Who else has "hired" Mystique's "services"? (ANXM preview spoilers)

[Project Initiative Cascada]

Ugh, why are they making this fabulous character such a sellout?

[coveredinbees]

Postpartum depression is nothing to scoff at, Project Initiative Cascada.

[Ant-manic]

Bendis loves crying women.

[sureshot]

Bendis loves crying women.

Sure looks like it. I see the Mystique character assassination continues imo. WTH. How does sleeping with Charles Xavier and having a child with him give the character any good development.

Is Bendis confusing Xavier with Ultimate Xavier?

Again it does seem he is. The only reason i can see this being retconned into the continuity of the X-universe is because something similar happens in the upcoming movie. That or Bendis just made a mistake. Let's see Mystique with no character complexity. Check. Written as psycho, sociopath, anti-X-men obsession and now willing to engage with sex fantasies with Prof X. Check. Continual character assaination by the writers (except for Liu). Check. The had a cool character which they keep ruining imo. Oh well at least we have the movie version which is written better than the comic version.

Ugh, why are they making this fabulous character such a sellout?

Truly I don't know. More time passes the more they ruin the character.

[sureshot]

Ugh, why are they making this fabulous character such a sellout?

The worst part is even if I dislike his decompressed style of storytelling he can write good stories for the most part. Then he does something like this and it makes one forgot all the good stories he writes. It's truly WTH moment.

[Darkholder]

The worst part is even if I dislike his decompressed style of storytelling he can write good stories for the most part. Then he does something like this and it makes one forgot all the good stories he writes. It's truly WTH moment.

It seems like Bendis has a tradition of using iconic and empowered female characters as plot devices or marketing ploys to cause lots of chaos. First it was the Scarlet Witch going "crazy", then Spider Woman was revealed as the Skrull Queen, followed by the death off the uber-powered Wasp, the use of a time-displaced teen Jean to create drama instead of using Hope, the inclusion of X-23 as a boy-magnet, and now we have Mystique being used like a brood mare for future-Wolverine baby and what appear to be Professor X's secret baby? I don't know. I don't think Bendis is treating female character that well.

[just another user]

The worst part is even if I dislike his decompressed style of storytelling he can write good stories for the most part. Then he does something like this and it makes one forgot all the good stories he writes. It's truly WTH moment.

Why would a WTH moment be a bad thing? It's like saying "I wish my comics were bland and predictable"

[Parking Meter]

Oh well at least we have the movie version which is written better than the comic version.

I'm not too happy with the movie version either actually. Mystique has always been this interesting and independent character. But in the movies she's really just arm candy for Magneto so far. Even in first class she goes from being Xavier's puppy to Magneto's trophy. And then she stays by his side for the next 50 or so years. She's never needed someone to lead her in the comics but why in the movies? It comes off as sexist.

Also the complete lack of Destiny or any sign of her bisexuality is just sad. There's so much character complexity there especially when you consider the social climate around the time the two of them found each other. And then they go and raise an older foster child together? So much potential.

It's too bad because she used to be my favorite villain when I was a kid.

[cwatz]

The worst part is even if I dislike his decompressed style of storytelling he can write good stories for the most part. Then he does something like this and it makes one forgot all the good stories he writes. It's truly WTH moment.

It depends.
If you are shocked and it turns out to have a solid explanation, that is awesome.
If you are shocked because of how insanely stupid something is, that is a failure.

[sureshot]

Why would a WTH moment be a bad thing? It's like saying "I wish my comics were bland and predictable"

Well when it ruins the character by implying that Mystique took another form to satsify Prof X sexually fetish then it does imo. This does nothing in anyway shape or form to help Mystique character development. If anything it mkes the character look like she will sleep with anyone to get ahead.

I'm not too happy with the movie version either actually. Mystique has always been this interesting and independent character. But in the movies she's really just arm candy for Magneto so far. Even in first class she goes from being Xavier's puppy to Magneto's trophy. And then she stays by his side for the next 50 or so years. She's never needed someone to lead her in the comics but why in the movies? It comes off as sexist.

The movie version is not perfect by any means I admit. Yet it's better than what Marvel has given us in the past 10 years or so. Sociopath, psycho, anti-X-men obsession. Now willing to sleep around with anybody. How is that much better. At least the movies give us some of the complexity the character had.

Also the complete lack of Destiny or any sign of her bisexuality is just sad. There's so much character complexity there especially when you consider the social climate around the time the two of them found each other. And then they go and raise an older foster child together? So much potential.

It's kind of hard unless they bring back Destiny from the dead. Which they will not do. As she is not as popular as a character. As well one of those characters that looks good on paper. Implementing the character in stories is another thing. After all how does one defeat someone who can see the future. Even if the writers nerfed her abilties. I do agree though that their was and is so much wasted story potential.

It's too bad because she used to be my favorite villain when I was a kid.

