Ultimate X-Men?
The Basic Concept:
Over the years there have been quite a few different X-Men. Lots of mainstays like Cyclops, Rogue, and Storm have been with the team for a long time, but others like Longshot, Havok, and Maggott only had a fleeting dalliance with the X-Men.
So the question is: Who would you choose to be the seven X-Men if you were writing the book (and why!)? Remember, there are quite a few to choose from: Angel, Beast, Bishop, Cyclops, Cannonball, Feral, Gambit, Jubilee, Husk, Psylocke, Storm, Rogue, Xavier, Phoenix, Iceman, Marrow, Dazzler, Dr. Reyes, Polaris, Havok, Wolverine, M, Strong Guy, Trish Tilby, Maggott, Charolette Jones, Nightcrawler, Kitty, Colossus, Phoenix (Rachel), Lila Cheny, and lots more.
Also this is a pretty easy question, so you should definetly answer it! :)
The Rants and Raves:
My perfect 8 member X-MEN line up wold have to be:
1.Cyclops-Because I think he is the one and only leader for the team
2.Wolverine-My opinion if it's X-MEN you have to have the caknuclehead no excuses.
3.Gambit-He is mysterious and somewhat untrust worthy besides he is way cool
4.Iceman-He would be the "cool" witty comic releif
5.Rogue-Her ever struggiling relationship with gambit should be there
6.Storm-she's beutiful and powerful and a good co-leader
7.Phoenix-You have to have a telapath plus she and cyclops are married
8.Nightcrawler-I like him plus I fill he belongs here
9. Ok, so you asked for about 8 but this one is not what I technicly call a member but you have to have him-Professor X
- James Peak
Well my ultimate 7 XMEN would be:
1-ICEMAN as a leader. I think he's cool (hehe) and he's old enough to be in charge. I mean: Give him a chance!
2-JUBILEE I think she is what a team full of old people needs. Good atitude! She's funny and optimistic and really original clothes.
3-WOLVERINE Can you imagine the X-men without him? We need a loner in the team and anyway, he HAS to be in the team becouse I say so.
4-PHOENIX We also need a telepath and Phoenix is perfect for the role. But she should try being more cheerful and less perfect.
5-BEAST For the "doctor"role. And you know, there has to be someone intelligent to make the wise remarks and to quote Shakespeare!
6-NIGHTCRAWLER To give the team that "international look" that is so... international. And above all, he has a really great look with that tail and he can be the "weird looking" one (he's even weirder than Beast)
7-GAMBIT If he doesn't have that stupid "poor me" attitude, if he's gonna be like that I would prefer to have Rogue.
-Ainara
My Ultimate 7 X-Men would be:
1)Storm....duh! The most powerful X-Person! Most Powerful mutant! She is the full embodiement of the X-Men.
2)Dazzler, power, charisma, everythang.
3)Psylocke, cause we'll need a telepath. Plus we need a kick butt fighter!
4)Beast, we need intelligence, and strength.
5)Rogue, strength!
6)Cyclops, if Storm gets hurt, we'll need him!
7)Wolverine, gotta have him. Cause I said.
- Storm!
Yep, here are my 7 team members:
Leader: NightCrawler
Marrow
Bishop
Beast
Maggot
ShadowCat
Sabra (Yeah, she's cool!)
- Glacier
My dream seven are:
1. Storm. Leader. Period. Storm does not get the respect she's due. She is clearly the best leader for the X-Men. Don't get me wrong. Cyke is great, but he's gone half the time. Storm has stuck by this team, even when it cost her everything. The funniest thing is, she was a better leader, when she didn't have her power.
2. Polaris. Come on. What do we have to do to get her on the team. A couple of marvel like power upgrades and she's right up there with Maggie. Perfect for the team.
3. Magik. Come on. This is marvel. The dead don't stay dead. Here you have youth, magic, teleportation, and attitude rolled into one. Plus she was always my favorite.
4. Rogue. She has just grown on me during the years. I can't see my self reading the X-men with out Storm or Rogue.
5. Shadowcat. Smarts, stealth, and ninja skills. Look out.
6. Psyloke see above. Plus every good team of mutants needs a Telepath.
7. Dazzler. Those light powerrs have to come in handy. She's not the same old Dazz. Years of being a rebel have hardened her.
Yes, I know there are no men on my team, which would probably mean the name will have to change, but think about it really, would you want to run the gauntlet against those seven babes, written, of course, by the one and only Chris Claremont. Yeah he may not be the be all end all of writing, but his female characters take no mess. I think a few teams in the Marvel U, would have problems with this group.
Rob
My X-men would be-
Cyclops- the best leader, everything's better when he's in control
Wolverine- he's always been here and I want more of the rivalry between him and Cyclops
Beast- the smartest on the team and could be really cool if the writer actually had him fight a little in hand to hand combat situations. He's not called the Beast for nothing. Have him take on dozens of those idiots from the Friends of Humanity and see him beat them all because he's huge and strong and really endurant.
Bishop- he's the ultimate security guard, like Beast he's not given enough fighting scenes against people and villains that really can make him look good.
