X-Corp #2 Preview

[alliterator]

You've shown how the magical side of mutantdom can make for strange bedfellows in X of Swords and Excalibur — is that something to look forward to in X-Corp as it expands the Reign of X into the business world?

Who knows? That’s the thing about putting a price on something — anyone can theoretically come buyin'.

-- Tini Howard

Comments

[donnblake]

This is actually something that I've seen discussed when dealing with organizations that lack formalized decision making processes (by-design hierarchical communes and the like). People who are more comfortable with confrontation and with pushing their beliefs or agenda can wind up getting their way consistently anyways, and then present that as natural consensus of the group. It's not universal, and it's not like other decision making processes aren't vulnerable to capture by individuals/factions in the same way, but it's worth noting that "Just talk things over til we come to an agreement," doesn't always mean that everyone's actually on equal footing.

[dan_ingram]

It's almost ironic.

Given the evil that they tolerate/tolerated in Appoccy, Selene in this scene, Mr. Sinister, Gorgan and I'm sure I'm forgetting a few others, getting pissy with the Fenris Twins seems like punching down, lol.

[cainofdreaming]

Well, they're literal Nazis.

Though there might be an element of "they committed a *human* evil" there.

[donnblake]

I mean, I'm not sure that the Enemy of the State storyline developed Gorgon's philosophy beyond "Evil feels good," but he was certainly at least in bed with Nazis (including, literally, the Baroness Von Strucker, as I recall).

[deh_tommy]

They turn them away because they’re literal nazis, but then they put Jamie Braddock in a position of power, seriously listen to Selene, praise Gorgon as a heroic martyr and let |Ā|-kun implement a system of ritual murder to thunderous applause. This is the problem with the dehumanisation of the Nazis over the decades, because they let child traffickers, serial killers, tyrants, rapists, all sorts of evils and almost all unrepentant roam free without anyone keeping an eye on them (and in fact elevate many to seats of influence), but EW NAZIS PUNCH PUNCH PUNCH

[obsidianwolf]

Not to mention Sinister who is also a former nazi from the concentration camps specifically the one magneto knew as nosferatu who he spent decades hunting

[arilou_skiff]

In general Krakoa seems decidedly undemocratic, the Quiet Council is appointed by... What criteria exactly? There doesent seem to be any real democratic mandate in the entire structure (the closest being the X-men election which is uh... Not a decisionmaking body)

And its interesting that it just goes uncommented upon.

(frozen)

[tinygaylaura]

I love Monet even more after this scene

Evil nazi trash like Fenris are a cancer upon the planet that needs to be wiped out and her fucking them up here while telling them exactly how worthless, pathetic and inferior they and everything they believe in is was a punch the air moment of joy

The only thing that will make me happier is if someone figures out a way to kill them both in such a way its impossible to resurrect them

Or they wind up in the living hell of the Exile Pit for all eternity

[tinygaylaura]

If I remember right, no one actually knows about this in-universe. We the reader know what he did but Magneto was not aware that "Nosferatu" was in fact Mr Sinister and I don't think anyone else is aware of Sinister's despicable deeds during this time either

He wasn't calling himself "Mr Sinister" yet at that time and he also looked very different to how he does now

I hope Magneto learns the truth and ends Sinister permanently. Allowing that abomination on Krakoa was one of the worst decisions Xavier has ever made, and he's made some REALLY stupid decisions over the years so that's saying something

[tinygaylaura]

I'm fine with punching in any direction if the one that's getting punched is a nazi

[iamrman]

Today, Selene will be cosplaying as Bayonetta.

[tinygaylaura]

No wonder Monet wants to offer her a position

Seeing her in that outfit I can think of quite a few positions I'd like to see her in

[deh_tommy]

That was Magneto’s decision, too. Besides, can’t multiple members of the Quiet Council read minds? Jean and Xavier would know.

Why I are the nazis even allowed on Krakoa if everyone gives them crap, yet Monet just a page or two beforehand remarks how she LIKES SELENE

[tinygaylaura]

That comes down to the problem of making it so that EVERY mutant is allowed on Krakoa. Some mutants should not be allowed anywhere, not because they are mutants but because they are just the scum of the earth

Xavier being Xavier I'm sure he has some godawful and ridiculous arguement prepared like "Oh but if we start picking and choosing what mutants are welcome it's a slippery slope blah blah blah" as if you couldn't just say "All mutants are welcome except mutants who are literally nazis" and have that be the end of it

I know we often disagree about Krakoa but the fact that Krakoa should NOT allow trash like Fenris anywhere near it is something we are in agreement on

