It's almost over. Another era of the X-men Supreme fanfiction series is nearly complete. The scale and scope of X-men Supreme Volume 4: Politics of Fear has taken the X-men, their allies, and their enemies in many different directions. At times, it has been downright chaotic. So many forces beyond their control have been bombarding them from every possible angle. There have been personal struggles like Wolverine's past in Japan and Professor Charles Xavier's failing health. There have been much larger struggles against the Cambrian and a mentally unstable Magneto armed with alien technology. Those struggles have led to new allies like Colossus joining the team while others such as Rogue and Nightcrawler have taken a leave of absence. Now with the final arc complete, there is just one issue left to close the chapter on this era of X-men Supreme and set the stage for another.
Since I began this fanfiction series, one of my goals was to establish a sense of progression with this incarnation of X-men. A common problem that the comics, cartoons, and movies often face is stagnation. There are only so many times that the X-men can triumph over Sentinels and the Brotherhood before it gets dull. The characters and the world they live in has to keep evolving. While Marvel has done a pretty good job of evolving their characters, I feel as though the world those characters inhabit doesn't evolve enough. I've tried to make the world of X-men Supreme react and change in accord with major events. From the uprising on Genosha to the election of Robert Kelly, I want to treat the world of X-men Supreme as its own character.
Now with the end of the Time Bomb arc, that world is entering a bold new chapter. Magneto attempted one last misguided attack using alien technology. While the X-men and the Brotherhood were able to defeat him, the hostility that has been building since the Cambrian attack has not abated. General Grimshaw and President Kelly have been eager to hold Magneto accountable for his crimes, but now he's gone. So how can any peace come from these circumstances? Well at the end of Time Bomb, the X-men and the Brotherhood were left with an important bargaining chip. Warlock, the AI from a crashed Shi'ar ship, has been activated and is ready for use. This technology is of immense value to a world that is still rebuilding from the Cambrian. And through this technology, a new foundation for peace can be forged. However, that peace will be fragile at best. And that's what I hope to convey in the final issue of X-men Supreme Volume 4: Politics of Fear. I've prepared an extended preview of what to expect from the end of this era of the X-men Supreme fanfiction series.
“This deal is going to come back to bite us. I know it,” he mused as he gazed out over the main balcony of the throne room.
“We know, Pietro. You’ve been reminding us at least ten times a day since it happened,” said an exasperated Wanda Maximoff.
“I wouldn’t have to repeat myself if somebody actually took it seriously.”
“We are taking this seriously, Pietro,” said Professor Xavier, who was right behind Wanda, “I’ve been interfacing with Warlock for the past few days. I’ve made sure that the data records I’ve been distributing are clean of incriminating information. That includes advanced Shi’ar weapons and information regarding alien races.”
“We’ve also gone over every little piece of gear we’ve made with Warlock before parting with it. They’ll be able to build skyscrapers, cure disease, and travel into space with this technology, but they won’t be able to make a bomb out of it.”
“Yet,” Pietro pointed out.
“We’ll mitigate those problems as they come along. That makes cooperation all the more important,” said Professor Xavier.
“Sure doesn’t feel like cooperation,” muttered the speedster, “Feels more like bargaining.”
“You say that like it’s a bad thing,” scolded Wanda, “This technology is Genosha’s greatest asset. Trading it in exchange for peace and sovereignty seems like a pretty fair deal in my book.”
“Think of it this way…if goods and ideas don’t cross boarders, troops surely will,” Xavier added.
Pietro still wasn’t convinced. It all seemed so clean on the surface. Looking out over the city, they could see the peacekeeping troops marching towards their new base in the south. They could even hear the cheers of their mutant citizens, waving goodbye to the occupiers and celebrating their renewed sovereignty. That was just what was on the surface. Having been raised by Magneto, Pietro Maximoff always looked beyond the surface to see the potential danger.
“I know what you’re thinking, Pietro. And I’m inclined to agree. Father would certainly be against this,” Wanda conceded.
“It isn’t just about Father,” said Pietro, “As far as I’m concerned, what he thinks is about as important as what he has for breakfast. Sure, he went crazy. That doesn’t mean we should forget the lessons he taught us.”
“Which lessons are those? The ones about never trusting the outside world even if it means more death and destruction?” said Wanda with folded arms.
“I’m talking about the ones involving why we shouldn’t trust humans, damn it! We could give them all the technology in the world. They could use it to make rocket powered iPods and adamantium encrusted dildos for all we know. That won’t stop them from hating our kind.”
“We have more important things to worry about besides how much humans hate mutants, Pietro. I think you’re losing sight of what we’re doing here.”
“Yeah? Well maybe you’re losing sight as well! Ever since we forged this new mutant country, you’ve been a lot less inclined to stick your neck out for our people! Father’s goal from the beginning to was lead us against human oppression! Now we’re making deals with those same oppressors?”
