How much respect does your favorite X-Characters get from TPTB?

[jmc247]

How important does Marvel view your top ten favorite characters these days? The scale is 1-10

1- This character is treated like an abused puppy on one of those animal rescue shows.

10- This character is treated like a God

[david r]

I would rank Wolverine as a 1, as they sucked the life out of the character. The more books he appears in, the less interesting I find him now.

Storm joining T'Challa has made her a 2 or 3. Ororo is just off in limbo now and no longer resembles the Ororo I used to know.

[jmc247]

I would rank Wolverine as a 1, as they sucked the life out of the character.

It is an interesting dichotomy while I would say Wolverine gets a 10 for respect from Marvel, by pushing him so hard, putting him in so many books, and making him almost invincible they have taken away alot of what interested you as well as I about the character.

You are bringing up two seperate questions. How well is your favorite character handled and how much respect they get, which aren't necessarily the same things. A character can be highly respected and pushed by the writers, editors, and suits, but at the same time badly misused.

[david r]

I see what you're saying. But I would say Wolverine still gets little respect from the Marvel suits. Just because they're pushing him hard in 6 books a month doesn't say "respect" to me. It tells me he's just a money-machine to them.

Nightcrawler is my favorite X-Man right now, but I'd give him a 5. I think Marvel know he's a fan-favorite, so he sticks around in UXM, but doesn't really do much. I feel his character hasn't grown in years, and that saddens me. But overall, Marvel know he's popular, hence he got his own series a few years back.

[jmc247]

I see what you're saying. But I would say Wolverine still gets little respect from the Marvel suits. Just because they're pushing him hard in 6 books a month doesn't say "respect" to me. It tells me he's just a money-machine to them.

I guess it comes down to how one wants to view the word respect. I was meaning respect more in the level of importance they place on a character, not how well that character's storylines or characterization is going.

So I guess there can be two seperate measurements.

How important/vital Marvel considers a character and how well a character is being characterized today.

[Novaya Havoc]

Dazzler - 2.

Not many characters get Quesada saying "Who the @^$# cares about Disco Dazzler?"

I give her a 2 because others do care for the character at Marvel, and because we did get Essential Dazzler. But the real powers that be like Quesada and Buckley don't give a whit.

[david r]

Well, in terms of importance Marvel places on a character, then Wolverine is ranked at the absolute top. In fact, I think Wolverine is more important to Marvel than even Spider-Man. Yes, he excites fans that much.

Storm would be ranked 7 or 8. Removing Ororo from the X-books and placing her in Black Panther demonstrates how Marvel believed she could carry over her X-Men fanbase to the low-selling T'Challa title.

[david r]

Charles Xavier is another question. How strong is his fanbase? How many "Ann Nichols" are out there? It is interesting Marvel believes Xavier can carry X-Men: Legacy. I'm not sure X-fans want a book that centered on Professor X. So Marvel must feel he's a 5 at least, in importance.

[darknessatnoon]

Sage

On a scale of 1-10 of Respect she does not even rate a positive integer. It's completely out of hand.

[Hakael]

Sage

On a scale of 1-10 of Respect she does not even rate a positive integer. It's completely out of hand.

What are you talking about, she's featured prominently in a book right now... granted, its a horrible book... but she's still making out better than a bunch of characters... I'll give her a 2.

As far as Xavier fans, I love the Prof... I don't understand why a lot of X-Men fans hate him. The writers put him through a good decade or so of mudslinging, but I still like the character. Legacy is a great read.

[david r]

Emma Frost would be shot up to a 8, when you think Marvel really didn't do much with her for a long time. Emma made the appearance here & there, but not until this decade, did she really get serious spotlight.

Emma Frost's star rose thanks to Grant Morrison, I mean really rose. Marvel has tried to keep fanboys interest in her....up.

[La Fea]

I would like to believe that C.B. Cebulski is looking out for my Sofia Louisa Contessa Montazuma Mantega-Barrett because

a) someone prevented her from being killed off in "New X-Men"
b) C.B. edited my favorite arc of New Mutants
c) C.B. helped set-up the new "New Warriors" book, which I believe Sofia was editorially asked to be a part of

But this does not answer the opening post's question.

