Fall of the House of X #2 - Preview

[YouKnowItMakesSense]

Right and Duggan was the one who spearheaded this specific landscape change. I don’t disagree with the practicality of the X-Men being more brutal (not shedding a single tear over these Orchis goons), but as a series what are we supposed to take from this run?

For example, I see Immortal as about the dangers of putting individual needs over community and the inherent corruption of running a nation. Red was largely about how communities can heal and break generational cycles of violence by coming together.

Duggan’s X-Men is about… being really nice to your oppressor, waiting for them to stab you in the back, but then it’s all okay because you get to stab them back? It all just falls very flat to me. And of course the series isn’t over yet so it’s a bit early to judge, but it seems like in this past year Duggan decided it would be “cool” to have the series turn hyper violent which is why we have those brutal HG murders (which I hated) and the subsequent murderous X-Men.

I fundamentally think Duggan, while not necessarily a terrible writer or even particularly less intelligent than Gillen and Ewing, is far more of a "by the numbers" comic writer, which was kind of jarring when I started reading his X-Men since all the other Krakoa books usually were more than just standard superhero stuff. Contrasted with Red and Immortal, X-Men just isn't as thoughtful but it has its moments and can be entertaining.

[charliehustle415]

I mean if anything it seems now like being an unrehabilitated villain in X-Men is being in the minority lol.

That is so true, I didn't even think of the amount of evil mutants

[Frontier]

I mean Piotr just came off a stint on X-Force wher ehe's seen and done his own fair share of questionable acts

But he was pretty much brainwashed during that.

That's what some readers don't understand ...it took a lot to get them to this..."kill or be killed"...point. They played fair. They played nice. They showed mercy. I guess the next step according to some, is to just roll over and allow the bad guys to kill off Mutants en mass.

My thinking is just the whiplash when they go back to "playing nice" again when this is all over.

[davetvs]

I fundamentally think Duggan, while not necessarily a terrible writer or even particularly less intelligent than Gillen and Ewing, is far more of a "by the numbers" comic writer, which was kind of jarring when I started reading his X-Men since all the other Krakoa books usually were more than just standard superhero stuff. Contrasted with Red and Immortal, X-Men just isn't as thoughtful but it has its moments and can be entertaining.

This is a pretty good summation. Compared to the other two, he really just doesn't have the same range, and it shows.

[GoingGreen]

But he was pretty much brainwashed during that.

My thinking is just the whiplash when they go back to "playing nice" again when this is all over.

Quite the complex issue for any war veteran.

[Devaishwarya]

Duggan's Marauders started out with very heroic intentions...Let's distribute these life saving medicines to those who would have it and to those who want it but were being forced to pay a price...let's do some good in this world even if they still continue to fear and hate us. And let's also save those mutants whose governments would enslave them. Of course if there's a fight, people will get hurt but...let's try to not kill anyone. All the while we have to deal with the PoS living right next door at Blackstone undermining our every move.

His X-Men first year was about being heroic saving the earth against Gameworld and Cordyceps Jones. Year two is where they were dealing with some internal strife and becoming a little frayed around the edges. Year three we see Orchis and allies make their moves and the faecal matter hits the fan at the Hellfire Gala.

How do you respond to a threat breaking into your house and murdering your family right in front of you? Certainly not by inviting them to sit down for tea and level-headed conversation.

[Saithor]

Right and Duggan was the one who spearheaded this specific landscape change. I don’t disagree with the practicality of the X-Men being more brutal (not shedding a single tear over these Orchis goons), but as a series what are we supposed to take from this run?

For example, I see Immortal as about the dangers of putting individual needs over community and the inherent corruption of running a nation. Red was largely about how communities can heal and break generational cycles of violence by coming together.

Duggan’s X-Men is about… being really nice to your oppressor, waiting for them to stab you in the back, but then it’s all okay because you get to stab them back? It all just falls very flat to me. And of course the series isn’t over yet so it’s a bit early to judge, but it seems like in this past year Duggan decided it would be “cool” to have the series turn hyper violent which is why we have those brutal HG murders (which I hated) and the subsequent murderous X-Men.

Duggan’s idea works in a world where not everyone is a bigot. Since the X-books currently live and die on everyone being a bigot, they kind of lose their point. In a more realistic world, PR would be a viable tactic. This isn’t a realistic world though, it’s one where everyone signs up for committing genocide when the subject is far, far different than that. Not to breach too far into RL topics, but there were multiple attempts on Hitler’s life spearheaded by members of the officer corps because even if they were racist against Jews and Poles, they weren’t to the extent of wanting them gassed, and that’s ignoring what the wider response tended to be among allied soldiers who happened upon the concentration camps.

However for the X-books to function they need a majority of humanity acting like the “silent majority” the alt-right is convinced the majority of the population actually is.

In short X-men PR can’t ever work because the writers of the book can’t let it work. Because the story cannot end.

