How would you re-write X-Men 3?

[Gil Hamilton]

Copied from the X-3 Spoiler Thread.

I think that if I were going to do the end half of the movie, I'd have Wolverine actually succeed in bringing back Jean Grey from Magneto's camp. She'd be pooped but have the Phoenix under control. She is passed out.

At this point, without Jean Grey, Magneto moves on Alcatraz to secure and destroy the supply of the Mutant Cure with his Army. The X-Men move in and the US Army and the X-Men battle Magneto's forces. We have a Storm v. Callisto battle leading to Storm whipping Callisto as standard and Juggernaut battling with the X-Men with principly Colossus and Juggs throwing down. We can have an Iceman v. Pyro battle as well. As numbers thin, Magneto enters the fray and begins to utterly cream the X-Men, soldiers, and his own people indiscriminantly as the Master of Magnetism.

Much like how Magneto in the comics crushed the X-Men at Moira's lab when he was allied with Erik the Red, the X-Men can't even touch Magneto. He beats them soundly and gives them one last chance to join his army and pick up where Xavier left of with him. They refuse and Magneto prepares to finish it. All seems to be lost but Jean wakes up, feeling her friends dying. She explodes out of the Mansion and slams across the country. Just as Magneto drops the hammer, everything stops as the Phoenix with full firebird descends on Alcatraz.

Now we have the ultimate destructive battle between Magneto and Jean Grey. During this battle, there is dialogue between the two where Magneto touches on her awesome power and goads her into reaching her full potential. Unfortunately for the Master of Magnetism, this involves him getting the blender treatment exactly like Xavier after a cutting one-liner.

This costs Jean Grey. She couldn't beat Magneto without tapping into the power of the Pheonix and now she can't contain it any longer. She went too far and now she's becoming Dark Pheonix. Wolverine struggles out and begs her to fight it. In a last fit of sanity, Pheonix blasts herself into oblivion or shreds herself with debris, self-sacrificing herself so she wouldn't destroy everything.

Cut to the graves of Scott, Jean, and Xavier. Movie finishes as usual.

[Praxis]

Either make X3 Dark Pheonix Saga and X4 the mutant cure storyline, or do it the other way around.

They should have been seperate movies. As it was, the cure storyline seemed rushed and the motivations weren't so strong, and Pheonix was a joke thrown in on the side.

[THEHOOLIGANJEDI]

To me the only way to "Fix" X3 would be to start from scratch with the two Basic subplots. The Phoenix Saga Needs more movies to conclude and I think that the "Cure" subplot should have brought in an Apocalypse story arch. X-Men just worked poorly as a trilogy and should have had at least 6 movies. (7 at the most)

For starters one of the main problems with X3 is that it completely ignores one of the Subplots from X2 which is the whole Alkalai Lake/Stryker scandal. I would think that would have caused some sort problem leading to a bigger conflict with the Government and Mutants. Second is that they completely ignore the Senator Kelly subplot and the fact that he is dead. That is another Subplot that could have been turned into a Days of a Future Past Storyline.

But back to my Rewrite: For Starters Cyclops, Xavier and Jean are Alive at the end of X3. Cut down the number of Mutants on the X team (from what was seen in the movie) and Villains. Phoenix should have been portrayed as a character and not a plot device. The Inner Circle could have been brought in as one of Magneto's Allies Thus the White Queen could be introduced.

One big thing that also Bugged me was that The Phoenix was underpowered in the movie. (as was Prof X) To me, their Mental Battle should have been the Climax. It should be a very deep, insightful look into both characters that ends in a stalemate. It would be a deep look into both of their dark sides, plus Phoenix Gives Xavier a premonition of what's to come.
In the End the Phoenix Leaves Earth to explore the Universe, but warns Prof. X that she will be needed.(perhaps the Shi'ar can be introed)

As for the Cure Story arch: It will only be one of the many schemes that Apocalypse will be using. (Bring in Four Horsemen)

X4 should cover Some "Days of a Future Past Storyline" with Bishop Stopping by. (which will eventually lead to Apocalypse)

At the end of My take on the Series, a hint of the coming of Onslaught would be implemented.

That's just what I have to start...

[THEHOOLIGANJEDI]

I can think of a far better love sub-plot for Rogue. She meets this great mutant, Miss Marvel who, for some reason, she can touch. Like a prisoner in jail, she crosses the gender line in search of intimacy. She and Miss Marvel have hot lesbian sex, but when Rogue wakes up the next morning, Miss Marvel is in an coma.

