With all the negativity on AvsuX cause of all the theories about Cyclops going evil, Emma splitting up with him for fishstick and the possible joining of Bendis, I decided to look at this in a more optimistic tone. I focused this blog mostly on my two favorite characters and my favorite current book. As I say this with extreme resentment in my heart, it may not be that bad. Now some of my points are based off memory from events or issues that I have read and pieces may have forgotten and some points from word of mouth so just give me the benefit of the doubt on this. So here we go,

We first get this news

Brian Bendis (Possibly) on X-Men AND Uncanny X-Men:

Okay, this filling took a little more loosening. I had to use pliers, a baseball bat and a large camel.

As a result, it’s a bit crumbly. It’s certainly not all there.

See, I’d heard a while ago that Bendis was to take over the two main X-Men books. But I was then told that Jason Aaron was staying onWolverine And The X-Men. How to put an X in that circle?

Apparently, Bendis will write both Uncanny X-Men and relaunch X-Men. Jason Aaron will continue to write Wolverine And The X-Men. And yes, as Bendis wrote, what he is actually doing with Marvel is a whole lot bigger than that. Which tempts me to speculate it will be part of one enormous cosmic story that will see the X-Men go spacewards with the Guardians Of The Galaxy against Thanos or whatnot. Well, they do all live on an asteroid…

Like I said this one is a slightly dodgier filling than the rest. Let’s see how it all pans out…

So I wrote this in response if all the pieces and word of mouth are true.

Every event Marvel has is something going back to square one. In Siege Thor, Iron Man and Cap reunited and the Avengers were basically back. Fear Itself, Bucky became WS, Steve became Cap and Thor was gone but not really. We also get a character death and most of the time he/she isn't a centerpiece. This happened in Civil War (Black Goliath) Siege (Sentry+Ares) and Fear Itself (previously mentioned). I agree with what my friend ApatheticAvenger told me the other day about the solicits for UXM 18 and AvX 11. He said Emma and Cykes are going to fight. Will they split up? I still say no. He told me and I do think this is what will most likely happen, it could very well be a wake up call to Cyclops. We saw what Cyclops did when Emma threatened to leave him. We saw that Scott was more tied to Emma when threatened than his goals. I think this is is basically going to refresh their relationship and thanks to Axel, Marvel is heading into some stability with no events for a time. There will be no X-Men without Emma or Cyclops at this point. With their relationship renewed and the stability we finally get focused on stories. Now what causes the fight is that Scott is so close to his goals finally but he does love Emma more than his goals WHEN IT COUNTS. If Gillen is in jeopardy of leaving and Bendis picks up here is what I say....Fine. Bendis isn't an inherently bad writer and the odds of him screwing this up, even as a team, are against him.

1. No events. This allows for stability and focus.

2. Scott may see that the Earth is better off without them or he protects what little race he has left but can get a breather so he takes the team into space if all his cosmic mumbo jumbo is alright. And remember he wants Extinction sized opponents? His first was a freakin Celestial.

3.Space X-Men may sound weird but they do have alien opponents in the past and this basically is a step up to a near cosmic opportunity for them. Asteroid M can revolve around Earth and they can focus on space things and Scott does have that deal with Abigail Brand so there could be something that goes on with that.

4. X-Men team on Earth. Wolverine can handle Earth stuff unless Cykes gets called down when necessary for food, Emma goes shopping etc.

Bendis has been on Avengers for practically a decade. Maybe a new direction COULD be good for him since no events supposedly. After AvX this could all be possible. So, Emma and Cykes stay together. My gut says so and they always go the opposite of what they hype. If they hype so and so kiss, it doesn't happen. If solicits say they split? The most likely answer will be the opposite. As long as Emma and Scott stay together (which I will say will most likely happen) and he stays away from events, I will buy the books. IT won't be Gillen good, but it may not be terrible. It's not hard to get a bad rep after writing the same book for 10 years.

These are my thoughts on the whole situation. I tend to trust where my gut goes but...I could always be wrong.

Thoughts/Comments/Concerns?

I still don't want to read this because it physically pains me to believe that Bendis could do a good job with them.

And lord help the editors at Marvel if they put JR JR on that book.

Considering how fabulous X-Men #30 was, i hope that bald-headed pig never sets foot anywhere near it, OR Brian Wood.

@AgeofHurricane: It's still rumors and kind of floppy cause didn't the newest X-Men issue JUST get a new writer? I believe his first issue came out today. So a relaunch of that could be a little off. I find Bendis getting UXM more likely than relaunch X-Men. But remember, UXM just got Gillen like a year ago on the book and he has been doing real well. It's possible they might change up plans (or keep him if they didn't have plans) on the book for awhile.

