Your Unpopular/Controversial Opinions on the X-Universe

[Kingdom X]

X-factor still appears in the background or are mentioned here and there, especially in Unlimited.
X-corps has been mentioned in Legion of X, but the book was so bad I fear the writers want to avoid it (Gillen outright ignored it in Immortal, by taking out Selene).
The HTC could totally be more prominent especially in Immortal. It would fit the "power plays" tone of the book.

Do you know which Unlimited arcs? I only started following those recently.

[Nicoclaws]

Do you know which Unlimited arcs? I only started following those recently.

They were mentioned in the Marrow story, at least and I think once they go talk to Northstar in another story but I can't remember when. Maybe in the Karma story ?
(which is admittedly very little. I agree they should be used way more but I also wish Williams still had an ongoing title so...)

[Fokken]

Don’t know if this is controversial, but the Krakoa era has done a really poor job of keeping up with concepts that were introduced as somewhat essential to the ongoing functions of the island. Primarily thinking about X-Factor, X-Corp, and the Hellfire Trading Company. The former seemed like a necessary step when it comes to keeping resurrections going, and the latter two were presented as highly influential to Krakoa’s finances and international relations. Obviously, these concepts don’t have books anymore but you’d think they’d show up in the background of current ongoings or that they’d present matters for the QC to deal with (if it wasn’t the Sinister show). It makes the world building seem really shaky when these things get totally dropped.

I too would love a closer attention to their continued existence. The fortunate thing about those specific operating systems is that they can still exist and function successfully, beneath the surface of all the crossovers, events, major story arcs, etc. semi-under the radar, and be brought back as needed, in future stories.

I try to appreciate their off-panel status/continued existence like any other major operations system elsewhere in the marvel universe. Like, just because we don't visit the FBI on the regular 'in story' doesn't mean it ceased existing, you know? I've no doubt you're probably doing the same but WOW my day is boring at work today so I jumped at the chance to engage. haha

Viva Krakoa.

[Grunty]

Don’t know if this is controversial, but the Krakoa era has done a really poor job of keeping up with concepts that were introduced as somewhat essential to the ongoing functions of the island. Primarily thinking about X-Factor, X-Corp, and the Hellfire Trading Company. The former seemed like a necessary step when it comes to keeping resurrections going, and the latter two were presented as highly influential to Krakoa’s finances and international relations. Obviously, these concepts don’t have books anymore but you’d think they’d show up in the background of current ongoings or that they’d present matters for the QC to deal with (if it wasn’t the Sinister show). It makes the world building seem really shaky when these things get totally dropped.

This slightly reminds to Torchwood in the Doctor Who franchise.

Basicly in one season, the writers created a longterm mystery arc around a secret government organization called Torchwood. On several occasions both in the past and distant future the Doctor would either run into their members or others would talk about their organization in hushed knowing voices. Then the organization itself appeared in a major storyline set in the present day, got almost entirely wiped out safe and were never heared from again.

Not only in the future, where their lack of appearance makes sense (even if their previous ones don't anymore), but also in the past between the 18th and 20th century where they should have been at the height of power and influence. Basicly the moment the writers were done with the initial Torchwood's storyline, they seemed to consider it too bothersome to keep having to write around them existing in the past and working them into the plots.

Now obviously it's not that drastic here (yet), but i agree that it feels like once their series failed or the plot does not need their major presence anymore, these groups are disregarded. Perhaps because the entire status quo is currently focused on a grand epic big plot going from event to event with everything in between more like detours.

Perhaps X-force might experienced a similar fate if their series wasn't weirdly going stronger than others (likely because it had Wolverine in it).

[marhawkman]

This slightly reminds to Torchwood in the Doctor Who franchise.

Basicly in one season, the writers created a longterm mystery arc around a secret government organization called Torchwood. On several occasions both in the past and distant future the Doctor would either run into their members or others would talk about their organization in hushed knowing voices. Then the organization itself appeared in a major storyline set in the present day, got almost entirely wiped out safe and were never heared from again.

Not only in the future, where their lack of appearance makes sense (even if their previous ones don't anymore), but also in the past between the 18th and 20th century where they should have been at the height of power and influence. Basicly the moment the writers were done with the initial Torchwood's storyline, they seemed to consider it too bothersome to keep having to write around them existing in the past and working them into the plots.

