Thoughts on rictors gun usage in xfi? PAD never really properly addresses it aside from that one brief gun range scene with star (and also what are your thoughts on the change that star is in opposition to guns in xfi in comparison to his lack of issue with them in xforce? Natural character progression from his time in mexico or bad writing?). If you'd gotten to write xfi hypothetically, do you would've kept ric using guns or done something else? Do you think the fact that he immediately stopped using guns after getting his powers back muddied any character arc that was around the issue?
Heavy handed ask but ive been thinking about ric and his change to using guns and then back a lot lately. Especially since he has been shown to use them depowered even in his first appearances of original xfactor.
to be honest, i don't Hate the concept of rictor using guns while he's depowered as a hard and fast rule so much as i think peter david did a shit job handling it. i think star has less of a problem with guns in general, more i think it worries him because it's such a jarring change from the rictor he knew before they separated. it could've worked as a sign of self harm/self hatred/insecurity surrounding his masculinity and ability to defend himself as the only powerless person on the team (him stopping using guns could tie into this) if it had been written in a way that actually addressed that concept. it's the kind of thing that could be very interesting if done right. but yknow. it was done by peter david.
in my hypothetical version of xfi, i would probably keep rictor using guns initially, but make it something that is addressed more. dedicate an issue to it that parallels x force 34, show his history with guns and flashbacks to his and star's time in mexico. i would probably set it around the gun range scene? but modify it. i also would have maybe terry point it out at some point earlier in the comic, because she's known him the longest. a couple scenes where he either kills someone or has a close call and it makes him spiral a bit. even tie it into the therapy issue. i would have it wrapped up with him talking to star about why he chose to use guns (possibly after some sort of close call?), and having star offer to teach him how to use his swords instead.
as for him using guns in x factor as a kid, i think that could be chalked up to him being younger and still idealizing his dad a little bit. we only really see him express such strong distaste for them in x force, when he's roughly 18/19. i think it shows character development and tracks with him growing up and becoming disillusioned with what his family does.
edit: i also think rictor doesn't have a problem with other people on his teams using guns, it's a line he draws for himself. he's not batman, he's just got trauma surrounding it. which in my dream version of xfi is addressed.
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