“I’m trying to give them less incentive to oppress us, Pietro!”
“Well keep telling yourself that, Wanda! And I’ll keep worrying about the price we’ll end up paying if we try too hard.”
Wanda fought the urge to hex her brother right off the balcony. Professor Xavier helped her resist that inclination. Pietro was right on some levels. Her outlook had changed since they arrived on Genosha. She was no longer a champion of mutant domination as her father had taught her. She saw more merit in sheltering their kind and protecting them from oppression. However, she wasn’t willing to become an oppressor herself. It was a fine line she walked because she was bitter towards humanity to an extent. She just wasn’t bitter enough to support her father’s methods.
Sensing the escalating tension, Professor Xavier intervened. He expected Pietro’s attitude to play a part in this peacemaking process. However, this was one process with which Pietro refused to keep up.
“Please Pietro…your father’s goals, misguided or not, shouldn’t stand in the way of the goals we have now,” coaxed the Professor.
“Don’t ask me to forget about my father!” said Pietro bitterly, shaking of a gesture from Xavier, “It’s been hard enough watching him disappear. It’s been even harder on Lorna. Lucky for her, she has Alex Summers comforting her.”
“Let’s not get into that discussion, Pietro,” groaned Wanda, “We’re all upset by father’s departure and Lorna was the one who could reach him better than either of us.”
“Well now Alex is reaching her in all sorts of ways since then. And I thought he was supposed to lead the Brotherhood in wrestling the authority away from the troops.”
“He’s doing his part, Pietro. We all are,” said Professor Xavier strongly, “I’m not suggesting you should forget about your father. I’m not inclined to forget about him either. He’s still a good friend to me and I hope that wherever he may be, he has found the peace he desperately needs.”
“Spare me the pity talk, Professor. You know he’ll be back,” scoffed Pietro.
“I don’t doubt that. I know Erik is not the kind to stay away from something this important. With that in mind, we have even more reason to succeed in this endeavor. That way when he does return he will see a world that hasn’t lost hope.”
“As if hope was ever his biggest problem,” muttered the speedster, “Even if we succeed, that doesn’t mean we’ll prove him wrong.”
Pietro turned around from the balcony and barged past the Professor and his sister. He had enough of this pointless debate. They weren’t going to convince him this was right and he wasn’t going to convince them that this was dangerous. Even if it worked, that didn’t vindicate this deal or discredit Magneto. In the end it may end up proving him right.
“Pietro…” groaned Wanda.
“I’m through talking about this,” he said firmly, “I’m going to catch up with Lance and Quentin. Since Havok won’t get off our sister, someone has to pick up the slack.”
In a speedy burst, Pietro disappeared in speedy a gust of wind. Wanda sighed in frustration while Professor Xavier just shook his head. Nobody assumed there was no danger with this deal. Wanda understood these risks and took them into account at every turn. It didn’t seem as though Pietro would ever accept them. It was just one more challenge among many they had before them.
“Just once I wish my brother wasn’t such a headache!” groaned Wanda, “Why do we always have to fight at times when we should be supporting one another?”
“Speaking as someone who has clashed with family before, that may be something as basic as sibling rivalry,” said Xavier with a light-hearted smile.
“I hope that’s all it is,” she sighed, “Because what if he’s right? What if this deal does lead to something we can’t control?”
“Then we’ll deal with it,” said Xavier strongly, “This isn’t something you’ll have to face on your own, Wanda. You’ll have allies in the X-men and allies in the international community. This technology gives some very powerful parties a very strong incentive to maintain peace. We’ll need that incentive as we move forward.”
Only one issue remains for this era of X-men Supreme. As I've stated before, I already intend to pursue X-men Supreme Volume 5 and another entry of X-men Supreme Reflections. However, the future beyond that point is still tentative. I work long and hard on this fanfiction series. And lately, I've been pursuing other side-projects unrelated to X-men Supreme. And in recent times, feedback and reviews for X-men Supreme have been declining. At this current rate, it will get to a point where I can no longer justify the work I put into this fanfiction series. So there is a chance that X-men Supreme may end at some point. I will not say for certain, but those who want to see this fanfiction series continue can influence my decision by simply taking the time to provide feedback. Please contact me at any time or just post your comments in each issue. I am very good at responding and I'm always happy to chat X-men.
Please Note: I recently discovered that my email filter may have been blocking out messages sent through this website's contact form. I have since fixed this. But anyone who may have tried to send me a message before yesterday might not have gone through. Please re-send your message. It should go through this time. I apologize.
I have big plans for the X-men Supreme fanfiction series and I would hate to have to cut those plans short. Until next time, take care and best wishes. Excelsior!
Jack
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