It’s been a while since I’ve done a
Doing It Better post. I think I should change that. And I’ve had an idea stuck
in my craw for a few days now that I wanted to talk… er… type out and see what
happens. But, instead of a single movie that I rework, I thought I’d try
reworking a single character’s story arc… or lack there of in this case. I’m
talking about Warren Worthington III, or Angel as he’s sometimes known. For
this, I’m going to add him into the X-Men: First Class time line and see if we
can’t make his death in X-Men Apocalypse have a bit more weight then the “Oh,
that bird guy died,” situation we were given in the final product. Just to be
clear, I’m completely ignoring the little better then a cameo part he had in
The Last Stand. Why? Because one of the most visually iconic and a founding X-Men
deserves better, that’s why. I’m going to assume that you’ve seen the movies,
and just focus on the scenes that Angel would be included in.
Part One: Icarus in Flight
 |
| ... Subtle. |
For this, we’re going to insert
Warren into the plot and dropping Sean Cassidy aka Banshee. I’m doing this
because having two guys whose primary skill is flight is a little redundant,
Sean was a minor character at best, and that the version we’re given here bears
little resemblance to the Sean of the source material. Seriously, why is the
famously Irish Mutant an American in this version? Because somebody somewhere
wants all of the X-Men to be from the US of A, I guess… grumble. So yeah, Sean out, Warren in. I’m keeping
Angel Santiago as she ends up changing teams anyway.
For his introduction in First
Class, I imagine it’d be something like, Xavier and Magneto tracked down Warren
to a lavish party being thrown at his New York Penthouse. On the way up the two
Mutants discuss how insane it is that someone as wealthy as one of the
Worthington’s is actually a Mutant. Once inside, they track Warren down and try
to get him to talk. He blows them of twice before Magneto, clearly annoyed,
uses his mastery of Magnetism to pull Warren’s expensive watch from his wrist. A
visually disturbed Warren pulls them into a private room. He’ll do the usual
“Oh my god, I didn’t know if there was anyone else like me,” and then take off
his unusually heavy coat to show off his impressive bird wings. After that,
they’ll take him to the compound in DC.
During that little party the
Mutants have while at the Division X facility, he’d explain the bird wings, and
that he’s got the sharpened senses of a bird of prey, as well as a bird-like
metabolism. He and Angel Salvidor would have a disagreement about which of them
should get to call themselves Angel. I’d argue that, while Angel’s name is in
fact Angel, Warren kind of matches the term a little better, no? They’d get
interrupted before coming to a decision.
Things would more or less remain
the same through Sebastian Shaw attacked the Division X base. He’d cause
rampant destruction, kill most of the guy’s there and finally murder Darwin in
front of the others. Warren would side with Charles and the X-Men, and continue
on when the group relocates to the Xavier Mansion. He’d be included during the
week training montage, I imagine he’d be doing something to increase his speed
in the air and or the dexterity of his wings. Something like him punching a
sand bag a few times with his fists before swapping over to slapping it with
his wings. They could work some humor out of that. I’d include a scene or two
of him bonding with Beast especially, as the two would be the only Original
X-Men on the cast. Maybe make him be the first person to reassure him after
Beast’s little experiment turns him all blue and hairy.
Jump ahead even further to the
final battle, and Angel will more or less completely take over Banshee’s role
in the film. They could use his super-human sight or rig up some sort of sonic pulse
device to cover Banshee’s scream. What? Hank McCoy is on that Blackbird, he’s
someone that I think could out MacGyver MacGyver. As the… Hellfire Club, I guess, join the
fight, he and Salvidor can have an aerial battle as they dodge, duck, dip, dive,
and dodge around each other before he knocks her into the water as she acid blasts
one of his wings. What? I think stalemates are more fun then out and out wins
and losses. He’d rejoin the X-Men and the credits would roll.
Part Two: Icarus Falls
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| Shame this isn't what we got, even if it had been the fourth blue character in this film. |
Angel would have a minor but significant
role in Days of Future Past. He’d be absent from the far future part of the
film, only popping up with a mentally time traveling Logan hits up the X-Mansion.