@Mercy_: You realize he very well can? His single stuff is awesome. His run on Daredevil and his Ultimate Spider-Man were great. Away from events and a new direction could do it. I'm being entirely optimistic but not away from the realm of possibility.

@god_spawn said:

@AgeofHurricane: It's still rumors and kind of floppy cause didn't the newest X-Men issue JUST get a new writer? I believe his first issue came out today. So a relaunch of that could be a little off. I find Bendis getting UXM more likely than relaunch X-Men. But remember, UXM just got Gillen like a year ago on the book and he has been doing real well. It's possible they might change up plans (or keep him if they didn't have plans) on the book for awhile.

@Mercy_: You realize he very well can? His single stuff is awesome. His run on Daredevil and his Ultimate Spider-Man were great. Away from events and a new direction could do it. I'm being entirely optimistic but not away from the realm of possibility.

Exactly, cause i read about this yesterday over at CBR and they said the same thing, there's no way Marvel could do this. I seriously hope they don't, to be quite honest, i don't care much for UXM or Scott and Emma's relationship, just as long as he stays away from the title that's finally getting somewhere.

I for one have really lost faith in Bendis when it comes to his work for Marvel, yes he is a talented writer, but most of the work referenced in regards to this is his creator owned work and not that which is tied to the Marvel U. This is not to say him doing a good job on X-Men is as impossible as some of this detractors believe, but his work on Avengers does little to help his case.

I also agree that Emma leaving Scott for Namor is just a red herring to keep people guessing as well as differentiate his relationship with her (which has its hills and valleys) than his with Jean (which was until the end almost a fairy tale). There is no dynamic or potential between Namor/Emma that warrants making a change even if your not a fan of Scott/Emma

The idea of an X-Men splinter team bridging between the main teams and the cosmic line could be a good read but I am not for the focus of the X-Men to move so deep in that direction. The Phoenix Five is bad enough and anything that extends that storyline is not a step in the right direction.

@Brazen_Intellect: He's been on Avengers for almost a decade so he's been writing the same material for awhile which I don't think helps him either. A fresh start might be his answer on a team book at least. His single stuff is good though as I mentioned to Mercy, I don't have much faith if any in him in the first place so I've already set myself up for a low point that might even exceed Fraction's run in terms of how bad it is.

@god_spawn said:

@Brazen_Intellect: He's been on Avengers for almost a decade so he's been writing the same material for awhile which I don't think helps him either. A fresh start might be his answer on a team book at least. His single stuff is good though as I mentioned to Mercy, I don't have much faith if any in him in the first place so I've already set myself up for a low point that might even exceed Fraction's run in terms of how bad it is.

Even my lowest expectation would still be better than Fraction's run. Once can only dream they pull a last minute switcheroo and the new writer is a surprise like Hickman or Vaughn.

@Brazen_Intellect said:

I for one have really lost faith in Bendis when it comes to his work for Marvel, yes he is a talented writer, but most of the work referenced in regards to this is his creator owned work and not that which is tied to the Marvel U. This is not to say him doing a good job on X-Men is as impossible as some of this detractors believe, but his work on Avengers does little to help his case.

I also agree that Emma leaving Scott for Namor is just a red herring to keep people guessing as well as differentiate his relationship with her (which has its hills and valleys) than his with Jean (which was until the end almost a fairy tale). There is no dynamic or potential between Namor/Emma that warrants making a change even if your not a fan of Scott/Emma

The idea of an X-Men splinter team bridging between the main teams and the cosmic line could be a good read but I am not for the focus of the X-Men to move so deep in that direction. The Phoenix Five is bad enough and anything that extends that storyline is not a step in the right direction.

High five!

@god_spawn: Key there is his single stuff. Stuff that doesn't involve a large cast of characters, or characters he doesn't fan wank, or established continuity.

I made it through the Fraction years, I have no intent of having to traverse the muddy waters of Bendis-ville.

@Mercy_:

It is sometimes very hard to believe he is the same guy who wrote Powers after reading his Marvel work

@Brazen_Intellect: Haven't read Powers, but I love Scarlet.

I honestly think it's the lack of free reign that cripples him.

@Mercy_:

The first TPB of Powers is really worth checking out

I also agree on your comment of free reign. Many of the writers who started in creator owned series and move to Marvel or DC tend to really struggle with working with a continuity that is not a creation all of their own.

@Brazen_Intellect: I'll add that to my list!

struggle with working with a continuity that is not a creation all of their own.

