#Gambit’s a real man unlike certain people…

[toonjazzy]

Tbh I think if you can’t handle slight drama in a ship in a piece of media and are quick to call it “Toxic” or “Ruined” or BLAME THE FUCKING WOMAN

You need to seriously go touch some grass and go see ACTUAL people in actual relationships and see that it’s literally not fucking perfection

AND PLEASE, STOP BLAMING WOMEN

[leech-indie]

“I like Solitaire okay...unless I got someone t’ play with.” 

Name: Remy Etienne Lebeau Age: 30 Species: Mutant Birthplace: New Orleans, Louisiana Current Whereabouts: Matchak, Sokovia

BASICS

Gender: Cismale Sexuality: Bisexual Birthdate: June 16th, 1990 Height: 6′2″ Occupation: Thief, hero Alias: Gambit Affiliations: X-men, hopefully Nomads Public Identity? No Signed the Accords? No Powers: Remy has the power to take the potential energy stored in an object and convert it to kinetic energy, thus “charging” that item with explosive results. He prefers to charge smaller objects, such as his ever-present playing cards, as the time required to charge them is greatly reduced and they are much easier for him to throw. The only real limitation to this ability is the time required to charge the object. The larger it is, the more time it takes. Charging takes place through direct skin contact. The power of his explosions is dependent on the mass of the object he is charging, for example, a charged playing card explodes with the force of a grenade. He cannot use his powers on living matter or organic molecules. Remy also has a hypnotic charm, a subliminal psionic talent channeled through his voice that allows a subtle influence over any sentient mind. This power allows Gambit to compel others to believe what he says and agree with anything he suggests. More powerful minds have proven immune to Gambit's charm, and people who are consciously aware of what he's doing can shake off the effects. +Charming, observant, easygoing -Guarded, risk-taker, rebellious

BIOGRAPHY

Remy Lebeau was marked as a mutant from birth with his red and black eyes. Abandoned by his birth parents, he grew up with a gang of orphans and street thieves where he learned how to steal and survive. At ten years old he tried to pick the pocket of Jean-Luc Lebeau, the head of the New Orleans Thieves’ Guild. Instead of punishing the boy, Jean-Luc took him in and adopted him as his own son. Remy’s skills as a thief were honed even further under Jean-Luc’s tutelage and he grew into a vibrant, mischievous young man and earned the nickname ‘le diable blanc’, the white devil. There had been a long standing rivalry between the Thieves’ Guild and the Assassin’s Guild in New Orleans and, in order to unite them, Remy was betrothed to Bella Donna Boudreaux. The two had agreed to the marriage and she was, in fact, Remy’s first love. They were married when Remy was 19 but that same day Bella Donna’s brother, Julien, challenged Remy to a duel because he objected so strongly to the marriage. Given little choice, Remy killed the other man and was subsequently exiled from New Orleans to maintain the peace between the guilds.

Deprived of his home and family, Remy wandered, surviving off his thievery and poker skills. There came a point where Remy’s powers were getting to be too much for him and he was troubled by his lack of control so he approached Mr. Sinister for help. The geneticist removed a part of his brain which reduced Remy’s powers and gave him the control he was looking for but it also put Remy in Sinister’s debt. To repay that debt, Sinister had Remy form a team and lead them into the sewers. Remy was unaware that Sinister’s actual plan was for the team to massacre the Morlocks that lived down there. When he found out, Remy was horrified and tried to stop it from happening but was beaten and severely injured and only managed to save one child. This event is Remy’s greatest source of guilt and shame and he’s tried to shove it down and away to keep himself from being consumed by it.

After he recovered, Remy wandered again for a while until he met and subsequently joined the X-men. While he kept a lot of his past to himself and maintained a certain air of mystery, he did get integrated into the team and was with them for several years before the Accords happened and most of them decided not to sign. It still meant they couldn’t do what they had been doing so things had to change. Genosha was established and Remy ended up there, briefly, though wasn’t at all sure that he wanted to stay given the bad blood between the X-men and the Brotherhood. When he noticed that Rogue had disappeared overnight he decided to follow her and together they came to Sokovia. Newly arrived, Remy’s very displeased by the cold but is cautiously willing to join the Nomads. He’s gotten used to the whole hero gig, after all, so might as well keep doing that.

HEADCANONS

Remy is a very good poker player. He loves a high stakes game because there’s real financial risk involved and the tension around the table can be palpable. He’s made some good money off of playing at different times in his life and when thievery hasn’t been going so well he’s been able to survive off winnings from various games. Luck, skill, and his observant nature make him an excellent card player so it’s best not to get talked into playing with him if one can avoid it.

While he’s only known Rogue for a year or so, they’ve bonded over feeling a little on the outside of the whole team dynamic of the X-men. He also thinks she’s very beautiful and engaging which is why he took time to teach her how to drive a motorcycle, basic acrobatics, and French among other little things. It’s a good excuse to spend time with her and she seems to appreciate the little lessons.

Remy doesn’t make a show of it or talk about it much but he does miss New Orleans terribly. It’s the city where he grew up, where his adopted family was, where he fell in love for the first time. Unable to go back, he still fondly remembers what Mardi Gras was like there, the music, and the food. He’s unlikely to admit it, but he gets homesick every once in a while.

He very much does not like the cold. While he’s spent some years in New York, he complained about the winters and gloried in the summers. Growing up in Louisiana he was used to warm, humid weather not frost and snow, and he’s very much against the whole thing. If he’d known Sokovian winters were going to be so harsh he would have strongly suggested he and Rogue go somewhere else but it’s too late now and he’s a touch disgruntled about it.

[twentiethcenturymoviesandtv]

Ladyhawke: Facets of Film

There’s more to a good film than a solid story and compelling characters.  Otherwise, it’d be a book.

There’s a lot that goes on in the process of making a movie, in taking a story and putting it on screen.  There’s costumes, sets, props, special effects, camerawork, music, and, perhaps most importantly, performances that best get across what the script is trying to convey.  It’s a project containing a lot of different elements that all come together perfectly to tell a story in a visual medium in a meaningful way.  It’s not a movie without ‘movie magic’, after all.

Of course, some films do better with this than others.

See, the point of all of these things is for one simple reason: to better express the story and characters already present in the script. They are there to accentuate, to enhance, to be good enough to dazzle, but not so good that they overshadow the rest of the movie.  It’s a difficult balance, one that can be achieved if the same effort is put into both story and the actual movie-making itself.

The question today is, is that the case for Ladyhawke?

Does Ladyhawke use its storytelling devices well?

Let’s take a look, starting with one of the most important elements in a film: cinematography. (Spoilers below!)

The camerawork in a film can sometimes make or break it.  When done well, it is breathtaking, when done competently, it is adequate, but when it’s done badly, it’s really bad.  There’s more to camerawork than just pointing it at the action.  There’s a lot to consider.