GOOD DAY.

[darknessatnoon]

What are you talking about, she's featured prominently in a book right now... granted, its a horrible book... but she's still making out better than a bunch of characters... I'll give her a 2.

As far as Xavier fans, I love the Prof... I don't understand why a lot of X-Men fans hate him. The writers put him through a good decade or so of mudslinging, but I still like the character. Legacy is a great read.

Featured prominently being given MPD, prancing around naked and practically getting raped on panel by Venger. And that's not even the weirdest thing to be done to her under the current "regime." I am simply grateful that CC hasn't turned her into a rat recently.

Limbo would be preferable.

[jmc247]

Emma Frost's star rose thanks to Grant Morrison, I mean really rose.

She rose because he killed off Jean and made Emma Cyke's hot new romantic interest. If he didn't do that and kept Jean with Cyke she would be at best a B squad character right now. She is almost everywhere mainly because she is joined at the hip with a character who Marvel wants to be everwhere right now.

Austen was toying with linking Lorna and Wolverine up sexually. If that happened all the sudden she would have jumped to A squad for the first time and would have stayed there for as long as they kept them together.

[david r]

How important are they to Marvel:

Iceman: 4
Cyclops: 8
Jean Grey: damn a hard one. She's dead. But I still think Marvel feels she can seriously sell books upon resurrection. Honestly, I'd say a 9.
Beast: 4
Angel: 4

Colossus: 2
Kitty Pryde: 7
Banshee: 0 :frown:
Cecelia Reyes: 0
Longshot: 2
Dazzler: 3
Gambit: 7
Rogue: 9
Beak: -1

[david r]

She rose because he killed off Jean and made Emma Cyke's hot new romantic interest. If he didn't do that and kept Jean with Cyke she would be at best a B squad character right now. She is almost everywhere mainly because she is joined at the him with a character who Marvel wants to be everwhere right now.

I agree. You can thank GM for Emma's renaissance. Otherwise, she's probably be in limbo now.

[darknessatnoon]

I agree. You can thank GM for Emma's renaissance. Otherwise, she's probably be in limbo now.

Thank you Grant Morrison!

But John Cassaday does not respect Emma. :mad: He keeps giving her a huge honker that translates into "pointy chin and mole with hair growing out of it."

[david r]

Mimic: -10
Magneto: 8
Sebastian Shaw: 4
Sage: 3
Sabretooth: 6
Mystique: 6
Psylocke: 5 (her death in XXM and years' absence killed off her popularity.)

Marrow: 0
Madelyne Pryor: 1
Gateway: 0
Rachel Summers: 5
Captain Britain: 6
Meggan: 1

[jmc247]

I agree. You can thank GM for Emma's renaissance. Otherwise, she's probably be in limbo now.

I agree, I think she would have like stayed a B squad character for a year or two after Morrison left and slowly dropped to C and then D squad much like Polaris did after Austen left.

What happened with Lorna is Austen was pulled from the X-books before he linked up Wolverine and Polaris romantically. She stayed a B squad character for somewhat over a year after he left and then dropped to C and finally D squad.

Today, I would give her rating a 1 on the 1-10 scale. The only reason she is on the animated series is it was planned and written almost three years ago when she was a B squad character. The best her fans get today is to hear her be tortured off pannel.

[RoguishGurl]

I would think that X-23 is at about a 6 or 7.

[pryde15]

I say they treat Kitty fairly well, I think what David R. put her as is correct.

[Diablito]

Maggott - 0
Sunfire - 2
Armor - 2-3 Astonishing is working wonders for her.
Iceman - 3-4
Caliban - 1
Rockslide -2
Omega Sentinel -1
Juggernaut - 4
Lockheed - 1
Multiple Man - 4

[Canemacar]

Cyclops: 10
Wolverine: 10
Beast: 8
Gambit: 2
Storm: 6

Hulk: 6
Spider-man: 10
Thor: 7
Ironman: 12
Cap: 5

[Kage Kisaragi]

Any love I've had for most of my Marvel characters has either been crushed by over zealous fans of other characters or Marvels editors.

