The same reason spandex was created JB--to help people see both the good and ugly side of humanity...

D'you suppose we will ever reach a point (or, more correctly, return to a point) where fans, reading a statement like the one quoted above, will see that it is not a "profound deconstruction of the mythos", but an admission of failure by the speaker?

Seems to me I have seen a few comments here and there, over the years, to the effect that Chris and I did one or two "edgy" stories in our time on X-MEN. I don't recall that we had to trash the concepts in order to do it.

Apparently, Grant Morrison has either not read the very first Lee/Kirby issue, which established that the X-Men are the protectors of humanity, or he has had read it and, well, hates that original idea.

And so it goes....

1) Has there ever been a mainstream, "deconstructed" superhero story in which the hero in question kills his family and then himself? If not, Grant Morrison should get on that posthaste...

God no!!! DOnt give them any ideas. Please.

Look I like Grants writing on balance, his JlA run as was mentioned was the best run I can remember. But the last thing we need is more superHEROES turned into villians.

2) Why should a lifelong comic book geek like myself loathe professional wrestling so much? Is it the dreadful acting, overwhelmingly homoerotic vibe, or some other factor? 

You know its funny, Ive been a wrestling fan my entire life. Started out when Hulkamania was still runnin wild, watched through puberty, still watch as an adult. I've heard the charge of "Homoeroticism" my entire life, and never understood where it comes from. But then I dont find the idea of two muscular men in tights erotic.

I mean honestly if you think pro wrestling is homoerotic, just come out of the closet already. I mean honestly how is Pro wrestling any mroe "homoerotic" than UFC or Boxing?

Back to the subject at hand, I never ever understood the whole >mutant menace" thing. Yes I understand its allegorical purpose, but in the context of the MU it makes no damn sense. In a world where Thor, Captain America, Spiderman, and other heroes are beloved, why would the average person have a problme with people born with powers and love those who got them by accident?

Now maybe if mutants had existed prior to superheroes, I could understand the public distrusting all of them, but loving some and hating others?

Please.

 I don't think there was anything innately wrong in Morrison playing down the superhero aspects of the X-Men and playing up the science-fiction aspects. Lord knows there are enough superhero books out there already, dominating the market to the exclusion of every other genre. And in any event New X-Men still read like a superhero book of sorts -- super-powered good guys vs. super-powered bad guys.

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SER: Playing down the "superhero aspects" of a superhero book is a mistake, plain and simple. It's like the new CEO of McDonald's saying that "lord knows there are enough fast-food restaurants out there already, dominating the market to the exclusion of every other" restaurant, so he then tries to turn McDonald's into Applebee's.

Sure, you might successfully make McDonald's into Applebee's but doing so destroys what once was McDonald's. You can't have it both ways.

Back to the subject at hand, I never ever understood the whole >mutant menace" thing. Yes I understand its allegorical purpose, but in the context of the MU it makes no damn sense. In a world where Thor, Captain America, Spiderman, and other heroes are beloved, why would the average person have a problme with people born with powers and love those who got them by accident?

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SER: That is the basic conceit. Why is it so difficult to accept? Also, Spider-Man is hardly "beloved."

Further, mutants can "replace" humanity (homo-superior, after all). It's the difference between occassional flukes (non-mutants with superpowers) and the slow but steady march of a new race.