Uncanny X-Men # 2 Review

UNCANNY X-MEN # 2
Written by Brian Michael Bendis
Art by Chris Bachalo, Tim Townsend, Jamie Mendoza, Al Vey & Victor Olazara
Marvel Comics


FLIPPING THROUGH:

            Love. Love is a wonderful thing. Then love gets broken by betrayal. And there is more than one betrayal dealt with in the second issue of Uncanny X-Men. Emma really looses her shit … as tweeted by writer Brian Michael Bendis himself. And she does. But not in the way you’d think. No. Emma’s … frustrated. She’s frustrated cause her telepathy is in flux. She’s frustrated cause her relationship to Scott is torn to shreds because of her cheating on him. (HA. Karma Scott. Karma! Aka He cheated on Madelyn with Jean and then on Jean with Emma).  We get a very nice look at her relationship with Scott now. They aren’t together. It is obvious something is still there but they are not together.

            Meanwhile, we get to see the new students of Cyclops’ New Xavier School with a bitching schematic of the new facility while we have character interaction. We get a little more development of the new students as a bunch of X-Men head on to visit Eva’s, new codename Tempus, home to tell her mother she’s okay. And then we get a cliffhanger of an ending as the Avengers show up.


ART:

            Bachalo once again delivers an issue full of innovations and slight usage of propaganda. While the propaganda visuals are far less this issue, there are a couple in certain panels that work well. Yet, some of the innovations in panel work this issue really helped deliver a strong impression.
            We got great panel work that is fragmented which is a physical representation of Emma’s current state of mind. There is an order to it but its shuffled because of her powers being in flux. It is also an interesting way to visually describe her relationship with Scott.  Using 1 part propaganda, one part vacation package and one part schematic, Bachalo and the gang really do a splendid job of showing the schematic of the base in a way that let’s readers know what’s going on, add it to the main story and sell it as part of Scott’s revolution all at once.  It’s gripping to see and I am impressed how the students are taking to it.
            The new costumes are growing on me save for Magneto’s. I’m sorry but white on him just does not feel right. Red. Yes. Purple. Yes. Black. Yes. Even blue and yellow would be better than white on him. But that is more a personal thing.
            All the inkers really do a great job to flesh out Bachalo’s pencils but Bachalo’s coloring this issue feels more vibrant than it did in issue one. Really wonderful job by the art team.

WRITING:

            I like Bendis. I like this issue. Emma and Scott’s early conversation about where she’s act and their relationship was really good. It keyed into what has happened between them. It shows Scott keeping himself strong while show slight vulnerability when it comes to Emma. Emma’s vulnerability was definitely brought to bear for the readers and to Scott. Yet, that’s all who see it. It is good seeing Emma remembering that she’s a damn good teacher. And it is good to seeing the evolution of the characters.

            Magik, honestly, felt nice and fresh here. She knows she’s no good but at the same time, she wants to fight for Scott’s revolution. I can agree with it. And I certainly understand it. Illyana seems to have also grown in a good way. Which makes her reasons being with Scott all the more interesting. And her has a teacher, even though she’s the same age as at least one student makes the dynamic even better. Magneto … honestly, I am loving him right now. He was with Scott till Avengers vs. X-Men and then things when nuts. Magneto, in his own way, must feel some blame for Charles’ death yet is putting it on Cyclops. And this issue continues his Judas ways. Yet, Bendis writes it in such a way that you can’t help but agree with Erik a little.

            The new characters give fresh eyes as we are seeing a brand new generation of Mutants coming in. With that said, characterization is not a problem this issue. The panel work worked extremely well with Bendis’ story. Save for my one gripe … the ending seemed a bit too fast. Like the pacing of the issue was great till the last 4 pages.  The cliffhanger was great. The conversation between Scott and Emma was superb. The students getting used to the new Xavier School was wonderful. Yet, because of the issue having quite a few pages in the beginning devoted to Emma and Scott, the end of the issue didn’t feel balanced. Things felt rushed at the end. Yet, still … Bendis writes a great X-Men book with a distinctly different voice than his All New X-Men Title.

OVER ALL IMPREPSSION:

            While The ending seemed to be go from 30 to 90 within a few pages, the over all issue was really spectacular. We’re getting great character development. The characters feel real. The art was better this issue. And there is a building of investment alongside all the innovations done this issue. Uncanny X-Men may very well redefine the way you look at the mutant struggle both verbally and visually. Solid job by Bendis, Bachalo and crew.

RATING:

            I give Uncanny X-Men # 2 a 8.5 out of 10. Really great job.

Uncanny X-Men # 1 Review

UNCANNY X-MEN # 1
Written by Brian Michael Bendis
Art by Chris Bachalo, Tim Townsend, Al Vey & Jamie Mendoza
Marvel Comics


FLIPPING THROUGH:

            Normally, I would give you a brief history but the book does that for you. We get an interesting device of the issue being narrated by the person that is the Judas to Cyclops’ revolution. This was definitely a different Cyclops. Yet, it works and fits with everything that has occurred since Avengers vs X-Men. Cyclops is now an outlaw and considered a revolutionary with the mutant population booming again.
            His team scoops in to gather a brand new mutant only  to encounter Sentinels. Magneto, depowered a little bit because of the Phoenix (which still makes me scratch my head since the Phoenix attacked other mutants and their powers didn’t go gaga like his) and a now over powered Cyclops takes them down. The rest of the team gathers a young man  who just dealt with emerging powers. Not much on Magik but Eva who we saw in All New X-Men is now going by Tempus.
            Our narrator seems to be talking to Maria Hill & Nick Fury Jr. At the end, we get a reveal of our Judas. And I will just keep it there.


