Thursday, August 9, 2012

Avengers vs. X-men: Thoughts and Reflections from New Avengers #29

I was planning to do one more review this week. One book in particular I wanted to touch on was New Avengers #29. I know I haven't touched on many of the Avengers tie-ins for Avengers vs. X-men. Again, that shit isn't my fault. Blame God for only giving us 24 hours in a day, which is hardly enough to live life as an honorable drunk and review all the comics I want. But after reading New Avengers, I decided to do something different. This was one of those issues that was really one of those aside issues where we get a break from the spectacle of seeing two superhero teams beat the shit out of each other and have prominent characters actually talk about what's going on. It may not sound very exciting, but it's shit like this that helps tie the overall story together and give it a fuller context.

One of the biggest moments in Avengers vs. X-men #8 (you know, aside from Namor decimating a whole fucking country) was Professor Xavier finally coming out form wherever he was sitting by twiddling his thumbs to scold Cyclops for...well, I don't know what the fuck he was so mad about. Cyclops to that point had been leading the Phoenix Five on a world-wide tour of utopian peace. He wasn't preaching mutant supremacy. He wasn't waving his dick in the faces of world leaders saying mutants are better than humans and they need to accept that or he'll rip off their dicks and burn them with cosmic fire. He was basically going around the world and saying all this war and violence and shit was no longer cool. It was time to listen to John Lennon for once and give peace a chance. So why the fuck was Xavier and the rest of the Avengers for that matter trying to shit all over that peace?

Well New Avengers #29 takes place before Avengers vs. X-men #8. So this is before the Phoenix Five showed any inclinations that may or may not lead them to wiping out a country. It starts with a quick flashback that helps remind readers that way back in the dog days of World War II, Captain America and Namor were basically war buddies. Hell, they were war BFFs. So him being part of the Phoenix Five is more personal than you see in the actual series. But that just sets the emotional backdrop. The meat of this issue centers around a meeting organized by Captain America, Iron Man, Dr. Strange, Reed Richards, and Professor Xavier. Together, they make up the Marvel version of the Illuminati, but not the Dan Brown kind and not the kind that you hear about on the Alex Jones radio show.


What they discuss is pretty basic, but pretty deep. They all take a moment to process what's happening. They knew the Phoenix was coming, but they done fucked it up by throwing one of Iron Man's untested gizmos at it. Now the Phoenix has five X-men in it's grasp and they're literally reshaping the world with their power without any oversight or any accountability. That's a perfectly legitimate reason to be worried, but it's Professor Xavier's stake in it that makes this shit personal.

Now I've already pointed out that Xavier was a massive tool in how he basically attacked Cyclops in Avengers vs. X-men #8 for shit that he didn't cause. Namor was the one that attacked Wakanda. Emma was the one that used the power of the Phoenix and her pussy (mostly her pussy) to tempt Namor into attacking. So why single Cyclops out? He flat out admitted in the next issue that he wasn't in a position to control Namor. Cosmic force or not, Namor is going to flex his ego in ways that can destroy countries and soak panties (and sometimes both). But in this issue, Xavier says that Cyclops is taking everything he was taught and twisting it. My only response is what the fuck is Xavier drinking and where can I get some?


Here's a little X-men 101. Going all the way back to the Lee/Kirby era, Xavier taught his X-men to use their powers to protect a world that hates and fears them. He taught them to use their powers to serve mankind and not dominate them. Well that's exactly what Cyclops is doing to the nth degree. He's taking the power of the Phoenix and using it to not only protect the world, but make it a much better place. He's not demanding worship or statues made out of diamond and children's tears. He's not oppressing the poor, hoarding the wealth, or plundering resources. He's using his powers to make the world better for both humans and mutants alike. He's giving them reasons to actually live in peace and going after the assholes that would threaten it, but without killing them. Was there a lesson I missed? Did Xavier somehow throw in a footnote that said "Oh, and don't try to solve all the world's problems even when you have the power to do so. Because that would be just too easy."

But I'm not the only one that notices this. It's not just crazy fans with blogs and drinking problems that have noticed that Cyclops's behavior is pretty much fully in line with Xavier's dream. Reed Richards comes out and proves with cold hard facts that the Phoenix Five are doing some damn good shit in the world. They're not attacking the Avengers, nor are they asking for them to surrender and carry a sign that says "I'm a douchebag and I was wrong" around their necks for the rest of their lives. He points out that poverty is down, crime is down, conflict is down, and the world is objectively safer with a cosmic force now protecting it. You think the Skrulls, the Kree, or even fucking Galactus would come near Earth knowing they have to deal with the fucking Phoenix?

