Following the fall of Krakoa, the X-Men and mutant-kind as a whole had to find new ways forward. This began the From the Ashes event, which at first consisted of six different series. While Marvel continues to add to the series roster, others have already been canceled. On the chopping block are three of the originals, NYX, X-Force, and X-Factor. The latter series introduced one of the X-Men’s newest and greatest mutant characters, and you can’t convince us otherwise. This hero breaks the mold, portraying a different side of mutant life. While her story is terribly tragic, her antics bring a smile to our faces.
The group named X-Factor has been around before, and they’ve earned a bit of a complicated reputation for themselves. This newest iteration is no different, as they’re a government-sponsored mutant team run by a social media-obsessed billionaire. Yeah, it’s not a great combination, and the problems only continue to grow. At the helm of the team is Havok (Cyclops’ little brother). Also on the team are familiar faces such as Angel, Pyro, Feral, Frenzy, and Cecilia Reyes. However, there are also two new faces, Xyber and Granny Smite. Today, we’re here to sing praises for Granny Smite.
The Immortal Granny Smite
Granny Smite’s introduction to the X-Factor is both comical and shocking, in equal measure. It turns out that she’s joined up with the team because she can’t die, though she would very much like to change that. In one of the first scenes we see her in, Granny Smite happily walks into a pool and drowns. Naturally, the rest of the team goes into full-blown panic, only for her to wake up like nothing has happened. This is the first of many surprising and dark-humor moments, thanks to Granny Smite.
There’s no denying the more tragic backstory of Granny Smite. She lived a perfectly happy and long life, getting all the way into her 80s before she learned that she was a mutant. It all started with a fire. Granny Smite’s house burned down, with both her and her husband inside. While her husband perished in the flames, Granny Smite survived. That could have been excused as luck or fate, but the next tragedy made it clear. Granny Smite was on a plane to Florida, alongside her son and his family, when the plane went down. Again, she survived while everyone else died.
Thus, Granny Smite learned that she was both immortal and invulnerable. These combined abilities don’t stop her from aging, as Granny Smite looks her age. What this means for her future is anyone’s guess, but it probably doesn’t lead her down the greatest path. Given that thought, and the great losses she’s faced, it’s no wonder Granny Smite seeks death.
The Heart of the X-Factor
Granny Smite is, without a doubt, the heart and soul of the X-Factor. They succeed on more than one mission because of her unwavering willingness to throw herself in the path of death. She’s done everything from jumping into space to running headlong at wall-mounted turrets. Nothing will scare Granny away. Okay, the thought of being buried alive for all eternity will do it, but we can’t blame her there.
The darkness of Granny Smite’s story is balanced out with her heart of gold. She’s the grandmother of the group, through and through. We can practically feel her anguish when watching Xyber suffer his panic attacks. It’s clear she wants to do more for the boy, but this world is too new for her to know the best way forward.
On that note, Granny Smite’s lack of experience in the whole X-Men world has made for some pretty funny moments. Such as the time she happily blurted out to Beast that her ability was immortality. This resulted in the most epic shutdown of all time. Some might argue that her comedy feels similar to Deadpool’s, and that’s not entirely wrong. She messes with comedy and darkness in similar ways, though her future is much harder to predict.
What Happens Next With Our New Favorite
With X-Factor coming to an end, it’s uncertain whether we’ll see Granny Smite again. However, she’s officially the grandma of all X-Men, and we will forever root for her. We hope to see her again in another series, causing chaos or supporting younger heroes, whatever feels right for the time. Granny Smite may have only recently come into our lives, but we would die for her. Not that she needs our protection.
Granny Smite originated from X-Factor, created by Mark Russell and Bob Quinn.
The post This Character from a Cancelled Series of One of the Best New X-Men (You Can’t Convince Me Otherwise) appeared first on ComicBook.com.
