Well, that’s that.
It’s all over now. Avengers Vs. X-Men has concluded, seven months, thirteen issues and eleventeen million tie-ins later.
And the Marvel Universe is now a very different place. For real, this time.
It’s all over now. Avengers Vs. X-Men has concluded, seven months, thirteen issues and eleventeen million tie-ins later.
And the Marvel Universe is now a very different place. For real, this time.
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Whatchu talkin’ ‘bout?
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That’s right. This time, a Marvel event actually delivered on a promise of a lasting change to the status quo, the likes we haven’t seen since the days of Avengers: Disassembled and House of M all those years ago.
Now, be warned—spoilers are about to be coming at you with the quickness, so leave now if you haven’t read the conclusion.
And if you haven’t read it and you’re still here, well then I don’t want to hear you crying about it being ruined.
Ya’ done been warned.
Now, be warned—spoilers are about to be coming at you with the quickness, so leave now if you haven’t read the conclusion.
And if you haven’t read it and you’re still here, well then I don’t want to hear you crying about it being ruined.
Ya’ done been warned.
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| Warning: You’re about to be spoiled… or become the Flash, I’m really not sure… |
At the heart of the conflict between the Avengers and the X-Men was the long awaited return of the Phoenix Force. It wasn’t really out of the ordinary for the Avengers to think the fiery bird monster known for consuming whole galaxies just might be a threat of some kind, but nor was it crazy for the X-Men to seize upon the notion of rebirth as a means to restoring the mutant gene.
Those respective points were at the core of Captain America and Cyclops, but talking quickly came off the table like my pants on Tuesday.
Or Wednesday. Also Thursday. And Fri…screw it, they come flying off every day.
Those respective points were at the core of Captain America and Cyclops, but talking quickly came off the table like my pants on Tuesday.
Or Wednesday. Also Thursday. And Fri…screw it, they come flying off every day.
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“Uh, excuse me, may I be excused? I just threw up a bit in my mouth.”
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The Phoenix Force had come and it zeroed in on Hope Summers, the first mutant to be born after M Day but it was damaged by a weapon of Iron Man’s and then rejected by Hope leading it to fracture into five parts and inhabit Cyclops, Emma Frost, Magik, Colossus, and Namor, giving them all insane levels of power and powerful levels of insane.
The absolute power didn’t take long to corrupt absolutely and the Phoenix Five quickly set out to remake the world in their image, which naturally didn’t sit well with the Avengers or even a lot of their peers.
Luckily for the Avengers, one-fifth of the Phoenix Force was a lot easier to deal with than the entire thing, so they were able to take out Namor, and Spider-Man tricked Magik and Colossus into taking each off the board.
The problem was that as each person lost the Phoenix Force, the remaining group got their power split amongst them.
The absolute power didn’t take long to corrupt absolutely and the Phoenix Five quickly set out to remake the world in their image, which naturally didn’t sit well with the Avengers or even a lot of their peers.
Luckily for the Avengers, one-fifth of the Phoenix Force was a lot easier to deal with than the entire thing, so they were able to take out Namor, and Spider-Man tricked Magik and Colossus into taking each off the board.
The problem was that as each person lost the Phoenix Force, the remaining group got their power split amongst them.
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| The same thing allegedly happens with the Jackson Five… |
By the end, Cyclops became the Dark Phoenix and nearly ended reality, but not before killing his surrogate father, the X-Men’s founder, Professor Charles Xavier.
But all was not lost as Hope and Scarlet Witch, the mutant who started this ball rolling with her breakdown in Avengers: Disassembled and set Cyclops on his defensive path with her no more mutants wish, put aside their differences and, with a little help from Cyclops’ own subconscious, took down the Phoenix Force and, in doing so, brought the mutant gene back to reality.
In the end, Cyclops was defeated and made to be the fall guy and while the ending to the event definitely set up reasons why the Marvel NOW! Initiative is happening, with combination teams like the Uncanny Avengers, you can’t help but notice the flaw in how Cyclops came off when the dust settled.
But all was not lost as Hope and Scarlet Witch, the mutant who started this ball rolling with her breakdown in Avengers: Disassembled and set Cyclops on his defensive path with her no more mutants wish, put aside their differences and, with a little help from Cyclops’ own subconscious, took down the Phoenix Force and, in doing so, brought the mutant gene back to reality.
In the end, Cyclops was defeated and made to be the fall guy and while the ending to the event definitely set up reasons why the Marvel NOW! Initiative is happening, with combination teams like the Uncanny Avengers, you can’t help but notice the flaw in how Cyclops came off when the dust settled.
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| OK…so THIS does look kinda bad. |
Cyke made a lot of mistakes. That cannot be debated. But he never made his decisions lightly. We never saw him cackling and twirling his mustache as the mad villain. Even as late as the final two issues of the series, we saw him fighting against giving into the Phoenix, saw him begging them to kill him. His people were facing mass extinction and he wanted to save them and you know what? Mutants are back.
But in one of the most blatant examples of hypocrisy, we wind up with a denouement of Captain America treating him like Dr. Doom. This is the same Cap who was part of the very same Avengers that started this mess in the first place by helping cause Scarlet Witch’s breakdown which led to House of M. This is the same Cap who welcomed Wanda back with open arms after she killed millions, the same Cap whose own partner killed dozens. Oh, Bucky wasn’t himself? He was mind controlled? Well fancy that, Cap! What the hell do you think Cyclops’ issue was?!
Alas, Cap did take some of the blame himself but regardless of the weakness of a team that was truly the cause of most of the chaos that’s befallen the Marvel Universe this past decade coming out smelling like roses, Avengers Vs. X-Men did wrap things up nicely and put our heroes in a new place with changes that seem very much like they won’t be undone in a few months.
The Marvel NOW! Initiative is now, and this is where it all begins anew for the Avengers and the X-Men.
But in one of the most blatant examples of hypocrisy, we wind up with a denouement of Captain America treating him like Dr. Doom. This is the same Cap who was part of the very same Avengers that started this mess in the first place by helping cause Scarlet Witch’s breakdown which led to House of M. This is the same Cap who welcomed Wanda back with open arms after she killed millions, the same Cap whose own partner killed dozens. Oh, Bucky wasn’t himself? He was mind controlled? Well fancy that, Cap! What the hell do you think Cyclops’ issue was?!
Alas, Cap did take some of the blame himself but regardless of the weakness of a team that was truly the cause of most of the chaos that’s befallen the Marvel Universe this past decade coming out smelling like roses, Avengers Vs. X-Men did wrap things up nicely and put our heroes in a new place with changes that seem very much like they won’t be undone in a few months.
The Marvel NOW! Initiative is now, and this is where it all begins anew for the Avengers and the X-Men.
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| It’s heeeeerrrreeee… |