Moreover, he also points out that the only time the Phoenix Five are getting volatile is when the Avengers annoy them. That's like hitting a beehive with a baseball bat and then whining when you get stung. It's also worth noting that they're the ones that attacked Utopia with a full scale invasion, demanding that they hand over their mutant messiah so they could take on a force they've had next to no experience confronting. Reed Richards is a smart man, one of the smartest in the Marvel universe even. Yet he's able to understand this and maybe his absence in Avengers vs. X-men is a reflection on it. Now he doesn't address the lingering concerns about the Phoenix's history of corruption and the lack of accountability with the Phoenix Five. But he makes a strong point about them basically creating a self-fulfilling prophecy by pestering them until they get pissed enough to throw their cosmic power back in their faces.


Herein lies what has become a microcosm of the Avengers vs. X-men story and one I'm sure Marvel planned from the beginning. Both sides have valid concerns. Neither the Avengers nor the X-men can be considered villains. It's much more gray than it was in Civil War. At least with that you assume the heroes that sided with the government were going to get screwed over. There is simply no other endgame when your on the same side as the fucking IRS. But Avengers vs. X-men has a very different set of circumstances.

For one, the Avengers started this mess. Their bullshit and their lack of experience in confronting the Phoenix Force is what led to this meeting in New Avengers #29 in the first place. It's easy to forget that it was Tony Stark's machine that made the Phoenix Five and it was the Avengers invading Utopia to steal Hope that led to the fucking Limbo prison. But the X-men are also assholes for thinking they can use this force that wipes it's ass with entire planets to kick start they're dying race. They're basically dancing on top of a mountain of nitro glycerine in hopes that they can control the Phoenix. To this point, they did with the Phoenix Five. They were making the world a better place, but the Avengers couldn't let it go because they felt it was only a matter of time before the Phoenix Five became corrupt. They may have hastened this process, but their concerns are valid.

In the end, the only clear line is the one that makes Charles Xavier a complete asshole. I can't for the life of me figure out why he's committing to stopping Cyclops when he's not the problem here. Why not Emma Frost? Why not Namor? Why not Magik? Why not focus on the people who actually have a history of abusing power in some very nasty ways? Does Xavier really believe that Cyclops will lose his mind before Emma freakin' Frost? I cannot for the life of me see the logic in that. Maybe I'm just smoking the wrong strain of weed, but Xavier is the only one in this event thus far that is dead wrong on damn near every level.

Issues like New Avengers #29 leave you wondering just what forces are at play here and who is ultimately responsible? Both the Avengers and the X-men are at fault, but neither seems to be seeing the big picture. With Act 1 and Act 2 now complete, they've already passed the point of no return. The Phoenix is becoming corrupt and it's only a matter of time before it ditches what's left of the Phoenix Five and moves onto it's next host (which will probably have red hair and green eyes and won't be named Jean Grey). However this event ends, it still leaves the question. Who's to blame? The Avengers attacked, but the X-men picked the battlefield. Marvel has done an excellent job balancing this event so far and Act 3 promises to bring it all together while giving fans like me plenty of reasons to get drunk and rant about it on the internet. Nuff said!

17 comments:

  1. Love your blog. You are partially responsible for making me fall off the "No More Comic Books" wagon after 9 years.

    Your issues about Xavier might make a bit of sense if you remember he has a biological son, David, whom Scott ordered Magneto to kill a few months back. Also, Scott kicked Xavier out of the X-Men and the X-Mansion a few years back, even though the X-Men were founded and funded by Xavier and the mansion is on his ancestral estate. I think any man would be annoyed at having a squater live in his house, spend his money, evict him and try and have his best friend kill his child.

    For me, the issue is not that Xavier is taking this stand, but why is he still feeling guilty over it? Since David was not on earth when M-Day happened and has the power of total genetic diversity, and Scott has admitted his number one goal for a very long time has been ensuring mutants endure, how long will it be until Phoenix Scott shows up with a condom and a cattle prod looking for David?

    Sorry I have to post anonymously. You don't have a Facebook option and I refuse to join Google. (Facebook is already sucking out my soul, so I have nothing to offer Google.)

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    1. Thanks! Glad you're enjoying my blog and glad it could shake you out of your comic apathy. Now I understand what you're saying about Xavier, but it's a two-way street. Xavier did more than his share of shenanigans to warrant being kicked out of the X-men. And even if they were warranted, that doesn't amount to shit here because Cyclops still hasn't done anything remotely worth condemning.

