X-Men: Regenesis Thoughts
Finally, it's done. Near as I can tell, X-Men: Regenesis was a one-shot--one that finally capped off this whole "Mutant Civil War" story, once and for all.
...You ever feel like, you have so much to say, you really don't know where to begin? That's my current standpoint on this whole thing. But this is about my writing, so let me try:
To start, the reasoning for this Wolverine/Cyclops split was pretty hollow. Wolverine has a problem because the X-Men are becoming soldiers? They already WERE soldiers! From the moment The Fab Five put on their 60's yellow and blue outfits, they became soldiers. Ones who studied Algebra and Chemistry when they weren't training to fight--but still soldiers. That Cyclops increased the amount of training they get so that every person on the mutant sanctuary Utopia would be completely battle-ready is less a problem, and more an acknowledging of just how serious it is to become a mutant.
The sad thing is, Kieron Gillen (writer of X-Men: Regenesis) himself has to be aware of how ridiculous this new situation is. Or at least, I would assume such. There's a sequence in the book featuring the X-Teens and at one point ex-mutant Prodigy lays it out as plainly as possible:
It was cute, back when Stan Lee wrote the book. A world that hates and fears them meant you got pelted with empty coke cans or had to dodge a few bricks. That's awful, but it's cute compared to things like Bastion. A highly-advanced computer AI with only one goal: Destroy anything with an X-Gene. And the threats continue to pile up. If it's not an old threat resurfacing, it's a new threat popping in out of nowhere.
And the truth is, the death count has been SUBSTANTIALLY lower since Cyclops moved everyone to Utopia. Going back to Westchester? The original reasoning for leaving that place was because it was ONE BIG TARGET! What's changed? If there's no answer for that, then there's no reason to rebuild there short of wanting to sacrifice one's life.
And I know, if you miss the X-Men being heroes instead of being an army like I would, you should probably be Wolverine's side. *I* should be on Wolverine's side.
...But I'm not. Because Logan was the killer. "I'm the best there is at what I do, and what I do isn't very nice." That was him. He's been "The X-Man That Would Kill" since day one. Truth to tell, he still is. He's the same guy in Regenesis as he is in X-Force, the only difference being he's grown enough of a conscience to not want anyone else to be like him.
The big deal here is Cyclops. The paragon example of Xavier's dream, and an optimist who believed in the goal of the X-Men. To be perfectly honest, I don't think anything he's done up to this point was wrong or evil (mind you, I'm HARDCORE about heroes), but if you think he's gone astray, then blame the world. They laid the future of an entire species at this man's feet. And he took the reigns as best he could without complaining. Still people attacked. With less than 200 mutants remaining on Earth (there's not even a notable fraction of a CITY, nevermind a planet), somehow people STILL attacked and fought and tried to kill what was left, and drove Cyclops deeper and deeper into the corner until all that was left was a battered individual who only knows how to fight to protect what little he has left.
This, is the situation the writers have thrown him into in the Marvel Universe and I'm supposed to be on Wolverine's side? How does that even make sense?
And I know that's who's side they want you to be on. Regenesis makes THAT clear as well. When he talks to Storm about staying, he makes a point of listing who's staying and who's leaving:
This is a man who's friends have forsaken him. As the story moves forward, the people at his side will be former villains, and people of uncertain, even dubious, moral quality. With Jean Grey still dead, and Angel (Warren) gone somewhere, and Bobby (Iceman) and Hank (Beast) going to Logan's side, not a single member of the original X-Men will be left on his side. Looking at the fully collected team, there's only a handful of people left on Scott's side that I'd trust as far as I could throw them.
It's supposed to say something that all the idealists--all the bright, happy people have gotten on a ship to leave with Logan. It's supposed to. And it might, if Marvel were a brighter, happier place. If there were millions of mutants still alive, and Genosha hadn't been reduced to rubble (killing millions of mutants BEFORE anyone even knew what M-Day was), and the X-Men didn't have more enemies than ever.
But none of that's true. Logically, emotionally, narratively, following Logan's team(s) just doesn't make sense. Hopefully Marvel will see that and things will change in the future. But for now, I'll just have to sit here and try to enjoy what's left of "Marvel's Merry Mutants".
