Path: senator-bedfellow.mit.edu!dreaderd!not-for-mail Message-ID: Supersedes: Expires: 27 Feb 2003 09:36:17 GMT References: X-Last-Updated: 2002/11/30 From: racmx@yahoo.com (Kate the Short) Newsgroups: rec.arts.comics.marvel.xbooks,rec.arts.comics.info,rec.answers,news.answers Subject: rec.arts.comics.marvel.xbooks FAQ: 3/7 Organization: Keepers of Frequently Asked Questions, racmx division Approved: news-answers-request@MIT.EDU Followup-To: poster Summary: FAQ for rec.arts.comics.marvel.xbooks--X-Men comic books Originator: faqserv@penguin-lust.MIT.EDU Date: 14 Jan 2003 09:38:40 GMT Lines: 851 NNTP-Posting-Host: penguin-lust.mit.edu X-Trace: 1042537120 senator-bedfellow.mit.edu 3929 18.181.0.29 Xref: senator-bedfellow.mit.edu rec.arts.comics.marvel.xbooks:281092 rec.arts.comics.info:9975 rec.answers:78093 news.answers:244613 Archive-name: comics/xbooks/main-faq/part3 Posting-frequency: monthly URL: http://www.enteract.com/~katew/faqs/ -= REC.ARTS.COMICS.MARVEL.XBOOKS =- Frequently Asked Questions Part 3 Version 2002.04, last updated December 2002 URL: http://www.enteract.com/~katew/faqs/racmxFAQ/faq3.html ------------------------------ Subject: Table of Contents Part 3: X-MEN COMIC BOOK QUESTIONS * Who were the original X-Men? Who was the first X-Man? Who have been X-Men? * How come Professor X has so much money? * What classes does the Professor offer at his schools, anyway? * Wasn't there a title released in 1963 about a team of super- powered misfits who banded together under some smart guy in a wheelchair to fight against prejudice and the right to just be yourself ... by DC Comics? * When did Professor X start walking? Isn't he supposed to be in a wheelchair? (+) * Are there any gay X-Men? (+) * Why do people hate the X-Men when they love the Avengers and the Fantastic Four? * I've got an idea! Why don't Rogue and Gambit use Leech so they can have sex? Have they already had sex? * Is Rogue's inability to control her powers psychological in nature? * Why does Rogue have claws? When did that happen? * Was Rogue raped by the guards in the first Genosha storyline? * What is the relationship between Mystique and Nightcrawler? Why is Rogue involved in it, if she isn't blue? * What is the Hellfire Club? Who are its members? * Who are the Twelve? Why are they important? * Is Apocalypse dead? ------------------------------ Subject: X-MEN COMIC BOOK QUESTIONS Background information on the creators and the X-titles editorial offices is based on over a decade's worth of articles, interviews, and personal questions, and as such is not directly attributed here. Now that some of Marvel's staff members are on Usenet, they are welcomed to correct and amend any of the answers listed below. --- Who were the original X-Men? Who was the first X-Man? Who have been X-Men? The original X-Men, in the oh-so-darling blue and yellow geek suits, were Cyclops, the Angel, the Beast, Iceman, and Marvel Girl. Deciding upon the first X-Man is a bit of a trick. While Xavier did bring Scott to his mansion first to become the first X-Man, it was revealed in the 1960's run of the title that he actually had already been helping Jean Grey cope with her telepathic powers. Thus, Jean was his first real mutant student, and, by extension, his first X-Man, even though Cyclops was the first of his mutant students to don a costume and call himself an X-Man. It should be noted that Scott Lobdell retconned this simple origin, by having Professor X planning the second team of X-Men (from Giant-Size X-Men #1) back before he had picked Scott for the first team. While this is an annoying anamoly, it doesn't change the answer to the question, since none of the second team of X-Men were ever contacted by Xavier until long after Scott and Jean became X-Men. As far as people who have been "X-MEN"...there are a few technical distinctions. The following have generally been considered X-Men, with asteriks noting the "sort-of" members: Professor X (Charles Xavier), Cyclops (Scott Summers), Marvel Girl/Phoenix (Jean Grey), Iceman (Bobby Drake), Angel/Archangel (Warren Worthington III), Beast (Hank McCoy), Mimic (Calvin Rankin), Havok (Alex Summers), Polaris (Lorna Dane), Changeling (posing as Professor X)*, Thunderbird I (John Proudstar), Sunfire (Shiro Yoshida), Storm (Ororo Munroe), Wolverine (Logan, a.k.a James Howlett), Colossus (Piotr Rasputin), Nightcrawler (Kurt Wagner), Banshee (Sean Cassidy), Phoenix Force (posing as Jean Grey)*, Shadowcat (Kitty Pryde), Rogue (Rogue), Phoenix (Rachel Summers), Magneto (Erik Magnus Lensherr), Dazzler (Alison Blaire), Psylocke (Betsy Braddock), Longshot, Jubilee (Jubilation Lee), Gambit (Remy LeBeau), Forge, Bishop (Lucas Bishop), Revanche (Kwannon), Cannonball (Sam Guthrie), Dark Beast (impersonating Hank McCoy)*, Marrow (Sarah), Maggott (Japheth), Cecelia Reyes*, Joseph (a Magneto clone), Quicksilver (Pietro Maximoff), Cable (Nathan Summers), Thunderbird III (Neal Sharra), Sage (Tessa), White Queen (Emma Frost), Chamber (Jono Starsmore), X-Stacy (Stacy X), Xorn, Lifeguard (Heather Cameron), Slipstream (Davis Cameron). Other characters have operated with the three main teams of X-Men. A girl named Angel joined the cast of New X-Men, and Red Lotus has been helping out the X-Treme X-Men team in Australia. Time will tell whether these are full members or just associates. In the technicality department, Binary (Carol Danvers) was with the X-Men during the Brood Saga, but apparently didn't consider herself to be an X-Man. The New Mutants called themselves the X-Men in X-Men Annual #10 when they donned their graduation suits. Team members were Cannonball, Mirage, Sunspot, Wolfsbane, Karma, Magik, Warlock and Cypher. New Mutants teaching staff members Sharon Friedlander and Tom