Marvel's Newest Hero Somnus is a mutant

[Triniking1234]

Reminds me of the MC from Shin Megami Tensei 3.

FINALLY A NEW MUTANT!

Do you even read the books? I feel sorry for Cosmar and Rain-boy.

[Husk]

Rain Boy isn't new. He was on Rogue's unnamed training squad with Onyxx and Foxx.

[KimberlyP]

Hope they are trans or non-binary. I wonder if they’re from Arrakko

[NexusTenebrare]

Reminds me of the MC from Shin Megami Tensei 3.

Demi-fiend? Can't say I see the resemblance.

[BroHomo]

Yes let's just churn out new queer characters because all the rest have developed beyond their respective sexuality

[NexusTenebrare]

Yes let's just churn out new queer characters because all the rest have developed beyond their respective sexuality

I wouldn't mind, so long as they actually try to push him a bit. Marvel still has problems with pushing their gay characters in general. Iceman's solo was pretty much the best they could manage. But that didn't seem to get a huge push either.
It would be nice to see a gay character get the same treatment the likes of which Kamala Khan and Miles Morales got.

[Dante Milton]

Just listened to the Marrow episode of Cerebro Cast with Steve Orlando, near the end there was a listener question about Somnus and Orlando shared a bit about his background.

spoilers:

He's a baby boomer whose parents died young, leaving him to raise his younger siblings. He was a closeted gay man and mutant. He is cis gendered. He hooked up with Daken when he was younger. He died of old age never feeling like he was able to live openly, and has now been resurrected on Krakoa and gets a second chance. There was no mention of his race which, if he lived through the period he was supposed to have, would have absolutely been an issue, so I don't know what's going on there. I dislike his costume even more now knowing some of his backstory. With the history with Daken he might have shown up in X-Factor, but that's cancelled now, so I can't see him appearing prominently in any current X-books.

end of spoilers

[loke13]

Just listened to the Marrow episode of Cerebro Cast with Steve Orlando, near the end there was a listener question about Somnus and Orlando shared a bit about his background.

spoilers:

He's a baby boomer whose parents died young, leaving him to raise his younger siblings. He was a closeted gay man and mutant. He is cis gendered. He hooked up with Daken when he was younger. He died of old age never feeling like he was able to live openly, and has now been resurrected on Krakoa and gets a second chance. There was no mention of his race which, if he lived through the period he was supposed to have, would have absolutely been an issue, so I don't know what's going on there. I dislike his costume even more now knowing some of his backstory. With the history with Daken he might have shown up in X-Factor, but that's cancelled now, so I can't see him appearing prominently in any current X-books.

end of spoilers

Oh wow that's actually pretty good backstory. Pretty interesting that the mutants are bringing back EVERY mutant regardless of how they died.

[Grunty]

Just listened to the Marrow episode of Cerebro Cast with Steve Orlando, near the end there was a listener question about Somnus and Orlando shared a bit about his background.

*spoilers*

Sounds like a backstory which will resonate with some people's life stories, but also one primarily made for the soapbox, which doesn't create a lot convindence in the longterm relevance of the character as super hero.

Not helped by how this ties him heavily to the Krakoa status quo and the ressurection protocol, which in my opinion look like very fleeting parts in the ongoing continuity of these comics. So everytime his backstory will be brought up years from now, it has to come with the side note "At the time the X-men had a magic mutant island and a system to mass respawn dead mutants.". Dating him to a very specific point in time.

Which i feel cheapens the impact of his "second chance" compared to say a faustian pact he would eventualy need to overcome or some mystery around who might have brought him back and what might be eventualy asked in return.
Both setting up an ongoing story for what the future might hold for the character and how he has to do his heroics with a sword of damocles over his head, instead of just making his backstory about an unfulfilled identity which a temporary "mutants are awesome now" status quo helps him live out.

That is if he ever has another relevant appearance or role, seeing how some have allready joked that the character's next appearance after this comic will be on the cover of the next one among the floating heads at the side of the cover, since that's allready half full of characters promoted as LGBT+ but seldomly if at all used or given relevance.

Also what's the point of him having dated that character? Is he supposed to have been lucky that he dated a sociopathic bi-sexual killer for hire who can bend people's will and desire thanks to part of his power and wasn't killed, abused or manipulated by him? Or is it to soften the image of said unrepented murderer?
Either way it sounds again like it heavily ties him into a particular part of the X-men continuity, reducing his chance to stand on his own.

Call me overly negative but this sounds like a backstory that will weighten the character down, rather than help him stand up, even though the unfullfilled identity and comic back from the dead part could work well as part of his backstory and motivations to be a super hero. But it seems they are all the character is about.

Of course i could be wrong, but past examples and patterns don't give me much hope for ths one.

Side note:
So someone has a pod cast where they discuss X-men characters and when they decided to discuss Marrow they invited Steven Orlando despite him having only written her for like 5 pages? Sounds like using her for the episode was just an excuse to have Orlando as guest.

