Who will lead them next?
So after reading New Mutants #10 i have to say i was pleasantly surprised by the entire set up. Clearly from issue #1 this series was meant to be just a throwback for old fans. Emma made a good point, there really wasn't any good reason for Cyclops to allow that team to exist, there arent really any other set squads anymore except for Astonishing and the X-Club (which barely counts as a real squad). I was some what expecting that this series would be canceled after 12 issues and i was ok with that because history has proven that the "New Mutants" title has a pretty low expiration date. Then suddenly out of nowhere we get...a plotline, Cyclops is looking for the next leader of the X-men. In the last several years the original New Mutants have been kind of shuffled around to different jobs, different titles, different teams and it really made it easy to forget who they were...they were the next generation of X-men! They weren't the "All New All Different" team that was brought in as replacements, no these kids were Xavier's chosen youth to carry on his dream after the current X-men were done. IIt makes logical sense that these kids (who are no longer kids at all) would be the ones to carry on the dream. Now i have to be honest, the idea that it would anyone but Sam is a little ridiculous. Despite his insecurities about being with senior team members, he has been groomed since day one to be the next mutant leader. Ever since New Mutants (Vol .1) when Shan left and was presumed dead, Sam stepped right into the leadership position (ok he shared it with Dani but lets be real here, who actually ran things and made the plans?) and successfully stayed there. When Cable took over the New Mutants and made them into X-force, Sam was right there next to him and when he left Sam took over like Cable was never there. But I think the point where we first knew that Sam was leader material was X-force Vol 1 #25 when Exodus tried to bring the New Mutants to Avalon and Sam slipped Cable the locator ("He becomes a mix of all his teachers" was the quote given). So now why is Sam being questioned about his future leadership capabilities by Emma now after his team has only been on a handful of missions (all in someway successful) she is ready to pass judgement that he is not ready and his team shows that. Now I am not knocking Dani's ability and potential to be a leader (shes the only other one i could see taking over for Scott, the others are strictly team players) but she took many years off in the middle while Sam was training and like it or not her current lack of mutant powers really is a huge hinderance in the field as definitely would be as a leader. Isnt it maybe a little early to pass judgement on them? They used to be a highly successful team longer before we had non-functioning teams like New and Young X-men and yet Emma was ready to let at least one of those teams go on after a free-for-all melee battle. And her suggestion that they be split up and absorbed into other squads (again i ask "whats squads?") is somewhat counter-productive; back in Uncanny X-men #9 when Scott was promoted to field leader for the first time do you think that he would have lead another team as effectively? No he led that team so well because they wre his family and his friends. Just like the New Mutants are also a family of friends and if Cyclops is looking for someone in that crew to be the next leader then the only way to get their best foot forward is to let them stay together and shine. Sorry Emma! Cant say I'm with you on this one!