Gambit: 1 (he only appears, so that he can get jacked up, dumped on, or screwed over love wise.)

Nightcrawler: 3 (I just don't see much development for him, I mean even with Draco, he didn't seem to get that much attention.)

Xavier: 4, has basically been a whipping boy, I don't even wanna know how many times he's been supposedly dead or has left forever, just to come back in some fashion.. I wish they'd just stop screwing with him. Why can't he be that Super Psionic Ass Whooping Machine who only comes out every once in while when the world is threatened by some new super telepath appears then leaves.

Super Telepath Boy: Who the heck are you?
Xavier: I'm you're worst nightmare.
STB: Hah, Yeah right, out of the way old man.
Xavier: I'm serious, *uses powers and projects a image* I'm you're elderly mother in a pink sarong giving you lap dance.
STB: NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!

Emma and Jean: PWNZ JOO!

Surge and David Allenye: To soon to say, I guess. Though surge has become quiet the whiny *****.

Mercury: ? Well she was only featured in one story so far and even then it wasn't much. It only survived to make her even more fragile. Though I'm sure she'll become a fierce warrior some day. I'll reserve judgement on how they treat her in about 10 years, assuming they don't kill her off by then. Cause then I'll be able to complain sooner.

[worstblogever]

I would rank Wolverine as a 1, as they sucked the life out of the character. The more books he appears in, the less interesting I find him now.

Storm joining T'Challa has made her a 2 or 3. Ororo is just off in limbo now and no longer resembles the Ororo I used to know.

Wait until the issue of Black Panther where T'Challa complains that while he was battling Killmonger, she was busy with some "mutant messiah" thing, and couldn't be reached on her cell. It'll trivialize her, and all the X-Books and put her at 1-2. :cool:

[creaky]

Nightcrawler: 3.
Rachel: 2.
Wolverine: 20.

[JKMD]

(I liked david r's Mimic at a -10. Made me laugh.)

As for my favorites...

Cyclops = 9: Spearheading the X-Men, covertly spearheading X-Force, becoming more a force in X-Men continuity AS WELL AS (seemingly) having interaction with the rest of the Marvel U.

Cable = 6.5: Played a nice role in Messiah Complex and now has his own book. Gained some semblance of relationship with his father (finally), though now playing grabass with Bishop in the future. Was rising, now falling...

Kitty Pryde = 5: Appearing in Astonishing...whenever it comes out. May save the day, may not. Who knows?

Angel = 2: Geez, the guy is one of the original 5! No one knows WHAT to do with him! Uh, give him healing blood! Oh, now we've got that golden boy, so screw that... Uh, he's got money so he can finance the school! Oh, that's blown up. And now with the recent developments in X-Force? Ech. (But at least he's around...)

Psylocke = 1: I'm sorry. I used to love this character. Still do. Hey, I give Claremont props for all he's done for this franchise. Hell, he CREATED Psylocke. BUT, New Exiles is the reading equivalent of trying to run through a pool of nipple deep Elmer's Glue -- I keep trying to speed up, but with every footstep, I'm pulled back down against my will. There is NO fun in this book and Betsy is just lost in the nonsense.

Jean Grey = 0: Cause she's dead.

[Josef F.]

Spiral - You kid me. Numbers? They haven't invented a number to show how pointless they find her.

Lady Deathstrike- 2- Killed in about 2 pages . Not even by Wolverine.

Mystique - 6 - They like Mystique. It's good.

Beast - 5 - They never really know what to do with him. He's sometimes depressed. He's sometimes witty and cool. Decide!

Ruckus & Gorgeous George -

Writer: Didn't Mr Sinister have some other henchmen?
Joe Q: What. . .Nah, you're on crack.
Writer: I'm sure that In X-Fact-
Joe Q: You're fired.

Sage:- 3- MadonnaBras, CC, diana Fox and gradual deconstruction of her character.

