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This feature originally ran at MCU Exchange in December of 2017.

Welcome to another installment of what I hope is an enjoyable, extended look at a series of films that I’d like to see used as a way to bring the X-Men and Fantastic Four universes into the MCU. I’ve spent a troubling amount of time in my own mind thinking about this and figured that if I was going to spend that much time, I might as well write it up and feel accomplished! In doing so, I know that I’ll push some buttons with some readers, so let’s be clear about a few things: these are only MY ideas and do not, in any way, represent insight into what we should expect; of all the films I end up writing about, there’s a very small chance ANY of them get made; you’re free to write your own fan-fiction about films you want to see.

With so much time between now and when we will first see the X-Men enter the MCU, there’s a lot of time for things to change (including my own mind); however, this “blueprint” is my current idea and one that I’ve attempted to base both in the kind of decisions Marvel Studios has made to date and on the types of changes we’ve seen recently. Unfortunately, in writing these I’ve discovered I am NOT cut out to do screenplays, so some of these  stray from convention in a few ways.

In the first installment, I took at look at how The Starjammers could potentially kick off Marvel Studios’ inclusion of the X-Men characters into the MCU. Then I took a shot at introducing Charles Xavier to the world and explaining just why he needed the X-Men in the first place. Next, we introduced arguably Marvel’s greatest character, Victor von Doom. We then caught up on the adventures of Corsair and crew and met the poweful Shi’ar Imperial Guard. We finally gave Marvel’s first family the film they deserve and now we’re going to look at a way to bring the original X-Men to the MCU without doing too much of what’s been done before. It’s time for Professor X and The X-Men!!

NOTE: From here forward, we are going to try to go with a less is more approach to these. The first 5 have been VERY long and, understandably, not everyone has the time to read through them so we are making an effort to shorten them up considerably.

We pick up in the year 2023 to find Charles in Scotland working with Moira at her research facility on Muir Island. His return and interest in their old conversations has brought Moira back from the states where she was working with orphaned children. Additionally, we meet the mysterious Dr. Karl Lykos, a colleague that Charles met on his travels and an expert on mutation. We learn that as Charles traveled the world, he became aware of the existence of thousands of mutants, many of whom were abused and persecuted, and others like Farouk who were already capable of great evil. Charles believes that if something isn’t done to help mutants, like the young girl he met in Cairo, more and more of them will find their way to a life of crime, using their abilities for evil. With Lykos away from the research facility, Charles revealed Project Cerebro to Moira. Convinced this is how they can do the most good, they begin work on the project.

We catch up with Cain Marko. It’s clear that he’s now at one with the force that possessed him years ago and that it controls him by feeding his vengeance. We see that they’ve hatched a plan to allow Cain to remove the final reminder of his tortured youth: Charles Xavier. Marko, under the guidance of Cyttorak, the being that possesses him, begins crafting a helmet that will keep Charles’ powers at bay.

At this point we catch up with Scott Summers. When we last saw him, he’d runaway from the orphanage and after collapsing, had been found by Jack Winters. Some time has passed, Scott is now 15 and shows signs of physical and mental abuse at the hands of Winters who has been using Scott’s abilities to help him acquire some material for an experiment that he believed would increase his powers even more. Though Scott fights it, Winters uses his limited telepathic powers to bend Scott’s will.

Back on Muir Island, Charles, Moira and Lykos begin using Cerebro to identify younger mutants with whom they can make the most difference. In the interest of the less is more idea mentioned earlier, you can imagine the names that could come up here. Of interest to this piece (and those that follow), however, are Jean Grey(14), Scott Summers (now 16), Warren Worthington (18 and already active as the Avenging Angel), Robert Drake (15), Henry McCoy (20 and already enrolled in Bard College), Jamie Madrox (10), Calvin Rankin (14), Kevin Sydney (12) and Suzanne Chan (13). Charles begins work recruiting the children into his School for Gifted Youngsters and reaches out to Fred Duncan, an old friend who we find out now works for the FBI, leading their mutant task force. Charles knows that Duncan is aware of the Summers’ boy and hopes that by enlisting him early on in the process, he’ll make an ally out of him in the long run. Again, in the interest of time, Charles is able to acquire Jean, Scott, Warren, Hank and Bobby. While Jamie’s parents were open to Charles’ idea, they believed their son too young to move away from home; as a result, one of the first projects Charles’ tasked Hank McCoy with was to build a machine that prevented Jamie from duplicating while he was in it.

Training montage!

Charles’ X-Men face their first true challenge: a teleporting mutant who has been on a major crime spree. Revealing themselves to the public for the first time, IN THEIR FULL GOOFY AS HELL COMIC ACCURATE UNIFORMS, Marvel Girl, Cyclops, Angel, Beast and Iceman work together with Charles to down the teleporter who had become known as “The Vanisher.”  The Vanisher is taken into custody by Fred Duncan and The X-Men become well-known and, even accepted as heroes. TV footage shows them working alongside the Fantastic Four, Doctor Strange, Spider-Man and the Avengers to take out various minor X-villains (someone like Mesmero or even as ridiculous as Arcade could cameo in this way).

