Rachel Summers: Was Weinberg our last hope?

[Flâneur]

I loved Weinberg's run on Cable and part of this is because he did a fantastic job with Rachel which is what kept my love for this character alive. Since then, however, she has sucked, a lot, especially under the hands of nu-CC and Brubaker. So my question is: Do you think Rachel will ever be good again? Can this space saga rehabilitate her or is it too late?

[alf_to_the_rescue]

If she is kept in space, maybe. She fits there better. Less chance of encountering stairs.

[subliminal]

I liked Yost's Rachel just as much as Weinberg's Rachel.. I also liked how Millar wrote her and Davis. My dream would be to read Whedon's take on her.

I don't mind the direction Rachel is going... with her own unique Hound imagery. It really depends on how they develop and use her. If she's just a standard TP or TK character that's kind of a novice again, then it's not going to be all.

I really want the blue Phoenix back. :frown:

[Mitteloss]

Yost's Rachel? He's written her well in Emperor Vulcan and Kingbreaker and she's eventually become one of my favourite characters because of him. IMO, she's already good again.

[Askani's Flame]

I think that Yost has done a really decent job with her. I am just not sure that whoever takes her up next is going to write her as a strong character. As much as I like DnA, they're take on Rachel has been this timid character that hasn't done or said much of anything. I assume/hope with the next issue having the Death Commandos, she'll go nuts and wreck havoc.

But to answer the question: yes, I know that Rachel can be written well and I think this time in space will serve her well. Gives her enough distance and perspective from the rest of the x-verse to come back a stronger character.

[ClanAskani]

I loved Weinberg's Rachel and wish he was able to do what he had planned with her and hadn't been so constrained by editors.

I have faith in Chris Yost that he can do a good job writing Rachel. He's been the best writer to write Rachel since Bob Weinberg. The jury is still out on how Yost handled Rachel in Kingbreaker since we really don't fully know how she's been changed. She has the Houndmarks back, but the full impact of how that had changed her hasn't been shown. She's been wallpaper in War of Kings.

Mike Carey might be another good writer for Rachel. He seems like the type of writer who would have a good grasp on her character, and he gets bonus points from me for saying in an interview that he would like to reunite Rachel and Nathan.

[DungeonmasterJim]

I appreciate that the current writers are trying to rectify Rachel from Claremont's retcon of a noob back into a formidable character. They seem to be taking some of Rachel's best character traits that were removed or forgotten and trying to work them back into the character. But in a team book it takes time.

When they are done, and it seems that Rachel will be a cool character again when they do, it'll be up to the next writer that handles Rachel not to blow it or regress the character back into something worthless or lacking.

DM Jim

[Perfection/Emma 2]

Rachel was always a good character, it's mom Jean who kept trying to miss her up

P.S. The real reason Jean didn't accept Rachel is not because she thought of her as an abomination, but knew with Rachel's present, her final days was only around the corner.

[Henry T.]

Jean rejected Rachel at first because she felt like her life was pre-ordained and she resented that. Imagine being a young adult and meeting your teenage child from the future.

Rachel was also wielding the Phoenix and at that time Jean was very upset by it.

During one those annuals Jean watches Rachel as Phoenix and says that she sees herself in a pre-destined state. She saw the writing on the wall and realized what it meant that her daughter was a Phoenix. She knew that she too was connected to it but at that time she was freaked out about it and in denial.

Jean also pushed back from Scott for a while because she felt like her life was pre-destined. She remembered how her Phoenix-self and Madelyne loved Scott and then there was their daughter from the future so she kinda felt like her free will/free agency was being taken away.

Of course Claremont had Death tell Jean that many aspects of her life had been pre-destined (Anne, touching Scott's mind in the orphanage, becoming Phoenix on the shuttle, and healing the M'Kraan Crystal) so no wonder the girl was freaked out.

[jarrod]

Millar, Yost and Davis give me hope. Come on Professor C, you're next!

