#charles xavier is doomed by the narrative

[stinkrat-aleks]

cherik wedding (the first one)

[uniquecellest]

Charles and Erik are two sides of the same coin. Both want mutants to be accepted in society and not feared. However, I fully believe their ideals would've been swapped had things in their childhoods been different. Like in the movies Erik's mom seems to encourage Erik to use his mutation (though this is in a very stressful and scary situation). However had shit not happened in Germany in the 30s and things were peaceful I fully believe that Erik's parents and uncle would've been supportive in him using his mutation, though advising him not to use it to win any tournaments or on others. Though his uncle would only tell him to use it on others if necessary like if Erik needs to save someone.

Charles, however, his upbringing imo gets neglected a lot in many xmen media that the general populous consumes. I know his father experimented on him since the womb and when Charles was a child. I fully believe had Brian kept living he would've kept the experiments going, Sharon unaware. All acting like a normal happy family on the outside. Though one day I do believe Charles would be pushed and he'd accidentally kill his dad just bc he wants to stop the experiments, Sharon would become neglectful though she is unsure if Brian's death was due to Charles somehow (i picture Charles like no more than 12 when this happens) or if Brian locked himself in his lab one too many nights and exhaustion was the cause for his death; either way Sharon still marries Kurt but Kurt knows about Brian's experiments and continues them on Charles and Kurt threatens Sharon and Raven so Charles keeps his mouth shut but he has to wonder how and why humans are like this. The scientific need to keep doing experiments especially on their own kids. Charles grows to resent humans and believe that he and Raven are superior compared to humans.

[bertoyana]

no no YOU DON'T GET IT. charles just got shot and he's crying because he knows he has to break erik's heart. he just GOT SHOT he's bleeding out and he's crying because he knows it has to end. you don't get it!!! he promised erik, all those months ago, that he wasn't alone, he promised him that THIS TIME it was going to be different, and everything that just went down in the beach proved him wrong!! it just proved that erik was right about the humans. and charles swore up and down that it could be differet, that it WOULD be different. and he's bleeding out and yet he's crying because HE KNOWS he was the one that gave erik hope about them and he knows now that he has to be the one to take it away!! erik is on his knees (literally) asking him to be by his side. he's gripping onto his hope and onto charles (which is the same thing to him really) leaving claw marks on him, he's asking him to be by his side holding onto the last thread of hope and charles KNOWS he has to be the one to take it way from him. I'M SICK. james mcavoy YOU ARE SICK be careful out there old man i'm IN YOUR WALLS

we literally start watching this movie knowing how it's gonna end. we know they will go their separate way and that they have their days counted but THEY DON'T KNOW THAT. they were doomed from the start it was never going to work but they didn't know that!! they were so alone their entire lives and they are so desperate to make it work and it WON'T WORK. I'M GOING TO BE SICKKK. ACTION MOVIE MY ASS THIS IS AN HORROR MOVIE GIRL THE LEADS ARE BREAKING EACH OTHER'S HEARTS AND TRAUMATIZING EACH OTHER IN THE WORST WAY POSSIBLE

[accidental-apocalypse]

Do you like characters who are doomed by the narrative or are you just comforted by the thought that you won't be at fault for your inevitable failure?

[severevoiddragon]

For an only child, I sure have a lot of stories with doomed siblings as a major plotpoint-

[bikenesmith]

where does charles go from here?

from twitter, on where charles' character might go now that hes past the pacifism + has been goring mfs, but has also not endeared himself to mutantkind/krakoa by forcing them into their own personal exodus story.

it makes sense that many ppl struggle to imagine futures for charles. by his own design, "professor x" is not really a Person but an Image, and a Position that can't exist independently of the x-men or similar power structures that position him as a leader, father, or elder

this is because the x-men, while obviously created for MANY reasons, were created in part as an extension of himself, his anxieties, + his dreams for himself and the world. x-men (the series) has become a narrative where x-men (the team) is redundant. in this new status quo, charles shared power with many others but maintained proximity to his old role as a leader/father/elder. from professor x of the xmen to xavier of krakoa. now even krakoa has deteroriated despite charles relinquishing power to save it. on top of this he's made a massive mistake that has definitely not endeared him to his ppl (whether they actually believe him to be at fault is besides the point, there will be distrust regardless) no x-men, no krakoa, no professor x, no xavier.

professor x has consumed (or simply obscured) charles' personhood for most of his history. how many people actually know who he is, when he's not "professor", when he's not "xavier". how many people is he just "charles" to? for all its issues, the 2000s/post-deadly genesis era — the shattering of The Image Of Professor X — gifted us quite a bit of Charles Xavier As Just Some Guy stories. its not surprising that he was killed off in AvX — some writers couldn't see what there even IS beyond the facade and that mirrors many readers now! it's why so many people say "idk, kill him?" in response to this type of question, or are otherwise generally more stumped about his future than they are with other characters that have evolved in new ways.

and they're kind of right. there really isn't anywhere for "Professor X" to go from here — not without the regression of the current narrative as a whole. if krakoa, or the spirit of krakoa, is to continue, this is where Professor X ends and Charles Xavier starts (or restarts?) so What Does That Even Mean. condensed, i think that's charles going off on a journey + (metaphorically or otherwise) figuring out who he is, outside of the person he's pretended to be or forced himself to be. like whatever was ultimately scrapped in 2017:

theres a few points of reference for what that might look like in action…these panels are relevant as is all of excalibur 2004 (helping victimized mutants in a hands-on, on-the-ground way, working in a decentralized group, explicitly forgoing previous tactics + behaviors).

also x-men: legacy — generally the whole running around being chased by his own sins hanging out with characters you wouldn't think he'd mesh with but are exactly the type of people who'd challenge him in an interesting way also…theres no way forward for professor x WITHOUT regression…if we end up in the bad end ("back to the school") (I REBUKE IT) its possible he'd be taken "back to basics" in the sense that he just becomes Classic Professor X. best case scenario hes a prof but not a headmaster anyway we're definitely heading in the direction of charles "the good shepherd" xavier considering this synopsis that i THINK is saying he's going to investigate muir island? theres a typo somewhere there

X MY HEART! Xavier swore he would stay on Krakoa and defend its memory. He's leaving. There must be a good reason to leave one doomed island for another - and the dark secrets that await beneath Muir Island. Meanwhile, something is very wrong with Jean…or is it something very right?

envisioning him heading there on a speedboat like he's in an action movie idk 😭

[morose-magnetrix]

Hi there!!! Did you read the Magneto series and Scarlet witch series? I'm eagerly waiting to know your thoughts!

