Perhaps the most deus ex machina thing in X-Men has been that every mutant's mutation is directly beneficial for either fighting crime or perpetrating it.

The ones that figure into the plot, sure. But we get to see scads of mostly nameless secondary characters (think of many Morlocks, for instance, or Genoshans) who have nothing useful that they can do.

The X-Men is a self-selecting group, and so are their opponents.

And given that the diamond form makes her one of the strongest and toughest people on the team, it looks more practical than some of the other X-Mutation.

Tell that to Madelyne Pryor.

To be fair, "dying" on national television and then having no contact with your bereaved husband for months afterwards pretty much removes one's right to a "how could you?!?" reaction. I don't think Scott knew Maddy was alive until she went Goblin Queen on his ass. and Scott kept and raised Nathaniel, didn't he?

"dying" on national television and then having no contact with your bereaved husband for months afterwards pretty much removes one's right to a "how could you?!?"

When did Madelyne do this? When Scott left her for Jean, she was alive.

To be fair, "dying" on national television and then having no contact with your bereaved husband for months afterwards pretty much removes one's right to a "how could you?!?" reaction.

That whole story was a mess, wasn't it? I mean, Scott did go chasing after Jean when she turned up alive, even if they weren't romantically involved again at first.

When did Madelyne do this? When Scott left her for Jean, she was alive.

I thought Scott didn't become romantically involved with Jean (again) until after Madelyne and the X-Men "died" fighting that lame Trickster adversary in Dallas, got sucked through Roma's Siege Perilous for an identity makeover, and relocated to Australia.

And people wonder why I'm afraid to try to figure out the X-men continuity...

Think I'll stick with Astonishing and Ultimate, and just let my continuity issues slide...

Here's the discussion, Matt:

Leaving your wife and kid? Why not?

Scott would never. He has issues about that. His father abandoned him and Alex and their mom to go superheroing about the galaxy.

I wasn't diving into sleeping with Jean. Just abandoning his family.

Actually, Corsair didn't abandon his wife -- she was killed in front of him by the Shi'ar Emperor. And the last he saw of his kids they were jumping out of a plane with only one parachute between them.

I miss Rachel Summers. The Summers family reunions must be like The Ice Storm, only with superpowers and aliens included.

Scott got abandonment issues anyway. He's good like that. It was a bit of a reconciliation process.

No need to miss Rachel. She's around.

I miss Rachel Summers.

Yeah, I was looking at one of my old X-men and it took me a second to remember her whole history with the psychic-hound alternafuture thing. Which was gloriously fucked up and interesting.