Zzzzz Wha? Posting?

Well, don't expect anything long-winded or brilliant, not that you're likely in the frame of mind to deal with such things, anymore than I'm in the frame of mind to type them. Therefore, please consider the following when you can:

Layla Miller - First appears in House of M, where Marvel-Earth is not as we're accustomed to seeing it (Mutants running the show). Nowadays, the House of M universe is an alternate reality at best (I'm sure it's taking place out there somewhere in the multiverse/Omniverse/Whateververse). Says she knows stuff. Frequently cryptic, frequently irritating to people she works with. Currently trapped in the future, having gone there to investigate great upheaval caused by mutant baby.

Starhawk - First appears in Defenders, with 616-Earth also not as we're accustomed to seeing it (Conquered by Badoon). Eventually, activites are relegated to alternate universe (Reality-691), since in the 616, Vance Astro never became an astronaut, and can't get lost in space for a 1000 years. Calls itself "The One Who Knows". Can be cryptic, vague, and unhelpful, leading to consternation on the part of teammates. Currently running around in the present (the past to Starhawk), as a result of some great upheaval it wants to stop.

I have nothing to say beyond that, it just popped up when I read Starhawk calling herself The One Who Knows. Probably don't mean a thing, probably best if it doesn't mean a thing, as I don't think we need Layla being an avatar of the Hawk God Arcturus*, just figured I'd mention it.

* That legacy thing is DC's shtick, after all.

It's Time To Guess That Symbolism!

So did anyone else notice that Layla Miller's shirt had "46664" written on it in last week's X-Factor? It wasn't present the whole time (it's absent when she charges out onto the platform to dimension-hop with Jamie), but it was there for a few pages.

Good ole Wikipedia informs me that 46664 was Nelson Mandela's prison number, and that Joe Strummer and Bono made a song called "46664" in honor of Mr. Mandela, and that there was an AIDS charity concerts by that name. Said concert took place on November 29, 2003, so I guess this could be a reference to that.

Wiki also says 46664 is the 44th number in the Mian-Chowla sequence, and a Smith number, which means the sum of its digits (4+6+6+6+4) is equal to the sum of the digits of its prime factorization (I get what they mean, but you better go check it out yourself, because I doubt I can explain it). I have no idea whether any of that is at all relevant, though I could see Layla sporting a shirt with those numbers just because, or it could be connected to the parallel universes somehow. How? I don't know, I'm just throwing it out there.

She's Slipping In Her Old Age

So what's wrong with Layla Miller these days? She seems to be getting blindsided an awful lot lately. Didn't see the little French girl showing up, or hitting her with a rock, or the positive pregnancy test in the trash. Elder Tryp warned her that when two forces of chaos clash (meaning him and her), it can be ugly, and that seems to be coming true.

But it's an odd thing. At the same time that Layla seems less able to see what's coming, you've got all this other mutant-related stuff about predestination. I flipped through a copy of X-Men #202, and Mr. Sinister is making a big deal about finding Destiny's Diaries, that I guess lay out all kinds of stuff about the future. And Gambit and Sunfire were after all Cable's information about what's ahead. And Uncanny X-Men #490 introduces (or introduces me, at least) to the history of a character named Qwerty, who could see all possible choices, and what would be the result, and mapped it out for others to follow.

I do have to say I question how useful Cable or Destiny's information will be, considering all the mucking about with the fabric of reality we've had in the Marvel Universe since Destiny bought it. Cable's info ought to be even spottier, considering he's been acting on it to make the world a better place for awhile. You'd think that would start to invalidate it a bit. I guess not though, if people are still after it, since I'd think anything I could think of would be within Mr. Sinister's capabilities.

All these people concerned about what's yet to come, and one person who's still alive and was able to see such things, seems to be losing that ability. Could that be the result of other people following the Diaries, or Qwerty's writings, or the response of others to the actions of those following the predictions, somehow blurring things for Layla? I don't know, time-related stuff always leaves me dizzy.

Reflections #16 - X-Factor #6

I still love that cover.
It's remarkable that Peter David has made me care about Bendis' little plot device Layla Miller. Her being a child makes me have a somewhat instinctive reaction to sympathize with her. Then she sets up the hitman from Singularity to be electrocuted, and I get the feeling that wariness would be a better reaction, as opposed to sympathy. Still, I'm left with questions.

One, was she serious when she said she sprouted horns and had flame breath?

If so, why is that aspect of mutation no longer evident? Actually, I guess that's pretty solid evidence her comment was sarcasm.

Two, were her parents in the House of M world the same as her parents in the original reality? Or did her desires alter them to be more what she wanted?

If she can see glimpses of what will be, how does that connect to her reanimating a dead butterfly?

What does she mean she knows that certain things she sees are "supposed" to happen? If she saw it occur, wouldn't that mean it's supposed to happen? And if she can stop one event from happening, wouldn't that suggest all the events can be averted, therefore none of these things are necessarily "supposed" to happen?

Is this like DC saying that Superboy-Prime punching reality made Jason Todd come back to life because that is the way things were "supposed" to occur?

Is Layla Miller going to do more damage to my sanity than The Other, Finals Week and Jason Isringhausen combined?

And how does this tie-in with her apparent House of M ability to make people remember what had actually happened?

Is it because Layla knows she has to keep people from finding out the truth, and was somehow able to alter her own power as the Scarlet Witch did the whole "No more mutants."?

Who is it that is going to strike her down if she tells Madrox and Co. what's really going on? Dr. Strange? Emma Frost? Is she just being melodramatic, playing on the adults sympathy again?

What's the worst that could happen if people did find out what happened to mutants? Given no one can seem to locate Wanda, it would suggest she may not be a mutant anymore.

So even if you know Wanda's responsible, and you find her, it's isn't like she can fix it. Which measn you need the Reality Gem from the Infinity Gauntlet, and I've got no clue who has that. The last time I saw it Galactus had it.

Is Rictor right, did Layla actually hit herself to make Rahne think the kids beat on her? Based on her previous actions, and Tony Stark having Titanium Man attack him to bolster his case in Amazing Spider-Man, I vote yes.

One other question: Does anyone remember a comic book where there was a character named or nicknamed "Trip"? I don't remember whether it's spelled like that or "Tryp" or "Trp". I ask because I noticed the bad guy at Singularity is named Damian Tryp, and I know I've seen that last name somewhere before, and it's driving me insane.

And with that, I'm off to study for my Field Botany lab final. Oh joy.