The cinematography, teamed with the editing process, is designed to evoke a reaction out of the audience.  A good director knows how to use the camera to emphasize certain details, or overall feelings.  The camera is used to help tell the story, while leaving a visual mark on it.  Such scenes in Ladyhawke include the stunning shots of the landscapes, giving us wider looks at the expansive world that the characters reside in.

The camerawork in Ladyhawke is, most of the time, good.  Not fantastic, but good.  Most of the shots are standard uses of the camera to get us to take note of the dress in Navarre’s bag, or the emphasis on his sword.  The long takes in the fight sequence in the climax are notably impressive, building a steady rise in tension, as well as showing off the semi-realistic, brutal sword fight.

There are two scenes, however, that surpass ‘good’ camerawork, in my opinion, and become great.

The first occurs semi-early in the film, when the Bishop wakes up in a cold sweat in his bed.  He sits up, and we are granted a look at his bed and room: above him, carved into pillars, are birds of prey.  Hawks. Given his connection with Isabeau, it’s fitting enough, but then comes another work of brilliant editing.  Right after that shot, there is a wider one which reveals something else: carved into the bedpost are wolves, facing away from him. It’s an interesting and effective way to hammer home his connection with the pair before we even know what it is.

The other scene that I’m referring to is a little longer, but is, in my opinion, the best use of camerawork in this entire film.

It comes towards the end of the film, after Navarre (in wolf form) has been rescued from the ice-water and brought back to camp.  Isabeau waits with him as dawn nears, signaling both of their transformations.  There is an instant, made longer with movie magic, where the two watch each other transform, both fully aware of what is going on.  That moment is full of shots of their eyes meeting, and transforming, never actually showing the pair’s bodies change.  In another film, this edit would be an excuse to show off the transformation itself, but Ladyhawke doesn’t.

By using the camera effectively, this scene takes on a different emphasis, one of mutual love and grief.  This is the scene that fully drives home the couples’ love and separation, and the audience feels it, which, once again, is the point of good filmmaking.

Oddly enough, there are very few ‘special effect’ shots in the film itself.  It’s all very down-to-earth, with no outlandish creatures or large set-pieces. For being a film made in the era of big special effects, there’s nothing accomplished in the film that isn’t done with simple camerawork.  We never see a transformation in full, we only see before and after, with some clever shots in the middle to give us the idea.  While that may seem disappointing, it’s actually very smart to portray the scenes like this: it emphasizes the emotional impact of the sequence, and prevents any ‘dated looking’ special effects in hindsight.  It also adds to many of the film’s unique qualities and elements.

There’s more to a film than the camera, however.  Let’s talk about the rest of the visuals.

While nowhere near the iconography of The Wizard of Oz, Ladyhawke has its fair share of memorable images, notably Navarre’s black armor and gem-encrusted sword and Isabeau’s mid-air transformation into the titular Ladyhawke.

Part of what makes these images memorable are the distinctive looks of the characters, assisting with the expression of the character. Phillipe’s clothing is scavenged, looking appropriately thrown-together and unremarkable, further demonstrating his scrounging lifestyle and ‘normalness.’  Navarre is dressed in black armor, in a subversion of both the unscrupulous ‘Black Knight’ trope and the upright ‘Knight in Shining Armor’.  Neither villainous nor a champion, Navarre is a good man on a quest for revenge, a darker path than most heroic characters in fantasy films.  He rides a black horse and carries a unique sword that he plans to use in this revenge quest: once again, completing a memorable image.

By contrast, there’s Isabeau.

Isabeau doesn’t get armor, but she does get a simple, yet elegant enough, dress, combined with Navarre’s black cloak.  This gives her an ethereal vibe that slowly dissipates the more we find out about her, but still retains her sense of otherworldly dignity.

Speaking of otherworldly dignity, let’s discuss the score, which is anything but.

Now, I’ve mentioned this before, but it bears mentioning again: Ladyhawke’s musical score was recorded by Alan Parsons, and the result is a combination of orchestral instrumental and synth music. Does it fit?

…..Sort of?

Once again, the music is a part of the film’s individual identity, for better or worse.  Sometimes the music fits, (mostly the instrumental bits) but one of the biggest complaints about the film is, in fact, the soundtrack.  Many people’s complaint is that the music is incongruous, and takes them out of the film experience.  On the other hand, lots of people agree that it does add to the ‘individuality’ of the film.  So which is it?

Honestly, this one is usually personal opinion.  Depending on what one is looking for in a fantasy film, people either enjoy the soundtrack or dislike it.  Personally?  I enjoy it’s differentiation from contemporary fantasy soundtracks, but can understand why some would disagree.

No matter which way you feel about it, you do have to admit that it’s distinctive.

The musical score does rise and fall with the action, playing triumphant fanfares over battle sequences and quieter, introspective music over reflective scenes, and it does do what a soundtrack is supposed to do: get a reaction out of the audience, and help influence the emotion in a scene.

Another one of the odd things about this film is the lack of sets within it.

There are sets, obviously.  The cathedral, the prison, the barn, etc. are all examples of sets used within the film, but an equally large portion of it is set outside.  The film feels very natural in this sense, by using very grounded sets, further adding to the relatively realistic tone of the film as a whole.  The scenes in which the actors are performing are very tame, plain, and in a way, more accurate to the period and setting they are actually trying to portray. Unlike many contemporary fantasy films, Ladyhawke feels very real-world in comparison.  Being set in medieval Europe, there are no ornate palaces or magical caverns.  As a result, every set and landscape feels like it is genuine and solid, adding weight to both the story and the performances that are coming across.

And after all, the performances are arguably the most important element.

No matter the thought or quality put into sets, special effects, costumes, music or cinematography, in the end, it’s on the performances to sell the story and characters.  Each individual scene rests on the actors and their ability to compel the audience.

Matthew Broderick’s performance as Phillipe Gaston is charming, managing to pull off a semi-comedic character in fairy-tale circumstances. He’s sly and smart, but out of his comfort zone, rendering him rather helpless at times.  He is a character struggling to catch up with events, slowly becoming a part of the story and learning to do the right thing, even at risk to himself.  He’s humorous and later compassionate, expressive and outspoken to the other characters, and in his private discussion with God.

Navarre is almost the opposite, closed off and mysterious. Rutger Hauer’s turn as a good man cursed is very compelling, portraying both the grim determination for revenge, and the broken heart of one half of two star crossed lovers.  (Special mention goes to the above scene with the mutual onscreen transformation, appropriately heartrending, and his confrontation at the Bishop at the end.)  Hauer also has good chemistry with Broderick, depicting the growing friendship between the two very well.  He portrays the full gambit with restraint, giving the impression of emotion bubbling under the surface until his joyful reunion with Isabeau at the end.