Stepping away from the action, we’ll also need scenes of the team at the mansion as well. We need time for Jean and Scott’s romance to take hold, to see how brilliant Hank is, to watch Warren fly off in the middle of a lesson by Charles and to see just how much Bobby looks up to Scott. It’s also time to find out a bit more about Charles’ dark side. We know that he’s been constructing barriers in Jean’s mind to keep her from her real powers and that he hasn’t told her. And, during this time, he’s visited by Lykos and we find out that Charles has known about and kept quiet about Lykos’ own secret need to absorb the life force of other beings.

The film’s final act is all about the X-Men and the Juggernaut. The team fights hard, but no absolutely no avail as the Juggernaut wreaks absolute havoc on their school, the building in which he grew up, abused by his father and ignored at the expense of Charles. Charles quickly realizes that he’s unable to use his powers to stop Cain as well, so he reaches out to those who his team has helped in the past. As Juggernaut continues to lay waste to the area, the team is badly beaten and disabled one by one. Charles walks out to face his step-brother only to have the Juggernaut charge him. Realizing he will be destroyed, Charles quickly employs a psychic shield around him. While this cushions the blow, Charles is still sent flying, striking his lower back into the front wall of the school. At this time, Doctor Strange and the Human Torch show up, having answered the call. Strange recognizes Marko is possessed by an ancient being; Torch deduces that the helmet is literally riveted to Marko’s skin; Charles pleads with them to stop Marko but to spare his life. Once Johnny frees the helmet, Charles uses his abilities to lift it from Marko’s head and begins to communicate with him only to quickly realize that he’s not there. Just as the Juggernaut prepares to starts another charge, Bobby lays down a patch of ice to keep him from gaining momentum and Jean, in her most impressive use of her powers to date, enters the mind of Marko, fractures the bond of Cyttorak and puts him to sleep.

Post-Credit Scene #1: The Savage Land. Growing concerned that he would no longer be able to keep himself under control, Lykos chose to go off the grid. Chasing legend, he eventually found himself in the Savage Land. As the camera pans away from him, we see the Savage Land in its full glory and before it turns to black, we see Lykos unleash a pair of wings and fly away.

Post-Credit Scene #2: Very montage-y. We see several young mutants, all across the world, grow into their powers. While some are able to hide their changes, others aren’t and other still choose not to. Reports pore in of mutants using their powers to murder and steal. Of note in the montage are Alex Summers, a green-haired girl and a teenage girl seen selling diamonds at a pawn shop (no, it’s not Emma Frost!). As the montage comes to a close, Fred Duncan is seen reporting to his new boss: Henry Gyrich, leader of Project Wideawake.

Post-Credit Scene #3: Cain Marko is shown as a prisoner. As we move to the credits, we see he’s being held underground in friction-less cell. Above ground, the reconstruction of the school goes on.

Fan Cast:

Marvel Girl/Jean Grey-Sophia Lillis

I set her apart not only because I think that Jean is super important in the overall scheme of things but also because after watching IT, I feel that Lillis is perfect for Jean. She absolutely has the look down and can act. I know she’ll be a little old by the time this film rolls around, but I think it has to be her!

The rest of the team

By the time 2020 or 2021 (whenever Marvel Studios gets around to the Starjammers movie, Jacob Tremblay will be the right age to be cast as the young Scott Summers and grow into the role and could possibly lead a series of X-films beyond what I have planned here (X-Factor would be a great start). It’s impossible to say what these kids will look like down the road, but Max Charles (The Strain), Jacob Hopkins (The Goldbergs) and Jake Brennan (Richie Rich) could hold down the roles of McCoy, Worthington and Drake.

This leaves the team in a great spot to move into their next phase. I tried to make this as different as I could from anything we’ve seen before and to stay true to the comics. The team is established, but not quite ready for prime time and mutant hysteria has set in. Sounds like a good time for our heroes to do the one thing the old X-movies never did…head to space!

Come back tomorrow for our intro to Galactus and the Silver Surfer and see what else the demon Mephisto has been up to.

Professor X and the X-Men will return!

This feature originally ran at MCU Exchange in December of 2017.

Welcome to another installment of what I hope is an enjoyable, extended look at a series of films that I’d like to see used as a way to bring the X-Men and Fantastic Four universes into the MCU. I’ve spent a troubling amount of time in my own mind thinking about this and figured that if I was going to spend that much time, I might as well write it up and feel accomplished! In doing so, I know that I’ll push some buttons with some readers, so let’s be clear about a few things: these are only MY ideas and do not, in any way, represent insight into what we should expect; of all the films I end up writing about, there’s a very small chance ANY of them get made; you’re free to write your own fan-fiction about films you want to see.

With so much time between now and when we will first see the X-Men enter the MCU, there’s a lot of time for things to change (including my own mind); however, this “blueprint” is my current idea and one that I’ve attempted to base both in the kind of decisions Marvel Studios has made to date and on the types of changes we’ve seen recently. Unfortunately, in writing these I’ve discovered I am NOT cut out to do screenplays, so some of these  stray from convention in a few ways.

In the first installment, I took at look at how The Starjammers could potentially kick off Marvel Studios’ inclusion of the X-Men characters into the MCU. Then I took a shot at introducing Charles Xavier to the world and explaining just why he needed the X-Men in the first place. Next, we introduced arguably Marvel’s greatest character, Victor von Doom. Today, it’s time to return to space and continue the story of Corsair and the Starjammers. When last we saw the Starjammers they had landed several major blows against the Shi’ar Empire and this film will pick up right where the last one left off: with Lilandra’s Shi’ar Imperial Guard on a mission to bring down Corsair and his crew of pirates.

