#tom brevoort

[rei-ismyname]

Let's talk R-LDS

R-LDS or Resurrection-Linked Degenerative Sickness was alluded to in X-Men #4 and the Infinity Comics before being named in X-Men #7. We're told that Magneto has it and it's directly caused by Krakoan resurrection/The Five, kinda.

Here's Beast doing some alluding.

In the panels above, we learn that Hank McCoy is the only one working on the problem - the problem being Magneto's loss of his powers and his body breaking down rapidly - his very chromosomes unraveling. He seems quite sure that it could happen to 'any of us' though the lack of quarantine suggests it's not contagious.

The next bit of information we receive is from Magneto and Scott in conversation, reflecting on The Iron Night. They took down a wild sentinel that was attacking the town and Mags lost control over his powers immediately after, requiring Scott to knock him out for safety's sake. Scott is no scientist, and while Magneto is a genius polymath autodidact (with plenty of experience in genetics) it's not a character trait that's seen focus lately. Thus, I'm assuming they're discussing it as amateurs and as patient zero in Magneto's case.

Magneto confidently names the condition for the first time as well as using an acronym for it, suggesting it's confirmed to exist, he's had a positive diagnosis, and they're using the term enough to require shorthand. He even spells out the subtext for us - it was a hidden flaw in Krakoan resurrection. I'll come back to that notion. Scott says 'we don't know that for sure,' implying that R-LDS is just a theory or speculation, which Mags doesn't directly refute. Instead he lays out the worst case scenario. They can't both be right here, so what's the deal? Magneto's symptoms are obviously confirmed, but how did they get from there to here?

If Magneto is the first and only person affected by his condition, why are he and Beast so sure about its providence and everyone being in danger? How could they possibly link it to Krakoan resurrection? I'm no scientist but I do know that there's only so much you can conclude from a single data point. Magneto was indeed only resurrected by the Five once, but he died again after that on Arakko (X-Men Red #7). The body he's in came out of a portal from Overspace in Adam Brashear's underwater base (Resurrection of Magneto #3.) His body suffering a condition borne of something that happened to a different body doesn't make sense. Considering he's the only person to return to life that way AND the only one allegedly with R-LDS, that would be the place to start for Beast's sciencing.

There he is, good as new.

Word of God

In a recent AIPT interview, Tom Brevoort removed any ambiguity and just straight up confirmed it. With the caveat that his recent X-history knowledge seems pretty poor, he is the de jure ultimate authority on the matter. I don't agree with that, and not just because I don't respect him as a creator. This habit of on-panel ambiguity and editorialising in interviews is vexing.

It's especially vexing when he contradicts himself. He counterpoints his own information with some of what I just pointed out, but the fact that they've made a list of who was and wasn't resurrected suggests R-LDS is a plot point they're committed to. I have to wonder why he bothered giving a detailed answer to this question if it's 'yes,' then 'maybe', then 'it will definitely be a thing you'll see as we progress.' Saying all of that and then ending with 'we know very little so far' really makes me wonder what he's thinking. Tom Brevoort could have given his usual cagey answer about not wanting to spoil anything, but he didn't here. I'm saving most of my Brevoort-specific criticism for a separate piece, but this glib and irreverent tone is typical of his commentary - even managing a light jab at Jordan D White.

Frankly, I think it's a graceless and cynical development. There are so many character beats, mistakes, and conflicts to use from the First Krakoan Age that choosing to create R-LDS feels like a shot at the core of hopefulness and creativity that blew our socks off in 2019.

HoxPoX

House of X/Powers of X was hopeful and magical. After a decade plus of endless misery and genocides, dull stories and bizarre characterisation, for once mutants got a W. The ability to use mutants working together to right the horrendous wrongs they'd suffered was central to that - the power of community and cooperation. What they built wasn't perfect but The Five was something they got right.

What would possess someone to take the cornerstone of the greatest X-Men story of all time (don't @ me) and try to tear it down? Remember, when the dust settled we ended up in Moira X life 10E. In 10A, the original Krakoan experiment, the mutants won! They thrived and protected what was theirs against Dominions. It took a literal apex AI God existing outside of space and time directly opposing them to fail. Enigma, on the back foot, sent Omega Sentinel through time to start ORCHIS years early and ensure Krakoa's collapse. Am I to believe 'no, sorry. That was a dead end?'

Haven't we been here before?

