Havok - Best when acting on Instinct

[KandouErik]

I was re-reading the first few issues of Peter David's first X-Factor run, and I noted that David really caught on - nailing Havok's personalities and hang-ups right away. He has this scene, when Val Cooper is trying to recruit Havok for X-Factor, and decided not to leap out of the way of a falling steel beam. Havok saves her, but is ticked at her not getting out of the way herself. She points out that Alex works better on pure instinct - that he becomes useless when he thinks too much about things.

It occured to me that is exactly right! Havok sort of drifted along, even when he joined the X-Men when Storm was in charge - it was less about fighting the good fight, and more about being there. He never really took initiative of his life - probably because of his older brother always hanging over his shoulder.

So - has Havok changed in recent years? Has he found motivation in his life, beyond being the Second Summers brother? I know he's been saving the Shi'ar along with the Starjammers - but that also seems like a case of him being there, and of him merely relenting to the responsibilities his family puts on him. Daddy dies - and now he's perhaps trying to prove himself by being a pirate like him.

Anyway - no real question - just some observation. Alex does always fall into the second best catagory - and I think it really has shown in his character development. He still isn't self-motivated.

[Jmacq1]

Well, there's also the long-standing undercurrent of super-heroing not really being what Alex wanted for his life in the first place. He spent years trying to avoid it, but always kept getting dragged back in to the point where he accepts it, but I suspect still doesn't like it very much.

Plus, as much as I might wish otherwise, Alex will always remain "second best" because making him equal or superior to Scott means Scott loses what makes him "special."

Still, he's shown some promise with the X-Jammers, though as you've noted, works best when he doesn't start thinking too much about things.

[darknessatnoon]

He tries too hard. Nurse Annie chilled him out for a while. Good to have a strong sane woman at you back.

[Home made ectoplasm]

I would like a Havok and Polaris geology based mini series where they don't actually use their powers at all. They would have given up super heroing and gone back to their first love of studying rocks. It would be a character based study with lots of rock based metaphors. No action, just deep psychological analysis.

[jarrod]

PAD should write an X-Jammers series. His Lex & Po were untouchable.

[witness]

I enjoyed Havok the most in the mutant x series. Just being away from Cyclops did him the world of good.

[Fatguy]

I enjoyed Havok the most in the mutant x series. Just being away from Cyclops did him the world of good.

He's ALWAYS away from Cyclops. And now he's in space, soon to be in limbo I'm sure.

[Talisman]

He's ALWAYS away from Cyclops. And now he's in space, soon to be in limbo I'm sure.
I'm all for him and Po to join the GotG. As long as they get rid of lame-o Jack Flag. Ugh is he the fricking pits.

[Fatguy]

I'm all for him and Po to join the GotG. As long as they get rid of lame-o Jack Flag. Ugh is he the fricking pits.

I dont want it, GotG has a fun cast but all the cosmic books are annoying event books. I cant even follow them in trade form because they cant go 6 issues without crossing over into some epic space event.

[darknessatnoon]

I'm all for him and Po to join the GotG. As long as they get rid of lame-o Jack Flag. Ugh is he the fricking pits.

and cricket man. I hate that character.

[witness]

He's ALWAYS away from Cyclops. And now he's in space, soon to be in limbo I'm sure.

He's still in the same universe as cyclops though. It seems Cyclops shadow is that large you have to move universes to get away from it.

[Talisman]

I dont want it, GotG has a fun cast but all the cosmic books are annoying event books. I cant even follow them in trade form because they cant go 6 issues without crossing over into some epic space event.
Then just buy the space books. Durrr lol
and cricket man. I hate that character.
Yeah, Bug has always been the most annoying micronaut. I never understood why people liked him.

[darknessatnoon]

Then just buy the space books. Durrr lol

Yeah, Bug has always been the most annoying micronaut. I never understood why people liked him.

Oh, he's a micronaut? Since when are they allowed to mix w/real characters?

[Talisman]

Oh, he's a micronaut? Since when are they allowed to mix w/real characters?
I don't know, they mixed with various characters in their original series. I guess Marvel owns the characters, they just don't own the term Micronaut or the villain Baron Karza.

[BrightestDay]

He's still in the same universe as cyclops though. It seems Cyclops shadow is that large you have to move universes to get away from it.

I think that's the mentality that Alex has always seemed to have which leads to it being the reason he never escapes Cyclops' shadow. It's a self-fulfilling prophecy. He's always focused waaayy to much on what Scott's doing/has done with the X-Men instead of just focusing on being himself and pulling his own weight. Peter David really took that character trait and ran with it, making Havok the most interesting and fully developed he's ever been IMO.

[witness]

I think that's the mentality that Alex has always seemed to have which leads to it being the reason he never escapes Cyclops' shadow. It's a self-fulfilling prophecy. He's always focused waaayy to much on what Scott's doing/has done with the X-Men instead of just focusing on being himself and pulling his own weight. Peter David really took that character trait and ran with it, making Havok the most interesting and fully developed he's ever been IMO.

In Havoks defense, Cyclops would be an extremely annoying big brother to have though. :biggrin: