What if Franklin Richards not being a mutant isn't actually a retcon?

[BobbysWorld]

As in....what if its actually just: Xavier straight up lied?

Current era Xavier is established as being totally fine with being hypocritical in pursuit of his particular vision for Krakoa, and he definitely wanted Franklin around to utilize as an omega level resource WHEN his powers were actually active. Even though Xavier also clearly doesn't trust the Fantastic Four to prioritize mutant safety, at least in the particular ways he feels it should be. Meaning....in Xavier's eyes, it was one thing for Franklin to come and go between Krakoa with its many (fairly open on the island) secrets, and his family that Xavier also views as potential enemies.....WHILE Franklin had powers that could be lent to the aid of mutantdom.

But the second Franklin seemingly tapped out those powers and no longer had them as a resource, he went through a Krakoan gate with no effect....exactly as we saw happen once before, when his genes were masked by his father's Code-X device, the very same device that Xavier lifted the plans for out of Reed's mind.

Who's to say Xavier didn't just use the exact same thing (yes, this is hypocritical as hell, I'm not disputing that, I'm saying that's literally behavior firmly in his wheelhouse at this point) to make Franklin no longer a potential leak of any new mutant secrets from here on out, now that he no longer ACTIVELY had his powers for whatever reason?

It would totally fit the parameters of what we saw in the story without changing a single thing about it, AND not require the suspension of disbelief asked by the retcon. (Ie: if Franklin's powers were the reason he appeared on a genetic level to be a mutant and his actual X-gene went away the second his powers did, how come he still had an X-gene in previous periods when he famously was without his powers? Why would a kid who was said to be a mutant even as a toddler, WELL before his first encounters with mutants or X-Men which only came about the first few times BECAUSE he had the X-gene, like....why, as Slott had Xavier claim, would toddler Franklin have subconsciously used his powers to make himself a mutant in order to be special, when he'd at most have an abstract knowledge of them, based on the general and NEGATIVE atmospheric opinions and views towards mutants....while at the same time having DIRECT exposure to his family of super-powered beings who were much more obviously celebrated and regarded as special in comparison? Are we really expected to view the MANY adult versions of Franklin we've seen time travel over the years as having no idea even thousands of years into the future, that he's not a mutant? Etc, etc).

But anyway, was just thinking about this and just seems to me this somewhat controversial retcon (even in an age of particularly controversial retcons) doesn't even necessarily NEED to be a retcon, because its based entirely on the word of an established liar and hypocrite when he feels the ends justify the means, and happened only a year after Franklin first was rejected by a Krakoan gate on account of it not registering him as a mutant....thanks to a device that was specifically just brought back into focus a month ago, as still being deemed relevant in-universe and not something that should just be forgotten about or overlooked.

Occam's Razor says what if nothing's changed at all, and 'everything you thought you knew is wrong' was just a deliberate, in-story LIE this particular time?

[Rift]

I'm fine with throwing Xavier under the bus to undo the retcon, but I don't think it makes sense for Xavier to turn his back on Franklin. If anything, he'd want Franklin to be on the island even more, because he would need them. He would want to do everything he could to restore a mutant's powers, especially an Omega's. We also had Franklin losing powers more slowly on Krakoa, so it would make more sense to try and keep him there to try and figure things out. Not to mention Franklin has tons of friends on the island, including members of the Quiet Council.

My headcanon is that Sue heard about all the Krakoan orgies and forced Xavier to kick her son off the island. She's not ready to be a grandma yet, especially if it leads to another Hyperstorm.

[BobbysWorld]

Hmmm, you raise a fair point about Xavier potentially being too invested in trying to repower Franklin than accepting his depowered state and lying about it.....but I admit my headcanon here is based largely on how Xavier's characterized in regards to his own son, Legion. Another extremely powerful omega, right up there with Franklin in terms of potential good he could do for mutantkind AND his very own son to boot....and Xavier's been shown willing to write him off as a lost cause because the risk he views Legion as posing outweighs the hopes he has for David ever having healthy and reliable control over his powers. Like he literally told Legion he's against having him resurrected if he dies.....so its kinda in the spirit of that particular writing for Xavier that I'm basing this theory.