We've had mutants suffer from the Legacy Virus and M-Pox already, and I might even be missing other examples of nebulous diseases that threatened to wipe out all mutants. Obviously it's the prerogative of the X-Office to use whatever plot points they want, but do we really have to do this again? There are plenty of ways to sideline Magneto as a combatant that don't require repackaging old storylines. We've even had Hank McCoy decades behind the curve desperately trying to catch up before - in All-New All-Different X-Men.

Small World

Defenders-era Hank McCoy might be the worst possible 616 scientist to tackle this problem. He's literally decades behind the science curve and doesn't have the experience in dealing with anything like this. He's not the same guy that worked on M-Pox or the Legacy Virus. He never set foot on Krakoa and has never met any of the Five. We don't know how much data was recorded or kept from The Five but Beast may not have access to it.

Why isn't he talking to Cecilia Reyes, Forge, Jean Grey, Reed Richards, Doctor Strange, Adam Brashear, Healer, Doctor Nemesis? Even doctor dickhead that extorted Storm has the ability to instantly diagnose anyone. It makes the world feel tiny, and when you're following an era of interconnectedness that's just so disappointing. Portraying him as supremely concerned about 'all of us being ticking time bombs' rings hollow if he's working on it solo. Hank McCoy has always had a sense of arrogance where his scientific ability is concerned but not to this degree. Look at the guy! He's hating the stress he's under.

Sins of Sinister and the White Hot Room

I have to wonder if the implications of linking Magneto's illness to The Five's resurrection have been fully considered. The Sins of Sinister timeline ran for a millennium with the Five resurrecting on an industrial scale. Rasputin IV would have noticed, or the Quiet Council. The mutants left behind in the White Hot Room in RotPox spent 15 years bringing back ALL the dead mutants. That's 16 million, minimum. 15 years is less than a thousand but it's still longer than the First Krakoan Age, several times over. Nobody noticed anything? Elixir, member of the Five and Omega biokinetic, with his unlimited mastery of DNA didn't notice anything? Destiny didn't see mutants falling apart? Sounds dubious as hell to me.

Towards the end of the era many humans were resurrected too. 5% of the Five's work was set aside for bringing back poor children etc through the Phoenix Foundation. Steve Rogers was resurrected into his current body on Judgement Day. I am extremely skeptical that this has been considered, and in Steve's case whether the X-Office can even use him.

Conclusion

Magneto's physical degradation has been swift. Here he is in Uncanny X-Men #700, implied to be at most 6 months before X-Men #1. I think I've demonstrated that the concept is nonsensical and to reiterate, I think it's a terrible narrative choice. If I'm being generous, it'll be interesting to see if they can explain R-LDS in a way that makes sense - if they can do something new and interesting with a tired concept. There's only been one issue since it was introduced, so perhaps I'm jumping the gun on breaking it down. Let's check back in 6 months.

What do you think of R-LDS? Do you think my reasoning is sound? As always, I'd love to hear what other fans think.

[fionapplespiano]

Tom Brevoort's whole "Scott and Jean having kids will age them" thing is kinda unfounded. (an analysis)

First of all, Tom Brevoort has stated that he believes that Scott and Jean are 28 years old, the same age as Peter Parker.

However, using the rule that four years our time is one year in the marvel universe, that claim simply isn't true. Scott and Jean debuted a little over 60 years ago, when they were 15-16 years old. 60 divided by 4 equals 15, so 16 + 15 means they are 31 years old as of right now.

But it should be noted that it was said that Jean was 24 years old when she died during the Dark Phoenix Saga, which was 44 years ago. 44 divided by 4 equals 11, so by that metric, Scott and Jean are 35.

So, Scott and Jean are NOT 28 years old, they're most likely somewhere between 31 and 35 years old in the current cannon.

Regardless of where you stand with their ages, one thing we can all agree on is that they are canonically older than Cannonball and Jubilee. And yet, they both have kids...

I mean, yeah, having a kid ages them a bit. But that's because they aren't in their 20s anymore? They were the first X-Men, so they're older than most of the other X-Men.

Also, they already kinda have a kid? In Cable? I mean, he wasn't born to Jean, he was born to her clone Madelyne Pryor. But she still raised him after Madelyne tried sacrificing him to demons.

But the problem is that Cable had to be raised in the future due to some techno-organic virus bullshit (I've never been a fan of the storyline), and they could only raise him until he turned 13.

Cable is 100% Scott and Jean's baby boy. But us Jott fans want them to have a baby they can raise in present day from start to finish.

I don't Rachel really counts, because I think she was around 18 years old when she came to the 616 universe. And I don't think they even remember Nate Grey...the writers certainly don't!