Michelle Pfieffer as Isabeau is haunting and heartbreaking, a woman living a half-life, cursed to be with the man she loves, but unable to have a relationship with him.  Separated from all she knows, with little choice in her life’s direction, she also becomes friends with Phillipe, revealing the sad, borderline hopeless existence she is forced to live in.  (Again, special mention to that transformation scene, and her cold confrontation of the Bishop.)  She portrays a woman containing quiet strength, forced to go on and remain solid for both herself and Navarre’s sake in the face of the curse.

John Wood as the Bishop is appropriately disgusting, an old man motivated by jealousy and lust, taking out his anger on the couple.  He cannot bear to take rejection from Isabeau, and he remains obsessed with her after the curse that he dredges up.  He portrays a man attempting to retain control until the end. Unable to take Isabeau and Navarre’s bond, he attempts to break it, once and for all, leading to his own demise.

Leo McKern’s performance as Imperius is both comedic and remorseful, a man atoning for his past mistakes by trying to help the couple.  He contributes dry wit as well as his sincere services, and his connection with Phillipe allows him to help the couple. McKern shares many scenes with members of the cast that perfectly showcase his gravitas that effectively balance out his lighter moments, rounding out our memorable main cast.

Every character in this film is perfectly realized, coming together as a team against a rotten man.  There is no good vs. evil in this story, only the power of love over the power of jealousy and obsession.  These characters come across as slightly fairy-tale-esque, but slightly twisted in odd ways.  The performances are appropriately subtle and reserved, coming across as very genuinely human and understandable to a very genuinely human audience.

The acting, like everything else in this movie, is understated, and very simple.  It’s not bright or colorful, or loud, or epic, it is very down-to-earth and modest. It tells a compelling story with compelling people, assisted by the work done to make it (with the exception of the music) a very realistic and grounded story.  The performances perfectly match the rest of the movie, subdued, but genuine, and gripping to an invested audience.  Every element in this film is tailored to fit a specific mood, moving the plot along without being obvious about it.

Ladyhawke has been called a cult classic, unpopular upon its theater release.  It was greeted with mixed acclaim, labeled as ‘inconsistent’, and debated since then as to whether or not this film was actually good or not.   Yes, the music can seem a little incompatible with the film, but overall, it comes across as a reasonably consistent, grounded film with a compelling story and characters, and it really works.

Join me next time as we discuss the behind the scenes story of Ladyhawke with a segment titled: Facets of Filmmaking.  Don’t forget that my ask box is always open, and I hope to see you in the next article!

[funkypoacher]

recently snagged myself a commission spot with @yummychii​, who asked that I give a small blurb about the characters to get into the zone for the purposes of their drawing process. I was really impressed by that, and also inspired, leading to this little Margaret/Reed episode. 

also tagging @a-productive-manor​ for I am a beggard thirsty for them reblogs :,( (just kidding. unless?)

Reed Tobson/OC The Outer Worlds rated G 

The personal timepiece on Reed Tobson’s wrist, rather than read a specific hour, pointed out the indolence as he stood amidst fine and faded furniture, his eyes casting suspicion upon the dully lustrous swathes of wallpaper. Its gleam dimmed when Margaret walked passed, moving towards the tripod-cradled camera over which she bent and fussed, effusing the click of mechanics while she saw to processes he had no need to understand.

“Are we nearly ready, my dear?” asked Reed.

After setting the timer, Margaret breezed towards him, her head-shake burdened with the barest suggestion of reproach, and coloured by coquettish, playful wisdom. “Even in the most dire of situations, the company recommends, for every standard pay-period, one day of rest. Or a span of twenty four hours divided in such a manner as agreed upon by the employee and his superior.” Subduing the space between them, Margaret reached for Reed’s tie, righting the knot with a careful tug. “And seeing as you are dangerously close to infringing upon overtime which has not been granted this week, I suggest you commit yourself to this act of shiftlessness and stop checking the time.”

Distasteful though he found the notion of such idleness—it was akin to malediction on her lips—he could not help but admit, around a glowing smile, “how I adore your grasp of the labour guidelines.”

Her song of triumph was a soft, melodic laugh. Turning, Margaret faced the camera which loomed ominously halfway across the room, its lens shining like an inky eye.

“It takes a moment to warm up. Simply stand as you please.”

For her part, she posed loose-limbed and stale-countenanced in front of him. Reed balled his hands, awaiting the flash.

“And this is the rage in Byzantium, you say?”

“Oh, yes.” Margaret looked over her shoulder. “I had my portraiture captured alongside the troupe and Mister Rockwell, as well as for the corporations that rented my contract. And, as mentioned before, the promotional endeavors offered by Universal Defence Logistics back in ‘42.”

Reed sighed wistfully. “Hundreds of people forming a queue simply to have their likeness alongside your own. And to think—I get to skip the line entirely.” His chest expanded, pride crinkling his eyes. “I suppose it’s prudent that I have my wife’s portrait in my home if Halcyon’s privileged were given the opportunity.”

“Not quite, darling. UDL owned my image at the time, and weren’t inclined to give it away, even for a price. It was about the experience—the chance to rub elbows with luminaries, producers, and picture-stars. The Ruth Ballamy of my time was, by far, the more popular choice in these things compared to little, old me. Naturally.”

“Ah. Then…” Reed felt his collar tighten, and he put great effort into rebuffing it. “My, but what an interesting expenditure of one’s time. Byzantium’s elite certainly are fortunate. And, I suppose, I am now as fortuitous as they.”

Margaret was troubled unexpectedly. Turning, again, to cast a glance over her shoulder, she could not deny the affectionate call to touch his cheek. She did so; cupping his face, her hand indulged her heart to feel the warmth of his skin, and she stirred, deeply, particularly as his eyes met her own. 

“You are better than any I’ve known in Byzantium, Reed Tobson.”

It was the incertitude of his expression which she both cherished and girded against, but she knew it to be true. As his hand encaptured hers which, moments previous, had stroked his face, and his second palm went to her waist in a moment of stupefaction, Margaret considered how fully she esteemed the sentiment.

Hundreds had crossed her path in Halcyon’s capital, their right to fortune ensured by the Grand Plan’s strings of fate, but that did not guarantee a richness in morality. Expectations were heterogeneous between the classes; yet, while pride in one’s lot was universal, so many in Byzantium complained pitiably of their indulged position.

Not Reed. Where he was—where he belonged—was a point of self-regard. And for Margaret it had so long been a subject of torture heavy in her bosom, for she had been strung along between the various corporations that traded her contract—and her life—like so little a thing; yet, now, in Edgewater, she felt she had been found. She no longer believed the Grand Plan had forgotten her, thus denying her the stability of purpose, or the spiritual integrity of being in one’s place. And, as fate would have it, her place was at Reed’s side.

