Honestly? Because I hate how she's treated now and am a HUGE Generation X fan. Like HUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUGE. But I'll get to that. Let's talk about what makes Jubilee a great character for this week on Thought Balloons, shall we?
A name that can only bring celebrations to mind, Jubilee is probably known by most as the chilli-dog eating, fireworks spurting member of the X-Men from the absolutely stunning 90s cartoon (and if you don't know the cartoon you're either ancient or a toddler yourself), and I expect that side of her is what we'll see more of this week than anything else. But there's a fair bit more to her than that, as you'd expect almost two decades after the fact.
No, since those early X-Men days she became a core character of the "best team book ever", Generation X, where her powers were explored to greater effect, revealing that Jubilee's powers actually have the potential to detonate matter on the sub-atomic level. That basically makes her a fusion bomb generator. You can't ask for more power than that really. Throughout that series she formed close friendships with characters like Husk and Chamber (the BEST Marvel character of all time), and an almost-romance with fellow team member Skin. Oh and she pursued a Hollywood career, but that didn't go too well, with typecasting and sexual advances becoming too great a set of issues for her.
Of course since then the years haven't been kind to the girl with the nonsensical name, as she got depowered after House of M, opened a half-way house in Queens that she swiftly abandoned, joined the anti-registration New Warriors team, almost died multiple times, appeared in a short-lived and painfully awful Robert Kirkman comic and most recently became a shoddy Twilight stock character and got vamped up in Victor Gischler's new X-Men series.
But I implore you to ignore all the awkward stuff that's happened in those recent years. Instead just take a crack at a character that is the embodiment of 90s youth culture at its finest with a power set that carries a fair bit of potential.
ch'yeah, and an excuse to use hip 90s comics slang.
Find out more about Jubilee by going to:
Her Wikipedia Page
Her Marvel Wikia Page
The Generation X Marvel Wikia Page
Pre-Order Generation X Classic vol. 1 from Amazon.com (UK)
*Ahem* If you wish to contribute an entry to Thought Balloons using this character, enter your script into the comments on this post. You know you want to!
Is that second one by Art Adams? It kind of looks like his style, but I'm not sure.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I think you are not going to like my script, haha.
I'm fairly sure it is, but honestly the Gen X artists rotated so much post-Bachalo that I'd be hard-pressed to say for sure. All I CAN say is it's clearly not the Dodsons or Bachalo ahaha.
ReplyDeleteGlad we're back to a character I know. Though I wouldn't call myself a Jubilee "fan", I do live the X-Men and know a fair bit about her, so hopefully I can come up with something :)
ReplyDelete... Oh, and I used to LOVE the 90's animated TV show!!
ReplyDeleteI will sit this one out, mainly because I cannot make myself type anything positive about Jubilee haha. Although it could be a challenge!
ReplyDelete[OK, so this is basically my attempt at noir. When writing it, I was imagining the art in high-contrast greyscale. It is also a "reboot" of the opening of X-Men #1. I only just came up with it and haven't put any time into polish, so hope it's alright :)]
ReplyDeletePANEL ONE
Close-up on Jubilee. She is clicking her fingers, lighting a cigarette with the resulting sparks.
SFX: TCHK
PIXIE (OP): Y’know the station ain’t been the same withoutcha.
PANEL TWO
We see a stereotypical PI’s office. Jubilee is sitting on one side of a desk with her feet up on it. The only change to her usual outfit is a fedora, tilted slight forward, and the cigarette in her hand. Pixie is standing by the far window, looking out. She is wearing the usual noir get-up--glittery dress and high-heels. We can tell it’s her from the fairy wings on her back.
JUBILEE: I never wanted to leave the force. It was... out of my hands.
PIXIE: Jimmy misses you the most.
JUBILEE: ->sigh<-
PANEL THREE
Close up on Pixie, turning back to Jubilee.
PIXIE: So how’s the PI business treatin’ you anyw--
PANEL FOUR
Close on the door. Behind the frosted glass, we can see a silhouette of a person knocking.
SFX: KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK
JUBILEE: Come in.
PANEL FIVE
Same shot as before except that the door is open and a courier is standing there, holding a package.
COURIER: I have a package for a Miss... Jubilation Lee.
JUBILEE (OP): You're lookin' at h--
PANEL SIX
Same shot as before, except the box has exploded. Only a faint outline of the courier can be seen in the blast.
SFX: BOOOM
PANEL SEVEN
Jubilee is sitting at her desk, covered in blood, a look of shock on her face. Pixie has rushed to her side.
PIXIE: You OK?
P.S. I know that Jubilee doesn't have any powers in X-Men #1, but it's my alternate reality and I'll do with it as I please :-P
ReplyDeleteDanial - that's actually pretty damn cool. Adaptation via noir, hadn't thought of that. Well in.
ReplyDeleteYou know, it didn't occur to me until just now (when my script is already written), but a team-up between Jubilee and Boom Boom (with Nextwave personality) is just gold waiting to be mined. Someone get on that, ASAP!
ReplyDelete