X-men Supreme Issue 159: Unholy Man Part 1 is LIVE!

Things in the X-men Supreme fanfiction series are getting more and more complicated lately. Ever since the events of X-men Supreme Issue 148: New Divide, the stakes have changed. It’s not enough for the X-men to just be heroes anymore. They can’t just thwart the likes of Magneto, Sinister, and the Mutant Liberation Front and hope that it inspires peace. In a controversial move, Charles Xavier dared to upend his dream to team up with the likes of President Kelly and General Grimshaw in a partnership that he calls the Mutant Monitoring Initiative. That effort has taken this fanfiction series in a very different direction. Compared to previous eras, X-men Supreme Volume 7: United and Divided may very well be the most dramatic to date.

It’s not just because Xavier’s divisions divided the team, driving Cyclops and Wolverine to quit the X-men and form X-Force. He’s taking a huge risk in hopes of putting the X-men in a better position. Throughout this fanfiction series, Xavier has made his share of mistakes. Some of them nearly cost him his life, so much so that he had to leave the X-men briefly during X-men Supreme Volume 6: Liberation Decimation. It’s understandable that he would want to make up for those mistakes and do better by his X-men. However, even the best of intentions can have unexpected consequences.

Some of those consequences have already bitten the X-men in major ways. By sparing Magneto in the events of Uprising, they only set the stage for his return in the Overlord arc. By pushing his psychic powers beyond their limit in the Dark Legacy arc to cure the Legacy Virus, Charles Xavier developed a debilitating addiction to pain pills that nearly cost him and his X-men their lives in the events of X-men Supreme Issue 127: Terror Sell. These difficult moments all act as reminders that even dreamers like Charles Xavier are still human and the X-men are still vulnerable.

That vulnerability is about to manifest in a very different way. It involves an ally who is unique to the X-men Supreme fanfiction series, namely that of Father Hansen. Like General Grimshaw or Captain Freeman, I’ve been careful to make every original character in X-men Supreme an important contributor. I realize that X-men fans read this fanfiction series for X-men, not unknown characters who have never appeared in the X-men comics.

However, I wanted Father Hansen to play a different role for the X-men. Since his introduction in X-men Supreme Issue 111: Divine Intervention, I’ve treated him as the antithesis of the zealous Reverend William Stryker. While Stryker uses his religion to justify his hatred of mutants, Father Hansen uses that same religion to celebrate them. It’s reflective of real life in that people use their faith to justify opposing sides of an issue. That opposition can cause major conflicts and that’s exactly what is set to play out in the latest arc of X-men Supreme. It’s a culmination of a conflict between two men of faith, as well as choices that Charles Xavier and his X-men have made thus far. It’s sure to test the faith of everyone involved.

X-men Supreme Issue 159: Unholy Man Part 1

Between the events going on in the X-men comics and the events in X-men Supreme, the themes and circumstances couldn’t be different and not just because I’ve yet to resort to time travel in my fanfiction series. I started X-men Supreme in hopes of creating an alternate outlet for X-men fans. Part of that effort involves taking characters in new directions and creating a few new characters entirely. There’s a lot that goes into making this fanfiction series awesome and I want every issue to contribute to that effort.

That’s why I always urge everyone to take the time to post feedback. X-men Supreme is an ever-evolving saga. I try to treat it with the same care as I would if Marvel gave me control over a real X-men comic. I need to know I’m handling them correctly because I’m an X-men fan too. As such, I want to hear from other X-men fans as well. Either contact me directly or post your comments directly in the issue. I’m making progress against the spammers, but I still prefer contacting me directly for now. Thanks to all those who have supported this fanfiction series from the beginning. Until next time, take care and best wishes. Xcelsior!

Jack