ART:

            Bachalo’s style has always been very different. I do not know many people with a similar style (the closest being Mark Buckingham but his style evolved differently than Bachalo’s). There are gritter inks to it but there are some definitely uses of propaganda art throughout the comic that helps give it the right feel, thanks to the inking team of Vey, Townsend & Mendoza. Cyclops is indeed leading a revolution now. And I hope this ride is a very, very long one … LIKE AT LEAST A DECADE. Anyway, Bachalo not only pencils the issue but also colors it himself. And Bachalo’s art looks amazing.
            Each panel is distinct and rich but there are pieces where things really work in terms of art that deals with Cyclops’ revolution. It is like the book continues to not only side with Cyclops visually, but shows you dramatic pieces that jump at you as if it were a program. Bachalo does not disappoint with the Sentinels either. Yet, I am not too keen on Magneto’s redesign. There were a couple of panels that seemed a bit  . .. fast. Like the opening panel with Hill, Coulson & Fury walking down a corridor. I have seen Bachalo’s work for years but I don’t know if it was the pencils or inks but it feels like that panel was rushed to get into the “good stuff.”  Each panel, in my mind, is important but that one just looked rushed or lazy. Yet, the coloring makes the panels vivid and working towards a propaganda style that goes along with Cyclops revolution. Otherwise, a solid job by Bachalo.


WRITING:

            This is probably one of the most inventively written books from Bendis. As I touched on with the art, there is a sense that is book is continuing giving you propaganda. From Cyclops’ image on the first page, to multiple panels which show Mutants getting attacked. Bendis crafts a great opening issue. He gives you the background. He sets up problems with SHIELD. He sets up this new mission of Cyclops’ yet also gives a very interesting look at it. Already, one of Cyclops’ most trusted X-Men are betraying him. Yet, we see loads of propaganda that prove Cyclops’ point visually while we are being told the opposite about Cyclops verbally. It makes an interesting was to go through the issue. It enhances what is going on even more and makes an interesting statement in the causes that Cyclops is now championing.
            Each characters voice was interesting. Yet, I find that for a book called Uncanny X-Men, we seem to have a split focus on SHIELD as well. Still, Bendis writes a bit darker here and it works. The use of propaganda over topped by the Judas’ narrative was inventive. The characters’ voices rang true. A great solid first issue by Bendis.


OVERALL IMPRESSION:

            Bendis continues his mastery over all things X-Men with an inventive start for Uncanny X-Men’s third volume. The flavor of added propaganda mixed with narration from one of the people that is supposed to be one of its champions was a great storytelling device. Bachalo’s art is just as inventive with interesting colors and panel work, yet some of it was a little lazy. Otherwise, I am excited to see where this road takes Cyclops.

 
RATING:

            I give this book an 8.0 out of 10. A few lazy panels aside, I loved the opening of this book and look forward to more.

X-Men: Portrait of Strong Leadership

 It is amazing that the X-Men are about to turn 50 years old and Marvel is working on making them beat out Avengers for the top spot again. Charles Xavier is now dead (for good from the looks of everything ... his brain was ripped from his own body and is currently being used by the Red Skull) for good. Yet, Charles has truly fostered some wonderful people to carry on his dream. The following are the "official" leaders of the X-Men over the course of  the last 50 years. I am not counting any other X-team and I am only going with the 616 Continuity cause this list would be Ridiculously large if I added the leaders of all the other X-teams.

 Here are the official torch bearers of the dream over the last 50 years.


CYCLOPS -

   Scott Summers, for decades, was the first and favorite torchbearer of the dream. He lived and breathed Charles Xavier's ideals. He worked hard to fight for Charles' dream, going about it different ways over the course of the last 50 years. He commands respect from every mutant he comes across. This can be clearly seen when he first brought up Utopia after dealing with the then top cop Norman Osborn ... beating Osborn by creating a mutant nation of his own and most mutants following him. Scott was the favorite son.

    Yet, after being absorbed by Apocalypse ... Scott came back a different man. When he came back, he seemed colder ... crueller. More of a dick. And the decimation, death of Jean Grey (for good it seems), slaughter of the majority of the Grey bloodline and his psychic affair with Emma Frost, Scott REALLY changed. He was willing to have blood on his hands. He was willing to protect mutant kind by sending out kill squads. He even decided that having Idie save people by killing Hellfire Club was okay.

  Scott went from being the ultimate leader of Xavier's dream to becoming the new face of mutantkind while turning his back on what Xavier taught him. Yet, Scott moved many X-Men over the course of the last 5 decades. He even made Magneto & Namor respect him ... at the same time. Scott Summers is, as Darryll B Carter would say, that cannon that would show you how to fight for survival and for a dream. It just changed from Charles' dream to his own.