Yes I did! I read through the last issue of Magneto this morning, as well as issues 9 & 10 of Scarlet Witch. Overall, I really enjoyed the conclusions to both of them, Scarlet Witch more so.

Magneto:

This line from Issue 4 really summarizes I think the overall conceit of this story: "Was the 'evil mutant' just a role I played for the greater good... or the ugly truth? Am I the heir to Charles Xavier's dream... or the beast that will devour it?"

At first, this series gave me the impression that the author's argument was that it had all been an act back in the 60's, that Magneto wasn't really ever 'evil,' and I didn't find that satisfying. I think there's a tendency in fiction to try to absolve characters of their past actions/crimes, in order to make them more palatable and less complex (for instance, absolving Jean Grey of Dark Phoenix's actions by making it so the real Jean was at the bottom of the bay the entire time, or saying that Doom had manipulated Wanda into committing M-Day). Removing their responsibility/culpability for actions they took just isn't as interesting to me as seeing someone grapple with something horrific they had done, and having to struggle and reckon with it, and find a way to atone for their actions.

So basically, I thought at first that this was what this narrative was trying to do - to remove Magneto's responsibility for the stuff he did in the silver age. But by the conclusion of the series, I think it became more clear that deMatteis & co were really trying to examine these two opposing poles of Magneto, of his capability for intense rage and violence, but also for empathy and compassion.

I think if the series had been longer, this would've been super successful. As it was, it accomplished what it set out to do in these four issues and the ending scene with Rahne, where they're looking at the photo of Max's mom, it's super touching and sweet. I just wish things had more space to breathe to allow this character study the runway it really needed.

Scarlet Witch:

I ADORE this entire run. I haven't been posting my thoughts on individual issues as much as I used to - and that isn't because these things aren't good, they're fucking fantastic - I've just been busy with work (& getting back into writing fanfic). But I need to be super clear - this is my favorite Scarlet Witch solo ever (not that we have many lol) and probably is up there in one of my favorite comic runs of all time.

The artwork is GORGEOUS. The colors used are amazing and the expressions on the characters, by god they just fucking sing. I love the care taken to depict Wanda respectfully and accurately, the new costumes are sick af, and everything is just so dynamic. Sometimes, I have a hard time figuring out what is happening with comic book art, but I never really struggled here - even as we are dropped into wacky new situations, often times jumping from completely different contexts from panel to panel. And the covers, they are just.... just chef's kiss - perfection!

And the characterization, gods - just incredible. I didn't really like Orlando's Marauders run, I ended up dipping out somewhere in arc 1 or 2 of it, so I was a little worried about Scarlet Witch. I'm so glad to have been proven wrong. The cast works together so flawlessly, the little moments recalling past continuity without aliening new readers is fantastic. I adored Wanda calling Joseph Iosif and I'm hoping that, when we next see him, he may just adopt that as his name? (Although I'm not expecting to see Iosif around any time soon, given that Max is coming back, and historically when Max is back and a good guy, Iosif is either dead or a bad guy).

The treatment of Wanda's family was everything I could have hoped for - honoring Magneto as her father, her interactions with her siblings, with her kids, with her niece. Seeing Luna Maximoff again in a comic was NOT something I saw coming but I loved it lol.

I also just loved the rotating nature of the problems she faced - that every issue was a new adventure, a new place, a new way for Wanda to demonstrate her growth and healing by giving back to others. She's an OP character by definition and I never felt myself bored with the conflicts she had to face. They were unique and varied and I felt most of them, on some level, had a direct connection to a period of Wanda's own history - hell, they even had her basically go and confront someone who was doing a WandaVision which I found sooo funny lmao.

(If you can't tell by my rambling, I'm kinda obsessed with this series...)

The final villain I really liked - partially because I am an inorganic chemist, so a lot of the science and stuff that I do actually comes from alchemists. I think having alchemist villains for Wanda to face is super interesting and a nice change of pace from the demons and other witches she is usually up against, and I hope we see more of Nicola. She's a super neat foil for Wanda, particularly with the current continuity that Wanda comes from a line of Scarlet Witches, and Nicola comes from a long line of alchemists.

Darcy was a treat, she worked super well here, and I kinda ship her with Zelma now??? Like they're girlfriends, right??? Right???

There's probably things I'm frothing at the mouth over with this series that I've forgotten about, but I also don't want to write you an entire essay in response, so.... I'm gonna cut myself off here and say that I am VERY excited for the follow up Quicksilver & Scarlet Witch series. (Maybe we'll get a Quicksilver & Scarlet Witch & POLARIS series one day, hmmm? Please Marvel? Pleeeeeeeease? I neeeeeed it soooo much....)

[aromancy]

Midnight Suns Wish List

I've been playing Marvel's Midnight Suns for the last few weeks (no spoilers, still haven't finished it yet), and I'm super enjoying the game. I know we're probably not going to get any more characters after the current batch of DLC is out, but I have some characters I'd LOVE to meet/play as, and I want to put them somewhere, so here they are.

Dane Whitman - the Black Knight

Mostly because the color palette would fit right in, but Whitman's connection to Arthurian Legend (most notably, his sword, forged by Merlin himself) would make him a perfect thematic fit with the more mystical aspects of Midnight Suns. Plus, the man's struggle with his Ebony Blade gives him a lot of narrative significance in the story. Maybe Midnight Suns could see him finally overcome his old arch-nemesis, the Bloodwraith.

