Lilandra in the MC2

 

I am thoroughly enjoying the X-Men ’97 animated series on Disney + which acts as a continuation of X-Men: The Animated Series. Inspired by recent episodes, today’s post will be about Professor Charles Xavier’s long-time lover, Lilandra Neramani, the Majestrix of the Shi’ar Empire. This is Lilandra in the MC2.

 

First appearing in X-Men #97 as an unidentified mental projection, Lilandra’s dynastic surname of Neramani and royal status as a Princess is revealed in X-Men #103 with her first name revealed in her first full appearance in X-Men #105.

Princess Lilandra Neramani is coronated in X-Men #125, officially becoming Majestrix of the Shi’ar Empire. Her lover Professor Charles Xavier accompanies her during this time and is referred to as her ‘consort,’ which may or may not be an official title. Are they married? Well, that’s unclear as there is no on-panel confirmation nor ceremony but perhaps Shi’ar culture considers the role of consort as equivalent to a marriage. In the real world, a consort is generally the spouse of a monarch. Lilandra’s profile in The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Deluxe Edition #7 lists her marital status as ‘Inapplicable. Charles Xavier is her consort’. Back in the first volume of The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe #8, Xavier’s profile lists his marital status as ‘single’ but notes that he and Lilandra forged a telepathic bond and ‘later became romantically involved and engaged to marry’. In The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Deluxe Edition #10, Charles is again listed as ‘single’ and Lilandra is not among the list of his known relatives.

 

Regardless, the couple often spend significant time apart due to their sperate responsibilities and eventually ended their relationship in X-Men Unlimited #5. I bring this up because various sources online cite New X-Men #133 as the point that their marriage is annulled by the Shi’ar Empire. So, ironically the first time they are ever explicitly referred to as being married is when it is ended. The Marvel Encyclopedia Vol. 2: X-Men from 2003 refers to Xavier as Lilandra’s ‘husband’ during the time after the Dark Phoenix Saga. Conversely, the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe: X-Men 2004 profile for Xavier refers to his marital status as ‘single, former consort to Princess-Majestrix Lilandra Neramani of the Shi’ar Empire’.  But these sources are all obviously past the point of divergence for the MC2 so let’s move on!

 

In the MC2, we witness Galactus’ latest herald Dominas the Wavemaster arrive in the area of space ruled by the Shi’ar Empire, effortlessly going through all their defensive satellites on his way to the Imperial Throneworld of Shi’ar.  Dominas is confronted by the Shi’ar Imperial Guard led by Gladiator as he gives the population it’s only warning to evacuate or die (Last Planet Standing #1).

 

With Galactus’ arrival, Lilandra is advised to flee upon her personal starship alongside the High Council. The Majestrix blames herself for not having enough ships to evacuate the entire planet nor foreseeing this eventuality. Despite the Imperial Guard’s efforts, Galactus activates his elemental converter, draining every precious quanta of biochemical and kinetic energy from the Throneworld, bleeding the planet dry in moments. Lilandra Neramani watches on helplessly while her planet is destroyed (Last Planet Standing #1).

 

While that’s the only appearance we have for Lilandra in the MC2, at the conclusion of the Last Planet Standing series the threat of Galactus is ended for good when Galactus and the Silver Surfer merge into a new being and reverse the destruction caused by Galactus. This newly birthed being uses a new form of energy- The Power Essential -to repair the damage wreaked during his former self’s plot. So, it’s possible -though again, not stated- that Lilandra’s Throneworld was restored afterwards at some point (Last Planet Standing #5).

 

Until I figure out if I should have included Lilandra and the Shi’ar Royal Family on Xavier’s Family Tree, I remain

 

frogoat

Where is Cletus Kasady in the MC2?

 

While I’ve been busy lately, it’s perhaps a good thing I already jumped the gun and detailed Carnage in the MC2 years back when the first Venom movie came out. That said, with Venom: Let There Be Carnage out in cinema (well, in some parts of the world! Not here yet, sadly) I figure I should at least try and put out something to tie-in. One question not specifically addressed in my previous post is the whereabouts of Carnage’s first and most iconic host: Where is Cletus Kasady in the MC2?

