TheX-Menfranchise is renowned for featuring some of the most powerful characters in comics, but one of its strongest heroes has abilities that are actually holding them back from becoming a true Marvel superstar. While a cool power set is usually a positive thing for superheroes, it seems that one mutant hero’s extreme power level has actually damaged the character’s popularity.
Speaking with AIPT for theirX-Men Monday#300, Marvel Comics editor Tom Brevoort was asked about various heroes and where they might be seen in the near future, but one fan-favorite character received a disappointing update. Brevoort says he’s unsure where Everett Thomas, aka Synch, will be seen next,citing his overpowered mutant abilities as the reason for his absence.
Synch has beendeemed the X-Men’s most powerful memberin the past, but Brevoort’s comments confirm that his immense power is unfortunately the reason he isn’t a large part of the mutants’ current era. Other Omega-level mutants have their own solos or large roles in other series currently, yetSynch’s power apparently makes him just too useful, eliminating dramatic stakes.
This X-Men Hero Is So Powerful That Marvel Is Now Afraid to Include Him
Apparently, You Can Be“Too Strong”in the Marvel Multiverse
Synch’s mutant powers are some of the coolest that Marvel Comics has to offer, but Brevoort’s point makes it clear that the overwhelming breadth of his abilities makes him slightly more challenging to add to X-Men’s adventures.Synch’s power lets him sync up to the superpowers of those around him,making him a formidable force against literally anybody he’s up against.
While Synch’s powers were originally limited to those in his vicinity, he’s been able to recall other powers from his past, but this makes him age rapidly. Synch’s abilities haveseen him ascend even to god-like status, but as Brevoort claims,the endless possibilities of his abilities may make it tough for creatives to utilize the characterin their stories.
I think Synch is a good character, and I liked how he was in NYX. I don’t know exactly where we’ll use him next, but he’s not that far from my head. The honest truth about Synch as a character is that the way his power set has been developed over the years, he’s sort of a Swiss Army knife at this point. He solves too many problems for most books. He can do pretty much anything at any point because he has done it once in the past. I mean, that’s a great thing if you want a character who is all-powerful in all cases, and some fans really love that. But in terms of telling stories that are dramatic and have stakes and jeopardy, it’s not the best thing in my world.
Synch debuted back in 1994, but became an even bigger part of the X-Men during their Krakoan era. However, aside from a brief and underwhelming appearance inNYX, he’s been far from the forefront of the franchise recently.Synch’s multi-faceted powers apparently make him too difficult to include in many stories,removing the tension, but that seems like a cop-out.
Other Omega-Level X-Men Icons Disprove the Marvel Editor’s Point in a Disappointing Debate
Are Superheroes Unfairly Punished for Having Amazing Superpowers Now?
Even though Brevoort’s argument states that Synch’s problem is that he’s “all-powerful”,there are plenty of other popular heroes that have made god-tiertransformationsor evolutions in X-Men comics. For example, Jean Grey has been called“the most powerful person in existence”,but that hasn’t stopped her from being a major character, even starring in her ownPhoenixsolo series.
Marvel is still introducingcharacters that have one-up powers over those around themin the X-Men franchise, so Synch being singled out for this in a negative way doesn’t make much sense.In a fictional universe that’s always introducing more world-ending threats and power-scaling endlessly,there must be some way to crack a perfect Synch story that effectively utilizes his abilities.
Marvel Is Supposed to Specialize in Making the Impossible Intriguing
Why the Argument Against Synch Is Beyond Frustrating
The publisher is known for superheroes with fantastical abilities, soMarvel should be able to develop a strong story around any super-powered character, regardless of their lack of limitations. Synch’s powers may make himone of the most powerful Marvel characters overall, but he’s not infallible, and there’s still lots of drama to be mined for him with the right creative team.
Synch’s story after the fallout of Krakoa is still interesting. However, the comics’ hesitance to feature him more prominently hinders his character development. He’s become one of theX-Men’sgreatest heroes, and would be a perfect fit in one of their major team titles, but Synch’s amazing powers unfairly keep him from being a major player in the Marvel Universe.
