Thoughts of the Week: How the Hammer Hath Fallen
If you've clicked on the link, I'm assuming you've already seen the issue or have no problem with spoilers, which means no apologies will be made for the revelations made here.
It's now February 13th, which means X-Factor #28 is now available in comic book stores. I have not yet read the entire issue, but if you live in a marginally more sophisticated country than my current residence, you should be able to pick it up later today. I've charged my debit card for a hilarious amount of money to have it and a few other books shipped to my local post office, so I should have it some time next week.
However, a helpful poster at the X-Men thread at Marvel.com pointed out a link to a spoilerific preview of some new issues shown at CBR (scroll to the bottom), which answers our question.
If you'll allow me a bit of fanfare...
On the one hand, the preview shows that my Madd Predictionary Skillz were astute indeed. The confession scene may not show quite the emotions that I divined in the previous entry, but it does, in fact, show Theresa disclosing her pregnancy to the priest. (And the dialogue is so cute. "Coveting my friend's new iPhone." *snerk*)
On the other hand...actually, I've kind of gotten used to the idea of the little Sproglet Cassidy-Madrox. The subplot has definite possibilities. At the very least it allows me to exercise my Madd Predictionary Skillz some more. I'm not yet ready to predict the gender; I have an idea, but I think it's premature yet. There are plenty of other questions to ask in the meantime.
- Who will be the child's godparent(s)? Terry and Jamie would, I expect, not take it for granted that they'll see their child grow up. They'll need to choose someone to take over in case the worst happens.
- How will the pregnancy storyline intersect with Theresa's denial of Banshee's death? I mean, is Banshee really dead? (I hope Terry's denial turns out to be correct; I like Banshee, he was a good egg.) If Banshee's truly gone, or anyway not coming back any time soon, when will Theresa accept that, and how will it affect her feelings toward her newborn or expected baby?
- Regardless of Banshee, when are we going to see Black Tom again? He apparently got sucked into some other dimension, but he ain't dead! I want to see Tom show his crazy face again and give his thoughts on yaoi!
- Does Theresa know how to knit or crochet? I think it would be really, really funny to watch her trade insults with Monet while stitching something fluffy and pastel. "Slut." "Bitch." *k1 yo k2tog* "Breeder." "Skank." *k2 p2* "Low-rent." "Socialite." *p1 k1 yo s1--k1--psso k1 p1* "Social climber." "Paris Hilton." *k2tog yo k1*
- How long, in real time, will the pregnancy take? If we assume she's now 3 months along (which is a generous estimate--is the precise gestation age disclosed in the issue?), then, from the date of conception (issue 10) to the end of the first trimester (issue 28) is 18 issues, which means 6 months of real time for 1 month of canon time. If the series keeps proceeding at this pace, then Theresa will be pregnant for another 3 years after this. Get yourself some comfy maternity clothes, Terry.
- Will the other X-mutants send baby gifts? Who will present Terry and Jamie with a tiny t-shirt bearing the legend "Show Me Your Hooters"?
- Will Jamie tell Terry about John Maddox in Vermont with his lovely wife Susan and son Daniel?
- What kind of powers will the sproglet have? We won't find that out, probably, for a few more decades, but still, what will the powers be?
- What kind of weird shit will Pregnant!Terry crave? What'll happen when some unfortunate soul pushes her too far during a mood swing?
- If Theresa decides to breastfeed the baby, how long will it take before Rictor and/or Guido get caught playing with her breast pump? Who will make the most booby jokes?
- Where will they house the baby when it arrives? Will it get Rahne's old bedroom, or Layla's?
- How will Terry and Jamie name the sproglet? I'll give my thoughts on that when I'm ready to predict the gender.
- How will this affect Terry and Jamie's relationship? I'll give my thoughts on that after I read issues 27 and 28 in their entirety.
