X-men Second Coming: Prepare

The countdown has begun and Second Coming is merely a month away! To bill the event as the can't-miss X-men tale of the decade Marvel released a short teaser comic called Prepare this past Wednesday. It starts off by showing the teasers that have been released over the past few weeks that include

One will rise
One will fall
One will lead
One will sacrifice
All will unite

Then it breaks right into the event, showing a scene that occurs two days after Hope and Cable return to Utopia. Someone has died and various reactions are shown from the likes of Bobby, Cannonball, Cyclops, Magneto, Cable, and Wolverine. At one point the body is shown, albeit covered by a white sheet. It's impossible to see who it is, but it seems to be a major character. It has been listed in the solicits that someone will perish and Matt Fraction said himself in a recent interview it's someone he cherishes. So who could it be?

I'm tempted to be reasonable in determining who this may be, but as history has shown being reasonable doesn't always pan when you're trying to decide what Marvel is going to do. The prevailing sentiment is that Nightcrawler will die. He's not someone Fraction has written about that much so it may be a bit of a long shot. However, Wolverine did state that the victim was his "Friend" and he and Nightcrawler have always been good friends. I'm not sure about this. I give it about a 30 percent chance of happening.

Some go so far as to say that Emma will be the one that dies. This is just plain stupid. Marvel and Matt Fraction LOVE Emma Frost. Fraction would have quit months ago if he learned they were going to kill off his favorite X-woman and the other half of his favorite X-men couple with Scott and Emma. Plus, Quesada has said before he loves Scott and Emma as a couple too much. There's no way in hell he'll do anything to break them up. There were some hints. The outline of the body did show some female characteristics and Cannonball did say at one point he worried about how this was hurting Scott, but it's still doubtful. This is Emma Frost and Marvel seems determined to make her and Scott the new Jean and Scott, turning Emma into what is essentially a Jean Grey replacement. I've never liked this and always thought Joss Whedon did a better job of showing Emma as she should be shown. But the Marvel writers seem determined to undo history and turn Emma Frost into the golden girl Jean Grey once was. It's sad and maybe killing her would help put a stop to that, but for that very reason I give this a ZERO percent chance of happening.

I'm led to conclude that the one who dies will be Pixie. Here is a character that Fraction clearly loves and who has become more prominent as of late. Her dying would cause quite an impact and it wouldn't destroy too much of the core team. It would show just enough impact to really bring about the necessary shock value, but so much that it takes away from the story (unlike bullshit shock comics like Ultimatum). Of all the possible deaths, Pixie is the one that seems most likely and for that I give her a solid 50-50 shot.

Now aside from the death, there was also a part at the end that went over the history of the Phoenix Force. It asked What is the Phoenix Force? as if many X-fans don't already know. It gave a brief history of the Phoenix and spent time highlighting recent events where traces of the Phoenix force left both Rachel Grey and the Stepford Cuckoos. Then the focus turned to Hope Summers, offering yet another clue that she's going to be a new bearer of the Phoenix. They left it vague, stating only the Phoenix knows. But it also offers yet more proof that Marvel is trying to separate the Phoenix from Jean Grey. This is something that cannot and will not end well.

As I blogged earlier, Marvel has been trying since Phoenix Warsong to take Jean Grey out of the equation so they can have the star power of the Phoenix without bringing her back. Because bringing her back may mean that they can't have this bulldog version of Cyclops and cannot continue the Scott/Emma relationship, it's just unthinkable that they would use her again. Yet because she has so many passionate fans they can't just ignore her. So just using the Phoenix gives them a way to have their cake and eat it too. Even after they overtly said in Phoenix Endsong (which by the way sold WAY more than the Jean-less Warsong) that Jean is always Phoenix, they're treating the Phoenix like a separate entity. With no explanation, that's just poor storytelling. Jean and Phoenix are forever linked and to use one without the other is to completely disrespect the characters.

Now this could all be made right if Hope turns out to be Jean in human form, but again that would make too much sense. Marvel seems intent on keeping Jean out of the picture so they can keep Scott and Emma. This is something that only hurts stories, having to force something so that a bias version of a character must remain. This is what led to One More Day and the Clone Saga. It seems it can only be remedied if someone other than Matt Fraction or Joe Quesada aren't present anymore. Since that doesn't appear to be happening, the chances of a clean resolution are slim at best.

As always, however, I hold out because I have been wrong before. Marvel has surprised me with uncanny awesomeness like Messiah Complex, Messiah War, X-Force, and Nation X. So I go into second coming with an equal amount of excitement and trepidation. I'm not expecting everything to be cleanly handled. I'm expecting awesomeness that will blow my face clean off my skull. This is the third and final chapter to the Messiah Trilogy. The first two set the stage in a big way and I'm just aching to see how it all comes together. Despite my cynicism for how Marvel handles characters like Scott, Emma, and Jean Grey there is far more awesome than non-awesome. March cannot come quickly enough and my appetite for Second Coming has officially been stoked!

X-men Supreme Issue 5: Schoolyard Drama is Live!

Time for another update! X-men Supreme is still rolling along, on schedule and making progress towards it's ever contsant goal of awesome. A new issue has been completed and is now live and ready for your fanfiction viewing pleasure.

