Why haven't any of the Black Male X-men caught on other than Bishop?

[CRaymond]

with mutants, they very much are their power set. the rarer the power or visual, the more likely they are to get page time. Ev's problem is that his power is the very opposite of rare. by design, he's copying whomever is already in the story.

Which is functionally why reactive powers are problematic. I've already suggested the thematic problems. This isn't to say characters like Bishop and Prodigy can't be plumbed for drama or depth, but it is exactly why characters like Synch, Darwin, Shaw, and Gideon are fodder.

Prodigy has a power that can only be described as psychic --despite being very, very niche. What if he looks around at Xavier and Emma's duplicity, Phoenix-level catastrophes, Chamber's body, Rachel's mess, Betsy Braddock and Kwannon's nonsense, dudes like Shadow King and Malice... and DOESN'T want to explore and expand his powers to full-on telepathy? That's got anxiety and adversity written all over it. He's at a school where he SHOULD be the school's 'headboy', but he's looking at a bleak, villainous future.

[Michael Watkins]

Which is functionally why reactive powers are problematic. I've already suggested the thematic problems. This isn't to say characters like Bishop and Prodigy can't be plumbed for drama or depth, but it is exactly why characters like Synch, Darwin, Shaw, and Gideon are fodder.

Prodigy has a power that can only be described as psychic --despite being very, very niche. What if he looks around at Xavier and Emma's duplicity, Phoenix-level catastrophes, Chamber's body, Rachel's mess, Betsy Braddock and Kwannon's nonsense, dudes like Shadow King and Malice... and DOESN'T want to explore and expand his powers to full-on telepathy? That's got anxiety and adversity written all over it. He's at a school where he SHOULD be the school's 'headboy', but he's looking at a bleak, villainous future.

i certainly want to see more of him; especially if he has an agenda. i'm quite disappointed that nothing became of him stealing that information database from the Hood.

[Agent Z]

A truly successful character will have hir own niche. Wonder Woman is confused with Superman in some minds specifically because their powers are so similar. For example, the X-Men’s Iceman is the prototype for all ice-powered characters like Frozone, Killer Frost, Elsa, and Sub-Zero. Black Lightning is similarly the centerpoint for iterations on “electricity-powered”. Sunfire, for all his potential as an Asian male, Japanese nationalist, and potential LGBT+ is still just another fire-blasting flyer in a world that already has a very, very popular one.

KB is right about coal/volcano/ember/ground-based” niche of “fire”. What is the status of the old Thunderbolts character Charcoal? GAH https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charcoal_(comics) Effing hell. Dead, and in legal limbo.

Ugh Charcoal would've been perfect. Young, powerful, and a powerset that could require mentoring from a variety of strong X-Men personalities. Transformation with Colossus and White Queen, Thermal powers with Iceman and Sunfire, Energy with Gambit or Cyclops, elemental powers with Rictor and Storm... Disney pay the poor people.

Wonder Woman is still a popular character in her own right despite her similarities to Superman. And as I said, the Human Torch isn't a big deal right now. With the marketing and writing, Sun Spot and/or Sunfire could eclipse him in popularity.

[CRaymond]

Wonder Woman is still a popular character in her own right despite her similarities to Superman. And as I said, the Human Torch isn't a big deal right now. With the marketing and writing, Sun Spot and/or Sunfire could eclipse him in popularity.

What’s it like only reading every third word in my posts?

[Havok83]

Wonder Woman is still a popular character in her own right despite her similarities to Superman. And as I said, the Human Torch isn't a big deal right now. With the marketing and writing, Sun Spot and/or Sunfire could eclipse him in popularity.

Doubt it especially with the FF back in the books and back with Marvel Studios, ready to use that franchise. Although not used often, Johnny gets used more in video games. Johnny would need to be dormant for quite some time for Sunspot and/or Sunfire to even match his popularity (let alone surpass it) and realistically, thats not happening anytime soon. Johnny is 1/4th of a major franchise and will always be a major face when its used. Sunspot and Sunfire barely register in their respective franchise, although Bobby at least gets an opportunity to shine if and when Marvel wants to make New Mutants a thing but the Fantastic Four will always be more well known

[skyvolt2000]

I don't need Bobby to be bigger than Johnny Storm.

I just need him at the table.

Miles Morales is not bigger than Peter but look at how bigger and better the Spiderverse is with Miles, Gwen, Venom, Carnage, Silkk and others.

Nobody knew who Miles, Carol & Black Panther were-then came 3 movies. Now Marvel has a bigger playground to play in.

Unlike DC there is no rush to bring i FF or X-Men-they can take their time and get it right with them.

The goal of the X-office should be EXPANDING the playground beyond the same white folks.

That means resume building.

Why can't we get a story of a villain trying to get into his head to destroy Marvel? We got Z list Carnage folks with minis. Even Deadpool merc's got books.

[Agent Z]

What’s it like only reading every third word in my posts?

Could ask the same of you.

[JudicatorPrime]

the rarer the power or visual, the more likely they are to get page time. Ev's problem is that his power is the very opposite of rare. by design, he's copying whomever is already in the story.

The problem isn't the rarity of power. The X-Men have multiple characters running around with similar power sets. You can't walk two steps without bumping into a psi, or a Wolverine clone.

Also worth pointing out, Everett was able to use whatever powers he adapted to their utmost potential. People loved it when Emma took over Bobby's powers and then proceeded to demonstrate all of the ways that he could use those abilities -- ways that Bobby never dreamed. That's how I saw Synch.

