If I Were Writing the X-Men…
Thursday, December 3rd, 2009The X-Men have always been a constantly shifting ensemble cast. Members come and go according to the whims of plot lines, editorial mandates, and authorial whimsy. Nonetheless, every fan of the X-Men I’ve ever met has a mental image of the X-Men roster that may even just be a mashup of the best parts of various teams/eras.
If I were to make an X-Men team, it would consist of these members.
- Rogue. In every medium that you can follow the exploits of the Uncanny X-Men, Rogue is my favorite character. She’s fiery. She’s Southern. She’s a girl who isn’t afraid to kick the boys’ asses. By their very nature, her powers force her to be a thief, using situational awareness more so than brute force. This makes her a catalyst for interesting story arcs.
- Emma Frost. Emma Frost is a bitch…and she likes it that way. The secondary mutation that Morrison added to her character is pure brilliance; her diamond skin makes Emmahard literally as well as figuratively. Emma, in many ways, tests the limits of Xavier’s big tent approach to mutantkind. Emma has no problem with the notion that mutants are superior to humanity, and yet she still often comes down on the side of peace. If Rogue didn’t exist, Emma Frost would be my favorite X-Men character.
- Wolverine. I would very much like to de-power Logan a bit and make him a little less like an unkillable god. Claremont did some amazing work with Wolverine, and that’s very much the characterization I would hope for on this team. Add in a little dash of the cold, take-no-prisoners leader from the latest volume of X-Force, and you’d have nearly my perfect version of Wolverine.
- Gambit. I know that most comic fans can’t stand the Cajun, but I think a team with Rogue and no Gambit can’t possibly be living up to its full potential. Gambit is a devil with a little bit of angel mixed in for flavor, a rogue who survives by his own wits more so than his mutant powers.
- Nightcrawler. Every team needs a conscience, and Kurt was always the gentle voice of compassion on the X-Men. He also has some of the best conversations with Wolverine ever written.
- Canonball. At least one of the New Mutants needs to be promoted to the X-Men, and Canonball seems like one of the most interesting options. I loved Sam on Mike Carey’s X-Men, but I always felt like that his version was more the X-Force version of Canonball than the lovable Kentucky boy from New Mutants.
- Beast. I would love to see a version of Beast that melds the super braniac from the 90s animated series with the party boy who was on the Avengers. My version of beast would be both a prankster and a well-read biological scientist.