Now obviously it's not that drastic here (yet), but i agree that it feels like once their series failed or the plot does not need their major presence anymore, these groups are disregarded. Perhaps because the entire status quo is currently focused on a grand epic big plot going from event to event with everything in between more like detours.

Perhaps X-force might experienced a similar fate if their series wasn't weirdly going stronger than others (likely because it had Wolverine in it).

This reminds me of Clan Akkaba. They got introduced as a plot element decades ago. After the Dracula incident, Apocalypse disavowed them, and the clan was left with only a handful of members left. but... that was 100 years ago. How much have they grown since then? apparently not much at all.

[Kurolegacy]

Don’t know if this is controversial, but the Krakoa era has done a really poor job of keeping up with concepts that were introduced as somewhat essential to the ongoing functions of the island. Primarily thinking about X-Factor, X-Corp, and the Hellfire Trading Company. The former seemed like a necessary step when it comes to keeping resurrections going, and the latter two were presented as highly influential to Krakoa’s finances and international relations. Obviously, these concepts don’t have books anymore but you’d think they’d show up in the background of current ongoings or that they’d present matters for the QC to deal with (if it wasn’t the Sinister show). It makes the world building seem really shaky when these things get totally dropped.

What’s even stranger is that editorial seems to have essentially turned X-Factor into an afterthought. Ever since X-Factor ended Daken and Aurora went off to the Marauders, Polaris went to the X-Men then off on her own and Rachel went off with Betsy which really only leaves Prodigy, Eyeboy and Northstar. Really makes you wonder how efficiently the team functions with less than half the lineup left.

[Sutekh]

What’s even stranger is that editorial seems to have essentially turned X-Factor into an afterthought. Ever since X-Factor ended Daken and Aurora went off to the Marauders, Polaris went to the X-Men then off on her own and Rachel went off with Betsy which really only leaves Prodigy, Eyeboy and Northstar. Really makes you wonder how efficiently the team functions with less than half the lineup left.

Since X-Factor was the place we saw Wind-Dancer reborn, and Northstar was a popular teacher at the Academy, I like to think that he could rustle up some New X-Men assistance pretty quick. His own squad (Anole, Indra, Rubbermaid, Kidogo, Loa, Network), Prodigy's squadmates not already seen elsewhere (Wallflower, Icarus) and Wind-Dancer and Hellion (also last given speaking lines there, IIRC), could put some boots on the ground. (Prodigy and Wind-Dancers' other squadmates, Surge and Elixir, already have other places to be, although Surge could do that in between War College stuff, as well.)

Of them, Anole, Rubbermaid, Kidogo and Loa all have potential in investigation, sneaking around and searching things out, thanks to their powers, and Wallflower and Network seem like their powers would make some aspects of investigation a snap!

[Sisterhood Of Mutants]

Possible upside, takes away her objectification factor for some (monster form characters are more likely to be dudes like the Thing, not attractive women). Possible downside, minority erasure (by hiding her natural skin tone).

This was my thought, as well. And I’m gonna keep on side-eyeing them when that office stays as white as it is.

It just kind of annoys me because as a flying tank, Monet and Rogue were pretty much it, the only ones, and regardless of how long Rogue has had Carol's powers, they're still borrowed and not even her actual mutant powers. As Penance, Monet becomes a clawed scrapper, diving into combat claws first, like both Wolverines, Daken, Wolfbane, Scout, Feral, Thorn, Catseye, Marrow, Sabertooth, Deathstrike, etc, etc. Team schnikt-bub did *not* need another stabbie.

She went from fairly unique (since Rogue's mutation is not 'flying tank') to one of a dozen.

Plus, shallowest of all reasons, she had a great look.

Why bother spending time and creative energy thinking up new power sets for your fleet of new characters when you can just copy/paste existing ones and focus your energy on their sexy new torn-up outfits?

They’ve been doing that to Rogue, too. (Although in her case, it feels like an almost comically clumsy attempt to deliberately sideline her.) The psychological aspects of her powers were the most interesting part of them, which is what makes them throwing every other character “power mimicry but the best at it with no downsides!!!” as their “thing” so boring to me.

[Sutekh]

They’ve been doing that to Rogue, too. (Although in her case, it feels like an almost comically clumsy attempt to deliberately sideline her.) The psychological aspects of her powers were the most interesting part of them, which is what makes them throwing every other character “power mimicry but the best at it with no downsides!!!” as their “thing” so boring to me.

