One page from X-Men #7

[onsokumaru]

 

Comments

[mastermahan]

Look, Scott, if you can have a poly relationship, so can Doug.

[nyadnar17]

My head cannon is that Scott decided they wanted their relationship to be private and hard deleted it from him memories.

[lordultimus]

Speaking of, since this is scans-daily, should we talk about the queerbaiting with regards to that particular rectangle? We're not in the eighties anymore; characters can be gay and in poly relationships in X-Mean openly now. Just come out and say that Scott/Logan/Jean/Emma is an official thing.

[obsidianwolf]

The wink wink nod nod of it all is getting a bit annoying.

I'd imagine part of the reason for the dancing around is the movie question since eventually the mutants will make the jump to the big screen again. After all the love triangle is pretty much a classic story telling point and I'm not sure Disney thinks movie goers are ready for a poly resolution.

another potential reason is the whole what's rotten in Krakoa question since if the fan theory that Charles is altering minds when folks come back from the dead is confirmed as true then them saying they are poly could step into unfortunate implications.

[lencannon]

There's a significant difference between queer baiting and pushing as far as editorial will allow and assuming your readers will catch on.

[lordultimus]

We have gay characters. We have polyamorous characters. We have straight characters retconned into always being gay. Mystique can finally directly refer to Destiny as her wife. Why is this being nothing but nods and winks?

[lencannon]

Because Mystique and Destiny aren't Cyclops, Jean, Wolverine (and Emma somewhere off on the side).

Hickman's being pretty clear about the situation in every other form of media. Meanwhile, Disney is building up a media empire and just booted the only movie they have with a gay lead on Disney+ for "not being family friendly."

Don't get me wrong, I want them to be explicit that one of our most famous characters are involved in a polyamorous relationship but I don't think it's fair to assume bad faith on the part of Hickman here. Sadly, a lot of works of art about the broad spectrum of queer life smash into the wall made up of a giant corporations ideas about what's marketable. It's part of what's alienating about existing in *gestures vaguely* all this.

I don't really like the term queer baiting because it implies intention. The reality is usually one of two things: someone wanted to make people queer but weren't allowed so they coded it in terms where the reader understands. That's what I honestly believe is happening here. The other is fans see characters that weren't intended by the writers as queer and it catches on and they fucked it all up and clumsily try to prove how straight everyone is.

I say all this but Supernatural is a show that probably proves me entirely wrong, so feel free to ignore me.

[bravest_spinja]

I mean, it's a much bigger step to do with it three of the "core" X-Men, especially Wolverine, avatar of 14 year old boys everywhere, star of lunchboxes and t-shirts. He's much more of a dudebro favorite, and has a higher mainstream profile than even Mystique.

[icon_uk]

How accepted is polyamory as a thing in the US? I assume it's not illegal, but isn't legally recognised?

[lordultimus]

Kid Cable is entering a relationship with all five Stepford Cuckoos. Whatever the case is for the US, it clearly isn't the case for Krakoa.

[agent8]

But is he married to them or just in a relationship with them? It's illegal (in the US) to have multiple wives, but it's not illegal to have multiple girlfriends; or to have one wife and multiple girlfriends. Very unwise and very risky, but not illegal.

[shadowpsykie]

Plyamory is not polygamy. Most poly amorous relationships are not "Marriages" legally speaking. fyi

[super_fly]

Only in Salt Lake City, as far as I've heard

[obsidianwolf]

So I'd say two eta three possibilities either Warlock is undercover as Doug's arm for some reason or perhaps where Moira broke Charles his mind is accidentally loading brief snapshots from other time lines into the X-men's heads when Charles brings them back that will start happening as blink and you'll miss it moments.

ETA a third potential reason. Warlock is under the Phalanx control and so is Doug since the Technarch were retconned into being tools of the Phalanx instead of the Phalanx being spoiled food.

Also while I am glad to see elsewhere in the issue someone finally asks some of the questions that they are the type to ask. It still bugs me cause it happens during the middle of the ceremony that might as well be called Gigantic red flag the ceremony for something being rotten. Not to mention the vaguely OOC ticks in it which raise the question again of is it mental manipulation or just Hickman's idea of the characters spilling through.

[daningram.insanejournal.com]

"just Hickman's idea of the characters spilling through"

I fear that's what it is, unfortunately. Plot over basic characterization.

[icon_uk]

a third potential reason. Warlock is under the Phalanx control and so is Doug since the Technarch were retconned into being tools of the Phalanx instead of the Phalanx being spoiled food.

You might be on to something with that.

It would tie in with Doug quietly infecting Krakoa with the TO virus as soon as he landed, and even with the fact that he's the thirteenth member of the Quiet Council. (Given the religious themes underpinning all this, him being the "Judas" figure might fit worryingly well)

[obsidianwolf]

Can't really take credit for the theory it was something I read in passing on a discussion board.

It is also the most predictably Hickman of all the potential downfalls for Krakoa since everyone expects Mystique or one of the other villains to be the ones to bring down the house of cards but instead it being something Moira didn't learn in one of her lives but the audience did.

[icon_uk]

You beat me to it!

I'm not sure what's going on, but I suspect it's something that Krakoa can do for his human BFF, temporarily restoring Warlock to his usual, complete self. Note that when Warlock is visible, Doug's arm looks perfectly normal.

[didiji]

I was pretty sure you would be the one to post this page. Still, your position as the-one-who-posts-Doug-content is safe in the community. :)

[icon_uk]

Darn right! :)