September 25, 2009

A Short Letter to Dan and his Sissy Saints

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Dan,

This NFL Sunday it’s Drew versus Trent,

And when the clock strikes 00:00 you’ll be wondering where your high powered offense went.

Our defensive line has already made Brady look like a bitch,

So watch as Marcus Stroud serves Drew Brees a turf sandwich.

On the sidelines look out for T.O. and Lee

As they remind Jabari Greer as to where he’d rather be. 

Fred Jackson will run for at least 100 more,

While Reggie stays on the sidelines wishing he could score.

But it’s ok Dan, we all know your team’s gonna blow

When they visit the Ralph this Sunday up in ol’Buffalo.

-Andy 

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September 8, 2009

X-Men Power Rankings Appendix D

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Now that the X-Men Power Rankings are completed, I’m sure you’ve noticed a few characters were omitted from the list. Characters who in current Marvel 616 continuity are either dead, in comic book limbo since the Messiah Complex event began, or have only recently reappeared in comics after the Power Rankings had already begun.

So, here we are with the appendices- a place to briefly discuss these characters who didn’t make the list and where they would have been placed if they had. Lets keep rolling with our fourth Appendix!

darkwolverine76varDaken: Akihiro is the son of Wolverine and the Japanese woman, Itsu. Yes, Wolverine has a son… crazy, right? To be blunt Daken is one bad ass mo fo. He’s every bit as savage as his father with a little more tact than Logan had at his age (whatever that may be). He has a poor relationship with Logan as he’s pissed that his father never played a role in his life and never made an effort to contact him (in Wolverine’s defense he had no idea Daken even existed). Currently Daken has donned the alias of ‘Wolverine,’ and the costume to go with it, as a member of Norman Osborn’s Dark Avengers while simultaneously serving as a leading member of the Dark X-Men. Apparently he follows in his father’s footsteps in more ways than one.

Powers: Like Logan, Daken’s power set is a long laundry list that includes: a regenerative healing factor, enhanced sight, smell and hearing, superhuman reflexes and stamina, pheromone control, telepathic immunity, and he’s a master martial artist. He has three retractable bone claws and while they may not be fused with adamantium, two of them (that protrude from his wrists) are laced with shards of the Muramasa Blade; the only known weapon that can kill Wolverine. Daken was vetoed from the Rankings because he isn’t an X-Man, but he would have made it to the low 20’s.

First Appearance: Wolverine Origins #10, 2007.

250px-Avalanche_XCorpsAvalanche: Dominikos Ioannis Petrakis used to be one of those laughable X-villains, almost always being on the receiving end of a can o’whoop ass from the X-Men. However, since M-Day Avalanche has changed his tune, straying from a life of crime and going legit; he’s now the owner of the mutant-friendly bar, Nick’s, in San Francisco. Most recently in the Utopia story line Dominikos took on two heavy hitters in Ares, who choked him out, and then Daken, who nearly hacked him in half. Presently he is a prisoner of Norman Osborn’s Dark X-Men. Although Avalanche has yet to show his true power potential he can be very destructive when using his abilities. He wasn’t ranked because while he may no longer be a villain, he’s not an X-Man either. Had Dominikos made the list he would have been placed somewhere in the low 50’s.

Powers: Avalanche can generate powerful waves of vibrations from his hands that can completely destroy inorganic objects. When his powers are directed towards larger structures, such as tall buildings, the effects are very similar to that of an earthquake or avalanche. Unless they are somehow reflected back at him, Avalanche is immune to the effects of his own powers. While the full extent of his abilities are unknown, he has yet to prove that he is capable of destroying something as large as an entire city.

First Appearance: X-Men #141, 1981.

686169-quick_largeQuicksilver: Pietro Maximoff, the son of Magneto and brother to the Scarlet Witch and Polaris, was omitted from the Power Rankings because he’s not only an X-team but his appearances since Messiah Complex concluded have been very limited. In 2008 there was the one-shot, X-Factor: The Quick and the Dead where Pietro regained his powers and rescued an innocent person; an action that sparked the desire to be a hero once more. Later he showed up in Mighty Avengers where he was proven innocent of his former crimes. He would have been ranked between #24 and #22.

Powers: Quicksilver’s primary ability is super speed; he can at least reach Mach 4 (3,080 mph) and in all likelihood can go even faster. While running he is immune to the effects of friction, requires a reduced level of oxygen, and is not affected by impacts upon his body. Pietro has enhanced strength (being able to lift 1,000 lbs and can press 1 ton with his legs) and is invisible to precognition. Despite his impulsiveness and mental instability, Quicksilver is intellectually talented and able to think at incredibly fast speeds. He’s also a skilled hand to hand combatant.

First Appearance: X-Men #4, 1964.

Come back to MintConditionPublishing.com for more Appendices!

 

September 6, 2009

X-Men Power Rankings Appendix C

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Now that the X-Men Power Rankings are completed, I’m sure you’ve noticed a few characters were omitted from the list. Characters who in current Marvel 616 continuity are either dead, in comic book limbo since the Messiah Complex event began, or have only recently reappeared in comics after the Power Rankings had already begun.

So, here we are with the appendices- a place to briefly discuss these characters who didn’t make the list and where they would have been placed if they had. Check out the third appendix below!

omegaOmega Sentinel: Karima Shapandar missed the Power Rankings because only heroes were ranked and this Prime Sentinel (a human who has been transformed into one of the mutant killing machines) was a member of the Marauders during Messiah Complex. She then fell in with the Acolytes after the event. Post X-Men Legacy #225 (where Charles Xavier single-handedly dismantled the Acolytes’ base defenses and disbanded the team without delivering a single blow) Karima relocated to San Francisco where it has yet to be determined if she has officially fallen back in with the X-Men. Given her power set I would have ranked her between #20 and #16.

Powers: Since Karima is fitted with the Omega-Prime Sentinel nanite technology, she is granted a vast array of abilities. She has enhanced strength, speed, endurance, and reflexes, as well as the ability to fly and repair any damage that she may receive. Upon completing these repairs she becomes stronger and more durable than she was before the damage. Technopathy allows her to control machines on a limited scale and life support technology makes her extremely difficult to ‘kill.’ Since Karima is a sentinel, she also has an arsenal of weapons concealed within her. 

First Appearance: X-Men Unlimited #27, 2000.

blindfodlBlindfold: This is kind of embarrassing on my part but Blindfold was omitted because… well… I forgot about her. Oops. She made a few appearances in the X-story lines preceding Messiah Complex and then showed up as a major player in Young X-Men, but for whatever reason she totally slipped my mind while formulating the rankings. I guess she’s just one of those easily forgettable characters. 

Powers: Despite being physically blind (her eye sockets are completely covered with skin) Ruth Aldine’s primary power is precognition; the ability to see forsee events destined to occur and experience visions about these events. Her powers are similar to those of Layla Miller who ‘knows stuff,’ but to a slightly lesser (and less interesting) extent. Also, Blindfold is a bit more dramatic with her delivery about said events. She is retrocognitive in that she can see the past, and clairvoyance allows her to visualize far off places and events and even visualize her present surroundings. Possessing a low level of telepathy, Ruth can read minds and dreams but is unable to send thoughts to others. While she isn’t immune to psychic attacks she is protected from telepathic control or possession and her mind cannot be read telepathically. Due to her visions being very cryptic and not immediately useful in addition to her lack of any offensive power, Blindfold would have been ranked at #74… maybe even #75.

First Appearance: Astonishing X-Men #7, 2005.

huskHusk: Paige Guthrie is another one of those characters who has been lost in comic book limbo for a few years. She was last seen post Messiah Complex in the mini series Divided We Stand where all she did was pick up her brother, Sam Guthrie, and drive him home for a short visit. It would appear that she has decided to stay in Kentucky with her family and that her romance with Warren Worthington III has come to an end. 