[Rift]

Legion's been an antagonist and is much more unstable, and Xavier hasn't fully see the steps his son has gone to become better. Aside from some hiccups, Franklin is usually benign or even helpful, and he's gotten much better with age. Plus, Franklin is the golden ticket in terms of power, and he can controls them when he's an adult.

So it's more that, in Xavier's eyes, Legion is high risk/high reward, while Franklin is low risk/high reward. Legion is more likely to pose a threat.

[JJS]

Franklin is a mutant.

I seen him die in Days of Future Past.

[Reigna]

Franklin is a mutant.

I seen him die in Days of Future Past.

But like many humans also died in days of future past.

[Reigna]

As in....what if its actually just: Xavier straight up lied?

Current era Xavier is established as being totally fine with being hypocritical in pursuit of his particular vision for Krakoa, and he definitely wanted Franklin around to utilize as an omega level resource WHEN his powers were actually active. Even though Xavier also clearly doesn't trust the Fantastic Four to prioritize mutant safety, at least in the particular ways he feels it should be. Meaning....in Xavier's eyes, it was one thing for Franklin to come and go between Krakoa with its many (fairly open on the island) secrets, and his family that Xavier also views as potential enemies.....WHILE Franklin had powers that could be lent to the aid of mutantdom.

But the second Franklin seemingly tapped out those powers and no longer had them as a resource, he went through a Krakoan gate with no effect....exactly as we saw happen once before, when his genes were masked by his father's Code-X device, the very same device that Xavier lifted the plans for out of Reed's mind.

Who's to say Xavier didn't just use the exact same thing (yes, this is hypocritical as hell, I'm not disputing that, I'm saying that's literally behavior firmly in his wheelhouse at this point) to make Franklin no longer a potential leak of any new mutant secrets from here on out, now that he no longer ACTIVELY had his powers for whatever reason?

It would totally fit the parameters of what we saw in the story without changing a single thing about it, AND not require the suspension of disbelief asked by the retcon. (Ie: if Franklin's powers were the reason he appeared on a genetic level to be a mutant and his actual X-gene went away the second his powers did, how come he still had an X-gene in previous periods when he famously was without his powers? Why would a kid who was said to be a mutant even as a toddler, WELL before his first encounters with mutants or X-Men which only came about the first few times BECAUSE he had the X-gene, like....why, as Slott had Xavier claim, would toddler Franklin have subconsciously used his powers to make himself a mutant in order to be special, when he'd at most have an abstract knowledge of them, based on the general and NEGATIVE atmospheric opinions and views towards mutants....while at the same time having DIRECT exposure to his family of super-powered beings who were much more obviously celebrated and regarded as special in comparison? Are we really expected to view the MANY adult versions of Franklin we've seen time travel over the years as having no idea even thousands of years into the future, that he's not a mutant? Etc, etc).

But anyway, was just thinking about this and just seems to me this somewhat controversial retcon (even in an age of particularly controversial retcons) doesn't even necessarily NEED to be a retcon, because its based entirely on the word of an established liar and hypocrite when he feels the ends justify the means, and happened only a year after Franklin first was rejected by a Krakoan gate on account of it not registering him as a mutant....thanks to a device that was specifically just brought back into focus a month ago, as still being deemed relevant in-universe and not something that should just be forgotten about or overlooked.

Occam's Razor says what if nothing's changed at all, and 'everything you thought you knew is wrong' was just a deliberate, in-story LIE this particular time?

To be honest you raise some solid points. But I don't think it's that complex. Franklin was a very difficult birth for his mother, infact they needed the cosmic control rod to give birth to him which is likely the reason why he became sooo powerful.
As a child Franklin was known to be very lst me say Murphy, he would then into cowboys or grown adults because of impressions left on him by TV shows... this is normal all kids do this.
So likely when he saw the x-men he fell in love with Yemen and wanted to become one and subconsciously his powers created the x gene to enable him to register as a mutant on cerebro. FOR ALL THESE YEARS! Which is a feat for his reality warping cause that shit never lasts more than some minutes or at most some days or months.