Corsi just helped the team, and Stevie Hunter was a dance teacher who regularly helped the kids. Maddie Pryor "died" with the X-Men, but did not consider herself to be an X-Man (during the Australian stories); likewise, Gateway was an associate of the team but not an official member. There was a team of "Muir Isle X-Men" circa the mid-late 200s of UXM, back when the X-Men were thought to be dead, including Forge, Banshee, Siryn (Banshee's daughter), Legion (Xavier's son), Amanda Sefton, Moira MacTaggart, Sunder, and Alysdane Stewart. The Eve of Destruction team that Phoenix assembled circa UXM #392 included Dazzler, Northstar (formerly of Alpha Flight), Sunpyre (Sunfire's sister Leyu Yashida), and a bunch of other new characters that haven't been seen since. Dani Moonstar was allegedly a "part-time" affiliate of the X-Man as of X-Men #102, but since she was only around for one or two issues, it doesn't really count. --- How come Professor X has so much money? Capitalism. The rich get richer. Apparently, the Xaviers are an old money family, since the Graymalkin estate (and the many-times rebuilt mansion) has been described as being in the Xavier family for ten generations. So, Charles Xavier inherited a lot of money. Xavier also has decent ties to the Avengers and to Reed Richards of the Fantastic Four to get cheap access to funky technology (as the easiest two examples: the image inducer was invented by Tony Stark, and the unstable molecule costumes were made of fabric obviously supplied by Richards). Finally, Professor X was formerly the consort of an intergalactic queen (Lilandra), and got a bunch of cheap, high-tech alien goods and repairs passed under the bed, as it were. Among the cheap, high tech alien goods was a handy-dandy costume machine, which presumably works with Reed Richards' unstable molecule fabric. Hence the X-Men aren't spending a lot of money on clothing. Which is a good thing, considering how costumes they go through on your average crossover. When Xavier's own money has been inaccessible, Warren Worthington has been there to step in. He had a lot of money to start with, and appears to have regained the money Hodge took from him when Warren "died". Note that Emma Frost and Betsy Braddock are also financially well off. --- What classes does the Professor offer at his schools, anyway? Apparently, Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters offered an accredited high school equivalency degree for its privately enrolled students. The "graduates" could try for a higher degree, now that Xavier also has an Institute for Higher Learning, if it wasn't for the fact that they're really the X-Men, and usually have other things to do than cram for finals. Some X-Men have tried for higher degrees--Jean Grey went on to Metro University--but generally there wasn't much higher learning going on at Xavier's. Some of the older X-Men have served as "guest lecturers" to Generation X at the Massachusetts Academy, but it's pretty likely that none of them has a teaching degree. Scenes from Claremont's run on the New Mutants showed classes being held in world history, economics, and physical education (above and beyond Danger Room training). Presumably the classes in biology would be top-notch. Even when she was with the X-Men, Jubilee was shown studying algebra. Tom Galloway has more help: "It's strongly implied that Hank McCoy (the Beast) earned his doctorate at Xavier's. He leaves the school directly for what amounts to a job as a Principal Investigator at Brand Industries, and there's really no time in his history when he could otherwise have earned the PhD they credit him with." On the other hand, X-Factor Annual #3 features a backup story where Beast is showing the kids pictures of his time at a college outside of Xavier's, earning degrees in biochemistry and genetics. Don't mess with Marvel time, kids. These men are professionals. As it stands, the promotional comic for Generation X has a whole list of classes offered at Emma Frost's school. It includes lots of specialized PE, classes on leadership, cultural diversity, and physics with assorted guest instructors. Still, Gen X first showed the kids in a classroom in issue #21. --- Wasn't there a title released in 1963 about a team of super-powered misfits who banded together under some smart guy in a wheelchair to fight against prejudice and the right to just be yourself ... by DC Comics? You're absolutely correct. The Doom Patrol came out in 1963 (the same year as the X-Men), and featured Robotman, Negative Man, and Elasti-Girl under the cryptic leadership of the Chief. Yes, the heroes were crippled or maladjusted by the nature of them being heroes--Robotman was an "omniplegic," Negative Man was wrapped in protective bandages, and so on. The Chief did rule from his wheelchair, and their whole point was to prove that even misfits and freaks could be a productive part of society, despite prejudice. The interesting thing is that so far as anyone can tell this was another example in history of pure coincidence. The Marvel and DC creative teams apparently came up with the ideas completely on their own. It's really not surprising when you think about when this was going on. Marvel had revolutionarized the comic book industry with the "Marvel" style of superhero, who had the complications of dealing with real life. Never ones to miss on the sales comparisons, DC began copying the Marvel style. Pretty soon we had families of superheroes with troubles, teenaged superheroes with troubles, clubs of superheroes with troubles... it didn't take much imagination to go to the next progression of "modern" superheroes, superheroes with physical troubles based on their physique, or prejudice. A man in a wheelchair