Iron Man: House of M #2 - More critical than you'd think?

[thefrozenred]

Spoilers, naturally.














So, after reading those (actually pretty damn) shocking final pages of Iron Man: HoM #2, does anyone else think that the mutant population's reduction to 300 is more and more likely to stick in the normal 616 universe?

I thought it was a pretty good twist. :)

[Frequency]

I'm not reading the title, nor most of the House of M tie-ins for that matter until they come out in paperback form at least, what were the last few pages of, if you don't mind me asking?

(And I ask mainly because the spoiler warning is already in place)

[thefrozenred]

I'm not reading the title, nor most of the House of M tie-ins for that matter until they come out in paperback form at least, what were the last few pages of, if you don't mind me asking?

(And I ask mainly because the spoiler warning is already in place)

Hank Pym designs a device that causes anyone with the mutant gene to "melt down." Hence, in the climatic scene, Johnny Storm is rescuing Pym as House of M mutants close in for the kill (Stark is closing in fast, but not fast enough). Suddenly, Pym activates a device, and in a blue flash of light, all the mutants melt away, whereas Pym, Storm, and Stark are all uneffected.

Stark, now furious with the House of Magnus, asks Pym...

Stark: How many more of these did you make, Pym?
Pym: Oh. Lots.
Stark: And where are they?
Pym: EVERYWHERE. (as the three of them hover high above the city)

Hence, I'm thinking that Hank Pym, Tony Stark, and Johnny Storm are going to be genocidal maniacs responsible for reducing the mutant population to 300. :)

[Frequency]

:eek: :eek: :eek:

Yeeeeeeeeeeeeessss....

[Twin Twist]

Shame Pat Lee is drawing it and that I have to read about it here instead of buying the damn book.

[thefrozenred]

Shame Pat Lee is drawing it and that I have to read about it here instead of buying the damn book.

If I wasn't one of the three Shellheads on this board (Wreckgar and Armada Jetfire being the other two), Pat Lee would have completely prevented me from buying this book as well.

Fear not, you aren't alone. :)

[Chrono Grimlock]

I really, really hope the mutant population of 300 isn't a goal. There's like 700 X-Men alone and with Prof X rebuilding Genosha, makes it feel like sticking with Excalibur for 14 issues such a waste.

[Switchblade]

I really, really hope the mutant population of 300 isn't a goal. There's like 700 X-Men alone and with Prof X rebuilding Genosha, makes it feel like sticking with Excalibur for 14 issues such a waste.
I doubt they'll kill many, if any, actual characters. My guess is they're just trimming random background mutants. Unless they choose to continue Weapon X's massacre of 90s supporting mutants. But my guess is we won't lose anyone with a name.

[King Starscream]

So my hopes of Stacy X surviving the onslaught have a glimmer of hope? :D

[PopCulturePooka]

Jubilee, M, Chamber, Maggot and Reyes BETTER DAMNED SURVIVE!

[ArmadaJetfire]

all I have to say about the Mutant population being trimmed down to 300........















"Justice is servered!!!!!!!!!!" :thumb :thumb :thumb

[Switchblade]

Jubilee, M, Chamber, Maggot and Reyes BETTER DAMNED SURVIVE!
Chamber and Jubilee will be back, according to the letter column in last week's X-Men.

M is part of the new X-Factor.

Maggot was killed in a the Neverland death camp in Weapon X.

Cecelia was also in that death camp, but was alive last time anyone saw her. General rumor is, though, that Marvel considers her to be killed off-panel.

Me? I just want to see Longshot and Marrow again. :(

[Weremole]

o, after reading those (actually pretty damn) shocking final pages of Iron Man: HoM #2, does anyone else think that the mutant population's reduction to 300 is more and more likely to stick in the normal 616 universe?

That whas like; the first thing ever told about House Of M; that it would scale down the Mutant population.

I think its rather sad really. The large scale Mutant population gave X-Men some much needed credence for existance. No matter what freaky plotlines came out of it suddenly X-Men made a lot of real sense. In them being a sort of combined mutant protective squadron/teachers/anti terrorist group and less super heroes. I don't really see X-Men as "super heroes" no matter what powers they have.

Maybe because I'm quite fond of the "uniform" look of the 90's X-Men. I allways thought the codenames where more like nicknames as well.


Oh well. Hopefully it'll work out. I just wonder how Stark, Pym and Johnny will survive post-HOM Marvel universe. 0_o

[Chrono Grimlock]

This event has me quite confused about the post HoM universe. How can the mutant population be wiped out in the HoM-verse and still be affected in the 616-verse? These are two different realities. So, if this somehow crosses over, wouldn't Sue Storm and Reed Richards be dead? Or will this just be selected events that crossover? my brain hurts :(

[PopCulturePooka]

Maggot was killed in a the Neverland death camp in Weapon X.