This is exactly the issue. There are some writers who can go back and forth effortlessly (Gillen, Hickman, that ilk) and then others who are constrained by lack of creativity and lack of freedom. Bendis is good when he's on single books (I don't think he's as good as some make him out to be, he has a really bad tendency of mutilating characters with mental illnesses), but when you put him on a team book everything that's good about his writing previously seems to just go out the window. It's really unfortunate.

@Mercy_:

Marvel also has writers like Bendis and Fraction working on so many projects on top of their regular writing chores you know you are not getting their best work. If they want a writer to lord over all the events that's fine but do not also put them in charge of top titles.

@Brazen_Intellect: Yes! I agree completely. Give a writer two books, three tops. As awesome as it is to have them universe build, the payoff in quality is not worth it. There are some who manage it (Remender, Hickman), but most can't and frankly, shouldn't. Don't give them those books and then have them in charge of planning events (FRACTION - FEAR ITSELF D:), especially when they're not that great a writer to begin with, again Fraction.

@Mercy_:

If they want to have a group of writers (Architects) be in charge of company wide directives, they should all only have one regular title on top if that work. Other writers who only consult can have two regular titles. To be honest any writer period handling 3 or more books is not a good thing for anything other than their paychecks.

I hate Fraction's Marvel work on X-Men and Iron Man with a passion, but his non-Marvel work is actually pretty good (as hard as it is to give him credit for anything)

@Mercy_:

All you need to feel the inner rage is an issue written by Fraction and with a porn face cover by Greg Land. They are the 2010's version of image comics, all style and zero substance.

@Mercy_:

Land is not a bad artist, but no matter how good the drawing is from the neck down, one look at the face and you cannot help but say WTF? How many times can you show a female X-character with her mouth wide open for no good reason and in many cases completely inappropriately. They are performing superheroics and not....

ha ha you got bendis ha ha. the avengers will live again!!!

Why would Marvel put Brian Wood on a title for less than six months?

I hope Gillen stays on Uncanny period. Or at least long enough to pick up the pieces from AvX and finish the plot lines he's had going on.

@Mercy_ said:

@Brazen_Intellect I (understandably) get so much flack for this, but I prefer Land to Dodson.

So do I. Lol.

I don't see the P5 keeping the PF at the end of all this cause I think it'll make the books boring

Thank you for consistently being the optimistic to my cynic GS.

Really nice blog post. I don't really read UXM and avoid X-Men at all costs, but I still hope this can be good, especially for the cosmic stuff. If Bendis brings back the Guardians with Star-Lord and Drax alive out of no where.....

The Uncanny X-Men and the Inhumans... I would actually read that. There is a distinct lack of Cyclops matching wits with Black Bolt (the guy who wasted his evil brother).

@ApatheticAvenger: Black Bolt's the man. The Inhumans the mutants are actually similar in ways I haven't thought about before. If Bendis does cosmic, I hope he just does justice to Abnett and Lanning by not completely ignoring all the events of their cosmic run.

@TheAnnihilator said:

@ApatheticAvenger: Black Bolt's the man. The Inhumans the mutants are actually similar in ways I haven't thought about before. If Bendis does cosmic, I hope he just does justice to Abnett and Lanning by not completely ignoring all the events of their cosmic run.

The similarities between Black Bolt and Cyclops are just too tantalizing to ignore.

@ApatheticAvenger said:

@TheAnnihilator said:

@ApatheticAvenger: Black Bolt's the man. The Inhumans the mutants are actually similar in ways I haven't thought about before. If Bendis does cosmic, I hope he just does justice to Abnett and Lanning by not completely ignoring all the events of their cosmic run.

The similarities between Black Bolt and Cyclops are just too tantalizing to ignore.

Yeah, I like Black Bolt a lot better though. I think he's a better leader and has more reason to be the way he is, but they are very similar. I didn't even think about it before.

@TheAnnihilator said:

@ApatheticAvenger said:

@TheAnnihilator said:

@ApatheticAvenger: Black Bolt's the man. The Inhumans the mutants are actually similar in ways I haven't thought about before. If Bendis does cosmic, I hope he just does justice to Abnett and Lanning by not completely ignoring all the events of their cosmic run.

The similarities between Black Bolt and Cyclops are just too tantalizing to ignore.

Yeah, I like Black Bolt a lot better though. I think he's a better leader and has more reason to be the way he is, but they are very similar. I didn't even think about it before.

They are similar in appearance, have similar costumes, a powerful ability they must constantly keep control of, are leaders of their people, and have/had redheaded wives.

I think Bendis will possibly do a good job I think. The X-Men need a good shake-up and I think Bendis will provide that. At least I'm hoping.

On the other hand....Fishstick will still be in the picture. Namor has established himself into the X-books quite solidly, and he provides some good humour from time to time.