Chamber - I REFUSE TO ACCEPT DECIBEL IS REAL. So NONE.

[Jack Flash]

TPTB don't even know my faves exist.

[david r]

Polaris: 1
Havok: 3
Lockheed: 0
Moira MacTaggert: 0
Stevie Hunter: 0
Misty Knight: 0
Fred Duncan: .00000000001

(And if you know who Fred Duncan is, you get a special prize.)

[DeniseXfrost]

Emma - 10!
She rose because he killed off Jean and made Emma Cyke's hot new romantic interest. If he didn't do that and kept Jean with Cyke she would be at best a B squad character right now. She is almost everywhere mainly because she is joined at the hip with a character who Marvel wants to be everwhere right now.

Austen was toying with linking Lorna and Wolverine up sexually. If that happened all the sudden she would have jumped to A squad for the first time and would have stayed there for as long as they kept them together.
Part of it is true but it's also because she's such a compelling character plus she's the only telepath left.

Even if they sexed up Lorna with Wolverine or Cyke or Proffx , I still couldn't see her going anywhere else. And she's a freaking Magneto's daughter that's alot of story potential.

[Slung]

How important are they to Marvel:

Jean Grey: damn a hard one. She's dead. But I still think Marvel feels she can seriously sell books upon resurrection. Honestly, I'd say a 9.


I completely disagree. Joe Q has gone on record saying he doesn't like Jean or think she's interesting. She's dead and TPTB won't let the writers who WANT to write her use her. That does not sound like they show her much respect at all.

Knowing someone can sell books, has a large fanbase and then still keeping them dead and whoring their visage on comics and merchandise to sell stuff does NOT equal a 9 in the respect scale (and you put Wolverine at 1 and Scott at 8...I'm not sure what you're talking about exactly). Scott is being pimped out to the nth degree and Wolverine is the ultimate example of TPTB love.:confused:

[david r]

I completely disagree. Joe Q has gone on record saying he doesn't like Jean or think she's interesting.

I didn't know Quesada said that. But it doesn't surprise me he feels that way.

Knowing someone can sell books, has a large fanbase and then still keeping them dead and whoring their visage on comics and merchandise to sell stuff does NOT equal a 9 in the respect scale

You just answered your own post. How many X-Men appears on merchandise? Wolverine, Cyclops, Storm and Phoenix. Not very many; Jean is in that select group. Jean Grey/Phoenix is immensely important to Marvel and their corporate use of the X-Men to sell products. And soon, she'll be back in the comics.

(and you put Wolverine at 1 and Scott at 8...I'm not sure what you're talking about exactly). Scott is being pimped out to the nth degree and Wolverine is the ultimate example of TPTB love.:confused:

Well, that was before I'd realized what jmc247's rules were. I changed Wolverine's rating to 10.

[jmc247]

Part of it is true but it's also because she's such a compelling character plus she's the only telepath left.

Even if they sexed up Lorna with Wolverine or Cyke or Proffx , I still couldn't see her going anywhere else. And she's a freaking Magneto's daughter that's alot of story potential.

I agree that Emma is a compelling character and that she is a new and fresh girlfriend for Cyke which interests the writers as well as readers as most people tend to like new things.

As far as Lorna goes it depended on how they did any relationship with Wolverine. What Austen was trying to go for was sexual attraction and a snarky type relationship that was built on his dislike of her mutant rights philosophy and hatred for her father, but attraction to her. So the relationship gets to deal with her philosophy, as well as Wolverine's hatred of Magneto and vice versa, along with romance. The most enjoyable part of a Wolverine/Lorna pairing for me would be Magneto and Wolverine at each others throats. And, Marvel would have been very happy to play up that rivalry.