would be the natural authority figure to lead this team, since he'd be an iconic reminder that people with disabilities can still be functioning people, while still not suffering from such a major disfigurement that the Comics Code of the time wouldn't accept him as an ongoing character. The wheelchair figure couldn't be one of the active, crime-fighting heroes, because giving him the power to leave his chair to fight crime would invalidate the whole reason to put him in a wheelchair in the first place. Finally, the wheelchair figure had to be a man, since this was still the 1960s. After the leader is set, you fill your team to taste with your choice of heroes suffering unwarranted prejudice. And after cancelling the book in the late 60s, bring it back later to large acclaim: as one final bit of trivia to further prove the existence of the Illuminati, both the X-Men and Doom Patrol came back in their first "new" forms in issues numbered 94--UXM #94 and Showcase #94, although Doom Patrol had to get cancelled one more time before they became highly acclaimed. Technically, the "new" X-Men debuted in Giant-Size X-Men #1, but since we're allowing the Doom Patrol to slide on a technicality, we'll do the same for the X-Men. --- When did Professor X start walking? Isn't he supposed to be in a wheelchair? (+) (NEW 12/02) Although Xavier first appeared in a wheelchair in X-Men (vol. 1) #1, he wasn't always disabled. A flashback in X-Men (vol. 1) #9 revealed that he was first crippled in a fight with Lucifer. He remained in the wheelchair until Uncanny X-Men #167, when his body was cloned by the Shi'ar after his original body was destroyed by the Brood Queen. The new body allowed him to walk, play sports, and serve as a member of the team (albeit in an ugly black-and-yellow costume) until his legs were crushed once again in a fight with the Shadow King in UXM #280. A year later, he was shot and was infected with a techno-organic virus by Stryfe in UXM #294. He was cured and was able to walk for a brief period in #297, but was soon wheelchair-bound again. Most recently, he was able to walk after mutant healer Xorn restored his legs, following Xavier's mind-switch with twin sister Cassandra Nova in New X-Men #126. --- Are there any gay X-Men? (+) (UPDATED 12/02) Yes: Northstar. As of UXM #414, he's part of a "real" team of X-Men, and the question should be settled. Right? Well, wrong; people seem to want to know about the sexuality of other characters in the main titles and of those in spin-off titles. And so, the debates continue. For years, Marvel had one officially gay mutant, which was Northstar of Alpha Flight. That's it. Technically, he wasn't even an X-Man until his stint in Uncanny circa UXM #392. Unofficial, but well accepted, was the Mystique-Destiny relationship. Marvel tried not to admit it, but Claremont did, and enough in-comic evidence exists to be certain on that score. For years, the most definitive evidence was UXM #254. In it, Irene said, "This is Raven as I know her, the spirit-soul within my dearest friend--full of strength and courage and passion--that I have loved from the moment we met." Later, Mystique said, "Irenie? You had a rough night..is anything the matter?" You can work it out for herself how Mystique would know that. In UXM #265, the Shadow King referred to Destiny as Mystique's leman--an archaic word meaning "lover"--which Chris Claremont seemed to have sneaked in under the censors' radar. As of the X-Men Forever miniseries (2001), the two are officially out of the closet, since the recap in issue #5 clearly states that Irene was Raven's lover. X-Treme X-Men #1 concurs; Mystique is referred to as Destiny's "true love." Raven has had two children, of course, so there's strong evidence that she could be bisexual. She was a member of X-Factor, so she technically counts as an X-Man. The character Bloke in the relaunched X-Force title was identified as gay. His media packet in X-Force #117 covered a range of stereotypes (he lived in San Francisco, liked musicals, and used to be rainbow-colored before he turned bright pink). His kiss with a male mutant boyfriend in X-Force #118 confirmed it. Unfortunately, as with most characters in the relaunched X-Force team, Bloke's tenure was rather short-lived. Newer team members Phat and Vivisector at first seemed to be joking about being a gay couple (in order to gain more publicity), but as of issue #129 it was pretty clear that they "did the deed." In X-Statix #4, they finally decided that, while gay, they weren't actually interested in each other. The character of Mariko/Sunfire in Exiles revealed that she was gay in Exiles #11, but the title is not one of the core titles, and is set in an alternative universe. Speculation runs rampant regarding the sexuality of other X-characters, but here are the favorite candidates: * Hank McCoy. The events of his mutation into a more lion-like, bestial form left Hank feeling like "a Hindu sex god." After his longtime girlfriend Trish Tilby broke up with him because she felt the "bestiality" publicity would hurt her TV journalism career, Hank told her that he thought he might be gay. The line, in NXM #125, could be read sarcastically or literally. As of NXM #134, he admits that he is just playing along with the media, and not contradicting what anyone is saying about his sexuality. * Bobby Drake. He is by far one of the most mentioned as living in the closet. "Evidence" hinges on his lack of steady relationships, his lack of self-confidence, and the fact that he hasn't lived up to his potential. His confrontation with the White Queen in UXM #331 is also popular, where she says, "You finally realized you're not cut out to be an X-Man, so you've decided to use your