You laugh and may just think I'm a pervert (and you'd be right!), but this sub-plot does it all. It makes Rogue into a useful and actually interesting character while creating tension between her and Bobby. It also establishes Rogue as a mutant who has been on both sides of the cure issue. She used to have just a power that was basically more bad than good, but now she has awesome shit like flying and super-strength and does not necessarily want the cure as much.

Fuckin' Pervert!!

I generally Agree with you on Rogue. I think she should have come through in some proactive way at some point in a sequel. At First I thought it might have been better to introduce Rogue's other powers if they didn't include the Ms. Marvel Subplot. But it's possible: Have an Apocalypse Storyline where he is leading the entire Earth into a war. Ms. Marvel is seriously injured in Battle. Rogue comes to visit her and Ms. Marvel asks her to take her powers (which would mean death for her) and zap! We have a more powerful Rogue.

[Crown]

I can think of a far better love sub-plot for Rogue. She meets this great mutant, Miss Marvel who, for some reason, she can touch. Like a prisoner in jail, she crosses the gender line in search of intimacy. She and Miss Marvel have hot lesbian sex, but when Rogue wakes up the next morning, Miss Marvel is in an coma.

You laugh and may just think I'm a pervert (and you'd be right!), but this sub-plot does it all. It makes Rogue into a useful and actually interesting character while creating tension between her and Bobby. It also establishes Rogue as a mutant who has been on both sides of the cure issue. She used to have just a power that was basically more bad than good, but now she has awesome shit like flying and super-strength and does not necessarily want the cure as much.

Why introduce the whole Miss Marvel plot line at all? Just have Rogue not take the damn (temporary) cure anyway, because she realises that her friends are in great danger, have Kitty do her disolve up from under you trick against Pheonix during the final battle, with Rogue taging along, and then have Rogue drain Pheonix dry.

You could keep the rest of the movie pretty much the same and it would still be an order of magnitude better than it was.

[Joe]

I can think of a far better love sub-plot for Rogue. She meets this great mutant, Miss Marvel who, for some reason, she can touch. Like a prisoner in jail, she crosses the gender line in search of intimacy. She and Miss Marvel have hot lesbian sex, but when Rogue wakes up the next morning, Miss Marvel is in an coma.

You laugh and may just think I'm a pervert (and you'd be right!), but this sub-plot does it all. It makes Rogue into a useful and actually interesting character while creating tension between her and Bobby. It also establishes Rogue as a mutant who has been on both sides of the cure issue. She used to have just a power that was basically more bad than good, but now she has awesome shit like flying and super-strength and does not necessarily want the cure as much.

Hah! Ironically, there really is a character named Miss Marvel in the MU who does indeed have a long history with Rogue. Rogue stole her powers in Avengers Annual #10 and they hated each other for years.

Unless you already knew that, in which case I'm just being patronizing.

[Durandal]

No, I had no idea.

[Mark S]

Why introduce the whole Miss Marvel plot line at all? Just have Rogue not take the damn (temporary) cure anyway, because she realises that her friends are in great danger, have Kitty do her disolve up from under you trick against Pheonix during the final battle, with Rogue taging along, and then have Rogue drain Pheonix dry.

You could keep the rest of the movie pretty much the same and it would still be an order of magnitude better than it was.

Or you switch it up so that by now she's accepted her powers and is more confident and doesn't want to take the cure (so that, you know, she can actually grown as a character) but Bobby is pressuring her to (so he can bone her). Drama insues and Bobby goes over to Kitty, leaving Rogue trying to show him up, or show him what he's lost or whatever. She does the kiss thing that she always did in the comic to Juggernaut, and then what was said above.

[Crown]

Why introduce the whole Miss Marvel plot line at all? Just have Rogue not take the damn (temporary) cure anyway, because she realises that her friends are in great danger, have Kitty do her disolve up from under you trick against Pheonix during the final battle, with Rogue taging along, and then have Rogue drain Pheonix dry.

You could keep the rest of the movie pretty much the same and it would still be an order of magnitude better than it was.

Or you switch it up so that by now she's accepted her powers and is more confident and doesn't want to take the cure (so that, you know, she can actually grown as a character) but Bobby is pressuring her to (so he can bone her). Drama insues and Bobby goes over to Kitty, leaving Rogue trying to show him up, or show him what he's lost or whatever. She does the kiss thing that she always did in the comic to Juggernaut, and then what was said above.

See either way, they fucked up Rogue's character for no fucking reason. I can't see this happening if Singer had stayed on board.