The middle film of what I planned out as a trilogy, this film will have a few twists and turns along the way but will definitely see our heroes taking a beating. A couple of years have passed and while the legend of the Starjammers has grown, Lilandra has not only called on the Shi’ar Imperial Guard, a team of the finest warriors from all across the Shi’ar empire to pursue them but has also placed a robust bounty on Corsair’s head, making it harder and harder for the space pirates to find safe places to stay. As the film opens we see the Imperial Guard, made up of Kallark, praetor of the guard, Mentor, Smasher, Oracle and Neutron smashing a few heads at a port where the Starjammers were rumored to have recently been.

D’Ken has successfully unearthed the M’Kraan crystal from its resting place on Alsibar. His madness has grown and he looks to return to the expansionist roots of the empire. In the presence of the crystal, he believes himself to be communing with Sharra and K’ythri, the Shi’ar deities they hold responsible for the creation of the universe. Well aware of the damage done to the Kree homeworld of Hala during the Kree-Skrull War, D’Ken looks to threaten the Kree with an ultimatum: be annexed into the Shi’ar Empire, or be destroyed.

On Earth, the 14-year old Scott Summers remains at the State Home for Foundlings. When we first see him, he’s talking with Dr. Essex about the nearly constant migraines he’s been experiencing the past few weeks. Essex draws some blood and as he goes back to his room, we see Essex open a computer file that gives us a little more insight into his deep obsession not only with Scott, but the entire Summers bloodline. A look at his computer reveals generations of gene mapping of the Summers’ blood line and molecular markers on Scott’s 23rd chromosome. As Essex takes a look at the new blood work and immediately recognizes that Scott’s body has begun producing some interesting new proteins.

When we catch up with 12-year old Alex, we snot that he’s grown considerably. An early bloomer, Alex has moved in with a family and has fit in nicely. We won’t spend much time with Alex now, but it’s important to note that he’s matured quickly and has taken to the role of big brother in his new foster family.

And before we leave Earth we head to upstate New York where we meet a mutant Shi’ar, Davan Shakari. Shakari, the Hand of the King, is on Earth collecting intelligence for D’Ken about the threats offered by Terra’s heroes as D’Ken hopes to wipe them out and expand the empire to include Earth. While he’d make you double take on the street, Shakari has a more-exotic, less-alien appearance that allows him to do some surveillance on his own. However, he has a full stable of slaves at his disposal and for his purposes on Earth, Gabriel Summers is the perfect tool. Summers does much of Shakari’s day-to-day information gathering. Though he seems loyal, it’s important to note that Gabriel has gained Shakari’s trust and is testing his limits.

We’ve made it all this way and still haven’t checked in on our Starjammers! We catch up with the crew and notice that they’ve expanded by two members since last we met. Ch’od has picked up an adorable little companion who we see him playing with as we pan to Corsair, who looks a little worse from their recent mission. In swoops what first appears to be a small drone that heads towards Corsair; as it approaches, Corsair greets him as Dr. Sikorsky. A closer look reveals him to be a sentient being, covered in armor as he quickly demonstrates his his minor telepathic abilities. We learn that the Starjammer took heavy fire in their latest heist and that they’re aware that the Imperial Guard is hot on their trail. We also find out that they’ve become aware that the M’Kraan crystal has been found and Hepzibah gives the crew a little exposition on just what the crystal can do. The Starjammers are cornered, the galaxy is getting small so they plan their biggest heist yet: they are going after the M’Kraan crystal.

Back on the ship of the Imperial Guard, Praetor Kallark briefs Lilandra on their progress in hunting the Starjammers. Their intel suggests they are hiding out near the planet Tryl’sart, the home planet of Hepzibah and her people, the Mephitisoids. The Mephitisoids were the last holdouts of the Shi’ar’s conquest of their current empire and have remained unruly, though controllable, since. As the crew sets a course for Tryl’sart, Lilandra asks Kallark for his opinion on D’Ken’s plans to expand their empire through fear. The hesitation in his voice gives us hope that Kallark is a good man, but his answer is this is what is best for the Shi’ar because it is what the Emperor has planned. As they jump to Tryl’sart, Lilandra reminds Kallark of the madness that took her sister and that she perceives is growing in her brother. She will speak to her brother and if he does not listen, she’ll plead her case to the Shi’ar High Council in the hopes that they will see what her brother is becoming.

Gabriel Summers has done well in preparing himself to escape and does so. He cleverly covers his trail and quickly finds himself miles away in the woods near a small orphanage that he’d previously identified as a potential shelter. As he enters the building and the staff begins to question him during intake, it’s quite clear that his only memories are, inexplicably from the very recent past. After he is settled in to his room, the director of the orphanage comes to visit: Moira MacTaggert is in America. Meanwhile in Nebraska, his brother Scott is shown getting a fancy new pair of specs, courtesy of Dr. Essex. As Essex explains, the red-tinted lenses should filter out the low wavelength, high energy blue light that’s been causing him headaches. And as we check in with Alex, we see that not only is he fitting in well with his new family, he’s become quite popular as he gets ready to head to high school.

