[X-Men] X-Manson, by Dr. Benway
Title: X-Manson
Author: Dr. Benway
Fandom: X-Men
Characters/Pairings: Kitty, Xavier, Scott, Cable etc.
Length: Long-ish
Warnings: Highlight to read. Graphic violence, gore, mindfuck, torture, mutilation, eating disorders, trauma, sexual violence, rape, child abuse, canibalism, character death, all manner of dark themes. Additionally, discriminatory language is used by characters and the narrator (homophobia, sexism, racism). Triggering. So triggering.
Why this must be read/seen: This is a drastic re-imagining of the X-Men. What if Xavier weren't a (mostly) benevolent visionary? What if, instead of using his powers to help his students, he used them to do the exact opposite - to manipulate them, and everyone else around them, and to amass power. Dr. Benway's AU world building is incredibly thorough. The story is peppered with historical details that lend it verisimilitude, and add to the creeping, believable horror. And I should caution you, this is absolutely and completely a horror story: Benway takes all the disturbing potential of ordinary people with extraordinary gifts, and runs with it. To the nastiest, darkest part of the human soul. It should be clear that what I like most about this story is the idea of it, but the execution too is great. X-Manson is an all out mindfuck of a horror story, that will leave you wondering about the X-Men.
[Shot of a 70-ish woman dressed as if it were still 1948. This is clearly not an affectation, but rather a willful act of rejection of every development in fashion since McArthur marched through Pyongyang.]
[Caption: Elisabeth Grundy, Westchester County School Board (ret.), White Plains NY]
EG: He started with five students, and I found that somewhat unusual. Private schools generally had larger classes than that. I was also surprised to see that there were no other instructors, at least not at first.
Int: But he had other teachers later?
EG: I do recall meeting some, yes. A physical education teacher by the name of Logan comes to mind. We had records of others.
Int: Did you inspect the School?
EG: Personally, only once. It seemed a respectable and well-equipped establishment. I recall that they had the most marvelous pate at the lunch that they served.
Int: Did you meet any of the students?
EG: I suppose that I met the original five. I understood that they'd had problems in other schools, although none of them looked in any way unusual except for the boy with the big feet and hands.
Int: Henry McCoy?
EG: Yes, Henry. He did quite well at Princeton, I understand. The others didn't seem to thrive. There was that shy boy, Scott Summers, and the wisecracking boy, Robert Drake, I believe. There was also Warren Worthington, whose father had financed the school. There was only one girl, that poor Jean Grey. I had no idea what abilities they might have had.
Int: Why was the license granted to a man with no teaching credentials?
EG: It wasn't as if we had any choice. With the power he possessed, he might have made us do anything.
[Shot of a balding, deeply tanned man in a short sleeve, thoroughly pressed shirt]
[Caption: Lieutenant Binyamin Kupermann (MP, Ret.), Haifa, Israel]
BK: A teacher? When he was here, he said he was a psychiatrist. No-one questioned it at the time, he was so good with the catatonic patients. Too damn good.
Int: How long was he at the Institute?
BK: Eight months, until Professor Lehnsherr uncovered him.
Int: This was the Haller case?
X-Manson
Author: Dr. Benway
Fandom: X-Men
Characters/Pairings: Kitty, Xavier, Scott, Cable etc.
Length: Long-ish
Warnings: Highlight to read. Graphic violence, gore, mindfuck, torture, mutilation, eating disorders, trauma, sexual violence, rape, child abuse, canibalism, character death, all manner of dark themes. Additionally, discriminatory language is used by characters and the narrator (homophobia, sexism, racism). Triggering. So triggering.
Why this must be read/seen: This is a drastic re-imagining of the X-Men. What if Xavier weren't a (mostly) benevolent visionary? What if, instead of using his powers to help his students, he used them to do the exact opposite - to manipulate them, and everyone else around them, and to amass power. Dr. Benway's AU world building is incredibly thorough. The story is peppered with historical details that lend it verisimilitude, and add to the creeping, believable horror. And I should caution you, this is absolutely and completely a horror story: Benway takes all the disturbing potential of ordinary people with extraordinary gifts, and runs with it. To the nastiest, darkest part of the human soul. It should be clear that what I like most about this story is the idea of it, but the execution too is great. X-Manson is an all out mindfuck of a horror story, that will leave you wondering about the X-Men.
[Shot of a 70-ish woman dressed as if it were still 1948. This is clearly not an affectation, but rather a willful act of rejection of every development in fashion since McArthur marched through Pyongyang.]
[Caption: Elisabeth Grundy, Westchester County School Board (ret.), White Plains NY]
EG: He started with five students, and I found that somewhat unusual. Private schools generally had larger classes than that. I was also surprised to see that there were no other instructors, at least not at first.
Int: But he had other teachers later?
EG: I do recall meeting some, yes. A physical education teacher by the name of Logan comes to mind. We had records of others.
Int: Did you inspect the School?
EG: Personally, only once. It seemed a respectable and well-equipped establishment. I recall that they had the most marvelous pate at the lunch that they served.
Int: Did you meet any of the students?
EG: I suppose that I met the original five. I understood that they'd had problems in other schools, although none of them looked in any way unusual except for the boy with the big feet and hands.
Int: Henry McCoy?
EG: Yes, Henry. He did quite well at Princeton, I understand. The others didn't seem to thrive. There was that shy boy, Scott Summers, and the wisecracking boy, Robert Drake, I believe. There was also Warren Worthington, whose father had financed the school. There was only one girl, that poor Jean Grey. I had no idea what abilities they might have had.
Int: Why was the license granted to a man with no teaching credentials?
EG: It wasn't as if we had any choice. With the power he possessed, he might have made us do anything.
[Shot of a balding, deeply tanned man in a short sleeve, thoroughly pressed shirt]
[Caption: Lieutenant Binyamin Kupermann (MP, Ret.), Haifa, Israel]
BK: A teacher? When he was here, he said he was a psychiatrist. No-one questioned it at the time, he was so good with the catatonic patients. Too damn good.
Int: How long was he at the Institute?
BK: Eight months, until Professor Lehnsherr uncovered him.
Int: This was the Haller case?
X-Manson