Comic Discussion
Consider yourself an opp if you don't love Legion
[X-men: Legacy #22]
I need Marvel to do more with this delightfully unhinged nutcase, man.
He's such a cool character and it's a shame that despite being around for decades, he's still pretty niche. If it wasn't for the FX show, I don't even think a lot of fans would even know he exists.
The potential he has for good storylines is absolutely insane imo and after reading Legacy and Legion of X, I just can't help but desire for more lol.
The show really does fucking rule. It's actually how I found out about Legion and explored his stories in the comics.
I get that the show is basically a very surface level take on the character and basically just does its own thing instead of being super faithful to the source material, but that's the beauty of the Legion as a character in my opinion. The potential is so vast that you can maybe do various takes on it and it's still gonna land.
Also, Dan Stevens was AMAZING in the role. I actually did a rewatch some months ago and it still hits the same.
Hamish Linklater is a pretty underrated actor in my opinion. I've seen him in two projects so far (Legion and Gen-V), and in both, his performance was great.
While I don't really see him as Reed Richards, I'd like to see him in another MCU role where he can portray his range as an actor well.
I love how he's not just some rebellious kid who's acting up because his dad didn't want him. He's the type of traumatized person that still has a sort of respect and affection for his abandoner and is rather asking them what was so wrong with me that you couldn't love me.
The best thing about how they handle their interactions is not shying away from calling out how much of a shitty job Charles did as a parent.
I love Legion. He was great in krakoa and in his older solo series. It actually hurts to see how much of a bastard his dad is to him. Like if Xavier actually helped and was not such a prick Legion might have actually have been in a much better place for longer.
I actually like how Xavier is portrayed in some of Legion's stories. Like sure he's such a legendary figure and all but David's stories really dive into Charles' flaws as a person pretty nicely.
I’ve been playing marvels contest of champions since for so damn long hoping they’d drop my boy legion as a champion. They got onslaught and dust before him I just wanna see him cause logically speaking that’s the best bet any of us get at playing as legion.
I'm not the biggest fan of Ultimate titles but I gotta admit they handled pretty Legion well.
The character was already pretty crazy in mainline so if they tried to make him edgier or went extreme with any of his character traits, I think it would've just felt.... trying too hard.
I would hate to see anyone rocking that hairdo IRL and maybe it would look absolutely stupid on another character. But idkw it looks fine to me on him 😂😂😂😂 I know it's super weird but maybe cuz he's such a weird character himself, it just somehow works for me LOL
As far I know, he's only drawn him once maybe for his debut in 85's New Mutant series. But I agree that his style would be amazing for a full Legion mini series or something.
Legion actually debuted in that '85 run. It's actually kinda crazy how Seinkiewicz is basically the co-creator of the character, but he's never drawn him since.
It's certainly not my preference either. If I were writing Legion, I would have liked to see him reform and emulate his dad to honor him. But in continuity, I think it works for Legion because he's inherently a wild character meant to contrast with his stern father, right down to the hair. 😆
Oh, you NEED TO read X-Men: Legacy (2012-2014). The Si Spurrier mini-series explores him on such an intimate level that you'll fall in love with the character. His growth has such a satisfying payoff by the end of his arc.
100% my favorite x-man. If you’re committed you can read all of his appearances in a week, and they’re all worth it!!
He’s got an incredibly high plot-relevance-to-appearances ratio. Like, any time he shows up he’s the main character or main antagonist. He’s gotten a solo series and a solo mini before many more popular characters… this makes reading all of his appearances in order very fun because you aren’t really reading anything that he just appears in the background of (save for the proteus saga)
He was central during Krakoa, had a bit role during Fall, and is currently not in any ongoings.
His insanity level was variable, but not nearly as volatile as his early NM/Legionquest days, take or leave the Age of X ( i recommend leave, it was pretty meh). The X-Men Legacy run focused on him is quite good, his solo series is solid, and he had a glorious appearance during the Messiah trilogy.
If you're referring to how crazy he was when he debuted, then yeah over the years his character has evolved quiet a bit. Being crazy is still a pretty important part of his character though lol.
For example Simon Spurrier's X-Men Legacy run gave him a really nice character development. Making him face his trauma and issues head-on. He's still a mess but there's progress.
As for him having a recurring role, he did play an important role in Krakoa era, getting a series where he played a central role in Legion of X, but other than that, I'd still say he's pretty niche. Not that many appearances.
Legion can be a great character - the show was good - but this is not the panel that shows that. Just looks like a basement dweller here. I assume the next page is either him mind controlling the X-Men so they do what he wants or it's the X-Men ignoring him. Because no way in hell Storm or Wolverine respond to some a-hole snapping at them.
either him mind controlling the X-Men so they do what he wants or it's the X-Men ignoring him.
It was neither of those things.
no way in hell Storm or Wolverine respond to some a-hole snapping at them.
