An Unabashed Fangirling Moment Over Mr. and Mrs. X

The first issue of Mr. and Mrs. X released this week, and it’s almost as if Marvel KNEW it was my birthday. (Well, technically my birthday was the day before, but comics don’t release on Tuesdays so I’m taking it.) I couldn’t have asked for anything more in regards to a mini-series revolving around the couple I never thought would get married: Gambit and Rogue.

I knew that the series would be about their first adventure as a married couple, but I had no idea it was going to start with their wedding. In X-Men Gold #30, they went from proposal to ceremony in about three panels. This issue went through all the details between that time, complete with Jubilee and Psylocke running a last minute “something old, something new” for Rogue. I also learned that Gambit doesn’t seem to be well loved by many of the guys, which was an eye-opener. I had no idea Nightcrawler and Iceman weren’t cool with Remy. Maybe they’re jealous of his good looks? Or, in Iceman’s case, he’s jealous Gambit isn’t gay? I must have missed something in here, but I don’t care. Why? BECAUSE THIS ISSUE IS SO AWESOME.

Let me show you a million and one panels and show you why. 

First of all, look at that image up there. That’s replaced my phone lock screen, which used to be the X-Men #24 cover. You know exactly what I’m talking about. Secondly, check out these fantastic interactions between Rogue and Gambit and Rogue’s mother before the “I dos.” That’s right, Mystique showed up. Considering Psylocke healed her, it seems like she’s not totally terrible? Well, at least she wasn’t terrible this time.

Of course they aren’t on their honeymoon for very long before Kitty calls them to a mission that only they can do. Why? Because they’re in space. Carol Danvers, of all people, loaned them a ship for the married vacay. However, Gambit’s response to this mission is simply priceless.

Anyone else think it rather odd that Kitty can just jump right back into work after 1) leaving Piotr at the altar and 2) watching him quit the X-Men? I guess the best way to get over someone is to bury yourself in work. Or at least pretend there’s not a problem.

And of course on the mission, we get this FANTASTIC exchange, similar to the many exchanges they had in battle in their Rogue & Gambit mini-series.

Of course, there’s a rather large reason for the similarity. It’s because the same fabulous writer, Kelly Thompson, has returned for Mr. and Mrs. X. The Rogue & Gambit mini-series was a fanservice bone tossed to those like me, wishing for these two to just be together. Now she’s taking all of their groundbreaking progress from that couples’ retreat into their first adventure as a married couple.

Personally, I hope Thompson continues to write about my favorite couple, because I’ve never seen anyone handle this couple so perfectly. She knows exactly how to keep them true to themselves, how to keep their relationship true to what it always was, and how to naturally move them forward. Now if she breaks them up at the end of the fifth issue, I will take back every nice thing I’ve said about her, but I doubt that will happen, simply because of this letter she included in the back of the issue:

I have major faith in Thompson after reading this. For one, we both got into the couple and the X-Men the exact same way at the exact same time. For another, she called these opportunities a dream come true. She wouldn’t ruin a dream come true, and, even better, I know she has some fantastic plans to keep them married without them becoming boring. I don’t know for a fact, of course. It’s not like we chat on the phone all the time, but that would be awesome, because it would be all the fangirling.

I know because someone doesn’t write comics this way and profess their personal fandom for what they’re writing to simply break them up. They’ve done that. Again. And again. And yet again. Enough is enough. Thompson knows enough is enough. The fans knew it was enough 10-15 years ago. We need to be ecstatic there’s someone on staff who knows it as much as we do.

I’d fangirl some more, but I’m going to read this issue about three more times right now, and then probably reread Rogue & Gambit. Yes, I’m a fangirl for this couple. I’m not ashamed to overly profess my excitement for them and for this writer who is doing this couple RIGHT.

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