Avengers Academy #34 *Spoilers*

**Songbird/Diamondback** · 08-06-2012, 07:22 AM

Originally Posted by Legion_Quest

Iron Lad was ALWAYS going to go evil, he was Kang.

And while yeah, it might be a little bit cliche to have the Academy fail, it will be just as, if not more cliche for me, to have one survive and mope about it. There's more to do with a villain who who knows the team and knows how they think and can constantly remind them they failed them, than one who tries to put a brave face on or whatever.

Unless it leads to them having sessions with Trauma. I miss him (but then I also miss Baron von Blitzschlag)

Honestly, if they become a villain, I think they will be massively misused. Like become another Hood henchman and get beaten up every other story.

**Legion_Quest** · 08-06-2012, 07:33 AM

It would depend. All villains are never used well unless their name is Doom, and even he gets jobbed occasionally.

I suppose it depends what the point of Avengers Academy is as a book - are they going to finish the book and is it cancelled, and if no, are these characters going elsewhere? If so, is it more interesting to use the opportunity to set up a villain for the teachers, as they are more likely to be used elsewhere, or keep them hero but sad, and then we never actually see that story told because the book is canned.

It's annoying not knowing for sure, unless I've missed it somewhere, what the status of this book and it's cast will be come Marvel Now. Will it continue with a cast shake up, or is this it?

**Songbird/Diamondback** · 08-06-2012, 07:35 AM

Originally Posted by Legion_Quest

It would depend. All villains are never used well unless their name is Doom, and even he gets jobbed occasionally.

I suppose it depends what the point of Avengers Academy is as a book - are they going to finish the book and is it cancelled, and if no, are these characters going elsewhere? If so, is it more interesting to use the opportunity to set up a villain for the teachers, as they are more likely to be used elsewhere, or keep them hero but sad, and then we never actually see that story told because the book is canned.

It's annoying not knowing for sure, unless I've missed it somewhere, what the status of this book and it's cast will be come Marvel Now. Will it continue with a cast shake up, or is this it?

I would not be surprised if the book ends in November and becomes something else in December. (Like say that Teen book hinted at so much?)

**Legion_Quest** · 08-06-2012, 07:40 AM

Originally Posted by Songbird/Diamondback

I would not be surprised if the book ends in November and becomes something else in December. (Like say that Teen book hinted at so much?)

If it does that, these characters are dead in the water unless their name is Reptil imo (or X-23, but that goes without saying, bub).

Best result would be this book survives and that book starts up, with occasional cross overs.

**Songbird/Diamondback** · 08-06-2012, 07:43 AM

Originally Posted by Legion_Quest

If it does that, these characters are dead in the water unless their name is Reptil imo (or X-23, but that goes without saying, bub).

Best result would be this book survives and that book starts up, with occasional cross overs.

We'll see where it goes. Shame if we lose either Hazmat or Mettle or both of them. They were the ones I would have liked seen interact with other teams.

**Legion_Quest** · 08-06-2012, 07:47 AM

Originally Posted by Songbird/Diamondback

We'll see where it goes. Shame if we lose either Hazmat or Mettle or both of them. They were the ones I would have liked seen interact with other teams.

I just cant see the interest being there. Reptil has the bonus of being known from that cartoon, Finesse has the potential Taskmaster connection and Striker and....Julie (gone blank on her code name) have the gay thing.

Mettle and Hazmat have each other, and that's about it. I can't see another writer or an editor mandating them in to a book as heroes, but could if one went villain.

But like you say, it is all about waiting to see where it goes

**Songbird/Diamondback** · 08-06-2012, 07:53 AM

Originally Posted by Legion_Quest

I just cant see the interest being there. Reptil has the bonus of being known from that cartoon, Finesse has the potential Taskmaster connection and Striker and....Julie (gone blank on her code name) have the gay thing.

Mettle and Hazmat have each other, and that's about it. I can't see another writer or an editor mandating them in to a book as heroes, but could if one went villain.

But like you say, it is all about waiting to see where it goes

Thing is, Reptil is pretty generic with personality. If he showed up with say, Wiccan, they would pretty much be the same character (Minus the gay thing.)

Finesse would be interesting with others.

Striker and Julie, now, I think Julie might be the thing that's hindered Striker. Before, he would associate with other characters really well as the show off/jerk. Now he barely leaves Julie's side, and it's mostly about him being gay than it is his fame hunt or things like that. It could work, but I think Striker has been reduced as a character. I'm not saying it was bad that he was revealed to be gay. That's perfectly fine. I'm saying that it sort of became his character and is starting to overshadow the fun interactions he once had.

Thing is, sure, Mettle and Hazmat have each other, but Mettle and Hazmat do bounce well with other characters. Hazmat is pretty bitter and its very palpable, and Mettle is very sweet and chill. They can have scenes where they are appart and talking to other characters and don't HAVE to be next to each other to have fun interactions. I see those two as the most versatile of the cast.

**Legion_Quest** · 08-06-2012, 08:03 AM

Originally Posted by Songbird/Diamondback

Thing is, Reptil is pretty generic with personality. If he showed up with say, Wiccan, they would pretty much be the same character (Minus the gay thing.)

Finesse would be interesting with others.