My verdict: the love triangle ain't going anywhere. It's going to be like the Logan/Jean/Scott situation. A thing that is constantly teased but never resolved.

Plus, I seriously don't get why Emma is attracted to Namor. Scott's girls always seem to have a thing for an alpha-male.

@ApatheticAvenger said:

@TheAnnihilator said:

@ApatheticAvenger: Black Bolt's the man. The Inhumans the mutants are actually similar in ways I haven't thought about before. If Bendis does cosmic, I hope he just does justice to Abnett and Lanning by not completely ignoring all the events of their cosmic run.

The similarities between Black Bolt and Cyclops are just too tantalizing to ignore.

I agree, I'm starting to become a fan of him the more that I read up!

@John Valentine: And yes I concur that Gillen needs stay on UCXM. He's been doing a fantastic job on repairing the damage wrought by Fraction. The only thing that I can grant Fraction is that you can tell that he at least liked Scott and Emma and had fun writing them but that's it!

@AgeofHurricane said:

Considering how fabulous X-Men #30 was, i hope that bald-headed pig never sets foot anywhere near it, OR Brian Wood.

Agreed. That man doesn't write characters but rather pieces of paper when it comes to team-based books.

@One_Eye said:

@AgeofHurricane said:

Considering how fabulous X-Men #30 was, i hope that bald-headed pig never sets foot anywhere near it, OR Brian Wood.

Agreed. That man doesn't write characters but rather pieces of paper when it comes to team-based books.

Exactly. I haven't exactly read any of his Ultimate Spiderman books (except for maybe, a couple of starter issues of his most recent Ultimate Comics Spiderman, out of respect, of which, were pretty good.) but i don't think the day will ever come where i don't hear about how good they are, and it just annoys me to see the crap he's done (single-handedly no less) with the Avengers and the characters featured in their series'.

I'll give him credit where it's due though, characters like Spider-Woman and Jessica whatsherface , he's got a "good" (for the most part) handle on them seeing as how he created said characters, but the ones he's given...wow. Don't even get me started on Storm.

It's just quite annoying for him to poop on years of character history and then people have the CHEEK to back his work up when it's intertwined with pencils from JR JR. LOL.

@AgeofHurricane said:

Considering how fabulous X-Men #30 was, i hope that bald-headed pig never sets foot anywhere near it, OR Brian Wood.

High Five

Keep him away from the X-Men period! I mean jeez havn't they been through enough?

With all do respect I now officially think that your in denial about the ramifications of AVX, your outline including Bendis doing a good job on 2 team books, no more X-men involvement in events and Cyclops not only coming out unscathed but also in a better relationship with Emma sounds to good to be true, and when something sounds to good to be true it usually is

Admittedly AVX sounds to bad to be true but is true nevertheless I believe this to be the exception that proves the rule

@BlackArmor: I'm not denying anything. I'm being hopefully optimistic at this point. While everyone is sitting and wading through this sh*t I thought I would try to bring some kind of good point out of it. No matter how far-fetched of a theory.

@god_spawn: Well I hope your right about everything except Bendis writing UXM but realistically I don't see anyone or anything involved in this event going anywhere but down

@BlackArmor: I hope so too but so many people are already down in the dumps with it, it's just expected to be bad which is rightfully so. It hasn't gotten any better since it started and everything has been pretty stupid. There will probably be ramifications, but with past events something has usually come out of it, even if minor I suppose.

@god_spawn: I have a feeling that the most we may get out of this event is the initial laughter at the Phoenix 5's costumes

@Mercy_: You realize he very well can? His single stuff is awesome. His run on Daredevil and his Ultimate Spider-Man were great. Away from events and a new direction could do it. I'm being entirely optimistic but not away from the realm of possibility.

@FadeToBlackBolt: Opinions, Fade, opinions.

No,just no!

@TDK_1997: I hope not too.

i really dont want Marvel to split up Emma and Scott. But way AvsX is going, i think their going to have Emma and Namor together and Cyclops going into exile from the X men for something hes going to do near the end of AvsX.... this btw in my opinion is an AWFUL storyline but... i think thats how its going to go i want cyclops and emma to both take a leave from the X men and get married and have a family.

I just want this event to end so I can see the ramifications that Marvel says will effect the MU

@Acestar101: They won't split them.

@god_spawn said:

@Acestar101: They won't split them.

Exactly!

They are not gonna split them up and I don't see the X-men taking their battles into Outer Space. I can see however leaving the earth and forming their own planet.

@Hareil0079:

I don't see the X-men taking their battles into Outer Space.

If the rumors do prove true it might be possible but God I hope not.