Lorna Dane - Polaris

Yeah, two Danes. Weird, I know. But Polaris is so much more; as the secret third child of Magneto, she has a similar magnet-themed powerset, giving her a unique toolkit we don't see elsewhere in the game. Polaris' status as Wanda's half-sister and occasional X-Men ally would make her a natural fit (although I could also see her in a more antagonistic role, a la Johnny Blaze).

Pietro Maximoff - Quicksilver

And while we're on the subject of Wanda's siblings, I'm not sure if Pietro's still alive in Midnight Suns canon, but if he is, it's really strange to me how we never actually see him. Pietro and Wanda are really close, and I think a super-speedster like him has a lot of room for creative design. I'm envisioning a suite of Quick cards that let him perform crazy combos every turn.

Jean Grey - Phoenix

Midnight Suns deals a lot with characters struggling with their dark side. Dane Whitman up above has a lot of that, but there's no way we can't discuss the queen of "struggling with your evil impulses" herself, Jean Grey! The Phoenix can be a powerful ally and an even more powerful enemy, her psychic powers an imposing threat even to master telepaths like Charles Xavier.

Viktor Von Doom - Dr. Doom

Screw it, let's get ALL the green people in here! Dr. Doom is a natural fit for the melding of science and magic prevalent in Midnight Suns; his dynamic with Dr. Strange and Tony Stark would doubtless be hilarious as three brilliant and egotistical men butt heads, and he's already gotten a few name drops in the game, like a book authored by him and a mention in Deadpool's side story! Plus, I just really like him, okay?

Emma Frost - the White Queen

And as long as we're talking villains, who better than the matriarch of the Hellfire Club herself, the White Queen? Emma Frost might have a little too much overlap with Jean Grey for both of them to make it in, but I couldn't not put the living manifestation of "gaslight, gatekeep, girlboss" on this list now, could I? And anyway, it's not like there's no overlap in power sets elsewhere in Midnight Suns, what with all the magic-users around. Emma Frost has a lot to offer from a narrative standpoint, too much to be overlooked in my opinion.

And that's about it! Feel free to join in with your own hopes for inclusion in the game (or perhaps a potential sequel)! Or else just yell at me for the sexist pics. I swear, I tried to find the ones that framed the women in the best light, they're just all Like That.

[giantsizeannualmonthly]

Comic Book Series Review-1602 (2003)

Publisher: Marvel Comics

Summary: All is not well in the Marvel Universe in the year 1602 as strange new powers are emerging and such heroes as Spider-Man, Nick Fury, Dr Strange, Daredevil, and Captain America appear in the waning days of the reign of Queen Elizabeth!

Writer: Neil Gaiman

Artists: Andy Kubert, Robert Isanove, Todd Klein, Scott McKowen

Number of Issues: 8

Marvel 1602 is Neil Gaiman's take on the Marvel Universe except in Elizabethan Era Europe and the New World, America. It takes the usual heroes, villains, and supporting cast characters and offers a unique perspective on what they may have been like had they existed over 400 years ago. The story follows Queen Elizabeth's Chief Intelligence Officer, Nicholas J. Fury and his apprentice Peter Parquagh on their quest to retrieve "The Templar's Treasure", which she believed to be a weapon. The Queen's physician, Dr. Stephen Strange believed that something was approaching and that the treasure may be the undoing of Elizabeth's empire. On their quest, Fury enlists the services of The Bard, Matthew Murdoch, a blind balladeer. You would know him as Daredevil in the primary Marvel Universe. In their crusade, they are met with opposition from Mistress Natasha Romanova and her Lord, Count Otto Von Doom.

The overarching theme of the original 1602 story as well as the subsequent spin-off titles that followed is, had these anomalies that exist in Marvel Comics presented themselves during a period in our real life history where people believed in ghosts and sea monsters and demons and other folklore, how would they react if these things were actually in their presence. This wasn't exactly a time of tolerance. People had limited knowledge of the sciences and technology so unexplainable things often lead to the demise or persecution of unfortunate souls. That's where the "Witchbreed" come in. Many of these people were what we would know as mutants in our classic X-Men stories. The Grand Inquisitor, Enrique and Carlos Javier exist as the Magneto and Professor X components of this universe but Gaiman takes a different approach to their central conflict. On Earth-616 Charles Xavier wants mutants to be accepted by humans and live in equality with them but Erik Lensherr believes the mutants to be superior genetically and socially to humans and fights for them to take their rightful place in that regard. On Earth-311, The Inquisitor is a traitor to his kind. Although he is Witchbreed, he exterminates them. He uses the prejudice and ignorance of the humans to his advantage presenting himself as an ally to King James of Scotland in his quest for the British throne. His hope is that in the King's hatred for Witchbreed he will be granted greater position against their perceived common enemy. On the opposing side, Carlos Javier stands a protector and mentor to Witchbreed, living a life of secrecy and responsibility. When Enrique himself is discovered to have supernatural powers he is set to be burned at the stake but his old friend, Javier won't let him perish. Although Count Otto Von Doom is presented as the main villain of the story because of his colliding interests with Sir Fury, King James I is actually the biggest threat throughout most of the 1602 story lines. His animosity toward the Witchbreed and general intolerance along with his rise to power is easily the most important source of contention within this universe. Perhaps the most interesting plot point in this particular graphic novel deals with the vicious storms and strange happenings all over the world in this narrative. That's where we meet real life historical figure, Virginia Dare, and her hulking Native American bodyguard Rojhaz (whom you would know as Steve Rogers or Captain America). There's a twist here so I won't really get into it but it brings all of the elements together and kind of explains not only the strange happenings but how this universe even came to be. Marvel 1602 is a fun read. It is written like a play or an epic and coupled with Andy Kubert's artistic stylings and the handling of our history, I think it's a body of work worthy of the illustrious resume of Neil Gaiman but also it's a nice diversion from what we are used to from Marvel Entertainment. They produce a lot of action based adventures; a lot of good guys vs. bad guys content but this has all the substance of a classic fiction novel while adding a new level of intrigue to characters you've grown up with.