So, since they're already parents, are the first members of the X-Men, and X-Men that are canonically younger than them have kids themselves, how would them having another child be detrimental?

Listen, I get that we all have preferences, and not every couple needs to have a kid. But in the same breath, not every superhero needs to be a bachelor in their 20s, it's okay to let them evolve and let them get married or have kids.

If there's any X-Men couple that should have a child (that they don't have to send to the future) and be the Reed and Sue of the X-Men, it should be Jean and Scott.

Plus, Jean promised Rachel all the way back in the 90s that they would have the 616 version of her. It's rude to keep her waiting!

That's one way of saying you're gonna raw dog it tonight

So yeah, that's my rant for tonight. Scott and Jean are my favorite couple, and I know that I speak for a lot of Jott fans when I say that they should have a kid.

I think it would allow their relationship to evolve in a beautiful way ❤️❤️❤️

(p.s While we're at it, can we give Peter his marriage back? He's allowed to evolve too)

[brw]

Allowing comic book creators to access social media was a mistake. Not even because anyone has done anything, I just think fans knowing Tom Brevoort's opinions has made people absolutely unhinged over a man who is objectively not doing half the shit they say he's doing.

He is the group editor. He is not writing the comics. He is not telling the story here. He is simply facilitating the stories the writers already want to tell. He is making sure that if Laura shows up in say, Exceptional X-Men, it will not contradict anything done in NYX or in her upcoming solo series. He is simply making sure the stories told are coherent, and that the creatives on board are all meeting their deadlines. He's making sure that if an artist has to leave for whatever reason, another one is ready to take the reigns. His overall contributions to the actual narrative of From The Ashes is minor. He could be the biggest Krakoa fan in the world and the overall narrative of From The Ashes would not change because he is not writing the story, he is simply making sure all the books don't contradict each other and are able to be what their writers and artists want them to be. That man is not enemy number one, he is ultimately Some Guy whose job it is to make sure nobody puts Wolverine in X-Force when he's meant to be in Uncanny X-Men. You do not need to scour his twitter, old Tumblr and substack to glean every little detail of the man's life and opinions.

[salarta]

Now that I've been banned over a tame joke on CBR, I might be making more posts over here on Tumblr. This is one such post.

I usually, deliberately, do not post stuff about the current X-Factor book. Why? Because it's trash. And the current X-Men senior editor, Tom Brevoort, has previously said that he thinks being a colossal asshole is "good for business" because it gets people talking.

Of course, that's just him trying to make excuses for being an asshole, just like he tried to make excuses for why Polaris "couldn't" be Magneto's daughter. But I digress.

The reason I'm bringing it up now, though, is pretty simple.

He fucked up. Hard. And not only does he know it, but he's trying to change the subject away from his fuckup.

This past Wednesday, Marvel released X-Factor #2. If you're going to read it, do so by pirating. Or not at all. Because any purchase for any reason gives the false impression that they should keep doing what they're doing.

In this week's issue, the "Polaris" in the story wasn't just bad. Wasn't just 90s nostalgia bad. It was the most blatant display of nostalgia for regressive sexism toward Lorna in decades. It was bad enough that it would've skated on thin ice even before Lorna surviving the Genoshan genocide.

The basic summary of all I've seen is this.

Story forces Havok x Polaris trash just because of nostalgia. Lorna acts all submissive and needy around Havok, like she desperately wants his approval and involvement in her life. Havok comes with her to a Mutant Underground meeting, but only to spy on them, and Lorna somehow (brain worms tiem) doesn't notice he's wearing a button cam. Despite, you know. Her powers.

For some reason, and by some reason I mean "nostalgia for an attitude that Lorna is a nobody character," Lorna is just a rando in the Mutant Underground surrounded by other randos. Even though she's a survivor of the Genoshan genocide, and had trashed Orchis' space station basically days prior in comics time, she's treated as just a random nobody in the group. And when Mutant Underground realized Havok was wearing a camera, they took Lorna hostage - without a fight from her - with implication that they might kill her due to his actions.

.............

If you're wondering how it makes sense, it doesn't. This isn't Lorna. It's Brevoort's shitty fanfic idea of Lorna as a nobody character whose only value is to promote his favorite straight cis Aryan male, Havok.

Obviously, because we're not living in the sexist late 60s and 70s, this treatment of her has been universally panned. Even by people who want to support the book. The few people trying to defend it, do so under the guise of "lol it's a parody so it's perfectly fine," but that shit's been getting shut down fast by pointing out that parody isn't an excuse for some things. Like this.