STORM -

  If Scott Summers was the favorite son of Xavier, Storm has more than made her impression as the favorite daughter. Storm, with or without powers, is a formidable commander in her own right. Regal in her own way since she was first worshiped in Africa, Storm learned to get down and dirty too as a thief in the streets of Cairo (and part of the reason why she & Gambit have been close friends up till this day).

  Storm even beat Cyclops ... when she had NO powers. Being one of the first African American women in comics to hold a leadership position to such a popular team, Ororo Monroe paved the way for both creators and heroines alike. Most of her early tenure as leader of the X-Men really focused on a family like atmosphere amongst her, Kitty, Colossus (remember when she used to call him Little Brother) & Kurt. Since then, she lead the X-Men alongside Cyclops, then she was leader on her own again. Then she shared leadership of the X-Men with Emma Frost and Cyclops as heads while her running her own show.

  Storm became one of Charles' shining examples of his dream when she married Black Panther and was Queen of Wakanda. During her time as Queen, she was a member of both the Fantastic Four and the Avengers. Yet, those ended quickly as (according to some that no one could write Storm & Black Panther's marriage correctly since the late, great Dwayne McDuffie) their marriage was annulled (which is still bullshit, in my opinion). Now, after standing behind Cyclops to make sure he doesn't cross the line, and kinda failing at that, Storm returns to the Jean Grey School and go from wife to back to the Wind Rider we know and love ... with Mohawk included. Welcome back Storm.





EMMA FROST -


Her relationship with Charles was adversarial at first but Emma warmed up to Xavier's dream. She ran Xavier School for Gifted Youngsters during her time with Generation X but then , after falling in love with Cyclops, ended up co-leading the X-Men alongside him. During the time the X-Men moved to San Francisco then Utopia, Emma Frost had become the undisputed Queen of Mutant kind. Even with her villianous ways behind her, Emma loved helping mutant kind and being a teacher.

  While she still has her air of superiority, Emma and Scott were strong leaders of the X-Men. Yet, she knew the dark road that Scott was going down. And many blame her as the catalyst as to why Scott Summers is now the way he is now. Yet, when you look at all the decisions, she made some of them but Scott proved himself behind his actions. Her love for Scott changed her ... wanting to make sure her being an X-Man and helping mutants very important to her. Yet, she is still a strong leader in her own right that should be celebrated for going to Charles' enemy to one of his biggest advocates. Yet, while she embraced the dream, she had no problem pointing out the holes in it and many things. Still, Emma Frost definitely earned her spot among the leaders of the X-Men.



HAVOK -

 The younger Summers brother has come a very long way since he first appeared as a tool for the Living Monolith. Alex Summers first showed his leadership skills when he was brainwashed to be a Magistrate for Genosha. Then, at the request of both Charles and Scott, Alex took the job leading the new government sponsored X-Factor. After a jaunt into an alternate reality leading a team called the Six, Alex returned and actually ended up taking leadership of an X-Men team from our next X-Men leader.

  During his tenure as a X-Men leader, Havok displayed confidence in leadership that was akin to his brother but seemed to surpass him with dealing with more volatile personalities ... considering he had Juggernaut, Wolverine, pre-Kyle Northstar & a bratty Iceman on his team ... that is certainly a feat. He made the unit work extremely well together.

 Now, Alex has become the positive face of Mutant kind with him as leader of the Uncanny Avengers.



  ROGUE -

       Rogue has come a VERY long way from the days where she was a member of the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants alongside her Mom, Mystique. She was one of the most unpredictable X-Men, with her multiple personas in her head from all the people she absorbed, Rogue always seemed to be a wild card. Yet, little by little, Rogue worked hard to become a better person and X-Man. She grew in confidence to the point where she ended up taking leadership during a trip to the Shi'ar alongside Bishop, Gambit,  Joseph, Cannonball, Beast & Deathbird (there was a truce and she was banging Bishop).

      She later ended up leading a team of X-Men officially at least 3 times, her first with Thunderbird, Archangel, Psylocke, Nightcrawler & Colossus, 2nd time with Cannonball, Iceman, Cable, Mystique, Sabertooth, & lady Mastermind on it and that didn't turn out well but ...I digress. Rogue's team disbanded but she end up getting her multiple personalities from people she absorbed out of her head then learned to control her powers. She was then given the charge of looking after the Students. She grew to love the job and taking a strong command position in Utopia then again in the Jean Grey School, only having Kitty and Logan be ahead of her. This southern belle has come a very long way. From being very alone and stand offish with no control to her power to a confident, strong leader with full control of her abilities.


GAMBIT -

   Ah. Yes. This was definitely one of the most unpredictable leaders in X-Men history. Yes. Officially, Gambit lead the X-Men. He lead a team with him, Jean Grey, Beast, Cable, Storm and Bishop. Yeah. Gambit was leading a team over Storm, Jean & Cable. But under the very prolific pen of Chris Claremont, it worked. Jean was in mourning for the loss of Scott and was spending time with her 'son', Cable. Storm was getting a bit more free spirited after things went wrong during The Twelve storyline. So, Gambit stepped up. Stopping the Neo was important but the X-Men had been scattered.