THE GOOD

Kubert & Isanove pretty perfectly capture the Elizabethan aesthetic. The story is written in such a way that it immerses you in that world; makes you FEEL like you've been to a time period you've never lived but the artwork brings the whole thing together nicely.

There are subtle things within the context of the story that really help create the atmosphere around the characters.

Adapting content that people already loved for years of their lives, especially to a more primitive and simple time period without losing any of the appeal isn't as easy as Neil Gaiman makes it look.

THE BAD

This isn't necessarily a 'magic-killer" for me but I think they could have utilized way more characters and shown me more of Elizabethan Era Europe. It was a good story but think about all characters that already exist in Marvel's Europe in the primary universe..they didn't use ANY OF THEM. Not a single member of Excalibur was present, none of the Black Knights etc. Maybe Gaiman didn't want to go that route because it would have been too easy but it just seemed weird what they did. I DID like that they tried to match those characters to the cultures their surnames actually come from though. That was a nice touch.

I am a character driven reader when it comes to comics. I attach myself to the characters and pay the most attention to the characters I like and how they develop. This kind of ties into my first gripe about the series, but this story focuses heavily on Fury, Parquagh, Strange; and while they're all written well, they aren't as interesting in this context as their Earth-616 counterparts so they don't really connect with me. For a comic book that is written like a fairytale, I was longing for a hero to really root for and I KIND OF got it toward the end with Strange but I just didn't feel it with much of the cast. I didn't really root for anyone to win. The story itself was interesting and that's about it. Marvel 1602 is the first alternate universe storyline that I don't really have a favorite character from.

I give Marvel 1602 an, 8.4 out of 10 EYE-OPENER

[stinkrat-aleks]

going through your ao3 bookmarks (since your writing is fire, your bookmarks have to amazing i don't make the rules) and omg that hunger games au looks incredibleeee

first of all i did not realize ppl looked at my bookmarks dkdjskdndk second of all YES THE CHERIK HUNGER GAME AU IS SO FUN AND AMAZINGLY DEVELOPED!!!! I highly recommend esp because it's written by my friend @ironhusband

I have posted fanart of her AU before but I'll repost it here :)

[uniquecellest]

Charles is way too comfortable in Erik's head.

I know that in FC Erik said "then you know to stay out of it" but I fully on believe that when Erik decided to stay and they were talking to that agent in the office is when Erik invited Charles in bc there's no way they weren't talking telepathically in that scene.

There's no way imo that Charles would access Erik's memories without being in Erik's head already and asking for permission.

I fully on believe that there's no way Erik would've kept that helmet on if he wasn't trying to block Charles' feelings towards him.

[ljones41]

“DARK PHOENIX” (2019) Review

"DARK PHOENIX" (2019) Review I feel sorry for the old X-MEN Movie Universe. Well . . . almost. For a franchise that began on a high note, it certainly ended with a whimper. At least from a financial point-of-view. And that whimper proved to be the 2019 movie, "DARK PHOENIX".