mutant ability to pursue your first love: Interior decorating?" This is less flimsy that it might seem, since she has occupied his body, but hardly definitive. His relationship with Opal Tanaka is used as evidence both for and against, depending on how you rationalize their breakup. Bobby also had some strong sexual tension in his later dealings with Emma Frost, circa Generation X #57, where they attend a school dance together. In UXM #415, Northstar says that although he has a crush on Iceman, Bobby doesn't seem to be gay. * Ororo Munroe. Primary evidence here is X-Men Annual #11, where her heart's desire is to run off with Yukio. Supplementary to this is the fact that she completely turned her life around after running around with her for an evening (UXM #172-173), and Contest of Champions II #1, where Yukio and Storm meet again. If you buy the Storm and Yukio relationship, Yukio seems all for it. Otherwise Storm's relationship with Forge has been difficult, but over a long period of time. Again, she could be bisexual. * Xi'an Coy Manh. X-Force #75 brought Karma in with short pink hair and female roommates in Greenwich Village. Conversation between her and Dani strongly suggests that Xi'an is a lesbian. * Dani Moonstar. As above, see X-Force #75. Circumstantial evidence for Dani's homosexuality or bisexuality has been sprinkled in other issues of X-Force, but never as heavily as #75. * Shatterstar. His highly emotional attachment to Rictor is proof for most. Others counter that he isn't of Western culture, so his emotions aren't necessarily as repressed. On the other hand, X-Force #56 indicates that his relationship with Rictor is much deeper than friendship. Other names bandied about frequently include Magik, Rachel, and most of the X-Men universe at one time or another. Mr. Sinister's similarity to Frank N. Furter (of Rocky Horror) has also been noted on many occasions. The great trick with the discussion of gay X-Men is to avoid turning it into a flamewar. Discuss it by all means; just be aware this is a hot button for many people on both ends of the spectrum. --- Why do people hate the X-Men when they love the Avengers and the Fantastic Four? Andrew Ingle supports an interesting theory, one that works inside the Marvel Universe: "The people love superheroes. They dress up in spandex and save the world! They're celebrities to them, brilliant, beautiful celebrities. And you can see Cap or someone when they're coming. You KNOW they're Cap. Their powers are their powers and that's what lets them protect the world. They get their abilities for a reason. However, a mutant is someone born with their powers, and they DON'T always dress up in Spandex and advertise it. When you walk down the street, you don't know whether the person across the crosswalk will spontaneously shoot you with poisonous acid blasts from his eyeballs. Anyone can be a mutant, but only Johnny Storm is The Human Torch. The fact that mutants can be anyone is what scares people." As for the plots, Peter Lidkis reminds us, "There is hatred for mutants in the MU. The difference is that Avengers is not THE book that focuses on it. It only occassionally looks in on that hatred and then goes on its next story line." So it's not unusual for people to overall love the Avengers or FF--they're not *meant* to be hated as a matter of course. The X-Men were meant to deal with prejudice and hate, so they're going to end up being hated. --- I've got an idea! Why don't Rogue and Gambit just use Leech so they can have sex? Have they already had sex? You may not believe this, but you are not the first person to have this brainstorm. As a matter of fact, you're nowhere near the first person to think of this. You could have been meditating on this particular solution to their troubles for centuries in a monastery in Attilan and you'd still be nowhere near the first person to suggest this. This is a suggestion which is offered so frequently by newbies to racmx that it's capable of infuriating the long-term inhabitants of racmx just from its frequent re-presenting, without even considering its innate distatefulness. Just how great an idea it is to use a school kid as a sexual aid? Ick. This is closely related to the above power nullifiers question, and much of the sage wisdom of that response applies here, as well. Joeneto (Magneto as Joseph) nobly solved this problem for long-suffering fans and irked FAQ-keepers everywhere. In UXM #341, he modified the Z'noxx chamber (recently seen during Onslaught) to dampen all psionic energy. Rogue can't absorb what has already been absorbed. Hence, she can touch people without sucking in their every thought and feeling. The issue of the powers has yet to be dealt with. However... UXM #349 neatly sidestepped the problem by subjecting both Gambit and Rogue to a power-dampening field in Magneto's old Antarctic base. Of course, the Comics Code kept Lobdell from actually saying anything physical happened between them. The question that comes up next, then, is: Did Gambit and Rogue actually have sex between #348 and #349? Now, most readers figure they probably did because: * next issue, Gambit is without the shirt he had on the night before. * Rogue is acting exactly like a (stereotypical) woman after her First Time. * Gambit's "our first, maybe our last time" quote. On the other hand: * Rogue is still fully dressed the morning after. * Gambit isn't without his pants. * Getting clothes off with those chains on and then back again would be difficult at best. * They didn't have much privacy, and I'm sure Spat wouldn't have thought anything of throwing rocks at both of them to make them shut up. The debate is far from settled, but the general consensus is that while they certainly had a