    Gambit was an interesting leader but not a bad leader. He had a strong line-up with this group with Brains & power.Plus, this group was more than willing to  go on the wild side a bit more than others. And while Gambit was not leader very long ... he proved himself capable.


NIGHTCRAWLER -

    Kurt Wagner is one of the most beloved X-Men. He was always friendly to any other person that ever wore an X ...  till you gave him a reason not to be. Nightcrawler first temporary took over the X-men for Storm when she was getting over losing her powers. He then stepped up as the leader of Excalibur. When he came back to the X-Men, Kurt allowed his experience to work alongside Storm.

   Kurt was a team player till he got his chance to lead again as he lead a team of X-Men alongside Archangel, Iceman, Stacy X, Wolverine  & Chamber. Yet, after he was manipulated by an organization to thinking he became an ordained priest and was being used in order to fulfill some prophecy about the Devil in the Vatican (Chuck Asten wrote it.). That shook Kurt so much that he stepped down as leader and his team was then given over to the command of Havok. Still, Kurt proved himself a strong leader.


BISHOP -

    Bishop was first in charge of the XSE. When he came to the present day, Bishop had to learn to be an X-Man. And slowly but surely, Bishop grew into his role and into being an X-Man. He was no longer shoot first ... unless he found it was warranted. Bishop went from an angry man to seemingly a great investigator and model X-Man, warning the X-Men of a traitor.

   Well, the  traitor first ended up being Xavier himself. Yet, after Onslaught, Bishop roamed a bit till he made his way back to the X-Men. After Storm left her team, Bishop stepped up to lead it. Leading the team for a short time, Bishop led Nightcrawler, Rachel Grey, Psylocke & Cannonball ... he proved himself a leader and earned his command tags left. Unfortunately,  this was short lived after Hope Summers was born and Bishop betrayed the X-Men in order to stop his future from happening. Bishop reemerged recently in Uncanny X-Force # 1 (Volume 2).


WOLVERINE -

      Ever since Schism, Wolverine has stopped up. He has become the premiere student of Charles Xavier and the headmaster and over all leader of the X-Men (even though Storm seems to be working on getting back), Wolverine went from a feral, killing machine to a man who is dealing with his past by being a teacher and stopping these new mutants from making the same mistakes he did.

  Wolverine decided that he needed to be a better man after Cyclops was going "too far" in his opinion. The straw that broke the camel's back was Cyclops pretty much being okay with Idie, a 14 year old girl, killing a bunch of Hellfire Club members in order to save everyone else. Wolverine was the last person we all thought would become the champion of the dream but he opened the school again, renaming it the Jean Grey School and get



  Bis And there you have it. The official leaders of the X-Men in the 616 universe. I know some of you will say but Jean Grey was headmistress ... yet Cyclops was still overall field leader and she still listened to him.

Broken Infinite TV:Comic Book Crave (Vol 1, #5)

 More Comic Book  cartoons then you can shake a stick at.





















Featuring: Superman, Astonishing X-Men, Static Shock, Spectacular Spiderman, Spawn, Justice League, Avengers Earth's Mightiest Heroes, Batman: Deathwish,

Editorial: Lack of Respect For Marriage in Comics

Warning: The Following contains spoilers from AvX #9 and more.

  Years ago, I went to my comic book shop and bought X-Men # 30, the wedding of Jean Grey and Scott Summers. For years, I would reread that very issue; merely enjoying the love of the characters had for each other and those around them. And then Grant Morrison's New X-Men happened and Scott Summers ended up having a psychic affair with Emma Frost, which became physical. Jean Grey died ... again and Scott moved on as he and Emma fell in love with each other.

Look at that. STAN LEE married Luke & Jessica! WTH Marvel!

  Fast forward to about 5 to 6 years ago. New Avengers were young in their first volume but Luke Cage's character rose. He and his long time love, Jessica Jones, tied the knot in New Avengers Annual # 1. They ended up having a daughter, Danielle, named after Luke's best friend, Danny Rand aka Iron Fist. They ended up buying the Avengers Mansion for a $1 ... I am not kidding. New Avengers Volume 2, # 1 for that one folks ... and they had become full fledged Avengers while Squirrel Girl became their babysitter.

  Go back about 7 years ago, during the time of Civil War where hero was fighting hero ... but the X-Men were out of it at this point. Captain America was on one side while Iron Man was on the other. The breather between the event happened to be the nuptials of T'Challa, long time Avenger Black Panther, and Storm, former leader of the X-Men. They had wed and became King and Queen of Wakanda. They also served a small stint on the Fantastic Four, allowing Reed and Sue to FINALLY have a honeymoon. The Watcher said they were gonna have children! The WATCHER! Freakin' Uatu! Said that T'Challa and Ororo would have CHILDREN! And they have been married since then ... UNTIL TODAY.

Black Panther's & Storm's Wedding

 Which gets to the bulk of my article. Marvel ... more so then any  Other comic book company, it seems, seem to not enjoy having their characters stay married anymore. And while I understand the divorce rate is 50% in the country of the United States and wanting to reflect society, some of these marriages desolving his troublesome. Now, motivations-wise, I can understand some marriage falling apart. Like Scarlet Witch and Visions.  Even Scott and Jean's I can understand.