Sinister has quite powerful mental abilities as well so my assumption would be that he has shields to guard against anyone learning the parts of his past that are even more sordid than the rest of it. Otherwise how could he be getting away with all the underhanded plotting he's doing over in Hellions

I can't believe any of the Quiet Council would let Sinister on it if they knew about this. Magneto, Kate, Emma, Mystique, Ororo, Kurt and Jean certainly would not and I think even Sebastian Shaw would be disgusted in an Even Evil Has Standards kind of way

[silverhammerman]

Krakoa is ruled by either an oligarchy or an aristocracy, depending on whether or not you buy the idea that the members of the Quiet Council are actually the best and brightest/some form of deserving nobility.

You'd think that given most of the named mutants are from Western democracies they'd have something to say about this, but then again most of them are coming to Krakoa from within the X-Men power structure, and almost all of the X-books are following characters in relatively close proximity to the Council, so I suppose they'd be used to it. The whole anti-democratic tone of Krakoa is one of those things that feels long overdue for having someone comment on it in-text.

(frozen)

[deh_tommy]

Oh my gosh... look, you’re a self-proclaimed hedonist, can I be selfish for a minute? I get they’re nazis. I get they’re unrepentant. I get you like to harp on every kind of -ist and -phobe. But for the love of gosh, can you please cut that out with the wishing death and the hateful language and the aggressive rhetoric for five bloody minutes? That’s exhausting to see and really puts me in a bad place mentally, I liked coming to this place partly to get away from that kind of spiel. Besides, you’re not allowed to wish death or lasting harm on female characters here.

[mindsweeper]

It's obviously just writer choice but if I have two explanations:

(1) Monet had nothing to do with bringing any of these people to Krakoa, so she cannot be held accountable for their presence.

(2) As a nation, not a superhero team, it comes down to utility. Folks like Sinister, Apocalypse, Jamie, Selene, Exodus, etc. are useful and/or better within the fold than as enemies. Fenris Twins and Fabian Cortez are replaceable and not relevant to the operation or success of Krakoa. Much like the US can consistently punch down on Cuba for 60+ years but can also work with/even support far worse nations when they're strategically or economically important.

[iamrman]

So I'm guessing Selene hasn't seen any punishment for her actions in Captain America. Or does it not matter because nobody actually died?

[donnblake]

I've been calling them an Ad-Hocracy. You're right that we're looking at governance by a largely self-selecting minority of the society, but there also seems to be no clear breakdown of what powers and/or responsibilities the individual members of the Quiet Council, the Council as a whole, or its various appendages have, except as they arise on a case-by-case basis.

[silverhammerman]

That's quite right. In that way the Quiet Council feels kind of like a provisional government, but so far there's been no indication that there's anything to come after it.

I don't mind the Council because it's interesting to see story-wise, but the fact that characters don't seem to be addressing it and we don't get much sense of "civilian" life on Krakoa, makes the continued failure to address it conspicuous.

[donnblake]

By design *non-hierarchical, that should have read.

[obsidianwolf]

Yeah they probably don't know he was a nazi but they do know that he's a mass murdering Eugenicist who has been trafficing, murdering, mutilating and experimenting on folks against their will for more than a century.

And to top it all off he's not even a mutant he's just walking around with someone else' stolen x-gene and we've seen them reject others for similar things.

The only real difference between Sinister and Fenris is that Sinister is useful to the council and offers them something they can't easily replace where as Fenris really just offers financial assets and there are plenty of other rich A-hole mutants who they can use instead.

[arilou_skiff]

Yeah, and that kind of makes sense, but it is also something you would expect to see addressed, or at least considered, it makes sense that early governing structures would be provisional and ad-hoc, but it doesent make sense how little discussion there is about what should come afterwards.

[tinygaylaura]

Your preaching to the choir here. I've been saying all along that once they got access to his cloning tech Xavier should have arranged an "Unfortunate little mishap" for Nathaniel Essex or perhaps sent him on a "Long vacation, who can say when he'll be coming back"

(frozen)

[miramira]

Yeah, I haven't known how to bring it up without breaking the rules, and I'm not going to pretend I've never wished some kind of terrible fate on or been flippantly dismissive toward a character I wasn't a fan of in my entire posting history. But I also feel less inclined to participate in discussions when I know that's going to involve navigating constant "I hate this character; let me tell you in detail how I fantasize about destroying them" observations. Especially if I want to say something in support of the character who's getting trashed with zero acknowledgment that might not be a universal opinion. (Which is not the case here, but it's certainly hampering my ability to talk about Xavier, for example.)