But to Margaret, Reed was not only a means to an end—an affirmation of goodness, or proof of worthiness. Reed was unlike those she had known in Byzantium; he was curt and boorish at times, yet this was simply straight honesty. He did not hide behind double-meanings or preening; he said things as they were, sour or not. When Reed Tobson stated that he respected her, she believed it. And when he expressed softly, with uncertainty in his eye, “as you say,” Margaret saw nothing like Byzantium’s arrogance in his countenance.

“You’re a good man,” she warmly insisted.

Reed was unsure of how to reply. To espouse his superiority over anyone from that echelon of society seemed, somehow, grotesque, yet his wife’s perception had always been sharp, if hesitant (out of regard for etiquette).

Beyond this, however, was the plain devotion she exuded, and it refashioned Reed’s doubt to thankful confidence. There were people chosen by the Architect to imbue a certain set of extraordinary skills, and while the interconnectedness of existence meant one’s influence reached far across the stars, Margaret not only touched the lives of many, but she enriched them. Her songs had soothed spirits, strengthened bodies, and bid minds to work harder towards the piety of productivity. She hadn’t been the voice of Spacer’s Choice in some years, of course, but her brilliance did not mar in the wake of changing fashion. Creative and solicitous, she achieved what every Halcyon citizen strove for: great self-sacrifice, dedication, and she demanded only what was her due—her right as a consumer and a cog in the system.

Margaret was not perfect in the sense of infallibility of action. She failed, often, yet she met disappointment with grace, accepted defeat beautifully, and tried and tried again. In a word, Margaret was the epitome of integrity. When Reed gazed at her, he saw all that was good in the galaxy.

Caught in the moment, the couple found themselves rooted to each other like a rock polished to marvelous marble. But this did not mean that neither jumped when the camera’s flash finally sparked.

“Oh!”

Stunned—and certainly embarrassed to have his improper, emotional passion immortalized in the picture soon to print—blood burned across Reed’s cheek. He blinked for the deadened spark which had blazed through the room, but Margaret laughed freely, her hands clasped joyously at her breast, as her amused effusement echoed off the wallpaper.

“You might have given me fair warning, dearest,” Reed said, pinching the bridge of his nose and blinking away the stars.

“Oh, darling.” Margaret sighed while approaching the camera which slowly produced its yield. “That’s part of the gambit, I’m sorry to say. Oh, and look! Reed, look at this—it’s perfect.”

But he could not say the image in her delicate fingers was the epitome of fineness, for he had the real thing in his own hold.

“You’re pleased, then?” With his hands on her hips, Reed looked over her shoulder, hope pulling his lips to a tight lilt, and fondness leaving a little gleam in his eye.

“Every moment I’ve been in Edgewater,” Margaret promised, reaching back to touch his cheek once more.

[watching-pictures-move]

Movie Review | Working Girl (Nichols, 1988)

When I started my first full time, permanent job after graduation, like with many corporate jobs, I got to attend a bunch of orientation workshops. Most of these were pretty standard "what it's like to work at this company" sort of stuff that didn't stay with me, and to be honest, I was mostly counting the hours until I could get back to my day job. Some of these however did try to instill in us soft skills that might be useful to us in our careers. There was one pretty surreal one about dining table etiquette, insisting that things should only be passed around the table in one direction (I forget if it was clockwise or counter-clockwise, but the specifics were apparently very important) and that we should keep our hands on the edge of the table at all times, because otherwise people wouldn't know what we're doing with them. (This was generally considered the comedic highlight of the event.) But there was also one about your personal brand, which normally sounds like the vague bullshit I'd hoped to leave behind in my undergraduate studies, but here was focused on fairly specific and practical advice (where to do your shopping, what to focus on in terms of alterations, etc.). I found this especially useful as at the time I dressed like shit and had no real concept of these things. But one thing did stay with me, in a not so positive way. The person running the workshop insisted that women would be perceived less seriously than men, and to compensate, a woman needed to at least be wearing a blazer in order to be taken as the equal of a man in a dress shirt and dress pants (but no blazer or suit).

This is something that came back to me as I watched Mike Nichols' Working Girl, which is essentially about this idea. The heroine looks to get ahead in business and has the smarts and gumption to do so, but because of a number of factors (primarily her gender, but also her class), she struggles to be taken seriously until she stumbles into a golden opportunity when her new boss ends up out of commission due to a skiing accident. The movie is mostly a lighthearted comedy and does not force upon the proceedings any sort of pat arc about the heroine losing her soul as she succeeds professionally, but at the same time is very astute about the extent to which she has to manage the way she presents herself in order for her gambit to work. And it's also perceptive about the way these unspoken rules place an extra burden on women. The villain of the piece is represented by the heroine's boss, who initially planned to steal her idea and pass it off as her own, but there is the suggestion that her sociopathy is arguably a survival mechanism in the ruthless corporate world. When we first meet this character, she seems to be saying all the right things to get us on her side, but the movie subtly interrogates a certain misogyny in our gaze. Nothing she says or does seems all that reassuring. But why?

Interestingly, this is set in the world of finance and was released after Wall Street and the stock market crash of 1987. Yet it seems fairly indifferent to that line of work, other than as a representation of a flashy, high-powered business world. (Were this remade now, it would likely be about tech bros in Silicon Valley. The actual industry is beside the point.) And of course, being set in that world, it features no shortage of impeccably dressed characters. But the main concern from a makeup and costuming perspective seems to be the characters' hair. The hairdos here are largely architectural wonders, defying gravity through ungodly amounts of hairspray and who knows whatever product. The heroine's transformation pointedly includes her trimming her voluminous coiffure into a more compact, business-like helmet, while the male lead's relatively unpretentious haircut suggests to us that, unlike most of the men in this movie, he might actually be a good guy.

The casting is crucial to the film's success. With respect to Melanie Griffith, Ebert cites a commonality with her roles in Body Double and Something Wild in the characters' desires for respectability. This is correct, but I think what's really key here is the way she's able to imbue some warmth into characters with hard exteriors, a quality which keeps us firmly on her side. (I think you can add her role in Fear City to this group.) As her boss, Sigourney Weaver nails a certain subtle iciness meant to keep us on her toes about her intentions, and while she's out of commission for most of the movie, makes her return by tapping into some of the physicality of her better known roles. And as the love interest, Harrison Ford, who I think sometimes doesn't get the respect he deserves as an actor, displays almost perfect comedic timing, like in a scene where he leans in to kiss Weaver and quickly leans back to avoid her embrace without missing a beat. There are also some great supporting performances, including Joan Cusack as Griffith's friend, representing the before to Griffith's after, Alec Baldwin as Griffith's dumbass boyfriend, and a certain disgraced actor in a sleazy cameo that now reads as hilariously on the nose. And of course, much credit goes to Mike Nichols for putting this all together in a sturdy, consistently engaging package, his direction so good as to be invisible.