 But there are some break ups that I'm just scratching my head over. Like Storm and Black Panther. THIS MAKES NO SENSE! Time and again, Storm has reached out to her husband and her husband is like I love you but I need to figure my way alone. Once I do,  I will come back to you. And Yet ... He annuls their marriage today. Why? I don't know?  Does he blame her for what happened or not telling him about the Phoenix? I don't know. And while in some cases, that translates to a relate-able marriage ... I do not believe that THIS would be true grounds for T'Challa to give up on his wife. Not after EVERYTHING they've been through together over the last several years. It just comes out of nowhere. Marriage counselling I see. Annulment? NO!

   Then, at the top of AvX, Jessica Jones decides to leave her husband, Luke Cage. Just 2 minutes before, he announced to the world that he wants nothing more than his wife and child. Granted, Jessica ran from him before but I figured that  1- Jessica knew what she was getting into when she joined the Avengers and married Luke Cage. 2- Even with a child, what makes her think she is REALLY any safer alone. Especially after having her face plastered on tv who knows how many times by now. So ... she ran. To take care of her child. Admirable. But still, logically ... she has a better chance WITH The Avengers than not. And Luke ... 2 minutes ago, you said you wanted nothing more than your wife and child ... on National TV .... but then you decide its important to fight the X-Men; when clearly ... the reason why is still kind of up in the air. Damn it Luke! You are better than that. *sigh*

  Oh. Marvel isn't the only culprit. Let's see ... ah yes. DC. Their reboot of Superman has brought so many new people to the book. And it is understandable ... to all but this.. . Lois and Clark had been married for nearly 15 FRELLIN' Years ... and that got all erased so they can have a new history. Sure ... we get to see Clark and Lois go through it all over again. But this time, there is no guarantee that they will end up together.

 And who can forget DC for breaking up Donna and Terry. Cause Terry suddenly decided, after them having a child, that super heroics was a no no ... even though Terry had stood by her as a hero for YEARS. Terry damn well knew what he was getting into when he married her. They had a child together. He even helped her with looking after the Team Titans (I know, obscure) but decided all of a sudden ... "Nope. Don't want to stay with you anymore after all these years."  So yay! Break up a marriage for convenience. Yay!

  And on top of that, let's go to the dozens and dozens of heroes and/or heroines who have had extra-marital or out of relationship affairs:  Omni-man, Green Arrow, Green Lantern, Cyclops, Jean Grey, Psylocke (twice), Gambit, Kyle Rayner, Havok, Kendra Saunders, Dick Grayson (how can you not know the person you are sleep with is not different when you have sex, even if they are a shape shifter), etc.

  But let me get to the easiest, most heinous of all marriage break ups that were pure and utter bullshit. Yes. I am speaking about THAT storyline. ONE. MORE. DAY.  And now, I have enraged probably half my readership by saying those three words. Yep. One More Day. The storyline that rebooted Spidey from long-time, happily married man, into the single man he has now become. Quesada has gone on print back when the storyline first came out stating that him being single will open more doors to Spiderman, storywise and him being married was holding him back. WHAT?! They were married for YEARS and you decided that that marriage couldn't work in upcoming storylines. WHAT?! They never even divorced. Spidey made a deal with the devil ... the freakin' devil ... to save Aunt May ... who had died before already. Sure, she was a clone but still ... save Aunt May for his marriage.

   What the frell?!

  While overall, some of these marriages coming apart are good and natural. There are these others that make me wonder what is on the minds of the writers and why do this. I understand divorce rate is 50% but it is looking like 80 to 90% in comics now. While life should be seen in multifaceted ways, this trend is starting to get REALLY disturbing. Makes you think about it, huh?

My name is Frankie Rodriguez and these are my thoughts.

THE REPLACEMENTS # 2 - UNCANNY X-MEN

THE REPLACEMENTS

Anime X-Men 
            Since the X-Men are divided after the whole Schism miniseries; we are gonna to do not 1 but 2 lists of X-Men:  Those on Cyclops’ Side & Those on Wolverine’s side: And why all the X-Men will NOT be on this list, a good chunk of them will be. We can deal with other incarnations and other X-teams at a later date. Each character selection will be based on either similar power or similar personality. And with that said, we’re ready to role. So, for this first team of X-Men that we will replace with Anime characters. Here are the results. 

UNCANNY  X-MEN:

Extinction Team –

COLOSSUS – RANDEL ORLAND from Pumpkin Scissors 

   There are few anime characters that could match Piotr Rasputin’s strength, especially now that he has the energies of the demonic Juggernaut within him. Piotr is both an engine of pure destruction and a bouquet of artistic thought. The dueling sides of Piotr seem to hit right on the mark with Pumpkin Scissors’ Randel Orland.'

    The corporal in the anime has many skills and is often seen being very peaceful with a jovial smile; much like Piotr. Yet, once the battle begins and he turns on his ghostly blue gas lantern, Orland becomes a driven monster of destruction much like Colossus. One minute, Orland displays a great sensitivity to people and looks at the beauty of life. The next, he is taking out Tanks with only his gun and a dead look in his eye. And Piotr pretty much is the same way . .. without the gun. They even love the same type of woman as there are eriely similarities between Kitty Pryde (Shadowcat) and Alice (Pumpkin Scissors).

