Who's who at Moira's funeral?

[JephYork]

I'm looking at UX #389 right now, trying to figure out who attended Moira MacTaggert's funeral.

On p.4 panel 1, I see: a short-haired person, an embracing couple, a goateed man, Wolverine, Colossus, a short woman, Storm, Prof. X, Rogue, Gambit, four pallbearers including Bishop and Beast, and Nightcrawler.

In p.4 panel 3, I see: that same embracing couple (is that purple hair on the woman?), Storm, Professor X, Wolverine, Nightcrawler, Beast, and another couple that I assume is still Rogue and Gambit.

I'm assuming the short woman is Wolfsbane and the goateed man is Banshee. And if that really is purple hair, that would be Psylocke -- but then who is she embracing? Boyfriend Archangel or brother Captain Britain?

I recall a while back someone (a creator?) claiming that Cable and Phoenix weren't at Moira's funeral because they were off on the Search for Cyclops -- but the MCP currently has the X:SFC mini after the funeral. So maybe one of the other pallbearers is Cable?

Aside from the X-Men, the only other "name" people that I would think would show at Moira's funeral are Excalibur. However, most of that team are either there already (Nightcrawler, Colossus) or unavailable/missing (Shadowcat, Rachel). I've already suggested that Captain Britain is there; if so, the only outstanding Excalibur member of any importance is Meggan. Maybe she's the short-haired person seen on the extreme left?

If so, we'd have: Meggan, Captain Britain & Psylocke, Banshee, Wolverine, Colossus, Wolfsbane, Storm, Prof. X, Rogue, Gambit, Bishop, Beast, a third pallbearer, Cable, and Nightcrawler.

Hmm. Maybe the third pallbearer is Captain Britain -- and Psylocke IS holding Archangel.

Am I reaching here? Am I missing any other obvious candidates or clues?

-Jeph!

[Somebody]

Right, so you're basically saying:

http://i151.photobucket.com/albums/s160/antmanvillains/UX389pg4pan1annotated.jpg

http://i151.photobucket.com/albums/s160/antmanvillains/UX389pg4pan3annotated.jpg

with

1=Meggan
2=Cable
3=Captain Britain
4=Gambit

1-as-Meggan seems like a BIG stretch - as far as I can tell, she's never, ever been portrayed with crew-cut hair (including in the Excalibur mini which came shortly afterward). That doesn't mean she's not there - the positioning of 1 seems to indicate there may well be further mourners to the left of the panel - but we can't see her. [That said, I'm not sure who it could be, because I've kind of blanked this era of X-books from my mind]

As for 2... Cable strongly implies in C2 88 that he didn't attend the funeral, when he's putting flowers on Moira's grave ("I'm not comfortable in crowds, Ororo, I prefer to make my goodbyes in private."). With Banshee over to the left, it can't be him (even if it probably should have been); so no alternatives leap to mind again.

To the left of panel 1, BTW, if that's Psylocke, then sure it's Captain Britain, and maybe even if it isn't. The thing that's making me hesitate about calling her Psylocke is the lack of any marking over her right eye, since she still had the Crimson Dawn tattoo at this point and it's prominent elsewhere in the issue (that said, elsewhere in the issue she does imply she was AT the funeral, so...). I prefer Brian to Warren partially because of the height, and partially because I vaguely recall Psylocke and Archangel being on the outs and about to split up at this point.

As for the third panel... 3 & 4 make me wonder mostly because of the hair colours being wrong. It probably should be Brian & Gambit.

[metaldragon]

Havok, Polaris and Maddrox worked with Moira for a long time. Is it possible they are among the crowd? Or is this during the Havok in alternate universe period?

[JephYork]

Yes, Havok is MIA in the Mutant X universe at this point.

Somebody, I'll agree with you that Meggan is a BIG stretch -- and yes, Psylocke and Archangel were days away from breaking up at this point, so that's more likely Captain Britain there.

I was saying the fourth pallbearer was Cable, not Archangel, but good point about his dialogue in C2 #88. Okay, not him.

More folks (including Meggan, if CB attended) may be off-panel, but since we have no way of knowing who, we shouldn't guess.

Psylocke's Crimson Dawn tattoo is the most inconsistently drawn thing on the planet. Also, as an in-universe explanation, "maybe she was hiding it telepathically for the sake of the other attendees." :p

I guess the other folks may simply be "other characters" ... Moira did have some non-mutant friends, I imagine.

So: 1 = nobody
2 = nobody
"Archangel/Cable" pallbearer = nobody
3 = Captain Britain
4 = Gambit

Sound good?

-Jeph!

[metaldragon]

Jamie Maddrox is still a possibility for one of the mystery men.

[JephYork]

Madrox, one D.

And only ONE of the mystery men?

-Jeph!

[Starman]

Psylocke's Crimson Dawn tattoo is the most inconsistently drawn thing on the planet. Also, as an in-universe explanation, "maybe she was hiding it telepathically for the sake of the other attendees." :p

Psylocke only had telekinetics around this time, but make-up and holographic projectors are also possible explanations.

[JephYork]

Check and mate, Starman. Check and mate.

It's funny ... in re-reading that issue, never mind the sepiatone funeral scene, Psylocke's tattoo disappears from panel to panel in the PRESENT-DAY section, when she's fully colored and featured in medium close-up.

-Jeph!