I've never liked time travel stories too much. I mean sometimes they're really fun, but they leave to many logic holes. I mean even Back to the Future was messed up, because it implied that Marty changed his present where Biff became a loser and his family became better off than they were before. However that would logically mean that Marty would have grown up differently too, and wouldn't be the same guy who met Doc and went back in time in the first place. He should have encountered another Marty who had never left when he finally got back.
As for the two results we're disscussing here. They both have their problems, if nothing else from a story telling standpoint. As for the creation of tangental timelines, they always just seem to convinient. Like the writer said, I want to write a time-travel story, but not have to deal with all the consequences or remnifacations. Also when it is a new (or parallel) universe, then the investment for the characters involved (and therefore the readers) isn't as heavy. After such stories I'm always left feeling "what was the point?"
On the other hand, the stories where the actions of the time travelers have already occurred have their own set of paradoxies. This theory is based on the idea that time can't betampered with because the present from which the time travellers are from is in fact, a result of their time-meddling all along. The main paradox here is the old problem that is inherent in all self fullfilling prophecies: the chicken and the egg question. For all intents and purposes, these stories usually subscribe to a linear concept of time, but for this to happen it would mean the the time travellers had to exists to have come to the original and only past before they ever left (and in most cases were even born) so this certainly adds a sort of loop to the other-wise linear theory of time. However, this is the only way linear time travel can happen otherwise you end up undoing the future and the event of you leaving in the first place. As a child I used to fantasizing about traveling back in time to save the dinosaurs, but even then I realized that I would then grow up in a world that needed no dino saviour and then would never leave and thus the dino's would die again. Afterwhich the whole thing repeates...
Furthermore there are other problems that never even seem to come up. For example, any form of timetravel would be pointless unless there was some form of spacial dissplacement as well. To demonstrate: Say I had a garaunteed way to travel into my direct past (not an identical parallel or what have you) Well, without any form of dissplacement I may reach the past, but would retain the same point in space that I left from. The problem with this is everything in space is in constant motion. I mean, the earth is nowhere near the spacial coordinates that it was in 10 years ago, and even less so the furtherback you choose to go.
Now lets assume that you are able to travel back in time and in the same relative point in space (as in the same building you were in whenyou went back) The problem here is that there is already matter in the point in space. I remeber a point in x-men were Nightcrawler explain that he needed to see where he was porting to so he wouldn't end up inside a wall or such. Well this same principle applies here, but to a greater extent. In this case even travelling back to a point where there is only air would reek havoc on your composition. Kurt can travel to another point where ther is only air because when he leaves he leaves a vaccum in space (and nature aborhs a vaccum) so when he shows up in the other spot, there is room. But, in this case there is no room, so you would be appearing instantly into the atmospheric pressure of the entire planet. Imagine a tank of water, completely filled and sealed to the strength it needs to be to contain it's self. Now, instantaneously a mass of new water appears somewhere inside the tank. Well even if it were a miniscule amonut, there would be no room and either the new matter and some of the new matter would be pressurizied and compatced (like coal being crushed into diamond) or the tank it'self would rupture.
I guess i think to far into any of this, but that's why I'm never able to fully appreciate a story about time travel...
@Walker696: I imagine that Beast will be there to act as sort of the moral compass to help clear up the gray areas. They'll still be operating out of the spotlight, not so much for potentially illeagal activity, but more for the things that the main Avengers can't be linked to, like when their PR doesn't allow them to take a stance on certain issue, or even threats that are never made public to prevent panic.
I'm wondering if the "XXXXXXX" mentioned in the solicit is refering to S.W.O.R.D. It would make sense for them to have missions that are better off with the public unaware.
First off, totally called this with Beast. The quote and pose in the teaser was a dead give away.
Second, he is nothave another mutation or reverse mutation. This is meant to look cat-like, the only problem is that ever artist has their own interperation on what "cat-like" looks like. So Hank always looks completely different. As for his fingers and toes, that is the same issue. In Morrison's run he had four fingers and toes. In Whedon's Astonishing he had four fingers and five toes. In recent Astonishing and Uncanny he had five of both. During Endangered species it changed constantly. And in S.W.O.R.D. he had four fingers and three toes. The real problem is that Marvel has never set a standard and made the artitsts stick to it. I imagine it's probably because every artist who goes into comics has experience drawing people, because that's a given, but possibly many of them don't have much experience drawing non humans (in this case cats) because they never thought they would need to. So onve they are on a book where they need to draw Beast, they simply do the best generic cat in their abilities and Narvel just doesn't have the will to crack down.
The long and short is that he will look completely different again, but he won't have actually changed in the cannon. All the characters who see him will think he looks just as he did right after his secondary mutation occured.
Anyway, I'm excited for this book. It will be interesting to see this team handel all the gritty delicate issues while the flagship characters take the spotlight in the non-secret team. Black opp stories are always fun. Now i just hope Wanda is the one saying "I'm in control of my life" in the other teaser.
@Omega Ray Jay: I couldn't agree more. That whole thing was Marvel not being sure of their product and instead of imroving it, they chose to try and bring down their competitor.
I don't think this is a lack of confidence on DC's part. If anything I would say the opposite. They are very sure of their book and using this as a method to inspire the retailers. Retailers now have very little to lose in buying these books, so instead of trying to predict sales and buy accordingly, they can buy a amount they would usually pick for one of the books they know sells high. If it sell high, the retailers stay on top of the demand and if the sales are lacking, they get to put most of their loss toward dc credit which they would use eventually anyways.
This is DC taking the high road and giving the retailers the freedom to be bold.
Hope this means we'll get Martian Manhunter back. I'd like it to mean the Question could come back too, but he's been replaced so probably no dice on that
umm, when did Emme get that short? Also if both Emma and Scott are there, does that mean that Magneto is the one who dies? or is this whole thing gonna be out of continuity. I know everyone's been saying this, but where Astonishing fits into continuity has always been in question for me
I can see how the picture might look like Venom, but the quote settels it for me. This is Beast, without a doubt. And well deserved too. Since he recently got written out of Uncanny and S.W.O.R.D. was cancelled, so he is without a home. He needs this
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