Academy X: New X-Men Appreciation 2023

[Sutekh]

Not to be THAT gurl and pop off about non-Academy-kiddos in the Academy thread, but I would love to see where and how Leech is doing.

Jay Jurden mentioned them on the Homosuperior podcast and it got me wondering how they've gotten a handle on their powers, if they've grown, if they've expanded their skills, etc etc.

And I'd be remiss if I didn't name drop Wind Dancer just because, so...

WIND DANCER.

I need more of her. I wanna see her in action, expanding on the versatility of her aerokinesis and relationships!

Leech should definitely be a teen by now, and perhaps able to refine his power at least as well as he has in the past. He's shut down non-mutants, like Hazard, and people selectively, shutting down a single person's powers, without radiating an aura that affected others, so he should be pretty versatile already. He'd be a fine addition to the New X-Men / Academy X generation, IMO.

And Wind-Dancer definitely needs to come back. We haven't seen her (or Hellion, or many of the others) significantly since her resurrection in X-Factor, IIRC, and she's just too cool a character with too fun and dynamic a power to be left lying around like that. I like her personality being so different. A mix of unsure of herself, and yet a natural leader, not quite so innately self-confident as Dani Moonstar or Storm or other leader-ladies, which was cool, since it made her feel more like a teen, who spent some time living with an emotionally distant/abusive father who undercuts her self-worth with his words and actions. She's not 100% shy and uncertain like early Rahne, not even a little bit afraid of her powers, and yet also not (yet) as self-confident and decisive as Dani was at the beginning, which is cool. She's got room to grow, as a character, which makes for a character with a baked in story arc.

Same with quite a few of the Academy X crew. Hellion had to grow past his arrogance. Elixir was a complete jerk (and as part of the Five is the most unrecognizable to me, character-wise). Dust quite hesitant and unsure of her place (much like Rahne, another orphaned religious mutant girl). Mercury looking for a place, for people to call her own, after feeling like her family had packed her off to get rid of her. Wallflower, hints of a user, like her father, waiting to go off. Rockslide hiding immense discomfort with his new condition under being 'the funny one' or 'the goofball.' Surge had to be aggressive and break a lot of rules to survive her homeless phase and harden herself against caring what other people thought, and now has friends she has to treat better than that... Lots of places to go with that crew.

[CGAR]

I wish they would incorporate Wind Dancer, Hellion, Mercury and Surge more.

[Starfish]

I wish they would incorporate Wind Dancer, Hellion, Mercury and Surge more.

Me too. Maybe they'll get something with next year's X-books, though it's getting tiring waiting for crumbs.

[Will Evans]

Surge and Armor were in that Bishop miniseries.

[Starfish]

Fall of X would have been another good opportunity to give these characters something to do and show off their experience. After all, when it comes to facing overwhelming odds and the threat of extinction, they're veterans.

[Ambaryerno]

Fall of X would have been another good opportunity to give these characters something to do and show off their experience. After all, when it comes to facing overwhelming odds and the threat of extinction, they're veterans.

That event should have been seriously triggering for the Academy X kids. "Not again!"

[Kingdom X]

Fall of X would have been another good opportunity to give these characters something to do and show off their experience. After all, when it comes to facing overwhelming odds and the threat of extinction, they're veterans.

I’m actually glad they’re not showing up rn, cause I guarantee they’d become canon fodder.

[Starfish]

I’m actually glad they’re not showing up rn, cause I guarantee they’d become canon fodder.

Hm, yeah, that's a good point.

[Sutekh]

I’m actually glad they’re not showing up rn, cause I guarantee they’d become canon fodder.

I would be tickled to find out that they haven't been seen for the last year or so because they've been off in some other corner of the universe (the Mojoverse, perhaps?) up to all sorts of whacky adventures and shenanigans, and have zero idea what's been going on with Krakoa for the last few months...

Like that mutant kid who's off exploring Saturnyne's magical realms, and quite possibly has never heard the word 'Orchis.' Just sort of off doing their own thing. Maybe someday a writer will get the urge to recount those tales of what they were doing far, far away, when Krakoa was going through Sins of Sinister and Orchis attacks and whatever.

[Ulysian_Thracs]

I would be tickled to find out that they haven't been seen for the last year or so because they've been off in some other corner of the universe (the Mojoverse, perhaps?) up to all sorts of whacky adventures and shenanigans, and have zero idea what's been going on with Krakoa for the last few months...

Like that mutant kid who's off exploring Saturnyne's magical realms, and quite possibly has never heard the word 'Orchis.' Just sort of off doing their own thing. Maybe someday a writer will get the urge to recount those tales of what they were doing far, far away, when Krakoa was going through Sins of Sinister and Orchis attacks and whatever.

I think I'd like to see them off doing something entirely different than the fighting and adventures. Because if they're out there fighting, they frankly deserve to be X-Men and that's just one more time the writers screwed them over.

Like, they all graduated high school and made their own lives somewhere, either on Krakoa or somewhere else.

I see Dr. Julian Keller, who is now the world's foremost telekinetic surgeon after the Cuckoos downloaded Med School and residency into his brain. He lives in NYC with Sofia Mantega, whose running a publicity firm or CIO for Warren's company. Anole's an entrepreneur. Surge is an artist. Wallflower is an addiction counselor. Onyx enjoys working in heavy construction. Cessily and Bling are in the music business with her dad.