Like Hank, he’d be living at the mansion and helping keep things afloat. As
wealthy as the Xaviers are, you really can’t have too much money funding a
private school for Gifted Youngsters, or what’s left of one. I’d also add that in
the intervening years that Hank had discovered the healing properties of Warren’s
blood and that he used it in his cocktail for keeping Charles’ legs working and
his blue hair suppression medicine.
He’d join the group as they picked
up Pietro, yes I’m still refusing to call him Peter, and spring Magneto from
his prison cell. He’d probably make a few snide comments about Magneto’s accommodations,
and like Hank, ask Wolverine about what happens to him in the future. Like with
Hank, I think Wolverine would confirm his death but also be rather vague about
it. Cause that’s just the sort of guy he is.
I’d include a scene of Hank and
Warren bonding while the group is flying towards DC. It’d be something simple
like sharing a drink and toasting to making a brighter future. Maybe include
some jabs in about how pissed Alex is going to be when he finds out he missed a
time travel adventure.
He’d largely be a background
character again until the final battle at Magneto’s attempt on Trask’s life. He’d
try to grab Trask and fly out the area, only to have Magneto point a Sentinel
at him, and have the machine do something to cripple Angel. Either with bullets,
rockets or a flamethrower. Something to destroy his wings. Angel would crash,
sobbing in the dirt. Magneto would step over Warren to go after Trask, with a
grim “I’m sorry, brother,” to his former ally. Things would continue as in the
film, with Wolverine getting waterlogged and captured by Weapon X, the X-Men
stopping Magneto and Trask, and the timeline changing for the better. The only
downside being Charles sitting in with Warren as he is told that they can’t
save his wings, and that his own healing factor won’t be enough to recover
them. The scene would end with Warren’s pain riddled sobs of agony.
Part Three: What would you give to Fly again?
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| What would you give to Fly again? |
Apocalypse would work very similarly
to how it did in the real film, but with Angel getting a larger role. Like in
the original, Mystique would arrive at the underground Mutant fighting ring,
saving Nightcrawler for a life of gladiatorial combat. Warren would be there,
too, doing his best to fight with his still clearly crippled wings. I’m
thinking that at least one would be nearly gone and the other would be incredibly
burned. He’d be a drunken, belligerent mess, lashing out at everyone that gets
too close to him. Mystique would have a briefer interaction with him, asking
him “What happened to you?” when she sees him. He’d snap something along the
lines of “You and your bastard boyfriend!” before stumbling off.
Things continue as is, with
Apocalypse waking up and recruiting Storm as the first of his new Horsemen, and
the weirdly age swapped Alex Summers bringing Scott to the X-Mansion for
training. Yes, I’m still weirded out that they made Alex the original X-Man and
made Scott his younger brother. It was odd. Just before the Summers meet
Charles, I’d include a short interaction between Hank and Charles. They’d be
talking about Warren and if either had any luck on helping him. By Charles
getting him to come back and talk, or Hank figuring out a way to restore Warren’s
wings. Obviously, they would have no success, and Hank would look incredibly
distressed that they might lose his friend forever.
Apocalypse would then track down Psylocke.
Unlike in the film, Warren would be with her and Caliban, looking to get paid
for the fight that got interrupted. Not sure where I’d work this in, but I’d
include some indicator that Warren had blown most of his inheritance on treatments
for his wings. Psylocke would be recruited, but just before leaving, a barely
sober Warren would laugh at Apocalypse. The demi-god would force him to talk, with
the half crazed former rich boy mocking Apocalypse and informing him that
whatever plans he has will be stopped by the X-Men. Apocalypse, intrigued by
the X-Men, would interrogate Warren on the group, and learning the who’s who
about the current and former members. Warren would start sobbing about not
being able to fight with his friends, at not being a real X-Man anymore in his
own eyes. Seeing ‘great potential’ in Warren, and knowing how much of a boon it
would be to have a former X-Man at his side, Apocalypse would offer Warren a
deal, his loyalty for a new set of wings. Warren, without hesitation agrees. He’d
restore Warren’s wings, and create Archangel.