...You ever feel like, you have so much to say, you really don't know where to begin? That's my current standpoint on this whole thing. But this is about my writing, so let me try:
To start, the reasoning for this Wolverine/Cyclops split was pretty hollow. Wolverine has a problem because the X-Men are becoming soldiers? They already WERE soldiers! From the moment The Fab Five put on their 60's yellow and blue outfits, they became soldiers. Ones who studied Algebra and Chemistry when they weren't training to fight--but still soldiers. That Cyclops increased the amount of training they get so that every person on the mutant sanctuary Utopia would be completely battle-ready is less a problem, and more an acknowledging of just how serious it is to become a mutant.
The sad thing is, Kieron Gillen (writer of X-Men: Regenesis) himself has to be aware of how ridiculous this new situation is. Or at least, I would assume such. There's a sequence in the book featuring the X-Teens and at one point ex-mutant Prodigy lays it out as plainly as possible:
You're fooling yourself. Just because you go to a school, don't think that the world will let you be students. [...] One: More kids died at the school than here. You've got a bus load of dead friends you're forgetting. Two: You're under threat everywhere. At least here we get a chance to do something about it. Wolverine wants us to be children. Nice dream. None of you have been a child since your X-Gene kicked in. You've been a target. And if I'm going to be a target, I want to be a target that shoots back.
It was cute, back when Stan Lee wrote the book. A world that hates and fears them meant you got pelted with empty coke cans or had to dodge a few bricks. That's awful, but it's cute compared to things like Bastion. A highly-advanced computer AI with only one goal: Destroy anything with an X-Gene. And the threats continue to pile up. If it's not an old threat resurfacing, it's a new threat popping in out of nowhere.
And the truth is, the death count has been SUBSTANTIALLY lower since Cyclops moved everyone to Utopia. Going back to Westchester? The original reasoning for leaving that place was because it was ONE BIG TARGET! What's changed? If there's no answer for that, then there's no reason to rebuild there short of wanting to sacrifice one's life.
And I know, if you miss the X-Men being heroes instead of being an army like I would, you should probably be Wolverine's side. *I* should be on Wolverine's side.
...But I'm not. Because Logan was the killer. "I'm the best there is at what I do, and what I do isn't very nice." That was him. He's been "The X-Man That Would Kill" since day one. Truth to tell, he still is. He's the same guy in Regenesis as he is in X-Force, the only difference being he's grown enough of a conscience to not want anyone else to be like him.
The big deal here is Cyclops. The paragon example of Xavier's dream, and an optimist who believed in the goal of the X-Men. To be perfectly honest, I don't think anything he's done up to this point was wrong or evil (mind you, I'm HARDCORE about heroes), but if you think he's gone astray, then blame the world. They laid the future of an entire species at this man's feet. And he took the reigns as best he could without complaining. Still people attacked. With less than 200 mutants remaining on Earth (there's not even a notable fraction of a CITY, nevermind a planet), somehow people STILL attacked and fought and tried to kill what was left, and drove Cyclops deeper and deeper into the corner until all that was left was a battered individual who only knows how to fight to protect what little he has left.
This, is the situation the writers have thrown him into in the Marvel Universe and I'm supposed to be on Wolverine's side? How does that even make sense?
And I know that's who's side they want you to be on. Regenesis makes THAT clear as well. When he talks to Storm about staying, he makes a point of listing who's staying and who's leaving:
Look at who's going to be at my side: Magneto. Namor. Danger. Doctor Nemesis. Emma.
This is a man who's friends have forsaken him. As the story moves forward, the people at his side will be former villains, and people of uncertain, even dubious, moral quality. With Jean Grey still dead, and Angel (Warren) gone somewhere, and Bobby (Iceman) and Hank (Beast) going to Logan's side, not a single member of the original X-Men will be left on his side. Looking at the fully collected team, there's only a handful of people left on Scott's side that I'd trust as far as I could throw them.
It's supposed to say something that all the idealists--all the bright, happy people have gotten on a ship to leave with Logan. It's supposed to. And it might, if Marvel were a brighter, happier place. If there were millions of mutants still alive, and Genosha hadn't been reduced to rubble (killing millions of mutants BEFORE anyone even knew what M-Day was), and the X-Men didn't have more enemies than ever.
But none of that's true. Logically, emotionally, narratively, following Logan's team(s) just doesn't make sense. Hopefully Marvel will see that and things will change in the future. But for now, I'll just have to sit here and try to enjoy what's left of "Marvel's Merry Mutants".
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