Powers: Husk’s ability is formally called Transitional Omni-morph Husking which essentially means that she can change her body to imitate any solidity that she is familiar with (that matches her body mass). This includes (but is not limited to) adamantium, rubber, diamond, granite, glass, wood, and brick. Paige can maintain her husk form for about an hour before being forced back to her flesh and blood state. She can ‘husk away’ smaller injuries but the effects of more serious wounds cannot be shed. A side effect of her powers is that when husking she sheds her clothes, meaning that upon reverting back to her original form she is buck ass nekked. Husk would have been ranked in the high 40’s or the low 50’s.

First Appearance: New Mutants #42, 1986.

Keep checking back for more Appendices!

 

September 3, 2009

X-Men Power Rankings Appendix B

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Now that the X-Men Power Rankings are completed, I’m sure you’ve noticed a few characters who were omitted from the list. Characters who in current Marvel 616 continuity are either dead, in comic book limbo since the Messiah Complex event began, or have only recently reappeared in comics after the Power Rankings had already begun.

So, here we are with the appendices- a place to briefly discuss these characters who didn’t make the list and where they would have been placed if they had. Let us continue…

astonishingx43Shadowcat: Honestly, I’m surprised no one gave me any flak for leaving Kitty Pryde out of the Rankings. Even so, here’s my reasoning: the Rankings were focused on characters who have appeared during or after the Messiah Complex event. The last time we saw Shadowcat in current continuity was during the Giant Size Astonishing X-Men One-Shot (published right before MC) where she was trapped inside a giant bullet hurtling towards the Earth as a form of doomsday device. Right before impact Kitty activated her powers, turning the weapon intangible and phasing it and herself through the planet. She saved the world, but as a consequence she’s floating through space inside this freakin’ thing and we haven’t seen her since. So there ya go.

bulletPowers: Shadowcat can pass through any solid object by phasing her atoms through the spaces between the atoms of the object she is passing through. Got that? This ability makes Shadowcat intangible and therefore untouchable. She can also walk on air, extend her power to anything and anyone she is touching (which includes her clothes and her friends), disrupt any electrical object by phasing through it, and she’s immune to telepathy while intangible. Kitty is also an expert martial artist and computer technician. Due to her power set had Shadowcat been Power Ranked I would have placed her somewhere between number 12 and number 6. 

First Appearance: X-Men #129, 1980.

844241-talyafav_superNocturne: Talia Wagner, the daughter of Nightcrawler and Scarlet Witch of Earth 2182, is one of those characters who is stuck in comic book limbo. She was most recently featured in Chris Claremont’s New Excalibur run which ended in 2007. At that time she had suffered a stroke which essentially rendered her useless to the team. This really had no relevance at all except that it was an obvious attempt to provoke empathy from the reader about a character no one really cared about. Nocturne’s most recent appearance was a brief one in the final issue of New Exiles (also written by Claremont) where she had apparently recovered from her stroke and led the team for awhile in Blink’s absence. That was back in 2008. She would have been Ranked somewhere in the late 60’s because of her health condition and lack of power display. 

Powers: Nocturne’s most prominent mutant ability are her Brimstone Hex Bolts. With these bolts she affects probability fields by taking energy from the Brimstone Dimension (which is where Nightcrawler briefly goes when teleporting), creating a finite pocket of reality of disrupting psionic force which upon hitting a target causes a disturbance within them on a molecular level. Talia also has the power of body possession with which she can possess one person for 12 hours within a 24 hour period. Additional powers include heightened agility and reflexes, night vision, and a very low level of telepathy. Oh, and her tail is also retractable.

First Appearance: X-Men: Millennial Visions, 2000 (as a background character) and Blink #4, 2001 (in an actual role).

712878-caliban_00_largeCaliban: This dude bit the bullet hard during Messiah Complex… literally. During a battle with the Reavers, Caliban leapt in front of an array of bullets targeted for teammate Warpath which killed him. So why didn’t he make the Power Rankings you may ask? Because he’s dead you fool! Well, sort of. In the current run of X-Force we saw a zombie version of Caliban who was reanimated via villain Eli Bard’s Transmode Virus. It would appear that this will be the fate for many formerly deceased mutants as the villainess Selene is using them for her own army of mutant zombies. Look for this plot to unfold during the Necrosha story arc in October.

