X-Men #5

[doctor_spanky]

Here's 4 pages from X-Men #5, written by Gerry Duggan, with line art by Javier Pina and Zé Carlos





So Lorna gives her approval for Jean doing this later in the issue, and Jean's justification is that Lorna's first impulse was "just pick me" before she second-guessed herself. Was Jean being supportive or manipulative?







Oh shit!!! Whoah!

Comments

[tinygaylaura]

I'm not seeing how "Dominion" is in any way a bad thing

The fact this asshole wants to try and portray it as a bad thing in his piece of shit tabloid newspaper does seem like a reason for Jean, Emma or one of the other powerful psychics to mindwipe the little flatscan piece of shit tho

[donnblake]

I mean, does he? If you don't think dominion is a bad thing, then what in Ben's comments here make you think he intends to portray it as bad? He's uncovered what is undoubtedly a newsworthy story, and he's giving Scott, and by extension, the nation behind him, a chance to comment before he goes to press.

Scott might make a case that publishing could bring harm to Krakoa and to mutants (although... probably not a terribly convincing one- the facts are out there and are likely to come to light even if Urich sits on his scoop, given the number of mutants who are known to be dead who are now openly living on Krakoa).

Also, is "Attack racially inferior journalists who have uncovered state secrets," really the stance you want to lock yourself into here?

[tinygaylaura]

"I mean, does he? If you don't think dominion is a bad thing, then what in Ben's comments here make you think he intends to portray it as bad?"

"What makes me think they're going to try and put a negative spin on this"?

Living as an actual real life minority in the real world for one and being able to read the signs

The context of the scene makes it seem like he intends to and he works for a "Newspaper" that would run a picture of Spider-Man saving babies from a burning building next to the headline "Spider-Man: Worse than Hitler? Or just worse than Stalin?" for two

" He's uncovered what is undoubtedly a newsworthy story, and he's giving Scott, and by extension, the nation behind him, a chance to comment before he goes to press.""

He didn't "Uncover" anything

He was given this story by a psychotic mad scientist working for a fascist science cult. "Unconvering" something implies he achieved something through his own skills or abiities and I've not seen any evidence he has either

"Also, is "Attack racially inferior journalists who have uncovered state secrets," really the stance you want to lock yourself into here?"

Ben Urich is a cishet white man. As far as I know he isn't Jewish,Hindu, Muslim, or indeed any other religion that isn't accepted by American society as a whole. So based on what I know of the character I feel confident in saying he's never experienced a single day of actual bigotry in his life

Ans when I say "This oppressed and persecuted minority should act to prevent a muckraking tabloid journalist from being used as a tool by fascist psychopaths" my concern is about PREVENTING racism not supporting it

[mindsweeper]

Humans aren't "racially" anything to Mutants. I don't think that it's analogous to a race issue, it's a species issue, like man vs ape. "Humans need to defend against an ape that's threatening the town." A lot of humans would support putting the ape down. They do it with dangerous animals all the time, like bears who attack. Even the animal lovers would probably be okay with at least capturing and re-locating it.

I think the telepaths will do something, since they made a point that Emma and Jean were listening, which may be why Stasis is shown recording it. If Urich "forgets", there will be proof why.

I still don't think it's that big a deal. It's a forced plot point to me. People come back all the time. Three iffy cases? There's more than that on the Avengers at any given time. Scott was already famously killed by Black Bolt and he's back. An empty grave actually supports the Mutant story because you just say the death was faked.

[mastermahan]

The fact this asshole wants to try and portray it as a bad thing in his piece of shit tabloid newspaper does seem like a reason for Jean, Emma or one of the other powerful psychics to mindwipe the little flatscan piece of shit tho

Ethics aside, that's just a terrible idea. The story is going to come out eventually, because A) Orchis knows already, since Krakoa didn't even bother hiding it from them, and B) all the formerly-dead mutants like Jumbo Carnation walking around in public is kind of a giveaway. They'd gamble getting caught mindfucking a journalist for a secret that's going to leak anyway. Not a good risk vs. reward.

[blues32]

"Asshole"? Ben Urich is a good man. The guy who learned who Daredevil was and chose NOT to print it because of the damage it could do. He didn't tell Scott just to say that he intended to print the story, but also to say, "Yeah, I learned this from someone who means you harm. They know what you can do. And if they told me, they can tell anyone." And in turn, he's suggesting that, if it has to be told, it should be told by someone they can trust not to spin it out of proportion. Hence the fact he gave Scott time to consider making a comment.

My guess is that someone will speak to Ben about this. Maybe even Xavier himself. Ben will have no hesitation about letting Xavier see how he learned what he learned and, if Charlie is smart, he'll chat with the man instead of trying to do something...underhanded. It will not end with Urich.