[darkwinterchild]

Tommy Merlyn - Slytherin

Albus Dumbledore: You happen to have many qualities Salazar Slytherin prized in his hand-picked students. His own very rare gift, Parseltongue... resourcefulness... determination... a certain disregard for rules.

So from what I’ve seen, Tommy Merlyn is usually sorted in Hufflepuff. I respectfully disagree? I think he’s a Slytherin, just like his best buddy Oliver, and Hufflepuff is actually the house that fits him the least (the puppy eyes are made to fool you!). Tommy is a troublemaker, he is resourceful and determined, he puts a lot of value on family and brotherhood but not on loyalty in general, and he definitely has a lot of potential for greatness. Ergo Slytherin.

Long post under the cut! Consider yourself warned.

I’m just going to go over the major Slytherin traits and values and how they relate to Tommy. Talk about the other houses is at the end.

“A certain disregard for rules”

Tommy: I wish we had just met, and that all this was just beginning and there wasn't so much of me I wish you'd forget.

- 1x07

Both Oliver and Tommy were rebellious playboys: it’s almost their entire backstory. It seems to have been even more the case with Tommy if possible - at least we hear about him getting Ollie in trouble more than the reverse (“Don’t let him get you into too much trouble” from 1x01, or “Tommy had me out a little bit later than maybe I should have been, and I'm wiped” from the 2x20 flashbacks, or how he got Oliver to go with him to Max Fuller’s club in 1x03, or even that story in 5x09 about how Oliver once tried to land a helicopter on the grounds of the US Open because Tommy wanted to impress some girl named Maria Sharapova). An early Arrow promo even describes Oliver hanging with Tommy as “running with the bad crowd”.

If that’s true, it could be because of their different relationships with their parents. Ollie was a bad boy, but he was very close to his mother and hero-worshiped his father. So he did bad things, but that’s because they let him (as Oliver himself said). He probably never intentionally disrespected them or did things that he knew would really upset them. It was different with Tommy. His relationship with his dad was disastrous, and I think this meant he could get even more out of control than Ollie in his own way. Tommy’s parties were apparently legendary (“I never left one of Tommy's parties with my memory intact.”) and prompt to get broken up by the cops. He filled his dad’s pool with beer (roughly a thousand kegs or so), majorly pissed him off, and didn’t care. Heck, even years later as a 24 year-old adult, he stole Malcolm’s private jet to fly to Hong Kong without warning or permission, and when he called him Tommy literally told his father to fuck off (“No, I didn't tell you I was taking the jet because I knew you would freak out like this” and “Look, why don't you just go back to banging your Pilates instructor, ok?”). I do think it’s kind of telling of his mindset.

Point: insubordination toward authority and a love for mischief are Slytherin qualities and Tommy Merlyn certainly qualifies.

Brotherhood

Unlike Gryffs and Claws, Slyths are team players. It’s a group-oriented house, where “you’ll make your real friends.” They stick together and protect one another. Tommy is all about brotherhood and family. We know that he’d sometimes look after Thea in his best friend’s stead after the Gambit sank, that he posed an alert on Oliver’s e-mail account just in case, and went looking for him in Hong Kong when it went off. We know he had a really strong friendship code:

Tommy: No, man, you were with Laurel. And whether you were dead, or as it turns out, alive on a deserted island, you are my friend. And me being with Laurel violated that friendship in about 50 different ways.

-1x03

This code included keeping your friends’ secrets no matter what. As early as the pilot, we saw that he was ready to lie to the police to support his best friend’s story without even being asked beforehand. This is reinforced after 1x16: Tommy chose to keep Oliver’s secret against his own morals. No matter what he thought of him, he didn’t give him up to the police, he didn’t ask Oliver to stop, he didn’t even tell Laurel when it started to put some strain on their relationship. When Detective Lance almost discovered the lair in 1x19, he actively helped him escape the authorities, by lying to an officer of law and his girlfriend’s father, making himself his accomplice. He didn’t have to: he saw the Hood as a murderer, wanted nothing to do with his crusade, and Oliver never even asked for his help. But Tommy protected him anyway. Helping a friend when you think what he is doing is wrong is a very Slytherin thing to do. In general, they’re the ones who’d help you cheat at an exam or bury the bodies, whereas Hufflepuffs’ strong beliefs in justice and fairness would conflict with their sense of loyalty.

Speaking of loyalty, another difference between Slyths and Puffs is that Slyths are loyal to their people, but not necessarily very dependable in general. Just like Tommy used to be:

Tommy: Lying, keeping secrets about who she’s spending time with… Does that remind you of anybody we know? Oliver: Me, in every relationship that I’ve been in. Tommy: Me too. Except this one.

-1x13

Tommy was that guy who’d do anything for the people he loved, but prior to his character development, he wasn’t the most trustworthy person out there.

It’s also interesting to note that despite being a very extroverted person who spent a lot of time outside with other people, he didn’t seem to have any close friends apart from Oliver and Laurel (by season 1 anyway, he seemed a bit lonely on that front). I think he was rather detached from all the people he spent time with - he was their host, their entertainer, even their lover for the ladies. But he couldn’t relate to them like he and Ollie could relate to each other. Here again, this way of living with people - a few very close friends and a giant network of contacts - is very slytherinish.

Ambition and determination

Tommy doesn’t seem very ambitious at first glance, but one has to consider the fact that he’s been drowning in money since birth. For all his life, he could get everything he wanted whenever he wanted (even girls, thanks to his good looks). We know he and Oliver used to talk about going into business together since forever (like opening a ski-lodge), but he never felt the push to go on and make these ideas a reality. He was already Prince of Starling, why bother? In a way, he never needed to be ambitious until his father cut him off.

Oliver: Why didn't you say anything? Tommy: Embarrassment, shame, jealousy. Probably a few other emotions I'm not used to feeling.

-1x08

Tommy never felt threatened before. But after Malcolm froze his funds, it became another story. There was Laurel, whom he was trying to impress, Oliver, his best friend for whom she still had deep and complicated feelings, and then there was him, now forced to work for said best friend. I doubt Tommy left the club and went to work for his father only because Oliver refused to see him for the man he’d become. There was probably a lot of complex reasons behind that choice, and one of them was definitely that he was trying to reclaim his place in the universe as one of the elite, on equal if not superior footing to Oliver Queen (not just in terms of money, but also in terms of power and position - executive at Merlyn Global Group versus manager of a small nightclub in the Glades). He was born with power and prestige, and jumped back into that world without hesitation. But this isn’t even the primary reason I think Tommy was more ambitious than he let on:

Tommy: I'm trying to change. Not sure into what yet but I don't wanna be what I was anymore.

