Longshot Appreciation 2018

[616MarvelYear is LeapYear]

Art by Brett Booth

Wish both of them would show in a ResurrXion title like Iceman, Cable or Generation X.

[Adam-X]

That is a great piece.

And yes, it'd be nice to see (old school) Longshot.

[darewithpeace]

in the animated series he was one of my favorites in his episode, i wish he was on a x-book now

[From The Shadows]

I have to admit Longshot was never very interesting to me in the X-Men... kind of bland but the scans from his mini make him look more interesting. You're drawing is really lovely Rita. The female version of Longshot especially. You've done really well with you're limited coloring tools.

According to the latest continuity established by Jeph Loeb and Peter David, Longshot is actually a human mutant, the Arize-modified clone of a brunette orphan named Benjamin Russell who became comatose (ala Kwannon) by the first awakening of his undisclosed mutant powers, and whose body now serves as the host body* (ala Psylocke) for the spirit of Shatterstar, Longshot's biological son with his ex-wife and fellow X-man Dazzler (from the time that they were married and ruling the Mojoverse together) who was raised in the far future (ala Cable), who through a time paradox (ala Spiral), fell back in time and met Arize who used the DNA of Shatterstar's host body to serve as the genetic template for his creation, Longshot, who is Shatterstar's own biological father (in other words, Shatterstar and Longshot are technically their own grandpas).

*which the spirit of Shatterstar was placed into by Longshot himself using magic after Shatterstar was fatally wounded by Mojo in a one-on-one battle where Mojo defeated Shatterstar using Shatterstar's own twin swords.

Retcons LMAO! I dont know how we are supposed to get these things straight.

Re: Spidey and Shulky - I think its a rule to be abusive to the new heroes in town. They have to fight or something. Don't ask me why, though.

[Ricochet Rita]

I miss the classic Longshot - hated the "Longshot saves the Marvel Universe" thing. >.<

I had quite fun with LSMU --it was sorta confusing and absurd, yes, but just like a Longshot series should be. I didn't take it really serious. IMO, it's way worse when they try to show him up as a rebel leader.

I LOVED the In-Betweener!
The to me beauty of a shared universe is that different superheroes can encounter different supervillains!

Yes, and Longshot usually crosses his path with most unexpected people. I particullary adore his interaction with Doc Strange, and I hope they'll keep having encounters on the X spacetime.

My complaint is I did not see more multiple longshots depicted in panels on a page when he springs into action!

Longshot is motion . I guess Camagni didn't entirely get to capture this quality (his Longshot is a bit stiff), therefore he drew few panels of this kind. Too bad.

in the animated series he was one of my favorites in his episode, i wish he was on a x-book now

That's praiseworthy, since TAS Longshot was, IMHO, pretty awful (as the rest of series). Frankly, I doubt I had been attracted by him if that were my first approach :P .

[Ricochet Rita]

I have to admit Longshot was never very interesting to me in the X-Men... kind of bland but the scans from his mini make him look more interesting.

Longshot in the X-Men is pretty different than in his former mini, part because of the different writers and part because the situations are equally different (his mind was wiped again). I think CC discovered many interesting things in him, keeping him (almost) always in an innocent and loving state, though --one-sided character. On the other hand, Nocenti's Longshot knew how to be a badass if needed, and he was often quite rough, since slyness, tact and white lies are conventionalisms without much sense for him. Therefore, his interaction with the world triggered many reactions and the story was much more interesting.

You're drawing is really lovely Rita. The female version of Longshot especially. You've done really well with you're limited coloring tools.

Why, thanks! Now that I come to think of it, I forgot to post my Blue & Gold Longshot from the last X-Jam. Here it is, better b&w than color, as usual...

Re: Spidey and Shulky - I think its a rule to be abusive to the new heroes in town. They have to fight or something. Don't ask me why, though.

Yeah, it's part of the fun. But there are two special things in this case:

1. Longshot doesn't beat them back.

2. The storytelling highlights the useless virulence of the attacks (verbal regarding Spidey, physical regarding Shulky). I think it's a novel POV, as many Nocenti's details.

