What to do about Magik?
Author's note: The X of Swords is upon us. I'm enjoying the writing as I think it is the best multi series crossover I've read in a very long time. It helps that one author has crafted the entirety of the plot, although some Black Panther fans are apparently upset at Ororo's behavior on getting her sword. I think the issue was well written and it helped to put paid and done to the remains of Black Panther and Ororo's relationship as it was poorly conceived, laid out, and executed (gee, their both black, lets put them together to make them a power couple). Note, I started collecting again after the Phoenix Five event where Ororo and T'Challa had broken up. Sorry folks, very few married couples function well in comics, and when they cross genres they have never functioned well as the stories just don't work long term. I've always felt it was a disservice to Storm and her character has still not yet recovered from that writing travesty.
But that is not what this chapter is about. No, this is about Scott, Illyana, and the short article in CBR dot com called X-Men: Cyclops FINALLY Has a True Second-in-Command; that person being Illyana. Worth a read for those who are interested, see address below. Note some story web sites don't like web addresses, hence me use of SLASH and DOT.
www DOT cbr DOT com SLASH x-men-cyclops-magik-second-in-command
Part 56a: Great Captain
"Why Magik Dad?" Asked Cable (young teenager Cable) of Scott (his Dad).
The two were fighting on the moon, more specifically they were playing a two person fighter video game, some quality father and son time.
"Why what about Magik?" Answered Scott as he blocked a punch, then did a kick that knocked Cable's character across the game's battlescape.
"Why is she a great captain? And it's kind of noticeable that she's kind of your right hand." Asked Cable as he did a flurry of activity on his game controller and now it was Scott's character that went flying from a vicious haymaker kick despite Scott's best efforts, to then lay upon the ground.
"Why do you think?" Was Scott's answer. One thing about raising kids is that you don't necessarily answer their questions so much as make them come up with answers, i.e. make them think.
Cable had a quick answer as his game character began to beat upon Scott's prone character. "I get Bishop, I understand Gorgon. Yeah, Magik's badass, but great captain material? Why not Elizabeth Braddock, Logan, or… Ororo?"
"Well… why Bishop?" Asked Scott as he desperately tried to have his character survive.
Cable gave his summation while beating Scott's character to death. "Um… he's a great fighter, good tactics. I really approve of his tendency to strut about with a giant gun, and I can relate to his coming from a dystopian future that no longer exists. But his behaviors about Hope, I mean, he tried to kill her for how long, makes me wonder why he was made a Captain. Hell, I'm surprised that Hope hasn't shot his ass after everything he did to her… and I guess the older me."
A nod from Scott as he franticly hit every button and widget on his game controller, which ended up being successful as Cable's character was knocked back. "Bishop's smart, both a good squad leader as well as managing larger groups. Good mind and he doesn't just rely upon his mutant abilities. His… issues with Hope have been resolved between the two of them. Xavier, and Jean, vouch for him and he's shown he can and does follow orders. Most of the time a candidate isn't perfect for their position, but their good enough. Remember, people grow into the job. So… Gorgon?"
Cable stated his, and the general belief from everybody, about Gorgon as the fight resumed. "A Badasses badass. I've sparred with him and man… I so don't want to ever be on his shit list. I was surprised that he challenged Magik for the first fight in the Quarry, and even more surprised that Magik won, even though she did cheat. Which is impressive in itself as how the hell do you cheat in a fight with no rules? Anyway, he's beyond fast, hand to hand and weapons skill is just off the charts, combined with a brilliant mind, mythical abilities, and some telepathy. On the negative he's a massive racist against anybody who's not a mutant. He's a complete elitist asshole, and general jerk to most people. He's not somebody I'd put in charge of a squad, much less make a captain."
Again a nod of agreement from Scott. "Tomi is more of a defender of the Quiet Council then a general leader. His contacts with various… unsavorily organizations is helpful on dealing with those very same organizations. Yet, in a battle, what would you do if he gave you a command?"
Cable was intently focused on the game. "Heck, I'd do what he said."
"Exactly. Hence… a great captain."
"And based upon his history, a great threat to just about… everybody."
"Yep."
And with that Scott's character expired and used up one of its three lifes, the game reset and the two characters faced each other again. Cable observed that. "So Magik is… a counter to Gorgon?"
The game begin anew and Scott's character launched a fist fireball that Cable's character blocked as Scott commented. "In part. She's the third great captain under my command, and she's my right hand, so… why?"
The two characters then starting to exchange blows as Cable thought upon the question, than as Scott's character won the round he had an answer as the game began again. "Okay, like the others, she's a badass. Nobody really gives her shit so that's good. Then there's that whole magic thing she can do. But great captain? Compared to the other three she's much younger."
