Phoenix-Mother Askani: Rachel Summers Appreciation 2022

[Scott402]

Happy New Years to the Hound Gang!!



I hope that Rachel gets to have a similar shine to her as she did in X-Factor in Excalibur this coming year. It has been great that she has been noticeable in a number of titles and events, so here's to her having a breakout year (and not just for a potential Betsy pairing)!!

I must admit I was getting pretty pessimistic about seeing her at all this year in a book but I am hopeful now. That preview I saw of the cover that evoked Days of Future Past vibes was really good.

[Askani's Flame]

I must admit I was getting pretty pessimistic about seeing her at all this year in a book but I am hopeful now. That preview I saw of the cover that evoked Days of Future Past vibes was really good.

Initially I was concerned as we rolled through the fall and there was seemingly no place for her to land. But Excalibur / Knights of X is a great spot for her. Regardless of whatever they think they might try with Betsy, Rachel had the confidence and experience to help things in this book. It should be a great opportunity for her and I see her developing into a co-leader.

[Scott402]

Initially I was concerned as we rolled through the fall and there was seemingly no place for her to land. But Excalibur / Knights of X is a great spot for her. Regardless of whatever they think they might try with Betsy, Rachel had the confidence and experience to help things in this book. It should be a great opportunity for her and I see her developing into a co-leader.

I think it's going to be really good. I want to see interactions with her and Brian and Meggan as well as her god daughter. I think if they do it right it can really call back to that Excalibur series that really was a delight to read with them and Kitty.

[Askani's Flame]

I think it's going to be really good. I want to see interactions with her and Brian and Meggan as well as her god daughter. I think if they do it right it can really call back to that Excalibur series that really was a delight to read with them and Kitty.

I completely forgot that Rachel was a god-parent to Maggie. It would be great to see them interact more. I don't know we've seen them interact since that issue during Gold.

[Master of Sound]

What do you guys think of Amazing Baby, the little Warwolf. Should Prestige keep him around, or is he a useless addition?

[BobbysWorld]

What do you guys think of Amazing Baby, the little Warwolf. Should Prestige keep him around, or is he a useless addition?

Honestly, I go back and forth. On the one hand, I totally see and get the point of Rachel's protectiveness and attachment to AB based on her own history as a Hound, and stemming from that her conviction that even a being created/trained to be a vicious killer can be other than that.

On the other hand, I hate how back and forth they go on the subject of just HOW sentient warwolves are, and its weird seeing her treat him as just a pet on a leash when like, warwolves are supposed to be intelligent beings who are certainly capable of conversation when possessing a 'skin' that allows for speech. Like I get that AB is supposed to be, y'know, a baby, but there's a difference between writing a baby, even one of another species, and a puppy, and the writing thus far has been wholly the latter, and that's.....off, for me, especially given the whole POINT of Rachel's connection to the baby warwolf being based on her empathizing with him and like....projecting, y'know?

[Askani's Flame]

Honestly, I go back and forth. On the one hand, I totally see and get the point of Rachel's protectiveness and attachment to AB based on her own history as a Hound, and stemming from that her conviction that even a being created/trained to be a vicious killer can be other than that.

On the other hand, I hate how back and forth they go on the subject of just HOW sentient warwolves are, and its weird seeing her treat him as just a pet on a leash when like, warwolves are supposed to be intelligent beings who are certainly capable of conversation when possessing a 'skin' that allows for speech. Like I get that AB is supposed to be, y'know, a baby, but there's a difference between writing a baby, even one of another species, and a puppy, and the writing thus far has been wholly the latter, and that's.....off, for me, especially given the whole POINT of Rachel's connection to the baby warwolf being based on her empathizing with him and like....projecting, y'know?

I agree wholeheartedly with your post! It's interesting that Rachel would choose to nurse and be a mom to a creature that was created solely to catch (and potentially kill) her by Mojo. And yes, it's weird that out of the 6 warwolves that started in Excalibur: The Sowrd is Drawn, 4 survived and were put in the London Zoo. And somehow they became 5 but lost all their sentience and intelligence before being "magical" creatures in the recent Excalibur issues. Totally made no sense to me. If they did decide to make Amazing Baby sentient, like it's forbearers, clearly it would need a new name and the dialogue/dynamic with Rachel would be a good one. But I think they have essentially turned it into a pet only so it will remain Rachel's hound. So yeah, long term I don't think it does much for Rachel and he should go back to the Mojoverse.

[Scott402]

With the New X-Men vote starting today and Rachel being left off the list I have to ask is this because her profile is maybe to high or not high enough? Is it because they have other plans with her? Or maybe they don't want her with Jean and Scott?

[Starchilde]

With the New X-Men vote starting today and Rachel being left off the list I have to ask is this because her profile is maybe to high or not high enough? Is it because they have other plans with her? Or maybe they don't want her with Jean and Scott?

She is going to be in the “Knights of X” book, hence her absence. All the nominees are characters who are not in any book.

[Askani's Flame]

With the New X-Men vote starting today and Rachel being left off the list I have to ask is this because her profile is maybe to high or not high enough? Is it because they have other plans with her? Or maybe they don't want her with Jean and Scott?

A few things of context for me:

1) Just a reminder that this vote is essentially the "fan favorite" vote, which doesn't exclude her from being added or considered as an editor/writer pick.
2) I never thought she would be on this list of potential candidates to vote on as she has been moved to a main cast member of Knights of X starting in April. Knowing this voting happens now, and then won't be implemented until May/June in the X-Books, her being on both teams doesn't work for the potential plans that Tini has (whatever they are).
3) Given that Jean and Scott are not likely to leave the book (they could but I don't think they will), it's not likely they will have Rachel on a team with Jean. Even though we are coming out of Trial of Magneto which has featured the most Jean and Rachel interactions since Days of Future Present, most writers do not know/understand/care about their dynamic to give it justice. Rachel and Scott have never been an issue strangely enough.
4) I think Rachel's profile has slowly increasing over the past few years (after being decimated by Guggenheim and Brisson), I don't see her jumping just yet to the next X-Men team when she's clearly being used in Knights of X.

So overall I'm not shocked she's not on the voting BUT it doesn't necessarily mean that she isn't being considered

[juan678]

[Saithor]

It’s good to see her back on Excalibur again. I just wish it was in better circumstances. Huh, you know Howard’s pulled almost every other Excalibur villain avaliable, anyone think we are going to see the Crazy Gang?

[askani_son]

The new uniform is a little strange, I wanted something more "x" but I will wait to see it in action, what do you think?

[Dipter]

Okay Rachel ditching the X-factor fit for some Knight armor is a good trade

[Saithor]

Need a better shot of it but from what we can see it’s a bit generic looking.