 

Cletus Kasady made his very first appearance in Amazing Spider-Man #344, cameoing as Eddie Brock’s prison cellmate. When the Venom symbiote busted Eddie out, it left behind it’s offspring which bonded with serial killer Cletus to become the mass-murdering Carnage and the rest is history (Amazing Spider-Man #345, #359-#361). 

 

When a splinter of the Carnage symbiote (specifically Specimen 297 of 300) appeared in the MC2 starting in Amazing Spider-Girl #9, Cletus was nowhere to be seen. To explore why, we should look to the last published appearance of Cletus Kasady prior the MC2’s own publication history, a two-part story in Amazing Spider-Man #430-#431. The story starts out as a fairly standard ‘Carnage on a rampage’ plot until the Silver Surfer shows up and the Carnage symbiote abandons Cletus and bonds with the Surfer (Amazing Spider-Man #430).

 

While at first it seems as though Cletus is merely suffering a kind of withdrawal in the absence of his symbiote ‘other’, when Spider-Man takes Kasady to a hospital it’s discovered that he is suffering from an advanced case of stomach cancer and that the symbiote has been keeping him alive (Amazing Spider-Man #431).

 

By the story’s conclusion, the Surfer allows the Carnage symbiote to re-bond with Kasady…only to leave him encased in an unbreakable shell of ethereal energy ‘for the rest of his life’. Ironically, the Main Marvel Universe never really addresses Cletus’ situation, either how he escaped this seemingly permanent imprisonment nor recovered from his terminal cancer. Instead, the next time we see him he’s just in prison and shortly afterwards has his symbiote eaten by Venom with almost no ill effects. Wasted potential.

 

While we also don’t have an explanation for how the Carnage symbiote escaped the Silver Surfer’s encasement (though perhaps I could present a theory on that someday?) we can assume that Cletus Kasady is probably long dead in the MC2. The interesting thing to note is that both stories here were written by Tom Defalco and both refer to the symbiotes ability to keep a host alive even with a terminal cancer diagnosis, with the Carnage symbiote promising to help save new host Moose Mansfield’s father in exchange for his co-operation (Amazing Spider-Girl #9-#12).

 

Well, hopefully you got something out of this. I know I was pleasantly surprised when I realized the similarities between the two Defalco Carnage stories. I’m also fairly sure Defalco was the first person to associate symbiotes with cancer in anyway.

 

Until I find another tangential connection to the Venom films, I remain

 

frogoat

The Watcher in the MC2

 

With the new What If...? show now streaming away on Disney+ I figure now is the best time to talk about one of the series most iconic characters, everyone’s favourite observant extra-terrestrial in a toga, Uatu aka The Watcher in the MC2.

 

Despite May ‘Mayday’ Parker aka Spider-Girl making her debut in the pages of What If (vol. 2) #105, the comic series ‘host’ The Watcher doesn’t appear within to set up the tale nor play the narrator as he often did.

  Uatu actually first shows up in the pages of the mini-series Last Hero Standing with issue #1. It’s here he gives the reader a quick history of the MC2 reaching back to birth of Age of Heroes, clearly referencing the Main Marvel Universe’s beginnings. The Watcher notes he can see that a pivotal moment is coming which may end the modern Age of Heroes and bring a new era of darkness.

 

At the conclusion of Last Hero Standing, Loki is revealed as the antagonist and leaves Captain America dying. Uatu watches as Thor combines Asgardian magic with his friend’s spirit, transforming the hero into a new star in the sky. The Watcher informs the readers that it will shine until the end of time and ‘serve to inspire countless new generations of heroes!’ (Last Hero Standing #5)

 

Unfortunately, the next time we see Uatu is also the last time. The Watcher states ‘the time has come for me to witness one final critical juncture’ before he and half of the Earth’s Moon are blasted away by Galactus’ herald Dominas. Presumably The Watcher is killed in this attack, though this is not confirmed (Last Planet Standing #3).

 

 Fortunately, the newly birthed being composed of the combined Silver Surfer and Galactus uses a new form of energy- The Power Essential -to repair the damage wreaked during his former self’s plot. So, it’s possible -though again, not stated- that Uatu was restored also (Last Planet Standing #5).

 

That’s all we have for everyone’s favourite Watcher in the MC2. Brief, but surely true to form for the character. Perhaps he’ll narrate something momentous in the future?

 

Until I figure out how to look *that good* in a toga, I remain

 

frogoat