Cecilia Reyes- every team needs a doctor, her personality and powers need to be explored and I've always liked the idea of her being to medicine in the Marvel Universe what Oracle is to information in the DC Universe.
Storm-the power to control the weather is a pretty impressive power but its not usually touched upon except for her to throw lightning bolts or use the wind,the animated series made the best use of her abilities
Gambit- recently he's been written as way too nice for my liking, he's been written as "poor me I'm so sorry and you shouldn't take me back ( though I hope you will ). He needs to be returned to the loner and mysterious mutant who everyone is hesitant to trust. - Stew
The 8 X-MEN I would choose?
Storm- She's the X-MEN's best leader and always will be. She's not only powerful and effective, but also interesting to read about. One of the things I like about Ororo is that she is changeable and can be somewhat rebellious. She isn't stale and dull like Cyclops. She also serves, in my opinion, as a matronly/ "mother earth" type- character for the team. Few others value and acknkowledge the earth and the beauty of nature.
Nightcrawler- Co-leader. He's witty, charming and caring. He's an excellent swordsman and provides stealth and agility. He'd be the group's harmonizer.
Psylocke- My all-time favorite X-MAN, (there is just so much that is neat about her!) Powers or no, she's still as dangerous as the next X-MAN. Every team needs a dark/sleek character. It would also be interesting to see how her character would be further developed, or if she started acting a little bit more like her mild-mannered self.
Marrow- She's a cool character, but lately she has been written too much as a goody goody. She suddenly turned from rebel to sweety. The writers need to give her more time to change and grow. That very aspect of her is what attracted me so in the first place.
Beast- Another kind and harmonious character. He is extremely witty and gives the team a family feel. Besides, where would any team be without its resident brainiac?
Maggot- Although he is predominantly a stranger,I can already see him fitting into the XMEN. He also gives the team that "family feel." I really like the way he talks and how he charms women.
Doc Reyes- I've liked doc reyes from day one. she's independant, casual and sarcastic. We need to see at least some remnance of human life outside the XMEN.She brings theteam a badly needed dose of reality. She seemed to be getting along well with the XMEN too.
Wolverine- He provides the the team experience and prowess. HE also helps Ororo lead the team. -Psylocke
Yeah, okay. My seven man X-men team... heh.. this'll be fun! As most of you know, I'm not a normal person. So I won't be having a normal team. Let me see... Cyclops, Wolverine, Storm, Phoenix, Colossus, Rogue and Shadowcat.... will NOT be used here. You guys ready? here we go!
Team Leader - Nightcrawler. C'mon, enough is enough, and Kurt's paid his dues. He played second fiddle back in the old days, and led Excalibur. He'll be adding agility and stealth to the team.
Brains - Beast. Although it'd be cool to have him back in the Avengers, the X-men need him worse. He'll be adding more agility, some strenth, and brains to the team.
Financial backing - Angel. None of this feather crap, either. I want the metal wings with the razors back. Every good seven man team needs to have 2-3 flyers, and he's one of them. Plus, it's cool to have the blue guys together.
Team Heart - Cannonball. This guy dreamed of being an X-man for years, and he got in, and then forgot to act the part. But, I think Sam can learn from his mistake. Plus, having a guy on your team that beat Gladiator is a definite plus.
Comic Relief - Iceman. This guy has powers that I doubt he's even thought of. Imagine a solid Hydroman that doesn't suck.
Brooder - Havok. More raw power, more self esteem problems. He could go so far, but first, Alex needs to find the right reality and stay there.
Youthful Presence - Sunspot. Sam and Bobby have been best friends for a long time, and with both of them on the team, they can be in awe together, and most likely get over it quicker. Sunspot would be the 3rd flyer, and when you mix his powers with Iceman's, you'll get one huge wet mess.
And of course, what seven man team would be complete without the secret 8th member? I like to call this guy:
Interesting Dynamic - Cable. This team has everything but a psi, and Cable's the man for it. The interesting part will be to watch him take orders from someone. Anyone. Hell, this team has five people on it that are capable and have led before in Beast, Nightcrawler, Cannonball, Havok, and Cable, and Sunspot's clone led the MLF.
Where's the women you say? This is the X-men, not the X-humans, or X-people, or X-persons. X-men. Besides, who was the last person to write any of the females right? I'll give you a hint, his initials are CC. This roster is still not good enough for you? Imagine an action shot with these eight, and feel bad for the bad guys. - Jamie Madrox
Here's a team that I think would make darn good stories! And I mean DARN good! :)
Team Co-Leader - Polaris. Is it just me or did anyone notice that she was a super-slick leader of the Marauders? Yeah, yeah, maybe that was partial Malice influence, but I definetly think she has what it takes to lead.
Team Co-Leader - Nightcrawler. We all know he's got what it takes, and is definetly able to consider the importance of Xavier's dream; where it applys and where it doesn't. Also, his general optimism would work well against Polaris' spurned pessimism.
Minion #1 - Cannonball. Why they got rid of Sam for the new team is beyond me. He's great when used correctly. He can be light hearted, brooding, kind, tactical and a whole lot more. I don't want him as leader, but he'd definetly have a big say in it all.