This is where the biggest reason for my post comes in.

Yesterday, literally one day after releasing X-Factor #2, Marvel used their favorite sycophant fan site to release an "exclusive preview" of X-Factor #3... a whole ass month in advance. Unlike the last two previews that emphasized Havolaris shit, this preview didn't include the Havolaris shit. It focused on Havok and Friends.

Anyone who can read between the lines on this stuff can recognize what it means when a company rushes to release brand new teaser stuff for the next issue immediately after releasing the current one. From a marketing and buzz standpoint, if your work doesn't suck, you want to give audiences time to digest. You want them to think it through, build it up with word of mouth, convince other people to buy into the book and be on the lookout for new things before you put out a teaser. And you wait until later to publish the teaser so it's fresh in minds to go out and buy it.

Rushing out the next preview means they're desperate to change the subject with what's on hand. They can't radically change the next issue (maybe the next few) in response to criticism and complaints because they're too far along in the publishing pipeline.

They, especially Brevoort, also don't want to admit they made a mistake. Because at the end of the day? Treating Lorna like shit off of sexist nostalgia is what they want. They want people to accept it and let it pass, because they think that unlike Storm, Jean Grey, Emma Frost, etc, that they can get away with being sexist fucks about how they depict Lorna.

So with changing the next issues not an option, and offering up an apology and admitting any kind of fault isn't an option, there's only one real recourse they have.

Releasing shit stupid early and hoping people will change the subject so they can get away with the sexism.

The current X-Factor book is shit. It's based heavily on one man's sexist fantasies for a time decades too old for today. Keep that in mind when you see this stuff.

For my money's worth, this isn't even Lorna. I refuse to recognize this character as being Lorna, because it's blatant that the intent behind it isn't to acknowledge Lorna or her fandom and do right by the character. There's no actual Lorna in this. Therefore it's not Lorna. If you're jonesing for a Lorna fix, read a fanfic, because fanfics are more accurate than what Marvel's publishing.

[doctorofmagic]

"Logan is straight" this "Hickman didn't cook a threesome with Scott and Jean" that

So how do you explain when Clea and Stephen invited him to a threesome? 🙄

Jokes aside, it's so obvious Marvel will never let their most popular characters be queer in order to please the ultrababies, we had this conversation over and over. If being bi/pan is already enough of a taboo, imagine when they touch the subject of polyamory.

I watched it live with Ewing's Guardians of the Galaxy and it's all subtle, even though Quill is canonically both (which was STILL subtle because I've seen LOTS of comments like "this panel doesn't confirm anything" and it's literally Peter taking a bath with a f|m couple, which later became their throuple, but okay).

Anyways, at the end of the day, these are fictional characters, and while I'd love canon rep, we're talking about a very toxic industry that sells to both queer and ultraconservative readers. An industry so flawed that they're celebrating *checks notes* STRAIGHT ALLIES this year's pride month.

So hmmm, idk, headcanons are free. Have fun.

(this is about Hickman's logan/scott/jean controversy and how Brevoort denied it btw. My instance is simple: I'm old. I can pick subtle queer tones miles away. People complaining or denying it would NOT survive the experience of being baited by both Gotham and Supernatural like I was. I'VE SEEN THINGS)

[shadowwingtronix]

So I Hear The X-Men Went Psycho...

BW Media Spotlight sees Tom Brevoort discuss heroes and killing in So I Hear The X-Men Went Psycho...

I’ve never been a huge X-Men fan. Even the original Fox Kids cartoon didn’t do much for me, so the relaunch didn’t make me miss Disney+. I hope that’s not a theme this week, but I saw an article from Bounding Into Comics where Tom Brevoort, incoming editor to the X-Books took a shot at the “Krakoa era” finale and showed that he may understand superheroes whatever his current political commentary…

[rzc11]

Thank you, Chad. Jean Grey gets to us, too :) in a good way.

[newx-menfan]

I’ll believe the Hellion rumors when I see it lol

[samasmith23]

Massive kudos to Matt Fraction & Tom Brevoort for retconning John Byrne’s creepy weirdo crap with Reed Richards & Susan Storm!

[agentxthirteen]

Sharon-A-Day, Day 744 (1/14/24)

Captain America V5 30. On sale 9/19/07. "The Death of the Dream Part Six"

Writer: Ed Brubaker

Penciller: Steve Epting

Inker: Michael Perkins

Letterer: Joe Caramagna

Colorist: Frank D'Armata

Editor: Tom Brevoort

Surprise, Sharon!

