#genosha is a nation of compromises

[darthkvznblogs]

If it's not a direct spoiler, can you tell us more about Genosha as a country?

Minor worldbuilding spoilers ahead:

Genosha is a massive, artificial island (with a surface area of roughly 300 square miles) largely built by Magneto himself and funded by the United Nations Mutant Development Programme, located in the Pacific Ocean, northwest of Hawaii, roughly equidistant between the easternmost point of the Hokkaido region of Japan and the westermost point of Oregon.

It's technically a dictatorship, in the sense that Magneto is and has been the official leader since its founding, but he's more of an ideological figure than a lawmaker. There's a democratically elected parliament for that, as well as an independent branch equivalent to the justice system. Professor Xavier generally acts as an ambassador for the mutant nation, and the X-Men, as previously stated, serve as its mutant outreach taskforce, detecting new mutants around the world via Cerebro and getting to them before unsavory parties can, and preventing possible disasters from high-level mutant powers.

Genosha is protected, rather ironically, by Sentinels modelled after the original Trask Industries robots. Trask Industries was dismantled by SHIELD and the X-Men due to its inhuman (heh) and illegal experimentation, and the Sentinel schematics were gifted to the mutant nation as a sign of good faith, on the condition that the nations of the world get to continue developing on Trask's mutant detection and defense tech.

[theriseofthedragons]

MAGNETO REX, ROGUE REGINA Time has swiftly passed for Rogue and Erik, marking a year since they embraced the responsibility of leading Genosha. It proved to be a journey far more fulfilling than either of them had anticipated. Beyond mere human diplomacy, it was also to encourage, guide, and aid the citizens of Genosha in every conceivable manner.

Despite her hesitance in the beginning, Rogue seamlessly transitioned into her role, offering unwavering support and wisdom to Erik. Her resilience, insightfulness, and empathy complemented Erik's vision and also steered a path for the betterment of Human-Mutant relations.

The news of the upcoming coronation of the New King and Queen of Genosha sent shockwaves throughout the globe. Their schedules brimmed with interviews, conferences, and engagements , all advocated towards the cause of Mutant Rights.

The days slipped away in the lead-up to the coronation, the very day arriving with startling swiftness. The ceremony was reverent, and as they processed down the aisle, hushed murmurs and whispers could be heard from the attendance of the people, their eyes beheld much faith and trust. It made her acutely aware of the expectations that were resting on both of them. For a fleeting moment, doubt threatened to cloud her thoughts, but Erik's reassuring grip on her hand dispelled it.

As the sun cast its golden afternoon rays upon the palace balcony, adorned with vibrant flowers and lush greenery. The royal couple stood poised for press photos, and the planned pose had become more of an impromptu one, as Erik, a natural leader, stood proud and majestic, slipped himself behind his Queen, his hand resting on the small of her back as a sign of reassurance of comfort and she leaned gently into his embrace.

Cameras flashed with the silent approval from the photographer. Behind them, the proud insignia of Genosha served as a fitting backdrop, a symbol of unity and strength under their reign.

The citizens of Genosha gathered in anticipation and excitement below, their faces lit with reverence and hope as the royal couple stepped out onto the balcony. At the center of it all stood His and Her Majesties, King Magneto and Queen Rogue, newly crowned rulers of the island nation. More info about the art:

Having the urge to draw this because it was on my mind since forever, and I like to explore the 'What Ifs' of the X-Men's universe. So going into the 'What If' realm of if the Sentinels attack hadn't occur and Rogue accepted Erik's proposition. A Elven attire (Lord of the Rings) and for Erik’s, imbuing certain characteristics from Chinese Fantasy Drama particularly Xian Xia drama. , I sought a delicate balance between functionality and elegance in their garments. Despite my admiration for drapery, I opted for functionality and practicality without compromising on regal charm. For Erik, I envisioned him embodying the wisdom and nobility similar to the Immortals depicted in Chinese fantasy dramas. His robe, carefully tailored to reveal his hand, was draped to evoke a sage-like presence, exuding both majesty and authority. Choosing hues reminiscent of their battle attire, I softened the silhouettes, creating a more inviting and pleasant aesthetic. For Rogue, instead of her usually robust-self, I opted for a more and demure stance but standing in front of Erik, just to show that they’re on equal grounds. GENOSHA Genosha's flag was redesigned as the original one was too "barbaric' to my tastes. How I see Genosha = Earthy + Floral + Otherworldly Red signifies courage and valour. White signifies purity. The symbolism of 3 signifies harmony, wisdom and understanding.

[positivelybeastly]

So, some thoughts about X-Men '97.

On the whole, much happier with this episode than I was with episode 6, which felt disjointed - would have preferred they just spliced all of Lifedeath together instead of sacrificing emotional intensity the way they did by splitting it.

Bastion is a very effective, threatening villain - Operation: Zero Tolerance is a perfect pick for the evolution of the show, and it's nice to see some shades of future plotlines in play, especially wrt Scott.

I've already seen some people thinking that Hank's scene rejecting Trish is a harbinger of Dark Beast/X-Force Hank, and honestly, it just makes me roll my eyes, because Hank really isn't allowed to be anything other than perfect and optimistic and unwaveringly faithful to Charles' dream, is he?

Scott's allowed to go on TV and, in a moment of anger, tell the world that mutants are nothing like normal people, that humans are ungrateful assholes, and he's spitting truth; meanwhile, Hank expresses that he's no longer happy with merely being tolerated in a private conversation with a journalist with notoriously shady ethics, in the ruin of a nation that's just been through a mass genocide, and suddenly he's on the slide to being a fucking supervillain?

Miss me with this shitty double standard.

"Don't compromise your morals, Hank!" - he literally didn't? He's expressing a political opinion in the wake of a tragedy. Him being unwavering in his belief in humanity would just make him look like a fucking fool who's oblivious to the writing on the wall in that moment.

He didn't attack anyone, he didn't even tell Trish to get lost, he just took umbrage with the idea that he's tolerated and not accepted. For someone to whom precise use of language is important, that's not a small distinction.

It's pretty plain that all of this is building up to a moment where the X-Men have to cool the world down after Bastion stokes the fires of a mutant-human war with brainwashed Magneto on one side and the Genosha massacre on the other. If you don't show the heroes, particularly the especially positive, compassionate ones like Hank, being waylaid by doubt, then the season arc has no punch.

Fucking let Hank have emotions and moments of weakness, oh my god.

[docgold13]

365 Marvel Comics Paper Cut-Out SuperHeroes - One Hero, Every Day, All Year…

May 12th - Polaris

Lorna Dane, the heroine known as Polaris, is a powerful Mutant and the daughter of Magneto.  Years ago, Magneto had a brief affair with a young woman named Suzanna.  When this woman discovered she had become pregnant with Magneto’s child, she decided to keep the matter a secret.  She married another man and led him to believe he was the child’s father.  This secret maintained until Lorna was a adolescent and her Mutant powers first manifested.    Her hair turned green and she discovered she possesses the ability to mentally control magnetic fields.  As these powers further developed , Lorna found that she could use them to fly and control any object containing metal.

Later in her young adulthood, Lorna was abducted by the mind-controlling Mutant known as Mesmero.  Mesmero manipulated Lorna into becoming the super villain known as Polaris, directing her to destroy the X-Men.  Fortunately she was rescued by The X-Men and Mesmero was defeated.  In the aftermath, Lorna retained the name Polaris and briefly joined the ranks of The X-Men.  Yet the lifestyle of being a superhero did not fit for her and Lorna left the squad so to pursue a doctoral degree in geo-physics.