    If you are looking for a man to take up Colossus’s role as a being of destructions while still being gentle, Randel Orland is the guy you are looking for.

MAGNETO – MASTER ASIA from G Gundam

            Erik Lensheer, the man known as Magneto, has been something of a grand mystery over the course of his creation. He is the undisputed Master of Magnetism. He has been one of the biggest mutant terrorists in the history of Marvel Comics. He has killed a whole lot of people. He has created a sanctuary for mutantkind on more than one occasion. His disdain for humanity had made him decide that humankind needed to die and/or fall under the sway of mutants in order to save the world. And he’s sought redemption before . .. only to throw it away once. Now, after Cyclops had united mutant kind for a time, Magneto has acknowledged his own misgivings and joined the X-Men in hopes of redeeming his past deeds but not necessarily his soul.

            Master Asia, the former King of Hearts till his pupil Domon Kasshu took the mantle, was the former champion of the Gundam Fight; a tournament where each country sent 1 Gundam to fight instead of all out war. And as Master Asia won his Gundam Fight, he saw the world turned into a broken battleground and that humanity needed to die in order to save the planet. Hmmm . ..

             There is no denying that while Master Asia does not have the Magnetism like Magento, there are some very interesting character traits that both share that would make Master Asia the best replacement for Magneto. Both share this need to subjugate or destroy humanity, being ruthless to everyone, including people they love, in order to achieve that goal. Both have strong beliefs that their way is the right way and see little reason to compromise . . . until startling factors make them face who they are and what they’ve done. With Magneto, it was Cyclops’ resolve and unifying the remainder of the mutant race. For Master Asia, it was his final battle with his pupil where Domon pointed out that while Master Asia wanted to use the Devil (Dark) Gundam to purify the planet; humanity is part of the planet too. And both are ridiculously powerful. And have white hair.

STORM – THREADMASTER KAZUKI from GetBackers

   Storm is one of the most iconic of the X-Men for many reasons. And she more than proves it time and time again. She is regal with her presence. She is kind and loving to those in her life she finds important. Yet, she is a fierce leader, a good tactian and one of the smartest fighters (with or without her powers) in the Marvel Universe. And while she recently married Black Panther, she still very much is the wild yet beautiful untamed force like the weather she controls.

            Threadmaster Kazuki . .. okay. I know. I can hear the are you kidding me’s from here. Once the leader of a gang known as Elegance within the building known as the Limitless Fortress, Kazuki soon ascended to the role as one of the 4 Kings under the Lightning Emperor.  With that, Kazuki was know leader of a much larger group and worked his way up the ranks. With his powers over ancient thread . ... wait … why are you laughing? Seriously, this thread can tie you up or rip the flesh from your bones. Loving to crossdress, Kazuki always gives this regal yet friendly aura when not in battle. Yet, when battle, he’s as deadly as they come.

Make no mistake, Kazuki definitely shares the most traits with Storm than any other character I know in anime. And while yes … he is a man, Kazuki is . .. well, a crossdresser who seems (at least that is the way he’s drawn) to be as regal yet fierce as Storm. Both always seem to be regal and stylish while still proving to be deadly in their own right. Both have a loving nature to friends. Both are proven leaders and tactians. Both can be warm and loving one second and dangerous the next. This seems fitting that Storm’s replacement first her personality cause I don’t think anyone could match her power.

MAGIK – GU from Hare Hare Gu

   Magik, aka Illyana Rasputin, is a woman who has been through a lot. Kidnapped as a child, she was taken to Limbo by the demonic Belasco who brought her up on the ways of sorcery. She takes him out to take over Limbo as its Queen but eventually comes back to Earth, as a teen. She caused some mischief but deep down, was still a hero. She then died but got better … yes, comics . .. and she manipulated the X-Men at a chance to kill the evil hell gods that tormented her, alongside Belasco. And she won. Now she’s looking after her brother and provides teleportation to another dimension with her portals.

            Gu is . .. manipulative. She loves to put Hare through some kind of trouble. And not just Hare. She, at times, puts other characters in some kind of mischief. She loves to do that. Oh yeah . .. she seems to have another realm in her stomach .. . in which she can put you in and put you out based on if she shallows you. I am serious. Deep down, Guu does like to help and is a good person. It is just had to see that with all the manipulations.

            What makes these 2 fight is that they are both very similar in terms of personality. They tease. They manipulate. Yet, deep down, they want to do good. They may be outcasts but they are still forces to be reckoned with. And while Magik is not as deadpan as Gu is, they are very protective of the men in their lives. Plus, the fact that their powers a somewhat similar makes it that much of a better fit. Sure Magik’s realm wasn’t in her stomach but still …they transported people into another realm. That works for me.

PSYLOCKE – TWILIGHT SUZUKA from Outlaw Star

            Psylocke is sleek, dangerous, deadly and one of the most beautiful fighters out there. She’s a ninja with telepathic (and telekinetic) power who knows what to do to take down her enemies. In her downtime, she is personable, with an air of dignified upper crust superiority to her. Yet, it is never in a demeaning way. She always exuded class. Besty Braddock. Ninja. English Woman in Asian Body. X-Man.

