What If Scott Summers Lost his Powers? by handyhunter (PG)

[harmonyangel.livejournal.com]

Fandom: MARVEL COMICS
Pairing: Scott Summers gen with some background Scott/Emma (this is Astonishing-era)
Length: 1,600 words
Author on LJ: handyhunter
Author Website: HandyHunter’s LJ fic tag
Why this must be read:

Over at the xmen_on_lj community, we hosted a discussion post about What If? scenarios X-Men fans would love to see. The conversation spawned from an issue called What If? House of M, in which every powered person in the world, mutant or otherwise, lost their powers. Especially interesting, to me and to others, was the fact that Scott Summers, despite the loss of his optic beams, still wore glasses, this time of clear glass. handyhunter decided to run with that idea, and the result is this brilliant fic.

Essentially, this fic takes a look at a situation familiar to X-Men readers – the loss of powers – and works out the finer points of what that loss would mean for the characters. Sure, big dramatic things, like death and illness and insanity, could result. But what about Scott Summers having to get used to not needing to wear glasses anymore? How would he cope with that seemingly simple problem – that of a major life habit changing completely overnight? This is the kind of thing that the comics – including that What If? -- never seem to have time to dwell on, and this fic fills in that gap with eloquence and pitch-perfect characterization. Glimpses of other characters, like Logan and Emma, as well as glimpses of the post-powers Xavier Institute in general, all help to flesh out the universe and ground Scott’s emotional journey, and there isn’t a detail that feels out of place. This fic is must-read for Scott fans, and for anyone who’s curious about what the loss of powers might mean for former mutants in every day life.

What If Scott Summers Lost his Powers?

Comments

[handyhunter.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the rec and the lovely write-up!