Actually, "DARK PHOENIX" is not the final film of this franchise. The last film is scheduled to be released in the spring of 2020. As for "DARK PHOENIX", it is the twelfth film associated with the franchise that was associated with the old 20th Century Fox Studios. It is also the second movie in the franchise, after 2005's "X-MEN: THE LAST STAND", to adapt Marvel Comics' 1976-1980 comic book series of the same title. The movie begins in 1975 when nine year-old Jean Grey and her parents get involved in a car accident that leaves her as the sole survivor. Jean's situation eventually attracts the attention of Professor Charles Xavier, who enrolls her as one of his students at the Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters. The story jumps to 1992, nine years after the events of "X-MEN: APOCALYPSE". Some of Xavier's former students have become the next generation of the X-Men, with Mystique aka Raven as the team's leader in the field and the Professor receiving their glory from the public and media. The U.S. President summons the team to assist NASA into rescuing the space shuttle Endeavour, which is critically damaged by a solar flare-like energy during its mission. While the X-Men save all of the astronauts, Jean is stranded and is struck by the energy, which she absorbs into her body to save the X-Men's aircraft from destruction. Jean survives the event and her psychic powers are greatly amplified by the energy. Her powers become uncontrollable and she later accidentally unleashes her power on the mutants celebrating the success of their mission at Xavier's school. Even worse, Jean's enhanced powers attract the attention of a group of alien shape shifters called the D'Bari, whose home planet had been destroyed by the energy force. They want to use the energy (or Jean) to wipe out Earth's inhabitants and re-shape the planet to resemble their own. Eventually, Jean and the other X-Men learn that Xavier had placed mental walls in Jean's mind as a little girl to protect her psychic mind from experiencing trauma from her childhood accident. Jean's enhanced power destroys the mental walls and the trauma slowly returns, filling her with desire, rage, and pain. Jean then travels to her childhood hometown after finding out that her father is still alive and learned that he abandoned her. Jean recovers her complete memory of the car accident and remembers that her post-traumatic stress disorder had originated with the childhood car accident in which she had inadvertently caused by rendering her mother unconscious at the wheel with her telepathy. When the X-Men arrive to take Jean home but she injures Peter Maximoff aka Quicksilver and accidentally kills Raven aka Mystique before disappearing. And her actions led to the U.S. Army searching for her and willing to imprison other mutants at the government's order. Many X-Men fans and critics had really dumped on this movie when it first hit the theaters. I am not going to examine why this film was so unpopular. I can only discuss how I felt about it. One, it was not an original film. In many ways, "DARK PHOENIX" almost struck me as a remake of the 2006 movie, "THE X-MEN: THE LAST STAND". Or perhaps I should say . . . a remake of the Dark Phoenix story arc, but with slightly different details. I suspect that Kinsberg and the X-Men producers wanted to use the changed timeline from "X-MEN: DAYS OF FUTURE PAST" as an excuse to re-write the Dark Phoenix story arc from 2006. Personally, I feel it would have been more original of them to completely leave that story arc alone and utilize another narrative for the film. I also found the enhancement of Jean's powers via some alien energy wave not only unoriginal, but unnecessary. Why did Simon Kinberg even thought it was necessary to enhance Jean's powers? She had displayed an uber level of power when she killed En Sabah Nur aka Apocalypse in "X-MEN: APOCALYPSE". I can only assume the solar flare energy situation was created by Kinsberg to introduce the D'Bari. Speaking of the latter, I noticed that their goal to destroy humanity and settle on Earth as its new home bore a strong resemblance to General Zod's plan in 2013's "MAN OF STEEL". Look, I do not mind that Kinsberg had used aliens as the movie's Big Bad for this film. But did he have to recycle a plot from a D.C. Comics movie? Or worse, create this energetic force to enhance Jean Grey's powers, when they really did not require to be enhanced in the first place? I have one last problem - namely the casting of certain actors in this film. "DARK PHOENIX" is set in 1992, thirty years after the setting of "X-MEN: FIRST-CLASS" and nearly fifty years after Charles Xavier and Erik Lensherr's World War II experiences. This means both characters should be roughly 60 years old or in their early sixties by now. The Hank McCoy character should be at least in his mid-to-late fifties in this movie. And yet . . . all three characters are portrayed by younger actors. The ages of both James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender ranged from late thirties to early forties around the time of the film's production. Nicholas Hoult, who portrayed Hank, was roughly in his late twenties. If the movie's producers were not willing to hire age appropriate actors for the characters of Xavier, Magneto and McCoy; they could have at least arrange the actors to wear makeup that would reflect their characters' ages. This is just plain sloppiness on so many levels. Despite the film's lack of originality, I must admit that I actually managed to enjoy "DARK PHOENIX". I noticed that Kinsberg's screenplay featured a more in-depth exploration of how Jean's enhanced powers had made an impact on her life and on those in her life. I also enjoyed how the actions of certain characters in regard to Jean had resulted in major consequences for many characters. I found it interesting how Jean found herself isolated by her fellow mutants and a lot of the blame could be tossed at Charles Xavier's feet. He did not use his telepathy to contain her power - especially since he had encouraged her to use it to defeat En Sabah Nur in the 2016 film. Instead, he had used his telepathy to suppress her memories of her parents' death and her emotional reaction to it . . . instead of simply helping her deal with a tragic loss. Xavier had used a short cut. And when the alien energy removed his mental blocks on Jean's mind, tragic consequences followed. Xavier did not pay the consequences of his actions with death, but he did pay a heavy price. Ironically, Erik Lensherr aka Magneto had no interest in exploiting Jean's new powers, as he had done in the 2006 movie. He was more concerned in protecting Genosha, the refugee island for mutants he had founded and demanded that she leave after the U.S. Army appeared. Unfortunately, Magneto's desire to protect those mutants under his leadership transformed into vengeance when he learned about Mystique's death from a grieving Hank McCoy aka Beast. I found it interesting that Hank had never bothered to inform Erik that Mystique's death had been an accident on Jean's part. He was angry at Charles for the latter's handling of Jean and decided to use the latter as a moral scapegoat. And unfortunately, the vengeful actions of both men ended up exacerbating an already dangerous situation. By the time the movie shifted to Manhattan, three forces (including the U.S. Army) were trying to contain, exploit or destroy Jean. Only a fourth group seemed concerned with Jean - namely the X-Men. And for once, Xavier WAS NOT the catalyst for the team's attempt to rescue Jean. Her fellow team members - led by Scott Summers aka Cyclops and Ororo Munroe aka Storm - led this endeavor. If I must be honest, most of the film's visual effects did not blow my mind. At best, I found them serviceable. I could also say the same about Mauro Fiore's cinematography. However, there was one particular sequence in which the film's visuals and Fiore's photography really blew my mind. It involved the major clash that eventually evolved between the X-Men, the mutants under Erik Lensherr and Hank McCoy, the U.S. Army and the D'Bari. I have become increasingly weary of final action sequences shot at night over the past decade, thanks to the second "LORD OF THE RINGS" movie. I must say that I was more impressed by Fiore and the visual team's work in this particular sequence, which began on the streets of Manhattan and ended on a train headed out of the city. And their work was more than ably supported by excellent editing from Lee Smith. I certainly had no problems with the performances featured in "DARK PHOENIX". The movie featured solid performances from the likes of Evan Peters, Kodi Smit Mc-Phee, Ato Essandoh and Brian D'Arcy James. Another solid performance came from Michael Fassbender, whose portrayal of Erik Lensherr struck me as skillful, but not particularly memorable. I do not think Kinsberg's screenplay gave the actor something new or unusual to work with. At first, it seemed as if Alexandra Shipp was doomed to endure another movie in which her character, Ororo Munroe aka Storm, nearly became a background character. Thankfully, the movie's second half gave Shipp an opportunity to convey Storm's resilient nature with more dialogue and action scenes. I especially enjoyed that moment when Storm and Cyclops made it clear to Xavier their determination to help Jean. Vuk proved to be the second time I have ever seen Jessica Chastain portray a villain. And I thought she gave an interesting and slightly . . . bizarre performance as the D'Bari's manipulative leader, who seemed focused on seducing Jean for the latter's powers. Nicholas Hoult surprised me by his skillful portrayal of the uglier side of Hank McCoy's nature. This was especially apparent in scenes that reflected McCoy's desire to avenge Mystique's death. Speaking of the latter, Jennifer Lawrence's appearance barely spanned half of the movie. I thought she gave a solid performance. But there was one scene in which she truly impressed me. It featured Mystique's sardonic rant against Xavier for using the X-Men as his personal publicity campaign. I was more impressed by Tye Sheridan's portrayal of Scott Summers aka Cyclops in this film than I was in the 2016 movie. Sheridan's Cyclops became a more mature and determined personality. That maturity was expressed in Scott's continuing love for Jean and his determination to help her as much as possible. I think "DARK PHOENIX" marked the first time I can truly recall Charles Xavier being portrayed in a negative light . . . and I enjoyed it. This has nothing to do with any dislike of Xavier. But I cannot deny that I found James McAvoy's portrayal of his character very interesting . . . and new. What I really found interesting is that Xavier's uglier side was not briefly manifested in the revelation of the telepathic blocks he had placed in Jean's head. That revelation only deepened Xavier's arrogance and blindness. But audiences first saw signs of these traits, thanks to his argument with Mystique over his exploitation of the X-Men team for personal glory. Some of the franchise's fans felt that Sophie Turner was not up to portraying the "Dark Phoenix" aspect of Jean Grey's character. I suppose they were expecting a re-play of Famke Janssen's portrayal. Even if they were not, I still managed to enjoy Turner's performance. The main reason why I did was because Turner did not try to repeat the older actress' performance. Thanks to Kinsberg's script, Turner was able to put a different spin of Jean's evolution into the Dark Phoenix . . . one that did not paint her as villainous. I also felt that Turner did an excellent job of conveying how Xavier's mental blocks had led Jean to experience post traumatic stress (PST) and loss of control of her powers. I cannot explain why "DARK PHOENIX" proved to be a box office failure. And if I must be honest, I am not interested in expressing my opinion on this topic. The movie was not perfect. And frankly, I wonder if it was a good idea to use the shifted timeline from "X-MEN: DAYS OF FUTURE PAST" as an excuse to create a new version of the Dark Phoenix story arc. But I cannot deny that I enjoyed the movie. I thought Kinsberg had created a solid piece of cinematic entertainment with a screenplay that did not become a convoluted mess and first-rate performances from a cast led by James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender and Sophie Turner.

