Want to choose your own Defenders? Would you like to design the perfect Avengers roster? Think you could choose a better Infinity Watch than Adam Warlock?

Here is the place to do all of those things!

Hey everyone. This is a two part exercise. I'd like to see which mutants you feel Xavier /should/ have recruited for his initial team of X-Men, his first class, as it were. Also, I'd be interested to see overall, right here, right now, who you'd like to see as the current X-Men lineup.

Going first:

X-Men First Class -
Cyclops
Jean Grey
Beast
Banshee
Havok
Polaris

This team is one person larger than the original First Class. I stuck with Xavier's thinking of making his first team mutants that primarilly have human appearances to aim for more public acceptability. hindsight being 20/20, i think Ice Man overall was a poor investment as he was always wishy washy about his dedication to the team's political agenda, not to mention his seeming perpetual lack of maturity. Also, i think that focussing on Havok and Polaris early could have given those two a foundation that could have prevented some of their succeptability to being turned towards darker ideals later in their carreers. Banshee i felt could provide some balance and insight that someone a little older could provide in contrast to a clutch of brash youngsters.

Current X-Men:
Cyclops
Colossus
Sunspot
X-23
Polaris
Northstar
Beast

Bringing the First Class to the Modern Day, considering how i'm envisioning the X-Men evolving to the here and now, I would retain 3 original class members. I think Cyclops and beast, are inevitable standard bearers for the dream peaceful coexistence. I do feel that jean would probably have died at some point, and Havok, just by nature of his contrasted upbringing compared to his brother, would eventually leave the team. Polaris though, i think if she were with the X-Men from day 1, would have eventually become a lifer. I see banshee eventually going to do his own thing, though still tangentilly linked to the team. My roster above i think represents a team that can not only continue the fight, even lacking a figurehead like Xavier, but could also deal with issues and threats as they would have evolved into the modern day. X-23 i think gives you all of the benefits of Wolverine, but is capable of taking orders without nearly as much lip. Colossus is always a stalwart. At some point he would be introduced to the roster and he'd pretty much stick there. Northstar i think would get the chance to express himself as an individual as an X-man without being a half of a whole as he would be with his sister on Alpha Flight.


I'm interested to see the line ups everyone else comes up with.

First class
Namor
Darwin
iceman
Cyclops
Jean Grey

current Xmen just to go on cyclops current logic of a team the current x-foes have never faced
Justice -Field leader
El Ãguila although different sources seem to conflict on weather or not he was depowered on Mday, ill assume he wasnt
Jade Dragon
Outlaw
Catiana from the NYX seris
Diamond Lil
Ultra Girl she is a kree mutant

Okay, IF its allowable to blur the birthdates on some characters (since some may not have been born or only 3) and being Born Mutant isn't a requirement, here's my X-Men:

X-Men First Class -
Magma (Team Leader)
Emma Frost (Secondary Team leader)
Blink
Beast
Havok
Rogue

As you can see First Class relies heavily on some people being born earlier on.

Magma as Team Leader due to her level headedness and Spartan-esque grit and determination. This woman's born to rule, so leading is not going to be a problem for her. Blink simply because the ability to get in and out of situations fast is always a good. Always. Emma Frost because if it comes to public relations this one can handle, that and they need a counter-balance to Amarra's righteousness. Beast because a caring well liked intellectual with extensive medical and genetic knowledge is a plus, sides i like Hank. Havok because this boy has sheer stopping Power and the balls to use it when needed. Anna Marie, well again mainly just because i like the character, but Power Absorption is definately a must have on any team.

You might also notice that a lot of the Team Members would butt heads, this is a good thing because it will make for a descent comic (if not overdone) and on a more incomic viewpoint cuase personal growth for thise involved (something i think Charlie is not adverse to allowing, even if it is friction born)

Current X-Men:
Magma (Team Leader)
Havok (Secondary Team Leader)
Rogue
Nightcrawler
Beast
Spiderman
Quicksilver
Storm

By this time Emma Frost has formed her own Team and Blinks gone off with her. Havok has taken 2IC role in the Original X-Men roster and Nightcrawler has replaced Blink as the group Transporter. I added Spiderman in simply because i always liked the idea of Peter Parker working with the X-Men, besides, him and Hank McCoy would make brilliant friends in a Mentor Student relationship. Quicksilver is a must have for any team, simply because Peitro is the such a great character, and again him and Parkers 'wittisism' wars would be priceless. Orrorro has also joined the Squad, again as a good friend, yet balance to Magma's more stoic viewpoints.

