Days Of Future Past EXPLAINED by a Marvel Geek

“DAYS OF FUTURE PAST”

“What the heck does the movie title even mean?” “Days of Future WHAT?”

Common response of the general public when they first hear about the new X-Men movie.  Well if you didn’t know, the title actually comes from the comic storyline of the same name.

“TIME TRAVEL”

The last time we saw Kitty Pryde, aka Shadowcat, was in the movie all Marvel fans seek to forget for an indefinite period of time, X3 or X-Men The Last Stand. She has the ability to phase through objects, but in Days Of Future Past (DOFP) she does that telepathic thing where she sends Logan back in time. How? You ask. First you must understand that all mutants can seek to develop their ability, Kitty developed her phasing powers and now she can not only phase through space, she can phase through time as well, which is why she is able to go back to the past.

“THE ICEMAN”

Further supporting the concept of mutants being able to develop their powers, remember how Bobby aka Iceman could only shoot ice from his fingertips (kinda like Elsa), and it was only in the last part of X3 where we see him go full power and turn himself completely into ice? Ya know, that scene in which he was battling Pyro, his childhood BFF turn Magneto’s sidekick. Well, except that wasn’t Iceman’s full potential, he’s an Omega level mutant, the same level as Jean Grey with the Phoenix Force, in a destroy galaxies and universes kind of way.  Being an Omega level mutant means his powers have no limits. Except that certain Marvel geeks (including me) would argue that Iceman is way more powerful than Jean Grey because unlike Jean Grey requiring the Phoenix Force (or rather the Phoenix Force choosing to use her as an avatar, we’ll get into that) Bobby doesn’t need any additional help, he’s Omega level due to his own mutation.

“AVENGERS / X-MEN CROSSOVER”

Days of Future Past also featured two of the resident mutants from the Avengers. To understand the reason why there is a need for this crossover, you need to know that X-Men and the Avengers exist in the same Marvel Universe, so called because they all come from Marvel Comics. Occasionally in the storyline, X-Men and Avengers work together to defeat the greater evil, Spiderman joined them in the House Of M storyline, oh yes Spiderman is from Marvel Comics as well. But not Superman, Superman is DC Comics. The two mutants from Avengers that appeared in X-Men are Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch. You’ve probably seen Quicksilver, but WHO IS SCARLET WITCH? Remember how the camera pans in to Quicksilver and his little sister like there is supposed to be something really, really crucial there?  The little girl is Scarlet Witch. (But most people are against that, because they feel it might be Polaris instead, who’s Polaris? Read on.)

“QUICKSILVER, I AM YOUR FATHER”

Here’s the juicy tidbit that you dear reader would most definitely be shocked at, but we the Marvel geeks have already known this for a long time. Quicksilver is Magneto’s son. And Scarlet Witch is Magneto’s daughter. They have another sister, Polaris, she’s one of my favorites. Ol’ Mag’s got a happy family there. Remember what Quicksilver said to Magneto as he was breaking him out of the cell in the Pentagon? He said: ”My mother knew a man who could manipulate metal as well.” Why do you think director Singer put that line in the movie !?! Because it’s IMPORTANT. X-Men fanatics like me already knew it, but Singer put that scene there so you guys could catch on. But sadly you didn’t.

"APOCALYPSE IS COMING"

The super-OP mutant we see in the after credits is En Sahab Nur, aka Apocalypse, he has the ability to control his body on a molecular level, meaning he can heal himself, regenerate, transform his limbs into wings, and give himself virtually any physical superhuman power. More than that, he also has telekinesis likened to that of Jean Grey's abilities. The four figures we see shortly following his appearance are his minions, The Four Horsemen. Fans of the tv series Supernatural would be familiar with The Four; War, Famine, Pestilence and Death. Marvel fans would know that Wolverine was part of the Four for a period of time. Rememember Polaris, Magneto's daughter I talked about earlier, she was also one of them. As well as a personal favourite, Gambit, remember that super cool poker card mutant with kinetic powers in X-Men Origins: Wolverine? Another example: In X3, there was Angel, the dude with wings and tried to cut them off because his father is anti-mutant, but later swops in, literally, to save his father when the bad guys attacked Alcatraz. He later becomes known as Archangel after he gets dewinged and Apocalypse gives him back his wings in exchange for him becoming Death, the leader of the Horsemen, it's a long story.