Contrary to her wishes, Polaris was constantly dragged back into the perilous affairs of The X-Men.  She was possessed for a time by the Mutant parasite known as Malice and herein was forced to act as a member of Mr. Sinister’s team of villains, The Marauders.  Polaris was eventually rescued by The X-Men and purged of Malice thanks to the help of Psycloke.  

Thereafter, Polaris became romantically involved with Alex Summer, the X-Man known as Havok, and the two created and co-led a new iteration of the X-Factor team.  Sadly, the pair’s relationship eventually soured and they broke up. Later, Polaris helped tend to a wounded Magneto and, after running genetic tests, discovered that he was her biological father.  She would later join her father at the Mutant nation of Genosha, where she was heralded as a princess.  

Polaris was able to survive the Sentinel attack that decimated Genosha; yet the experience left her psychologically traumatized.  She rejoined the X-Men and even rekindled her romance with Alex.  The two became engaged to marry, but Alex broke it off, further compounding Lorna’s compromised mental state.  

After temporarily losing her powers and falling prey to the manipulations of the villain, Apocalypse, Lorna regained her wits and confidence and led a team of X-Men that aided The Starjammers in the cosmic War of Kings event.  Finally returning to earth, Polaris would lead a new iteration of X-Factor sponsored by the conglomerate known as Serval Industries.  

More recently, Polaris relocated to the Mutant Nation of Krakoa.  She has grown closer with her father, having put past animosities aside.  Soon after proposing the reformulation of X-Factor as an investigative agency, Polaris was elected by her fellow Mutants to be a part of the new flagship X-Men team situated in Manhattan.  

A version of Polaris featured in the television series, The Gifted, portrayed by actress Emma Dumont.  The magnetic heroine first appeared int he pages of X-Men Vol. 1 #49 (1968).

[prfxxor]

so, i made a hc post a while back about how the fact that a mutant, cassandra nova, was the one responsible for destroying the first mutant nation of genosha influenced charles’ decision to recruit and include the likes of mr. sinister, apocalypse, and sebastian shaw on the council ---- yeah i’m sticking to that gun.

the genosha massacre really, really impacted him. he was the most visibly not-okay out of the x-men (on panel) after it happened.

in a charles brain, the genosha massacre, and the subsequent crises involving cassandra, probably happened because 1) he didn’t keep a close enough eye on the sentinels, 2) there’s an evil mutant out there running amok that he was unaware of who was therefore able to blindside them, 3) he didn’t keep himself and his powers secured enough under lock and key.

so when krakoa comes around, he 1) keeps constant tabs on sentinels and sentinel-related projects, 2) develops an entire protocol as to what to do if and when he and his brain are compromised, 3) gonna keep-your-friends-close-and-enemies-closer the shit outta the winter council. and shaw.

[marvelmaster616]

X-men Supreme Issue 148: New Divide PREVIEW!

