Just Throwing a Little Havok Your Way

What with Alex Summers out in space and all. It got me thinkig about how not many bloggers have much of an opinion on the middle Summers child. Maybe, it's because he was running the X-Men when I started reading comics but, I really like Havok and have ever since those early days and really dug what Peter David did with him in X-Factor. The only major story with him I didn't like was the Mutant X. But, then again I've never been much for alternative timelines other than Age of Apocalypse and Red Son). Silly costumes aside, I feel that Havok would be a nice contrast to Cyclops with everything going on in the X-Men universe right now. But, instead he's trpped in space playing space pirate. Which I feel is a shame since, Alex is such a cool character with a lot of stuff going on and I really like his plasma burst powers and the concentric circles used to portray them on the printed page and would have loved it if they would have atleast had a shout out to him in the movies. On the plus side they did try to work him in to the latest cartoon series. Alas, it seems that only I am a fan of his. Which is a shame since he really is one of the cooler X-characters.

Won't People Fear Mutants More, If We Call Ourselves Mutant Hunters?

Lately, I've been on a X-Men: First Class kick and I've just been reading the 3 TPBs that have been published and while being on this Original X-Men jag. I've been wanting to read just about anything with them in it as a team. So, the other day I was reading some stuff online about the original X-Factor book and it got me thinking of the terrible idea it was to create the team as a group of mutant hunters and yeah, I know they were being manipulated by Cameron Hodge. But, still didn't any of the original 5 think that was a terrible idea? Even Beast? Granted he is a super genius scientist who's greatest accomplishment as accidentally turning himself blue. But, still... Heck, even Cyclops should have had an inkling that this was a terrible, terrible idea. granted because of my age I'm not too experienced with the early issues of X-Factor, since, by the time I started reading comics Angel had already gotten his metal wings and Havok was leading the X-Men. I just find it weird that it doesn't seem like any of the original 5 that this was the terrible idea it was until Cameron Hodge and Apocalypse had manipulated them into creating more fear of mutants in the general populous. Of course, the one thing this premise had in its favor is how in general the normal people of the Marvel Universe seem to not like or trust superheroes far more than in the DC universe.

Sienkiewicz (un)covered

Lately, I've been re-reading my New Mutants: Classic collections and one of the things I have realized in re-reading these is that I really like Bill Sieniewicz covers. Now, I'm not a big fan of his work. In fact, the only stories I enjoyed his interior work in where the Demon Bear and Legion story lines. For those stories and the whole metaphysical angle of them, I think his art works really well in creating the vibe of these stories taking place in a bit of a dream scape. However, his work on the other New Mutant stories just really bugs me. I'm not quite sure why, but it does. The one place where I feel he was really good on all the issues he worked on were the covers. Something about that painted style of his really clicks on the covers of The New Mutant books. My personal favorite of his covers is issue #21, entitled Slumber Party! the cover of that issue was really what got me interested in reading The New Mutants again when I was working at the Mile High Comics warehouse. When I was a kid I read a few New Mutant comics but, that was around the time of the Fall of the Mutants crossovers. So, I hadn't read any of the early issues and then I was walking around the Mile high Comics warehouse one day and I see this table in the back corner near the area I worked in. This table was decorated in a collage of all kinds of covers and other pictures and stuff. The first one that caught my attention was the VHS cover of that movie Melissa Joan Hart did with the guy from Entourage (it stuck out in my mind because in Jr. High, when she did Clarrisa Explains It All I had a huge crush on her). Anyways the second image that I noticed on the table was the Slumber Party cover Mr. Sienkiewicz did for New Mutants #21 and after that I really wanted to check out those old stories and along the way became a huge fans of the team. All because of that cover and just to have everything come full circle at Comic Fest this year I bought that issue along with a ton of other X-Factor and New Mutants comics.