[616MarvelYear is LeapYear]

MEPHISTO VS.... Part 3 June 1987

As this issue begins, some of Mephisto’s minions are torturing Jean Grey aka Marvel Girl. The dark lord punishes them severely for acting without his commands by disintegrating them on the spot!
He then explains to Marvel Girl how he accumulates souls as mankind does with money and valuables. Marvel Girl then asks why, if he is so powerful, does he not just take souls rather than bargaining for them. He explains to her that even though his power is nearly infinite, he has limitations that he must abide by. Marvel Girl is then dragged off by a few demons kicking and screaming the entire way.

A couple of demons stay behind to tell Mephisto that his realm is crumbling on the outskirts of his domain. The demons and Mephisto go to investigate this phenomenon and find that indeed the outer lying area is crumbling to pieces. We then learn that Mephisto’s realm is in fact part of him, and if his power is threatened, so is he. He next peers into his diving pool to watch Reed Richards talk with Cyclops. They discuss how they think Mephisto will set his sights on a god-like being next. This is exactly what Mephisto wanted all along, and he then makes his intentions known.

Reed first calls the X-Men (Wolverine, Psylocke, Rogue, Storm, Longshot, Dazzler) and alerts them to Mephisto’s scheme. Wolverine hardly believes him at first, but then calls the other team members out and tells them what Reed said. Storm then proposes that Psylocke, using Longshot’s powers to augment her own, try to locate Mephisto. She does, but only because he allows it, and then sends a psychic backlash at the entire team.

Mephisto then sees the power they possess and makes his plan to attack them. He first approaches Rogue, and she takes the bait. He tricks her into kissing him and he pretends that it actually hurts him. He also lets her believe that he is going to try and steal the souls of all the other X-Men as well. Rogue decides that she’ll beat him to the punch and use her power on each of her teammates first, so he can’t get to them. One by one, she drains her friends to stop Mephisto’s mad scheme.

In the end, though, after Rogue has drained everyone except Longshot (who Mephisto claims has no soul),

she tells him he’s too late, because she beat him to it. He laughs at her, and then tells the poor fool that this is what he intended all along. Now he grabs her and for the second time, shoves his tongue down her throat, and steals her soul, and the souls of all her friends as well! He lied to her previously when he said her powers affected him, and then we see all the X-Men’s souls in the hand of a ruthless demon lord, burning in his fiery realm!

Note: it is revealed that Longshot has joined the X-Men during MEPHISTO VS....
Written by Al Milgrom & Art by John Buscema
http://13thdimension.com/13-covers-a...celebration-2/
http://diversionsofthegroovykind.blo...gets-thor.html

[Ricochet Rita]

In the end, though, after Rogue has drained everyone except Longshot (who Mephisto claims has no soul)

That's right. Or, at least, not a valid soul in Mephisto's terms. However, some months later another devil creature, N'Astirh, recognizes something similar to a soul inside Longshot:



So, has Longshot a spiritual essence, an anima, yes or no? And what about that (stupid) concept of uemeur that Jeph Loeb introduced in X-Force #59 for Shatterstar? Do clones have an electric soul? This is a quite interesting issue (Milgrom's idea?) that Annie Nocenti wanted to develop in a new series in which Longshot would travel the world and meet Mephisto again, announced in Marvel Age #67 (shortly before Longshot quit the X-Men) but never published, even though the plan was fabulous and there was already a storyboard by Adams. Sometimes I still have dreams in which I enter a comic store and find an issue of this ghost series... *heart breaking to pieces*

Note: it is revealed that Longshot has joined the X-Men during MEPHISTO VS....

Indeed! Could you post a scan? Believe it or not, I can't find the mini on my shelves...maybe I never had it?

