X-men Supreme Issue 128: Pain Tolerance is LIVE!

The holidays are upon us. The X-men Supreme fanfiction series is about to complete another year of awesome. It started on New Years Day on January 1, 2010. It's about to complete its fifth year. It's amazing to think that this fanfiction series has come so far. It's amazing to contemplate just how much farther it can go, especially as the X-men face so many unique challenges in the comics. But as the rest of us celebrate this festive time, the world of X-men Supreme continues and it's anything but festive.

The X-men suffered a humiliating defeat at the hands of the Mutant Liberation Front. In X-men Supreme Issue 127: Terror Sell, Toad of all mutants humbled the X-men while carrying out an attack in Switzerland that left the entire world more vulnerable. Any defeat leaves its share of scars. It's easy to forget that the X-men also lost their first battle against Magneto and the Brotherhood of Mutants in X-men Supreme Issue 3: Competition. It forced the X-men to grow and adapt to new challenges. However, the challenges this time are much more personal and many times more daunting.

At least when they suffered defeat at the hands of the Brotherhood of Mutants, Charles Xavier and the rest of the team was in relatively good health. The same can't be said anymore. It's an issue that emerged at the end of X-men Supreme Volume 5: Dark Truths. Having already beat cancer a second time in the Starcrossed arc, Charles Xavier is now dealing with a new ailment. His reckless disregard for himself and his health finally caught up with him and he finds himself addicted to potent pain medicine. It's an issue that affects real people. And in the X-men Supreme fanfiction series, even the world's most powerful mind isn't immune to it.

It's an issue that I feel has been lacking in the X-men comics lately, the X-men dealing with real issues that real people face. Charles Xavier may be a powerful mind, but in both the comics and this fanfiction series, he's painfully human. And being human, he's capable of becoming addicted to pain pills. It's an addiction that, in the real world, kills more people than hard drugs. And it's an addiction that promises to affect him and his X-men at the worst possible time.

So what do the X-men do when their mentor is no longer capable of being their mentor? How do the X-men function during a time of crisis when the Mutant Liberation Front is running rampant and both President Kelly and General Grimshaw are losing faith in the X-men? That's what this next issue will explore. It's an issue where a defeated team of X-men must adapt while new threats continue to evolve. It's not a threat that involves sterilization or time travel either so rest assured, you won't get this anywhere else.

X-men Supreme Issue 128: Pain Tolerance

I know I've been mentioning the X-men comics a lot lately. As an avid comic book fan and X-men fan, I feel compelled to address this situation and relate it to the continued evolution of X-men Supreme. As it stands, there is no other medium for X-men fans to follow. There's no Ultimate X-men. There's no X-men cartoon. As it stands, the X-men Supreme fanfiction series is the only game in town for X-men fans who are dissatisfied with the current state of the comics. That means my efforts to make it awesome are all the more important.

As such, it's vital that X-men fans of all stripes continue to provide feedback for this and any other issue of X-men Supreme. Feedback ensures I can keep making this fanfiction series better and better. Either contact me directly or post your comments directly in the issue. Either way is fine and I'm always happy to chat. Until next time, take care and best wishes. Excelsior!

Jack