xt1me

A fic idea I had for a different take on the x-men.

I’ve read AU’s were they’re not mutants or where they are no such thing but I don’t think I’ve read one were they all have their powers but at there lowest level.

Cyclops: In the comics the reason Scott can’t control his optic blast is because of the plane accident he was in as a child. As a result they’re always turned on.

But what if instead the accident turned them permanently off.

What are the secondary effects of his powers? It’s been stated that he’s solar powered and speculated that he has a unique understanding of angles. I’ve even heard some argument made that he has better then average spatial awareness.

What would it be like having a power that you can’t use, or would it try to express itself in unusual ways.

Phoenix/Marvel Girl: In one of the back-stories for Jean her telepathy expressed itself early when a fried of hers got hit by a car. Because she was reading her mind as she died her powers went out of control and she ended up in a mental asylum because she was hearing voices. Since Professor Xavier was a friend of the family’s he came in to help her, discovered he power and then she joined the x-men.

I was thinking what if as a self-defence mechanism she developed extremely strong mental shields instead of none at all. So strong in fact that she can’t use her telepathy at all. Maybe it even effects her telekinesis.

She might not read minds but no one else could read hers.

Beast: Hank was an easy one. The ‘cure’ he was working on worked. But only for him. Maybe it worked a little too well and instead of super agility he had hardly any at all. He’d be left with intelligence though.

Angel: Warren is obvious too. His wings were cut off. But he still has his hollow bones so he’s lighter then normal people. He also has a musculature developed for flying.

Iceman: All he others had moments in there past that could easily allow for a crippling of the there powers but not Bobby. Possibly taking away his immunity to his powers would do it as it would force him not to get too cold or he’ll freeze to death and having it so he didn’t have an ice form.

I just thought it would be interesting to see them work as a team (or not) when they don’t have the power to take down armies. They’re still mutants so they could still be gathered to learn about their powers but the fact that they not so powerful means the fate of the world wouldn’t be on their shoulders. Or maybe it would and they’re just be woefully under equipped.

I have no idea what kind of story to tell though.

Alternatively I’d like to see a fic where mutants exist but none of them have strong flashy powers. Like they’re all at the level of TV psychics or something. So week you could get away with not believing they exist.

I think it would be an interesting idea to explore but I wouldn’t know where to being.