-1x08

This strong desire to be more than what he was, as soon as he realized that it was no longer enough and that there was more, to become someone worthy of Laurel’s love, that makes him pretty ambitious. He started the show a useless playboy and man-child, became a great boyfriend, a successful businessman, and ended the season as a hero.

And I think this is important about Tommy: once he’d find a goal, something for which he was really motivated, then he was driven to the hilt and did whatever he could to succeed. The club, Laurel (winning her heart, becoming a person she’d want to be with, building something with her), even his job at Merlyn Global. It didn’t even have to be something huge that would demand a lot of effort, it could be just another goofy idea, like filling his parents’ pool with beer or playing strip kickball with models on a pro football stadium - Tommy had a tendency to go big with his projects. He was capable of following through an idea to the end even when it became difficult. So he proved he had plenty of determination, the kind Salazar Slytherin would have loved.

Leadership

Tommy was shown to be able to assume leadership positions with ease. Before the start of the show, he seemed to have been a leader in troublemaking around Starling - the guy who knew how to have fun, the guy who hosted the biggest parties, even the guy with the shady contacts (“Before I left, you played hard. You played with bad people who were into bad stuff!” - 1x19). During season 1, we saw him effortlessly falling into his role as nightclub manager - he immediately took charge of the construction process, made sure everyone was doing their job, and showed his willingness and ability to be an authoritative boss (1x10 and 1x11). We saw him do an excellent job at Verdant, and then we saw him comfortably assume a leadership role at Merlyn Global Group for the short period of time he was working there. Tommy was a natural leader, like his father.

Cunning and resourcefulness

We haven’t seen much in terms of cunning and ruthlessness from Tommy in the show per-se - which is why I think he wasn’t as perfect a Slytherin as other characters like Moira or Malcolm - but it was suggested that he was capable of that to some degree. Pre- character development, Tommy was a playboy, a charmer who cheated and kept secrets in every relationship he’d been in. He wasn’t shown as manipulative or anything, but as we’ve seen with Laurel, he knew how to win people over. He was also no stranger to deceit and evasion, and used them to achieve his ends whenever he felt it was necessary. E.g. when he had to keep Detective Lance from discovering the Arrow cave in 1x19. This episode also showcased how resourceful he could be: in very little time, he was able to clean up and hide all the evidence of the Hood’s activities in the basement without anybody realizing it. We also learned he had no problem using illegal solutions to his problems, like bribing a city inspector.

Concerning the other houses

Hufflepuff is in my opinion the house that suits him the least. Honesty and loyalty we’ve seen weren’t really Tommy’s forte. And he hated the idea of hard work. He was called lazy by several characters including himself. Before Malcolm decided to “jolt his son into adulthood” in some late parental awakening, it seems Tommy planned on keeping up his life of debauchery forever, living off daddy’s money (bless inheritance). People expected Oliver to eventually get his act together and take his place in his father’s company, but everyone seemed to think Tommy would always be Tommy. In general, he also didn’t really seem to care all that much about ideals of justice and fairness. As the son of the most powerful billionaire in Starling City, he was extremely privileged, knew it, and loved it (“Isn't that place ridiculously expensive?” “Everywhere worth going is.” -1x08). He was raised in an upper-class environment with rich people values and the understanding that the rules do not apply to him the way they do other people. The fact that Malcolm regularly had to bail him out is one of the three things that came to mind when he described his distant relationship with his father. Tommy actually literally used to laugh in the face of justice. He loved whenever he and/or Oliver would break the law and get away with it (“I just picked up a new sports car. I'm thinking, we can open her up, pick up a few speeding tickets…” -1x06). So yeah, I don’t think Hufflepuff fits.

Gryffindor is not a bad house for him, but not a good one either. Bravery, boldness, recklessness… Tommy didn’t seem to have ever been particularly action-oriented (Oliver was the one doing the crazy taxi or helicopter stealing stuff). He was certainly capable of immense bravery (the way he stood up to the Hood in 1x16, the way he protected Taylor in 1x20, or his final sacrifice in 1x23), but he wasn’t particularly into grand showings of strength, daring or heroism à la Gryffindor. Among the main characters, he was one of the less enthusiastic (utterly unimpressed) about the Hood’s exploits (he saw him as a crazy murderer - see 1x13, 1x17 or 1x19). In fact it’s interesting to compare his opinion to Laurel’s, a true Gryffindor.

Ravenclaw I think would actually be a good sorting for him. Tommy was clever (the way he was quickly able to learn the ropes of club management). The show seemed to hint at a rather developed pop-culture geeky side (just small stuff like his talking about Lost, he read movie reviews, his wanting to name his dog “Arthur” as a kid because he was a “Merlyn”, etc.). He was charming, talkative and witty, even just a little bit eccentric in the way he could tell shameless jokes and be totally inappropriate. He was also very creative - in deeds (I mean, the beer-pool and strip-kickball game with models were certainly original ideas) and in speech (he doesn’t just say “I love you”, he says “I have finally figured out why poets have been in business for the last few thousand years”). So, if he wasn’t a Slytherin, I could see him making a pretty good Ravenclaw.

[aastralfox]

Pairing: Time Canary (Rip Hunter/Sara Lance)

Word Count: 1,337

Rating: General

Notes: Written for the amazing @brooklyn1949 for her birthday!! Love you! <3 Also I’m only about halfway through season one of LoT so if there are inconsistencies here then that’s entirely my fault, sorry!! (Also on my ao3).

Cooking was chemistry.

After a year of listening to Palmer and Stein chatter away about science, Sara knew a thing or two about chemistry. HCl was hydrochloric acid and shouldn't be touched with bare hands under any circumstances. She knew that pure sodium reacted with water and could be used as an explosive under certain circumstances (a tidbit that she greedily absorbed - it could come in useful). She knew that bromine and mercury were the only elements which were liquid at room temperature and that liquid nitrogen was really freaking cool (pun very much intended).

So yes, Sara knew a thing or two about chemistry.

Cooking? That was supposed to be way easier. People cooked all the time. It was supposed to be those simple basic things that everyone could do.

Whatever the hell this was? It wasn't easy.

Sara had all of one minute to study the charred remains of the first pancake before Gideon's fire detection systems came online and doused the mess hall in flame suppressants.

Something told her that the white fluff now coating what remained of the pancake mix wasn't quite edible. In fact, it probably went under the category of 'inedible' at best, and 'downright poisonous' at worst.

"Sara! What in God's..." Sara turned at the sound of Rip's voice. He ran his hand through his hair, surveying the mess. "What are you doing?"

"Making breakfast," Sara answered, with a proud tilt of her head. A fleck of flour coated the end of her nose. Or maybe it was some flame suppressant. Who knows.

Rip eyed the carnage. "For what species?" he asked.