[tunasammiches]

I really like what Yost has done with Rachel. But what I don't get is how he can write Cable with such importance, but Rachel as merely a supporting character. But I guess that's what their roles are in the MU. Cable's starring in something called the Messiah Complex after all.

I just wish Rachel didn't get the short end of the stick all the time.

[Justin K.]

I just wish Rachel didn't get the short end of the stick all the time.

I'm sure Korvus isn't that disappointing...

[DungeonmasterJim]

I'm sure Korvus isn't that disappointing...


I'm guessing he is and that his huge sword is compensating for other things ...


DM Jim

[ClanAskani]

I really like what Yost has done with Rachel. But what I don't get is how he can write Cable with such importance, but Rachel as merely a supporting character. But I guess that's what their roles are in the MU. Cable's starring in something called the Messiah Complex after all.

I just wish Rachel didn't get the short end of the stick all the time.

That's why I wish Rachel could have been involved in Messiah Complex or Messiah War. All of her time traveling - both Days of Future Past and to the Askani future - become incredibly important.

What I liked about Weinberg was how he was able to move Rachel forward in a way that felt very natural progression. Then Claremont came in and regressed her and made her a victim over and over again. The Houndmarks could be another regression, we just don't know yet.

Finally bringing up the Askani with Rachel will stress how she was a strong, independent leader. That's something that's really missing with the way Rachel is being written now, even by Yost.

[Rick Summers]

Weinberg wrote the best Rachel seen in ages. I still can't believe he got the boot. His Cable was becoming more and more interesting as he went along.
Ray was showing the most promise ever under his pen.
*SIGH*

[the Hornet]

I liked Weinberg's stuff too.

And I liked how she is refered to as Rachel Summers here.

But you know what I dislike about the character now, and this is something implemented by my all time fav writer sadly, is that she calls herself Rachel Grey. Here is what I don't get -

1. She grew up in an alternate timeline, she has known this for years, her parents aren't the same Scott and Jean of 616.

2. In her own timeline, her parents had a great marriage, her father loved her, raised her well with love and they were the perfect parents.

3. Now just because of the action of another Scott Summer's actions, she decided to abandon her true surname (which belonged to her true dad) to honor a Jean Grey that is not really her mom?

that is just nonsense and sad! By keeping her Summers surname she is honoring her true father. Wow, how annoying can she get?

[ClanAskani]

I liked Weinberg's stuff too.

And I liked how she is refered to as Rachel Summers here.

But you know what I dislike about the character now, and this is something implemented by my all time fav writer sadly, is that she calls herself Rachel Grey. Here is what I don't get -

1. She grew up in an alternate timeline, she has known this for years, her parents aren't the same Scott and Jean of 616.


Rachel essentially came to that conclusion, but then Jean accepted Rachel as her daughter, let her call her Mom and invited her to the wedding.

Then Rachel went into the timestream to the Askani Future where she brought Jean & Scott to raise Nathan and they spent 12 years as a family (albeit, a strange one), and Scott told Rachel how much he regretted not being a father to her when he had the chance.

So, even though Rachel acknowledges that Jean & Scott aren't her parents, quite a bit has happened between them since she's arrived in Earth-616 that makes them her parents.



2. In her own timeline, her parents had a great marriage, her father loved her, raised her well with love and they were the perfect parents.

3. Now just because of the action of another Scott Summer's actions, she decided to abandon her true surname (which belonged to her true dad) to honor a Jean Grey that is not really her mom?

that is just nonsense and sad! By keeping her Summers surname she is honoring her true father. Wow, how annoying can she get?

I agree with you there. It's disrespecting her own father to change her surname just because of what his alternate-reality self did.

I think the timing was off of the name change. Had it happened after End of Greys it would have made more sense.

But Chris Claremont has something against kids having their dad's surname. In GeNext, most of the kids have their mom's name - include Megan Frost (Scott's daughter).

[jarrod]

Millar just needs to take over Astonishing. Then we'll have Rachel front and center, outshining Emma and telling Scott to shove it. <3 <3