good time together that evening, full intercourse probably didn't happen. --- Is Rogue's inability to control her powers psychological in nature? Probably, although the real issue is what "psychological" problems she might have had. The most popular theory is that Rogue suffered some form of physical abuse in her youth, causing her to subconsciously keep her powers on all the time to prevent it from happening again. Skids' problem deactivating her force field was revealed in X-Factor #16 to be a result of her father's physical abuse of herself and her mother, and the same logic is typically applied to Rogue's problem. However, the problem with Rogue's powers may just be a lack of practice. Steven Seagle in UXM #354 had Rogue giving mouth-to-mouth resucitation to Joseph, and she was able to partially control her absorption power in the process. At the time she claimed that since she was never allowed to use her powers except when needed in combat, she never had a chance to learn control, a rather obvious and clever solution to this longtime problem. Rogue's unexpected control over her powers isn't actually new, either; even prior to the Carol Danvers event Rogue could control her absorption to some extent (see Dazzler, for example). There is one panel in UXM #239 that is used to support this; Carol, having taken over Rogue's body after the fight with Nimrod, touches Betsy on the shoulder. When asked, Chris Claremont confirmed it was intended to indicate that Carol could control Rogue's power, even though Rogue couldn't. In addition, the X- Men '97 Annual portrays the Gamesmaster as able to "keep her power in check" by using his own. Since the Gamesmaster's powers are solely telepathic, this indicates Rogue's real problem is solely a matter of mental control. --- Why does Rogue have claws? When did that happen? Two words: "Maximum Security." In that storyline, Rogue absorbed a young Skrull girl. Because the Skrulls can change their form, Rogue's body had a severe reaction to the absorption. Basically, when trying to find a form to shift to, the shape-shifting power comes up with multiple examples: all of the people that Rogue has previously absorbed. So far, Rogue has manifested Wolverine's claws and healing factor most often, but she has also manifested powers and features of Cyclops, Colossus, Nightcrawler, Storm and Magneto (in UXM #388, with Colossus and possibly Storm also in Bishop #16), and Cecilia Reyes (X-Men #108). This also explains the red glasses in X-Treme X-Men--she's compensating just in case Cyke's optic blasts return unexpectedly. As for why we're seeing the claws consistently... well, Rogue wants them (on panel) so she can be tough, and Claremont (off panel) is using her as a substitute Wolverine. Expect to see the new powers for a while. --- Was Rogue raped by the guards in the first Genosha storyline? No, she wasn't, and it says so right in the captions in the same issue (UXM #236) it supposedly happened in. Check the series of captions during the slow close-up to Rogue's cell. The guards slapped her around some and made fun of her, but nothing along the lines of actual rape happened: All they did was touch her. Rude hands, ruder glances--taunting promises of worse to come. She couldn't stop them. For so long, she dreamed of being able to touch another person, without her power absorbing his/her psyche. To hold, to caress, to kiss, just like any other-- normal-- teenage girl. In those dreams, it was the most beautiful of moments. She never imagined being handled against her will. Note also that Rogue's Carol personality, as an "eyewitness," says in UXM #244 that "Nothing happened. But that wasn't the point." --- What is the relationship between Mystique and Nightcrawler? Why is Rogue involved in it, if she isn't blue? The first inkling of a Mystique/Nightcrawler relationship came in UXM #141-142, the original "Days of Future Past" storyline, which introduced the whole "future ruled by Sentinels" idea to the X-titles. Mystique, who was a villain from the Ms. Marvel series, was trying to arrange the assassination of Senator Robert Kelly. Kitty Pryde was possessed by her future self, sent back in time by Rachel Summers, to try and stop Mystique. And somewhere in there, Nightcrawler saw Mystique... and recognized her from somewhere. The original plan from Claremont was that Mystique, a shapechanger based in feminine form, was actually Kurt's father. Drunk and amnesiac after the events of World War II, Mystique was taken in by Irene Adler (Destiny), and the two of them had a child, Kurt Wagner (Nightcrawler). Marvel being a corporate-run company that, for a while, didn't even allow the word "homosexual" to appear in their books, quickly informed Claremont of the Great Displeasure he would find if he were to pursue that plot thread. It was thusly dropped, except for one scene in Murderworld (UXM #177) where Mystique showed that she was capable of killing anyone, even her adoptive daughter Rogue, except Nightcrawler. Cut ahead to the 1990s. Claremont was long gone, and Lobdell and Niceiza were left with the unpleasant task of cleaning up his loose plot ends. They decided that Kurt would be the son of Mystique, but Mystique would be his mother, not his father. The father, unrevealed, was implied to be some nameless German baron. Rogue, as Mystique's foster daughter, is thus Kurt's sister-by-law. It should be noted that the X-writers also have had Sabretooth briefly be attached to Mystique, with the offspring of that happy union being the nonpowered Graydon Creed, making him a half-brother of Kurt. All of the above was revealed in X-Men Unlimited #4, which is, quite possibly, the single most ignorable comic book in recent history, and thus highly suspect