AOA Jean is a babe
So that was Wanda's X-Uniform that The Amazingly Incomparable Dauterman referenced in his Scarlet Witch Costumes variant cover.
Lord Ewing *Praise His name! Uplift Him in song!* Your divine works will be remembered and glorified in worship for all eternity. Amen!
Hello, Friends!
I feel like I've been away from my favorite X-men forums lately. My confession is that I still haven't bought a physical copy of Duggan's X-men #2 but I need to get to a comic store stat and hope it is in my pull folder. I've been to two other stores and they were sold out.
I am excited for the preview for X-men 3. About the Trial of Magneto... I try not to get bothered by it. It isn't Jean' story. She's just kind of there, but I do agree that Leah has a certain view of the character and we see that reflected in Jean's role in the story. I did like Jean showing compassion to the various members of the Avengers.
I thought I should post these here to clarify what Jean is willing to do when she deems such measures necessary:
Mind-altering:
Mindwiping:
Killing:
Telepathic cloaking is like, so routine to me. Even back when this issue came out I was wondering why Wolverine was making a big deal out of it.(And like with so many things, from Wolverine of all people, *rolls eyes*)
At least Cyclops recognized the practicality of the situation and supported Jean...even if he ends up also hemming and hawing over it.
Plenty of times Storm has asked Rachel or Psylocke to mask the presence of the team. And what about the times Jean has masked Hank's appearance as Beast, or Gambit's red eyes...is she assaulting everyone's minds to do so?
I think it’s the idea of doing anything to a person’s mind psychically. The number one rule is to not read a person’s mind without permission, which is the most fundamentally basic thing that defines telepathy in the dictionary. If that is the rule, anything beyond it takes many steps past the rule.
It really is a matter of perspective of when it is necessary to use your powers. Different writers have different views of what’s acceptable.
I have reread some of the posts I honestly did not have the energy to respond to the other day. I agree with many of you who feel Leah did not do her best at realistically depicting some of the dynamics and scenarios that unfolded in ToM #2. However, I sincerely do not feel Jean was depicted as either weak, incapable, or maladroit. She was depicted as being preoccupied with the death of a friend and the grief and mourning of several others. She was also depicted as assuming that the several other Krakoan citizens and X-Men members leading the tour would not create a scenario that would result in "a massive breach of Krakoan state secrets." After all, it was Cyclops, Wolverine, Synch, and others leading the Avengers into the Hatchery, not Jean.
Now, admittedly, I agree with those who feel that Leah created the Hatchery scene to give Emma a showy feat and appearance. As some of you have pointed out, there was no need for the scene, and, frankly, it revealed blatant and nonsensical contradictions of story, character, and motivation. That being said, I do not feel Leah intended on nerfing Jean or insinuating that she was weak. If that's the case, what does that say about Scott, who came up with the tour and, along with Synch and Wolverine, remained silent as they approached the Hatchery? Also, what does it say about Tony, who was reduced to an insensitive, coquettish mess during a time of solemnity and mourning? Why are we so quick to judge and hold Jean to a higher standard than a co-leader and other members of the X-Men?
During Jean's opening scene, she is depicted as being the first to greet and comfort the Avengers in what turns out to be a centrally emotional moment. The next time we see her, the very first exchange she has begins with Polaris telling her, "$#@%. It's too late for a detour, and Hope isn't in the Hatchery right now to telepathically mask the place. Jean, you're going to have to erase their memories." That was it. Prior to Lorna speaking, we can deduce that Jean fell behind in the group (she and Lorna were last) because she was lost in thought about her exchanges with the Avengers, feeling no need to be on the alert or defensive since Cyclops, Wolverine, and Synch were leading the tour - straight into the Hatchery, as it turns out.
However, by the time Lorna mentions it, as she herself notes, "it's too late" because they are already halfway inside the Hatchery, hence Lorna suggesting the mindwipe. Up to this point, there doesn't seem to be much room for debate regarding what Jean was doing, i.e., again, she was probably thinking about Vision, Wanda (she has known both for a very long time), and the mystery behind the murder. Furthermore, the fact that Jean expressed not "feel[ing] comfortable carrying out such a massive breach of diplomacy" is not only not out of character but also inconsequential. Although she followed her expression of concern with, "There must be another way," just because she did not jump at conducting a mindwipe does not mean she wouldn't have soon after if there was no alternative.
In the end, a mindwipe was unnecessary because Emma and the Cuckoos had been in the Hatchery all along and knew the group was coming in, which allowed them to do what Jean would have certainly done, i.e., "mask the place," had she had enough time.
I don't see how people are confused by this. And again, yes, I agree: Leah manufactured this scene to give Emma a moment, but she didn't do so at the expense of Jean, at least not in the way some are claiming. Cyclops, Wolverine, Synch, and Iron Man come off far worse. The former had no excuse for leading the Avengers into the Hatchery and the latter behaved totally inappropriately. Jean's moments with Vision and Wasp, established why she would be preoccupied, and the fact that her co-leader and team members were leading the tour, further established why she should feel no need for concern.
Jean under writers who want to center Scott, Emma, or both is pretty much always going to be a bad time, save the Jean-positive moments of the Morrison run.
Gotta get her away from those characters in particular, but writers are too tied to things being "classic". Because of how she is viewed by writers who are primarily fans of those characters, she literally can't be three-dimensional or see growth as she has to fit the role that benefits those two characters.
Last edited by Kitty&Piotr<3; 09-18-2021 at 10:39 AM.