Powers: Caliban can absorb the psionic energy of fear in others around him and convert it into physical strength. At his peak he is able to lift 10 tons. Additionally, Caliban can amplify the fear in others’ minds to a greater degree of intensity, psionically sense any other mutants around him within a 25 mile radius, and he has superhuman speed, enhanced stamina, durability, reflexes, and agility. All things considered though, I would have ranked him somewhere in the 60’s.

First Appearance: Uncanny X-Men #148, 1981.

Stay tuned for more!

 

September 1, 2009

X-Men Power Rankings Appendix A

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Now that the X-Men Power Rankings are completed, I’m sure you’ve noticed a few characters who were omitted from the list. Characters who in current Marvel 616 continuity are either dead, in comic book limbo since the Messiah Complex event began, or have only recently reappeared in comics after the Power Rankings had already begun.

So, here we are with the appendices- a place to briefly discuss these characters who didn’t make the list and where they would have been placed if they had. Lets get started!

Hope_Summers_in_Messiah_War_one-shotHope Summers: I didn’t include Hope because we know practically nothing about her. Sure, in current continuity she has been dubbed the last hope for mutantkind while contrarily in Bishop’s future she’s the reason for mutankind’s demise, but we know nothing for sure. That ambiguity made her difficult to rank accurately despite her showing some promise in the Cable series (where Nathan is charged with keeping her alive while Bishop aims to kill her) and in the recent Messiah War event, but it’s way too soon to tell. If I had to put her somewhere, I suppose she’d rank last because currently she’s just a helpless little kid. Oh, and before you start freaking out about her last name, it’s Summers because Cable is practically her adopted father.

Powers: Like I said, we don’t know much about them, but what we do know is that when she was born Cerebro blew up and when Rogue touched her as a baby she survived without any incident and actually purged Rogue of her absorbed memories and powers, setting her back to her original power setting. She’s also learned how to fight as well as various survival techniques from her time spent with Cable.

First Appearance: X-Men #205, 2008.

jeanJean Grey Summers: Considering I only ranked X-Men who are currently alive, Jean obviously couldn’t make the cut. However, if she were still kicking she’d easily clock in at #1. Sorry Emma, but the truth hurts.

Powers: Jean is an incredibly powerful telepath who also has the ability of telekinesis, possessing all of the abilities that go with those two powers. She’s the Phoenix Force avatar (Phoenix, Dark Phoenix, White Phoenix), making her a cosmic entity that never seems to die. Yeah, you don’t fuck with Jean. I’m not going to get into detail about her powers because if you don’t know them already, you have some serious reading to do!

First Appearance: X-Men #1, 1963.

148085-116060-ch-od_largeCh’od: I have no good reason, but I really dig Ch’od as a character. Still, I had to leave our alien buddy out of the Rankings because while he may currently be running around with Havok, Polaris, and Rachel Summers he isn’t technically a member of the X-Men- he’s a Starjammer. Due to this reason, I omitted him from the Rankings. If he did make the cut, considering how he was withstanding Shi’ar torture to the point of laughing at it in X-Men: Kingbreaker, I would have put him somewhere in-between Deadpool (#25) and Warpath (#32).

Powers: Ch’od can breathe under water, swim really fast, has super strength, stamina, speed, and durability. He’s also an excellent marksman, fighter, and swordsman.

First Appearance: Uncanny X-Men #104, 1977. Notice how it’s the same year Star Wars was released? Seems like Marvel was trying to capitalize on the craze by doing a sci-fi epic of their own.

200px-RazaLongknife001Raza Longknife: I omitted Raza from the Rankings for the same reason as Ch’od- he’s a Starjammer not an X-Man. Plus, we’re not really sure if he’s even alive right now given how X-Men: Kingbreaker ended, but if he were and I had Ranked him, he’d clock in somewhere between Domino (#47) and Sage (#40).

Powers: Raza is an alien cyborg and as such he has cybernetic strength, speed, endurance, reflexes, and a cybermorphic hand blade which comes in handy with his superior sword skills. He’s also an expert marksman and hand to hand combatant. Raza’s cyborg eye grants him enhanced cyberoptics and computer-guided movements. He’s basically a space pirate/ninja hybrid.

