Off Panel interview with Vita Ayala

[sunofdarkchild]

After this interview I'm even more convinced that none of the New Mutants other than maybe Magik have a chance of being elected to the new X-Men team. Sam and Roberto had a tiny chance because of how much Hickman loves them and the fact that they're separated from the rest of the team, but since they didn't win the fan vote they're out.

[Triniking1234]

They’re in their early twenties at most? But they already are X-men (well not new elected X-men). They were X-men during the Utopia era. So it’s just a step backwards for them. And they’ve been teachers, too. It would be interesting to see them interesting and striking out on their own. Not like those Brisson issues though. I just hope they don’t get sidelined teaching, I hope there are adventures that don’t involve saving the newer new mutants from dumb teenage stuff they’re going to do. Haha

Everyone from Brisson's and Ayala's line-up has been an X-Man. Except Mondo but even Gabby was on Jean's team.

[EldonMaguan]

She's a tiny bit older than Colossus.

They must have surely retconned it in the decades since her first appearance

[Andru]

Labeling any of Claremont's New Mutants as "graduates" and "not quite X-Men" is very silly to me. And honestly, disrespectful.

They have been around for 30 (some 40) plus years. And I believe all of them have been actual X-Men at some point.

These are adults. Sam & Rahe have had kids! All (?) have died (some multiple times).

Vita's scenario seems like it would be 100% more in line with the New X-Men youths...Anole, Rockslide, Pixie. etc.

[sunofdarkchild]

Karma and Sunspot both run companies, though the Hachi corporation might have seen better days after Karma's whole brother possession and transmode virus infection thing. Cannonball has his life together and is a happily married man and father. Doug is one of the most important mutants alive right now because of his role as the voice of Krakoa, which combined with his recent marriage is why he's not on the team anymore. Magik is one of Krakoa's military leaders and a teacher at Dr. Strange's school, and of all of them she's the most identified as an X-MAN given her prominence since AvX. That basically leaves Dani and Rahne. Dani has largely been trying to find herself since she lost her powers on M-Day and losing a big part of who she was. I'm not sure when she got her powers back, but it would make sense if she's questioning whether she wants to be in the same place she was before M-Day after so long now that she is fully powered. Rahne lost her husband and child and even in Krakoa she's not getting them back.

Out of universe I do agree with Ayala's sentiment. None of these characters are thought of as X-Men other than Magik and they haven't really had much direction over the years. In-universe, things develop even if a character isn't necessary used correctly.

[ericng]

I'm not pleased with what Ayala is doing. She shouldn't mix the newer mutants with the original New Mutants in the same book.

The original New Mutants should really be in their own book and act like what other X-teams are doing, not baby-sitting for a bunch of newbies.

First, Brisson treats the New Mutants like they are incompetent newbies, now Ayala is treating them like baby-sitters.

What we want is character development of some New Mutants. Rosenberg's Uncanny X-Men-New Mutants team-up issues were in the right direction except that the focus should be on the New Mutants.

[Will Evans]

I'm not pleased with what Ayala is doing. She shouldn't mix the newer mutants with the original New Mutants in the same book.

The original New Mutants should really be in their own book and act like what other X-teams are doing, not baby-sitting for a bunch of newbies.

First, Brisson treats the New Mutants like they are incompetent newbies, now Ayala is treating them like baby-sitters.

Well it’s already established they all live together with the younger mutants in the sextant.

Guys like Dani and Rahne and Karma have been student mentors before. So that’s nothing new.
Teaching the younger students fits with their forté.

Aside from Dani being a Valkyrie and Illyana at Strange Academy, none of them have other careers. We haven’t seen Karma with that company in a while.

Unless Dani joins the Quiet Council to take Jean’s spot, and also rep the Sextant younglings, I don’t see any New Mutant taking more leadership positions aside from Magik as a Captain and Doug as Krakoa translator.

[sunofdarkchild]

I can appreciate incorporating the real-life X-office meetings into the plot. Ayala has a question about what's up with the kids, and the brass tell them to deal with that. The New Mutants have the same question and Xavier gives them the same answer. Someone needs to be supervising the children on Krakoa. Otherwise it'll end up being Lord of the Flies, which it has already shown signs of becoming.

[rcaguy]

After this interview I'm even more convinced that none of the New Mutants other than maybe Magik have a chance of being elected to the new X-Men team. Sam and Roberto had a tiny chance because of how much Hickman loves them and the fact that they're separated from the rest of the team, but since they didn't win the fan vote they're out.

Why would they be on a X-men team to begin with? Their stories weren't really X-men stories to begin with. They may've crossed over on occasion but they really weren't focused on the X-men per say. Magik is a perfect example of this. Sure she's on a X-men team, but do stories involving her magic really work all that well on a X-men team book as opposed to say the New Mutants where the characters are more accepting of the darker side of her and her magic?

[Andru]

Why would they be on a X-men team to begin with? Their stories weren't really X-men stories to begin with. They may've crossed over on occasion but they really weren't focused on the X-men per say. Magik is a perfect example of this. Sure she's on a X-men team, but do stories involving her magic really work all that well on a X-men team book as opposed to say the New Mutants where the characters are more accepting of the darker side of her and her magic?

Barring a few instances here and there, Magik has been wearing the X-Men scout badge since 2011...

[Rang10]

I can appreciate incorporating the real-life X-office meetings into the plot. Ayala has a question about what's up with the kids, and the brass tell them to deal with that. The New Mutants have the same question and Xavier gives them the same answer. Someone needs to be supervising the children on Krakoa. Otherwise it'll end up being Lord of the Flies, which it has already shown signs of becoming.

This i ssomething I noticed, adults need to supervised the kids.

[rcaguy]

Well it’s already established they all live together with the younger mutants in the sextant.

Guys like Dani and Rahne and Karma have been student mentors before. So that’s nothing new.
Teaching the younger students fits with their forté.

Aside from Dani being a Valkyrie and Illyana at Strange Academy, none of them have other careers. We haven’t seen Karma with that company in a while.

Unless Dani joins the Quiet Council to take Jean’s spot, and also rep the Sextant younglings, I don’t see any New Mutant taking more leadership positions aside from Magik as a Captain and Doug as Krakoa translator.

Which makes sense. Xi'an's not an engineer. She would more likely be involved with the general operations of it.

There really aren't that many New Mutants around to take take any sort of positions to begin with. Berto and Sam aren't on earth, Tabithia is basically a drunk. Amara and James most likely aren't interested,Gabby's too young and Rahne isn't in any shape to.

[yogaflame]

They must have surely retconned it in the decades since her first appearance

No, I don't think so. Piotr is still young too. Maybe 25, tops. Even Scott/Jean/Angel are still barely 30(though Scott/Jean do have an extra decade in them mentally, from their honeymoon raising Nate in the future). Remember, it's barely been more than a decade for them since 1963.

[rcaguy]

Barring a few instances here and there, Magik has been wearing the X-Men scout badge since 2011...

Basically as a teleporter, hence the Uber and Magic Bus jokes

[ChronoRogue]

You know what the quickest way to establish their own identity and for people to stop seeing them as the junior varsity league? Get them out of those tired old yellow uniforms. No self-respecting X-Men wears those.

Though I don't know how they are gonna accomplish... NOT being X-Men if they live on Krakoa. I suppose working as teachers sort of counts but I'm not sure a book with no action is gonna sell.