Striker and Julie, now, I think Julie might be the thing that's hindered Striker. Before, he would associate with other characters really well as the show off/jerk. Now he barely leaves Julie's side, and it's mostly about him being gay than it is his fame hunt or things like that. It could work, but I think Striker has been reduced as a character. I'm not saying it was bad that he was revealed to be gay. That's perfectly fine. I'm saying that it sort of became his character and is starting to overshadow the fun interactions he once had.

Thing is, sure, Mettle and Hazmat have each other, but Mettle and Hazmat do bounce well with other characters. Hazmat is pretty bitter and its very palpable, and Mettle is very sweet and chill. They can have scenes where they are appart and talking to other characters and don't HAVE to be next to each other to have fun interactions. I see those two as the most versatile of the cast.

I agree in regards Reptil, I don't like the character that much, but he does have an interesting and marketable power, and one that is likely fun to draw.

Finesse is X-23 without claws, and I'd imagine X-23 would be the character more likely to show up elsewhere.

Striker, Id agree that he has been reduced a bit to being the gay character, with Julie as his hag, but the fact he is gay, and so is Wiccan, could lead to drama in regards Wiccan and Teddy and what if Striker makes moves on one or the other, or both? So again, there is more to write for there in terms of a story going forward.

With MetMat, notice even you note how they bounce off each other and those around them, but one without the other.....can they still maintain that? Mettle mopping takes away the sweetness and the chill, Hazmat mopping without Mettle to allow her to show a nicer side, just become a bitter bitch, and that is a villainous character trait, not so much a hero one.

Plus, if Wiccan is in the book, and likely a focus, he's lost a team mate (as you well know) and will be mopping about that, will they want another character in the same book with the same story, but even more connected to the person they've lost?

**Songbird/Diamondback** · 08-06-2012, 08:07 AM

Originally Posted by Legion_Quest

I agree in regards Reptil, I don't like the character that much, but he does have an interesting and marketable power, and one that is likely fun to draw.

Finesse is X-23 without claws, and I'd imagine X-23 would be the character more likely to show up elsewhere.

Striker, Id agree that he has been reduced a bit to being the gay character, with Julie as his hag, but the fact he is gay, and so is Wiccan, could lead to drama in regards Wiccan and Teddy and what if Striker makes moves on one or the other, or both? So again, there is more to write for there in terms of a story going forward.

With MetMat, notice even you note how they bounce off each other and those around them, but one without the other.....can they still maintain that? Mettle mopping takes away the sweetness and the chill, Hazmat mopping without Mettle to allow her to show a nicer side, just become a bitter bitch, and that is a villainous character trait, not so much a hero one.

Plus, if Wiccan is in the book, and likely a focus, he's lost a team mate (as you well know) and will be mopping about that, will they want another character in the same book with the same story, but even more connected to the person they've lost?

We seen down Mettle during Fear Itself. We seen down Hazmat.

Just saying, those two characters are really a major force.

**Legion_Quest** · 08-06-2012, 08:09 AM

I dont disagree, in this book, I just don't know how much impact they would have outside of this book, especially with Wiccan, Kid Loki and various other characters being much stronger in terms of presence and fan following.

**Songbird/Diamondback** · 08-06-2012, 08:19 AM

Originally Posted by Legion_Quest

I dont disagree, in this book, I just don't know how much impact they would have outside of this book, especially with Wiccan, Kid Loki and various other characters being much stronger in terms of presence and fan following.

Doesn't mean that mixing the kids from the other books won't hurt them! Gillen on Kid Loki and Wiccan would be a Tumblr fangirl orgasm!

**Legion_Quest** · 08-06-2012, 08:26 AM

Originally Posted by Songbird/Diamondback

Doesn't mean that mixing the kids from the other books won't hurt them! Gillen on Kid Loki and Wiccan would be a Tumblr fangirl orgasm!

Lol, screw the girls on Tumblr, I'm fanboying over the possibilities presented by those two together (although granted probably minus the fanart/slash)!

**Songbird/Diamondback** · 08-06-2012, 08:34 AM

Originally Posted by Legion_Quest

Lol, screw the girls on Tumblr, I'm fanboying over the possibilities presented by those two together (although granted probably minus the fanart/slash)!

It will be EVERYWHERE!!!!

...you know, why haven't we gotten AA cosplayers yet?

**Wellman** · 08-06-2012, 10:27 AM

Honestly, I always wanted Mettle to go a little bit darker, like how his first focus issue showed he was capable of and I really wished they would have expanded his powers somehow, to be more then just scary look and super strength.

Frankly, it would be a shame if the Marvel universe lost any of the promising young people in this series such as Hazmat, Mettle, Finesse or Reptil. But if I had to choose, Mettle would be the one I see go, there are a number of scary but fun loving big strong guys out there, he unfortunately if this is the last arc is expendable and honestly not nearly developed enough that I can see another writer care to use him for much besides muscle.

**Bookem Danno** · 08-06-2012, 02:29 PM

Originally Posted by Starleafgirl

If you take First X-Men to be canon (and I think everyone is trying really, really hard not to), there's supposedly going to be some event that causes humans to hate mutants. I think that's bullsh*t and I really, really hate that Marvel is thinking that way (giving humanity a "real" reason to hate & fear mutants).

This cannot be agreed upon enough and repost on every forum and bulletin board on every internet before it is too late. The same was never done when secondary mutations were made canon and that was hated retcon. Hopefully a mutant clone like X-23 doesn't have a secondary mutation or a trace memory of First X-men.