First Appearance: Uncanny X-Men #107, 1977.

wizarduniverse_2064_1481821826Lilandra Neramani: You should get the gist by now with these space characters- just like Ch’od and Raza, while Lilandra, the Shi’ar Princess, has a definite history with the X-Men she technically isn’t one of them. Plus, Darkhawk recently killed her in War of Kings so she didn’t meet the criteria to get ranked anyway. I’d put her somewhere within #57 (Siryn) and #52 (Hellion).

Powers: Lilandra’s powers are those of superior leadership qualities than anything else. Although she does have superhuman strength and limited telepathic abilities. She’s also an expert pilot and politician and can wield any Shi’ar energy weapon with ease.

First Appearance: X-Men #97, 1976.

Stay tuned for more appendices!

 

August 28, 2009

X-Men Power Rankings #1

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Here were are, the #1 pick of my X-Men Power Rankings. It took us long enough, but we’ve finally reached our destination. The chosen character is in my opinion, the most powerful and bad ass the current X-Men have to offer. Be sure to read to the end of this post as therein contains a special announcement concerning the Rankings. So, here goes…

So what are power rankings? Mostly used to rank sports teams on how well they are playing now, my power rankings are a list of X-Men based on what their power set is in current continuity (or most recent appearance). Other factors that determined a character’s ranking are: what their power potential is, what they’ve already proven they can do (so long as it is still relevant in current continuity), and their over all level of badassness. If you disagree with me that’s totally cool- please leave a civilized comment explaining why. I don’t expect everyone to agree with me, and while I believe this list to be very solid in it’s numbering, I want to hear your thoughts! Here she is, Number One:

emma12#1. Emma Frost: That’s right, Emma tops our list of most powerful X-Men in current Marvel continuity and for many reasons. Like Cyclops, she’s a natural born leader- from the Hellfire Club to the Hellions to Gen X to the New X-Men to the Uncanny X-Men to the Dark X-Men, Emma Frost has a tactical mind like no other, and with her telepathic powers she possesses the ability to lead a people. Many of you are probably thinking that her current leadership role with the Dark X-Men, her involvement with Norman Osborn’s Cabal, and the name change to the Black Queen is evidence that Emma has betrayed the X-Men. I don’t think that is necessarily the case, and as bits and pieces of the Utopia story line unfold, it seems more and more to me that she and Cyclops are in it together- Emma serving as a mole in Osborn’s operations while Cyke continues with business as usual on the outside. Here are some observations that support this theory; Cyclops has been anything but upset with Emma’s ‘defection.’ It would make sense to me that he would be more frustrated or shocked at her move to join Osborn as opposed to patient and calm about it. Second, Emma stopped Daken from beating on Hellion and even told her Dark X-Men to use non-lethal force when subduing mutant protesters. This supports the idea that she hasn’t gone nuts and is thinking very rationally, and a rationally thinking Emma just doesn’t switch sides on a whim. Finally, she was sticking it to Osborn in Dark Avengers #7 (Utopia part III) by asking him pressure filled questions that put him in the hot seat. This behavior shows that she doesn’t trust Norman… so why would she turn on her friends and family for him? It makes no damn sense. Concerning her power level, Emma has taken down Xavier in a battle of the minds before (most recently in X-Men Legacy), answering the question as to who’s the more powerful telepath on the X-Men and why she beats him out in our rankings. The woman is tough as nails, a strong leader with unmatchable cunning and wit. She deserves this #1 spot of the X-Men Power Rankings.