as a source of revelation on any subject. One hopes future Marvel writers will ignore the "history" revealed in X-Men Unlimited #4 just as blithely as X-Men Unlimited #4 ignored the history it was built on. Things were slightly complicated by the X-Calibre storyline from the Age of Apocalypse crossover. Johan Lundstrom points out that issues #3 and #4 all but proclaim that Kurt's biological father was actually Sabretooth and not the aforementioned baron, making Graydon his full brother. However, it should be noted that in both cases we have only Mystique's word that either one is his true father, and in fact neither one may actually by the case. Uncanny Origins #8 added suspense to the mix. Fans were anxious to see exactly what Kurt's official origin was. The results were interesting. All that Uncanny Origins #8 said was that Mystique was Kurt's parent. It didn't specify that she was his mother, and it made no mention of any other parent. After that, the story blithely slips over to the Szardos part of his heritage. Setting the scene for a retcon, perhaps? Fans can only hope. --- What is the Hellfire Club? Who are its members? The Hellfire Club is a direct homage / tribute to the 1960s UK Avengers show with Patrick MacNee and Diana Rigg. In an episode called "A Touch of Brimstone", Steed and Mrs. Peel face a top secret political group which named itself after the legendary 18th-century secret society. The members of the "Inner Circle" all wear period costumes, and at one point Mrs. Peel assumes the role of "the Queen of Sin", wearing a black leather costume that's the image of the White Queen. (That's also why the White Queen has the first name Emma--it's an homage to "Emma Peel".) John Byrne has admitted using it as an inspiration, since it was one of his favorite action/advenute shows growing up. Hellfire Clubs did exist in the real world, but they were usually "gentlemen's" clubs of the 18th century dealing as upper-class brothels. The best-known characters were based on popular actors: In the X-Men Companion II (Fantagraphics Books, 1982), Byrne says that Sebastian Shaw was based on Robert Shaw, Harry Leland was Orson Wells, Donald Pierce was Donald Sutherland, and Jason Wyngarde is Peter Wyngarde. Anyway, in Marvel Comics, there have been many different incarnations of the American Hellfire Club / Inner Circle, as well as numerous international clubs. The HC members tend to be mutants who want to rule the world through a combination of raw power and subtle political and financial maneuvers. Membership is passed down to one's offspring, so people like Warren Worthington III (Angel) and Brian Braddock (Captain Britain) are members of the club. The club first appeared at the start of the Dark Phoenix Saga in Uncanny X-Men. According to Ultimate X-Men (the coffee-table book, not the text-story collection or the comic series of the same name), the American branch of the Hellfire Club was founded in the 1770s by "wealthy trading company owner Sir Patrick Clemens and his mistress, Diana Knight" who emigrated from Britain to New York City. The Hellfire Club mini-series reveals that the American club members were loyalists who battled the Captain America of the American Revolution. The mini-series also gives some background on Sebastian Shaw, showing how he transformed the Inner Circle of wealth and privelege to an Inner Circle of mutants. The backup story of Classic X-Men #7 introduces the reader to the previous leaders of the club, namely White King Edward Buckman and his White Queen, Paris Seville. According to OHOTMUDE, Shaw had up until then risen to Black Bishop. On the same New Year's Eve when Jean Grey became the Phoenix, Buckman was telling Sebastian Shaw what a fine Black King he'd make. However, this was just a ruse to put Shaw in a false sense of security, since Buckman and Paris actually intended to kill all mutants, including Shaw and his four associates: Emma Frost, Harry Leland, Tessa and Lourdes Chantel. In the fight that ensued, Lourdes Chantel (Shaw's lover, a teleporter) was killed. Retribution was quick to follow; under Emma Frost's telepathic control Buckman shot all of the members of the Council of the Chosen before Shaw snapped his neck. Shaw then took control of the Club, and renamed the Council the "Inner Circle." The club was formally introduced to X-Men readers during the Dark Phoenix Saga. The Inner Circle was lead by Sebastian Shaw (the Black King) and telepath Emma Frost (the White Queen). Shaw's assistant was Tessa, an extremely intelligent human who later joined the X-Men as Sage (where she displayed newly-found telepathic powers). The Black Bishop was Harry Leland, who could manipulate mass. The White Bishop was Donald Pierce, a cyborg who wanted to become White King. Mastermind, who disguised himself in order to lure Phoenix into the club as its Black Queen, was an applicant for Inner Circle membership. The Hellfire Club appeared again in Marvel Graphic Novel #4, which introduced the New Mutants. Pierce worked against Xavier in recruiting Cannonball, but Tessa realized that Pierce was a threat to the Inner Circle, and promised to deal with him. (Pierce was later seen in full cyborg mode leading the Reavers in the Australian Outback era of Uncanny. Donald Pierce returned in the Domino mini-series and later turned up during the Ladronn issues of Cable.) Years later, around the time of Uncanny #180-190, Selene became the new Black Queen, after she was introduced by her agent/worshipper Frederick von Roehm, (the Black Rook). Selene was a type of vampire, and she'd appeared in New Mutants. Around the same time, Emanuel Da Costa (father of New Mutant Roberto DaCosta) was recruited to become the White Rook. Issues of Uncanny also