Sara's expression shifted into the territory of 'definitely not amused' as she tilted her head to the side, mouth tightening around the corners. "Ha ha. Very funny, Rip."

"No, honestly. What were you trying to do? You know that the dispensers provide us with enough rati--"

"The rations taste like butts," Sara countered, flatly.

"...Fair. They don't make for the...finest of gustatory ‎experiences, but they are perfectly edible. Unlike..."

Sara huffed, colour rising to her cheeks. "Fine then. Don’t worry, I'll clean it up. I can probably do that without setting fire to the kitchens," she muttered to herself. “You go. When you come back it’ll be spotless and don’t worry, I won’t try it again.”

Not after this debacle, at any rate.

Maybe she should have gotten Mick to help her. It would have been the same result anyway and she could, at least, blame the fire on someone else. Though, Sara knew full well that Mick Rory was perfectly capable of doing things without igniting a room, if he so wished. Case in point was the fact that Mick made the best baked goods out of everyone on the Waverider, and everyone knew it. So, really, as far as shuffling the blame for a ruined kitchen went...Mick might not have been the best person to blame.

"I. No. Sara," Rip's tone was tinged with the same degree of exasperation normally reserved for Snart. "I only meant...what were you trying to accomplish?"

"I just said--"

"No, no. I wasn’t asking after immediate, obvious accomplishment of making breakfast...what I meant was...why?"

Sara tugged free one of the kitchen towels and wrung it in her hands for lack of anything better to do with them. ‎"I wanted to make something for the team...for you," she admitted. She turned her back swiftly, scrubbing at the nearest mess - the length of counter nearest to her. (Only the rest of the kitchen to go.)

"That's...that's quite sweet of you, Sara." He sounded almost proud of her and damn if that didn't set her off-guard. ‎She scrubbed harder, watching as the streaks of batter and suppressant cleared away with each successive pass of the cloth.

"I just...wanted to do something. To help take care of everyone," she said. Miranda probably made him breakfasts, in that happy future of theirs - the one they were trying to save. If anything, she had hoped to make for a nice moment, something to help ease the grief that she knew he still carried over his lost family.

A warm hand came down on top of hers and she stopped moving. "Sara, you take care of us, all of us, in your own way," Rip said, gently. "You keep us all safe and alive. You're there to make sure that no one gets killed."

"By killing."

"By protecting‎," Rip insisted. "You mean more to me...to us, than you know."

Sara stared up at him and, for a moment, neither spoke. Rip let go first, retracting his hand and coughing (more to clear the air than his throat). "So there's no need to try and help us through...food poisoning," Rip said, gesturing vaguely at the mess.

Sara snorted, covering her laugh. "You know, you were way cuter ten seconds ago with that speech," she informed.

Another startled cough. "I what--?"

Sara launched a spare kitchen towel at him. "Start cleaning."

The ensuing silence was only broken by the squeak of dishcloths rubbing over glass counter tops, and the occasional spray of water as they were rinsed. “Perhaps, once we’ve amended this disaster, I can show you how to make a real breakfast?” Rip offered.

Sara paused, tapping the end of her finger against the counter. Her nail clicked against the surface in a light tap-tap. “I can handle the batter,” she decided. “I used, to all the time before...with my family,” she said, remembering the bright Saturday mornings with Laurel and her father. This was years ago, of course, before the Gambit sank and before either Lance sister bore the title of ‘Canary’. “So I take care of that while you fry up the pancakes. Deal?”

“Deal,” Rip agreed, with a grin.

There was a shuffle near the rear of the kitchen and a muted yawn - Ray - followed by a low grumble - Mick, likely - and a thump from a shoulder catching against a wall, accompanied by muttered curse - Jax. No doubt Len and Kendra would be down shortly as well. Stein had been awake hours before Sara had, and was likely already down below decks, tinkering. He’d be back in an hour or so for a coffee refill.

“Better make it quick, Captain. The zombies have risen,” Sara commented, wryly. 

“Evidently. Well, since they’re here, I can’t see why everyone can’t assist. Many hands to feed the many mouths, as it were.” Rip raised his voice, turning to the group. “Dr. Palmer, if you could assist Sara with making the pancake batter...”

“Got it!”

“..and Mr. Rory, kindly man the fry pans with me, hm?”

“With you? You’re goin’ to have to keep up with me.” Mick Rory was particular about the way his pancakes were cooked. 

“We shall see. Jefferson, if you could ask Gideon for some orange juice. We’ve glasses in that far cupboard there. And, Sara,” Rip dropped his voice, drifting back over to her. “Perhaps we could save a more...personal cooking lesson for later?”

Sara tightened her lips to keep from smiling, and failed. “I’d like that.”

“Well look. It’s a regular party here,” Len commented in his usual drawl, strolling into the mess to drop his weight on a dining chair.

“Pancakes? Ooh, can we add cinnamon and banana slices?” Kendra asked, arriving shortly after.

“Though...” Sara said, in a low whisper. “I’m not quite sure when we’ll find the time with this family.”

“Ah, you’re all finally awake and, industrious, I see. Good for you. Now, if I may just get past you, Mr. Palmer, I’d like my refill,” Stein said, trying to squeeze by the others to reach the coffee machine.

“It’s Doctor Palmer,” Ray countered, with a pout, as he shifted his bulk to one side, bumping into Mick who was trying to ready the skillets. 

“Watch yourself, Haircut.”

“Sorry!”

The chatter continued in the background as Rip snorted softly. “I suppose then, we’ll have to make time.”

“I suppose so,” Sara agreed.

[aion-rsa]

X-POSITION: Marc Guggenheim Gets Back To Basics With X-Men Gold

ResurrXion is upon us, and readers have now experienced the debut issues of the X-Men line’s new flagship titles. With its release last week, “X-Men Gold” #1 featured a return to form for Marvel’s mutants as the new lineup, led by Kitty Pryde, took on Terrax and proved to the world that the X-Men are still in the business of saving the day. Thanks to the book’s twice-a-month shipping schedule, readers will get to see where Marc Guggenheim takes the team next in a fast fashion.

RELATED: X-Men Gold: The New Brotherhood X-Plained

This week in X-POSITION, “X-Men Gold” writer Marc Guggenheim returns and answers all of your questions about the new team, the potential for an Excalibur reunion and more. This interview was also conducted prior to the recent controversy surrounding “X-Men Gold” artist Ardian Syaf.

CBR News: Welcome back to X-POSITION, Marc! Let’s start with a big picture question from Anduinel.

On a project like this, where the theme is explicitly “back to basics,” how do you judge which elements of the franchise should be considered classic enough to bring back to the forefront intact, which ones to update, and which ones perhaps haven’t aged so well over the decades?

