How interesting - though not serendipitous - that Ernie and I have been discussing this whole 1985 event and they are reintroducing Archangel. Marvel is obviously trying their best to recapture some of their former glory, and while I understand that - would even applaud it, were it done well - I'm not sure how I feel about this whole thing.Angel was a cool, though one-dimensional, character who was never fully explored and developed. In the original crossover event that CHANGED THE MARVEL UNIVERSE FOREVER (Mutant Massacre), Angel was no more.
For X-tinction or X-termination or X-amination Room 911 - one of them - he was brought back with a thoroughly 1990s makeover: no more the Heavenly allusion to the angelic, now he was the Hellacious incarnation of brook-no-bullshit vigilante - the "Dark Angel." Excepting the Cyberpunk wings, Archangel was basically Wolverine and Punisher... and the 1990s Captain America and Superman and... well, they were all vigilantes in the 1990s.
But there was something interesting about Archangel, for the moment he was "hot" and they actually employed the property to move units: he almost developed a personality! Unfortunately, whoever was writing X-Factor at the time chose instead to keep him silent, brooding, moody, and mysterious (like Wolvie and Punny and Supes and Bats and... ah, they were all silent and brooding in the 1990s)... and it just never happened.
That was either Ann Nocenti or Louise Simonson, I think, but you can't blame them - whoever it was - because I'm sure they were told to do that because all the hot properties who were moving units in the market at that time were just the same and X-Factor was on its last leg.So I won't be buying-in for this, but here's to hoping Archangel pulls it together and actually becomes someone. This is from Marvel and it is high-flyingly OFFICIAL:
Marvel is pleased to announce that X-Force #4 has sold out at Diamond and, due to popular demand, will return with X-Force #4 Second Printing Variant. The red-hot series, whose first three issues—and their second printings—sold out quickly, continues with the return of fan-favorite Archangel… but is he an ally to Wolverine's new X-Force?
The acclaimed writing due of Craig Kyle & Chris Yost, teamed with rising star artist Clayton Crain, have launched one of 2008's hottest new series, as the deadliest X-Men join forces for a covert mission against an enemy that may be too much for them to handle! With a new cover featuring the stunning interior art of Crain, this issue is a must-have for X-fans!
If you missed the first three issues of this sold-out series, make sure to check out X-Force: Legacy of Violence, collecting X-Force #1-3 and sporting what may be the most unique cover of the decade!
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
5 comments:
Well, to amputate Angel's wings again and then give him the metal ones and the blue face again would seem really..done already. So I can only assume that the new Archangel will not be Warren Worthington III (although he has already made a cameo in X-Force). I mean we can hope for some small piece of originality, can't we?
Oh wait, I just realized; they're re-doing Archangel and I'm hoping for originality. Boy, do I feel silly now.
Ain't it something?
So you're reading the new X-Force? How is it?
What happened to WW,III? I take, from what you said, that he is no longer all Archangeled-out... any idea as to how that (un-)happened? Was Mephisto involved?
I am reading X-Force and I think it is pretty good and has potential to be really good, so long as it doesn't end up like X-Treme X-Men. As for Angel, I'm not sure which happened first but one day his face just wasn't blue any more and then his metal wings started to molt and the feathers just spontaneously grew back. And I just read X-Force #4 last night. I don't know whether or not you want me to spoil it for you, but I'll say this; the return of Archangel was semi-plausible up to a point.
Spoilers are fine for me, but I guess a big SPOILER ALERT badge would be good for other readers. Like I said, I'm X-ed out and have been for years.
In fact, I am about to make a post detailing my pull-list from the last month or so. I'm still getting several titles from the Big Two, but more and more, I'm becoming an Image man.
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