Minion #2 - Gambit. I'd like to see him go one of two ways: Good Hero or Vicious Villian. He'd make a great plant for Sinister, and a possible betrayal arc could be a stunning plot. On the other hand, if he's good I want him to be fully good.
Minion #3 - Threnody. Yes, it's true. I'm going for a connection-to-Sinister team. But she's also a great character that is much too good to waste away on X-Man back burners. She's smart, semi-sane, and oh-so interesting. Another good possibility for a potential traitor (Yes, I'm also big on the traitor idea!).
Lover #1 - Iceman. Say what!?! Yep, I think its about time Bobby got attatched to someone interesting and moved past the playful jokester personality (but not fully). Which brings me to his lady love...
Lover #2 - The White Queen. I've never been a big fan of their... strange relationship, but I like them both and think Emma could get involved in the X-Men in order to perhaps put an end to a villian threatening her students. She goes on missions with them but continues to teach, at least part time, at the school. Oh and the Bobby/Emma thing isn't allowed to have any major angsting. At least not until it's really necessary...
That's it. The rest of the team might make appearences, but I envision Cyke and Storm becoming more vocal mutant rights activists, speaking out on behalf of mutants everywhere. They couldn't be actively involved in possibly illegal activities so they don't fight with the team (unless really, really necessary). - Silver
My lineup is as follows:
1. Cyclops leads. He's the best strategist and leader ever.
2. Nightcrawler. I've just been realizing how awesome he is and I wouldn't want a team without him. Speed, stealth and personality.
3. Wolverine. Duh.
4. Havok. Lemme see some brotherly feuding.
5. Colossus. My second favorite character ever.
6. Storm. Leadership struggles with Cyke. Who will take which side?
7. Rogue.
8. Gambit. These two will make up the resident love interest.
Havok (surprised at how difficult this was)
I'm sorry but I'm not going to give a dream line up I just want to state how stupid I think the 8 man team is. To me it feels like the cartoon which is not a good thing. It feels as if they think we can't handle the mulitple characters, it seems to be dumbing down. They got rid of all the characters not in the '8' in about two issues. Maggott is still missing, Beast is possibly on Muir Island, Angel and Psylocke we assume are together but their relationship was in trouble( Psylocke without powers is still very useful) and Joseph is probably going to appear with Magneto. I miss these Characters and I am disappointed with all the lost oppotunities there were three new characters for a reason, they were interesting and had new angles. Oh and I assume Iceman is with his dad. My ideal team would be one that was natural and was not pulled around all the time. eg people leaving for real reasons and people joining when they have no where else to go or because they want to. - Roulette
Before I go off on a rant about what seven X-Men I would choose if I wrote the book, I want to have a bit of a rant off topic - well not completely - read on and you will undestand. To me it is absolutely ridiculous that the X-Men have a roster of seven - I mean, come on, how does that work? The mansion has room for more, and there are two books, so they should have at least two teams of seven. That is just my opinion, but anyway on the with the answer to my seven. It is hard to choose them, but this is what i came up with.
Cyclops - to me he is Mr X-Man. To me, it is a big insult having Nate Grey call himself X-Man - if anyone should call himself that (though it is a lame name), it is Cyke. He is the best leader the X-Men have and ever will have. He is a certainty
Phoenix - She is the power of the team in many ways. The team telepath, I want Jean as a strong character, not the wimpy "Scott" yelling character
Iceman - now he is a powerhouse. He is the human link for the team. All he really wants is to live the ordinary life, and yet he battles on.
Beast - notice a trend - perhaps. He is the brains of the team. He is as essential to good leadership as Wolverine is to Storm. Beast is Cyke's sounding board in many ways - Cyke says I want to do this - is it possible Beast? He is the Brains - every team needs one to think laterally. Plus he is the public face of mutants in so many ways. He is a must.
Angel - alright, so the trend is there. Not every team member needs to be a powerhouse, Angel has resources of his own though that would be very helpful. I want the origianls back together again.
So who to put with the originals? That is the hard bit. I think that more flight is needed, as is strength, but my last pick is a bit of a surpise, that much I promise you.
Cannonball - I want him in my team. he is the future of the team - the future of all who wear the X in my opinion. He has the teachings of Xavier, Magneto and Cable. He has been made to look like a putz in Storm's shadow, but I think that he could learn a lot from Cyke. he is a powerhouse - the only person I can think of besides Phoenix, who has beaten Galdiator on his own.
Quicksilver - I know that he doesn't count as an X-Man by many people's standards but I want him in my team. He has been fighting almost as long as anyone. He ads personality to the team, and his spped is faster than ever. His hot headed attitude would go well against Drake's laid back approach.
There you go - Cyclops, Phoenix, Beast, Iceman, Angel, Cannonball and Quicksilver. I know that there is not a male and female balance on the team, but that is the way it is with this ridiculous 7 person roster.
I know some people will have different opinions - like more strength is needed, more stealth, etc. I think that Jean as Phoenix can cover for amny of these things. Like I said, seven is ridiculous. - The Hunter