Scott posed a question. "Do you do what she tells you to do?"
"Well… duuu, do I look stupid? I mean, I voluntarily run The Course, but… heck, I don't think I've see somebody refuse to do what she orders done."
"No backtalk from people?" Asked Scott as their characters fought.
"No… not really."
"No second guessing her instructions?"
"No…"
"Drama?"
"Nope, unlike some I'd point out. I swear, some folks just love to question everything in the middle of a fight. I mean… fight going on here… not really discussion time. Gee, I have a wild idea snowflake, let's keep our social angst to ourselves and wait for an appropriate time to vent."
The game announced "Finish Him!" And Cable did just that, so Scott's character lost again. "Dang it! Oh well, son, what's the difference between a team leader and… well a general?"
"Scale…"
Scott briefly paused the game. "Good answer. A general usually is a good team leader, but many a team leader just doesn't scale up to large scale situations, the tendency for micromanagement being one example. Anything else?"
"Planning."
"Yep, the best leaders can think more then one or two moves ahead. Strategy vs. tactics, and logistics. But you know that. Anything else?"
"Obeyance. Can't be a leader if folks ignore your commands."
"Good one. A leader that is not obeyed is no leader. Why do you think folks do what she says?"
"Respect I guess, and fear. More then a few people really are afraid of her Dad. I've heard some of the stories and I can see why that makes folks obey."
"Good answer, it's more detailed then that though, there is trust by more then a few and friendship from some. But fear does work, especially with those who would be our enemies. Next."
A very important observation from Cable. "She doesn't give orders folks won't follow."
"Yep, never give an order that won't be obeyed, unless that is the true purpose of the order."
"True purpose?"
"Yeah, sometimes… you want to force somebody out into the open who is secretly working against you, hence you give them an order that goes against their true agenda. But really the true goal is you don't violate one's moral compass to the extent that they refuse."
"Meaning let the hunters and the butchers do what some won't."
"Yes, sometimes… you have to do things, order things, that… are difficult. A good leader knows the breaking point of their troops. What else?"
"Um… "
"Consequences." Answered Scott as he un-paused the game. "The understanding of what failure means. Something a captain needs to understand as the great captains are responsible for the defense of Krakoa. Our home, our people, which means… what?"
Cable answered after the game characters fought, and for the third time Cable was victorious. "The willingness to do what has to be done."
"Yep… to do the difficult, the unpleasant. The hardest thing I've ever done is send people to their deaths. Not all, heck most, can't really do that. And even fewer are able to do… call it… cruel or brutal things. Sometimes… sometimes you have to pick between evils, to go for the greater good… The ability to make the hard choices."
Cable mused upon what he knew of Magik. "And she can, and Gorgon, and Bishop. And… you Dad."
"Bingo son. Bingo, and that's in part why she's a great captain, one who's defiantly able to keep the other captains in line if it comes to that. And one I can trust as she'll do what I tell her needs to be done. Krakoa has lots of enemies and potential enemies. Some of which are personnel friends of more then a few here, fighting your enemies is easy compared to fighting your friends, much less your loved ones."
Cable started to load a new game as Scott mused out loud. "Funny, the X-Men have never attacked the Avengers, Fantastic Four, Carol Danvers, and the others but… the reverse is never true."
"Magneto has." Observed Cable as the game started, this was a teamwork game so Scott and Cable were now on the same team as they launched their spaceships to defeat the alien foe.
"Not as an X-Man, and I'd then point out that Wanda goes off the rails and attacks the Avengers every few months or so, whenever she has one of her episodes, and that never appears to be an issue with them. Hell, so do Danvers, talk about being a space fascist, then there is Tony Stark, the Hulk, and… just about everybody else. No… I've called many of them friend and yet…"
"They don't act very friendly a whole bunch of times." Observed Cable.
"No… call it lack of respect. The attack on Utopian being one of the more extreme examples."
"Not to mention the Fantastic Four attacking the Quiet Council." Injected Cable.
"Yes, but that was partially our fault as we did come on too strong when dealing with their son Franklin, which was a mistake. But I am disappointed on how they behaved."
Cable poised a question as his space ship launched a spread of photo torpedoes. "Is that why Gorgon is a captain? The whole being able to do bad things and the lack of any… friendships with external groups really describes him to a tee."
"Yes... and Magik."
"Yeah… I can see that. Ororo, Logan, others… they all have friendships with…"
"With people who have the most unfortunate history, and habit, of attacking us. Just recently, when the Government was locking up the few remaining mutants and performing vile experiments upon them the Avengers did… nothing. Not even Captain America, they just stood by and… told us that we had to understand it was a difficult time for them. Difficult for them… funny… I think Illyana, Rahne, Dani, and others… the ones the Government was torturing and experimenting on, were not in agreement with the Avenger's… difficulty. Avengers Assemble is a great catch phrase, but funny how mutants never are the beneficiary of their actions. Even the nation of Wakanda, who expresses friendship with Krakoa, proclaims that they don't need mutant drugs and refuses economic exchange between our two nations which… might nott bode well for the future."