The Imperial Guard come out of their jump outside the planet Tryl’sart. It’s not long before the Starjammers are alerted to their presence and begin preparations to take off. Kallark and Neutron jump to action and quickly disable the ship. Kallark releases beams of intense heat from his eyes that begin to carve large pieces of the ship away. As he finished, Neutron approaches the ship on what appears to be a kamikaze run only to breach the hull: the rest of the Imperial Guard board the Starjammer. Raza and Ch’od greet the forces of the Imperial Guard and fight valiantly, but are quickly dispatched. Their battle is just a distraction allowing Corsair and Hepzibah to make their escape in order to commandeer the Imperial Guard’s vessel. As they work their way to their shuttle, Hepzibah is struck with the memory of how her friends saved her in the mine, plants a kiss on Corsair and tells him to hurry.  Her surprise entrance briefly turns the tide but Oracle quickly subdues her with her powers. She also reads her mind and sees that all this has unfolded just as Corsair had hoped: the Imperial Guard are all aboard a disabled ship and Corsair is in control of an Imperial cruiser. As Kallark flys out in pursuit of the cruiser, Corsair jumps leaving the Imperial Guard stranded, but also in possession of everything he has left in his life.

Corsair flips his H.U.D. down and opens a line of communication with Dr. Sikorsky, who is still aboard the Starjammer along with Ch’od’s little pet. The two have surveyed the area and are ready to rescue the rest who are being stowed on a sub-level. When they arrive to free their friends, they find only a badly wounded Ch’od and Raza; Hepzibah is nowhere to be found. We find she’s been taken by Lilandra and Kallark to Tryl’sart’s Shi’ar embassy where she will be executed in front of her people for treason. As Dr. Sikorsky patches up Ch’od, he and Raza formulate their plan to get to the surface of the planet and save their friend. At the embassy on Tryl’sart, Lilandra contacts D’Ken and informs him of their progress. Long hateful of the Mephitisoids and their unruly behavior, D’Ken tells Lilandra to stay the execution of Hepzibah; he’s coming to Tryl’sart himself, with the M’Kraan crystal intent on destroying the entire planet and showing the rest of the empire what happens to those who harbor traitors. As the screen fades away, Lilandra and Kallark exchange glances…Lilandra must go back to the Aerie and confront the High Council and stop her brother’s madness. As she makes her plans, Neutron, well aware of Lilandra’s plans, storms away.

Corsair walks the streets of the Shi’ar capital in disguise knowing time is short. They abandoned the vessel just outside the planet and have used some contacts on Chandilar to be smuggled in and are finding hiding among the nearly million of inhabitants of the imperial capital to be quite easy. Unfortunately for them, they have underestimated D’Ken’s response. As word on the street spreads of D’Ken’s decision to destroy Tryl’sart, Corsair realizes he has failed. Not only will he be unable to steal the crystal, he’s also going to lose what family he had left. It’s just at that time that Imperial Guardsmen Oracle and Smasher arrive and quickly disable Corsair.

Lilandra’s ship lands on Chandilar and she approaches the chamber of the High Council, who she has called together. D’Ken’s ship approaches Tryl’sart, the newly weaponized M’Kraan crystal ready for use. Ch’od, Raza and Sikorsky, known as Starjammers and heroes to the Mephitisoids, launch their attack on the embassy with the help of some locals. Lilandra enters the chamber, eager to plead with the Council. Corsair, badly beaten, is thrown into a holding cell on a Shi’ar vessel. The Shi’ar jailer projects an image from D’Ken’s ship into his cell. D’Ken unleashes the crystal’s power, vaporizing Tryl’sart. Lilandra is never given a chance to make her plea; Neutron has informed the Council that she has planned to usurp her brother and take the throne for herself. Raza, Ch’od, Sikorsky and Hepzibah are shown to have escaped from the darkside of Tryl’sart in an old ship left over from the original Shi’ar-Mephitisoid war. Corsair watches the destruction of Tryl’sart, his failure complete in his mind. Lilandra is brought to the same Shi’ar vessel as Corsair and thrown in a cell across from him. D’Ken begins the journey home, eager to claim the heads of the pirate Corsair and the only remaining threat to his throne: his sister. Kallark and the rest of the Imperial Guard return to the Aerie, their duty done.

Post-Credit Scene #1: Scott, much like Gabriel, is on the run. The difference, however, is that he has no plan and nowhere to go. He’s hitch-hiked as far as Sioux Falls, South Dakota when he begins hearing voices in his head. Those voices lead him to a small house nearby where the voices get stronger and stronger. As they grow, the stress causes Scott to unleash a massive optic blast, his first since the plane crash, and pass out. As he hits the ground, a hand, fully encased in diamond, reaches out to check his pulse. The camera pulls away to show fellow mutant Jack Winters, the Living Diamond, as he carries Scott to safety.

Post-Credit Scene #2: Aboard the Imperial flagship where Corsair and Lilandra await their death, a defeated Corsair hears a familiar voice in his ear: Sikorsky has made his way to the jail.