Everyone enjoys a little Rahne every now and again

Taking a brake from all the listy goodness for a little bit. I thought I would right about something that's been bouncing around my head for the last couple of weeks. A couple of weeks ago while I was at Comic Fest me and the friend I went with were chatting about this and that and it got me thinking about how (despite her low profile) Wolfsbane has been in more titles than almost any other New Mutant, heck she's even co-starred in a couple of mini-series with Wolverine (and weirdly enough both were also written by Peter David). Seriously, you never hear much in fandom about Ms. Rahne Sinclair (not even on any of the feminist type blogs), Even though, she was in New Mutants, two versions of X-Factor and is now one of the main characters in the new X-Force book as well as being in the New Mutant/New X-men book while she was dating Elixir. I'm not really sure why this is, though I do have a sinking suspicion that Peter David really digs the character. After all, he has written two series and to minis that she has co-starred in. Yet, she barely rates a mention on the internets and that is a real shame. Now granted,I really dig Wolfsbane, in all of her incarnations and was extremely happy when I found out that one of my quarter bin finds from Comic Fest was X-Factor #99 where Haven cures her of the mutate thing and she was able to revert back to her human form and was no longer mind linked to Havok. All in all it's not a bad issue at all. Anyways getting back to the subject I think one of the strength's and why she has been in, is that she is really good supporting character. For one her background and her faith makes for interesting exchanges between her and other characters (especially,when some kind of moral dilemma is being discussed). Plus, with her powers of lycanthropy it makes a good visual, even in the background of a fight scene. What's weird is still thinking about all of this the other day, I started thinking about whether or not she would be able to carry off her own mini series and even as a huge fan of the character I don't really think she could. Unless of course, a very talented write had a story they felt could only be told with her in the lead. Other than that though, I think she works best as a supporting character that occasionally has an issue or to that spotlight her. Lately, I started re-reading the latest version of X-Factor up until she left and joined X-Factor and I think what I really enjoy about her is how Peter David writes her as a girl with a fierce and tough exterior in a vain attempt to hide her caring and soft personality and the conflicts and hurt that stem from her upbringing as well as from the conflicted ways she feels about her powers and mutant abilities. I really feel that even as a supporting character she is really fleshed out well (especially when written by Peter David) into a character that you really care and hope for as she deals with the traumas of her childhood as well as her mutant powers while growing into a woman of deep faith and conviction and it's a shame she doesn't get more coverage on the blogs or in the comic press and hopefully here soon, more people will realise just how awesome she is. Plus, who doesn't love a gal with a Scottish accent.

Casting Call: X-Factor: The 90s Edtion

While at Comic Fest over the weekend I was catching with the friend I went with and thought it would be neat to revisit the X-Factor casting call dealie I did awhile ago. But, rather then just changing the actors, since i think I did an awesome job. I thought it would be fun to think about who I would cast if I was doing the 90s version of the team and don't worry I'm going with different actors for Rahne and Jamie since they would be younger in this version of X-Factor. So, here you go:

Alex Summers/Havok - Owen Wilson. Besides being blond and the right age. i think Owen would make a really good Havok, he could even channel some of the energy he has from being in the same profession with more well know brother Luke. Plus, he's got the charm to pull off some of the trademark dickishness the Summers brothers are known for, without you hating him.

Lorna Dane/Polaris - Diane Neal - With her years on SVU. I think she would make a very good Lorna who had been manipulated by various people through out the years of her being associated with the X-Men and I feel she she could bring that depth to the character. Of course, this also depends on how she looks with her hair dyed green but, I think she could pull it off.

Valerie Cooper - Jeri Ryan. Seeing some the more bureaucratic roles since leaving Voyager. I think she would make a good choice for the Mutant Affairs liaison and boss of X-Factor.

Guido Carosella/Strong Guy - Ethan Suplee. As mentioned in the other post. I think Ethan would make a great choice for bringing Strong Guy to the silver screen and I'm keeping him as my choice here.

Jamie Madrox/Multiple Man - Seann William Scott. That's right, in my flick Stifler would make the perfect guy to play the less focused and more immature Jamie Madrox of this team.

Rahne Sinclair/Wolfsbane - Michelle Trachtenberg. Even though she's a bit older than Rahne was during these stories. I feel she could still pull off playing a 16 year old werewolf, with her work on Buffy and the stuff she's done since then. I think she would do a really good job as the Havok obsessed Rahne of this era.

Pietro Maximoff/Quicksilver - David Hyde Pierce. A bit of an adment to the other posting I think he would actually make a better Pietro than Cary Ewles. So, he's out and Niles, is in.

Nathaniel Essex/Mr. Sinister - Jeremy Sisto. With his role as Batman in New Frontier and his gravelly voice. I think he would be great in the role of evil geneticist and villain Mr. Sinister.

So, there you go there's the 90's X-Factor casting call.

X-Factor: The Movie (casting call)

A couple of posts ago, I wrote up how much I think James Roday of Psych fame should play Jamie Madrox in a movie and thinking it over I thought it would be fun (since I haven't done it in a while). To put together a list of who I'd cast if they ever made an X-Factor movie. This the X-Factor from the Madrox miniseries up to issue #35or so.

