Xmen Monday 122

[toddcam]

Man, I feel old. 25 year old storyline. I remember, even though I was so in the closet I didn't have a word for it, picking up on the Bobby gay vibes to his issues with Emma Frost and into that scene with Jean, and thinking his fear of his powers and thus taking a more prominent role would leave him the center of attention, and he wouldn't be able to hide his feelings. I remember that road trip with Rogue after she kissed Gambit, and how he had still been struggling with Frost knowing him so intimately, and on some level I thought, "yeah, they're friends, but isn't it kind of convenient that Bobby's hanging with a girl who he can never touch and he's totally free to be just friends with her?"

When Bobby got around to confronting Emma, in Uncanny #331, I remember she taunted him with a gay joke (interior decorating) and had illusions talk to him (I used my Marvel Unlimited to refresh my memory): his "dad" said "I'd always hoped I raised my son to be a better man than that. But you're not a real man, are you, Bobby? You're a mutant. You're --" and Bobby interrupted the illusion. Then another illusion of Opal Tanaka appeared and talked about how he never loved her and was there to make him look good. He denied it and then Emma put up an image of Beast who talked about "partying" with him. Then Bobby lashed out again and said he would not be, among other things, seduced. This was what convinced me, basically.

I was thinking about it all the way through Operation: Zero Tolerance, when he kissed Cecilia as part of a ruse, and I was like, boy, he has a lot experience kissing girls without feeling anything. It was such a strange time in my own mind but somehow I filtered all this and wanted it to come to fruition. Then Bobby left the team and I couldn't afford comics anymore so I wasn't really aware of what was going on.

Chuck Austen was not a great writer, but after I was able to return for a few years to comic collecting, he did kind of bring back the idea of Bobby being gay, with him briefly flirting with Northstar (who had a crush on him) and Lorna claiming she and Bobby never slept together, but it was pretty thin evidence.

Oliveira mentioned showing those times he almost came out. I would love to see that story. Seeing how someone could show Bobby's levels of denial. It could resonate with me very well I think (I didn't come out to myself until my early 30s). I really want to see how he reflects on his relationship with Cloud (who normally was a naked girl but fucked him up when she turned into a boy). I bought the Pride book and while it's kind of crazy to think Magneto picked up on something no one else did (while he was in his cartoonishly evil phase to boot), it was kind of touching. The sliding timescale makes so much of this hard to consider, since the attitudes have changed so much in the different eras. Bobby in 1965 dealing with homophobia vs. the early 80s vs. mid-90s vs. early 00s vs. now. That story began with horribly stilted 1960s dialogue (where no sentence was allowed to end in a period), shouting exposition.

[Fokken]

The more Anthony the better. He's eloquent, intelligent, a continuity buff, and juggles humor & drama like a champ.

I would ADORE seeing the Magneto of it all explored. How does Tommy feel about these links to some of the most prominent and controversial mutants (current & former)? Bring Teddy & Billy to meet with Storm, regent of Sol, for some diplomatic something or other and let's get Billy's perspective on "what is family" ? He's got 'spiritual' parents. He's got biological parents. He's got to have a fairly unique outlook on the "family" that is(or isn't) Magneto, Wanda, Pietro, etc etc. The complexity of these relationships and their varying and conflicting attitudes about one another is FASCINATING.
Is Pietro still romantically involved with his former inhuman teammate Synapse/Emily? And SHE was quite close with Cable/Nathan. And Rogue for that matter, who has... opinions... about Magneto. haha.

And I'm honestly just dying to know whether Billy & Tommy qualify as mutants or if they're simply magical anomalies.

[OmegaStorm87]

Iceman is an awful character and always has been. I don't know why I'm supposed to care about him all of a sudden now he's a fan of the D. I'm not that shallow and easily pleased.

[Mercury]

Man, I feel old. 25 year old storyline. I remember, even though I was so in the closet I didn't have a word for it, picking up on the Bobby gay vibes to his issues with Emma Frost and into that scene with Jean, and thinking his fear of his powers and thus taking a more prominent role would leave him the center of attention, and he wouldn't be able to hide his feelings. I remember that road trip with Rogue after she kissed Gambit, and how he had still been struggling with Frost knowing him so intimately, and on some level I thought, "yeah, they're friends, but isn't it kind of convenient that Bobby's hanging with a girl who he can never touch and he's totally free to be just friends with her?"

