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[floriatosca]

My latest Crack Theory is that the beach scene of X-Men: First Class was consciously or subconsciously influenced by the ending of Dr. Horrible. We have the Sympathetic Antihero/Antivillain (Billy/Erik), the Cute Idealist Love Interest (Penny/Charles), the protagonist's victory over his nemesis (Captain Hammer/Shaw) being marred by Love Interest

Comments

[pukingtoreador]

Or Joss Whendon was inspired by X-Men when he wrote Dr. Horrible...

[floriatosca]

I wouldn't be surprised if the X-franchise in general had been some kind of influence, since I think Whedon wrote for Marvel at one point. But Dr. Horrible came out almost three years before X-Men: First Class did, and I don't believe the beach scene has an equivalent in the comics. (As far as I know, in the comics Charles and Erik were friends before Charles was paralyzed and Erik went Woobie Destroyer of Worlds, but I don't think the two scenarios had much to do with each other. However, comic-book canon is notoriously convoluted, and Magneto's past in particular is dark and full of retcons.)