Terrific question. For me, the most important element of the franchise to bring back is the notion that the X-Men are heroes working to protect a world that hates and fears them. That conceit is my north star and it drives all the other creative choices. Admittedly, some of those creative choices are driven by my own sense of what’s “classic,” my own sense of nostalgia. The team lineup is probably the best example of that. The first issue of “X-Men” that I ever read was “Uncanny” #139. With the exception of Rachel (and, if one wants to quibble, Old Man Logan), the lineup I chose for “Gold” is drawn from what, for me, was a seminal read.

That said, I think there’s a reason why a lot of elements of the franchise have endured and even thrived for decades. I see my job mainly as presenting those elements as best I can, in the most interesting ways I can. That’s the other piece of the “back to the basics approach” — reducing the X-Men back down to their core conceits — returning to “first principles,” as it were — then building up from there.

There’s another classic team that your lineup resembles, and Askanipsion has a question about it.

Thank you for having Kitty, Kurt and Rachel on the team. Any chance we will get a reunion with Brian Braddock & Meggan?

Totally a possibility. I love “Excalibur.” I thought it was such an interesting premise for an X-book. And I’d love the opportunity to revisit the history that Kitty, Kurt and Rachel have with Brian and Meggan.

It’s a real testament to the strength of the X-Men franchise that there are so many beloved characters. I feel like I could write the book for as long as Chris Claremont did and never get to them all.

With the X-Men now acting as public heroes, Valamist has a question about the role “X-Men Gold” plays in the Marvel Universe.

Given how a part of Kitty’s plan as leader seems to be making the X-Men into more recognizable heroes to the world, is there any plans to see the “Gold” team interact with the wider MU? Such as the Avengers, Defenders etc?

Absolutely. Kitty moved the X-Men to Central Park so they wouldn’t be segregated off from the rest of society, and that includes the various other heroes of the Marvel Universe. The first example of this will be in Issue #6.

Next up, Maestroneto wants to know more about one of the book’s potential romantic subplots.

How are we supposed to feel about Colossus’ feelings over Kitty? He’s moved into her room when she left to get married and now he’s hanging around her. Is this supposed to be romantic or creepy?

Oh, boy.

Thanks to my work on “Arrow,” I’ve got a little familiarity with how everyone’s mileage varies when it comes to romantic subplots. For some fans — not all, but some — relationship storylines are these Rorschach tests where people see what they want to see in the story. I can absolutely see where some people might find Peter’s behavior creepy, while others find him extremely romantic. And I’m sure that there are other people who would place his behavior somewhere in the middle of that spectrum. I will say that my intention isn’t to turn Peter into “creepy stalker guy.” Make of that what you will — so long as my Twitter isn’t full of “Guggenheim thinks creepy behavior is romantic” mentions…

Don’t “@” him! Moving on, we have a question from Purplevit about a certain Ragin’ Cajun.

Will Gambit join the Gold team or just appear as guest star? Did you like to write him?

For the moment, he’s just a guest star — albeit a pivotal one — in our second arc. But I love Gambit and he’s enormously fun to write. He’s got buckets of charisma and a devil-may-care attitude that defies you not to like him.

“X-Men: Gold” #4 cover by Ardian Syaf

Since “X-Men Gold” is set at the school, ţh€ €жţяą-๏яďɨɲąя¥ Tycon wants to know if we’ll see one student in particular.

Considering some of the X-Men graduated, most of them seem to be heading out with other teams or ending up back at the school. One glaring problem is the missing members of the New X-Men — especially Dust, who we haven’t seen have an important role since “Schism.” I know you loved using Dust in “Young X-Men,” so is there a chance we may see her soon in “X-Men Gold”?

You’re right, I love Dust. And I think given the current political climate, it’s more important than ever to include a Muslim in the X-Men’s ranks. My hope is to get her into the book for our “Secret Empire” tie-in.

Here’s a question from Steroid about a character you did use in “X-Men Gold” #1 — although not in the way people expected.

Loved the first issue. My question is what made you go with the decision to create a new Pyro instead of resurrecting the classic old one?

First, thank you. Glad you enjoyed the first issue.

Second, great question. The answer lies in the fact that Daniel Ketchum and I share a great affection for Pyro and Avalanche. Both of us wanted to see them represented in some way on the roster of the New Brotherhood of Evil Mutants? (Or is that New New New Brotherhood of Evil Mutants? It’s hard to keep track.) But Pyro and Avalanche both being dead presented something of a problem, as you might imagine. It made more sense to me to create new iterations of them rather than have dual resurrections. Also, when the truth comes out about the New Brotherhood, I think you’ll see why it made more sense to have new iterations of Pyro and Avalanche.

Our next question comes from Scott. (EDITOR’S NOTE: This X-POSITION interview was conducted before recent news broke about “X-Men Gold” artist Ardian Syaf.)

You’ve got an aggressive release schedule for “X-Men Gold,” coming out every two weeks. How are the art duties being split up? Will Ardian Syaf be just churning out a book a fortnight? Seems unlikely. Rotating artists? One arc each? I know it’s a little “inside baseball” but I haven’t seen anything about any other artists being involved.

Well, lemme tell ya! We have a murderer’s row of rotating artists. RB Silva is drawing our second arc and Ken Lashley is drawing our third arc.

“X-Men Gold” #7 cover by Ken Lashley

Here’s a question from Kamose1234 about the franchise’s central metaphor.

In issue #1 we saw the Gold team express some anger over the renewed racism against them, but will they have to deal with it more forcefully given Ms. Nance’s organization? As a person of color, I’ve always appreciated the X-Men’s fight against intolerance and I feel we need to see more of this given today’s real world condition.

I absolutely agree with you. I think the X-Men franchise is at its best when it holds a mirror up to real world events. That’s absolutely what I’m trying to do with “Gold,” albeit without turning the book into a polemic. You guys will tell me if I’ve struck the right balance.

As to your question, I think what makes the X-Men so heroic is that they don’t get angry in the face of prejudice and bigotry. Rather, they respond with greater resolve. You’ll see a confrontation between the X-Men and Lydia Nance sooner than you might expect. It might be my favorite moment of my run thus far.

And we’ll close out this week with a question from Chad about one character fans want to see more of.

Will Magik be making an appearance? During the “Prime” issue, Kitty tells her she has a job for her to do….was it to bring the X-Mansion back? Will she still serve with the team? I need you to say “yes”!

The “job” was certainly to move the X-Mansion from Limbo to Central Park, but that doesn’t mean we’ve seen the last of Illyana. At the moment, I have her in the script I’m writing presently. We have so many great characters to play with, things can and do change as this stage of the writing, but I promise you haven’t seen the last of Magik.

Special thanks to Marc Guggenheim for taking on this week’s questions!

Keep checking CBR for information about the next X-POSITION!

The post X-POSITION: Marc Guggenheim Gets Back To Basics With X-Men Gold appeared first on CBR.

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