I feel like Rogue has been terribly underserved by being stuck with Carol's powers for so long, that she's pretty much the iconic flying tank girl for the X-peeps these days, when that *isn't her damn mutant power*. I'd love if she'd joined the X-Men and Xavier had devoted a half-freaking second to helping her learn to control *her own* mutant power (which even Joseph, a clone of Magneto, managed to spend more time working on!). But no, he just sort of let her muddle along, not really helping her at all, because she was 'more useful' as a flying tank who was stuck unable to go anywhere else due to her lack of control.

Remember when Storm lost her actual mutant powers, and *still* was a kickass useful member of the team? I think Rogue could ditch the Carol Danvers-powerset entirely, and still be a capable X-Man, learning to focus her own mutant power to refine it to steal memories, but not life-force, or share powers without knocking people out, or knock people out without downloading their personality into her noggin. 'Cause she's basically got three different touch-based powers, all wrapped up in each other, and if she could actually *choose* which, if any of them, triggered when she touched someone, she could totally rock.

But no. She was stuck for years and years using someone else's powers (IMO, more successfully than Carol herself did, during much of that time...), and mired in the angsty 'can't touch nobody' phase long past it being a sympathetic trait and well into it being kind of tired and boring and making characters that could have helped her with it (like Xavier) look like asses for not even trying.

[marhawkman]

I feel like Rogue has been terribly underserved by being stuck with Carol's powers for so long, that she's pretty much the iconic flying tank girl for the X-peeps these days, when that *isn't her damn mutant power*. I'd love if she'd joined the X-Men and Xavier had devoted a half-freaking second to helping her learn to control *her own* mutant power (which even Joseph, a clone of Magneto, managed to spend more time working on!). But no, he just sort of let her muddle along, not really helping her at all, because she was 'more useful' as a flying tank who was stuck unable to go anywhere else due to her lack of control.

Remember when Storm lost her actual mutant powers, and *still* was a kickass useful member of the team? I think Rogue could ditch the Carol Danvers-powerset entirely, and still be a capable X-Man, learning to focus her own mutant power to refine it to steal memories, but not life-force, or share powers without knocking people out, or knock people out without downloading their personality into her noggin. 'Cause she's basically got three different touch-based powers, all wrapped up in each other, and if she could actually *choose* which, if any of them, triggered when she touched someone, she could totally rock.

But no. She was stuck for years and years using someone else's powers (IMO, more successfully than Carol herself did, during much of that time...), and mired in the angsty 'can't touch nobody' phase long past it being a sympathetic trait and well into it being kind of tired and boring and making characters that could have helped her with it (like Xavier) look like asses for not even trying.

heh, reminds me of a weird trivia, Carol Danvers was the only Kree seen in X-Men: TAS. Loads of Shi'ar and some other races, but not Kree.

[Agent Grayson]

I feel like Rogue has been terribly underserved by being stuck with Carol's powers for so long, that she's pretty much the iconic flying tank girl for the X-peeps these days, when that *isn't her damn mutant power*. I'd love if she'd joined the X-Men and Xavier had devoted a half-freaking second to helping her learn to control *her own* mutant power (which even Joseph, a clone of Magneto, managed to spend more time working on!). But no, he just sort of let her muddle along, not really helping her at all, because she was 'more useful' as a flying tank who was stuck unable to go anywhere else due to her lack of control.

Remember when Storm lost her actual mutant powers, and *still* was a kickass useful member of the team? I think Rogue could ditch the Carol Danvers-powerset entirely, and still be a capable X-Man, learning to focus her own mutant power to refine it to steal memories, but not life-force, or share powers without knocking people out, or knock people out without downloading their personality into her noggin. 'Cause she's basically got three different touch-based powers, all wrapped up in each other, and if she could actually *choose* which, if any of them, triggered when she touched someone, she could totally rock.

But no. She was stuck for years and years using someone else's powers (IMO, more successfully than Carol herself did, during much of that time...), and mired in the angsty 'can't touch nobody' phase long past it being a sympathetic trait and well into it being kind of tired and boring and making characters that could have helped her with it (like Xavier) look like asses for not even trying.

Carey did a great job with a non-powered up Rogue and she's definitely be a force to be reckoned with whether she has superstrength and invulnerability or not. Personally though, I prefer her as a tank - partly due to 90s nostalgia and partly because I think it adds a weight to her charm and outspokenness that she can level a building with a punch.

