X-Men/Fantastic Four #3: To the Victor

[superboyprime]

"The FF and the X-Men, especially right now with Krakoa, are about the family you have and the family you choose, so I’m playing with that concept a lot here." - Chip Zdarsky.

Comments

[mastermahan]

"You toss and turn at night, missing that sliver of intelligence that would put you on par with Doom."

Odd for Doom to say that the hated Richards is nearly as smart as him. Admitting someone could even be close to him is Doom's version of high praise.

[locuatico]

"ONLY someone whose smart was above average would be WORTHY of even the slightest of disdains from DOOM!"

[commodus]

The weird sex cult island is in NO position to judge Doom.

[amaniwolf]

LOL! Seriously, it's not even saving Frankin it's just his power they seem to want.

[bruinsfan]

And transparently so. Apparently it was just fine for a couple of grotesquely deformed mutant orphans who could project images or (gasp!) neutralize other mutant powers to be raised by the Fantastic Four rather than go to Xavier's school or the Massachusetts Academy. But Franklin develops Galactus-level power and it's all "you belong among your fellow mutants, not your birth family!"

[deh_tommy]

To be fair, Krakoa means they would have come for Franklin eventually. They just need him right now because they don’t want any Omega-level mutants not living on Krakoa.

[buxnalaus]

Not trying to be argumentative, but how are they a weird sex cult?

Because so far all we've seen are hints at some characters experimenting with polyamory, and a lot of characters addressing the idea that they might not be strictly heterosexual in light of a new society where they're free to express themselves. So it honestly feels a little 'phobic to label that as 'weird' and 'cultish'.

[silverhammerman]

For me personally it's a bit of a joking exaggeration, but there's a case to be made for it, and it's certainly an association which Hickman and the other writers are aware of and playing with.

There's the adoption of mutant names and identities certain characters have stressed, when giving someone a new name and identity is an almost cliche cult tactic. There's the rhetoric about Krakoa being a home and a family, but also a family which explicitly excludes external support systems like Franklin's FF family. The codification of "make more mutants" as one of Krakoa's laws also serves to make the (largely implicit) experimentation with relationships and sexuality feel vaguely like it's being more than encouraged. Put that all together and you've got a group which is hostile to outsiders, seeks to modify or sever existing emotional connections and sexual norms, and encourages abandoning one's old identity in favor of one defined by the group identity.

Calling Krakoa a sex cult is like calling Batman an urban fascist: perhaps a little unfair, but not entirely inaccurate, at least from a distance.

[zachbeacon]

Wait....there's a billionaire who uses his resources to beat up the poor and the mentally ill and we're NOT supposed to call him a fascist?

[zachbeacon]

My favorite thing about "evil Cyclops" (who was NOT evil) was that he was more than the Professor's "yes, man". I miss that Scott.

[phantomfo]

"My Lord, I understand the need for giant mutant-killer robots, but why did you give them metallic cowls?"

"INSOLENT FOOL? MUST DOOM EXPLAIN AGAIN THE VALUE OF BRANDING?"

[bruinsfan]

Interesting question: is this Susan the same one who spent years with Victor on Battleworld before the multiversial reboot, the one who apparently got wiped out in a disintegrating life raft miraculously rescued, or a wholly new creation that Reed and Owen Reece collaborated on? I've never been clear on exactly what happened to the rest of the family to restore the status quo, and that Ben & Johnny series was kind of murky on the subject.

In any case, I think Victor is actually sincere in saying the kids mean the world to him. He definitely remembers years of being their stepfather.

[zachbeacon]

At the very least, I truly think he's always cared about Val in the same way he cares about Kristoff Vernard; they're people he can groom as potential successors while also corrupting someone close to the accursed RICHARDS!.

I never got the impression he particularly cared about Franklin .... though Frank did technically give him life. Still, Doom usually just sees godlike beings as potential power sources. Then again, I think he understands empathy enough to know Val loves her big brother.

Still a little fuzzy on what ANYONE (especially the major players) remember about the Convergence or the most recent Secret War.

[scorntx]

Going by Ultimates, most folks don't remember the events of Secret Wars beyond vague fuzziness.
'cept America Chavez, who just doesn't tell anyone because that's how she rolls.