Things do indeed look bad for the Starjammers during the course of the film, but we get the glimmer of hope we need at the end of the film. The Summers boys are all in the places they need to be for what comes next. We are left to ponder the fate of Lilandra, however.  We’re just a third of the way through, but I want to thank you for reading and continuing to support the site. I’m looking forward to sharing tomorrow’s feature with you when I finally get around to introducing Marvel’s First Family, who come to find out, have been around longer than we know.

The Starjammers will return!

This feature originally ran at MCU Exchange in December of 2017.

Welcome to another installment of what I hope is an enjoyable, extended look at a series of films that I’d like to see used as a way to bring the X-Men and Fantastic Four universes into the MCU. I’ve spent a troubling amount of time in my own mind thinking about this and figured that if I was going to spend that much time, I might as well write it up and feel accomplished! In doing so, I know that I’ll push some buttons with some readers, so let’s be clear about a few things: these are only MY ideas and do not, in any way, represent insight into what we should expect; of all the films I end up writing about, there’s a very small chance ANY of them get made; you’re free to write your own fan-fiction about films you want to see.

With so much time between now and when we will first see the X-Men enter the MCU, there’s a lot of time for things to change (including my own mind); however, this “blueprint” is my current idea and one that I’ve attempted to base both in the kind of decisions Marvel Studios has made to date and on the types of changes we’ve seen recently. Unfortunately, in writing these I’ve discovered I am NOT cut out to do screenplays, so some of these, including this one, stray from convention in a few ways.

In the first installment, I took at look at how The Starjammers could potentially kick off Marvel Studios’ inclusion of the X-Men characters into the MCU. Following Marvel Studios The Starjammers, I think it’s time to dive into the history of Charles Xavier and get some insight into what motivated him to assemble a team of mutants and work to save the world.

Fox’s X-films have certainly given us some background on Charles Xavier, but I can’t say that I particularly love any of the contrivances they’ve injected into his story. While we’ve had two very talented actors portraying the man behind the X-Men, we’ve hardly gotten a comic accurate Professor X. We’ve seen a good man who had a few misgivings, but we’ve never seen the true Charles: a man with a dark past, innumerable secrets and the determination to due whatever was necessary to drive his agenda forward to victory. The Professor X from the comics is a man who, over time, was revealed to be as deceptive and scheming as nearly any of Marvel’s major villains, it’s just that he was supposed to be the good guy. In the words of Kitty Pryde:

We’ve had some back and forth behind the scenes on this feature and one of the things I’m hoping Marvel Studios is ready to do is to continue to blur the lines between hero and villain. I think a Professor X film offers just one option (I’ll be exploring others down the line) for Marvel Studios, but one that makes us fundamentally question how we think about good and evil. That’s a big of a departure from what we’ve come to expect, but it’s the kind of change that can really switch change things up for a studio often criticized for being formulaic and predictable.

For the purposes of this film, I’d be looking to cast someone in their late 30’s-early 40’s. A good portion of the film will be spent catching us up to present day and while we’ve seen some impressive de-aging technology, it’d be far easier to have someone who can just portray Xavier throughout his 20s and 30s and stick around for the better part of a decade as the X-films build. And as far as making sure we won’t get confused with previous Xaviers, there’ll be no British accent with this one given that he grows up in New York.

The film will open before Charles’ birth with an introduction to his father, Dr. Brian Xavier, his colleague, Dr. Kurt Marko and face we’ve seen before (although before was in the future relative to this film), Dr. Essex, who is currently working as Dr. Milbury. The three men, alongside the creepy Amanda Mueller, are revealed to be working for the government on Project: Black Womb, a project that finds them working on what is essentially the Mutant Genome Project in hopes of understanding the recent rise in the prevalence of the chromosomal x-factor. While he once again is not the main focus of the film, there’s enough time in the opening act to fill in more of his background, including his obsession with the X-gene that runs in a particular family: the Summers. Both his and Mueller’s long life spans can be revealed in this film, along with Mueller’s own interaction with the Summers’ family as the great-great grandmother of Scott and Alex.

While partners on the project, Dr. Marko is shown to be a jealous and hateful man, though his genius is the equal of Xavier’s. Though both men had sons of the same age, Marko’s arrogance, anger and tendency to get lost in his work had cost him his first wife. The contrast to Xavier’s home life is key as their two sons will be at the center of not only this film but key MCU events for the next several years. Having found what they were looking for, Milbury and Mueller leave the project leaving Xavier and Marko with no funding and no direction. The two continue their work until a lab accident takes Xavier’s life. At this point, things will be quite uncomfortable for the audience and the characters involved. Kurt marries Xavier’s widow and their two sons, Cain Marko and Charles Xavier begin a journey that will keep their fates intertwined for decades.

From here we will see the two boys growing up in the ancestral Xavier mansion as Cain, who has a history of violence and insubordination, come to live with his father and his new step-family. Brothers by law only, the two boys aren’t close and Cain grows to resent Charles. Kurt abuses and neglects his own son at the expense of fostering Charles’ incredible intellect. Cain feels betrayal at the hands of his father and begins bullying Charles and it is during one such incident that Charles first becomes aware of his telepathic abilities. Charles unintentionally enters the mind of Cain and is terrified of what he sees there and in an act of kindness, tries to talk to Cain about it. This not only increases Cain’s hatred of Charles but also plants the seed of fear of what his step-brother can do. With Marko wrapped up in his work once more, Charles’ mother succumbs to her grief and dies. Angry with Marko, Charles intends to confront him at his lab where he overhears Kurt and Cain fighting. As the fight turns violent, Charles attempts to use his powers to subdue the two only to cause Cain to fly into an uncontrollable rage that results in an explosion. Kurt Makro perishes in the fire, leaving the two boys on their own and Charles as the rightful heir to the Xavier fortunes. From here on, though fully aware of the extent of his powers, Charles remains largely reluctant to use them.

