When Alternative Character Interpretations Become Canon

[Huntsman Spider]

It finally occurred to me just what was so striking about the Inversions in AXIS.

The Inverted heroes were basically parodies of the less favorable interpretations many fans have had of them over the last few years. Many, myself included, have been inclined to call out the Avengers as (at least bordering on being) hegemonic fascists who think they have some special right or license to boss around everyone else in the superhero community despite their own failures and dubious actions. Many have looked to the X-Men becoming increasingly insular and distrustful of non-mutants and called them out as racists prioritizing the security and well-being of their own people over the good of the world at large. Thanks to AXIS, those particular interpretations became canon; the Inverted Avengers did become straight-up fascists who wanted to control and dominate everyone and everything around them, and the Inverted X-Men decided coexistence with humanity was for suckers, waging war on and even seeking to wipe out the human race.

That was the twisted genius of Rick Remender and AXIS. He took everything fans have been saying in criticism and critique of the Avengers and the X-Men, and gave us a look at what the Marvel Universe would be like if those criticisms really were (or became) true.

[dragonmp93]

Well, i only can talk about myself, but i loved the Inverted X-men (maybe except what happened with Rachel), and the Inverted Carnage.

[Huntsman Spider]

Well, i only can talk about myself, but i loved the Inverted X-men (maybe except what happened with Rachel), and the Inverted Carnage.

Inverted Carnage was pretty awesome and hilarious, in his own warped way of trying to be a hero. Shame he couldn't be one of the ones that stayed Inverted.

[dragonmp93]

Inverted Carnage was pretty awesome and hilarious, in his own warped way of trying to be a hero. Shame he couldn't be one of the ones that stayed Inverted.

Yeah, a big shame, indeed.

[Huntsman Spider]

What do you think of the larger point, though? That the Inversion was Rick Remender's way of playing with the more unsympathetic interpretations of the Avengers and the X-Men in significant portions of Marvel fandom --- Avengers as arrogant fascists, X-Men as insular racists?

[crimsonspider89]

The entire inversion arc of AXIS in regards to the heroes was him making meta commentary to the fullest.

Hulk got inverted into a more edgier and stronger Hulk like writers always creating new and stronger Hulk personas. Wanda was turned into an evil self centered all powerful mage like the X-fans claim she is, also gave him a chance to allow Wanda fans to express what they were saying about Bendis on a comic panel.

And so forth.

[dragonmp93]

What do you think of the larger point, though? That the Inversion was Rick Remender's way of playing with the more unsympathetic interpretations of the Avengers and the X-Men in significant portions of Marvel fandom --- Avengers as arrogant fascists, X-Men as insular racists?

Well, i dont care about the Avengers, but about the X-men, even after all they have been through, that they still insist on helping the normal humans is borderline masochistic.

[Tazpocalapse]

My complaint with the X-men is they were portrayed as get in line and follow orders henchmen.Not to mention that they all of a sudden want to wipe out all humans, but did not go after any of the various anti-mutant groups, hell they could at least downed a shield Heli- carrier. I would have been impressed if they rounded up some Friends of Humanity members and had Storm vaporize them on live television. I also think one of the things Remender was doing with inverted X-men was not having them hold back and being more willing to cut lose and use their abilities and training to kill. Having said that i can't stop laughing at the fact that the X-men were such incompetent Villians. More X-men have killed people on accident than those inverted fools could do even if they wanted to. It is absolutely hilarious. I am one of those that believe the Avengers have become nothing but fascist hypocrites that make and break there own rules and grant immunity to certain members, so i found not to much difference between inverted Avengers and their saintly counterparts besides them saying what they had on their minds while doing it.I really enjoyed Inverted Stark in Mighty Avengers, his excuse for why they attacked the Mighty Avengers was pure comic gold. I hope Tony stays Inverted forever. I think if the Event had more tie-ins for the X-men showing their motivations it would have been better received by X-fans.

[dragonmp93]

My complaint with the X-men is they were portrayed as get in line and follow orders henchmen.Not to mention that they all of a sudden want to wipe out all humans, but did not go after any of the various anti-mutant groups, hell they could at least downed a shield Heli- carrier. I would have been impressed if they rounded up some Friends of Humanity members and had Storm vaporize them on live television. I also think one of the things Remender was doing with inverted X-men was not having them hold back and being more willing to cut lose and use their abilities and training to kill. Having said that i can't stop laughing at the fact that the X-men were such incompetent Villians. More X-men have killed people on accident than those inverted fools could do even if they wanted to. It is absolutely hilarious. I am one of those that believe the Avengers have become nothing but fascist hypocrites that make and break there own rules and grant immunity to certain members, so i found not to much difference between inverted Avengers and their saintly counterparts besides them saying what they had on their minds while doing it.I really enjoyed Inverted Stark in Mighty Avengers, his excuse for why they attacked the Mighty Avengers was pure comic gold. I hope Tony stays Inverted forever. I think if the Event had more tie-ins for the X-men showing their motivations it would have been better received by X-fans.

Well, what Kitty did in AXIS revolutions was quite awesome.