[616MarvelYear is LeapYear]

Issue Date:
December 1996

Story Title:
Cause and Effect

Staff:
Jaimie Campos (writer), Steven Jones (penciler), Mike Witherby (inker), Jon Babcock, Caroline Wells and Jeff Powell (letterers), Brian Buccellato (colorist), James Felder (editor), Bob Harras (editor-in-chief)

Brief Description:
In the Mojo II-ruled Mojoverse, Longshot, Dazzler, Quark, and their fellow rebels halt another of the oppressive ruler’s unjust executions. Mojo II, meanwhile, schemes with his aide, Pet, on how to bolster his ratings.
A novel suggestion comes from one of his prisoners, Major Domo: why not televise the execution of someone associated with the first Mojo’s regime?
Mojo II takes to the idea instantly—and decides to make Major Domo the subject of the execution LOL!
Elsewhere, the rebels learn of this plan and decide to intervene. On their way to the arena, Quark comes into conflict with Spiral, Mojo II’s official executioner. Although he defeats her in combat, he spares her life, and she disappears. Meanwhile, Longshot and Dazzler arrive at the execution site in time to prevent Major Domo’s beheading. The reunited rebels save Domo,

defeat Spiral—who once again flees—and escape with only a few casualties.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Marvel-Fanfa...-/332037676120

Now counting Major Domo as one of their own, the rebels look optimistically toward the future.

Story Notes:
This is the first appearance of Mojo II since the coup he staged in X-Men (2nd series) #11. Jubilee’s ominous musing at the end of that issue proved correct, as Mojo II’s regime, as depicted in this issue, is clearly as bad as that of his predecessor.

In X-Men Annual (2nd series) #1, when Quark last appeared, he was under the influence of Mojo I. He must have overcome his brainwashing in the meantime.

Longshot’s reference to a time he and Spiral fought on the same side could refer to several instances. For one, it could refer to the time just after X-Factor Annual #7 in which Spiral decided to outwardly rebel against her master Mojo. It’s less likely but still possible that this comment refers to their brief alliance to save the people of Dallas, Texas during the “Fall of the Mutants” storyline in Uncanny X-Men #225-227.

[616MarvelYear is LeapYear]

Issue Date:
January 1997

Story Title:
Life Lessons

Staff:
Jaimie Campos (writer), Stephen Jones (penciler), Mike Witherby (inker), Brian Buccellato (colorist), Sue Crespi and Caroline Wells (letterers), James Felder (editor), Bob Harras (editor-in-chief)

Brief Description:
Some time after the rebels of the Mojoverse rescue Major Domo, Mojo II and his troops arrive at the top-secret rebel base in an ambush. While Longshot, Kragar and Quark stave off the enemy forces on the surface, Dazzler and Brahams investigate a possible security leak inside. Brahams reveals himself as a traitor and incapacitates Dazzler and Quark. On the surface, Major Domo switches sides and joins Mojo II, who then incapacitates and buries Longshot and Kragar. The two rebels wake up, trapped in their base and seemingly doomed.
Spiral soon arrives, and after a passionate fight with Longshot in which she insists she came to help,

she teleports them out of the tunnels and to the sight of Dazzler and Quark’s impending execution.
Now united, Longshot, Dazzler, Quark, Kragar and Spiral convince Major Domo to switch sides again, after which they defeat Mojo II.
Spiral takes the fallen Mojo II for punishment, while Major Domo decides to join the rebels in their fight for freedom for good. The rebels finally accept him as one of their own.

Story Notes:
Editor-in-chief Bob Harras is billed Mojo Harras in this issue’s credits.

Both Longshot and Spiral appeared in Wolverine (2nd series) #102.5,

http://www.lediableblanc.com/Appearances/Wolverine/
before popping up in X-Force (1st series) #59-61 for Shatterstar’s origin arc. Dazzler, on the other hand, next appears in X-Men (2nd series) #47.

Mojo II appears once more, in Wolverine (2nd series) #102.5, but then disappears from the X-books entirely.

[Ricochet Rita]

Believe it or not, I was re-reading these issues just yesterday! (Telepathy in action!) --and I found them as awful as I recalled them, I'm afraid. Please let me say this is the worst crap I've met since X-Men #10-11 XP .

