Planet-Size X-Men #1: Fireworks

[superboyprime]

'But you know, it’s kind of like what Jonathan [Hickman] has been doing, in the sense that he has big ideas about what he wants to do, but he doesn’t force everyone to conform to them. He looks at how to fit them into what everyone is doing and work with everybody. And the same was true with Gerry [Duggan]. This is something he’s been wanting to do, but he figured out a place that fits and it elevates everything, like I said, and it works with what we’re doing rather than against it. And as soon as he said, “I think this is where we should do it,” everybody got on board. It was like, “Yes, that’s perfect.”' - Jordan D. White

Comments

[cricharddavies]

I'd be a lot more impressed if I hadn't come up with the same idea several years ago. Which means it's a pretty pathetic idea if someone like me can come up with it.

[alliterator]

Yes, I'm sure your artwork was just as beautiful as Pepe Larraz's.

What's that? Having an idea counts for nothing? It's the execution of the idea that actually matters?

No shit.

[cricharddavies]

You really think the artwork is beautiful?

That's interesting.

[alliterator]

Yes, the artwork is stunning. Pepe Larraz is one of the best artists in comics today and Marte Gracia is one of the best colorists out there. The issue is fucking gorgeous.

[cricharddavies]

The issue is fucking gorgeous.

... not seeing the big deal, but okay.

[tinygaylaura]

I really love the art in this issue!

[donnblake]

Thoughts in no particular order...

This is neat.

Doubling Mars's gravity? I feel like Krakoa/Arrakis are going to be playing clean-up on knock-on effects from that for quite a while, but I don't actually know enough about orbital mechanics to say for sure. At the very least I hope someone was keeping an eye on Phobos and Deimos while they were pumping that iron into the core.

Magneto spends a lot of time flexing his powers and talking dubious evolutionary science, and it's easy to forget that he's a bit of a scientist and engineer himself. I like when he builds things.

It's amusing to think about naming things after mythical figures in the Marvel Universe because, like, Prometheus is an actual dude who I think is still around.

There's probably a conversation to be had at some point about space, Terra Nullius, and the dream of clean colonialism, but those are critiques of storytelling choices, not of in-universe diegetic acts.

[mindsweeper]

That’s a great point on naming things. I know it’s tough to think of them but you’d think Arakko would have different legends and icons they’d want to use. Maybe they don’t care about such things but Krakoa says they do. Give things Mutant names to carry the concept further. This would’ve been more impactful than a statue if they’d named it Port Thunderbird, for example.

[aperturedreams]

They did do some clean-up involving some of the moons and the additional terraforming consequences in Way of X this week!

[mindsweeper]

I love Larraz’s work. He’s my favorite artist. So cinematic and dramatic.

I think Marte Gracia deserves a tag, too. The colors are amazing. He really makes the art even more special.

[lordultimus]

Hate to be the negative one again, but is this really "Dr. Strange walks away in shocked disbelief" territory? Raised eyebrow from him, sure, but come on.

Also, after Reed Richards remaking the entire multiverse, this seems pretty small scale to most of the Marvel super scientists.

The normies being in shock is fair enough, though.

[dr_archeville]

I read it as less shock at what was accomplished, but more at the AUDACITY!!!! that they just went ahead and did it.

[alliterator]

I don't think Strange was one of those who walked away in shocked disbelief, actually. I remember Magik asking him what he thought and he said he didn't want to be rude and needed to gather his thoughts first.

[lordultimus]

Why be rude if he's not shocked?

Well, okay, why would he care about being rude if he's not shocked?

[alliterator]

Saying something rude is not indicative of being shocked. Neither Strange nor Captain America looked shocked. Dismayed, maybe, but not shocked.

[lordultimus]

I think dismayed is still a bit much from a guy who's canonically seen the birth and death of the universe.

[dcbanacek]

Well now we know what pisses the Martians off and has them come invade Earth in 19something, no 20something now.

Dammit Magneto, this is how you get Killraven's.

[shakalooloo]

Oh, what if this is all leading up to Killraven? Mutantity's greatest enemy is not humans or robots, but the martians that they themselves provoked! Moira never saw it coming!

[scorntx]

"Across the gulf of space, minds that are to our minds as ours are to those of the beasts that perish, intellects vast and cool and unsympathetic, regarded this earth with envious eyes.

