In Uncanny X-Men #20 Kieron Gillen wrapped up the story of Cyclops’s Extinction Team. It was a satisfying ending, set up some characters for their new roles in the Marvel Now and left some intriguing possibilities for others.
You could say Gillen was back for a post-op in his final X-Position (a must read each week for me) on Comic Book Resources. I wanted to share some of the best answers and my thoughts on them.
Colossus has been a tortured soul for years. Peter was possessed by Cyttorak, became the Juggernaut and it cost him Kitty Pryde. Colossus became a member of the Phoenix Five and created hell on earth with Magik. Turns out Peter was being tortured by his twisted sister the whole time. A fan asked if Peter was the only member of the Phoenix Five who regretted his actions in the Avengers vs. X-Men conflict.
“Well, Colossus does like having a big ol’ whine.
More seriously, I think you’re a little hard on the Phoenix Five. Colossus is most openly repentant, but just because Scott would do it all again doesn’t mean he doesn’t wish it went a different way. I’ve written him openly suicidal in “Consequences,” for example, and that’s not a man who is entirely at home with what he’s done. We’ve seen very little of Emma and absolutely nothing of Namor post-Phoenix Five. And even when we have seen them, they’re two incredibly proud individuals. Even if they did have regrets, who would they admit it to?
And Magik keeps her cards close to her chest. She kept the fact she was torturing her brother secret for 25 issues. Who knows what’s going on in the be-banged head of hers.”
Magneto joined the X-Men because he believed in Scott for uniting the mutants on Utopia. How does the Master of Magnetism connect to Cyke now?
“You’ll see more of Magneto in “Consequences” shortly, but while he’s certainly hurt mutants’ reputation, he’s also brought them back. There will be a future mutant race. You have to suspect that Magneto will respect that.”
I’ve always thought Scott’s drastic actions have been because he was possessed by the Void. Emma and then Scott kept this sliver of Robert Reynolds (aka The Sentry’s) evil dark side in the minds. A fan asked if Cyke was possessed or if he truly became the new Magneto.
“I think Scott’s route to where he is now was taken a step at a time. I don’t think he’s Magneto, even now. I think there’s still a sliver of idealism in him — which is something I explore in “Consequences.”
You’re right to bring up the concept of possession though — how much is Scott to blame for it? I’ve said that Logan considers he really is, as he was of his right mind as he went along that road. But, once he’s started, he’s definitely being influenced. That Scott held himself together for as long as he did is no small thing.”
I believe Cyke was right but what does Gillen think about Scott’s stance in AvX?
“Scott was right in many ways. However it’s also worth stressing — and I suspect this is the thing which most pro-Scott advocates are skirting over — is that if we did everything like Scott said, the Earth would have been destroyed. Hope wasn’t ready. She was ready eventually but that required time.
(That said, there’s also the reading that Hope was always fine and could have dealt with it if she had too. I think that’s a bit of a reach — but we’ll never know.)
Scott’s position was always a fatalistic, providence-heavy one. The Avengers’ resistance was all part of the universal plan. Scott taking the Phoenix for as long as he did allowed Hope to be ready. It all worked out.
That’s the thing which makes Scott’s mono-vision more questionable, for me. By believing it all worked out in the end does mean you remove the possibility that it could have worked out in a better way.
Though I suppose when you’ve killed your mentor and father figure, that’s a question you may want to avoid for as long as possible.”
Gillen is taking over Iron Man with Greg Land and said Tony’s role in AvX Consequenceswill foreshadow what he’s had planned for the Armored Avenger.
Gillen is also launching a new Young Avengers with Jamie McKelvie and said he will use a member of the New/Young X-Men team.
By Editor