Professor X - Is Bendis right that Charles is an anachronism?

[Dragonage2ftw]

Honestly, they should just go really meta and call it the Chris Claremont Academy. With no in-universe explanation. :p

"Hey bub, why are we renaming the academy the Chris Claremont Academy? Who is he anyway?" "I don't know Logan. I just don't know.

[Red Mask]

If Xavier is an anachronism then so should the 1st and 2nd generation of X-Men. They're like the Baby Boomer Generation now. Although I shudder to think what Kitty Pryde could offer as headmistress. A school should continue to change with the times, even if that means introducing new ideas.

[Omega Alpha]

If Xavier is an anachronism then so should the 1st and 2nd generation of X-Men. They're like the Baby Boomer Generation now. .

Different cases- Xavier was a Professor and Mentor primarily- with the students as adults with tons of experience, they have no need for him in those specific roles.

[neoblackdragon]

Xavier was doing fine in stories where he was a main character. They just totally ignored the fact that Xaviers head was screwed up from having a hole blown into it by Bishop(........sigh). Yeah in his old role I think his time has passed. But that's when you give them a new role. If anything Charles is needed now more then ever.

[MonteMike72]

"Professor X - Is Bendis right that Charles is an anachronism?"
No. Just bad writers that CHOOSE to write him as such.

[The Observer]

It seems to me that more and more of the moral heart of the X-Men are being killed off, or corrupted, almost as though anyone with too much idealism is an embarrassment, or an impediment to the stories the writers want to tell. First Kurt, now Xavier. For all that Wolverine has chosen to try to live up to the Professor's ideals, even his most fervent supporters would be hard-pressed to place him on the same level: his story has always been more about struggling against instinct and background to become a better man, which is quite moral in its way, until you notice that he hasn't exactly stopped killing yet. There's probably only Kitty and Bobby and maybe Ororo left now, and Storm isn't as pure as she was, perhaps. Colossus, so long the gentle giant, was corrupted. Jean is presently dead.
I'm not saying everyone on the team should be a shining light...heck, ever since Wolverine was co-opted onto the team, Sunfire for his brief tenure, Rogue having then been a villain, and most notably Magneto becoming Headmaster, there has always been room for a 'repentant sinner', so to speak. It just seems that the balance is in danger of being skewed somewhat.

[ShadowDemon]

Look at how messed up the X-teams have been since his departure and then try telling me he's "an anachronism".

[ohsnapulon5000]

how is Xavier an anachronism and the O5 aren't? For a title that seems to celebrate it's reformed villains, there was not an inch of forgiveness for the eggs Xavier cracked to make his X-Men omelette.

[stussyjones]

Look at how messed up the X-teams have been since his departure and then try telling me he's "an anachronism".

How well were they when he was in charge??

[Dragonage2ftw]

how is Xavier an anachronism and the O5 aren't? For a title that seems to celebrate it's reformed villains, there was not an inch of forgiveness for the eggs Xavier cracked to make his X-Men omelette.

The 05's presence will cause time calamity's that the GOTG will have to clean up.

[Omegastorm]

He is useless because the writers wrote him as such. Any writer could have made him useful just like writers did for 40+ years prior to his being written into irrelevance. Bendis is simply engaging in circular reasoning and self-fulfilling prophecy. He along with others wrote Xavier as useless and then after having done so state that well Xavier is a anachronism. Well of course, he is because that is how you chose to write him.

Finally some wisdom on this thread.

o

[Omegastorm]

Has anybody ever done a solo Prof X where he explains what his difficulties are as the worlds eminent Telepath? Because it would be a good revelation about his role in the MU. Some hidden agenda's only he is aware of, because if he didn't control them, who would? Much like Doctor Strange, nobody knows the dangers that these two masters of their trade, have to struggle with. What hidden dangers they alone could quell, and what compromises that had to make to get into this position they are in now? I think there is plenty of the story to tell. Look at all the mental walls Xavier had to put up in individuals just so they can function sanely. Xavier is required right now to put up a wall inside Magicks head to redeem her, and that's just one. He's already done it to Logan and Sentry in the past. Wanda is a work in progress. Who knows if there is someone out there that Charles slipped a wall into, so he wouldn't totally destroy the world? Maybe with Charles' death, some of those walls will come down and then everybody will be sorry.