revealed that Emma Frost was training her own set of younger mutants, the Hellions, who went up against the X-Men before becoming a longtime rival of the New Mutants. After the defeat of Nimrod in Central Park, the Hellfire Club disappeared from Uncanny, but continued to appear in The New Mutants, where Frost, Shaw, and Selene pitted The Hellions against Xavier's students. The two teams interacted on a number of occassions. During this time, Magneto served as headmaster of Xavier's school. In one memorable story (after the Beyonder killed and resurrected them) the New Mutants became Hellions (and therefore wards of the Hellfire Club). Magneto was named to the position of White King. He and Storm shared the title for a while, and Magneto called himself the Grey King after Shaw was booted out of the club (circa New Mutants #75). The Hellfire Club underwent a number of dramatic changes in the 1990s. In Uncanny #281, the Hellions were killed and Emma Frost was put into a coma (she woke in Uncanny #314). Soon after, Sebatian Shaw was overthrown by Shinobi Shaw, who was supposed to be Sebastian's son, but had mass / intangibility powers more like those of Harry Leland. Shinobi replaced the entire Inner Circle (some with members of The Upstarts) and this new Circle is what stands in X-Men Annual #3. Circa Uncanny #319, Shinobi attempted to bring Storm, Psylocke, and Angel in as members of the Inner Circle, but they refused. The Club next appeared in Generation X's first annual. Emma Frost's loss of the Hellions caused her to align with Xavier and train his new team. This resulted in her abandoning her position in the Club, though she was still known as the White Queen. Her younger sister, Cordelia, tried to insinuate herself into Shinobi's Hellfire Club, but she was refused entry. After Onslaught, Sebastian Shaw was finally able to overthrow his son. Selene returned to the Club as well, bringing with her Trevor Fitzroy and X-Man's Madelyne Pryor. Madelyne eventually double-crossed Selene and sought to supplant her as the Black Queen. Issues of X-Man indicated that Madelyne assumed the title for a short time, and Sebastian Shaw called her "my queen." This version of the Inner Circle did not last very long, though. Madelyne soon left to follow Nate Grey (and was again replaced by Selene) while Fitzroy sent himself to the future as the Chronomancer (see Bishop: The Last X-Man #1). Tessa also announced that she was no longer in the employ of Shaw, and later aligned herself with the X-Men. At one point, Emma's sister Adrienne Frost announced that she was the new White Queen (circa Generation X #62) but she was never seen in that role. Club membership was readjusted once more beginning with Fantastic Four Annual '99, which established that Black Queen Selene was running the club with the demon Blackheart (Mephisto's son) as her Black King. Selene later showed up in X-Force, where she converted Roberto DaCosta into an HC member. Berto should have inherited his father's White Rook position, but he's apparently the Black Rook. No current White Hellfire Club members are confirmed as such. As if that wasn't enough, there have been quite a few stories mentioning the (presumably original) London branch of the Hellfire Club. Beginning in Excalibur #92, Warren Ellis mentioned the London branch. It was connected to the American Club by name and occassional association, but the London Club had distanced itself enough that Shinobi Shaw convinced Brian Braddock (Captain Britain) to enter the London Club and act as informant for whatever plan was brewing. The London Club used the colors Red and White for its Inner Circle, as opposed to the Black and White of the New York Club. During the Excalibur run leading up to issue #100, Brian planned to enter as the Red Bishop (since his father had apparently held that position), but he ended up becoming its Black Rook. The Red King was an Indian man we'd never seen before, and the Black King was likewise a new character. The Red Queen was sorceress Margali Szardos, better known as Amanda Sefton's mom and Nightcrawler's adoptive mother. The Black Queen, named Emma Steed, was a psionic skinner who looked very much like the Damask character that appeared in the Age of Apocalypse storyline. (She was also the spitting image of Diana Rigg, who played Emma Peel in the classic Avengers episode mentioned above.) The Red Rook, Scribe, was a recorder of sorts, whose body was being used by Mountjoy, a refugee from Bishop's timeline. She had powers of intangibility, superior strength, and agility, which may have come from Mountjoy instead of from her own ability. (It should be noted that Mountjoy was a refugee from Bishop's future who was revealled to have snuck through Fitzroy's gateway while riding another criminal. Bishop became aware of his prescence in the mainstream timeline present and pursued him in theBishop Limited series by Ostrander and Pacheco). Excalibur #100 revealed that the London Hellfire Club and black ops organization Black Air had bribed their way into the pockets of many important politicians. The Club attempted to utilise the powers of a demon trapped under London to cause enough chaos that they and their agents in Black Air could seize power. They kidnapped Excalibur member Douglock to use as a sort of power conduit, but unfortunately they'd underestimated the power of the demon and pretty much drove themselves mad. The Black King and Red King ended up dead, while Red Queen Margali was snatched into Hell / Limbo by Belasco (see the Soulsword question), and the Black Queen escaped to parts unknown. Scribe later showed up in issues of X-Man, where she battled Madelyne. The London Club also made an appearance, via flashback, in a story involving