            Twilight Suzuka was an assassin for hire who never missed a kill … till she met Gene Starwind. And then, she changed. Still as deadly as she ever was, Suzuka had new priorities. She decided that she would join Gene Starwind and help him combat the pirates that were attacking him. Always with an air of refinery about her, Suzuka presents herself as a multifaceted character besides just a killing machine.

            Obviously, these women are very similar in terms of personality and near similar power set. Both are assassins. Both are beautiful Asian women (well, yes that does count for Psylocke). Both are refined, upper crust women but they don’t look down on others. Each of them have sides that seem vunerable to others (like when Psylocke lip locked with Fantomex or when Gene derobed  Suzuka during battle) that just make these women that much more awesome. So Betsy, allow me to introduce your stand-in … Twilight Suzuka.

HOPE SUMMERS –  C C. (aka C2) from Code Geass

          Hope Summers is the adopted granddaughter of mutantkind’s current grandpooba, Cyclops. Raised by Cable, Hope never had a regular childhood. She was too busy trying to survive and learning the art of war from her father to ensure her survival. Oh yay! Another Winning Summers’ Upbringing. Yet, why all the work on Hope? Simple. She is the prophesied Mutant Messiah who will either bring destruction to mutantkind or be its savior.With her teenage self staying in the  present, Hope’s arrival brought back the first active brand new mutants since M-Day; the day where Scarlet Witch’s 3 words of :No More Mutants deactivated the mutant gene for the majority of mutantkind. Now, she leads that new group of Mutants with some of the remaining mutants a part of Cyclops’ army on Utopia known as Generation Hope as well as take an active spot here on the Extinction Team. Hope is a girl who is on a mission while trying to be a girl . .. with little idea how to be a regular teen.

          CC from Code Geass is a woman who seemed to have no childhood but what we find out is much different. CC helps along Lelouch so that her own mission can one day be completed . .. see Lelouch in power and hopefully die in the process. You see, CC is the opposite of Hope in one respect; she’s immortal.  Don’t believe me? Watch the first episode of Code Geass to see what I mean. C.C. has spent much of her immortal life dealing with other immortals that have tried to control her, ruin her plans or outright want to kill her before she’s ready.

          CC is a lot like Hope as they are both beings out of time. Both of them don’t know what a regular life is. They are both very driven, determined woman who will do just about anything to accomplish their mission. Hope wants to fulfill her role as Mutant Messiah in honor of all who died for her while CC wants to help Lelouch complete his mission so she can die. Both are very awkward when it comes to regular life; seemingly having very little use to regular lives. Both have intense emotions that they share with no one but perhaps one or two people closest to them. Both are deadly and do not have a second thought about killing. Thus, these are what makes CC a good fit to replace Hope Summers. Sure she does not have Hope’s mimicry powers, but CC is immortal. That is a great replacement.

NAMOR – HAJIME SAITO

   Namor has been a lot over the course of Marvel history. He’s fought in World War II alongside Captain America and the Invaders. He’s been an Avenger. He’s the ruler of Atlantis. Now, he’s an X-Man. And yes, Namor is a mutant. People seem to not think that. Namor has ALWAYS Been a mutant. They have been saying that since the 60s. I’m just saying. And Namor is .. . brash at times, abrasive, calculating, often ready to prove himself in battle and living by his own code. He’s not afraid to kill in order to take down those he feels are his enemies. And Namor demands respect as part of his stations. With a yell of “Imperius Rex”, Namor has proven himself just as deadly and strong as an X-Man as any other in history.

          Hajime Saito is one of the few members of the Shinsengumi left. Saito is abrasive and not above being a little manipulative in order to stage the right battle or capture an enemy. He is smart and just commands respect by his mere presence. He has a strong sense of duty and follows the simple code of  “Slay Evil Immediately.”  He will battle to his last breath but he is highly skilled. Driven and somewhat territorial at times, Saito is definitely the last swordsman you want to cross.

          Okay. This match was interesting. Because finding someone of Namor’s power set and personality seemed extremely hard (with the exception of possibly Kenpachi from Bleach), Saito seemed to match Namor more than any other anime character. Both are stubborn. Both love battle. Both demand respect and you have to earn theirs. Both will not hesitate to kill you when need be. They are both brilliant tacticians. Both are very experienced in battle. They will only follow people they respect and Namor respects Scott like Saito respects Kenshin. Kenpachi almost took this but the biggest problems are his lack of control of his powers and his need to have his Lieutenant on him at almost all times.  Not these two. They will go at it alone or with a group if it gets the job done. The only trait the 2 do not seem to share is way with women. Saito is married while Namor . ..  likes to break up relationships. Yet over all, if Namor needed a replacement with the right attitude, Saito would be the one you’d call.

DANGER -  ANDROID 18

   Yes. I know. But wait. Let me explain. Danger was a villain of the X-Men at first but her story is kind of twisted. You see, she was the Danger Room at one point that gained sentience over time. Professor Xavier had found this out and surpressed her on purpose in order to train the X-Men. Yay. Great guy that Xavier is huh? Thus, when she was finally free, she figured that humanity (mutants included) needed to die and that the X-Men were gonna be the first to pay. She attacked the X-Men till the truth came out. At that point, Cyclops berated Xavier again, saying that he is done just going by Charles’s word.  The X-Men followed suit and allowed Danger to go away. After another battle, the X-Men were able to convince Danger that they would not have done what Charles did and that humans were all different. She joined them, being the main jailor of evil mutants for a time. She is now on the Extinction Team to help with analysis and provide more fire power to the team.