Probably not kosher on the 'age issue' of some characters not being Born yet, and no Jean Grey at all might annoy others, but i never liked that woman anyway.

Yosef

I love the choice of Namor. I don't know why, but I really do.

In the second incarnation, Justice is an interesting choice. If I were to include him in an X-Book, i'd make him a target of some scorn for working for 'the man' for all those years and not being more of a voice for his people.

dacat75 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> First class
> Namor
> Darwin
> iceman
> Cyclops
> Jean Grey
>
> current Xmen just to go on cyclops current logic
> of a team the current x-foes have never faced
> Justice -Field leader
> El Ãguila although different sources seem to
> conflict on weather or not he was depowered on
> Mday, ill assume he wasnt
> Jade Dragon
> Outlaw
> Catiana from the NYX seris
> Diamond Lil
> Ultra Girl she is a kree mutant

First class has girls outnumbering guys 4 to 2. it could make for an interesting storytelling dynamic to have that kind of ratio. I really like Emma in the first class as well. i was really torn as to if I should include her in my first class as well. But I think that Jean being in Cyclops' life first, and Emma coming around later on makes for a stronger Cyclops overall, so that's why i decided to go with jean instead.

Your modern team is interesting, though i do question the wisdom of allowing Quicksilver onto any heroic team. Especially when he was part of the first incarnation of the brotherhood who clashed with the X-Men so many times.

Yosef Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Okay, IF its allowable to blur the birthdates on
> some characters (since some may not have been born
> or only 3) and being Born Mutant isn't a
> requirement, here's my X-Men:
>
> X-Men First Class -
> Magma (Team Leader)
> Emma Frost (Secondary Team leader)
> Blink
> Beast
> Havok
> Rogue
>
> Current X-Men:
> Magma (Team Leader)
> Havok (Secondary Team Leader)
> Rogue
> Nightcrawler
> Beast
> Spiderman
> Quicksilver
> Storm
>

Well Justice wouldn't even qualify as an active mutant if not for the fact he encountered the future counterpart of himself so likely doesn't really think of himself as a mutant. I think that makes him a better example as he's not going around going 'I must run around waving a flag that I'm a mutant for the mutant cause' and instead just a man who happens to be a mutant that fights for everyone.

I would love to have seen the following for the original team.

Cyclops
Jean Grey
Beast
Quicksilver
Scarlet Witch
Gideon
Taskmaster

Don't tell me Taskmaster's been retconned into being a mutant now...

Some of the MSH game products list Taskmaster as a mutant... But one doesn't have to be a mutant to be on the X-Men.. They've had non-mutant members in their history..

Punstarr Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Don't tell me Taskmaster's been retconned into
> being a mutant now...

They say he is not a mutant, but he fits the description of a mutant. In my book, he is a mutant.

How is he NOT a mutant?

He was born with a power/ability that normal humans don't have and that his parents did not have, that makes him a mutant.

Agreed. He is most definitely a mutant, of the random variety.

The following is from Children Of The Atom...

What is a Mutant?
Technically, a mutant is a plant or animal
with inheritable characteristics that differ from
those of its parents. Therefore a Marvel
Universe mutant is a being who was born with
a physical or mental characteristic not
possessed by either of its parents. This does
not mean that every character who mutates is
a mutant. The Fantastic Four, Hulk, and
Spider-Man were all born human and later
mutated: that is, the character was exposed to
a mutagenic agent which allowed the
character to acquire a different physical or
mental characteristic than normally possessed
by humans. True mutants are born with this
genetic difference, and it must be a genetic
difference that is not possessed by the child's

Unfortunately Random Mutants have fallen prey to a bit of a prejudice of the 'eh too many of them around nothing special about that' and somehow thinking the array of Induced Mutants and well trained Normal Humans running around are somehow more special when they're no more special and are certainly more common than the Random Mutants. Just like you have people going 'But Captain America's a totally normal human he's not super' when he is, I mean when's the last time you heard of a normal human you could freeze in a block of ice for decades and just stick him in an oven to thaw out and he'd be just fine? So to then does Taskmaster end up with a 'No he must be a normal human to be special!' following even though his photographic reflexes is clearly a power and goes far beyond what a normal human could be capable of hence making him a Random Mutant. It doesn't actually change the character but some have the odd notion that it's just a terrible thing for the character to consider it a Random Mutant instead of a Normal Human.




Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/21/2008 07:20PM by Nightmask.

The old OHTMU specifically stated that Taskmaster was NOT superpowered, though. His photographic reflexes were supposed to be no more super than a human with photographic memory. If they're actually calling it a power now, there has most definitely been a retcon.

Except that a Photographic Memory is something possible in the real world Photographic Reflexes is not, it's a super-human ability that was eventually acknowledged as such and things updated accordingly.

All I'm saying is that it was said to be a normal human talent before... a "knack" as it were. It was said in an official Marvel product, which made it canon. It's since been debunked, henceforth... a retcon happened.

Either way, even if Taskmaster is just a human with an exceptional talent, or someone with a power, he's a legitimate choice for someone's line up. A wise one, probably not. but legitimate, certainly so.

CapoCastillo Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Either way, even if Taskmaster is just a human
> with an exceptional talent, or someone with a
> power, he's a legitimate choice for someone's line
> up. A wise one, probably not. but legitimate,
> certainly so.


I think he is a wise one, he has been a team buster in the past.

I also think it would be interesting with Taskmaster & Gideon on the team, you would not have to worry about having a Danger Room. Between the two of them, they could test themselves and the rest of the team.

Punstarr Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> All I'm saying is that it was said to be a normal
> human talent before... a "knack" as it were. It
> was said in an official Marvel product, which made
> it canon. It's since been debunked, henceforth...
> a retcon happened.


I am not saying that Marvel says he is a mutant, I am saying that by definition, he is a mutant.

I'm not taking anything away from tasky being a formidable addition. but if Xavier were to write up a list of 'people i could recruit but will certainly betray my dreeam sooner rather than later' taskmaster would be on that list.


Joe Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> CapoCastillo Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Either way, even if Taskmaster is just a human
> > with an exceptional talent, or someone with a
> > power, he's a legitimate choice for someone's
> line
> > up. A wise one, probably not. but legitimate,
> > certainly so.
>
>
> I think he is a wise one, he has been a team
> buster in the past.

My all mutant team:

Cyclops
Quicksilver
Colossus
Storm
Wolverine
Firestar

Would this be your first class team, or would this be your current team?

Taarna Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> My all mutant team:
>
> Cyclops
> Quicksilver
> Colossus
> Storm
> Wolverine
> Firestar

Wouldn't that depend on when he recruited him though? Catch him young enough before his tendencies gelled into full-grown criminal behavior and he might end up quite the formidable hero instead. Xavier picking for a team and going with Taskmaster would as we saw for the original X-men likely end up with young people that were still impressionable enough to guide (or indoctrinated depending on the version of Xavier you're looking at from Marvel) into a formidable team for good including Taskmaster. His chances of betraying the team or dream at that point would be no more or less than that of anyone else. Considering he would easily cover all aspects of physical training and combat talents he'd also give them a very high-end tactical edge in combat along with helping everyone learn the full range of weapon and unarmed combat skills around (imagine everyone in the X-men with Martial Arts A-E as part of the talent list so that when villains had weapons to negate their powers they proved to be less than helpless as a result).

CapoCastillo Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Would this be your first class team, or would this
> be your current team?
>
> Taarna Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > My all mutant team:
> >
> > Cyclops
> > Quicksilver
> > Colossus
> > Storm
> > Wolverine
> > Firestar

This would be my current team. Just a few characters I like. I am mot sure what Marvell has them doing these days.

FIRST CLASS:

Cyclops
Jean Grey
Angel
Polaris
Havok
Thunderbird

I agree the first class would look as human as possible to build acceptance and trust. This is why I didnt include the beast (even human he has aping proportions), or iceman.

MODERN

Storm
Magma
Justice
Sunfire
Cannonball
The Coocoos
Beast
Collossus

Mr Happy Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> FIRST CLASS:
>
> Cyclops
> Jean Grey
> Angel
> Polaris
> Havok
> Thunderbird
>
> I agree the first class would look as human as
> possible to build acceptance and trust. This is
> why I didnt include the beast (even human he has
> aping proportions), or iceman.
>
> MODERN
>
> Storm
> Magma
> Justice
> Sunfire
> Cannonball
> The Coocoos
> Beast
> Collossus

Does the Angel with his wings look human enough to gain trust and acceptance?

I do like Thunderbird on the first team. He was a true warrior.