The end is upon us. I’m sure a lot of people have been saying those words over the past couple weeks. I say it only because it applies to upcoming conclusion of X-men Supreme Volume 6: Liberation Decimation. For the purposes of this fanfiction series, I hope to keep it in that context. I want X-men Supreme to be a reprieve from the harshness of reality and not a reminder. Given the recent events in X-men Supreme, going all the way back to the initial attacks by the Mutant Liberation Front, that’s going to be a challenge. The X-men are in the midst of the greatest upheaval since the Uprising arc back in X-men Supreme Volume 1: Mutant Revolution. The Brotherhood of Mutants is gone. The entire nation of Genosha has been abandoned, courtesy of a fateful decision made by Havok during the Proactive Regression arc. The X-men, President Kelly, General Grimshaw, and everyone in between are scrambling for answers. There’s so much uncertainty about what this means for humans, mutants, and the world as a whole. It was during this extremely vulnerable time that Stryfe launched one final attack on the X-men. In many ways, X-men Supreme Issue 147: Vengeful Anarchy marked the final victory for the Mutant Liberation Front. While he didn’t succeed at unleashing his attack on an anxious world, he did manage to work with Avalanche just enough to destroy the Xavier Institute. Now, the X-men aren’t just without answers. They’re without a home as well. This puts Charles Xavier in a difficult position, but one that he’s uniquely equipped to confront. Unlike past upheavals, Xavier can do much more than just act as a mentor and a guide. The events of the Outer Limits healed both his legs and his mind, which had been ravaged by various health issues from aggressive cancer to crippling addiction. He now has as healthy as he’s ever been in both mind and body. This means he has the energy to do more than he ever dared before. This is what will set the stage for the biggest upheaval to date in X-men Supreme. Professor Charles Xavier is about to make a decision that will change the X-men forever. He’s prepared to cross lines and compromise principles to an extent that he’s never dared before. In doing so, he will risk alienating his X-men in ways once thought unthinkable. He’s already on shaky ground with some, namely Cyclops and Wolverine, who aren’t too thrilled with his recent shifts in rhetoric. The rest of the X-men have their own concerns. They know to some extent that there will be changes. The question is just how profound will these changes be? The final issue of X-men Supreme Volume 6: Liberation Decimation will start to answer some of those questions. I don’t doubt for a second that some X-men fans aren’t going to like those answers. Charles Xavier is putting his credibility as the visionary behind the X-men on the line here. I expect some X-men fans, especially those who haven’t been thrilled with recent events in the X-men comics, will be quite anxious about this. Rest assured, I intend to proceed carefully with this latest upheaval. It’s going to shake the foundations of X-men Supreme, but in a way I feel will make this fanfiction series better. As always, I’ve prepared a preview that should offer a hint as to what kind of upheaval the X-men have before them. Scott turned to this middle-aged holy man, amazed that he could smile at a time like this. He gazed up at the stain-glass window that dominated the front of his church. It was the window with an image of a crucified Christ imposed over a pair of DNA strands. He seemed to understand how bad it was for mutants. Yet he showed no reservations about his role in this struggle. It was a certainty that Scott couldn’t help but envy. “You almost sound optimistic,” said Scott, “Or did you not see that graffiti on the front of your church calling all mutants the anti-Christ?” “It’s nothing a new layer of paint can’t fix,” shrugged Father Hansen, still in good humor. “Do you think there’s an easy fix for what’s happening with mutants right now? I’m sure you’ve heard the news. Professor Xavier is merging the X-men with the Mutant Security Agency. He’s ditching the whole teaching-confused-mutants-to-use-their-powers part of his dream and focusing entirely on policing mutants…although I doubt policing will be the only duty.” “I’m well-aware of what Charles Xavier has announced. I had to cancel my sermon this morning because my congregation was so eager to discuss their uncertainties.” “Wish I could have been around to listen. I’m sure a lot of people were angry about it.” “Anger wouldn’t be the right word. Fear wouldn’t be appropriate either,” said Father Hansen, “I don’t think any one word describes the current state of affairs. This change in policy is more a source of confusion. I don’t think anyone knows what to make of it.” Scott’s demeanor sank again. It seemed nobody had a firm grasp of what was going on. The X-men as they knew it was falling apart. The mutant conflict was changing in ways that nobody could keep up with. It put Scott in a very difficult position. “That’s where I get stuck,” sighed Scott, “The problem is I do understand where Professor Xavier is coming from. The X-men have been fighting against all these threats. We never needed government authority. Just being heroes was enough.” “Overcoming great obstacles is rarely that simple,” said Father Hansen. “I didn’t buy into it because it was a quick fix. I understood there would be hardships. I was always willing to endure them because