          Android 18 kind of had it rough to. It seemed that she and her brother were taken in by Dr. Gero; who turned them into powerful Androids. They were no longer human. They weren’t even cyborgs. All they were where just beings with human brains and some other human parts (I don’t remember off hand). When she awoke, she was the enemy of the Z Fighters. She broke Vegeta’s arm with a kick while he was Super Sayian the first time they met. And it seemed she was gonna be nothing but a machine of pure evil . .. till she met Kirlin. She fell in love with the bald headed, short Z Fighter and vice versa. After she was absorbed into Cell and later spit back out, Kirlin asked the Dragon to make her her human enough and take out a bomb. She ended up marrying Kirlin and having a child together. Android 18 is a no nonsense woman who will get the job done with a soft spot for humanity.

          Okay. This fit better than I ever hoped. And before you go “are you kidding me?” allow me to tell you why. Both beings are female machines. Both are driven, at first, to want to destroy humanity. Both women are not for joking around. Both of them eventually believe in redemption. Both are protective of their personal part of their lives. Now, both females have reformed and will do what they can to help reform.


EMMA FROST – LUST

   This was one of the hardest to decide on. Why? Cause Emma Frost is one of the most multifaceted characters in all of the X-Men. She started out as a villain who was responsible for murder, turning the Phoenix into Dark Phoenix and many more atrocities while being the White Queen of the Hellfire Club. Yet, after a coma and her mind being displaced inside Iceman’s body for a while (a long while actually), she reemerged; convinced that Xavier’s way is better. She became teacher of the short lived second Xavier Schoolalongside Banshee as they formed Generation X. Yet, as that teams end came at bitter and hard pills, Emma moved to Genosha, the first mutant country to teach; till it was bombed with millions of mutants being killed all at once. Emma developed her 2^nd mutation then to turn herself into diamond. She joined the X-Men, where she is a mainstay and is now having sex with Cyclops since shortly after his wife died. Yay Emma. Emma is probably the most snotty, refined and sexually charged of the X-Men. But she is a teacher, a little bit of a manipulator but she truly does love Scott Summers. She has worked very hard to redeem herself and now stands proudly as an X-Man.

          And now we get to Lust. At first, I was going to choose Kaouri Koganei aka Lady Diamond from Speed Grapher. She had the same 2^nd mutation as Emma. She acts very refined. She is evil. She feels she is above the Tennozu Group. She was about to grab this title. Then I decided to do a quick search and then hit my head cause I should have realized this sooner. The perfect person to take Emma Frost’s place is Lust from Full Metal Alchemist; not the Brotherhood version. And let me break down why. Lust was very much like Emma when she was evil. Snotty, refined, seductive. And like Emma, she felt the weight of the Hellfire Club weighing heavily on her. Lust reformed during the course of the series, manipulating the other Homunculi away from the boys and even down right abandoning them to help Edward & Alphonse Elric. She kept her refined-ness and her sexuality but was fighting for the good guys; much like Emma. She was very much the leader and second mother figure to the Homunculi; second to their master. Lust was originally sent to take out the Elric Brothers but she changes her mind and takes a different path; wanting to be human her own way. And while she does not have the telepathy or the diamond skin, Lust is just a vicious in the battlefield.

CYCLOPS  - ROY MUSTANG

          I was REALLY trying to avoid a group having 2 people from the same anime. Yet, Roy fits so perfect to be Scott Summers. Scott, right now, has become the monarch of mutantkind with their island nation of Utopia.  He believes with so few mutants left, that all mutants, no matter the age must fight. He is not above a little manipulation. He is not above killing to find out what is going on. He does this to protect the mutants that remain and does so to the point where he does not think he’s wrong. Scott has his tender moments but those seem very few and far inbetween these days; saving most of them for Emma.

          Roy Mustang is a perfect replacement for Cyclops. Roy was trained to be a soldier and moved up in the ranks. When he started, he used to have doubts about his abilities till the happenings in Ishbala harden him. He commands respect from his peers and underings . . . even from the Further himself; till Roy finds out he’s a homunculus. And Roy stops at nothing to lead his own forces to take down the Further. Roy will do whatever he have to, kill whoever he has to, to protect that which he thinks is right.

          At this point, I think Roy pretty much can put on Scott’s uniform and just run Utopia. Roy is trained like Scott. Roy is driven like Scott. Roy is respected and even fired like Scott. Roy’s cold demeanor at times is like Scott when he wants to prove that nothing can break him. The two do so much to prove that they are right that they started ignoring their own mistakes from time to time. It would not surprise me if Roy actually is Scott’s long lost twin brother. That is how much in synch personality wise these two people are. Sure, Scott’s got force blasts while Roy plays with fire but both will leave you dead if they need to. They will also others to do what they need to if it comes down to it. Douches yet good guys, Roy Mustang is the perfect anime Cyclops.

And there goes the EXTINCTION TEAM.


NEXT WEEK: WOLVERINE & THE X-MEN