Extra points if there's a panel where Emma looks in on them and thinks it took so much mind control to keep them out of the fights and away from the X-Men so that they could be safe and have good lives. Leave the fighting to us...

Make it so the reason we didn't see them all this time is because they were happy and healthy and in stable lives and relationships. That's the peace and quiet they deserve for all they suffered. Rather than kill them off for effect.

[Starfish]

I think I'd like to see them off doing something entirely different than the fighting and adventures. Because if they're out there fighting, they frankly deserve to be X-Men and that's just one more time the writers screwed them over.

Like, they all graduated high school and made their own lives somewhere, either on Krakoa or somewhere else.

I see Dr. Julian Keller, who is now the world's foremost telekinetic surgeon after the Cuckoos downloaded Med School and residency into his brain. He lives in NYC with Sofia Mantega, whose running a publicity firm or CIO for Warren's company. Anole's an entrepreneur. Surge is an artist. Wallflower is an addiction counselor. Onyx enjoys working in heavy construction. Cessily and Bling are in the music business with her dad.

Extra points if there's a panel where Emma looks in on them and thinks it took so much mind control to keep them out of the fights and away from the X-Men so that they could be safe and have good lives. Leave the fighting to us...

Make it so the reason we didn't see them all this time is because they were happy and healthy and in stable lives and relationships. That's the peace and quiet they deserve for all they suffered. Rather than kill them off for effect.

Something like that would have been really cool to see, and I think the Unlimited format would have been a great way to tell such stories.

[Fokken]

I think I'd like to see them off doing something entirely different than the fighting and adventures. Because if they're out there fighting, they frankly deserve to be X-Men and that's just one more time the writers screwed them over.

Like, they all graduated high school and made their own lives somewhere, either on Krakoa or somewhere else.

I see Dr. Julian Keller, who is now the world's foremost telekinetic surgeon after the Cuckoos downloaded Med School and residency into his brain. He lives in NYC with Sofia Mantega, whose running a publicity firm or CIO for Warren's company. Anole's an entrepreneur. Surge is an artist. Wallflower is an addiction counselor. Onyx enjoys working in heavy construction. Cessily and Bling are in the music business with her dad.

Extra points if there's a panel where Emma looks in on them and thinks it took so much mind control to keep them out of the fights and away from the X-Men so that they could be safe and have good lives. Leave the fighting to us...

Make it so the reason we didn't see them all this time is because they were happy and healthy and in stable lives and relationships. That's the peace and quiet they deserve for all they suffered. Rather than kill them off for effect.

Ulysian_Thracs!! The AUDACITY. I am utterly infatuated with the concept of DR. JULIAN KELLER -- the world's foremost telekinetic surgeon! I never imagined I'd be satisfied with a non-heroics-gig for Julian, but here we are. I adore this for him.

I am, of course, especially pleased with his cohabitation with Sofia -- but I also love Surge as an artist and Wallflower as an addiction counselor.

[Sutekh]

Julian as a doctor or lawyer sounds too much like what his parents wanted for him. I picture him being the first telekinetic *astronaut,* flying up into low orbit to place (and fix, and sometimes sabotage, if the money's good and the cause vaguely kinda/sorta righteous-adjacent) satellites.

Or, yanno, cult leader. Complete with harem and floofy bathrobe.

[Fokken]

Julian as a doctor or lawyer sounds too much like what his parents wanted for him. I picture him being the first telekinetic *astronaut,* flying up into low orbit to place (and fix, and sometimes sabotage, if the money's good and the cause vaguely kinda/sorta righteous-adjacent) satellites.

Or, yanno, cult leader. Complete with harem and floofy bathrobe.

See, in my head, --- and I agree with the dissatisfaction I think you're implying by the parent's approving of Julian in this way-- but in my head, the RUB here, is that Julian succeeds in his pursuits as the first ever telekinetic surgeon, but very importantly succeeds in spite of his parents wishes.
They're absolutely the type of family that would push their children into ambitious, financially lucrative, career paths--despite the mental and emotional stress of it all --not for HIS benefit but to ensure a positive reflection on THEM, because as true narcissists, whatever their child achieves is all thanks to their encouragement and their support and their values and their genes, etc etc.
But Julian's already been rejected and ignored for his genes. And his time working with the Inhumans during the span of time we X-fans only speak in hushed cellar tones and back alley whispers, he's gained an appreciation for the incredibly fulfilling benefits of helping people in a non-superheroic capacity -- using his talents in a case by case basis, aiding patients in need.

If Krakoa were not in its Fall, I would have adored seeing him reconcile -- REALLY reconcile-- with Prodigy, in the pages of X-Factor, and learn from him and all the medical knowledge he's received. He could intern/resident(?) alongside Cecilia in the healing gardens, and frequent the Boneyard, helping with the mortuary(I forget the name they gave that space, sorry) David set up for study. Northstar would get to watch as his former pupil and advisee he'd known to be arrogant and headstrong grew to become exceptionally compassionate-- outwardly so-- and put his many talents toward benefitting others, rather than placing so much focus on himself.

And Sofia would bare witness to all of this, while running X-Corps publicity and social media, also frequenting the Boneyard and ahhhhhhhhhhhh I neeed it all now now now

[CGAR]

It really is crazy that they have had 106 issues of Unlimited and they did not give us any stories sole focused on the Academy kids.

I know people don't wanna hear complaints but it was the ONE area they could have tracked to see interest in the academy xmen.

Now i think they deserve a title called Academy X-Men