As for his paper...while I don't think Jameson is with the Bugle anymore (and I'm not even sure Ben works for the Bugle...or if it even exists anymore), JJJ isn't all bad. There was a guy he was supporting for...might have been mayor. He was anti-Spider-Man, hence why Jameson was supporting him. But then he made a disparaging remark about Robbie Robertson. Immediately, JJJ told him to GTFO and decided to use his paper against the man. When Hobgoblin threatened to tell the world about his involvement with the creation of the Scorpion, JJJ's response was to publish the story himself. He's not perfect...far from it, but it's important to remember that J. Jonah Jameson is (outside of anything Spider-Man related) a man of principal and has a great love of truth in publishing. The first story with the Kingpin was one where he was planning on killing Jameson because he refused to not print a story. JJ was under no illusions about what Fisk had planned, but he stood his ground.

[donnblake]

Let me see if I understand what happened with Jean and Lorna there. In addition to being an extra-diegetic social media thing, the vote on the new X-men took place in-universe as well*. Lorna here is presented with an opportunity to address whoever all is voting, but Jean intercepts and edits her message.

If that's the case, then I'd say this is Jean being a bit of a manipulative dick. It doesn't really matter what Lorna's first impulse was, it matters what she actually decided to present to her audience.

That being said, presumably, unless Krakoa's abruptly instituted a draft, Lorna could've just declined once the votes were counted, so the actual damage done seems minimal.

[aperturedreams]

According to Jean, Jean replaced her message with Lorna's first thought, and her message about not wanting to be picked was her self-sabotaging her true intentions of wanting to be on the team. Lorna wholeheartedly agrees with this and admits her true feelings. But it was all a bit sketchy.

[mindsweeper]

I like it but Bendis' teen Jean is also my favorite Jean precisely because she was so indiscriminate with her telepathy.

[onsokumaru]

Another case in the "telepaths are the worst" file.
Plus in-universe it's Jean's fault if Berto or Sam or Marrow or Forge didn't get picked in the team.

[tinygaylaura]

The way Lorna and Jean are drawn here makes me think that she's been "Visiting" Jean in her moon house often

And that Lorna is just a subby little thing for her telepathic mistress

Mod Note

[icon_uk]

Not sure if this is your first post but, if so, welcome.

I'd ask if you would please trim the image above the cut to be no more than 400x300 pixels, in line with board rules (or just pop it under the cut if that's too tricky). Thanks!

Re: Mod Note

[doctor_spanky]

Howdy I just fixed the cover image - it's been a long time since I've posted, my mistake!

[buttz]

I'm just gonna say what we're all thinking -- the green hair and green sunglasses combo from this issue makes Polaris look WAY too much like Agent Brand.

[freezer]

Maybe it's just the "suspicious bastard¹" in me, but the "I think your enemies do too" line subtly doubles as "So me 'disappearing' won't help you."


1. $1 to the estate of PTerry

[blues32]

It's more like, "If I don't tell the story, someone less interested in telling your side of the story will." And he's right. If humanity is going to learn about the resurrection protocols, it should be through some way they have some control over. Hell, the whole thing is being recorded. Even if they wipe Urich's memory, it will just provide more damning evidence against mutantkind.

[nyadnar17]

Am I the only one who thinks its nuts everyone is acting like they "solved" death?

You need 5 mutants plus a very powerful telepath for the system to work. If any or all of them die/leave/get depowered/whatever then the system stops working. They have a temporary stay on death but are acting like they will have access to this technology forever.

[tinygaylaura]

That's why they plan to find replacements/back ups for the Five in the event that anything happens to them

[donnblake]

Truly, Goldballs is the linchpin on which all Krakoa depends.

[mesmiranda]

And once the news gets out, every anti-mutant person/being will be gunning to a) disable the technology, either temporarily or permanently, b) get a cup of that resurrection juice for themselves, by whatever means they deem necessary.

As people have pointed out above, this isn't something the X-Men can keep a lid on forever. This is a very big ball that's going to drop in a very big way.

[zachbeacon]

There are plenty of real world problems where people will pat themselves on the back for "solving" them even if the solution has an obvious expiration date.

Mutants like to pretend their superior but they're still just people.

[lordy_co]

I mean, they could use the Sinister way of doing things and start cloning the Five to make everything faster/safer, but that'd be a bit problematic I guess.

[blues32]

I'm more concerned about when the deities of the afterlife take note of this. Your Hades, your Pluto, Hela and so on. Then there's the big lady herself. Death wants the dead to come to her. So, one of two things is happening. Either the souls are arriving at the pearly gates (or wherever the door is) only to be yanked back to life or there are now multiple copies of mutant souls. Either way, those in charge of the afterlife will not be pleased. Did they even ask Strange how he thoughts the higher beings would take it?

[zachbeacon]

Dammit, Jean!

This is what happens when Professor X is your role model, I guess.

[deh_tommy]

At least Teen Jean was young and impulsive and later made an effort to rein herself back, adult Jean should know better than this.