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kangeiko pointed out, we all don't just have our absolute favourites in our respective fandoms, but also those characters we love with less fervour, but still undying affection. The ones who never quite make it to the "top ten favourite characters of all fandoms" lists, but are a part of the fictional universe we'd never want to miss.
So, in the spirit of listing lesser loves, today's offering on my part is one Scott Summers, aka Cyclops, of X-Men fandom. I got my introduction to the X-Men via the movies where poor Scott doesn't have much screentime, but still, I liked him and was somewhat astonished to find out later that many fans shared Logan's pov on him, since I didn't have the impression we were meant to assume Logan was right in X1. Actually, Wolverine's "humourless stiff" charge was belied by the fact that the script gave Scott the better retorts.
The macho posing of "Are you going to tell me to stay away from your girl" was undercut by "then she wouldn't be my girl, would she?", and Logan's complaints about the costumes with the inside joke "what would you prefer, spandex?" And I also thought Scott was dead-on with his observation re: Logan's constant attempts to seek an argument, that "it must kill you that a boy like me saved your life". So, after I had gluttoned myself on fanfic about my absolute favourites in the newly discovered X-Men (movie) world, Charles Xavier and Erik "Magneto" Lehnsherr, I began to look for something about good old Scott as well. Which was problematic, because movieverse fanfic, which was all I was able to read at the time, hardly offered anything. However, I started reading some of the comics, and conversely the fanfic for the movieverse began to change somewhat, with the result that I'm now even more fortified in my secondary love for Scott Summers, both comicverse and movieverse incarnation.
So why do I like him? Because he doesn't get the option of waltzing away every time he feels like angsting or pursuing a nemesis. (Okay, so he did that after the Apocalypse business, but everyone has a breaking point, and those were special circumstances. ) He's the team leader and stuck with the responsibility. Which he takes seriously. And he's not the team leader because he's the most powerful mutant, or older than the others, or a genius - he's the closest thing I can see in that universe to a normal man thrown into extraordinary circumstances and trying to make the best not just (or rather least of all) for himself but for the people with him as well. Speaking of extraordinary circumstances: the man hasn't been able to look at anyone except through a red filter since he was fourteen. (It was 14, right, comicverse experts?) I always regretted that they cut the scene in X1 where Wolverine jokes about Scott being such a stick and Jean retorts that if Scott is even a little careless, he could blast a hole in a mountain, so it's good for everyone he has a little self discipline. While I like my share of extroverts - like Londo Mollari in Babylon 5, for example - I'm drawn to stoic types who have a strong self control, partly because what it takes to see that slip somewhat is usually more interesting than everyone emoting and throwing temper tantrums all over the place.
Moving on from canon to fanon, I love the way Scott is presented impenknife's and artaxastra's stories; his relationship with Xavier, which is the most functional and affectionate father-son thing I've seen since the Siskos on DS9 (lo and behold, an American character who doesn't have Daddy issues!), and with Jean, because he's not just in love with her, they're friends first and foremost. Which is also an obvious danger, because if you fall in love with your best friend, then if you lose her you lose everything.
Back to canon: conversely, I'm intrigued by the relationship with Emma Frost as presented in the current run of Astonishing X-Men. I know I teasedkarabair about there being Wesley and Lilah parallels (with the dead Jean as Fred), but in truth, the differences are even greater, because as far as I can see, while Scott is aware of Emma's past as a villain, he does not use it against her. Can't imagine him saying anything like Wesley's "I didn't even think of you while you were here" to Emma. The "you're not, aren't you?" question when Emma says Kitty thinks Emma is controlling his thoughts comes across as dry teasing more than anything else to me.
So, Cyclops: I may not love and adore you the way I do the Crafty Old Men of X-Men-Dom, Xavier and Magneto, but I'm definitely rooting for you, and fanfic about you is always very welcome.
***
The publication of the sixth Harry Potter novel comes closer and closer, and the funniest (and most accurate, imo) set of predictions of how fandom at large will react is here. Be sure not to drink anything when you read it.
***
I don't know why, but the Alias muse keeps chatting with me, instead of letting the Multiverse muses talk. Newest ouevre:
"Last of the Jedi"
Not a Star Wars crossover, despite the title, but a story about Marshall Flinkman, set immediately after season 4.
***
If any Star Trek fan of old is in possession of an encyclopedia: do we know how old Chekov got, and what rank he held when he died? I need that for one of my stories.
kangeiko pointed out, we all don't just have our absolute favourites in our respective fandoms, but also those characters we love with less fervour, but still undying affection. The ones who never quite make it to the "top ten favourite characters of all fandoms" lists, but are a part of the fictional universe we'd never want to miss. So, in the spirit of listing lesser loves, today's offering on my part is one Scott Summers, aka Cyclops, of X-Men fandom. I got my introduction to the X-Men via the movies where poor Scott doesn't have much screentime, but still, I liked him and was somewhat astonished to find out later that many fans shared Logan's pov on him, since I didn't have the impression we were meant to assume Logan was right in X1. Actually, Wolverine's "humourless stiff" charge was belied by the fact that the script gave Scott the better retorts.
The macho posing of "Are you going to tell me to stay away from your girl" was undercut by "then she wouldn't be my girl, would she?", and Logan's complaints about the costumes with the inside joke "what would you prefer, spandex?" And I also thought Scott was dead-on with his observation re: Logan's constant attempts to seek an argument, that "it must kill you that a boy like me saved your life". So, after I had gluttoned myself on fanfic about my absolute favourites in the newly discovered X-Men (movie) world, Charles Xavier and Erik "Magneto" Lehnsherr, I began to look for something about good old Scott as well. Which was problematic, because movieverse fanfic, which was all I was able to read at the time, hardly offered anything. However, I started reading some of the comics, and conversely the fanfic for the movieverse began to change somewhat, with the result that I'm now even more fortified in my secondary love for Scott Summers, both comicverse and movieverse incarnation.