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f132/jmc247/TheUncannyX-Men443219.jpg

And, I agree with you that Lorna has a great deal of story potental as Magneto's daughter, but you have to find the right way to tap it. Writers post HoM haven't figured out a way as yet. And, they have been hampered by mutants being reduced to nothing because of M-Day which has destoryed Magneto's dreams for mutantkind. Until they figure out something that will give Magneto a drive to live again there isn't much to do with the character. Lorna's in a similar situation post M-Day. They took away her being a mutant, put her with Havok, and left her in an endless space adventure that most fans are quite tired of, where she can't get much of any character development and her mutant rights philosophy and her parentage the two biggest defining things about her character are meaningless. The thing she needs is her X-gene back as well as a character to play off of like Wolverine where Magneto and her ideas about mutant rights, become big issues of contention.

[jawbreaker]

I would like to believe that C.B. Cebulski is looking out for my Sofia Louisa Contessa Montazuma Mantega-Barrett because

a) someone prevented her from being killed off in "New X-Men"
b) C.B. edited my favorite arc of New Mutants
c) C.B. helped set-up the new "New Warriors" book, which I believe Sofia was editorially asked to be a part of


really? I didnt know CB was involved in planning NW. Is there an interview somewhere where he mentions why those characters got chosen?

I suppose except for Monet all the other Gen-Xers rank -1? :frown:

[Slung]

You just answered your own post. How many X-Men appears on merchandise? Wolverine, Cyclops, Storm and Phoenix. Not very many; Jean is in that select group. Jean Grey/Phoenix is immensely important to Marvel and their corporate use of the X-Men to sell products. And soon, she'll be back in the comics.
Using her on products but not in any creative capacity, isn't respecting the character, thats whoring a character without giving anything back. At least the other characters are treated with some small amount of dignity. Jean's badmouthed by the whole lot of "higher powers" as the Bullpen joke on death and then used to tease fans without any payoff. Highly disrespected.

[david r]

Using her on products but not in any creative capacity, isn't respecting the character, thats whoring a character without giving anything back. At least the other characters are treated with some small amount of dignity. Jean's badmouthed by the whole lot of "higher powers" as the Bullpen joke on death and then used to tease fans without any payoff. Highly disrespected.

Even when Jean comes back, do you really think there's much creative capacity going to happen with her? It will be the same old schtick we've seen before. Just ask the Psylocke fans who waited for her to return, and what've they gotten since. Or ask the Sage fans. OR the Storm fans and the use of that character. Or the Polaris fans. Xavier fans. etc...

[Jake V]

Using her on products but not in any creative capacity, isn't respecting the character, thats whoring a character without giving anything back. At least the other characters are treated with some small amount of dignity. Jean's badmouthed by the whole lot of "higher powers" as the Bullpen joke on death and then used to tease fans without any payoff. Highly disrespected.

I don't think that disrespect towards her fans is the same as disrespect towards the character.

[Slung]

Even when Jean comes back, do you really think there's much creative capacity going to happen with her? It will be the same old schtick we've seen before. Just ask the Psylocke fans who waited for her to return, and what've they gotten since. Or ask the Sage fans. OR the Storm fans and the use of that character. Or the Polaris fans. Xavier fans. etc...
Ask the Cyclops and Emma fans. They've been given an enormous push.
I don't think that disrespect towards her fans is the same as disrespect towards the character.
The higher ups aren't disrespecting the fans, they're talking trash about the character and then just using her on covers because she sells. What does that have to do with the fans at all?

[david r]

Most of the people running Marvel either didn't read comics growing up. Or were never fans of the X-Men. Joe Quesada has admitted he isn't a fan of X-Men. He's the editor-in-chief for God's sake. Yet he was a fan of Avengers growing up. So it is any wonder they've gotten a HUGE push, and X-Men's characters like Jean Grey and Psylocke languish in limbo for years.

[mimic_616]

Well Mimic (616) has always been in limbo and Mimic (Exiles) is dead. So there you have it. :frown:

[Mitteloss]

616 only? Here's how I'd rate the respect the character's are getting:

10: Worship, can do no wrong.
9: Over-exposed level, plenty of good attention.
8: Great respect, seen often, clearly well-liked.
7: Gets alot of respect and attention, but flawed to some extent.
6: Comfortable amount of respect, seemingly well-liked.
5: Average, appears often but doesn't get much attention generally.
4: Significant appearances every once in a while, but otherwise seemingly not cared about.
3: Cameo appearances, doesn't get alot of respect.
2: Clearly gets little respect, rare appearances.
1: Easily dispensed, ignored, very rare appearances.
0: Who?

