Fantastic Four #26 Franklin *spoilers*

[cranger]

If that's true, I don't even know what what Slott has done would represent.

Nothing. These characters existed long before Zdarsky and Slott and will exist long after. Many stories will be told and some of them will be allegories or metaphors but that is always separate from the characters and each story will make its own choices.

[baxer]

Nothing. These characters existed long before Zdarsky and Slott and will exist long after. Many stories will be told and some of them will be allegories or metaphors but that is always separate from the characters and each story will make its own choices.

Right on point. Franklin is a cis chaarcter and Slott doesn't see any metaphor. Create trans mutants, stop doing dumb allegories

That's my entire point, writers of other books are using the "rule" to create drama and in the process making Krakoa look pretty terrible, which they don't care about because they aren't writing the X-Men.

Well it is canon and Jordan White let it happen

[Dante Milton]

Nothing. These characters existed long before Zdarsky and Slott and will exist long after. Many stories will be told and some of them will be allegories or metaphors but that is always separate from the characters and each story will make its own choices.

What? Individual stories still have meaning regardless of the fact they are taking place in a franchise comic. Whether Slott directly or consciously acknowledges the metaphor or not is irrelevant to readers' interpretations of the text.

[Journey]

She was trying to brainwash them at the time though.

They certainly could have been mutants, and some characters like Emma thought they were, but Brevoort was always adamant that they were not officially considered mutants, probably because that might have interfered with their movie rights (back when that mattered).

Again they have two other on panel Interactions referring to them as mutants in both Secret Invasion, and YA Presents. Though for now it remains best to leave it obscure at least until WandaVision debuts.

[Outburstz]

Well that is just stupid there is no need to retcon Frank like that. This must be some long term ploy to make sure that Frank doesn't become too Krakoa friendly mutant. I just can't believe that they would really make Frank not a mutant.

[cranger]

What? Individual stories still have meaning regardless of the fact they are taking place in a franchise comic. Whether Slott directly or consciously acknowledges the metaphor or not is irrelevant to readers' interpretations of the text.

Zdarsky's story will always have meaning as that story is read by that reader. Considering the massive retcon that is Hickman's era I find it odd anyone is wondering why a mere theme to one mini told by someone who was not a main writer is not being minded by the writer who has been handling the character the whole time.

[Journey]

What exactly is gained or lost by Franklin being/not being a mutant? It's not even like the Maximoff retcon which them being Mags kids was a topic of conversation for years and directly resulted in the most important moment in their history House of M (What Followed) and was basically ones entire storyline (Pietro's Daddy Issues now he has nothing) with Franklin it was just there but no one ever did anything with it and just makes F4VX which was already trash that no one acknowledged a complete waste of time.

[Dante Milton]

Zdarsky's story will always have meaning as that story is read by that reader. Considering the massive retcon that is Hickman's era I find it odd anyone is wondering why a mere theme to one mini told by someone who was not a main writer is not being minded by the writer who has been handling the character the whole time.

Franklin has been a mutant for a few decades. Being a mutant in Marvel comics inherently comes with metaphorical meaning, any writer working with a mutant character should consider that, otherwise they can unwittingly write something that can pretty easily be interpreted as offensive, see Remender's Call me Alex speech. Slott is under no obligation to acknowledge Zdarsky's exact use of the metaphor, but that doesn't make the general metaphor go away.

[Blue22]

What exactly is gained or lost by Franklin being/not being a mutant? It's not even like the Maximoff retcon which them being Mags kids was a topic of conversation for years and directly resulted in the most important moment in their history House of M (What Followed) and was basically ones entire storyline (Pietro's Daddy Issues now he has nothing) with Franklin it was just there but no one ever did anything with it and just makes F4VX which was already trash that no one acknowledged a complete waste of time.