      Also, I am on Facebook. Just look up X-men Supreme or Jack Fisher. I'm there! Thanks for the comment!

      Jack

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    2. I checked Facebook and they came up zip for X-Men Supreme and there are some pretty scary looking Jack Fishers out there.

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  2. I wholeheartedly agree with you. That has been one of my biggest problems with Avengers vs. X-men the entire time. The X-Men really havent done anything wrong. Its been mostly those asshole Avengers who cant let go of the fact that for once they're not the ones in control of anything, the X-Men are and there is nothing the Avengers can do to stop it. Hell, Captain America practically admits this in this issue. He practically said that they cant take the X-Men at all. It would have been a different story if they could. Maybe they wouldnt be vilified like have been if the Avengers could take them. But they cant. The X-Men in actuality are normal people with special powers who just want to be normal and live their lives, and by being alive and in a world that hates/fears them, they're forced to learn to protect themselves. Cyclops has had to pretty much sacrifice any hope of having a normal life for the good of his people, something that Xavier doesnt really understand. His dream came with a cost. Also, if Xavier really wanted to give his input on the Phoenix situation, he should have been there when everything started. Even that traitor Wolverine pretty much saw that, hence his issues in Schism. The only thing that the X-Men could probably be faulted for is basically firing the first shot, and that was in self defense.

    As a huge X-Men fan, it pains me to see Beast, Quicksilver, Scarlet Witch, and Wolverine basically turn their back on their race for personal reasons (Quicksilver's hatred of his father for reasons that still dont make any sense given Magneto's history, Wolverine's hatred of Cyclops for allowing a child to kill the people who would have otherwise killed them in a heartbeat, Beast's shortsightedness for hating the fact that a former villain who is basically doing all he can to right his wrongs on the the team.) The Avengers are now just basically instigators, turning loyal mutants like Storm and Rogue against their own people just to get more manpower on their team to deal with the Phoenix.

    Then theres that bratty ass Hope Summers who really doesnt know anything about the Phoenix, yet sides with the people who are as clueless as she is just because she's tired of being trained. This entire event has been the Avengers basically bullying the X-Men and getting pissed off when they fight back (like when Falcon, Moon Knight, She Hulk, and the Iron Man drone went to the Jean Grey school and attacked children for no reason.) Hell, even the mighty god of thunder Thor basically beat the mutant CHILDREN in order to find hope. Those children had nothing to do with anything yet the Avengers felt the need to bully them because they can. I understand the fear of what could happen and being desparate to get the information needed, but does that give them the right to attack CHILDREN? Could anyone really blame the X-Men for locking up the people that keep repeatedly attacking them when they just want to live in peace? Those damn Avengers are being complete assholes because for once they're not the ones who can save the world and they dont understand anything. At least T'Challa, for a time, didnt have an issue with them until Namor acted on his own to attack Wakanda. News Flash: Namor has always been a fucking hothead. I feel the real problem that started this entire thing is Wolverine who basically got in Cap's ear and Cap being clueless about the situation, just listened to him.

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    1. Thanks for the comment! And you're right to a point. The X-men haven't done too much wrong, but Namor bucked that trend when he destroyed Wakanda and Emma bucked it when she murdered that guy for something he did when Regan was still president. But you have to wonder how much of this is because the Avengers are attacking the X-men? If they just sat back and did nothing, would that really fuck shit up nearly as much? When laziness seems like a better alternative, that's usually a sign that you done fucked up on some levels. And I'm not surprised that Hope is making some shit calls here. She's done so much to make you want to hate her guts that it's hard to be surprised anymore. Fuck, I hope she dies in this series, but knowing Marvel she probably won't. Go figure.

      Jack

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  3. It just pains me that this is basically an excuse by Marvel to de-legitimize the X-Men by making them out to be villains in order to capitalize on the popularity of the Avengers. The X-Men, along with Spider Man, carried Marvel through the 90s and into the 2000s and all the sudden one movie comes out (Iron Man 1) and now they want to basically destroy one of the most popular super teams (if not the most popular) by separating them and having the core members like Wolverine, Beast, Storm, and Rogue defect. Its not right.

    Sorry for my long post. Its just that I love the X-Men with everything in my being and it saddens me that they're being treated this way when the Avengers, in fact caused this.

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    1. I know. It's a total load that the X-men are coming off as the bad guys here and they're clearly not. The Avengers do have some responsibility because they're the ones that flat out split the Phoenix with their bullshit. But that's subtle. What the X-men do isn't. And it's the subtle shit that stinks the most. Thanks for the comment!