Jamie Madrox/Multiple Man - James Roday, since I already wrote a previous blog about this choice I won't go into much detail other than saying I think he would make a perfect Jamie.

Guido Carosella/Strong Guy - Ethan Suplee. Even though he's not Italian I think Ethan would make a great Strong Guy. Just make him 7 feet tall with some special FX magic and let him do his thing like he did in Mallrats and My Name is Earl and I think it would be like when they cast Hugh Jackman as Wolverine.

Monet St. Croix/M - Zoe Saldana. Besides her action chops in movies like Star Trek and Avatar. She is beautiful enough to pull off the Veronica Lodge aspects of M's personality while remaining believable that she could kick every one's ass, while painting her nails.

Theresa Rourke Cassidey/Siryn - Isla Fisher. Even though she's not Irish and has mostly done comedies. I think she has the looks and the wit to play the live action incarnation of Banshee's Daughter. Especially with her slightly unhinged character in The Wedding Crashers.

Rahne Sinclear/Wolfsbane - Rachel Nichols. Even though I thought G.I. Joe was a terrible, terrible movie and she's not Scottish. I thought she was pretty good in it. But, what really makes me think she would make a good Wolfsbane is her role as the Orion cadet in Star Trek.

Julio Esteban Richter/Rictor - Gael Garcia Bernal. With his roles as Che Guevara in Fidel and The Motorcycle Daries. I feel he would make a good fit as the "powerless" Rictor.

Pietro Maximoff/Quicksilver - Cary Elwes. Much like Paul Rudd he has that perfect ability of being able to play a complete jerkass while still remaining likable. This is probably the biggest hurdle in finding an actor to play Pietro. In order to play the son of Magneto, who have to have an actor that can say terrible horrible things but still have the audience kinda like him and maybe even root for him a little bit and I think Mr. Elwes fits this to a T.

Layla Miller - Chloe Moretz. With her up coming role as Hit_Girl in Kick Ass and her kinda creepy looks (plus her age). I think she would do a really cool job as the girl who knows stuff.

Well there you have it the folks I would cast if I made an X-Factor movie. I hope you enjoy my selections and as always feel free to argue with me in the comments sections ;)

He may not have psychic powers, but kenetic powers...

Even though, its on hiatus at the moment. Every time I watch Psych, one thing is made abundantly clear... The star James Roday would be perfect if they ever make an X-Factor movie or any other kind of X-Film with Multiple Man in a large role. Seeing his Hi-jinx as Shawn Spencer week after week makes me think of the awesomeness of having a scene with 5 or 10 of him having an argument over how played the leader of the Cobra Kai's in Karate Kid, or whether or not Humphrey Bogart actually said, "Play it again, Sam." In Casablanca.

With Our Powers Combined...

So, this week I've been re-playing the first Marvel Ultimate Alliance and though I enjoy the game. There are quite a few characters I wish this or the sequel would have made playable and that is what I would like to talk about to day. Which means another list (WOO-HOO!!). For those of you who haven't been here before. I'm a cat that really enjoys make lists. If I can find any excuse to make up a list you better believe I will use it. With that said here is a list of the character I think they should use as playable characters if (or when) the do a third Marvel Ultimate Alliance.

Firestar - Mainly, so I can form a Spiderman and his Amazing Friends team. Since both Spiderman and Iceman have been playable since the first one I think it's only fair to include Firestar in the next one.

Madrox - Granted both him and Firestar are bosses in the second Marvel Alliance game its just not the same and actually, I think it would be great if they included a bunch of X-Factor characters. Including (besides Jamie, Natch); M, Wolfsbane, Strong Guy,Siryn, Beast and, Havok. Plus, it would be fun to have an all Madri team. lol

Jubilee - Because, I love her and think she should be in all things Marvel.

The New Mutants - Or at least Cannonball, Magick, Sunspot and, Warlock (since, I already include Rahne in the X-Factor list).

Kitty Pryde - I'm actually kinda shocked she wasn't in any of the games yet.

Cloak and Dagger - They've had bit part and stuff but making them playable would be so awesome.

Hank Pym - really any of his personae would work.

Well, that's the list. Looking back its a bit mutant heavy but what can I say. I'm a mutie lover. After all if it wasn't for the X-books I would've proably stopped reading Marvel all together years ago and this is my site after all. Agree/Disagree drop my a line about your picks. Have a good wekkend and I'll see ya when I see ya.