#all the more reason to resurrect 616 Changeling

[sammysdewysensitiveeyes]

Making RP-related jokes about shape-shifters messing with Shaw made me realize.....there really aren’t that many all-purpose shapeshifters associated with the X-titles, which is weird, since it seems like it would be a common power.

There are lots of characters who can transform their bodies in various ways, but most of them are very specific transformations, like Wolfsbane and Catseye going into animal form, or Colossus’ steel form, Emma’s diamond form, etc.  But in terms of all-purpose, turn into any other person/animal shape-shifting, I would list:

Mystique, the obvious and most famous (also best)

Copycat, mostly a Deadpool character

Changeling/Morph - mostly either dead or an Exiles character, but is super versatile with shape-shifting in Exiles

Benjamin Deeds Morph - a specific kind of shape-shifting where he mimics other people, and also exudes some chemicals that cause people to automatically like and trust him - I don’t know if he can take animal form.  Barely seen in the past few years.

Random - apparently can change into anything, but most makes giant arm guns, barely seen since the 90′s

Meggan - a unique type of shape-shifter who is also empathic, and her body transforms in response to other people’s perceptions of her, as well as her mood and the environment.  She doesn’t seem to do the “pretend to be another person” kind of shapeshifting, but maybe that’s because she didn’t initially have very good control over her powers, and I wasn’t sure if she could turn into an animal, but her bio confirms that she can.  She also has elemental powers and other abilities beyond shape-shifting.

Then, there are a couple of mutants who have shape-shifting as one of many abilities, but don’t often use it, like Apocalypse or Mr. Sinister, who probably wouldn’t be considered as “just shape-shifters.”

Honestly, out of all of these, Mystique and Meggan are the only ones with shape-shifting as a primary power that are commonly used, and Meggan is still strongly associated with elemental powers and magic.  I guess writers want to put their own twist on transforming mutants rather than making a character who is “just” an all-purpose shape-shifter, but there are actually not that many out there, especially compared to the many telepaths, or telekinetics, or fire mutants, etc.  

Obviously, this just means that Mystique reigns supreme as the best shape-shifter.

[sammysdewysensitiveeyes]

This is still me on my Morph kick, but I would be very interested to see the original 616 Changeling return on Krakoa, just to see how the writers would handle him.  (I’m using “him” here for the comics character, because as far as I know he identifies as male in the comics.  Although Exiles Morph was basically born as a vaguely humanoid white-glob, so it wouldn’t surprise me at all if he was non-binary as well.) 

Original Changeling was very different from the Morph character, he was much more of a classic villain, generally cold and callous.  He worked for the Mutant Master as part of Factor Three and was seeking to bring about WWIII, with the idea that mutants would dominate the earth after humanity wiped itself out.  He then turned on Mutant Master when he began to suspect his motives. Mutant Master was revealed to be an alien who wanted to wipe out both humans and mutants, at which point both Factor Three and the X-Men teamed up to defeat him.  A few weeks later, Changeling shows up at the X-Mansion, telling Xavier he has terminal cancer and wants to spend his last months making up for his misdeeds.  Xavier has to go away for awhile, and asks Changeling to take his place (seriously, Charles, you’re gonna put your students in the hands of the only recently reformed villain?  But it’s okay, Xavier can tell Changeling is sincere with his telepathic powers, so that’s totally fine.)  Changeling then sacrifices himself in battle to defeat another enemy, and dies as “Xavier.” 

So, this is obviously a more serious character, who seems like an experienced criminal, initially quite ruthless.  Which is very different from the more light-hearted animated series Morph, and the heroic AoA and Exiles Morph.  I really want to know how that personality shift happened.  I know the real reason.  They re-wrote Changeling as Morph for TAS, and made them nicer and more comic-relief so their death would be sympathetic.  That version of the character was then transplanted back into the comics as AoA and Exiles Morph.  But I mean....in-continuity, I want to know how original Changeling wound up so different from his alternate counter-parts.  AoA Morph apparently started out as the villainous Changeling, felt remorse for his actions, and developed the more wacky personality to cope with the horrible world he was living in.  Exiles Morph was never a villain, and I can’t imagine animated Morph starting out as part of Factor Three.  So what the hell happened with 616 Changeling? 

Given that there are various AU’s in which a normally heroic character is evil, or at least misguided, it would be kind of funny if 616 Changeling is actually the “evil” mirror-universe version of the character, and every other Changeling/Morph in the multiverse is generally a good guy person.

Anyway, I would be fascinated to see how a resurrected Changeling would be written on Krakoa.  Would he be a reformed criminal, and still a more serious version of the character?  Would he adopt the silly personality of the other Morphs, because “Fuck it, no one remembers how I used to be anyway, and I’m gonna reinvent myself.”  Would he declare himself retired like Five in Season 3 of Umbrella Academy, and just hang out on the beach in old man clothes?  If they really wanted a “new” Changeling, I can also imagine a scenario in which 616 Changeling, hanging out in the Waiting Room, decides he is at peace and doesn’t want to come back, and sends an alternate version of himself through to resurrection instead.