[kitcat992]

Instead of you know, letting tony survive and be less active (for rdj's sake) and introducing cool characters like charles xavier, wolverine, fantastic four and us getting to see their interactions with iron man and other avengers, they took that away. IDK but i don't feel excited going to watch those characters appear without iron man in it, can you imagine how great it would've been if mr fantastic talked with tony? and peter seeing stars on the background etc etc?

Friend, Endgame killed the MCU for a LOT of fans. A lot of people aren’t excited to see anything after this.

Do I think that the movies will immediately start bombing after Endgame? Hell no, the MCU created some impressive momentum these past 11 years. But that momentum is certainly about to slow down. And if they don’t manage to re-create the success of the Infinity Saga (sans Endgame) it will come to a halt.

The thing to remember is not everyone was or is a Tony Stark fan. His death isn’t what’s going to kill the MCU because a lot fans aren’t as effected by it. Hell, I wasn’t a fan of Stark until RDJ’s portrayal. In fact…(*whispering voice*) I didn’t see Iron Man 1 in theaters because I hated Tony Stark that much. But RDJ created a whole new persona with his portrayal and won me over, along with a ton of others. They may do this again with another unfamiliar, unliked face from the comics. I never say never. Again, I didn’t ever expect to like the Iron Man movies but look at where I am today.

But it’ll take time, and a lot of effort. Currently, I don’t see that effort being put in. Marvel Studio’s seems desperate to pop out product after product, from the movies to the new TV shows. The more they throw out there, the less care these things are being given.

Not to mention, everything moving forward from Endgame is not in a linear timeline. Straight from Feige’s mouth. We’re about to get prequels, postquels, and everything “present time” is 2023 onward. They’re going to have a very hard time keeping that momentum going when their audience is about to get hella confused on what’s going on in this “universe” of theirs.

Regardless, the collective narrative they originally set out to do is finished. They aren’t binding stories together anymore, they aren’t linking them together – they’re done with that. And in such, I’m done with them.

(and while it’s cool that Disney/MCU now owns the Fantastic family, X-men and even Deadpool, I’m way too hesitant to give them support. Them owning Fox is a BIG issue that everyone is overlooking. This is the start of something bad, something I can’t ignore in favor of my comic-nerdy self wanting to see Doctor Doom properly done on the big screen.)

[mk1comics]

Marvel December 2017 Highlights & Order Form: 

MARVEL TWO-IN-ONE #1 (W) Chip Zdarsky (A/CA) Jim Cheung 

THE FOUR ARE NO MORE, SO TWO MUST DO! Something is very wrong with THE HUMAN TORCH and only THE THING can help him! It's the Marvel Universe reunion you've all been waiting for (well, HALF of it, at least!).  Plus: What monumental secret has DOOM been hiding since the end of SECRET WARS, and how will it completely change the lives of Johnny Storm and Ben Grimm? PLUS: Includes 3 bonus MARVEL PRIMER PAGES!   Mk1 Release date: Dec 14, 2017 Mk1 Price $9.00

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN VENOM INC ALPHA #1 (W) Dan Slott, Mike Costa (A/CA) Ryan Stegman

VENOM INC. Part 1 Peter Parker, Eddie Brock and Flash Thompson have one major thing in common - the Venom symbiote changed all of their lives. The inky black alien life-form is doubling down on our heroes - and they're not the only ones about to be put through the ringer. VENOM INC. kicks off here and rolls into AMAZING SPIDER-MAN & VENOM as a familiar face rises to new levels of villainy! Mk1 Release date: Dec 07, 2017 Mk1 Price $10.00

X-MEN GRAND DESIGN #1 (W) Ed Piskor (A/CA) Ed Piskor From Eisner award-winning creator Ed Piskor (Hip-Hop Family Tree) comes a thrilling new series chronicling all of X-Men history! X-MEN: GRAND DESIGN stitches together the most important moments in mutant history, creating a comprehensive narrative celebrating the X-Men's past, present, and future. The first in a trilogy, GRAND DESIGN returns to Charles Xavier's assembly of Cyclops, Marvel Girl, Iceman, Angel, and Beast! A must for fans looking to brush up on their X-Men lore or as jumping-on point for Marvel's merry mutants. Mk1 Release date: Dec 21, 2017  Mk1 Price $11.90

Full  December Catalogue Here.  Send us your requests and we will stash on arrival  - sign up for Mk1’s subscription service - the Mk1 Comic Club!   