[Fokken]

What’s even stranger is that editorial seems to have essentially turned X-Factor into an afterthought. Ever since X-Factor ended Daken and Aurora went off to the Marauders, Polaris went to the X-Men then off on her own and Rachel went off with Betsy which really only leaves Prodigy, Eyeboy and Northstar. Really makes you wonder how efficiently the team functions with less than half the lineup left.

I mean, Northstar, Prodigy and Eyeboy are no slouches. Even without the benefit of support from additional team members, they'd do a pretty solid job, but I could definitely see JP and David especially recruiting talent they felt would be appropriate to foster. GAWD I miss X-Factor.

Since X-Factor was the place we saw Wind-Dancer reborn, and Northstar was a popular teacher at the Academy, I like to think that he could rustle up some New X-Men assistance pretty quick. His own squad (Anole, Indra, Rubbermaid, Kidogo, Loa, Network), Prodigy's squadmates not already seen elsewhere (Wallflower, Icarus) and Wind-Dancer and Hellion (also last given speaking lines there, IIRC), could put some boots on the ground. (Prodigy and Wind-Dancers' other squadmates, Surge and Elixir, already have other places to be, although Surge could do that in between War College stuff, as well.)

Of them, Anole, Rubbermaid, Kidogo and Loa all have potential in investigation, sneaking around and searching things out, thanks to their powers, and Wallflower and Network seem like their powers would make some aspects of investigation a snap!

Headcanon Mode Activated!
Give me Prodigy recruiting Hindsight & Morph for their psychometric & psychochemical influence powers respectively (to fill Rachel & Daken's spots)
Bring in Wind Dancer officially to be the resident elemental powerhouse (in place of Polaris) and really explore the versatility of that aerokinesis!
Also bring in Cipher! She's intangible. Invisible. Inaudible. Undetectable. She is STEALTH spy investigation kween.

[Harasar]

I feel like Rogue has been terribly underserved by being stuck with Carol's powers for so long, that she's pretty much the iconic flying tank girl for the X-peeps these days, when that *isn't her damn mutant power*. I'd love if she'd joined the X-Men and Xavier had devoted a half-freaking second to helping her learn to control *her own* mutant power (which even Joseph, a clone of Magneto, managed to spend more time working on!). But no, he just sort of let her muddle along, not really helping her at all, because she was 'more useful' as a flying tank who was stuck unable to go anywhere else due to her lack of control.

Remember when Storm lost her actual mutant powers, and *still* was a kickass useful member of the team? I think Rogue could ditch the Carol Danvers-powerset entirely, and still be a capable X-Man, learning to focus her own mutant power to refine it to steal memories, but not life-force, or share powers without knocking people out, or knock people out without downloading their personality into her noggin. 'Cause she's basically got three different touch-based powers, all wrapped up in each other, and if she could actually *choose* which, if any of them, triggered when she touched someone, she could totally rock.

But no. She was stuck for years and years using someone else's powers (IMO, more successfully than Carol herself did, during much of that time...), and mired in the angsty 'can't touch nobody' phase long past it being a sympathetic trait and well into it being kind of tired and boring and making characters that could have helped her with it (like Xavier) look like asses for not even trying.

Totally agree. Marvel seems to be unable to let their nostalgia go and keep returning Rogue to the same powerset. First Ms.Marvel's, then Sunfire's and now Wonder Man's. And I've lost track of how many times she learned to control her power, then lost control, gained it again, lost again, ad infinitum.

IMHO the best portrayal of Rogue in the last few decades was in X-Men Evolution where she actually used her power all the time, instead of retaining someone else's powerset forever.

[HeartofTheStoriesWeTell]

What’s even stranger is that editorial seems to have essentially turned X-Factor into an afterthought. Ever since X-Factor ended Daken and Aurora went off to the Marauders, Polaris went to the X-Men then off on her own and Rachel went off with Betsy which really only leaves Prodigy, Eyeboy and Northstar. Really makes you wonder how efficiently the team functions with less than half the lineup left.

to be fair they can easily introduce a new member or two anytime they need to. It's not like X teams don't swap members all the time

[HeartofTheStoriesWeTell]

Totally agree. Marvel seems to be unable to let their nostalgia go and keep returning Rogue to the same powerset. First Ms.Marvel's, then Sunfire's and now Wonder Man's. And I've lost track of how many times she learned to control her power, then lost control, gained it again, lost again, ad infinitum.

Rogue should have full control (I am fine with if it requires touch) but I don't care if she keeps the flying brick powers too