Legion World Forums LEGION OUTPOST Bits o' Legionnaire Business An alternate X-Men timeline

This is something that's been going through my head recently, thanks to the ongoing X-Men re-read in the Gymll's forum. What if Dark Phoenix did NOT commit murder? How would the subsequent stories have been different? What I'm going to do for the time being is summaries of the imaginary Uncanny X-Men issues, a few at a time. If there's enough good feedback, I'll start doing vignettes focusing on specific alternate-timeline events.

UNCANNY X-MEN 135: Transformed into Dark Phoenix, Jean Grey defeats her former teammates, the X-Men, in battle and flies off into outer space, specifically Shi'ar Empire territory. Oracle, the Shi'ar Imperial Guard's super-telepath (and Saturn Girl analog) detects Dark Phoenix's approach, and the entire Imperial Guard flies in a battle cruiser towards a possible face-off. The Imperial Guard stops Phoenix from consuming a star and engages her in battle, but even Gladiator (the Superman analog) is out-matched, until Oracle's psi-powers get through to what's left of Jean Grey within Dark Phoenix. Horrified by what she has become, Jean turns and heads back for Earth. The X-Men, still recovering from their battle, are contacted by Shi'ar Empress Lilandra, Professor Xavier's lover, and warned that Phoenix is returning to Earth. But then days pass and Phoenix never seems to arrive. The X-Men's Cerebro computer fails to detect Phoenix anywhere on Earth and, frustrated, Lilandra sends the Imperial Guard to Earth, where their superior alien technology finally tracks down Phoenix -- hiding out with her parents and sister in the suburbs. The Imperial Guard rashly attack her, and she seemingly once again becomes Dark Phoenix.

136: As the Imperial Guard stick out on Earth like a sore thumb, it takes little time for the X-Men and the Avengers to arrive at the scene of the battle. The Avengers protect the innocent civilians while the X-Men try to stop the fighting. In the end, the combined powers of Oracle and Professor X stop Phoenix, but they've done too thorough a job -- Jean has completely retreated into herself, and will seemingly live out the rest of her life this way.

137: Oracle and Professor X combine their powers once more, in order to send Cyclops, Jean's one true love, into her mind so that he can talk her back into consciousness. We revisit Cyclops' and Jean's entire lives up to this point, and, finally, Jean is saved. The Imperial Guard leave Earth, but warn the X-Men that they'll be watching Jean, should she ever lose control again. Meanwhile, the destruction in the suburbs, along with the scene at the Hellfire Club a few issues ago, has inflamed anti-mutant sentiment, and Mystique's new Brotherhood of Mutants is poised to deliver a show of force by assassinating mutant-fearing politician Robert Kelly. TO BE CONTINUED

I seem to remember there being articles concerning what would have happened had Jean not died. Something else else about being trapped on Magneto's island with Scott and refusing Magneto's offer to regain her power.

The exact wording I remember, which filled me with annoyance at whoever said it was (paraphrasing, 'cause this was many years ago) 'The intention was that she would lose her powers and become Scott's wife, about as important to the story as the left rear wheel of the Blackbird. Sometime around issue 200, Magneto would kill her, which would really up his importance, as he'd finally killed one of them.'

About the only thing I'd want to tweak if she survived was that she A) lose her powers and yet remain a vitally important part of the group, a non-mutant, living Xavier's dream of mutants and humans co-existing (along with other non-mutant characters, like Moira McTaggart), or B) keep her powers at a less cosmic 'planet-eating' level, and remain the X-Men's 'heavy hitter.'

But, given the options of her either being depowered and mostly ignored, before being ganked by Magneto to fluff his importance, or being killed and then resurrected for that crappy X-Factor run, I think I'd rather she have died in a heroic sacrifice, and *stayed dead.*

Yes, that was indeed the original plan for Uncanny X-Men 150.

I have other ideas.

I choose B. And I have other plans for Magneto. Not that Jean won't be tempted, but who will be behind it? Stay tuned.