[Frontier]

Duggan’s idea works in a world where not everyone is a bigot. Since the X-books currently live and die on everyone being a bigot, they kind of lose their point. In a more realistic world, PR would be a viable tactic. This isn’t a realistic world though, it’s one where everyone signs up for committing genocide when the subject is far, far different than that. Not to breach too far into RL topics, but there were multiple attempts on Hitler’s life spearheaded by members of the officer corps because even if they were racist against Jews and Poles, they weren’t to the extent of wanting them gassed, and that’s ignoring what the wider response tended to be among allied soldiers who happened upon the concentration camps.

However for the X-books to function they need a majority of humanity acting like the “silent majority” the alt-right is convinced the majority of the population actually is.

In short X-men PR can’t ever work because the writers of the book can’t let it work. Because the story cannot end.

Duggan actually showed a lot of humans supporting the X-Men in his initial X-Men run though.

[Havok83]

Duggan actually showed a lot of humans supporting the X-Men in his initial X-Men run though.

One thing i will say is that he's done a good job of bringing in other heroes so it does feel like the X-men arent as disconnected from the MU and they have supporters advocating for them. Even a non-hero human ally like Ben Urich has added to that

[salarta]

Hmmm....is this the first time they used the "Bitches be Crazy" trope with Polaris? Her character has been pretty inconsistent during the entire Krakoan Era...

Hickman re-introduced her as some kind of snobbish woman who scoffed at humans...essentially Emma Frost (House of X)
Then Leah Williams turned her into some mystical, riddle spewing avatar for Saturnyne (X of Swords)
Then Duggan turned her into a Starbuck's drinking Valley Girl...essentially Boom-Boom (Duggan's Dollar Tree X-Men)

Now she is back to crazy cosmic being who happens to be able to control the Brood?

... Regardless of intent, the view of this moment for Lorna as "bitches be crazy" is a very sexist one. I'm not even talking about the language used here, but the actual core framing.

What about Lorna's actions makes them "crazy?" Would Magneto doing the exact same thing be framed the same way, that he's "crazy" and out of his mind to do it? Or is it only being applied to Lorna, and only because of an underlying attitude that she has to be "nicer" or else she's not in her right mind? She can't want to take this action because she's thought it through and feels strongly in favor of it?

I know other people addressed this already, and I'm thankful they did, but I felt that I really needed to say something too.

[Havok83]

... Regardless of intent, the view of this moment for Lorna as "bitches be crazy" is a very sexist one. I'm not even talking about the language used here, but the actual core framing.

What about Lorna's actions makes them "crazy?" Would Magneto doing the exact same thing be framed the same way, that he's "crazy" and out of his mind to do it? Or is it only being applied to Lorna, and only because of an underlying attitude that she has to be "nicer" or else she's not in her right mind? She can't want to take this action because she's thought it through and feels strongly in favor of it?

I know other people addressed this already, and I'm thankful they did, but I felt that I really needed to say something too.

I made a similar argument but I dont think its sexist. No people likely would not be saying Magneto was crazy if he did this but I also dont think Storm would get the same claims. Lorna does have a histroy of mentally straddling the line so I think people just jump on that but nothing here suggests that she isnt sane. I think her own trauma from Genosha and the guilt of choosing not to be at the Hellfire Gala and the subsequent massacre that happened are fueling her rage. She's finally getting a moment to fight back when she wasnt able to before. She has agency here and its important that she is choosing to do this rather than her losing her mind and being out of control. The last time we saw her she was in the Treehouse crying over losing Magneto. Well she picked herself up and asked what would Magneto do and she's leading this assault in a way uniquely inspired by him

[Saithor]

Duggan actually showed a lot of humans supporting the X-Men in his initial X-Men run though.

He shows them but are they ever going to be relevant when another near-genocide happens? I don't think so. I think Marvel is too committed to the overall formula at this point, and I don't even mean the one Krakoa was supposedly trying to break, I mean the one beyond that.

[Micabe]

He shows them but are they ever going to be relevant when another near-genocide happens? I don't think so. I think Marvel is too committed to the overall formula at this point, and I don't even mean the one Krakoa was supposedly trying to break, I mean the one beyond that.

And, what formula would be beyond humans, mutants, space aliens, magical daemons, man-gods, and homicidal AI constructs at odds with each other?

Besides, making more mutants the natural way by having pleasurable and monogamous sex the mutants of Krakoa are resurrecting dead mutants that had no intention of producing offspring in their first life.

[kcekada]

I was thinking instead of this being Polaris it would have been more bad-ass if Wolverine had turned up and said “make my day, Bub”, and then just started tearing into the Orchis mooks with his claws.

Not really. Been there, done that.

[Saithor]

And, what formula would be beyond humans, mutants, space aliens, magical daemons, man-gods, and homicidal AI constructs at odds with each other?

Actually having human-mutant relations progress forward instead of being a constant arms race of genocides and bad high school biology lessons on evolution?