Mine as well. When she is written well it's a amazing and complex character. Lately she has not been. Not only that the character is all over the place like Wolverine and escapes from her enemies all the time. The character is somewhat boring and ver predictable. To me at least.

It depends.
If you are shocked and it turns out to have a solid explanation, that is awesome.
If you are shocked because of how insanely stupid something is, that is a failure.

While I respect fans for defending Bendis. All I'm seeing is excuses for bad writing. Show me how this benefits Mystique character development and I might agree with you. Until then to me at least it's Bendis trying to push his story line at the expense of another character. So far I have seen almost no one like what he has done.

[Valeficent]

until there's proof to the contrary I shall assume Mystique is Amanda Mueller and I shall be referring to her as Black Womb

[Mutant God]

Again it does seem he is. The only reason i can see this being retconned into the continuity of the X-universe is because something similar happens in the upcoming movie. That or Bendis just made a mistake. Let's see Mystique with no character complexity. Check. Written as psycho, sociopath, anti-X-men obsession and now willing to engage with sex fantasies with Prof X. Check. Continual character assaination by the writers (except for Liu). Check. The had a cool character which they keep ruining imo. Oh well at least we have the movie version which is written better than the comic version.

Yeah Mystique and Xavier was in Ultimate X-Men. Also how old is this kid suppose to be, when did Xavier have time to do anything with Mystique.

I'm not too happy with the movie version either actually. Mystique has always been this interesting and independent character.

I think he was talking about Xavier

[cwatz]

While I respect fans for defending Bendis. All I'm seeing is excuses for bad writing. Show me how this benefits Mystique character development and I might agree with you. Until then to me at least it's Bendis trying to push his story line at the expense of another character. So far I have seen almost no one like what he has done.

I wouldn't call it defending Bendis, I have some problems with his "overly simplistic" approach to story telling as well. It was more saying "wait and see before crucifying". I certainly understand the concern though. Trial of Jean Grey showed the whole spectrum on this. The arc was great for developing Jean and an exciting closing act for a solid story, but it did so by sacrificing Gladiator at its feet which can only be chalked up to bad writing. Thats my experience with Bendis in a nutshell. The overall content is good, but it comes with collateral damage. Be it character sacrifice, ignoring things that should obviously be included and things of that sort. Doesn't bode well for the whole Mystique thing.

[sureshot]

Yeah Mystique and Xavier was in Ultimate X-Men. Also how old is this kid suppose to be, when did Xavier have time to do anything with Mystique.

If this was a Ultimate X-men story I would have no problems with it. As they were a couple for awhile before a falling out. Her giving up her child because lacked the courage to raise it properly. Not so much. Mystique has the courage to troll the X-men 24/7 in either comic universe. Yet not raise her child. It's a poor and clumsy attempt to try and cash in on the upcoming movie. With Mystique being even more ruined as a character in the process.

I wouldn't call it defending Bendis, I have some problems with his "overly simplistic" approach to story telling as well. It was more saying "wait and see before crucifying". I certainly understand the concern though. Trial of Jean Grey showed the whole spectrum on this. The arc was great for developing Jean and an exciting closing act for a solid story, but it did so by sacrificing Gladiator at its feet which can only be chalked up to bad writing. Thats my experience with Bendis in a nutshell. The overall content is good, but it comes with collateral damage. Be it character sacrifice, ignoring things that should obviously be included and things of that sort. Doesn't bode well for the whole Mystique thing.

So far beyond a few exceptions no one likes what has been done to Mystique. Granted the character has been portrayed as using sex as one of the weapons in her arsenal. Yet in the preview she is portrayed as having sex fantasies with a man she openly despises. In the form of the woman she herself murdered. Has the courage to troll the X-men 24/7 yet lacks the courage to control herself around her own child giving him up. The only thing that would save this is the child being Wolverine and not Xavier. As it makes sense somewhat story wise imo. I think the outrage the fans of Mystique and fans in general is that the pregnancy does nothing to enhance the character development. Imo it's a huge step backwards. For no good reason except to cash in on the upcoming X-men movie. I'm all for a writer taking risks with a character. Not when it ruins the character. Which the writers at Marvel refuse to understand. Fans don't like seeing characters ruined for any reason. None at all. Which makes seeing what was done to Mystique even harder to take.

I get your point though. I just wish it was not at the expense of Mystique. With the exception of Liu the other writers have done a truly horrible job with the character development. Post Messiah Complex character development has been psycho, sociopath, anti-X-men obsession. And now with a a side order of engaging in sex fantasies with Prof X. I'm not seeing how the last helps the character development as a whole. I'm willing to wait and see as you say. For the most part I like Bendis. Yet he is not the first nor the last writer to ruin a character just so he can tell the story he wants. I passed on reading the Trial of Jean Gray. I was not interested in the story for the most part. As well what little I read and seeing Gladiator being ruined was a turnoff for me.