Professor Xavier taught me to never lose sight of our principles. At times, I did have concerns. But I never doubted the man. He always did the right thing even when it wasn’t easy or popular.” “It sounds like what he’s doing now is quite difficult,” Father Hansen commented, “What makes you think it isn’t right?” “Because he’s compromising his principles for the sake of politics!” said Scott, getting more worked up, “He’s giving the X-men over to the people who have been a big part of the problem!” “You don’t think that working with the authorities will make them less a problem?” “I think working with the authorities will negate much of what the X-men stand for,” the X-leader clarified, “This plan is arrogant, risky, and potentially dangerous…turning the dream into a wing of the government. I can take risky and dangerous, but arrogance? From Charles Xavier? I just can’t accept that!” Scott was almost shouting at this point. The church was empty so his voice echoed through the pews. It reinforced the frustration and doubt that had consumed him. He was so worked up that he had to stand up and step away for a moment. Father Hansen remained seated, his compassionate gaze never leaving the X-leader. “I don’t know what I’m supposed to do,” he said in a calmer tone, “I’ve tried talking to the Professor, but he’s already made up his mind. He’s going through with this Mutant Monitoring Initiative.” “What about your fellow X-men? Do they feel the same way?” asked Father Hansen. “They have their concerns, but they all seem to agree. The Professor has convinced them that this will work out. Even my girlfriend is starting to buy into it.” “But you are not,” said the priest, “You know it to be wrong. Of this, you have no doubt?” “I wish I did. It would be easier,” groaned the X-leader. “It would be easier, yes. But it wouldn’t be right now, would it?” he reminded. “Guess we can never know that,” grumbled Scott, “Not when everything is this complicated.” “I disagree. I’ve never bought into the notion that circumstance changes what is right and what is wrong. That isn’t just because I’m a man of God. That’s because I’ve experienced enough circumstances to see that no matter how blurred certain lines become, they never completely disappear. They’re difficult to grasp for a reason. You can’t always use logic to identify them. It takes real heart to see what others cannot.” Scott was still silent, gazing off into space while he mused over these problems. Father Hansen got up and approached him. His spirit was being pulled in so many different directions, yet it was still intact. That told Father Hansen everything he needed to know about Scott Summers. “I know my opinion on this matter is not relevant,” he went on, “I have my place in this conflict. I already know the role my church will play. I can tell you don’t know your place yet, but perhaps that’s because you haven’t considered every option.” “What do you mean? What other option could there be?” asked Scott. “That’s something you’ll have to figure out. I’ll only add that the options we tend to overlook are the ones that require the most sacrifice. Jesus understood that. Abraham, Moses, Mohammed, and the Buddha all understood it as well. That’s what makes them holy. They know the true value of sacrifice. When you know what’s right in your heart, it’s the only option that has meaning.” It was a powerful and distressing prospect. Scott had already sacrificed a lot. He sacrificed control of his abilities. He sacrificed his life for the woman he loved. He lived a life that constantly required sacrifice and now he was trapped in a dilemma for which there was no clear solution. He could either compromise everything he came to embrace or sacrifice his place in a world he had come to love. Father Hansen left him to his thoughts, having nothing else to say. Scott soon found himself alone again. The church was dark and quiet, like the calm before a major storm. The X-leader looked up at special statue of the cross. The idea of sacrifice was starting to sink in. It opened the door to an option he once never dared contemplate. ‘Sacrifice...maybe that’s what I’m missing. I can’t be a holy man or call upon divine powers, but I can still lead when there’s a mission on the line. I can’t keep waiting for Professor Xavier to come to his senses. This is one mission I’ll have to take care of on my own. I know I said I wouldn’t resort to praying, but I’ll say it anyways. God help us all.’ I’ve said before that I want X-men Supreme to be an outlet for X-men fans who are dissatisfied with the current direction of the X-men comics. I still mean that. I still have every intention of developing the X-men Supreme fanfiction series with that sentiment in mind. However, I know I’m taking a chance here by putting X-men Supreme through this kind of upheaval. For a while, it may not sit well with some fans. I would ask those fans to trust that I have a plan in place for this fanfiction series. I have every intention of making that plan work. It’s a plan that I believe will make X-men Supreme more awesome down the line. As such, I still want to hear from my readers. I want to reassure them as best I can without spoiling the future of this fanfiction series. Please take the time to send me your comments and feedback. Either contact me directly or post comments in the comments section of each issue. I’m always happy to chat with X-men fans, anxious or otherwise. Until next time, take care and best wishes. Xcelsior! Jack

