Mindless Ones

“This ride is incredible, Warren. You’re really giving me one?” Says Cyclops, through a smile that punches a hole in the fourth wall. I laugh, imagine it’s not a question, and flick back a few pages.

“All of the X-Men seem much more sex-saturated” Says Emma, straddling Scott.

I flick back further. There’s that smile again, this time framed by a bare chest, muscle and languid confidence. I reacquaint myself with the page. No-one’s touching but I think this qualifies as a sex scene. It strikes me that there’s something considerably more intimate about a husband and wife posing for one another than the straight forward implied fuck that takes place in a few panels time.

“…wall to wall fornication…” Says Emma sprawling out on the bed.

“This ride is incredible, Warren. You’re really giving me one” I leave the question mark out this time, focus on that enormous smile, and jump to the next panel.

“You, Emma, Hank…” replies Warren Worthington the Third, better known as Angel. He’s smiling too. Not Logan, then? I enquire with a chuckle, and mentally erase the rest of the sentence.

My attention leaves the book for a moment as I scan through a CD. The Lee Douglas remix of Freedom Machine spins out of my speakers. “Come to me!” begs the sample over and over again. Synchronicitous rudeness.

Back to the comic. Perhaps that sentence didn’t need erasing afterall, as I discover two beautiful, windswept, men bonding over and in the cockpit of a supercar. Somewhere between Fraction, Brubaker and Land these paragons of manliness have been gifted long tousled hair. Like Tom Cruise.

“Why, Scott Summers, I can’t believe what you’re suggesting” exclaims Angel a second before blasting out of the vehicle and into the hot San Fransisco air. Mutant self expression merges with sexual expression merges with potentiality (we’re back in territory first charted in Grant Morrison’s NXM).

I race back a few pages. Scott and Emma talk about having babies. I flick forward. Look at all that light. Look at those teeth blaze in the California sun. Look at Angel wrap his wings around the sky. “…The coolest thing they ever saw… …was the X-Men driving to work” All Tomorrow’s Parties. Glee tickles its way up my chest.

Refocus: I land on Scott’s latest grin, he turns his head to catch my eye. Looks right at me. “This is so great” he enthuses.

I grin back. Thanks, Scott I’m just along for the ride.

It’s incredible.

You’re really giving me one.

Wink wink