Originally Posted by
Grunty
Warning: Stream of consciousness:
Perhaps the thread should have rather been rather titled "too many mutant heros?", because that seems to be the actualy problem suggested.
In this regard. Yes there are arguably too many mutant heros.
Though more specifically there are too many heros and even villains who are too well developed and storied, that they each developed their own larger or smaller fanbases (and writers interested in using them) who want to see more of them.
Which wouldn't be a problem if there was enough "space" for them or more specifically if the limited space is actualy well curated, which it isn't.
Because the reason for all of these heros existing was the birth of the various satelite which gave them the space to develop.
The X-men begann with the 05, eventualy joined by Havok and Polaris.
Once the All New, All Different team was introduced the 05 were largely put on the backburner and since there was no nostalgia fueled pressure to have them constantly present yet by a permenantly stagnant buyership of the exact same generation, the ANAD team actualy was allowed to have room to "breath".
This team then begann to have it's own secondary characters and villains introduced, some which would eventualy get more development aswell.
Meanwhile the 05 then got their own title with X-factor, which would also have secondary characters and villains introduced, some which would eventualy get more development aswell.
Then New Mutants was launched, with a completely new team of characters, which would also have secondary characters and villains introduced, some which would eventualy get more development aswell.
Then Excalibur was launched using 3 characters of the main X-men team, which would also have secondary characters and villains introduced, some which would eventualy get more development aswell.
Then New Mutants became X-force, with some additional characters and villains introduced, some which would eventualy get more development aswell.
Then Generation X was launched, with a nearly completely new team of characters, which would also have secondary characters and villains introduced, some which would eventualy get more development aswell.
And then Excalibur was canceled and it's X-men members thrown back onto the main team, while it's original characters were thrown into limbo. Then X-factor was canceled and most of it's members thrown into limbo. Then X-force and Generation X were canceled and most of it's members thrown into limbo.
But hey. New X-men Acadamy was launched, with a nearly completely new team of characters, which would also have secondary characters and villains introduced, some which would eventualy get more development aswell.
...
And then everything went down the drain and now we are left with so many interesting characters, but a buyership, editorial and writers who are mostly interested or tasked with using the same 20 which were popular 40 years ago.
Worse as the still current editor flat out admit, they seem to have a mandate that every 10 years they need a "new hip generation of young characters" to go through the same "junior hero" stories, even though they flat out know there is no space for them afterwards.
All because the internal team continuities were destroyed, no character is ever allowed to stay dead, retire for good or progress to "major league" status permanently and yet they keep adding new characters for various reasons.
So yes. There are too many heros. But there is no going back. They exist. They are all treasure troves of (often still untapped) story potential and just cutting them off or throwing them in a bin Joe Quesada style is only worsening the problem, while tainting the appeal of product.
Because how is anyone supposed to care for new characters anymore if the past 30 years have demonstrated that nothing of worth will be done with them long term, while characters, who allready had their best stories told decades ago and are basicly stretched thin because of not being allowed to rest for a while?
Perhaps the biggest problem is simply that there is a continuity which is supposed to be kept going perpetualy, but no end point or conclusions is allowed to exist for any of the characters.