Then they saw all the beer cans someone (and we're not pointing fingers, Logan) left lying around, and slowly and surely drew their plans against us."

[tinygaylaura]

"Those native Martians

Always saying we don't treat their ancestors bones with respect!"

*Drinks out of skull*

[alliterator]

I mean, since Killraven is an extension of War of the Worlds, they aren't actually Martians, they were just using Mars as a staging ground for an invasion.

[lordultimus]

Depends on which War of the Worlds you're talking about. I honestly don't know enough about Killraven to know which Martians he had, though.

[cricharddavies]

It was explicitly pitched as a sequel to H.G. Wells' novel, so ...

[silverhammerman]

As someone fond of Big Sci-Fi at times, this is pretty cool to see happen. Taking the concept of mutant synergy as seen with the Five and dialing it up to these massive levels is very satisfying and fun. Feels like a bit of a cheat to use some previously unseen Arakkan mutants with very convenient powers to do certain things rather than deep diving into the mutant cast list, but I suppose that's a silly thing to hold against it.

I do have some more complex thoughts, some of which I've shared on here before, but I feel like I might as well take the opportunity to compile them here. I think a lot of these points are stuff that at least implicit in the text, but other bits I'm not so sure about.

1) Unilaterally proclaiming Mars/Arakko capital of the solar system is silly. Earth is a known quantity to the rest of the Marvel Universe. It has established diplomatic ties and important figures, like the Actual King of Space, Hulkling, are from there. Arakko and the Arakkans are an unknown quantity.
2) Making the capital planet the one where they put all of the crazy slave owning warriors who have only just emerged from millennia of brutal siege warfare and have never had any need for diplomacy seems like a bad move.
3) Declaring Arakko the capital, announcing a Solar Regent, and crowning Storm lacks the consent of the governed (Earth). You know what people often resent? Having a ruler/representative who they didn't ask for parachute in.
4) Arakko is just space Australia. Magneto explicitly talks about having to accelerate plans for expansion because of the Arakkan mutants, ie, Krakoa is trying to keep these nuts away from Earth and not causing trouble. This is something that real colonizing empires did on multiple occasions.
5) To add to that, this is just Manifest Destiny. Talking about how mutantkind has a destiny beyond Earth is just the same dreams of, as donnblake said, clean colonialism that comes up so often in sci-fi. I for one find it a little disappointing to see the supposedly radical Krakoa just doing a bunch of imperial shit.
6) This may sound like hippy-dippy nonsense, but Mars has value beyond being a place to colonize. Things have value beyond what can be extracted from them. Mars might be a lifeless ball of dirt but there is value and beauty to even a lifeless ball of dirt. Viewing everything through the lens of what it can do for us is a narrow, hopeless point of view, and again, it's very disappointing to see this supposedly radical nation not thinking differently about the universe. This at least is highlighted a little in the data page lamenting not being able to continue research on Mars.

[alliterator]

I can respond to some of those points:

1) While Earth is a known quantity, it is still considered a "backwater" to the rest of the galaxy, since it isn't united and still has hundreds of squabbling nations. For a planet that has been on the forefront of dozens of invasions, this actually makes Earth look bad, like they can't get their shit together. When the Galactic Council heard that Arakko was now the capital, they didn't really care. (No, not even the representative of the Kree/Skrull Alliance.)

2) The Arakko mutants aren't in charge of the diplomacy, Storm and SWORD are in charge of the diplomacy. They are also hoping that this diplomacy will show the Arakko mutants a different way other than war (as Magneto himself pointed out in the scans).

3) I had no input on where the capital of the United States was nor did I have any input on who the US's representative to the UN was. Those things aren't voted upon.

4) I think Space Australia sounds cool. :)

5) It's Manifest Destiny, except that there were no previous inhabitants on Mars. Arakko is displacing nobody. They are hurting no one by being there. (Well, I guess they are hurting the bottom line for Fielong Industries, but I don't give a crap about billionaires.)

6) On this, I agree. Mars does have value beyond simply what can be extracted. And I hope they explore some of that, too, and allow some of the NASA scientists to visit the planet. It would be neat to have an entire book look at the ramifications of this decision and how it impacted life for both the Arakki and humans on Earth.

[silverhammerman]

1) That's a good point. I saw a joke from Ewing's GoG recently where Rocket even lamented this and how everyone from Earth insists on seeing things through the lens of these relatively petty squabbles. It's probably a relief to the various aliens to have it simplified.