Good question and they had those stories in the X-men. Anyone remember the Znox, Shadowking...?There have been plenty of threats that only Xavier could face. With him gone it would be interesting to see if there are more psychic threats...

o

[celestialbodies]

I agree with the first point. Killing characters is rarely good. The second part I disagree with, because Cyke killing Xavier was the whole reason the O5 are here, and Cyke has become interesting.

But that's the problem Cyke becoming "interesting" should be a function of his own story arc not Xavier's death, which in itself was lackluster because no-one cares in-universe or out-universe to any considerable amount there are folks who even revel in Xavier's death. Sure writers will have characters make half-heart attempts at supposed admiration and mourning for Xavier when in fact no-one has given a damn about Xavier for the past few years. Maybe it's just me but I think the X-men stories should go for the bold and exciting instead of the obvious and simple. Xavier could have done more if Marvel just thought outside of the box, so his place within the X-men had grown stale then turn him into a Marvel-Verse character you have your experts on Science with Mr. Fantastic, experts on Magic with Dr. Strange, why not inject Xavier into the expert on Psionics the man is the most powerful Telepath on the planet. Marvel needs to move away from the same ole' focus on the same ole' characters and start progressing characters other than Scott/Logan into roles that are natural and organic.

[Dragonage2ftw]

But that's the problem Cyke becoming "interesting" should be a function of his own story arc not Xavier's death, which in itself was lackluster because no-one cares in-universe or out-universe to any considerable amount there are folks who even revel in Xavier's death. Sure writers will have characters make half-heart attempts at supposed admiration and mourning for Xavier when in fact no-one has given a damn about Xavier for the past few years. Maybe it's just me but I think the X-men stories should go for the bold and exciting instead of the obvious and simple. Xavier could have done more if Marvel just thought outside of the box, so his place within the X-men had grown stale then turn him into a Marvel-Verse character you have your experts on Science with Mr. Fantastic, experts on Magic with Dr. Strange, why not inject Xavier into the expert on Psionics the man is the most powerful Telepath on the planet. Marvel needs to move away from the same ole' focus on the same ole' characters and start progressing characters other than Scott/Logan into roles that are natural and organic.

Cyke becoming interesting has more to do with him not giving a crap what the avengers or most of his former teammates think of him any more. Angel got progressed.

[refrax5]

I half agree with Bendis here that the concept behind this character is old. But apparently as the writers they can assign new meaning to him and they don't bother to. So i think the word " anachronism" is just an excuse they used to kill a character they don't want to use.

I don't get that at all. I mean, I'm not criticizing how he was killed or the impact or story potential of that, but if Xavier is supposed to be sort of a MLK or Gandhi type figure, it seems astonishingly cynical to dismiss that as somehow obsolete or old fashioned. I'm not saying that there isn't a darker world out there and that Xavier's Dream can be the answer to everything, but people like that usually actually leave the world better than they found it. One of the few moments in X3 that I liked was Magneto refusing to let Pyro disrespect Xavier, stating "Charles Xavier did more for mutants than you'll ever know."

I mean, even if you don't agree with it entirely, even if Marvel has undermined the character's decency over the years, I don't get how, in concept, a character like that is obsolete. Do dreamers or pacifists no longer exist in the world? How can a character be irrelevant if people like them exist and are revelant in the real world? That just seems like a very arrogant, nonsensical thing to say.

I'll completely agree that the character has been mishandled and written poorly over the years. That isn't the result of a flaw in the character but simply writers and editors that weren't particularly interested or motivated to use him. I agree with Bendis that the concept of All New X-Men is far more effective without Xavier. Of course it is. But that doesn't mean the character sucks or is suddenly an anachronism. That's absurd.