Friday, March 8, 2013

X-men Supreme Reflections: Alex Summers PREVIEW and New Commission!

Ever since I started the X-men Supreme fanfiction series, I've tried to give plenty of weight to the more personal issues that the X-men face. Marvel comics has given me plenty to work with in that regard. That's why I often focus on relationships and family dramas. I've already explored the many conflicts between Mystique, Rogue, and Nightcrawler. I've also explored the most famous love triangle in X-men with Cyclops, Jean Grey, and Wolverine. But one personal conflict that I've only recently begun to explore involves Cyclops's younger brother, Alex Summers. He was introduced in the District X arc as a strong, confrontational fighter that was capable of leading other mutants into conflict, much like his brother. But unlike his brother, he was far more brash and hot-headed. This culminated with his departure from District X and his joining Magneto and the Brotherhood of Mutants.

In the X-men Supreme fanfiction series, Havok is a young, immature character with with many unresolved issues. He despises his brother and the world that rejected him. But like everyone else in X-men Supreme, he has a reason for being the way he is. I've offered a few hints in this fanfiction series as to where he and Cyclops diverged. They walked the same road, but Havok chose a very different path. What could have led him to chose that path? Now that he's part of the Brotherhood of Mutants on the island nation of Genosha, he's poised to have a very significant impact on the future of the X-men Supreme fanfiction series. As such, he's a very fitting focus for the final entry of X-men Supreme Reflections: Volume 3! Expect to learn more about this renegade teenager who has thrust himself into the largest conflicts in X-men Supreme. As always, I've prepared a brief preview here on this website and an extended preview of what you can expect from the life and story of Alex Summers.

When Scott finally awoke from his coma, there was already another challenge before me. Since there was no telling how injured my older brother was at the time, the state wanted to separate us. I was perfectly healthy even if I was traumatized and the social worker assigned to our case wanted to get me into a foster home. This time I didn’t stand for it. I fought back, saying I wasn’t going to leave my brother. He was family and that was it. At one point they tried to drag me away. I kept on fighting, but not with your typical kicking and screaming. I actually bit the social worker and poked her in the eye. That left such an impact the social worker quit our case and let someone else take over. This time it was someone smart enough to keep me and Scott together.

My brother proved pretty damn tough and made a full recovery…physically anyways. Once the hospital cleared him, an old army friend of my dad’s had us taken to this special orphanage in New York City for the children of veterans. It wasn’t your typical orphanage at all. This place was operating under the US military’s dollar so we had it pretty nice compared to other orphans…nice being another relative term. It didn’t even call it an orphanage. They called it a “group home” to be politically correct. It basically had all the essentials: food, clothes, shelter, and a warm bed. While it may have been comfortable, it certainly wasn’t what you would call a cheerful environment. A lot of these kids were pretty damaged. Scott and I were in a league of our own.

Before we even got used to the place, I encountered a major challenge that would plague me for the next decade or so. Once we moved in, my brother took it upon himself to baby me through this rough transition. It’s like he became dad all of the sudden. He never left my side, always trying to fight my battles for me so that I wouldn’t have to. That would have been great if I was still weak and feeble. In a ways I was, but what really got on my nerves was that he never gave me room to grow. When we started off, we were in this fight together and we couldn’t have been closer. Over time, this unofficial family structure that Scott and only Scott imposed drove us apart.

Years went by and it got easier at a painfully slow rate. Every so often, we would get some potential foster parents. We even stayed with a couple of families briefly, but being young and angry it wasn’t easy calling someone else my parents. It was sort of my way of showing Scott and everybody around me that I was a fighter. I didn’t need to be propped up because I was young and weak. I admit now that I was probably a little overly aggressive back then. It’s not like I didn’t have reason. I was nowhere near as disciplined as my big brother, but I could tell he was fuming just as much as I was. He never showed it even when he probably should have. Between the two of us, we were unadoptable.

Those failed foster families really didn’t bring me and Scott any closer. As I got older he got more obsessive. It was like he wanted to hold my hand through everything and not let me grow on my own. I called him out on this so many times and his response was never all that reasonable. Simply because he was older and he took it upon himself to look after me meant that somehow he had the authority. I didn’t understand it and didn’t care to. He also didn’t let me return the favor. When he turned ten he started getting these headaches and from time to time, his eyes would flash red. I wasn’t scared, but I was worried. Scott’s standard response was to just brush it off, wearing sunglasses to cover them up. He would never talk about it with me. He didn’t want to worry me. Except I’m his brother, I deserve to worry even if I was younger.

When I wasn’t clashing with Scott, I was clashing with pretty much everyone else. The people that ran the orphanage treated me like I was sick. They kept trying to counsel me and I always got so angry at them. I probably came off as a little brat to them, but they would probably react the same way if someone was always treating them like they were weak when you were fighting every day to be stronger. Something had to give and that’s when fate threw me and Scott a wildcard.


In addition to the preview, I also have another exciting update in the pics section, courtesy of our old friend Brian Brinlee. He has contributed yet another beautiful commission to the X-men Supreme fanfiction series. This time he took one of the most sinister scenes in X-men Supreme Volume 2: War Powers and brought it to life both literally and figuratively. The scene came from the pages of Issue 33: Sinister Intent Part 2. It is a scene that marks the X-men's first confrontation with Mr. Sinister. He abducted Cyclops, Jean Grey, and Rogue and had them at his mercy for what would be the first, but certainly not the last confrontation in X-men Supreme! I think Mr. Brinlee did another awesome job and I encourage everyone to check it out!



I know in the previous two volumes of X-men Supreme Reflections I've focused on five characters. Well, I decided to go a different route for X-men Supreme Reflections Volume 3. I know there are many characters to explore and there are some I do intend to get to eventually. However, at this point in the story I feel four will be sufficient. And with the events of X-men Supreme Volume 3: Ashes of Hope still reverberating, I'm eager to get started on X-men Supreme Volume 4! While I know X-men Supreme Reflections doesn't garner as much feedback, I still strongly encourage everyone to provide feedback in whatever way they can. Either post your comments in the comments section or contact me directly with your feedback. Either way is fine. As always, I deeply appreciate those who have supported the X-men Supreme fanfiction series and continue to do so! Until next time, take care and best wishes. Excelsior!

Jack

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