The second act will follow Charles as he begins his post-secondary education. Charles’ prodigious intellect pushes him quickly through his graduate work and he finds himself jumping across the pond to pursue Ph.Ds in Genetics and Biophysics, hoping to gain some insight not only into his own abilities, but the work his father was doing. As his knowledge grows, so does his curiosity and as he begins to dig into the work done by his father and Marko, he eventually comes across the names of two of their colleagues: Milbury and Mueller. Charles finds himself now at a tipping point and, if not for him happening to meet someone who will become one of the most important people in his life at just this time, things could go quite differently for Xavier. It is at this point that Charles meets and quickly falls in love with Moira Kinross. The two find they are both deeply interested in genetic mutations, though Charles keeps his hidden from Moira, and it is through their discussions that the seeds of Charles’ future plans are sown. Though they have feelings for one another, Moira is clearly wary of entering into a relationship and we learn that she’s been in a tumultuous on-and-off relationship with a man named Joe McTaggert, who is currently stationed abroad as a Royal Marine. Despite her concerns, Moira finds herself falling for Charles and the two fall in love.

Back at Xavier’s ancestral home, Cain Marko continues to live a life in which he becomes increasingly isolated and violent. Though the two aren’t close, Charles has allowed him to stay in the home and attempts to maintain contact, but on a return trip to America one summer, he uses his powers to access Cain’s mind only to find that his step-brother has given himself over to his baser instincts and has made quite a reputation for himself as a mercenary. Reaching out to help him, Charles approaches Cain about what he knows only to have his step-brother attack him for using his gift to read his mind. The two fight and Cain holds nothing back. While Charles holds his own, he puts an end to the fight by mentally disabling Cain. When he recovers, Cain leaves the mansion, his hatred for Charles and his abilities driving him towards becoming even more of a monster.

Returning to Oxford, Charles finds that Joe McTaggert has returned. After a brief confrontation, Moira tells Charles that she is leaving him for Joe. Enraged, Charles reads both Moira and Joe’s minds and finds Moira terrified of the abusive Joe. Broken and alone, Charles finishes his work at Oxford at returns to America. Seeing people oppressed at the hands of a dictator, Charles enlists in the US Army and becomes a part of Operation Desert Storm. His time in the war opens his eyes to the hatred, violence and destruction that man unleashes during war. As the war winds down, Charles and army pilot Carmen Pride find themselves behind enemy lines during a rescue mission. As things begin to take a turn for the worse, the opposing army is mowed down by a band of privately contracted soldiers led by Cain Marko. Charles learns that his brother’s team has been sent to loot an ancient temple under the cover of war. Charles puruses Marko into the temple, attempting to stop him from taking treasures that rightfully belong to the people. Marko arrogantly grabs the largest ruby in the old temple, claiming it for himself. In a pretty Indiana Jones scene, the temple begins to fall around them as Charles watches Marko become transformed into something superhuman. As Marko’s rage is unleashed, the temple collapses on top of him, and the last thing Charles sees of his step-brother are his glowing, red eyes.

With the war ended, Charles completes his service and decides to stay in the Middle East, choosing to live in Cairo. Reaching out with his mind one night, Charles connects with Moira and finds that life has brought her many ups and downs, but that she is now separated from Joe and working at her own research facility on Muir Island, off the coast of Scotland. Digging deeper, Charles finds that Moira has a mutant son and, though the boy is very young, she is already terrified of him. A distraught Charles takes to the streets of Cairo where he becomes aware of the thoughts of a young pickpocket targeting him. As Charles connects with the mind of the young girl, he identifies her as a mutant before he is overwhelmed by another, darker presence in her head and looses consciousness.

Charles awakens in the lair of Amahl Farouk, the crime boss of the Thieves Quarter of Cairo. Here, Charles gets a good look at the young pick pocket, Ororo, and many others who are clearly under the control of Farouk. Farouk greets Charles and tells him he became aware of his presence in Cairo when he connected with Ororo. Recognizing Charles as a strong telepath, Farouk tells Charles of his criminal enterprise and invites him to be a part of it. For the first time, Charles recognizes not only the equal of his abilities, but also the opposite: someone who is not only willing to use them, but also to use them to commit acts of evil. While Charles’ powers have grown, he’s uncertain of their full extent; however, when he refuses, he finds out the full extent of Farouk’s.