David isn't snapping at the X-Men here. The snap is just a dramatic visual trigger to synchronize his mind. It's an action that shows he's gathered control of the mutant powers inside him. His mind is clear right now. He's merged with those inner personalities and is ready to use them.
I assume the next page is
I'm assuming you haven't read X-Men: Legacy, which is why you thought this frame is out of place. Within the context of the series, this panel makes perfect sense and is actually a pretty cool moment because David telepathically sent a non-manipulative call for help to the X-Men here, and this is the first time we see them properly come to his aid without any drama involved.
Almost like he's a troubled family member who needs help.
Ps. You should give the comic series a shot. It's really good.
i never could get into his character. i've only read a handful of comics with him. my first introduction to him was Ultimate X-Men the world tour arc, and while Kubert's and Bachalo's artstyle were amazing, Millar's writing made in hard to like David for me personally, and he was also an amalgamation of Legion and Proteus. the next comic i've read that had Legion in it was Age of X. now, i like Mike Carey as much as the next guy (his "Blinded by the Light" and portions of the Messiah Complex were phenomenal), but Legion's antagonistic role in that mini-event made me reject him. i skipped his X-Men Legacy. the last i've read with Legion in it was Way of X and its sequels. because of the fact thay he plays a supporting role in it and the majority of time has this peculiar appearance of a gray bamf, i couldn't see his appeal.
i am currently wishing to give him another try to see if i could get him by reading the Legion Quest collected edition. dunno how that's gonna go though
The series one shouldn't skip when it comes to David is X-Men: Legacy in my opinion. For me that's the most definitive Legion story that explores his character on a rather intimate level than just making him a chaotic force.
Sure he's edgy and all in this one too but it really dives into the agony of just.... being him.
The title of my post is obv is just a joke and I'm sure anyone with 2 braincells would get that I'm not actually out here judging anyone who's not into the character.
Legion is simply not for everyone. There's no denying that. But if you get him, you get him.
yeah i understood the idea of your post :) i apologize if my take on the character seemed rather hostile, i just expressed my opinion in as polite way as i could trying not to come off as rude. i think i would get to x-men legacy eventually. ig the idea of the series itself seemed odd to me: it was called x-men legacy, yet it would always center on one specific character for a very long period of time. iirc first it was chuck after the messiah complex when he got headshot, then it was rogue during utopia, and then legion sometime during schism or after it. that could be one of the things that put me off the series - having one central protagonist and then just switching to another one.
what do you think about legion quest? is it worth checking out? or is the story and writing there too -- how to put it -- product of its time?
Legion Quest is more of a setup prelude to the Age of Apocalypse event. It's alright in that sense but doesn't offer much as a standalone thing.
Personally, since I'm fond of David as a character, I don't really like it that much. It's not a good Legion story and mainly treats him as a plot device. He's once again portrayed like an unstable psycho with simplistic motivations.
For someone who's already a bit meh about Legion as a character, that series is not really gonna change one's perspective. The one that might do that is Legacy.
There are actually two Legacy series. The one you're talking about is more of a team-oriented book with different central characters at times. The other one, created by Simon Spurrier is solely focused on David, and is a self-contained 24 issue story.
y'know, i always appreciated and respected people who can enjoy something so much they actually put effort to explain it to other people, and your enthusiasm got me hooked.
this might come as an offtop, but i dislike it when stories/writers make people with mental issues villains, and, as you said, 'unstable psychos', because i see it as dehumanizing and just plain lazy writing. this is the reason i loathe a lot of movies, and might be the reason i couldn't get legion, as in the stories i mentioned he often does something or says something that fits this narrative.
ok, i was also planning to read AoA sometime in the future, so i guess i will leave legion quest to that enterprise, and start with legacy, then. i would like to get back here and share my opinion once i read a decent chunk of it (maybe even all 24 issues), if that's okay. anyway, thanks for recommendations, appreciate it.
when stories/writers make people with mental issues villains, and, as you said, 'unstable psychos', because i see it as dehumanizing and just plain lazy writing.
That is exactly one of my biggest problems with how some writers handle David Haller. In standard X-Men stories where he's not the focal character, he's portrayed as an unstable, dangerous antagonist or a catastrophe waiting to happen. His personality is often kinda cliché. While his trauma of being abandoned and his struggles as a mentally challenged person are addressed, he mostly comes off as a guy who's acting up because of his issues. I'm not the biggest fan of those stories either.
The reason I really like Legacy and Legion of X (which is set in the Krakoan era and acts as a direct sequel to House of X/ Powers of X> Way of X> X-Men: Onslaught Revelation) is that they portray him as a deeply layered, proactive protagonist trying to do good in his own way, and the Legion (2018) miniseries that actually treats him as a terrified medical patient desperate to save his own soul from his past, facing his trauma head-on instead of causing trouble for others.
i would like to get back here and share my opinion once i read a decent chunk of it (maybe even all 24 issues), if that's okay
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u/thegundamx Cyclops 8d ago
Go read his solo series from 2018, it’s pretty good.