But I'll go one step further. Because Ev had the ability to integrate multiple types of powers, he could have achieved a synergy that was unique visually and effectually from the root powers. Take Ice Man and Havoc. We know what their powers are and what they can do. Now imagine Synch adapting both and integrating them into a single attack: a blistering blue cosmic cold wave burst that disintegrates matter on contact, or absorbs energy, or cold fusion. Something different and perhaps greater than the sum of the parts. If a writer cared to, they could have a ball with Synch's combinations, all of them being sufficiently unique because Synch's aura is constantly coming up with new effects. Like a colorist taking yellow ink and blue ink to make green. What the original powers were would no longer matter. And no one but the most simplest of minds would ever say that he's just a copy cat. Synch would have been much, much more than that.

But instead of exploring the possibilities, they wanted him dead. So dead is what we got.

[CRaymond]

Like a colorist taking yellow ink and blue ink to make green.

FR? I'd never heard Synch was able to fuse powers the way Crystal Gems fuse.

[Marvell2100]

hmmm. well sure. he's also the black male character on the team. but there's no longer a team. Everett's strengths are what make him hard to use. he comes without drama, for the most part. he's just a good dude who happens to be black and able to duplicate/optimally use the powers of other mutants in his vicinity. now if he were able to retain those powers is some kind of mental archive, i could see a writer wanting to play with that. but don't kid yourself. with mutants, they very much are their power set. the rarer the power or visual, the more likely they are to get page time. Ev's problem is that his power is the very opposite of rare. by design, he's copying whomever is already in the story.

Not true at all. With so many duplicate powersets among mutants, how do you differentiate them? By character and motivation.

Synch's powerset is more than just copying a mutant when he uses it better and more effective than the original. And his character is so different than so many others.

That's what makes the difference.

[Marvell2100]

The problem isn't the rarity of power. The X-Men have multiple characters running around with similar power sets. You can't walk two steps without bumping into a psi, or a Wolverine clone.

Also worth pointing out, Everett was able to use whatever powers he adapted to their utmost potential. People loved it when Emma took over Bobby's powers and then proceeded to demonstrate all of the ways that he could use those abilities -- ways that Bobby never dreamed. That's how I saw Synch.

But I'll go one step further. Because Ev had the ability to integrate multiple types of powers, he could have achieved a synergy that was unique visually and effectually from the root powers. Take Ice Man and Havoc. We know what their powers are and what they can do. Now imagine Synch adapting both and integrating them into a single attack: a blistering blue cosmic cold wave burst that disintegrates matter on contact, or absorbs energy, or cold fusion. Something different and perhaps greater than the sum of the parts. If a writer cared to, they could have a ball with Synch's combinations, all of them being sufficiently unique because Synch's aura is constantly coming up with new effects. Like a colorist taking yellow ink and blue ink to make green. What the original powers were would no longer matter. And no one but the most simplest of minds would ever say that he's just a copy cat. Synch would have been much, much more than that.

But instead of exploring the possibilities, they wanted him dead. So dead is what we got.

What this dude said.

[JudicatorPrime]

FR? I'd never heard Synch was able to fuse powers the way Crystal Gems fuse.

That's my point. The writers were so caught up in asking "Why?" that they forgot to ask "Why not?" If they had done that with Magneto, no one would ever confuse him for being the living, breathing answer to the Unified Field Theory of physics, instead of a simple scrap iron manipulator.

[CRaymond]

That's my point. The writers were so caught up in asking "Why?" that they forgot to ask "Why not?" If they had done that with Magneto, no one would ever confuse him for being the living, breathing answer to the Unified Field Theory of physics, instead of a simple scrap iron manipulator.

Well now. I’ll roll up my sleeves for some theoretical story development. What you describe IS interesting, but potentially walks us into OP territory. Combine telepathy with pyrokinesis and Everett makes heads explode.

[hulkling]

i certainly want to see more of him; especially if he has an agenda. i'm quite disappointed that nothing became of him stealing that information database from the Hood.

Prodigy has been repowered? the last I knew he has been in young avengers related series but he isnt a mutant again

[dkrook]

I don't need Bobby to be bigger than Johnny Storm.

I just need him at the table.

Miles Morales is not bigger than Peter but look at how bigger and better the Spiderverse is with Miles, Gwen, Venom, Carnage, Silkk and others.

Nobody knew who Miles, Carol & Black Panther were-then came 3 movies. Now Marvel has a bigger playground to play in.

Unlike DC there is no rush to bring i FF or X-Men-they can take their time and get it right with them.

The goal of the X-office should be EXPANDING the playground beyond the same white folks.

That means resume building.

Why can't we get a story of a villain trying to get into his head to destroy Marvel? We got Z list Carnage folks with minis. Even Deadpool merc's got books.

100% agreed! Far as Bishop, or Synch's powerset being an a shackle for as writing them as being written to prominence in X-Men, that theory is pure isht! Wolverine has such a bland and many times over duplicated powerset. There are dupes that even have claws like him now. No, the special thing about him is the personality, and that is solely on the writers and editors plan and simple. Synch for example has almost an identical set of traits as Cyclops with the addition of a more pleasant demeanor. You telling me that all of a sudden that people who are paid professionals can't imagine what confident, strong leader looks like minus the stoicism???