Though not the worst reason i have to admit.

[Kingdom X]

Side note:
So someone has a pod cast where they discuss X-men characters and when they decided to discuss Marrow they invited Steven Orlando despite him having only written her for like 5 pages? Sounds like using her for the episode was just an excuse to have Orlando as guest.

Though not the worst reason i have to admit.

I think Orlando has mentioned that Marrow is one of his favorite characters in past interviews and he considers her his “Kitty Pryde”.

Also regarding the characters origin my only concern is that it doesn’t make much sense that they would be resurrected at this time when there are millions of Genoshans who didn’t die natural deaths and probably are more deserving of a “second chance”.

Lastly, is this the first time we’ve seen someone die a natural death and get
resurrected at a younger age?

[Grunty]

I think Orlando has mentioned that Marrow is one of his favorite characters in past interviews and he considers her his “Kitty Pryde”.

Sounds like a win/win scenario then. He can talk about a character he likes and they can potentialy get some info for upcomming stories out of him.

Though her being his "Kitty Pryde" is kind of impressive seeing how miss Pryde came to define that "term" by being very popular with readers, the defining young X-men for a generation of fans, having an impressive display of powers, constant focus, constant upgrades, constant appearances, a creator who cared about her, etc., while Marrow is... well a mess of a character lacking 20 years behind in characterization and great moments (there is still some good potential though).

But then again it's always nice to know some writers these days like her.

Also regarding the characters origin my only concern is that it doesn’t make much sense that they would be resurrected at this time when there are millions of Genoshans who didn’t die natural deaths and probably are more deserving of a “second chance”.

The whole organization and list for ressurection is more or less unexplored or explained if i recall right, except for when it comes to team members who are KIA who logical get pushed up on the list (didn't Nemesis in Way of X noted that as part of the very martial nature of Krakoa?) and those who have the benefit of nepotistic supporters (ala Emma), with X-factor in particular weirdly showing just how messy and unorganized the whole thing seems to be (despite being supposed to organize and explain it).

Though now that i think about it, this could be where Somnus' past "date" could come into playing having used his connections to get him ahead in the list.

Lastly, is this the first time we’ve seen someone die a natural death and get resurrected at a younger age?

I think it actualy is. Though it makes me wonder if there could be some who are less than happy about being brought back, since it's happening against their will.

In this case it's obviously not going to happen, since the backstory means it's likely presented as an absolutely positive thing, so now he can live as what he is, rather than in secret.

But i do wonder about mutants who might feel like they lived their lifes "right" and where at peace with it as they died, who are now essentialy forced against their will to live again and socialy pressured into doing so forever, while every normal human they knew or love might have allready died or will do so soon?

[Micabe]

I wouldn't mind, so long as they actually try to push him a bit. Marvel still has problems with pushing their gay characters in general. Iceman's solo was pretty much the best they could manage. But that didn't seem to get a huge push either.
It would be nice to see a gay character get the same treatment the likes of which Kamala Khan and Miles Morales got.

Wait... Miles Morales is gay?

[RamaBird]

Wait... Miles Morales is gay?

No. They meant both character solo books got a lot of support from Marvel even when they weren't selling the best numbers.

[Kingdom X]

But i do wonder about mutants who might feel like they lived their lifes "right" and where at peace with it as they died, who are now essentialy forced against their will to live again and socialy pressured into doing so forever, while every normal human they knew or love might have allready died or will do so soon?

The way you put it, doesn’t it kind of parallel Moira’s burden of living multiple lives? Obviously different because the entire world reset with her, but in her initial lives i definitely got the feeling that she didn’t enjoy having to start fresh after having lived a satisfying life.

[Grunty]

The way you put it, doesn’t it kind of parallel Moira’s burden of living multiple lives? Obviously different because the entire world reset with her, but in her initial lives i definitely got the feeling that she didn’t enjoy having to start fresh after having lived a satisfying life.

I did notice that there are some potential parallels there and it raises the question how much it might actualy harm the mental state of those who died "peacefully" in the past, similar to how it ruined Moira X's further existence (as she seemingly never managed to be happy with her existence anymore). It's another reason why it would be interesting to see mutants who are unhappy with getting revived.

Especialy since they never had the chance to disagree on it and getting revived is not meant to be just a "second chance", but the Krakoan society flat out seems to demand that mutants have to keep living forever once they are brought back.

In turn i wonder if mutants actualy have the right to demand being removed from the resurrection protocol, like if they feel that life is only worth living if it can end ("When it comes your time to die, be not like those whose hearts are filled with the fear of death, so that when their time comes they weepand pray for a little more time to live their lives over again in a different way."), or if this artifical "immortality" is as mandatory as Krakoan citizenship seems to be?

Though these are obvious not questions to be adressed or asked with Somnus' story of course.