What?

What is this?

 I don't know.  But I think I want it.

Uncanny Avengers #5

Story by Rick Remender
Art by Olivier Coipel & Mark Morales
Colors by Laura Martin
Cover by John Cassaday, Laura Martin, & Olivier Coipel
Price: 3.99

When I was a kid, I loved that MTV show “The Real World”. Watching a group of quirky, often dysfunctional kids from different walks of life trying to live harmoniously under one roof always implied the promise of an impending, horribly beautiful train-wreck. I’m not saying that I enjoy watching the suffering of others, but conflict always provides the best & most entertaining character defining moments.
This issue of Uncanny Avengers was like “The Real World: 616″, and I mean that in every good way possible. There was no filler or padding here. Each character interaction was riveting, and pissing contests were held by both male and female characters alike.
There was a surprising amount of character complexity here as well. There were some great moments that made me appreciate Alex Summers as a peacemaker and a leader, as well as one scene that left me thinking, “Damn. That is one sorry-assed Uncle-Tom.”

SPOILERS:  I'm talking about this scene:

From day-one, the X-Men have been an allegory for disenfranchised groups in the world. In the Marvel Universe, the word “Mutant” is a non-derogatory descriptor, like “Black”, “White”, or “Polka-dotted”. Havok calling the word “Mutant” the “M-Word” is an obvious nod to the use of the “N-Word” in today’s society. He’s basically stating that he finds the word “Mutant” offensive.

As an African American, I find this line of thought as ridiculous as the idea of finding the word “Black” or the term “African American” offensive”. Fortunately, I do not. And I feel safe in saying that neither does society. After all, how often do you hear someone say “The B-Word” in place of “Black”? You don’t, because black is just a descriptor.

It is NOT an insult.

Havok says “Don’t call us Mutants. The ‘M-Word’ represents everything I hate.” This is where his speech went off the rails.

Imagine a Catholic saying “Don’t use the ‘C-Word’. It represents everything I hate.”
Imagine a gay person saying “Don’t use the ‘G-Word’. It represents everything I hate.”
Imagine a woman saying “Don’t use the ‘W-Word’. It represents everything I hate.”
Imagine a white person saying “Don’t use the ‘W-word’. It represents everything I hate.”
Imagine a black person saying “Don’t use the ‘B-word’. It represents everything I hate.”

As depicted by Remender, Havok is a textbook example of a self-hating Mutant. That flies in the face of what the X-Men stand for in the comics, and for what the X-Men comics have stood for for many readers. The X-Men are about inclusion and equality, but they are NOT about rejecting or hating any aspect of themselves. They are about accepting and celebrating difference, NOT about rejecting or denying it.

Rick Remender is a great writer. He’s one of my favorites in fact. I applaud him for trying to tackle the subject of identity politics. But unless he meant to portray Havok as a self-hating Mutant with self-identity & self-esteem issues, he seriously dropped the ball here.

Despite how I feel about Remender's portrayal of the character Havok, I loved this issue.  The characterizations felt real; blemishes and all.  The issue was well-paced and enjoyable from cover to cover.  And  Coipel's art is incredible.

Icing on the cake: A brutally shocking cliffhanger ending.