:banghead:
I meant marrow.

[Switchblade]

:banghead:
I meant marrow.
Ah.

Yeah, she really does need to come back. My biggest fear about the new Weapon X miniseries is that they'll kill her off.

[Frequency]

I agree with Switchblade, this is more or less to clear the air of that mutant baby-boom that has been in place since Morrison's New X-men. I'd say if the character has been in any of the 3 major X-books in the past year it's safe to say they'll live, though a couple might be shaved off the top to surprise people...

[Wreckgar]

If I wasn't one of the three Shellheads on this board (Wreckgar and Armada Jetfire being the other two), Pat Lee would have completely prevented me from buying this book as well.

Fear not, you aren't alone. :)
Yep

[Xcandescent]

I haven't read X-Men in a while, but wasn't the whole point to the mutant baby boom spelled out in the first volume of Morrison's New X-Men: i.e. humanity is destined to die out? Has that been addressed or retconned yet?

-XCN-

[Switchblade]

I haven't read X-Men in a while, but wasn't the whole point to the mutant baby boom spelled out in the first volume of Morrison's New X-Men: i.e. humanity is destined to die out? Has that been addressed or retconned yet?

-XCN-
Yep. If I remember correctly, Beast fixed the gene that would have made humanity extinct.

And I got my actual copy of this issue today. Not bad. Would've been much better if they'd hired an artist who could draw people that looked different from each other, though.

[thefrozenred]

Would've been much better if they'd hired an artist who could draw people that looked different from each other, though.

I fear Pat Lee's upcoming stint on some Batman title...seriously, why is this guy still getting work??

[ArmadaJetfire]

I fear Pat Lee's upcoming stint on some Batman title...seriously, why is this guy still getting work??
I dont get it either. After reading his Newsarma ass kissing interview (WTF was THAT?) I wont support anything this guys does. I almost always buy anything Iron Man when it comes out, (With the exception of that crappy life sized "helmet" that came out a few years back. More like an ice bucket with eye slits and hole for the mouth) I skipped this. My comic book guy called me at home and asked, "Hey you missed the House of M Iron Man, want me to put you down for one?" Told him nope, I wouldnt buy that crap. He reacted like it was the breaking of the seventh seal. :lol :lol :lol

[Weremole]

This event has me quite confused about the post HoM universe. How can the mutant population be wiped out in the HoM-verse and still be affected in the 616-verse? These are two different realities. So, if this somehow crosses over, wouldn't Sue Storm and Reed Richards be dead? Or will this just be selected events that crossover? my brain hurts

Well. HOM-verse IS the regular Marvel continuity/universe/616-whatever. Its just that Scarlet Witches probability/reality altering powers have run so amuck that she is basicly trying to "fix" the world; only that she is making things worse. That's really the gist of House Of M from what I understand.

So everything's up in the air. =P

[thefrozenred]

Well. HOM-verse IS the regular Marvel continuity/universe/616-whatever. Its just that Scarlet Witches probability/reality altering powers have run so amuck that she is basicly trying to "fix" the world; only that she is making things worse. That's really the gist of House Of M from what I understand.


Also, remember in House of M #4, it's revealed that....








Somehow, Wanda was able to find out via Xavier's telepathy what everyone in the Astonishing X-Men (and, some of the New Avengers, as seen via Peter) wanted, and turned those wishes/dreams into reality.

But, because this is the very unstable Wanda we're dealing with, I wouldn't be surprised if the attempt to revert everything back to normal backfires, and the heroes are unable to completely undo what's happened in the House of M...hence the changes.

[Transfotaku]

Well. HOM-verse IS the regular Marvel continuity/universe/616-whatever. Its just that Scarlet Witches probability/reality altering powers have run so amuck that she is basicly trying to "fix" the world; only that she is making things worse. That's really the gist of House Of M from what I understand.

So everything's up in the air. =P


Anyone else miss the days when Wanda had her powers limited to basically untying someone's shoelaces, making a crack in the sidewalk, and opening a door on someone? Now all this "chaos magic alters reality" junk really makes for annoying, and highly repetitive storylines that equate to: Wanda screws up. Wanda needs to get a boyfriend so she's a bit more stable. Wanda needs to die. Everything's good again, and Wanda's back the way she was. Those are the acts in the stories.

Haven't been really into Marvel for the past few years for various reasons, but Wanda being the poster child for screwing up continuity (as well as Queseda, period) is a major problem for me. I mean, if she's able to destroy entire lives of entire universes whenever she gets a bit mad, sad, or hungry for pickles and ice cream, a real hero got two choices: Fix her. Kill her.