138-139: In an act of desperation, Rachel Summers, Jean and Scott's teenage daughter from the grim post-apocalyptic future, projects her own consciousness across time and into her mother's body, where she convinces the X-Men that they must stop the Brotherhood's assassination plan. The X-Men succeed.

Oh, Jean instead of Kitty in that 'Days of Future Past' role is inspired. Very cool!

I like this. Rachel's genetic and Phoenix links make this a nice change. It's simpler in a good way.

Going from my memory cell, but was the reason Kitty was chosen because her past self hadn't gone through the defensive training from Xavier yet?

Thanks a lot, guys. Much appreciated.

Thothkins, I haven't quite gotten to Days of Future Past in the re-read yet, but when I do I'll have the answer to your question.

I really have to check into that thread. I could copy and paste the above question for a start

That would be great. To paraphrase the familiar saying, the more people post in the re-read thread, the merrier.

Fanfie, I'm enjoying you posting these. I was going to post further in the Re-Reads thread but I realize my comments are more appropriate here. Mainly, I was going to say I have a hard time imagining what would have happened had Dark Phoenix turned out differently...mainly because it didn't. For me, the story that was published is the story and the history, and sometimes I have a hard time wrapping my head around a "what if...?" alternative.

Neil Gaiman once said in an interview, one of the tragedies of writing is that as you move forward, every time you make a decision, you're killing thousands of other potential ideas because the story is now progressing past where those ideas could be implemented. It's an interesting way to look at things. As they move forward, a lot of potential is lost, while other new potential stories open up.

Which is to say, while *I* don't really think in terms of 'what if...?', I find it kind of fun that you're doing so. So I'm interested to see what you come up with!

Certainly, Round 2 with the Hellfire Club will take a whole new feel. Emma surely will want revenge...so perhaps its Jean, not Storm who she switches bodies with? There's a lot to play with here.

Thanks, Cobie. It means a lot to me that you're enjoying this in spite of your skepticism towards "What If?" scenarios.

I am currently working on how Emma might carry out her revenge in this timeline, but first...

140-142: Magneto teams with the villainous Inhuman Maximus in an attempt to conquer Attilan and turn it into a haven for mutants and Inhumans alike. I'd use the concept introduced by DnA a few years ago that Attilan can turn into a giant flying fortress. Of course, the partnership doesn't work out, and the plan becomes undone, thanks to the efforts of the X-Men, the Inhuman Royal Family, and Quicksilver.

I'm enjoying reading your ideas for an alternate X-Men timeline, Fanfie! I'm also enjoying reading the discussions that naturally follow.




I like option B But A is a good alternative too, especially compared to the "original plan". I agree with Set, better for her to have died a hero than be depowered than eventually killed by Magneto to make him seem more threatening.

Thanks, Ibby. I agree that option A is almost as good an alternative as option B, but what tips it for me is the idea of the team's heavy-hitter being a woman -- that's too awesome for words.

Magneto and Maximux teaming up seems kind of brilliant.

Magneto's 'Savage Land Mutates' having something to do with the Kree technology left behind in the Savage Land (which Inhumans would be best able to make use of, being Kree-descended, at least to some degree) could add the Savage World as a background for the inevitable confrontation between Mags & 'Mad Max' and our X-peeps.

If Jean is indeed poised to become a 'heavy hitter,' Maximus' psychic powers and technology also offer a valid reason why Jean's telepathy won't rule the day (as telepathic attacks and mind control tend to be anti-climactic in the hands of good guys, as they just point and foes fall over or switch sides...), but instead require her to do the heavy lifting with her telekinetic powers, which is far more visually dynamic and impressive.

If the various Inhumans who side with Maximus are expelled and end up taking refuge in the Savage Land, that could create an interesting secondary Inhuman society on Earth. Falcona, in particular, seems likely to end up being more powerful than expected, as her Terrigenetic ability to control birds of prey could extend (or be enhanced) to affect the closest prehistoric relatives to birds of prey, the various 'raptor' class dinosaurs, including velociraptors and T-rexes! (Others like Aireo, Stallior, Timberius, Seeker and Leonus would also make for a visually exciting team to go alongside Magneto's Brotherhood / Savage Land Mutate allies, creating an overwhelming battle scene similar to that of the X-Men vs. Imperial Guard on the Blue Area of the Moon.)

