What If #23 - "What If the All-New, All-Different X-Men Never Existed?"

[lordultimus]

Comments

[scorntx]

So... if the X-Men defeat Krakoa, Charles never recruits the All-New X-Men...
Even though the issue after Giant-Sized X-Men had all but Scott quitting because they wanted to do other things with their lives (and Scott couldn't because of his BLASTED, KILLING EYES!!!).
Right...

And they manage to do everything just as well, if not better, than the All-New gang because... because?
(Oh, and Nightcrawler is a bad guy because of course he is. Thunderbird I could see, but Nightcrawler? Seriously?)

[lordultimus]

The given reason for them doing better is that they're an experienced team, where the all-new team had some growing pains to go through early on. Make of that what you will.

Also, the reason they left was because they had a new team that could take their place. Without a new team, well...

Nightcrawler was pretty explicitly tricked into being a villain. He made that sacrifice at the end had more to due with making sure Cyclops didn't do it than anything. Really, Charles's "no one is beyond redemption" speech was kind of wasted as he didn't particularly need redemption.

[razsolo]

I had this comic years ago; Lorna's whole "YO DRAMA QUEENS, MAGNETIC POWERS REMEMBER??" is one of my favourite things in a Marvel comic ever ^_^

[balbanes]

I also had this comic, and came to the comments to say this very thing. :)

[zylly]

It does raise the question of why Jean couldn't do the same thing with her TK powers. Neither power set requires physical manipulation, and even if Jean's not at Phoenix power-levels (obviously), they're in space, where mass and not weight is your biggest concern.

[lordultimus]

Still makes more sense than the ending of the second X-Men movie.

[icon_uk]

Another "What if..?" does that very thing with Jean, where she uses TK to land the shuttle whilst safely ensconced in the protected area. I can't remember which one, alas.

[skjam]

So reminded of the Sun-Eater and Ferro Lad.

[zylly]

Absolutely one of my favorite issues of What If.

[agharta75]

We'd have had Inhuman books in the seventies?

[zylly]

It occurs to me that in this universe, there would be no Champions or New Defenders. Wonder if any of that would have unforeseen consequences.

[wizardru]

This is pretty amusing: a What-If where things are different, but not tragically terrible. Essentially, the original X-men end up covering some of the ANAD storylines, but differently. I actually like when the WI/Elseworld isn't solidly 'and then for want of a nail, EVERYONE DIED!', but instead proposes a different reality.