2) Another good point, thinking about it that way, Arakko's almost like Washington, DC in space.

3) The UN is a good parallel to bring up, and I think I'd be less leery if they did just call Storm ambassador or something, whereas "Regent" has a certain imperial sound to it. Still, while we don't vote on ambassadors, they are chosen by the governments people have chosen. This scenario is sort of like if a commune in Ohio announced that they've picked the new American ambassador to the UN, who just so happens to be a member of the commune, so I still think it's weird.

4) Space Australia sounds very cool, this is less a complaint than something I think is funny.

5) In practical terms colonizing Mars isn't hurting anyone for the reasons you said, I just find it tiresome to see stories about the future have no vision beyond "humanity will keep expanding, forever."

5) I'm glad that this is something which does get specific mention in the data page, so I'm hoping we get a little follow up, even if it's just lip service.

[lbd_nytetrayn]

Honestly, I like how Magneto took charge here and found a solution to multiple problems. Plus seeing how that whole "colonizing/terraforming Mars" thing happened.

Only thing I wasn't big on was the Franklin dismissal. Seemed... needless.

Or like foreshadowing.

Think Franklin will end up wrecking their shit eventually? Otherwise, why keep bringing him up?

[obsidianwolf]

There are a couple of possibilities.

The first is that they are really sticking with Franklin was just pretending to be a mutant and this is the status quo and we have to divorce him from Krakoa as much as possible so we are going to beat you over the head with the fact he's not a mutant. Similar to what they did when they retconned Wanda, Pietro and a few others out of being mutants.

Option Two we are heading for another Reed did a bad thing for reasons he feels are justified until it blows up spectacular and makes folks wonder why his family ever forgives him event and we'll learn Magneto and Xavier's little brainwashing didn't work and he actually managed to unmutant Franklin and fool Xavier and company into thinking he was never a mutant. Which will inevitibly be revealed and used for maximum angst potential on Franklin's part esp if he gets his powers back because sure he'll be pissed at his dad but he's also liable to be pissed at the group who threw him away and treated him like he was lessor.

Option three same as option two but instead it'll be someone else besdies Reed who was responsible possible suspects being Valeria, Doom, or some other potential player. Valeria for maximum angst, Doom for well Doom getting to stick it to Reed and his family and if he can't have Franklin's power no one can and other villain for let's show how smart and dangerous this villain is kind of thing

I think which one will get will depend on what the folks writing these books end up deciding on and what editorial will agree with.

[icon_uk]

If all else fails, remembering that Power Pack don't register as mutants UNLESS they are wearing their costumes, we'll find that Franklin wears an armband under his clothing made from his old Tattletale outfit turned INSIDE OUT, so he doesn't register as mutant when he IS! :)

[bruinsfan]

We've seen story frameworks depicting Franklin and Galactus as the last two living beings in the universe, so I wouldn't put folding money on his powers staying gone all that long. Certainly Galactus himself being depowered, killed, or otherwise neutralized has always proven temporary.

[obsidianwolf]

I have no doubt Franklin's powers will eventually return in some form. (I imagine as long as Marvel exist that Franklin will have fluctuating power levels depending on the writer)

the question is will he be a mutant or not when they come back.

[lordultimus]

I actually think Franklin may have been a quick way to reference Wanda obliquely to set up the trial stuff.

[nyadnar17]

Won't increasing Mar's gravity by over a 3rd have.....repercussions?

[mindsweeper]

Well, in theory it would all have repercussions but Jordan White said this in the X-Men Monday from a couple of weeks ago.

“it’s science fiction. Gerry did do a bunch of research and it’s based on that research enough to sound plausible. But if you were to talk to actual serious scientists and say, “Hey, would this work?” They would go, “No,” in the same way a real scientist would tell you Spider-Man doesn’t work and Captain America doesn’t work. So yes, it’s super based on true things, but is it actually 100% scientifically feasible? No, of course not. But it’s grounded enough to be fun, believable science fiction.”

[bruinsfan]

If they can double a planet's mass by teleporting iron into it from outside Neptune's orbit (Manifold's doing, I presume?), I guess they can adjust its orbital dynamics to match.

[shadowpsykie]

Damnit Jaime! Havd this you ever heard of FIGURATIVELY?!?!