Thank you, Set. I love all your suggestions, especially the one about Falcona controlling dinosaurs.

143-145: The Hellfire Club strikes back, minus Emma Frost, who is still recovering from her injuries at the hands of Phoenix and pursuing her own revenge agenda. This time, the Hellfire Club's secret weapon is their new Black Queen, the black witch Selene. (I know this is much earlier than Selene appeared in mainstream continuity, but I feel I don't necessarily have to play by all the rules with this alternate timeline.) The Hellfire Club is defeated thanks to reinforcements in the form of Polaris, Havok, Banshee, Madrox, and Iceman. In the epilogue, Banshee meets Siryn, the daughter he never knew he had until now.

146-148: The X-Men re-team with Alpha Flight when the Enchantress and the Executioner lure Thor into an ambush by the Great Beasts of the Canadian North.

149-150: Phoenix is tempted by ultimate power once again, thanks to the manipulations of the Shi'ar renegade Deathbird, who wants her as her weapon against her sister, the Empress Lilandra. The X-Men's new friend, Carol Danvers, who has faced Deathbird before, helps them win the day.

Love the appearance of old X-Men and allies as reinforcements, and the introduction of Siryn. Carol! Polaris! Madrox! Alpha Flight! These are looking good, Fanfie!

Deathbird, in her brief appearance during Jim Lee's run (allied with Bishop?) really intrigued me. She seemed pretty one-dimensional back in the old Ms. Marvel comic, but she really got some depth, and her tied into the Phoenix-force / X-Men / Lilandra situation sounds awesome.

Also, big fan of the Great Beasts. I always wanted a younger evil mystic sort, like the Young Masters 'Enchantress,' Sylvie, to cast spells that tapped into the power of the Great Beasts 'Maze of Somon,' 'Flames of Tolomaq,' etc. or various other baddies, like D'Spayr, Nightmare, Cthon, Zarathos, Surtr, Set, etc. Other than Dr. Strange, other Marvel magic-users seem to just point and shoot, and not invoke any of the uber-cool mystical / cosmic entities crawling around the Marvel universe.

Thanks, guys.

Deathbird allied with Bishop was towards the end of the Scott Lobdell/Joe Madureira run. Deathbird during the Jim Lee era was, in my opinion, undermined by Lila Cheney's unfunny quip, "Here we are, two babes with big guns."

Ah, good old Lila Cheney. An entire Dyson Sphere, lying around abandoned for her to use as a getaway pad. Yeesh. An interior surface area 550 million times that of Earth? I wonder how many bathrooms it has?

One. That's why everyone left for the Porta-a-John Planetoid.

Now, having said that, I'll probably still have Lila Cheney in this timeline, if only so we can have Guido Carosella in this timeline. I love the big lug.

151: Lilandra publicly executes Deathbird for treason. Charles is horrified and begins to reconsider their relationship. Meanwhile, Storm begins taking an interest in the occult and takes on a witch named Barbara Beswicke as her new mentor, while Logan receives a letter than unsettles him, and Nightcrawler finishes tracing his roots, discovering that Margali Szardos is his mother and Mystique is his FATHER! (The latter is actually not a million miles from Claremont's original plans. He wanted Mystique to be the father and Destiny to be the mother.)

152-154: Scott and Jean discuss marriage. Russia sends all of its own superheroes on a mission to retrieve Colossus. Wolverine turns out to have a now-adolescent half-Canadian/half-Japanese son who is following in his dubious footsteps.

155-158: Emma Frost hires the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants to destroy the X-Men. The plan is for Mystique to pose alternately as Jean, Scott, and Logan, and undermine the precarious dynamics of this relationship triangle, then when the X-Men's team spirit is frayed, the villains will all strike at once. The plan almost works, except for Mystique being unable to kill her son, Nightcrawler.

159-160: Barbara Beswicke turns out to be Umar in disguise, working for her brother Dormammu, who desires the hand of Storm. Kitty and Storm's love for each other saves the day.