If I said Longshot is OOC here it would be an understatement: smart ass, bully, macho, indiscutible leader... Why, it really seems that he's been mindwiped this time...for the worst!

The plot itself sucks. It's so lazy, boring and bombastic as you could expect in the 90s, so interchangeable with any other generic story of 'rebellion of the slaves' which anyone superficially would approve --without the slightest innovation or interest, though. The writer didn't evidently take the trouble to learn something about the idiosyncrasy of this particular universe, other than the TV cliché.

I'm sorry for the artist, because it's clear that he, unlike the writer, has carefully and diligently studied Art Adams' style in order to recreat it, mainly in Longshot's body and costume (those shine details!). Bravo for his effort! Unfortunately, he's less than mediocre and the result is quite embarrasing.

Summarizing: a mini to forget... (Needless to say that I myself consider it purely out of canon)

Longshot’s reference to a time he and Spiral fought on the same side could refer to several instances. For one, it could refer to the time just after X-Factor Annual #7 in which Spiral decided to outwardly rebel against her master Mojo. It’s less likely but still possible that this comment refers to their brief alliance to save the people of Dallas, Texas during the “Fall of the Mutants” storyline in Uncanny X-Men #225-227.

It's likely, too, that the writer hadn't got the slightest idea what was he telling. Longshot didn't remember who Spiral was, and she always rejected to speak about her past or their relationship. I think this reference is just (as the story in its whole) a weak attempt to build a drama around a hollow.

Both Longshot and Spiral appeared in Wolverine (2nd series) #102.5

Ha! I never read it, but Mark Buckingham drawing Longshot is some curiosity, at the very least .

[616MarvelYear is LeapYear]

By Magickmarker

Poor Kitty ^ ^ .

Yeah, Longshot is lucky to not be crushed more often --I guess his leather skin and fibrous muscles help a little bit. On the other hand, it might be real good having sex with him, given his joyful and uninhibited nature, free of all our usual insecurities and complexes.

I wish Rita Wayword could have experienced this with Longshot instead of undergoing the horrific process which turned her furture self or is that future now the present? If not, than how many more years to go when that future FINALLY becomes the present? into Spiral

[616MarvelYear is LeapYear]

Aw Man.
It has been a year already since David Robert Jones passed away on january 10 2016!

R.I.P. David Bowie

[Ricochet Rita]

I wish Rita Wayword could have experienced this with Longshot instead of undergoing the horrific process which turned her furture self or is that future now the present? If not, than how many more years to go when that future FINALLY becomes the present? into Spiral

Who said that Longshot and Rita hadn't enough time to become lovers after they jumped with Quark to the Mojoverse ? Actually, given the huge rancor which Spiral shows when he's not able to recognize her during his time with X-Men (remember, this happened after they three joined the rebels and lost), I'd say they had a deep relationship while they were part of the guerrilla.

For how long? Ah, that's more difficult --could have been a week, a month or a year. Let's take for granted (and it's a big assumption) that time in Mojoverse runs more or less at a same speed than in Earth-616: almost a year passes by from Longshot #6 to UXM Annual #10. That's the moment Longshot and Rita (and Quark?) are defeated by the Spineless; Mojo wipes Longshot's mind (again) and throws him interdimensionally to the X-Men Danger Room, while he retains Rita as the figurehead of his ship. Then, the X-Babies and all that... We don't really know in which moment Mojo catchs Arize and forces him to turn Rita into Spiral, sending her then to dance backwards. This whole story (including Shatterstar issue) deserves a good time-space diagram. In fact, I'm working on it.

Aw Man.
It has been a year already since David Robert Jones passed away on january 10 2016!

R.I.P. David Bowie

Don't tell me. It still hurts so bad.

[616MarvelYear is LeapYear]

"We don't really know in which moment Mojo catchs Arize and forces him to turn Rita into Spiral"

So it remains untold still!