Powers: Emma Frost’s power potential as a telepath is a significant factor for her being ranked #1. Her diamond form helps too, but she is one of the most powerful telepaths of mutantkind, second only to Jean Grey (when not dead). As a telepath Emma can project blasts of psionic energy, broadcast and receive thoughts, mind-control, mind switch (where she can enter the emma13consciousness of another living being and control their body as if it were her own), alter perceptions and memories, perform psychometry (the ability to obtain information about an individual through physical contact with the person or one of their belongings), and she can induce mental pain through touch. A unique skill Emma has over other telepaths is that she has absolute control over individual brain functions which allows her to manipulate their physical form- meaning that she can control her nervous system, the speed in which her injuries are healed, and even repair the harshest of disabilities. Emma’s secondary mutation allows her to transform into organic diamond, granting her superhuman strength (she can lift up to 2 tons), enhanced stamina (considering it’s virtually impossible for her muscles to tire in this form given how they don’t produce any lactic acids being solid diamond), super durability- she needs no food, water, or air in diamond form, and she can resist temperatures as hot as 7, 362 degrees and as cold as -320 degrees Fahrenheit. She can only transform her entire body into diamond (not select parts like Iceman’s ability with ice), and if rendered unconscious her body would revert back to its normal state. However, like a real diamond, Frost can be shattered if struck in a certain flawed area, and while in this form she is unable to use her telepathic abilities. Emma is also an expert technician (having developed devices that amplify psionic energy), practically unbeatable on the astral plane, and a master seductress.

First Appearance: X-Men #129, 1980.

So there you have it- a complete power rankings of the currently active X-Men! I hope you enjoyed this special feature here at Comic Impact, and if you feel like you’re going to go through mutant withdrawal, worry not my friends. I have planned for you a special ‘appendix’ for the Power Rankings which will feature those characters who didn’t make our list because they’re either dead, in comic book limbo and not in a current X-book, or have recently reappeared but after I had already begun the rankings and completed the list.

So stay tuned to MintConditionPublishing.com as I present to you the X-Men Power Rankings Appendix!

 

August 26, 2009

X-Men Power Rankings #2

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Here we are, in the middle of the Top 3 Power Rankings and only one number away from numero uno! It took us long enough but we’re about to rank the best of the absolute best the X-Men have to offer. So brace yourself. Things are getting intense!

So what are power rankings? Mostly used to rank sports teams on how well they are playing now, my power rankings are a list of X-Men based on what their power set is in current continuity (or most recent appearance). Other factors that determined a character’s ranking are: what their power potential is, what they’ve already proven they can do (so long as it is still relevant in current continuity), and their over all level of badassness. If you disagree with me that’s totally cool- please leave a civilized comment explaining why. I don’t expect everyone to agree with me, and while I believe this list to be very solid in it’s numbering, I want to hear your thoughts! So anyway, here is number 2:

cyclops#2. Cyclops: Think back to the 1960s, 70s, 80s, and 90s when Scott Summers was Professor Xavier’s ‘yes man’ boy scout. A time when he was the hall monitor of the X-Men, the goody-two-shoes of mutantkind. Well, picture that time and then forget about it because in 2009 Cyclops is hands down the most bad ass X-Man on the roster. He has stones of steel and only one thing on his mind; preserving mutantkind as a race and going to whatever lengths necessary to do so. He has readily become the lighthouse for mutants everywhere, and is unofficially the new leader of everyone with the X-gene. For more reasons why Cyclops is hardcore and deserving of the #2 spot, click here and read the detailed article I wrote about him.

Powers: Cyke’s power, as I’m sure we all know, is to emit a concussive ruby colored energy blast (or optic beam) from his eyes. As the result of a childhood injury, his control over the beams is very limited, which is why he has to wear a visor (or sunglasses) made of ruby quartz to prevent them from escaping while his eyes are opened. However, in Joss Whedon’s run of Astonishing X-Men, there was a brief time where Cyclops had control of his beams which allowed him to fully open his eyes without them escaping. Since the conclusion of that story arc though, this idea has not been touched upon. The blasts do not harm him, and the thin membrane of his eyelids is enough to stop the emission of energy (of course, with his eyes closed he cannot see) from busting loose. Scott’s eyes act as a valve control for the width of his beams, meaning if he squints they will be more finely tuned than if his eyes are wide open. The visor he wears makes this job easier for him. The narrowest beam he can generate is the width of a pencil that can travel 4 feet with the concussive force of 2 pounds per square inch. His broadest beam is about 90 feet which can travel 50 feet with the force of 10 pounds per square inch. Cyclops’ most powerful optic blast is 4 feet across which from 50 feet away has a concussive impact of 500 pounds per square inch! After the distance of 2,000 feet his beam becomes ineffective. Also, if he were to blast away for a solid 15 minutes, he would become fatigued, causing the beam to be temporarily non-functional and forcing him to ‘recharge’ his power. There is speculation that Scott has yet to use his optic beams at their full potential- partly because of how dangerous it could be, and partly because he doesn’t have full control over them. Tony Stark once recorded that his energy output is well over 2 giga-watts- more powerful than a nuclear reactor. When in combat, Scott is attuned to his environment in such a way that he can see angles clearly with which to blast an opponent or have his beams ricochet in his favor. He is also a natural leader, stand out pilot, master tactician, and a very capable hand to hand fighter- in the past he’s stood toe to toe with the likes of Wolverine and Ghost Rider. Cyclops is also Havok and Vulcan’s brother.