Also the reason why he has universal reality warping is because of his mum. Her power originates from hypersoace the source for all the fundamental forces in the universe Franklin must have developed the ability to tap into the dimension when in his mother's womb and when the cosmic control rod was used it solidified this ability.

[Wat]

Perhaps he is still a mutant but Reed has put the kibosh on his plans by threatening to leak Krakoas secrets if he tries to associate with Franklin as he has decided that he doesn't want his son drinking the Krakoa cool aid after what Xavier did to him. He may have whispered a threat during the gala which compelled Xavier to revise the desirability of Franklin's inclusion when it could endanger what they have built in Krakoa. Alternatively Franklin is just going to be forever included in the ranks of "pretenders" due to Slotts wish to avoid writing about "Uber powerful story breaking characters" to quote his own words.

[king of hybrids]

Let’s be honest, one day some writer is going to retcon Franklin to being Namor’s kid for DRAMA, so his mutant status will be resolved

[carmoc1234]

my own head cannon is that future franklin showed up and forced the changes himself. his reasoning is that he was keeping his younger self safe from what ever sinister is up to or even whatever moira was planning
i doubt the retcon will last. it was done because slott is doing a story about how franklin reacts to losing his powers and how being the only one in his family without a gift affects him, while the x office establishes a way for all mutants to get their powers back whenever, and if your an omega level mutant like franklin was you get to skip the line and do it even faster. once his story is done someone will put it back

[CoCoBandz]

Let’s be honest, one day some writer is going to retcon Franklin to being Namor’s kid for DRAMA, so his mutant status will be resolved

That's unfair to Susan. Namor is a chode.

[Milici]

It wouldn't make a difference. I know the way Aaron change Frankling identity was icky, but he was never really involved with the X-World biside Artie, Leach and Kitty. With so many Omega Reality Warpers there is no need for him.

[Crimz]

To be honest you raise some solid points. But I don't think it's that complex. Franklin was a very difficult birth for his mother, infact they needed the cosmic control rod to give birth to him which is likely the reason why he became sooo powerful.
As a child Franklin was known to be very lst me say Murphy, he would then into cowboys or grown adults because of impressions left on him by TV shows... this is normal all kids do this.
So likely when he saw the x-men he fell in love with Yemen and wanted to become one and subconsciously his powers created the x gene to enable him to register as a mutant on cerebro. FOR ALL THESE YEARS! Which is a feat for his reality warping cause that shit never lasts more than some minutes or at most some days or months.


Also the reason why he has universal reality warping is because of his mum. Her power originates from hypersoace the source for all the fundamental forces in the universe Franklin must have developed the ability to tap into the dimension when in his mother's womb and when the cosmic control rod was used it solidified this ability.

That was my theory of Franklin's powers. It's from the same source as Sue's powers but boosted exponentially due to the cosmic control rod. His powers would have likely been the same as Hyperstorm's (his alternate future son) without the intervention of the control rod.

[Zelena]

I really wonder why it has become so important to be or not to be a mutant…

You are a member or not of a select club? So what? Does it change the person you are?

Franklin Richards is the son of two super-powered beings and it has always been enough for me to explain that he has even stronger super-powers…

[Rift]

I really wonder why it has become so important to be or not to be a mutant…

You are a member or not of a select club? So what? Does it change the person you are?

Franklin Richards is the son of two super-powered beings and it has always been enough for me to explain that he has even stronger super-powers…

I like when non-X-characters are mutants. It's nice when mutants and other elements are shared between the books, instead of everything being isolated and only intersecting for special events or cameos.

Not being a mutant doesn't change the fundamentals of his character. But being a mutant is also part of one's identity, even if it isn't an important part of your identity. It added another layer to his character and gave him access to mutant culture. It gave him more links to the world outside of his family or his superpowered destiny. What little we saw of his time on Krakoa showed him flourishing. Taking away that layer doesn't add anything to his character, aside from creating manufactured drama that'll be forgotten about the second Slott is off of the Fantastic Four book.