Cable (circa Cable #49). "The Hellfire Hunt" had Cable chase Donald Pierce and Sebastian Shaw across the Atlantic to prevent them from stealing Apocalypse's technology. On the flight there, he and Irene Merryweather read the diary of a previous Union Jack who had battled the Club in his day. The story also involved the Harbinger, a creation of Apocalypse (see CABLE #50). These events referenced the events of The Further Adventures of Cyclops & Phoenix. That story--the origin of Sinister--revealed an alliance between Apocalypse and the London Club of 1889. The Hellfire Club planned to increase strife around the world, making the world ready for Apocalypse's eventual return. Obviously, the Hellfire Club and its Inner Circle have deep roots in the Marvel Universe. In addition to the London and New York branches, there are apparently chapters of the Hellfire Club in Moscow, Rio de Janeiro, Tokyo, Venice, and Hong Kong. Jamie Braddock, Brian Braddock, and Betsy Braddock all had membership through their father, who was a member of the London Inner Circle. Warren Worthington III had membership through his father, and his girlfriend Candy Southern was also a member. Howard Stark, Iron Man's father, was a member, as was Senator Robert Kelly (see Uncanny #247). The Hellfire Club mini-series indicates that the Greys (Jean's parents) probably are members as well. --- Who are the Twelve? Why are they important? The Twelve, in no particular order, are Magneto, Xavier, Cyclops, Cable, Jean Grey/Phoenix, Mikhail Rasputin, Iceman, Storm, Sunfire, Polaris, Bishop, and the Living Monolith/Living Pharaoh. They were gathered by Apocalpyse in his quest to become a godlike being with more power than the Phoenix force or the Celestials. According to Uncanny X-Men #377 (specifically Apocalpyse): The Monolith is at the core of it all, as the primal earth which is the foundation for all that is to be mine. Magneto and Polaris are opposing magnetic poles, serving to control the flow of energies at play here... energies under constant pressure from the forces of nature itself. The elemental extremes of Iceman, Storm, and Sunfire... stimulated by the unrestrained energies of man and the heavens, free of any grounding or gravity. Father, mother, and son-- Cyclops, Phoenix, and Cable-- far, far stronger as a whole than the sum of their parts... linked to the powers of time and space wielded by Bishop and Rasputin, respectively. The power of pure thought that is Xavier. Nate Grey was the 13th member of this merry band, and was slated to become Apocalypse's new host body. Unfortunately, things didn't go as planned. Instead, Cyclops sacrificed himself and became a merged half- Apocalypse being. The team members consider him dead. This FAQ should also note that Wolverine served as Death, the fourth horseman of Apocalypse, during much of the shindig. The being they thought was Wolverine was actually a Super-Skrull so brainwashed into his disguise that even *he* didn't know he was anything other than Wolverine. Of course, the final version of the Twelve contradicted much known about the Twelve up to that point. First, the original Twelve were a vision by a deranged Sentinel of the dozen most important mutants. The problem is, these twelve had shown up in other issues (Power Pack #36, X-Factor #14, X-Factor #68) as well, and even they hadn't been consistent. The members who had shown up in every version of the Twelve were Xavier, Cyclops, Jean Grey, Storm, and Franklin Richards. What of the other seven? In one version, all the original X-Men were implied. Cable, in both baby and adult forms, was shown in another. Cannonball was clearly shown in one version. So, we add Iceman, Beast, Archangel, Cable, and Cannonball to the list. Other possibilities included Dani Moonstar, Mystique, Psylocke, Wolverine, and Dark Beast. Uncanny X-Men #-1 cleared up the origin of The Twelve, albeit somewhat ambiguously. Sometime after Rachel Summers switched places with Captain Britain in the timestream (Excalibur #75) she rescued and befrended another time-lost refugee from the 20th century named Tanya Trask, the daugter of the original creator of the Sentinels, Bolivar Trask. Upon learning of her father's genocidal legacy, Tanya determined to alter the timeline by reaching back to the past and convince her father of his doomed path. Rachel followed her back and erased the memory of her contact with her father, seemingly setting the timeline right again. However, it turned out that Tanya's true plan was to store within the memory banks of Trask's first Master Mold--so deeply even Trask himself (and later his son and successor Larry) were unaware of it--the identity of the infamous "XII", The Twelve, whose failure Tanya determined as the true cause of her dark future and without whom, somehow, mutant genocide and Sentinel conquest will be averted. Their identity, however, was never divulged. --- Is Apocalypse dead? We hope so. During the aftermath of The Twelve storyline, Cyclops was thought dead, although Apocalypse had merely disappeared as a merged "Cyclopalypse"- style being, with his soul in Cyke's body. Eventually, Phoenix and Cable decided that Cyclops might be alive, and they went looking for him. During the Search for Cyclops mini-series, Phoenix and Cable found Cyclops. Phoenix professed her love for Scott, and was able to rip Poccy's astral self out of Scott's body. Cable then impaled the astral form with his psimitar. This apparently killed Apocalypse. *** Continued in Part 4 *** Compilation Copyright 2000-2002 by Katharine E. Hahn SEND ADDITIONS / CHANGES / DEAD LINKS / MOVED LINKS / UPDATES TO: Kate the Short, racmx@yahoo.com (mailto:racmx@yahoo.com) -- Kate the Short * http://www.enteract.com/~katew/