Farouk quickly shows Charles that while he himself is a powerful mutant, he’s long been bonded with an entity known as the Shadow King. Brought to life as a manifestation of the terrors of early humans, the Shadow King has lived on people’s fears and feasted on their terror. In Farouk he has found a willing and powerful vessel and hopes to bring Xavier’s powers to his stable by inhabiting his mind. As Xavier resists, he finds his mind opens a gateway to another dimension where his likeness is projected: the Astral Dimension. Here Charles quickly learns the power of the Shadow King as his every fear is turned against him (the death of his father, his failure to save Marko and his failed relationship with Moira). In what will become his first act of great violence and a memory that will long haunt him, Charles, reminiscent of what he had seen in Cain, turns the fear to rage and battles back. Unprepared for the immense power unleashed against him, Farouk is beaten. As he attempts one final attack, Charles enters into Farouk’s mind and destroys it entirely, killing Farouk, driving the Shadow King from him. Before Charles returns to his body, we see one final shot of the Shadow King, a being of fear who now knows it.

As he recovers from his battle with the Shadow King, Charles realizes that while an entirely foul creature, Farouk is certainly not the only mutant out to do evil. It is at this point that he becomes determined to protect others from those who would do evil and to begin to protect and train young mutants, such as the one he met in Cairo, so that they couldn’t be used as weapons. Reflecting back on the life of his step-brother, Cain Marko, Charles knows the dangers that the outcast, orphaned and down-trodden face and begins Project Cerebro, a way to identify mutants that he might train.

Post-Credit Scene #1: A few years later, Charles has completed work on his third Ph.D, in Psychiatry, and is traveling the world again while continuing to work on Project Cerebro. Seeking to help the survivors of the Bosnian genocide, he works at a refugee clinic in Austria where he meets another volunteer: Erik Magnus.

Post-Credit Scene #2: Cain Marko, alive and well, boards a plane in an Israeli airport.

Fan Cast: For some odd reason, I just can’t get this picture out of my head. I’m not sure that it has to be JGL, but there’s something about it that I like.

A little (or a lot) unconventional I know, but this film sets so many wheels in motion that it had to happen in my mind.

Professor Xavier will return!

This feature originally ran at MCU Exchange in December of 2017.

Welcome to the first of what I hope is an enjoyable, extended look at a series of films that I’d like to see used as a way to bring the X-Men and Fantastic Four universes into the MCU. I’ve spent a troubling amount of time in my own mind thinking about this and figured that if I was going to spend that much time, I might as well write it up and feel accomplished! In doing so, I know that I’ll push some buttons with some readers, so let’s be clear about a few things: these are only MY ideas and do not, in any way, represent insight into what we should expect; of all the films I end up writing about, there’s a very small chance ANY of them get made; you’re free to write your own fan-fiction about films you want to see.

With so much time between now and when we will first see the X-Men enter the MCU, there’s a lot of time for things to change (including my own mind); however, this “blueprint” is my current idea and one that I’ve attempted to base both in the kind of decisions Marvel Studios has made to date and on the types of changes we’ve seen recently.

Assuming that Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 will take place at some point in 2022 or 2023, the first of the films I’ll be writing about would be both a nice companion piece, given how James Gunn has maintained that Vol. 3 is the last film for this version of the Guardians, and the gateway to the X-universe. It’s a film that is safe and familiar enough to draw fans in, but different enough that they aren’t just getting more of the same under a new title. Of all the films I’ve dreamed up in my head, this is the one I want to see the most. I want Marvel Studios Starjammers!

A Starjammers film allows Marvel Studios to cash in on the massive goodwill of Guardians of the Galaxy while opening the door to other parts of the Cosmos previously unavailable to the studio while sewing several X-seeds along the way.

The Starjammers story is more than another space opera; it is the story of the Summers family. The first film will focus on the family being torn apart, following Christopher Summers as he rises from the Shi’ar slave pits to become the leader of a rebellion against the mad emperor, D’Ken. While his oldest children struggle through adolescence as orphans, his youngest child is experimented on by the Shi’ar and becomes a slave himself.

A family story needs to start with the family and so our story begins in the year 2023 at Elmendorf Air Force Base in Anchorage, Alaska where we meet Christopher Summers, his wife Katherine, and their sons, Scott and Alex as they prepare for a long overdue family vacation.

As the family vacations, the focus shifts to the cosmos where we are taken to Chandilar, the Imperial Seat of the Shi’ar Empire where Majestor D’Ken Neramani’s growing madness is accompanied by an increase in violent outbursts. His sister, Lilandra, who serves as the Grand Admiral of the Shi’ar Imperial Guard, grows concerned that D’Ken will be taken over by the madness in the same way their oldest sibling, Cal’syee, was when she murdered their father in a move to take the throne. Though Cal’syee, whose more avian-esque features and murderous ways earned her the name Deathbird, was exiled, Lilandra is haunted by her crimes and begins to wonder just how far her brother will go in his quest for power.

The Summers vacation is full of fun-loving memories and as it ends, Chris flies the family back to Alaska, ready to resume their busy life, one that is about to get a whole lot busier as Katherine reveals to Christopher that she’s expecting their third child. It’s at this point that our two worlds collide, forever altering the course of everyone’s life and setting Christopher on his hero’s journey. The Shi’ar, always looking to expand and protect their empire, have recently begun investigating Earth by sending cloaked scout ships through Stargates. While flying back home, the Summers encounter one such ship. In an effort to keep their presence on Earth a secret, the Shi’ar scouts open fire on the Summers’ ship. An expert pilot, even Christopher knows he can’t save the plane but as the family looks to escape, they find only one parachute. Without thinking, Katherine straps Scott in, places his younger brother Alex in his arm and pushes them from the plane. As Scott and Alex descend towards Earth, Scott realizes their chute is damaged. As they begin to accelerate towards the ground, the stress triggers Scott’s latent mutant ability and his eyes unleash a massive blast of energy that slows their freefall enough to save their lives. In the instant before they touch down, Scott rolls over, taking the full force of the landing on his back and head; the last thing he sees before impact is his parent’s plane exploding into the mountainside.