[kingoftieland]

Marvel CANCELED Hulk’s most fascinating form: Righteous Hulk! 👑

[rei-ismyname]

Ororo, how did you get here?

I wonder if we'll get a solid, in character explanation for why Storm would become a cop (Avenger) again. I'm writing an analysis on From The Ashes (so far) and while I'm clear-eyed about where most characters and books are at, I really need to know if they're even going to bother explaining why Storm would leave Arakko (oh yeah, there's still a million mutants on the red planet) and if they do to what degree. Sure she can just bail off screen but it'd be deeply out of character. She's a member of the Great Ring (or at least she was, occupying Magneto's empty Seat of Loss after she yielded the Regency to Lodus Logos.) She's the most impactful political and cultural figure in a generation. She was the leader of the winning faction in the Genesis War. She had a lover, who was caring for two orphans. I think they were living together. She was happy. I can't recall any ties to Atlanta, but it doesn't really matter. Without serious explanation she's going to look fickle, like she's shirking her duty. A duty she chose, too. Fought multiple wars over. She's getting a solo book, there's totally room to do it properly.

The other big ting for me is Magneto. The First Krakoan age put him through the ringer - his character arc was objectively given the most attention and subjectively the most satisfying. Even without Uncanny X-Men #700 he was poised to shake up the status quo but when you include his chat with Charles that's a promise. A promise that needs to be paid off. Not just any old promise either - it's an ideological breakthrough five decades in the making! He's been kept in the background so far and I haven't really been able to judge whether that promise is being kept or not. I hope so but my expectations are low. It would be such tonal whiplash I can't even think of an analogy.

Interestingly both Max and Ororo were Of Arakko last time we got a close look. Magneto died defending Arakko, he has friends there. He is literally one of the society's heroes for slaying Tarn the Uncaring and The Hour Of Magneto/Judgement Day.

Yeah, that's right. *AIR HORN* *PUMPS FIST* He cares about the Arakki and they care about him. He'd want to pay his respects to the Fisher King and generally see how it's going. He lost his place on the Great Ring when he died and Vulcan blew up his house, but neither are especially important. Both planet and culture are dear to him. After X of Swords, in that brief period when the Arakki were on Earth, it was Magneto meeting with Isca about teething problems. 'Twas Magneto who spearheaded the Terraforming Operation, handling the communication/logistics and harvesting enough iron to bring the planet to life from the Khyber Belt. While he was doing that, Ororo was fighting Nameless to the death for the Noontide Seat.

I could honestly go on, but my point is these two especially are invested. (Roberto Da Costa too, but it seems the New Mutants are represented by Magik alone and Cypher looking like an idiot.) If that continuity is disregarded I'm going to have a problem with it. Honestly, if Arakko is there and not being used in any stories I'll be scratching my head. How do you go from terraforming planets to hated and feared on Earth as anything other than a regression? The geopolitical implications of it being there pretty much break the world they're selling us. They're telling us it's so dangerous for mutants that they're developing secret hand signals and Underground Railroad'ing. At least some mutants would move to fucking Mars. All countries would be at Defcon 1. Did the entire galactic council just forget Sol exists?

I'll stop there, save some for the actual essay instead of the rant lol. If you're enjoying it I couldn't be happier for you. I am struggling to, though, and I'm very wary of heartbreak. Maybe that's on me for how I manage my expectations. We shall see.

[fionapplespiano]

Welp there goes my hopes and dreams for a Jott baby 😪

I'm bummed, but hey he could always change his mind in the future.

[tgirldarkholme]

Carol becoming Captain Marvel... was Tom Brevoort and Brian Michael Bendis' idea all along? (x)

(cc @fanartcollectorwriter @boborock789 @ultrakeencollectionbreadfan @westcot @sineala @finndiseicla @rolly2go @iwillshipyouman @theboneylibrarian @nadertigerkay @carrienator @skybells507 @cosmicrayed @carolxdanvers @orangedodge @wild-moss-art @supernulperfection @danzafila @seccruz @arandombinary @chadfarsight @nicnerdyfan)

[salarta]

No one:

Absolutely no one:

Havok: I’m gonna say the M word!

Tom Brevoort: And now to make Polaris act like she can’t quit that and end up barefoot and pregnant in the kitchen, cause I fuckin love sexism when I can get away with it

[star-reyes]

Has Tom Brevoort ever done an interview where he isn't weirdly negative about the books he's editing

Trying to convince fans that the thing we all know happened didn't happen is disrespectful enough. But to do an interview about how great the champions are and to talk so flippantly about them is another level of annoying.