When Bobby got around to confronting Emma, in Uncanny #331, I remember she taunted him with a gay joke (interior decorating) and had illusions talk to him (I used my Marvel Unlimited to refresh my memory): his "dad" said "I'd always hoped I raised my son to be a better man than that. But you're not a real man, are you, Bobby? You're a mutant. You're --" and Bobby interrupted the illusion. Then another illusion of Opal Tanaka appeared and talked about how he never loved her and was there to make him look good. He denied it and then Emma put up an image of Beast who talked about "partying" with him. Then Bobby lashed out again and said he would not be, among other things, seduced. This was what convinced me, basically.

I was thinking about it all the way through Operation: Zero Tolerance, when he kissed Cecilia as part of a ruse, and I was like, boy, he has a lot experience kissing girls without feeling anything. It was such a strange time in my own mind but somehow I filtered all this and wanted it to come to fruition. Then Bobby left the team and I couldn't afford comics anymore so I wasn't really aware of what was going on.

Chuck Austen was not a great writer, but after I was able to return for a few years to comic collecting, he did kind of bring back the idea of Bobby being gay, with him briefly flirting with Northstar (who had a crush on him) and Lorna claiming she and Bobby never slept together, but it was pretty thin evidence.

Oliveira mentioned showing those times he almost came out. I would love to see that story. Seeing how someone could show Bobby's levels of denial. It could resonate with me very well I think (I didn't come out to myself until my early 30s). I really want to see how he reflects on his relationship with Cloud (who normally was a naked girl but fucked him up when she turned into a boy). I bought the Pride book and while it's kind of crazy to think Magneto picked up on something no one else did (while he was in his cartoonishly evil phase to boot), it was kind of touching. The sliding timescale makes so much of this hard to consider, since the attitudes have changed so much in the different eras. Bobby in 1965 dealing with homophobia vs. the early 80s vs. mid-90s vs. early 00s vs. now. That story began with horribly stilted 1960s dialogue (where no sentence was allowed to end in a period), shouting exposition.

Your post touched me.

Iceman is an awful character and always has been. I don't know why I'm supposed to care about him all of a sudden now he's a fan of the D. I'm not that shallow and easily pleased.

Please do elaborate. Why is Bobby such "an awful character"? I mean, he certainly has one of the most fascinating and potent powers.

[Journey]

I wouldn't say Bobby is an awful character I would say he lives up to his name of Iceman though cause his character is perpetually in a Frozen state meaning they been doing the same **** with him for years him coming out a big moment no doubt. But besides that the typical Bobby storyline is "You have so much potential Robert blah blah blah" Like they push that narrative so much give him a cpuple power spots to show off than have him regress again under another writer they been doing it for years & I'm a Bobby fan but I would like him to show some consistent growth.

[Mercury]

...the typical Bobby storyline is "You have so much potential Robert blah blah blah" Like they push that narrative so much give him a couple power spots to show off than have him regress again under another writer they been doing it for years & I'm a Bobby fan but I would like him to show some consistent growth.

He's suffered the same fate most extremely powerful mutants have. They try to keep him in check because he can reach a point where he doesn't need to work with anyone to get the job done. It's the same thing that has happened to Jean and Ororo. It is gratifying, though, that they are all considered Omega Level Mutants.

I mean, Bobby could freeze the whole planet and remain the only one standing.

[Fokken]

Please do elaborate. Why is Bobby such "an awful character"? I mean, he certainly has one of the most fascinating and potent powers.

If we're voting, I'd prefer they just remain silent.

[ExodusCloak]

Iceman 2017 ongoing amd Uncanny X-Men Winters end addressed those scenes with Emma and Jean and Icemam

[Mercury]

Interestingly and tellingly enough, after Bobby got the chance to tell Jean off, which he deserved to have and she deserved to listen (she indicates as much with her response to his blow-up), this is the last scene they share in Winter’s end.



Also, until toddcam pointed it out, I never knew about (or remembered?) this scene from Uncanny X-Men #331:



Truly no comment.

[toddcam]

Not Bobby's finest moment, but I don't think Emma was ever not in control.