So why do I like him? Because he doesn't get the option of waltzing away every time he feels like angsting or pursuing a nemesis. (Okay, so he did that after the Apocalypse business, but everyone has a breaking point, and those were special circumstances. ) He's the team leader and stuck with the responsibility. Which he takes seriously. And he's not the team leader because he's the most powerful mutant, or older than the others, or a genius - he's the closest thing I can see in that universe to a normal man thrown into extraordinary circumstances and trying to make the best not just (or rather least of all) for himself but for the people with him as well. Speaking of extraordinary circumstances: the man hasn't been able to look at anyone except through a red filter since he was fourteen. (It was 14, right, comicverse experts?) I always regretted that they cut the scene in X1 where Wolverine jokes about Scott being such a stick and Jean retorts that if Scott is even a little careless, he could blast a hole in a mountain, so it's good for everyone he has a little self discipline. While I like my share of extroverts - like Londo Mollari in Babylon 5, for example - I'm drawn to stoic types who have a strong self control, partly because what it takes to see that slip somewhat is usually more interesting than everyone emoting and throwing temper tantrums all over the place.
Moving on from canon to fanon, I love the way Scott is presented im
penknife's and artaxastra's stories; his relationship with Xavier, which is the most functional and affectionate father-son thing I've seen since the Siskos on DS9 (lo and behold, an American character who doesn't have Daddy issues!), and with Jean, because he's not just in love with her, they're friends first and foremost. Which is also an obvious danger, because if you fall in love with your best friend, then if you lose her you lose everything. Back to canon: conversely, I'm intrigued by the relationship with Emma Frost as presented in the current run of Astonishing X-Men. I know I teased
karabair about there being Wesley and Lilah parallels (with the dead Jean as Fred), but in truth, the differences are even greater, because as far as I can see, while Scott is aware of Emma's past as a villain, he does not use it against her. Can't imagine him saying anything like Wesley's "I didn't even think of you while you were here" to Emma. The "you're not, aren't you?" question when Emma says Kitty thinks Emma is controlling his thoughts comes across as dry teasing more than anything else to me. So, Cyclops: I may not love and adore you the way I do the Crafty Old Men of X-Men-Dom, Xavier and Magneto, but I'm definitely rooting for you, and fanfic about you is always very welcome.
***
The publication of the sixth Harry Potter novel comes closer and closer, and the funniest (and most accurate, imo) set of predictions of how fandom at large will react is here. Be sure not to drink anything when you read it.
***
I don't know why, but the Alias muse keeps chatting with me, instead of letting the Multiverse muses talk. Newest ouevre:
"Last of the Jedi"
Not a Star Wars crossover, despite the title, but a story about Marshall Flinkman, set immediately after season 4.
***
If any Star Trek fan of old is in possession of an encyclopedia: do we know how old Chekov got, and what rank he held when he died? I need that for one of my stories.
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no subject
Date: 2005-06-23 12:55 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-06-23 12:57 pm (UTC)So why do I like him? Because he doesn't get the option of waltzing away every time he feels like angsting or pursuing a nemesis.
Scott has often puzzled me, because from what he does and what he's like, I would expect to be all over him. But he's never clicked with me. I don't share Wolverine's view of him; Wolverine is the kind of guy I like, and enjoy watching, while thinking he's really a bit of a prick sometimes, and this is one of those times. I've wondered if it's the visor thing that's creating this distance, because really, he should be my kind of guy.
Might go check out your recs, though, and see what happens. :-)
no subject
Date: 2005-06-23 01:05 pm (UTC)"Normal" (http://penknife.freeservers.com/Normal.htm)
and, by the same writer, an excellent Logan story (http://penknife.freeservers.com/Role_Models.htm) set after X2 which has a terrific take on Scott as well.
no subject
Date: 2005-06-23 02:39 pm (UTC)Come and declare your love!
no subject
Date: 2005-06-23 07:25 pm (UTC)http://www.livejournal.com/users/k_julia/18977.html
no subject
Date: 2005-07-11 10:19 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-06-23 01:07 pm (UTC)Very cool comments!
Date: 2005-06-23 02:52 pm (UTC)Re: Very cool comments!
Date: 2005-06-23 03:34 pm (UTC)How does one adress a Commander in Chief when talking to him? Admiral? Or another title?
Re: Very cool comments!
Date: 2005-06-23 06:52 pm (UTC)Re: Very cool comments!
Date: 2005-06-23 07:16 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-06-23 02:55 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-06-23 04:57 pm (UTC)I need to do a tribute to my second-tier loves, which are the blissfully oblivious comic characters (Harmony, Andrew, Anya and early Cordy, etc).
no subject
Date: 2005-06-23 05:06 pm (UTC)For the Jossverse, I'd make similar choices...
no subject
Date: 2005-06-23 05:09 pm (UTC)I'm sure this all comes from my affection for Nick Bottom, Mr. Micawber, Emma Woodhouse's father, etc. . .
no subject
Date: 2005-06-23 07:32 pm (UTC)Sharing the Scott-love.
no subject
Date: 2005-06-24 03:47 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-06-23 10:04 pm (UTC)http://www.memory-alpha.org/en/wiki/Pavel_Chekov
Scroll down to the section Apocrypha: Among other things it's stated that he still served as Fleet Admiral in the Dominion Wars.
no subject
Date: 2005-06-24 03:38 am (UTC)Thank you.