And now was their chance to do something with it. Especially since, despite being a mutant, Franklin was also always protected from the typical discrimination thanks to being part of America's favorite super family. Going down the road of acknowledgement for that part of him might have been a good thing. It could have opened up so many doors for him as a character outside of the F4 books if they wanted. But no. Let's just not only retcon him out and make him sound like someone who's only a mutant because "being a mutant is cool now", but let's also have the same person who was ready to fight his fucking parents for him not too long ago now tell him "Too bad, so sad. Don't come back."

We may not have lost much of what was already there for Franklin. But we lost a lot of what could have been. It's, obviously, not anywhere near as harmful as Wanda and Pietro's retcon was. But it's still annoying. What's next? Is Molly Hayes no longer a mutant since that hasn't been relevant to her identity so far?

And, honestly, I'd have probably been less upset about all this if it hadn't happened the way that it did. It just kinda made me hate Krakoa Charles even more. This is basically the same problem I had with Nightwing's break up in yesterday's issue. I'm less mad that it happened and more mad at how it happened.

So... Ummm...

Didn't Chip Zdarsky say that XM/FF was supposed to be a metaphor for a trans teen coming out?

That's an awfully sloppy metaphor considering Franklin being a mutant has never been an issue to anyone and they've never not been open about it.

[chief12d]

I had a similar thought.

Did Slott confer with HiX-Man on what he had planned for Franklin in this issue?
Or...
Maybe he did and HiX-Man just said F-it. Go ahead! Franklin was just taking up OL space anyway. (which he was...seeing as how there are other OL reality manipulators on the list).

Good riddance, I say. For all the years of Franklin "being a mutant" no one has ever done anything significant with him in the X-verse or the FF-verse regarding that (F/X was rubbish and doesn't count)...so it really is an absolute non-issue.

The way I see it...this is a great opportunity for HiX-Man to revise some of those extraneous sub-plots he introduced in X-Men 01.
Franklin Richards-OL mutant...? *cut*
Storm no longer connected to T'Challa/Wakanda being a thorn...? *cut*
All good writers do this.

100% correct. Franchise consolidation is a hallmark of good writing and cutting off loose threads wherever they lie should be the priority of any half-decent creator. Franklin is a FF character. If Hickman's plans were a detriment to Slott's (admittedly terrible) plans for his book, then he has every right to throw the connective tissue between their franchises in the bushes.

These things are cyclical and inevitably when the MCU comes around it'll be retconned back to the way they were so complaining about it seems unnecessary to me. I agree that the way it was done was poor, but the end goal was complete, Franklin has nothing to do with the X-Men anymore and Slott can tell his story. I wouldn't be surprised in the slightest if Hickman was informed about how things were supposed to shake out and that he's since adjusted his plans accordingly. As he should.

[Will Evans]

No more FranklinxRachel OTP for future mutants.

Rachel definitely going to be outed soon.

[Zelena]

Well...This was a really dumb retcon. And way to kick a child while he's already down, Charles. Gave him a home away from home (even if it meant going against his parents' wishes), treated him like family, gave him friends and a place where he felt like he belonged, promised to help him figure out what's wrong with his powers.

And then as soon as you figure out he's not what you thought he was (something that he also had no idea of, mind you), you shut him off from the same home you gave him without warning and then bluntly tell him "Yeah, your invitation is rescinded. Have a nice life". Seriously, **** Charles Xavier.

What happened to Wanda and Pietro was stupid but this...this was just cruel.

I’m unable to imagine the “Old Xavier”, the mild-mannered, benevolent man saying such a thing to Franklin, at least this way. When you think about a character that has a long history, you consider a period of time, authors that represent him. Taking everything in account doesn’t make sense.

[Milici]

It wasn't contradicted on X-books. Juggernaut also wasn't allowed on Krakoa

Juggernaut is not an X-Book either.

[baxer]

Juggernaut is not an X-Book either.

it is. Jordan White edits it

[butterflykyss]

My theory is that Slott didn't want to deal with Krakoa. Which is perfectly fine. But his solution is as if I have a rash on my hand and I decide it is best to have it amputated.

and who seriously blames him?