Here is a listing of all Marvel titles  shipping to Mk1 from December 2017 on.   Follow each item's attached link for more information (please note link takes you through to the USA price & date formatted PREVIEWS WORLD listing).   All care is taken to insure information is accurate but pricing and release dates can change.  You can place an order for any items listed here by emailing us or pasting the requested titles into the December Order form on this page.

New Comics

MARVEL TWO-IN-ONE #1 LEG $9.00 https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/OCT170834

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN/VENOM VENOM INC ALPHA #1 LEG $10.00 https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/OCT170876

TALES OF SUSPENSE #100 LEG $9.00 https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/OCT170870

Mini Series

PHOENIX RESURRECTION RETURN JEAN GREY #1 (OF 5) LEG $10.00 https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/OCT170824

SPIRITS OF VENGEANCE #3 (OF 5) LEG $9.00 https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/OCT170918

X-MEN GRAND DESIGN #1 (OF 2) $11.90 https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/OCT170956

INHUMANS ONCE FUTURE KINGS #5 (OF 5) $9.00 https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/OCT170959

DEADPOOL VS OLD MAN LOGAN #3 (OF 5) $9.00 https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/OCT170962  

PUNISHER PLATOON #4 (OF 6) (MR) $9.00 https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/OCT170966 

Regular Series

AVENGERS #675 $10.00 https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/OCT170809 GUARDIANS OF GALAXY #150 $10.00 https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/OCT170816

BLACK BOLT #8 LEG $9.00 https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/OCT170843 MS MARVEL #25 LEG $9.00 https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/OCT170847

GENERATION X #85 LEG $9.00 https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/OCT170852

WEAPON X #12 LEG $9.00 https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/OCT170856

HAWKEYE #13 LEG $9.00 https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/OCT170861

UNBEATABLE SQUIRREL GIRL #27 LEG $9.00 https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/OCT170865

MONSTERS UNLEASHED #9 LEG $9.00 https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/OCT170874

ICEMAN #8 LEG $9.00 https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/OCT170875

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #792 LEG $9.00 https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/OCT170879

VENOM #159 LEG $9.00 https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/OCT170882

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #793 LEG $9.00 https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/OCT170885

CAPTAIN AMERICA #696 LEG $9.00 https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/OCT170887

AVENGERS #674 LEG $9.00 https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/OCT170889

CHAMPIONS #15 LEG $9.00 https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/OCT170891

UNCANNY AVENGERS #30 LEG $9.00 https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/OCT170893

INVINCIBLE IRON MAN #595 LEG $9.00 https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/OCT170894

INCREDIBLE HULK #711 LEG $9.00 https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/OCT170895

MIGHTY THOR #702 LEG $9.00 https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/OCT170898

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN RENEW YOUR VOWS #14 LEG $9.00 https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/OCT170900

PETER PARKER SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN #298 LEG $9.00 https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/OCT170901

BEN REILLY SCARLET SPIDER #11 LEG $9.00 https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/OCT170902

BEN REILLY SCARLET SPIDER #12 LEG $9.00 https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/OCT170903

SPIDER-GWEN #27 LEG $9.00 https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/OCT170904

SPIDER-MAN #235 LEG $9.00 https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/OCT170906

SPIDER-MAN DEADPOOL #25 LEG $9.00 https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/OCT170907

DEFENDERS #8 LEG $9.00 https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/OCT170908

JESSICA JONES #15 LEG $9.00 https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/OCT170909

DAREDEVIL #596 LEG $9.00 https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/OCT170910

IRON FIST #75 LEG $9.00 https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/OCT170912

LUKE CAGE #168 LEG $9.00 https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/OCT170914

PUNISHER #219 LEG $9.00 https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/OCT170916

CAPTAIN MARVEL #127 LEG $9.00 https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/OCT170920 MOON KNIGHT #190 LEG $9.00 https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/OCT170921

SHE-HULK #160 LEG $9.00 https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/OCT170922

BLACK PANTHER #168 LEG $9.00 https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/OCT170924

DOCTOR STRANGE #382 LEG $9.00 https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/OCT170926

DOCTOR STRANGE #383 LEG $9.00 https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/OCT170927

JEAN GREY #10 LEG $9.00 https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/OCT170928

GWENPOOL #23 LEG $9.00 https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/OCT170929

FALCON #3 LEG $9.00 https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/OCT170930

AMERICA #10 LEG $9.00 https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/OCT170932

ROYALS #12 LEG $9.00 https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/OCT170933

SECRET WARRIORS #10 LEG $9.00 https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/OCT170934

SECRET WARRIORS #11 LEG $9.00 https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/OCT170935

MOON GIRL AND DEVIL DINOSAUR #26 LEG $9.00 https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/OCT170936

THANOS #14 LEG $9.00 https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/OCT170937

GUARDIANS OF GALAXY #148 LEG $9.00 https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/OCT170939

GUARDIANS OF GALAXY #149 LEG $9.00 https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/OCT170941

X-MEN GOLD #17 LEG $9.00 https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/OCT170942

X-MEN GOLD #18 LEG $9.00 https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/OCT170943

ALL NEW WOLVERINE #28 LEG $9.00 https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/OCT170944

OLD MAN LOGAN #32 $9.00 https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/OCT170946

X-MEN BLUE #17 LEG $9.00 https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/OCT170948