Currently?

Professor X: 7- He's basically been given his own solo, but outside of X-Men: Legacy he's been repeatedly made to look like he's not important anymore.

Cyclops: 9- He's suddenly everywhere because of his new attitude. They're calling the X-Men "his army".

Iceman: 3
Angel: 3
Beast: 5
Jean Grey: 2
Polaris: 1
Havok: 2
Nightcrawler: 5
Storm: 4
Wolverine: 9
Colossus: 5
Kitty: 6
Rogue: 4
Rachel: 1
Magneto: 4
Psylocke: New Exiles
Dazzler: 3
Gambit: 4
Bishop: 4
Cannonball: 3
Cable: 8
Emma Frost: 8
Mystique: 6

Most of these characters should at least be a 5 or above.

[worstblogever]

Peepers= 1


PEEEEEEEEPPPPPPPPPPEERRRRRRRRSSS!!!! NOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!

[Dagger]

Karma is only fit to do laundry for the newest x-brats. So her level of respect equals ----infinity.

[darknessatnoon]

Karma is only fit to do laundry for the newest x-brats. So her level of respect equals ----infinity.

She is in esteemed company. Many GREATS have done the laundry at Xavier, including laundry folding terrorist, Magneto, and Nobel Prize winning maid, Moira McTaggart.

[Dagger]

She is in esteemed company. Many GREATS have done the laundry at Xavier, including laundry folding terrorist, Magneto, and Nobel Prize winning maid, Moira McTaggart.
Och, tis nae a thing tae be doen the wee bairns skibs. RUBBISH!!! Moira isn't fit to lick the used tampon of KARMA!!!!

[JKMD]

Moira isn't fit to lick the used tampon of KARMA!!!!

Well, I guess I'm done eating breakfast now...

[Flameworthy]

Sunfire gets a 2, for at least appearing in MC, despite the fact that he didn't act at all like Sunfire and was pretty much wallpaper through the whole thing. Otherwise he's been neglected or abused by writers over the past few years.

[Dagger]

Well, I guess I'm done eating breakfast now...
Sorry for ruining your apetite.

[Brett P]

What's TPTB?

[jmc247]

What's TPTB?

'The powers that be' meaning those in charge.

[KiplingKat]

Magneto gets a three for continually being used as scenery and a marketing ploy, drifting aimlessly around the landscape acting very blase' about the whole genocide/species extinction thing, while everyone steadfastly ignores the effects/character development House of M/M-Day should have had on him. Ed Brubaker messing up Bendis' continuity (can't bloody be bothered to find out what happened only a year prior to the character he was using as a marketing ploy) also doesn't help.

If they didn't know what to do with him, they should have just kept the character off panel until they did.

[JKMD]

Sorry for ruining your apetite.

No worries. It's my fault for eating a crepe covered in strawberry sauce. Just too close for comfort.

[The Black Guardian]

How important does Marvel view your top ten favorite characters these days? The scale is 1-10
1- This character is treated like an abused puppy on one of those animal rescue shows.
10- This character is treated like a God
This scale has me scratching my head. It assumes that being treated like a god is a good thing. I'd rather TPTB@Marvel not treat my favourites like they were gods. This is part of the reason why Wolverine hasn't been among my favourites in over a decade.

1. Shadowcat -- 2
2. Magik -- 5 (at least she's actually getting some interesting play)
3. Nightcrawler -- 4
4. Sage -- 3
5. Storm -- 1
6. Colossus -- 3
7. Phoenix (Rachel) -- 2
8. Magneto -- 3
9. Rogue -- 6 (could be a 7 if she was appearing more often)
10. Phoenix (Jean) -- 1

Nope. Not a good time for me.

[Phil Hunn]

Poor, poor Psylocke.

She obviously has been cast aside by the X-Office and into the mire of New Exiles as a sacrificial lamb. She gets a 1.