What do the X-men do after they stop a threat like Sinister and Selene? How do the X-men even process confronting such an overwhelming danger that involves magic, lost cities, and ancient relics? These are questions the X-men often have to answer in the comics and cartoons as well whenever they take on mystical foes. There are no easy answers, but these are the kinds of challenges the X-men thrust themselves into as heroes. In X-men Supreme, that role has evolved as the events of this fanfiction series create new situations. The events of Civilization No Longer Lost are now behind them. The X-men must now move forward and that involves dealing with issues that don't pertain to magic.
No matter what or who the X-men face, the core of their mission always comes back to dealing with human/mutant conflicts. It's like an anchor of sorts, a mission that keeps the X-men tied to a certain set of core principles. I've tried to maintain those principles in the X-men Supreme fanfiction series, but I haven't made it easy on the X-men. As part of their ongoing effort to improve human/mutant relations, the X-men have been working with General Nathan Grimshaw and President Robert Kelly on forging a new peace. The end of X-men Supreme Volume 4: Politics of Fear created a framework for this peace, albeit a fragile one. While it has had numerous benefits, it's still a work-in-progress.
Taking on Sinister and Selene might have been daunting, but the threats they pose are often tangible and easy to stab with adamantium claws. Taking on the injustices committed against mutants is a lot harder to battle. Professor Xavier has not shied away from that and neither have his X-men. Having survived their clash in Nova Roma, it's important to remember that no amount of magic can make these injustices disappear. Rampant injustice is what will trigger the next conflict. The X-men understand this and so do men like General Grimshaw. That's what the X-men will have to confront next and it may already be too late. I've prepared an extended preview that should reveal a terrifying new challenge to mutant justice.
‘You’ve waited a long time, Mort. You’ve always been everybody’s whipping boy. You were scrawny, ugly, and weak. Nothing more than a deformed street punk. That all changes now. A new power is calling you. Will you accept the charges?’
Mortimer Toyenbee stood still as a statue, staring at the thick confinement door in front of him. In his solitary cell there was little to look at. He had a small bed to his left with a toilet/sink right next to it in a cell that could barely qualify as a closet. There were no windows, only a pale fluorescent light above him. A few moments ago that light started flickering, but it wasn’t just shoddy wiring. He could feel something coming. The very forces of nature were reaching out to him and he was reaching back.
A smile never left his face as he stood patiently. Outside he could hear some panicked guards running back and forth. They had no idea what was about to happen to them. They were in for quite a shock.
It started in his toilet. The water unexpectedly rose and bubbled, turning greenish brown in the process. As it rose, a number of reptilian creatures poured out. They included snakes, frogs, toads, and lizards. They all flowed with the murky water, overflowing from the toilet and rapidly accumulating into the cell. Toad didn’t panic for a second. He remained perfectly still, letting the waters gradually submerge him. As they rose a brownish green scum formed around him, covering his body and forming a strange brownish shell.
“Come to me! I’m ready!” he proclaimed.
The water from the toilet poured in more rapidly. It poured in so fast the water rose to a depth of nearly four feet. By then the lizards, frogs, snakes, and toads completely surrounded the thick shell that took up almost the entire chamber. It was like a cocoon of sorts. Every creature and organism was drawn to it. And within this exotic environment, Mortimer Toyenbee underwent a remarkable transformation.
“YES! YEEESSSSSSS! COME ON, EVOLUTION! SHOW ME WHAT YOU GOT!”
As the young mutant seethed within the cocoon the water level kept rising. It was now nearly seven feet in height. At this level the pressure started to strain the heavy cell door meant to keep Toad locked inside. For the guards outside, it was an ominous sight.
“What the hell is going on in there? Is Toad trying to drown himself?” exclaimed one of the guards.
“To hell with Toad!” said another guard, “We need to get the hell out of this wing before…”
Both guards were quickly distracted by a loud bang on Toad’s cell door. It was so loud and so forceful that the heavy barrier warped under the force. It looked like someone was using a battering ram, trying to force the door of its heavy hinges. As it warped, streams of swampy water poured out. The two guards watched, holding their guns tenuously in preparation for whatever was trying to get out of that cell.
“Refresh my memory. Toad was supposed to be the weakest member of Magneto’s crew, right?” said the guard nervously.
Before the other guard could answer, the door was literally blown off the hinges with extreme force. The minute it failed, a tsunami of water poured out and washed the two guards down the hall as if they were caught into treacherous river rapids.
“AUUUUGGGGHHHH!” they cried out as they struggled feebly against the current.
Once the water had finished pouring out of the cell, a new figure emerged. It was Toad, but not the same Toad those men were referring to.
“No…not anymore,” proclaimed Toad in a stronger voice, “I’ve evolved beyond weakness,”
He was truly a new man. Standing in the ruins of his cell, Toad had a new body that was a far cry from his previous form. He had grown over a foot taller, now towering at six-and-a-half feet tall. His once lanky build was now bulging with muscles that were on par with a professional athlete. In addition, his skin tone was now a darker shade of green and a lot more toned. He no longer bore the putrid, disgusting imperfections that made him so hideous to others. This toned skin extended to his face, which looked a bit more human now despite being shrouded by his long dark hair. But behind that human look, there was a man who evolved beyond his humanity into something so much greater.
The new Toad casually stepped out of his cell, holding in his hand a mangled power suppressing collar that was ripped off during his transformation. These humans thought they could contain him. He was going to prove them wrong in a way that was going to hurt.
“My makeover is complete,” he grinned, cracking his knuckles in anticipation, “Magneto failed to embrace this evolution. Guess it’s up to me to lead the charge now. And I know just where to begin.”
In addition, I have another exciting update from X-men Supreme's newest artist, Mack. He's been hard at work bringing the most iconic moments in X-men Supreme Issue 68: The Phoenix Saga Part 6 to life and he's once again made an awesome contribution. He's submitted the second panel of that moment, detailing the ghastly turning point where Jean Grey's inability to control the Phoenix Force hurt the man she loves. It's a great piece and one Mack did an excellent job on. Enjoy!
X-men Supreme Official Panels
We're about to enter the next phase of X-men Supreme Volume 5: Dark Turths. I've spent a good chunk of this part of the X-men Supreme fanfiction series setting up a world of new challenges for the X-men to deal with. Those challenges are about to lead them into a clash that will completely reshape the world of X-men Supreme. The ramifications of what they've done and the choices they've made will drive this conflict. Characters will be changed. Prices will be paid. Hearts will be broken. As I develop this conflict, it's very important that readers take time to provide feedback for X-men Supreme. I need to know if I'm doing this right and making it awesome. Either contact me or post your comments directly in the issue. Until next time, take care and best wishes. Excelsior!
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