First Appearance: X-Men #1, 1963.

 

August 25, 2009

X-Men Power Rankings #3

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Here we are, the Top 3! It took us long enough but we’re about to rank the best of the absolute best the X-Men have to offer. So brace yourself. Things are getting intense!

So what are power rankings? Mostly used to rank sports teams on how well they are playing now, my power rankings are a list of X-Men based on what their power set is in current continuity (or most recent appearance). Other factors that determined a character’s ranking are: what their power potential is, what they’ve already proven they can do (so long as it is still relevant in current continuity), and their over all level of badassness. If you disagree with me that’s totally cool- please leave a civilized comment explaining why. I don’t expect everyone to agree with me, and while I believe this list to be very solid in it’s numbering, I want to hear your thoughts! Enough already- let’s start the Top 3:

xavier1#3. Charles Xavier: Notice how I omitted the ‘Professor’ from his name? Well, considering Charlie baby isn’t teaching anymore I deemed it appropriate. Originally I didn’t even have Chuck ranked in the Top 15 because not only did Cyclops kick him off of the X-Men (for good reasons), but he had his head blown open at the end of Messiah Complex and when Exodus brought him back to life in X-Men Legacy, he seemed to take a severe hit in his power level which accompanied a fractured memory. Xavier has also become a man who has lost his way and is trying to desperately discover who he is as a person. However, the events of X-Men Legacy #225 swayed my opinion of his power status when Xavier literally marched into the base of the Acolytes, easily dismantling the traps and security systems. Then, without a single attack from either side, he convinced Exodus, Omega Sentinel, Random, and all of the other Acolytes to disband for the betterment of mutantkind. Wow. Plus in previous issues of Legacy he tamed the living embodiment of the Danger Room- Danger, manipulated Juggernaut even with his psi-shielded helmet on, cleared the remnants of Mystique from Rogue’s psyche, and helped her to finally control her absorption powers. Sure, in the current Utopia storyline Charles is a drooling vegetable and prisoner of Norman Osborn, but for now, I won’t hold that against him as he otherwise seems to be back to his old self… and he can walk!

Powers: Chuck is one of the most powerful telepaths on the planet (but one person trumps him), and as such he can read minds and project his thoughts into the minds of others within a 250 mile radius, create telepathic illusions, telepathically mask his presence (and those around him) from others, as well as change his perceived physical appearance. Xavier also has the ability to place large amounts of information into someones mind or alter their memory, control the minds of others or mentally possess their bodies to use as his own, cause memory loss, and he can sense the presence of nearby mutants. As a form of defense Xavier can create a psychic shield around himself (and those nearby), and for offense he can project psionic blasts that have the power to incapacitate or even kill. What’s really bad ass about Charlie is that he has the ability to transfer his mind and powers into another host body in-case he was ever killed. He is also a natural genius, is skilled at creating equipment to enhance psionic powers (like Cerebro and Cerebra), and is trained by the U.S. Military (he fought in Korea) as an expert fighter. Not to mention that Charles’ dark side has come to light recently as he’s not someone to be f-ed with.

First Appearance: X-Men #1, 1963.

 

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