Flash over to Magneto in Poland, after
he’d killed the militia that murdered his family, Warren would fly in and start
fighting him. The two would be reasonably evenly matched, with the newly
christened Archangel proving stronger as his metal wings are non-magnetic, and
the feathers are dripping with neurotoxin. Warren would give one extra sucker
punch to Eric’s face and tell him that he’s lucky Apocalypse wants to see Magneto.
He’d then bring a barely coherent Magneto to Apocalypse. Movie would continue on
the same course, with Magneto destroying the ruins of Auschwitz, Apocalypse
using his powers to force the launching of nuclear missiles into space and
capturing Charles, and Pietro arriving just in time to superspeed the students
from an exploding X-Mansion, but being too slow to save Alex Summers.
While being held hostage by Apocalypse
and his Horsemen, Charles would make pleas to Warren and Magneto to help him
stop Apocalypse, only to find his former student too consumed by barely suppressed
fury to listen and Magneto unable to help. After that interaction, Magneto
would ask Warren why he’s doing this. Warren would snap at Magneto and tell his
former teammate to screw off. More things unfold like in the movie, Charles
last desperate plea to get aid from Jean and the other X-Men, Magneto using his
enhanced powers to alter the magnetic field and Apocalypse prepping to transfer
to Charles’ body, gaining telepathy strong enough for him to mind control the
whole of the Earth.
The X-Men would arrive and do battle with Psylocke,
Storm and Archangel. As the fighting continues, it’d end up being Warren vs.
Hank. The two would fight, the whole while Hank trying to reach his friend.
Lots of “you don’t know me anymore” from Warren and lots of “What has your
anger cost you?” from Hank. Hank would ask Warren why, and he’d start
screaming. He’d shriek about the futility of Charles’ dreams, about having his
life stolen by hatred, and how Apocalypse world would be one without pain and
suffering. Hank would ask something along the lines of, “So because you got
hurt, the whole world has to burn?” and let Warren know that he and Charles never
stopped trying to find a way to get him his wings back. We’d cut away before
the fight resolves.
 |
| Yeah, the Metal Wings definitely have a few perks. |
Things continue forward, with
Pietro getting Magneto to switch teams and Storm joining the X-Men and the
multi-wave attack on Apocalypse. He’d fend them all off for a while, rallying
when he see’s his bird of prey swoop down to stand beside him. He’d tell Archangel
to finish off his enemy, meaning Magneto, as his prize for being a loyal
servant. He’d instead stab Apocalypse through with his bladed-wings. Archangel
would give Xavier a fair well nod and a psychic call of Do It! Before being
obliterated along side Apocalypse. We’d end on a memorial wall, with Alex Summers
and Warren Worthington III being added to it. We’d then cut to the new
generation of X-Men and they’d roll credits.
Was it the best rewrite to give
Angel more love? No, but I think I added enough of him in that the Angel in the
X-Men films would be more worthy of the character from the comics. One of the
biggest flaws of the X-Men films, in my opinion, is a habit of zeroing in on
specific characters, Wolverine in the classic films; Mystique, Xavier and
Magneto in the semi-reboot and only giving the tiniest head nudges to the other
legacy characters. I don’t think anyone wanted Archangel in Apocalypse just to
see Archangel. We wanted to see Warren Worthington III, the good but flawed man
that sold his soul to the devil to get back the thing he wanted most and though
of as the thing that made him special. We want to see him fall from grace, but also
to see him find a way to stumble back onto his feet. Or at least I wanted to. I
hope some day to see Warren in something that covers his full arc, from X-Man
to Horseman and back again, but sadly it looks like it’ll be quite a bit longer.
But who knows? Since Disney got Fox, we might start seeing X-Men cartoons again
and Warren can get another bite at the apple. Here’s hoping.
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/posts/25749690
Twitter: @BasicsSuperhero
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