Fanwank 101

[butterfly]

Or, why I didn't have a problem with the climax of X2.

Why did Jean go outside to lift the plane and save them from the torrent of water?

From what I've gathered, she can't fly. Which I'm guessing would extend to lifting things with herself in them. Also, judging from the beginning, when her headache/hearing too many thoughts makes all the electronics go on the fritz, I think the reason that the plane wasn't working was because her mind was very active from the fight with Scott and she was in the plane. So, if she leaves, then she can control the plane and stop herself from screwing it up.

Why Jean?

Which needs to be broken into subparts. But in the end, it all comes down to Jean making a choice. She doesn't let anyone else in on the decision-making process.

Why not Bobby?

Bobby's Iceman. Why can't he freeze all that water? I'm guessing the answer to this comes in two parts (possibly three).

A) Water expands when it freezes. He could make a wall of ice, but the water would just come over it, unless he can make that wall as thick, tall, and wide as the dam was. And building a wall of ice across a hallway isn't anywhere near the same scope.
B) From what we've seen, Bobby has to have a direct line between himself and what he's freezing. If he's not touching it, we seen the line of cold. Which means that he would have to get off the place to freeze the water, and then we'd run right back into problem one.
C) None of the teachers would be willing to let a student risk their life if there was no other choice.

Why couldn't Nightcrawler save her?

This was actually addressed: she wouldn't let him. She was able to stop him from teleporting before, too. That's how they caught him.

Why not Charles? Hey, couldn't he freeze time?

Jean wouldn't let him. She was controlling him enough to speak through him. And though we saw him freeze people, he can't stop time. The tv was still playing at the museum. Someone was holding a cell phone and the second time around, I heard the person on the other side ask if the frozen talker was still there.

Why not Storm? She controls weather.

Jean was already outside by the time Storm knew about it. And we've seen her control weather, but all of that was air related: taking what was there and forcing it to be stronger. We haven't really seen her do the opposite.

Comments

[therisingmoon.livejournal.com]

That makes a lot of sense now that you mention it. But it also sets the setting for the third installment of the series.

[butterfly.livejournal.com]

Oh, it was totally set-up. But I think that it also made internal sense, which is what other people were protesting.

[aurianrose.livejournal.com]

Hi, I wandered in from saava's post... Okay, that makes more sense to me now too. I was wondering why she didn't go outside way *before* the water broke through? I think I'm still a little confused by that.

[butterfly.livejournal.com]

I think that it took her a while to figure it out. Everyone was concentrating on the plane not working and trying to get it to work, and I think that something went "ping!" in her head.

[aurianrose.livejournal.com]

Okay, that I can buy! Thanks for clearing that up! That really was very well thought out. :-)

[butterfly.livejournal.com]

I'm glad that it helped... and that it made sense.

[bossymarmalade.livejournal.com]

The sparks of fire in Jean's eyes warmed my little X-geek heart. eeee!

[butterfly.livejournal.com]

That was a damn cool effect, I must say.

It's almost enough to make me wish that I was comic geek enough to have read a single comic, ever.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_lore/]

Ahhhhhh. Thank you!

love, lore

[butterfly.livejournal.com]

Yay. I'm glad that I was helpful.

[sneezydove.livejournal.com]

I think there were a lot of things they could have done to save themselves without sacrificing anyone. But the Professor said that Jean wouldn't have let them do anything. That was part of her choice. So that's why I don't have any issues with how they ended it.

[butterfly.livejournal.com]

I definitely agree that Jean was definitely making a choice for everyone there.

[tsara.livejournal.com]

Wandered in from a random journal link. :)

Just wanted to make a comment here....

Jean was the one that went outside because she instinctively knew what was going to happen to her. Now, with you not being a comic fan (as noted in a comment from you above. :)) you wouldn't know about Jean's little evolution she's undergoing. She's not done mutating. And she knew this right there towards the end. She knew she would be able to save them and survive it all in the end, therefore not sacrificing herself as it would appear. :)

If you want more details about what's happening to Jean from a comic book geek, just let me know. :)

[silly-cleo.livejournal.com]

Hah! Thank you! I've been saying all this for a while.

And RE Xavier, I might be wrong but I got the impression he froze time by...pausing people's thoughts if that makes sense. So the water doesn't have a mind to pause so it doesn't quite work that way. but like I said, I'm probably waay off.