House of X #6: "I Am Not Ashamed"

[alliterator]

"I remember I was at a show and a fan came up to me and told me about this elaborate theory they had about what I had meant in an issue of, I dunno, I think it was Fantastic Four. Anyway, I remember how crushed this person was when I told them that their theory was wrong and why. I mean, this dude was wrecked, and all I could think was, 'Why did I do that?'

Because I remember when I was kid, I used to do the same thing, I'd read the book and imagine where the story went, or what happened to that side character, or what the author was really talking about. And I think that's something we've lost in the intersection of 'behind the scenes' and 'community opinion.'

So I don't do that anymore. I feel like it's my job to tell the story. Then I give that story to you. And after that, whether you love it or hate it, my sole job is not screwing up that experience for you. Because it's yours.

Anyway, that's how you duck a question."

-- Jonathan Hickman

Comments

[lordultimus]

Is Iceman checking out Archangel's ass?

[alliterator]

I feel like the answer to any question about a person checking out another person's ass is going to be "Yes."

But in this specific case: absolutely yes.

[commodus]

Hey, can we blame him?

[icon_uk]

Warren Worthington III's ass is always worth checking out (and Bobby has mentioned that he only thought Warren was hot when he was blue)

[shadowpsykie]

really? how could I have missed that?!?!

[beyondthefringe]

He brought back Skin and Synch.

Also, I’m holding out hope for an Emma/Scott/Jean/Logan poly situation...

[mastermahan]

The lack of dialogue makes the situation ambiguous, but that Jean/Logan/Scott panel certainly has the body language of people about to have a three-way.

[onsokumaru]

I'm assuming everyone who got a beer from that pack is invited.

[icon_uk]

As it was a six-pack, I wonder who else was there.

[shadowkat]

My guess was either Betsy Braddock or Kwannon -- was the one Logan gave his beer too, and Scott gave one to Havoc (just no -- I don't want incest).

[mjscheer]

There's nothing I don't love about this. I'm not sure if there's any background or context for Jean and Emma mending fences here, but surprisingly, I don't feel like I need it.

What do y'all think about the narration? Who's supposed to be speaking here—Xavier?

[alliterator]

Yep, it's Xavier talking to the rest of the Quiet Council, the governing body of Krakoa.

[shadowkat]

Xavier and Magneto. Eric is talking with Xavier, so it's a dialogue. I had to read through that section twice to figure it out.

[commodus]

I'm still completely weirded out that Mr. Sinister of all people is getting to share in this happy moment. He ruined Marrow's life, gave Gambit years of terrible guilt, and basically never got over his "creepy Victorian eugenicist" gimmick. I really don't think he deserves to be there.

[mastermahan]

Not only is Essex sharing in this, he has a seat on the Krakoan ruling council. He outranks Cyclops, which has got to smart for Scott.

But then, there are plenty of people who don't deserve to be here. Gorgon there is a child-murdering fascist who brainwashed Wolverine into killing a whole bunch of people.

Now he and Logan are sharing a beer.

Morality is apparently not a huge concern here.

[cainofdreaming]

I'm kinda getting a feeling that Xavier's done the bad bad thing again in regards of that.

[shadowkat]

Wait, that was Gorgon that Logan is sharing a beer with? I thought it was Kwannon or Betsy? Are you certain?

[scorntx]

Yup, that's Gorgon.
(No-one else wears that flowery robe.)

[shadowkat]

I think I managed to miss or skip the whole Gorgon/Wolverine story-arc, because I don't remember Gorgon well enough to recognize it.

Interesting...apparently Hickman has decided to move away from mutant hating mutant or hunting down mutant bad guys, like they did in the past. Also, you have a point is Xavier pushing the animosities aside?

We have Logan bringing beers to Scott and Jean, Jean taking a beer to Emma, Logan taking one to Gorgon....and Magneto and Xavier letting bygones be bygones. Not to mention, the welcoming of Apocalypse, Sinister, Mystique, Sebastian Shaw, and Exodus to the Quiet Council -- and Gorgon to the Great Captains.

Or is there a bigger theme going on here? Hickman's view that we should join together and let go of old animosities? Hickman strikes me as more a thematic/world-building writer than necessarily a character/plot centric writer (like Claremount, Morrison, and Bendeis...), which I've mixed feelings about. Reminds me a little of Neil Gaiman in that respect.

[cainofdreaming]

Mystique?



I mean, seriously? Xavier better be doing the bad bad thing there, or you know, and they should, how that's going to end.

[scorntx]

As each issue passes, it looks less and less likely that the outcome will be all the X-Villains getting into a massive brawl with each other in an attempt to be the one who betrays and destroys the X-Men, while they just sit back with cameras and popcorn and watch the mayhem unfold.

[shadowkat]

Yes, I agree. Xavier's actions are odd here. I'm really curious to see where this is heading and what Hickman is up to, because the end of House of X felt a bit too good to be true.

[mindsweeper]

Massacring the Morlocks is his worst crime. In book, they do use Gillen’s multiple Sinister approach, so my head canon is that it was different Sinisters that did those things and Chuck thinks this is Mutant Sinister who helped him build the DNA database.

It seems like Hickman has basically gotten permission to do a complete reboot without calling it a reboot. The past is the past and everything is starting over.

[shadowkat]

That was my take as well -- that this is basically a complete reboot of the franchise. The slate has been wiped clean -- everything that happened prior is well in the past and we shall speak of it no more.

Which I've made my peace with, mainly because it could be argued that they've talked or rehashed a lot of what happened before to death.

