AvX in Waiting : 10 X-Men To Watch

Welcome back everyone!
We hope you're all looking forward to some happy weekend relaxing and revitalising after an enjoyable Holi holiday!

To give you some food for thought and some more insight as the week comes to a close, we bring you this second installment of our series of articles to lay some groundwork before AvX (a.k.a. Avengers versus X-Men) kicks off in a few weeks - we figured you don't have to do any needless homework on all this if we do it for you!

With that in mind, we did a rundown on The Avengers last week and this week that's continued with everyone's favourite Mutants:

10) Magneto

If you haven’t been following the X-Men books over the past few years, what you need to know is that not only is the allegedly former mutant terrorist a part of the X-Men, but a very important factor in the merry mutants’ leadership equation. Expect Magneto to take the offensive against the Avengers in a big way.

9) Angel

After his fall during The Dark Angel Saga in the pages of Uncanny X-Force, Warren Worthington III is now a clean slate with no memories of his past. Also, he appears to have gained the ability to bring people (and puppies!) back to life. Does that remind you of a cosmic force famous for corrupting a founding X-(Wo)man? Cause it should.

8) Rachel Grey

The timing of her arrival from space is what makes this speculator suspect the alternate reality daughter of Cyclops and Jean Grey playing a big role in AvX. Currently teaching in the Jean Grey academy, Rachel’s reaction to the Avengers trying to stop the Phoenix Force and Hope shall be very interesting. Also, she’s another candidate in the “Might surprise everyone by bonding with the Phoenix” club.

  

7) Storm

Her loyalty towards the X-Men seems obvious, but her recent inclusion into the Avengers roster might just make a case for Storm finally acting on her disappointment with Cyclops as leader and siding with Captain America. Nevertheless, being an Omega-level Mutant, she is sure to add plenty of firepower to whichever side she picks.

6) Quentin Quire

Quentin Quire, thanks to Jason Aaron and Brian Wood, is totally my favourite mutant now. One of the most powerful telepaths on the planet, Quire has enjoyed the spotlight since last summer’s Schism storyline, and AvX co-writer Aaron does seem to be building him up for something big. Also, here’s a picture from a recent issue of Wolverine and the X-Men with Quire’s attire showcasing some familiar iconography upon it.

5) Psylocke

Psylocke has had a rough few months recently, as a member of Wolverine’s secret X-Force hit squad, first with The Dark Angel Saga and then with the ongoing arc involving her responsibilities to the Captain Britain Corps. There is also the small problem of everyone in Utopia except for Magneto not knowing of her membership in X-Force. The role of X-Force in AvX, if any at all, is unknown as of now, but expect Psylocke to take centre-stage while Wolverine juggles around all the teams he’s in.

4) Namor

A lot of people underestimate the king of Atlantis (the one that isn’t made fun of). They shouldn’t. In the last Avengers/X-Men crossover Utopia, Namor was seen standing his own against the Sentry (Well, almost).He’s had some recent interactions with Hope Summers in Uncanny X-Men, which do seem to suggest a build-up to them becoming allies or, dare I say it, friends. A couple of years ago, Namor fighting against Captain America would have looked unlikely, but his newfound love for his mutant heritage and the fact that Atlantis is now quite literally next to Utopia seems to suggest Namor fighting squarely at Cyclops’ side. Besides, the X-Men have hotter blondes. Unless the Fantastic Four side with the Avengers, that is...

3) Professor X

Cyclops’ rise as leader of the X-Men in the past decade has meant an abrupt fall in terms of importance for the founder of the X-Men. Still regarded as THE most powerful telepath on the planet, Xavier is walking again, but writers do not seem to have much idea about what to do with him. Five writers are better than one, I guess. The basic premise of story does seem to be the direct opposite of Xavier’s dream, with Mutantkind going to war against Humanity. The time does seem to be right for Xavier to come back in the spotlight and show Cyclops who’s boss.

2) Hope Summers

Hope Summers certainly hasn’t lived the life of a typical 21^st century teenager. The first mutant born after M-Day, she has been both hailed as mutant messiah and feared and hated as a potential weapon of mass destruction. Hope is set to be centerstage as the event unfolds and which way her character goes after bonding with the phoenix should be interesting to watch. Also, recent cover reveals surprisingly seem to suggest her running away from not only the Avengers, but the X-Men as well.

1) Cyclops

Hope might be what everyone’s fighting for, but have no doubts, this is Scott Summers’ big moment. He has taken some tough decisions in the past decade, has lost dear friends to both death and disagreement, and has his very faith in Hope questioned at every turn. All that comes to a head in AvX and Cyclops will once again have to wear the crown of thorns to ensure the survival of the mutant race. The past decade has seen him go from Boy to Man, from field leader of the X-Men to the leader of most of the mutant race. This possibly being the biggest challenge he has ever faced, Cyclops is sure to pull no punches in battle or diplomacy.

Keep watching this space folks, we'll have more on the monumental, Marvel-changing event right here!

And in the meantime, here's a picture of Iron Man doing a striptease for you... why?... because we can.
Ladies, you can thank us later.