[darthkvznblogs]

What is the status of mutants in general?

This one's a bit of a minefield for me to answer, because mutants tie into a lot of spoiler-y stuff I can't discuss till we're done with "Year 1" content, specifically the arc that's just started over on the Supergirl fic.

I can say a few things, though, for now:

-Mutants have been around since ancient times, but there was a boom in mutant births around the 50s and 60s. This led the major world powers to panic, as mutants with very dangerous abilities started to sprout all around and intentionally or accidentally cause major incidents that put lives at risk and (more importantly to them) threatened the status quo. Magneto and Xavier led major movements to both safeguard mutants and pressure the world's nations into a better solution to this problem than "capture/contain/eliminate".

-There are laws all over the world restricting mutants with potentially or outright dangerous mutations from living in most developed nations (or at least most major population centers) to prevent potential disasters. These individuals are typically given a choice when identified - stay and be constantly monitored (probably wearing a power dampener if your mutation is dangerous enough), or get an all expenses paid trip to the artificial island of Genosha, where they can live freely and ensure that their mutations won't put others in danger. Mutants with harmless or easily controllable mutations are still registered, but they are not closely monitored or expelled. It's illegal in most of the world to discriminate against mutants and crimes targeting them are usually handled like any other kind of hate crime. It's kinda...dystopian, but it was the best compromise the UN could reach with Mutantkind's representatives, with the promise of improving infrastructure worldwide so these measures eventually become unnecessary. There are exceptions, for better and worse - nations were mutants go completely unregulated, and others where they are captured and incarcerated, or worse (that's usually where the X-Men come in).

-There is no mutant cure. There are ways to dampen mutant powers, but it's not an illness you can get rid of or a body part you can cut out.

-Mutants have a life expectancy 1.5 times greater than regular humans - so Magneto, who's about 75-ish in the modern day Kverse, looks and acts closer to his mid-to-late fifties.

-As part of the agreement with Magneto and Xavier, there are no national registries - it's all tied to SHIELD's Index, which collects data on all Enhanced individuals, naturally or otherwise (remember, SHIELD is not an American organization in the Kverse). This is meant to ensure the registry can't be used freely to doxx or target mutants, though it does mean anyone who can overcome SHIELD's security can gain access to that info.

-Xavier typically detects powerful mutants via Cerebro before they can be discovered by the various national agencies and extends an invitation to join his school (which is more oriented towards an active role in mutant defense and advocacy). If that fails, Magneto sends in his own team to offer them a place in Genosha. If that fails, they usually back off but keep an eye on them in case anything goes wrong with the "normal" government procedures.

-Xavier's school isn't in NY but it also isn't in Genosha.

-The whole "system" is effective but fragile. The world's powers are keenly aware that if they so chose, mutants could wreak havoc with their way of life, and the mutant leaders know perfectly well that there's whole fleets of Sentinels (courtesy of Trask Industries) and other such weapons and defenses ready to go in case the system fails. There's also a lot of third parties that don't play by these rules - shadowy merc groups who kidnap or kill mutants that may be useful or problematic for certain organizations and governments, the Mutant Liberation Front, which performs acts of terrorism in the name of freeing mutants from persecution (suspected but unproven to be sponsored by Magneto), and just other characters who are doing their own thing, like the Hellfire Club.

There's a whole lot more to say, but I feel like you get the gist of it! TL;DR: the world got scared when a bunch of powerful mutants started showing up, they had like a decade of uncertainty and some violence, but cooler heads (mostly) prevailed and they mostly agreed to live as better neighbors than they were roommates until they could ensure the entire house wouldn't fall to pieces, so to speak. No one's really satisfied with this approach, but at least it's prevented a lot of death and destruction so...