      Jack

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  4. Well said. I also like how they all blame Charles' useless ass when Tony is the one who splintered the Phoenix in the first place and is sitting at the same table? And why the fuck does Wolverine think he is the only man capable (he isn't, capable that is) of killing a Phoenix host? I'm pretty sure if the PF rolled up to earth to find rip-off dead, it would have no reason not to torch the planet. I have a hard time not siding with the X-men seeing as the Avengers for however many other Phoenix encounters couldn't be bothered but this time they suddenly have to take Hope? Basically they have sour grapes because they don't have shit to do but fuck with/corrupt Phoenix powered X-men because they are obsolete.

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    1. I don't think they blamed Charles as much as they blamed themselves. They're right to blame each other, but the way they're dealing with it reminds me of how a guy with anger management issues deals with it by torturing small animals. Nothing good can come from it. And with three issues of AvX left, there's still a chance that they're realize their shit. But I'm not holding my breath.

      Jack

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  6. I can't really call it a true Utopia. If the leaders said they weren't going togive up thier weapons would that have stopped Cyclops? This is a Utopia of Force those never work. As for why thier singling Scott out I think he or Emma is going to kill Xavier.

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    1. Sorry, but I don't buy it. The people they're telling to fork over their weapons are the kind of people that use children as shooting practice. See X-men Legacy with Frenzy for proof.

      Jack

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    2. I think they said that to all nations. Magneto made the same kind of demands in the first X-men issue. See the linkara's review for X-men #1 for proof But hey it's just an opinion.

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    3. I don't think Magneto's little speech to the world is the same as what the Phoenix Five did. He didn't attempt to make the world a better place. He attempted to separate mutants from it. The Phoenix Five actually sought to improve the world with their powers. I think that's a big fucking difference and one that shouldn't be understated in the grand scheme of things.

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  7. This whole event might make me swear off Marvel as a whole. The writers aren't even trying. I think my tipping point was when Namor attacked Wakanda and the Star Spangled Hypocrite was going off on this proves what a monster Scott Summers is, but please let me go and try to talk Namor down. T'Challa should have turned the gun on him right there. I think his real crime is two-fold. One: he is in Wolverine's way. Two: he told Steve Rogers no.

    Rothstein-Smash

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  8. Your point about Xavier getting pissed before the pheonix 5 have lost control is excellent...

    In this issue, Reed Richards makes an excellent comment to Captain Facist...oops, I mean, Captain America.

    "This isn't someone trying to ruin us. They ARE allies and they ARE fixing things. The only ones getting hurt here are you because you keep poking them with a stick..."

    How much clearer could it be? To this point, the Pheonix Five:
    - Haven't attacked anyone.
    - Haven't killed anyone.
    - Haven't taken over another country
    - Haven't TRIED to take over another country

    In short, they've broken no international laws, have hurt no one that hasn't first attacked them, and OH BY THE WAY have
    - Brought clean water to the thirsty
    - Brought food to the hungry
    - Brought peace to the war torn...

    And Xavier is...ANGRY with Scott??? WTF?

    Xavier: Scott! I'm so ashamed of you. I KNOW I taught you better!
    Scott: Um... I've given people free food, clean water, and ended wars...
    Xavier: I'm talking about that OTHER thing!!!
    Scott: You mean the free energy?
    Xavier: No, no, no!!! That other thing!!!
    Scott: What other thing would that be?
    Xavier: You know... Where you start to lose control and become evil!!!
    Scott: That hasn't happened...
    Xavier: Um...What? I believe it has...
    Scott: Nope.. not yet. That's a few issues down the road... At this point it's pretty good.
    Xavier: Oh.. well.. then.. Never mind.


    The root of the problem here is that Marvel loves these event driven 'things' now. (Avengers vs X-Men, Civil War, House of M, Dark Reign) and they have to FORCE situations that would simply never occur. They have to FORCE them to have the good guys fighting each other.

    AND THEN, because they have so many different series tied in to the events, it's hard to time things right... I'm guessing this conversation is SUPPOSED to take place much later.

    By the way... Did anyone else notice how Captain America gave Tony Stark a rash of crap for calling a secret meeting of powerful leaders when he is doing EXACTLY that at that very moment?

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    1. You've summed it up nicely, my friend! Xavier has been pretty much MIA from the X-men since Age of X. He didn't ever confront Cyclops about his Extinction Team. And he never tried to actually talk to Cyclops after he got the Phoenix. He just started yelling at him. Now I'm not an expert in parenting or peaceful negotiations, but I'm pretty sure that yelling never helped anything. Or maybe I'm just doing the wrong kind of yelling. Who knows?

      Jack

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