Respect the proxy

Rachel Summers has always been one of my favorite characters. I was first introduced to the X-Men through the animated series, but my entry point into the comics was a reprint of Uncanny X-Men #184.

The issue kicks off with Forge talking to Val Cooper, while Mystique is disguised and scheming in the background. At the time, it felt like a slow start—just setup—but Forge would go on to become one of my favorite characters, and eventually helped inspire my own creation, the Scarlet Sparrow.

Not long after, we meet Rachel Summers. I didn’t know anything about her at the time, but the fact that she was being hunted by a vampire instantly grabbed my attention. I kept asking myself, “Where are the X-Men?” But I stuck with it, pulled in by Chris Claremont’s compelling writing and John Romita Jr.’s incredible art. Toward the end, the X-Men finally show up to save Rachel—but they weren’t the versions I knew from the show.

Storm had a mohawk, and Professor Xavier was walking. Then Rachel says, “Storm, what’s with the mohawk? And Xavier, why are you walking? I must be in the wrong timeline.” And I remember thinking as a kid, Yeah… me too.

Looking back, I realize I connected with Rachel in a way I didn’t fully understand at the time. She was asking all the same questions I had. More than just being “the new character,” she was the emotional anchor for readers like me—people who didn’t know what was going on but still wanted to be part of the story, and made the X-Men rescuing her larger than life. Rachel was scared, but she didn’t let it stop her. She wasn’t some invincible hero; she was vulnerable, and it felt like her life really was at risk. Just look at what happened to the Good Samaritan who tried to help her—he didn’t make it.

That experience shaped the way I think about storytelling. In my own work, the character who fills that role is Cal. He’s an outsider too—separate from the other “heroes,” emotionally distanced, and carrying a lot of unspoken weight. He becomes the reader’s point of entry into a strange world. Originally, I gave him one of the most emotional backstories in the book, but over time I realized he didn’t need to explain everything. The mystery of who he is—and what he’s not saying—makes him even more compelling. Whether it’s due to PTSD or something else, Cal holds back. But in doing so, he becomes a reflection of the reader. He’s you. He’s me. And that’s why he’s one of the most important characters in the story.