X-MEN BLUE #18 LEG $9.00 https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/OCT170949

CABLE #152 LEG $9.00 https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/OCT170950

DESPICABLE DEADPOOL #290 LEG $9.00 https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/OCT170951

DESPICABLE DEADPOOL #291 LEG $9.00 https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/OCT170954

RUNAWAYS #4 $9.00 https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/OCT170961 ASTONISHING X-MEN #6 $9.00 https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/OCT170964 Star Wars

STAR WARS LAST JEDI STORMS OF CRAIT #1 $10.00 https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/OCT170967

STAR WARS POE DAMERON #22 $9.00 https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/OCT170970

STAR WARS #40 $9.00 https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/OCT170972

STAR WARS DOCTOR APHRA #15 $9.00 https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/OCT170974

STAR WARS DARTH VADER #9 $9.00 https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/OCT170976

STAR WARS JEDI REPUBLIC MACE WINDU #5 (OF 5) $9.00 https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/OCT170977

STAR WARS NEW HOPE 40TH ANNIV HC $59.90 https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/OCT170995

Collected Editions

MIGHTY THOR PREM HC VOL 04 WAR THOR $49.90 https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/OCT170992 VISION DIRECTORS CUT HC $69.90 https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/OCT170993

PANTHER PRELUDE TP $29.90 https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/OCT170997

BLACK PANTHER DIGEST TP $15.90 https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/OCT171002

VENOMVERSE TP $29.90 https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/OCT171003

ICEMAN TP VOL 01 THAWING OUT $29.90 https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/OCT171004

SPIDER-MAN DEADPOOL TP VOL 04 SERIOUS BUSINESS $29.90 https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/OCT171005

MIGHTY CAPTAIN MARVEL TP VOL 02 BAND OF SISTERS $29.90 https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/OCT171006

THANOS TP VOL 02 GOD QUARRY $34.90 https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/OCT171007

IMMORTAL IRON FISTS TP $29.90 https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/OCT171008

SHE-HULK TP VOL 02 LET THEM EAT CAKE $29.90 https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/OCT171009

DOCTOR STRANGE TP VOL 05 $34.90 https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/OCT171010

POWER PACK CLASSIC TP VOL 01 NEW PTG $49.90 https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/OCT171012

DOCTOR STRANGE LORDS OF FEAR TP $55.90 https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/OCT171019

PUNISHER MAX TP COMPLETE COLLECTION VOL 07 (MR) $69.90 https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/OCT171021

DEADPOOL BY POSEHN & DUGGAN TP VOL 01 COMPLETE COLLECTION $59.90 https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/OCT171022

[paramar]

one of my favorite things from morrison's doom patrol is that the chief is basically a well-written charles xavier in the sense of “the narrative actually addresses the fact that the mentor is an evil manipulative asshole”. i hope the current run keeps it that way

[juranhakim]

X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014) review

X-Men: Days of Future Past is certainly one of the better attempts to depict the epic band of mutant heroes on screen. Latter attempts have fallen to the wayside, we shall not name names, but director Bryan Singer has steered the filmic series back on a redeeming path.

Interestingly enough Bryan Singer directed both X-Men 2 (2003) & X-Men: First Class (2011), in which are the standout films in the series, proving to be some of the most popular with the fans.

Needless to say the adamantium skeletal laced mutant Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) takes centre stage for the majority of the film, but this is to be expected, Hugh Jackman has submerged himself in the comic book character Wolverine to the extent that it is hard to picture one without the other.

One aspect that I applaud Singer for implementing in X-Men: Days of Future Past is the level of action and violence, especially in the opening scene; where new age sentinels hunt down mutants and efficiently kill them all with cold unrelenting precision.

The pulp of this film includes two main characters from the Marvel universe,  Dr. Bolivar Trask (Peter Dinklage) and mutant shape shifter Mystique (Jennifer Lawrence), otherwise known as Raven to her most closest acquaintances.

Trask, a 'non-believer' in mutant-kind, is the brains behind the sentinels.  But after several attempts at mutant genocide, the sentinels simply weren't well equipped enough to see out their sinister task; a key element seemed to be missing.

After Mystique attempts to assassinate Trask and is captured, this key element presents itself to Trask in the form of Mystique's unique mutant genetic code.

Consequently Trask manipulates this code and amalgamates it with the circuitry of his sentinels, granting them significant advantage and adaptability when handling and destroying mutants.

The present future at this point looks doomed because of the folly of one single mutant. The X-Men come together and decide that the only way to change the events of the future is to change the events of the past. They thus send Wolverine back to the year 1973 where his mission is  to recruit the help of a young Professor X (James McAvoy/Patrick Stewart), Magneto (Michael Fassbender/Ian McKellen), and Mystique.

X-Men: Days of Future Past has an engrossing storyline and plot. Bearing in mind that Bryan Singer has taken on the challenges of directing a time travel movie, there still remains a level of continuity in the narrative and fluidity in relation to the franchise.

Prequels and previous films such as X-Men 2 touches on the endeavours of William Stryker (who also features in X-Men: Days of Future Past), and X-Men: First Class; in which depicts the travels and relationship of Charles Xavier (Prof. X) and Erik Lehnsherr (Magneto) - also seen in X-Men: Days of Future Past.

X-Men favourites like Storm (Halle Berry), Iceman (Shawn Ashmore), Kitty Pryde (Ellen Page), Colossus (Daniel Cudmore) all make an appearance alongside some new additions.

The character Quicksilver (Evan Peters); a mutant from the loins of Magneto himself, with the ability to move at extraordinary speed, is a great feature to the film. Scenes depicting Quicksilver prove to be amusing and highly entertaining.

The success of this latest X-Men installment is the return of director Bryan Singer. He has been able to produce a film popular enough to attract new viewers, interesting enough to appeal to the hardcore comic fans, and aesthetically pleasing enough to keep the franchise going strong.

Juran Hakim