Weeks pass by on Earth. Given the trauma they experienced at such a young age, Scott (12) and Alex (10) have been hospitalized and struggle to recover from the incident. Scott’s injury has resulted in what the doctor’s believe will be permanent brain damage. As they heal, the orphaned brothers are moved to a Midwest orphanage where the founder, Dr. Essex, has taken a great interest in the brothers’ unique genome. This will be the last we see of the Summers’ boys in this film.

As the Shi’ar scout ship returns to Chandilar, Christopher Summers struggles to escape his cell. Beaten and malnourished, Summers is eager to escape his captors and return to Earth to his remaining family. Weeks go by and Summers remains a prisoner, left with the weight of having lost his entire family. Seeing an opening, Summers escapes. Maneuvering his way through the Imperial Palace, Summers is pursued and hides in an open room where he discovers D’Ken’s Imperial harem. Their interest in Summers draws the attention of the guards who find Summers just as he lays eyes on his wife, who he believed dead, for the first time in weeks. The guards find Summers and take him and Katherine before D’Ken. As punishment for his escape attempt, D’Ken sentences Summers to the mine pits; as pleasure for himself, D’Ken murders Katherine as Christopher looks on. As Christopher is led away in chains, he’s left with the vision of his wife and unborn child being killed in front of him. Before cutting away to the mine pits, D’Ken hovers over Katherine’s body and removes her unborn child from her and hands him to Shi’ar scientists who place the boy in an incubation pod.

In the brutal mine pits on Alsibar, Christopher and the other slaves search for the legendary M’Kraan Crystal. The crystal, said to be created by the first beings in the universe, was once used by the Shi’ar as they expanded their empire. As they entered a peaceful reign, the Shi’ar buried the crystal deep in uncharted space, knowing that its power would only entice those who desired it to abuse it. D’Ken, obsessed with power and longing to expand his empire, devoted incredible resources to regaining the pink stone, researching every legend and story about its potential whereabouts. Summers’ time in the mines only deepens his grief. Near the end of his rope, Christopher sees the exotic and beautiful Hepzibah try to escape only to be caught and beaten by the guards. Reminded of his failure to save his wife, Christopher looks the other way. Moments later, the alien cyborg, Raza Longknife, and a massive Saurid, named Ch’od, come in pursuit of their friend, Hepzibah. Christopher initially refuses to help, only to rethink it and chase down the two and help them in rescuing Hepzibah. Invigorated by the bond they begin to form, the four plan their escape and subsequent revenge on the empire that has taken everything from them. Mining continues and as the Shi’ar slavers are distracted by a major discovery, the foursome hatch their plan and steal a Shi’ar vessel named the Starjammer and begin their quest to chip away at the Shi’ar empire.

Reclaiming his Air Force callsign “Corsair”, Summers leads the crew as they begin their swashbuckling adventures, committing acts of piracy against the Shi’ar, hijacking shipments between planets and taking the spoils for themselves. It’s key that several major heists are shown against the backdrop of D’Ken’s growing anger. The Starjammers are winning and their legend is growing. This is the film’s final act and while I’m not giving it much justice here, the film would obviously spend a significant amount of time detailing these adventures and.

Post-Credit Scene #1: Back on Alsibar, D’Ken arrives to supervise the extraction of the M’Kraan crystal from the pits. Upon returning to Chandilar and updated on heists that have taken place, D’Ken turns to Lilandra and asks her to assemble the Imperial Guard to track down and stop the Starjammers.

Post-Credit Scene #2: On Earth, the Summers boys are split apart (Alex is adopted while Scott remains under the watchful eye of Dr. Essex), while in space their brother emerges from the Shi’ar incubation pod older than his brothers, but alone in space.

Fan Cast: Many of these actors will be behind heavy makeup or just doing voice work for the film, so there’s really only one role I keep thinking about: Corsair. Obviously Corsair has to have the most fantastic facial hair of any MCU bro to date and needs be willing to go to some extremes. I’m thinking someone like Wes Bentley, who is currently a young-looking 41, could pull this off even if it’s a few years down the road yet.

This film should standalone but also set up the long game. As it comes to a close, Lilandra will assemble the guard, giving us our first look at some major fan favorite characters who will play a major role not only in the sequel, but in other MCU films as well. As exciting as that will be, the film as set in motion the events that will ultimately lead Scott Summers not only to becoming the first of Professor X’s X-Men, but one of the central characters of this post-Endgame MCU.

Of all the films I’ve been dreaming up over the past several weeks, this is the one that feels like I want to see it the most. It seems a little Star Wars-y to have a trilogy of films tell the story of a family, but that is just what I was going for. Time to move on to the next film in the series…Professor X!

The Starjammers will return!