WTF, Whedon!
Ok, maybe this is OLD news, but I ran across this information today that made me FURIOUS. (Yes, I'm going to type like I'm in a COMIC BOOK today.)
After a VERY successful trip to the local comic book store here at college - my FIRST trip to date here, I'm ashamed to say - and I was EXTREMELY excited. I found 5 old comics (mostly about Rogue for my sister's benefit) for only $2 TOTAL and then got X-Men 30 (Scott and Jean's wedding) AND X-Men 71 (Scott and Jean leave the Institute in search of 'normal' lives) separately.
Anyways, that's not the where-I-got-furious part. I come home and start surfing the Internet and WHAT do I come across? Nothing less than a QUOTE from Joss Whedon discussing Cyclop's character development in Astonishing now that he's lost his powers. Read it and join me in my madness, friends.
"In an interview with Joss Whedon in the Wizard 182, when asked if Cyclops didn't have his powers any more after Emma psychically manipulated him, Whedon replied that 'No, he doesn't have his powers. Well, he had a choice to either be completely out of control or bury them. He can't use them. That's pretty much it. But the thing that would be fun is that, with no powers, he's going to be the best that he's ever been. That's what the arc is about. [Cyclops has] been the team leader and the team washout in terms of popularity. He was defined by Jean so much, and I just think that this guy is so interesting in his struggle against mediocrity. Then, when it's all laid on the line, when you find out the thing that's been holding him back from being just a complete bad ass has been himself all his life, that he's been lying to everyone, including himself, about who he is-that should be freeing. The Scott we're going to see is going to be a little bit different. This guy is either completely out of control or in control of something we're not used to. I wanted him to be an unabashed tough guy. He is shooting people and turning very much into a leader. Not everyone is going to like it.'" ~Found here, but you won't find more of the interview.~
Not everyone is going to LIKE it? You got that right, BUDDY! I'm not AGAINST character development by any STRETCH of the imagination. And I can go along with this little GAME of Emma and Scott for AWHILE. But COMPLETELY destroying the essence of a character to gain him popularity is doing a DISSERVICE to the character and his fans. Please, I BEG you, kill him off if he's so UNPOPULAR. At least that way we can have him return as the LEADER we know and LOVE when another writer comes along willing to write him correctly - because we all know in Marvel universe, nobody STAYS DEAD. And WHERE do you get off with this requirement that a GOOD LEADER must SHOOT PEOPLE!? Please, do tell.
/rant
After a VERY successful trip to the local comic book store here at college - my FIRST trip to date here, I'm ashamed to say - and I was EXTREMELY excited. I found 5 old comics (mostly about Rogue for my sister's benefit) for only $2 TOTAL and then got X-Men 30 (Scott and Jean's wedding) AND X-Men 71 (Scott and Jean leave the Institute in search of 'normal' lives) separately.
Anyways, that's not the where-I-got-furious part. I come home and start surfing the Internet and WHAT do I come across? Nothing less than a QUOTE from Joss Whedon discussing Cyclop's character development in Astonishing now that he's lost his powers. Read it and join me in my madness, friends.
"In an interview with Joss Whedon in the Wizard 182, when asked if Cyclops didn't have his powers any more after Emma psychically manipulated him, Whedon replied that 'No, he doesn't have his powers. Well, he had a choice to either be completely out of control or bury them. He can't use them. That's pretty much it. But the thing that would be fun is that, with no powers, he's going to be the best that he's ever been. That's what the arc is about. [Cyclops has] been the team leader and the team washout in terms of popularity. He was defined by Jean so much, and I just think that this guy is so interesting in his struggle against mediocrity. Then, when it's all laid on the line, when you find out the thing that's been holding him back from being just a complete bad ass has been himself all his life, that he's been lying to everyone, including himself, about who he is-that should be freeing. The Scott we're going to see is going to be a little bit different. This guy is either completely out of control or in control of something we're not used to. I wanted him to be an unabashed tough guy. He is shooting people and turning very much into a leader. Not everyone is going to like it.'" ~Found here, but you won't find more of the interview.~
Not everyone is going to LIKE it? You got that right, BUDDY! I'm not AGAINST character development by any STRETCH of the imagination. And I can go along with this little GAME of Emma and Scott for AWHILE. But COMPLETELY destroying the essence of a character to gain him popularity is doing a DISSERVICE to the character and his fans. Please, I BEG you, kill him off if he's so UNPOPULAR. At least that way we can have him return as the LEADER we know and LOVE when another writer comes along willing to write him correctly - because we all know in Marvel universe, nobody STAYS DEAD. And WHERE do you get off with this requirement that a GOOD LEADER must SHOOT PEOPLE!? Please, do tell.
/rant