"Yeah… when I brought you back to life, and then left, I did not expect that the government to do that, or that the Avengers would do nothing."
Scott's dreadnought plunged into a swarm of lesser attacking spaceships. "Yep, hypothetical question son… who would you task to… do bad things to people who claim to be our friends but who feel that they need to attack us yet… again?"
"Um… me?"
"Heck no son. For one your mother would kill me and… and I wouldn't want to do that to you son. So… who would you pick?"
"Likely the same as you Dad. Gorgon and Magik and… who they would then pick. And… I guess Bishop as well."
"Yes… the Quiet Council needs to have such tools in Krakoa's arsenal."
"Implied threat." Quietly observed Cable. "A reminder to… others of what just could happen."
"Sadly yes, one that is known, especially Magik as most Avengers can attest to, and Carol. Interestingly, when we were… in the alternate school we called the new Xavier School, Emma, Erik, Illyana, and I, nobody really came for us. Yeah the Avengers did once, but that was when we were briefly in Australia. But after that… really nobody. Not the Avengers, not Shield, not the other X-Men, nobody. Oh… briefly Xavier's idiot son from the future, but that again just demonstrated why."
"And that why was… Magik?"
"Scott's pet demon was how one person described her. Yeah… it started with the Utopian Extinction Team I put together, when she was locked up when not being used on a mission; an incarceration that I had ordered and she obeyed. Then The Phoenix Five, after that New Xavier School, and later when we were hanging out in a bar after you brought me back. Each and ever time she was the sergeant to my lieutenant. And she never once turned on me, we argued at times, but never fought. Never any physical altercation, which is rather unique in X-Men history now that I think about it."
A chuckle from Scott. "I remember this one time when we were facing the Avengers in Austria, they had come to arrest me, any way I was telling Illyana that then moment that the shield left Captain America's arm she was to… that's when she said 'Kill him?'"
"You can't kill Captain America!" Interrupted a surprised Cable, I mean… we're talking Captain America!
"That's what I told her." Answered Scott.
"And…?" Asked Cable.
"She said 'I so could' and she was really offended that I thought she couldn't."
"Ahhh…. that's a story I haven't heard before." Was Cable's answer. "I mean… I've read her file but it's obvious that lot's has been left out. And most people don't really talk about her. And she's not very… talkative about most things. Heck… a couple of days ago I…"
"Yes…?"
"It was dawn, I was out doing a run, up and down that hill that Keniuchio (Silver Samurai) built that small open Dojo upon. Every day there's somebody different up there greeting either the dawn or the sunset, usually meditating but others are sometimes doing solo fighting practice. Anyway, this time there were several people there, Logan, Keniuchio, Gorgon, Kwannon (Psylocke) and Illyana. They were all just sitting there on the floor with a small table between them. They were having some kind of Japanese tea ceremony and were just sipping and staring at each other. No word or conversation I could see, they just… being there."
"Odd and yet… somehow appropriate." Was Scott's comment. "You still practicing with her?"
"Yeah, sword and dagger. She's good to practice with as that whole mind hiding thing she can do is good practice for a telepath. Plus Gorgon is such an asshole to practice with as he loves to point out how much better he is."
Scott remembered an issue that he needed to talk to Cable about. "Thinking about the New Xavier School reminds me, oh young Casanova of Krakoa, be carful about a jilted telepath lover, or in this case a whole nest of them"
"I know Dad. Mom already had that talk with me. I know the Stepford Cuckoos are playing with me. Not to worry, I'm too smart for them to successfully manipulate me that way, and I've got lot's of other irons in the fire as it were."
A smile from Scott at Cables words. "Okay son." Some things just needed to be learned first hand. As the space battle game had ended he suggested. "One more game?"
"Sure Dad, but then I've got to go, date with Celeste." Cable setup for the next game, this one was another multi player game where you fought as a team; as tje intro animation played Cable thought the song that went along with the video was a good choice for the talk that he and Dad had just had. It was Do Well Bad by Kshmr.
Oh, my daddy taught me well
There's some devils in heaven and some angels in hell
So promise me child, when they pull your card
You'll know, you'll know which one you are
Ooh, oh ooh
Yeah, my daddy taught me well (Hey)
Ooh, oh ooh
If you can't do good, better do bad well
If you can't do good, better do bad well
…
…
Hmmm… that song described Magik rather well was Cable's passing thought as he anticipated his upcoming date with Celeste.
