and the Land are One" concept.

Plus ‘Revolutionary War’ was all about overlaying real world political outlooks and moods onto the Marvel UK characters and concepts, so it’s not without recent precedence.

[Knightmare]

Never is a strong word. There have been hints of this to explain why his powers have not been static over the years.

Yeah it's a strong word, but I'm fairly sure it's the right one. When have his powers been fluid?

Yeah and when Meggan went to hell she was turned into a monster by all of the negative emotions surrounding her and overwhelming her. And she amplified those emotions in the demons around her, it was a bad scene where they fed off of each other. She only broke the cycle because she felt happiness in a memory, which was why she was able to regain her human appearance

If Meggan fears for her daughter and her husband too much, if she loses control and influences the anti-mutant mob in some way she could cause more harm than good. So for now she's hiding out on Krakoa where it's safe, where her kid is safe.

The end of that story leaves Meggan as a new woman, no longer unsure and emotionally unstable.

[JKtheMac]

Yeah it's a strong word, but I'm fairly sure it's the right one. When have his powers been fluid?

I didn’t say fluid, I said not static. His powers have changed quite often depending upon the writer. Can he fly for example. Depends on when he was being written.

The whole idea of Captain Britain since Moore got hold of him has been to play into the Matter of Britain as a ‘real concept’ so it isn’t a leap to start overlaying Arthurian concepts over Captain Britain.

Arthur himself was subject to this land/king duality. The idea that a barren unmanned or unworthy king creates a wasteland of his kingdom is central to the grail quest, the Fisher King stories the concept of the Dolorous Stroke and Conn of Ireland. In some versions of this idea the very wasteland brings on enchantment, most fully realised in the tabletop RPG Pendragon.

I don’t believe it is a coincidence that Tini has jumped straight into monsters crossing over from the Otherworld. This is a direct nod to this wasteland/enchantment idea and springs from the ‘as above so below’ paradigm that she is trying to subvert. Brian is currently very much like Conn in that he has fallen under the sway of an inappropriate woman and as a direct result a chain of events have led to a weakening of the barriers.

[Dementia5]

- Rictor become Druid king? Wait till these guys realise that Rictor doesn't actually manipulate the Earth

How is the ability to create earthquakes out of nothing at all not manipulating the Earth?

Captain Britain is a mutant now. The Queen of England is concerned because their representative and Champion in Otherworld now has ties to Krakoa. Formalizing a relationship with Betsy and her current team just makes sense. It's helping to make sure that Betsy will prioritize an emergency in Otherworld over something like say Xavier's assassination placing the island on lockdown.

It’s “Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Head of the Commonwealth and Defender of the Faith”, thank you very much.

[CoCoBandz]

How is the ability to create earthquakes out of nothing at all not manipulating the Earth?




It’s “Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Head of the Commonwealth and Defender of the Faith”, thank you very much.

Can't we just call her Qweeny Poo?

[Su_Whisterfield]

Can't we just call her Qweeny Poo?

You could, but she might set one of her attack corgis on you.
Tangentially, friend of mine works at the Palace in the summer as a tour guide.

[Londo Bellian]

You could, but she might set one of her attack corgis on you.

And they're like, such a thing too.