Its also sad to see that to mutant population has been pruned to 300. What's the point? Why should the X-Men even exist now if they aren't a seperate race fighting for their own rights/the future of the world? X-Men used to be mildly interesting when they were the dawn of the next evolution of mankind, and living amongst us, like the cro-mags and neanderthal used to many many thousands of years ago. It just made an interesting premise for a story.

I'm just glad Marvel knows, at least for now, the golden rule to keep them aloft: Screw up Spider-Man, go into debt. Spidey's my fav Marvelite, so least he's pretty safe from the artist-writer screwups that new teams seem to enjoy doing when coming aboard existing titles.

[Xcandescent]

But, because this is the very unstable Wanda we're dealing with, I wouldn't be surprised if the attempt to revert everything back to normal backfires, and the heroes are unable to completely undo what's happened in the House of M...hence the changes.It's also been stated repeatedly in the HoM books that Wanda herself is now human -- Magnus' ONLY human child.

So the wish fulfillment extended to her, as well.

-XCN-

[Xcandescent]

Haven't been really into Marvel for the past few years for various reasons, but Wanda being the poster child for screwing up continuity (as well as Queseda, period) is a major problem for me. I mean, if she's able to destroy entire lives of entire universes whenever she gets a bit mad, sad, or hungry for pickles and ice cream, a real hero got two choices: Fix her. Kill her.Ditto. I thought Avengers Disassembled was one of the sorriest train wrecks I'd ever read -- worse by far than the Onslaught/Heroes Reborn reset. I didn't buy into the Avengers breaking up, and I don't really buy into them suddenly jumping back together just as easily (hell ... even the heroes don't, as hinted in New Avengers).

I like New Avengers well enough, I just don't think that shitting all over the franchise was necessary to get it to this point.

Its also sad to see that to mutant population has been pruned to 300. What's the point? Why should the X-Men even exist now if they aren't a seperate race fighting for their own rights/the future of the world? X-Men used to be mildly interesting when they were the dawn of the next evolution of mankind, and living amongst us, like the cro-mags and neanderthal used to many many thousands of years ago. It just made an interesting premise for a story.I'm not sure what the deal is with that either. I'm guessing someone wasn't a big fan of Morrison forcing an Earth X-type scenario in the 616 universe, and decided to stomp that out.

Which is bizarre, because the Earth X series is one of the best things Marvel's done in years.

-XCN-

[King Starscream]

Why is everybody calling the 'normal' Marvel Universe the 616 Universe?

[Xcandescent]

Why is everybody calling the 'normal' Marvel Universe the 616 Universe?Because it's the in-thing to do, apparently. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marvel_616)

(+5 bonus to E-Peen)

-XCN-

[Chrono Grimlock]

Well. HOM-verse IS the regular Marvel continuity/universe/616-whatever. Its just that Scarlet Witches probability/reality altering powers have run so amuck that she is basicly trying to "fix" the world; only that she is making things worse. That's really the gist of House Of M from what I understand.

So everything's up in the air. =P

Ahh, thank you. After reading the realities being screwed up in the Uncanny X-Men arc I assumed that it was another reality on it's own. Like the AoA, one small event changes the reality and it becomes a new one unto itself.

*sigh*

My head still hurts but I'm enjoying the overall story. :p

[thefrozenred]

Like the AoA, one small event changes the reality and it becomes a new one unto itself.


From what I've read, one pivotal moment in the history of human-mutant relations was tampered with by Wanda...it's hinted that it has to do something with the sentinel head in issue 2 or 3 of House of M, and that it skews the world wildly in favor of mutantkind.

My guess is its something that Erik wished he could have done/prevented from the past, and Wanda made it happen. What that exactly IS, well, we'll find out soon I hope. :)

[ArmadaJetfire]

This whole house of M thing feels like Marvels lame attempt at a "Crisis" event to fix some problems that have crept up over the last year or so. Wanda was just an out they could use because they could easily ramp her powers up do what needed to be done after that whole "I'll create my own kids cuz my husbands wang dont work." thing. This is just a poor mans rip off of a great story. And I know it will come down to Wolverine saving humanity, by himself, becuase of his healing factor, and the fact that "He's the best at what he does." :banghead: He needs to go away for long time.

[Wreckgar]

Apparently after HoM, Marvel will have a series in the wake of the devastaion. It'll be called DeciMation with the HoM "M" in the center but all battered.

[Frequency]

Apparently after HoM, Marvel will have a series in the wake of the devastaion. It'll be called DeciMation with the HoM "M" in the center but all battered.
I was actually surprised that the most I had heard about an in the wake series was the story to New Excalibur. Glad to hear they're doing more with it.