Issue 5: Schoolyard Drama

This issue begins some major dramatic shifts within the series. The X-men have always been heavy on the soap opera elements. Sometimes it's an even bigger draw than the action. Many fans are passionate about their characters and the characters they are close to. Some are outright die-hards, accepting that characters must only be linked with someone in particular and anything else is blasphemy.

Sadly, I do not take such extreme positions as some writers often do both in fanfiction and comics (looks cynically at Matt Fraction and Chris Claremont). Any character relationship can be done so long as it's well-developed and in line with who the character is. You can't just thrust two people together and expect it to work. That only damages both characters and others around them. I won't name names, but some so-called shippers love to champion their pairing by bashing another. In my writing philosophy that is a cardinal sin. You don't character bash no matter what your biases may be.

With that in mind, look for X-men Supreme to use some classic pairings with a new twist. Some may be more novel than others and they will all be handled in a unique way. Whatever shape these pairings take, I promise my readers that I will treat these characters with the utmost respect. I won't say it'll be perfect. I'll just say I won't bash them for the sake of supporting others.

I hope this clears the air! With this latest chapter, expect some new developments with some very familiar characters. I won't drop too many hints, but take a look at the picture below. It should give you a pretty idea of what we're in for!

Pretty Kitty Variant for Uncanny 522

I usually don't care much for variant covers, but ever so often one comes along that just puts a smile on my face. It's not every day you find awesome in your favorite comics. Most of the time your underwhelmed. Sometimes you're even disappointed. But there will always be those special moments when you see something that just makes you glad to be a fanboy. This is one of them! Uncanny 522 is set to bring Kitty Pryde back into the fold and she's already looking good for her return. Riding a bullet in a skin-tight outfit is awesome on so many levels. Thank you Marvel! I don't always give you enough credit, but you know how to give the fans something to be excited about!

New Pics Dedicated to Jean Grey Added to X-men Supreme

Just posted a new section on my website that many Jean Grey fans are sure to appreciate! She may be dead in the comics (for now), but that doesn't mean we still can't enjoy her hotness.

Check out her new section on X-men Supreme

Jean Grey has always been one of the sexiest ladies in the Marvel Universe. She's always easy on the eyes and she always gives the X-men that extra special touch of awesome. It adds all the more imperitive to bring her back into the comics! In the meantime she has the cartoons and the Ultimate universe (albeit utterly destroyed) for now. Enjoy the pictures! And stay tuned for more picture sections dedicated to the hot women of the X-men.

X-men Supreme Issue 5: Schoolyard Drama Preview

Another week another preview. X-men Supreme keeps rolling along! There is much to look forward to with this fanfiction series. I've been having a blast writing it and I have plenty of ideas to keep it going as long as some comics have been going. I'm still hoping to get more feedback with future stories, but so long as there are people reading I'll keep writing. Below is a brief preview of the next chapter entitled "Schoolyard Drama." If you're a fan of X-men relationships, you should enjoy this one! Stay tuned for the full update on February 26th.

“Shouldn’t you guys be working on those team-building exercises I gave you?” she said in a disgruntled tone.

“We should, but after wrestling,” said Lance.

“Figures,” said Wanda, rolling her eyes, “Honestly, how do you expect to fight for mutant liberation sitting on your asses like this?”

“What? Doesn’t watching wrestling teach us how to fight?” quipped Mortimer.

“I give up,” she groaned, “When you decide to stop being lazy, look over these reports.”

“Reports, huh?” said John as he picked one up, “What is it? Plans to blow up the White House?”

“Not quite. But if I were you, I’d read up on them. My father has a reputation for planning missions that tend to get messy.”

That helped get the attention of the four mutant men. They signed up for this deal knowing full well they were going to engage in battles for all mutant-kind. They just didn’t know it was going to come so soon.

While they all gathered around to read over the plan, Wanda left the lounge area for the central chamber. She still couldn’t believe these guys were going to be part of Magneto’s grand scheme for mutant liberation. Lance, Freddy, Mortimer, and John were more outlaws than visionaries. They all came from shady backgrounds. Two had done serious time behind bars. They were also young. She understood that was important because youth was key in fostering loyalty, but she was still skeptical and would be until they proved otherwise.

Sighing to herself, she met up with Magneto, Pietro, and Mystique. They were each going over maps and assorted news clips. The focus was on growing public concern over mutant issues. Already, there were major divisions. Some wanted containment while others favored human rights. It was a debate Erik Lensherr knew all too well. He had seen it develop as a boy in Poland during the rise of the Nazis and it ended in war, death, and genocide. And he would be damned if homo superior was going to face such a fate.

“I hope you’re right about these guys, Father,” said Wanda, “Because honestly, I don’t see in them the future freedom fighters for our people.”

“Don’t be so quick to judge, Wanda,” said Magneto, his eyes never leaving the computer screen, “I chose them for a reason.”

“Let me guess. Is it because thugs make better soldiers?”

“Hardly,” scoffed the master of magnetism, “I am a firm believer that those we consider thugs are merely those society has given up on. With more and more mutants facing such despair, our cause is ripe for spreading.”

“Does that mean more recruitment missions?” asked Pietro from another console, “Because at the rate we’re going, we won’t be much of a force within this decade.”

“Big movements require big bangs,” said Magneto ominously, “Rest assured, my plan will leave quite a mark on the world.”