It also gives them the ability to explore the characters in a different way.

[locuatico]

So I have to ask... Where do everyone live? Where do they sleep? Do they have houses?

[wizardru]

We haven't gotten specifics, but we have plenty of intimations from the visuals and maps. Many of the 'big names' have their own sites. There's the literal 'House of X' and 'House of M' on the island, as well as 'Bar Sinister' and other locations. Beneath ground, as well, Krakoa has large, extensive tunnel systems and installations. Moira has her 'No-Space' underneath the island in underwater habitat. Krakoa apparently is expanding and growing things as needed.

[shadowkat]

I was thinking about this too as I read it. Also do they really wear their customs all the time? I'd think that would be uncomfortable?

My guess is the X-men live in the House of X -- but do they have separate houses or all live in the pseudo mansion house? I know Hickman had decided to get away from the School premise.

I'd think the adults would want their own separate quarters or homes at this point? Also they do discuss homes on the Quiet Council, so obviously this is a sticking point.

I looked at the map -- and it appears to be a fairly large space and lots of houses.

[owlbrigade1]

And what about the plumbing? What are the lavatorial situations like? The single biggest challenge in bringing any amount of people together is handling the amount of waste generated and fresh water needed; and the keeping of the two separate. Unless someone on that quiet council has been paying close attention to the plumbing arrangements, then this is an outbreak of dysentery waiting to happen.

[alliterator]

This isn't a normal island -- this is Krakoa, the living island. It can probably *grow* waste disposal areas (and even recycle waste itself) and it definitely has fresh water flowing through it.

The true answer to these questions is: it doesn't matter, we aren't going to see anyone pooping on screen, we don't need that level of detail to understand how this society works.

[owlbrigade1]

I'd disagree that this is some sort of trivial detail. I might not need to see people pooping, but at least seeing how the logistics of handling large amounts of people is handled is something that can make/break my suspension of disbelief. I've seen enough camps, and temporary and/or new settlements to know that is something you need to have sorted within the first couple of hours of more than a half dozen people turning up. It is something that goes bad real quick.

Plus it isn't just pooping and peeing, it is cleansing facilities too. Once you've pooped behind that magic Krakoan bush, you still need to clean up. So where is the soap and cleanwater dispenser? This is essential stuff. If they are claiming that this is the perfect X-society, then I want to know where all this infrastructure came from all of a sudden.

[locuatico]

Normally I wouldn't mind. but the story is telling us this isn't just some small settlement. it is THE MUTANT NATION. so I want to know the logistics of such a thing.

[cainofdreaming]

With the amount of mutants gathered they could probably just turn the waste into gold and sell it.

I mean, Proteus is one of the characters mentioned to be part of this. Reality manipulation up the wazoo is kinda his thing. And if they happen to have Alchemy there too he's kinda just a bonus.

[mindsweeper]

I was thinking how Alchemy would be one of the first Mutants I’d resurrect. He saved thousands from one of the inhuman death clouds AND he’s all kinds of useful.

But with all the amazing things these folks can do, I’ll trust that their facilities are top-notch.

[jgeils]

AFAIC, Siryn is still the Morrigan.

[cainofdreaming]

Siryn - *Screams at Dazzler.*

Three days later Dazzler is put on the recloning waiting list.

[shadowkat]

LOL!

"There's a waiting list?"

[michaelsaint]

As much as I like everything this series has been, I can't believe I haven't seen more people wondering whether or not Xavier is mentally nudging everyone else into this. So many grudges being buried - Emma and Jean, Logan and Scott, someone in this thread already mentioned Wolverine and Gorgon, and etc.

My guess is everything Magneto, Xavier and Moira have done to get us to this point that we don't know about will become an issue at some point.

[shadowkat]

I was thinking the same thing. There seems to be a lot of manipulation behind the scenes, and it's worrisome that we never see Xavier's face in this comic, we do in Power's of X, though.

And we never see his reunion with Scott -- who by the by killed Xavier and was heavily regretting in the Rosenberg run.

I am waiting for the other shoe to drop. These are not easy people to convince to do things.

That said, at the end of Rosenberg's run, it was pretty clear Logan and Scott had come to an understanding of sorts. But I don't think we're going to get much more than that. I wanted to see the Scott and Emma confrontation -- it never happens, and I've come to accept that it won't. Nor will I get the Jean and Scott discussion or any of the rest.

But we may get something on the price that Xavier paid to do this. I smell a heavy theme about the perils and consequences of hubris in the works.

[shadowpsykie]

except, this seems to be slightly different time line... Xavier didn't come back from the dead because he didn't die. Time travel/reality manipulation is involved. it's possible Xavier is manipulating people... it's also just as possible that Xavier/Moira selectively chose/manipulated events so that things happened differently enough that certain things didn't happen.

[alliterator]

Xavier *did* die and *did* come back from the dead. Everything that happened before still happened. Moira's Tenth Life is the current 616 timeline. They confirmed that at NYCC.

[silverhammerman]

Given how jubilant this ending is, I expect the final issue of Powers of X to completely pull the rug out from under it, and if not render this moot, at least put a lot more emphasis on the bodies at Krakoa's foundation (literally in the case of Sabretooth).

[shadowpsykie]

I think everyone seems to be forgetting that because of Moira, Xavier and Magneto most likely got to these people (the foes) before they really became issues with the X-Men. like... they HAVEN'T built up the animosities yet. Xavier got to them all before they became an threats or enemies.