Our "WHAT IF": X3's final battle

[TKing]

I don't think Cyclops reappearing in Act 3 at the mansion, and arriving at Alcatraz in time would solve anything.

The Cyclops fans out there would still be annoyed - and sure as hell we'd hear about it on here - that their favourite character was axed for half the movie (the same treatment he received in X2 nonetheless).

 

[Seen]

What I've read by Seen on here does sound fairly good, despite some odd spellings that make it look like someone else who didn't have English as a main language typed it up (moonsong instead of monsoon, the wrong use of the word disincarnate)...

Grammar is definitely not my forte.

Also not sure why Beast is relieved the cure is viable in Seen's story.

The cure in my story is a government-created fallacy, an antidote that at first decimates mutant's powers but then the powers reappear, and much like the Legacy Virus, end up terminating the mutants completely. General Stephen Lang (think Laurence Fishburne) is behind the conspiracy and works with Warren Worthington in the film, who creates the cure, as in the film version.

Beast is relieved that the serum is viable because he needs it to counteract the actual cure serum and save mutants' lives. Basically I took scenes at the climax of my story and interpolated them here, which understandably would confuse most. I was thinking of not including those scenes all together, but then I figure some would be confused as to why Beast wasn't in the finale.

I'll try and bring online a draft of my rewrite for everyone to read.

 

[La_She-Beast]

Cool ^^

 

[Seen]

http://home.comcast.net/~djmarcus/X_Men_3.pdf

There it is. I'm not sure if it was my final draft, but after so many, it's pretty damn close. It's about 150 pages long, which would equate to 2 hours and 30 minutes onscreen -- most likely, if this script were under legitimate consideration for filming, it would need to get condensed another twenty or so pages, but since I don't have to worry about that ( ), here's one of the drafts that I'm the happiest with.

 

[ToriL90]

http://home.comcast.net/~djmarcus/X_Men_3.pdf

There it is. I'm not sure if it was my final draft, but after so many, it's pretty damn close. It's about 150 pages long, which would equate to 2 hours and 30 minutes onscreen -- most likely, if this script were under legitimate consideration for filming, it would need to get condensed another twenty or so pages, but since I don't have to worry about that ( ), here's one of the drafts that I'm the happiest with.

Wow, that's long! The X2 script was 110 pages. Just wondering, though, how do you figure the time?

 

[flavio_lebeau]

Wow, that's long! The X2 script was 110 pages. Just wondering, though, how do you figure the time?

Each page usually means one minute. Though that's only for basing, since as you can see, the X2 scipt was 110 pages and turned into 130(?) minutes...

 

[Seen]

Each page usually means one minute. Though that's only for basing, since as you can see, the X2 scipt was 110 pages and turned into 130(?) minutes...

The leaked X2 script was also not the shooting draft -- more alterations were made so we don't know how long the shooting draft was.

 

[flavio_lebeau]

The leaked X2 script was also not the shooting draft -- more alterations were made so we don't know how long the shooting draft was.

Indeed. The entire Phoenix subplot was added, the blind thing disappeared, many scenes changed substantially.

 

[Phoenix_Flare]

Nice script!!! u inspired me to write my own

 

[BobJM]

Yea, I hated that whole idea of Jean going blind. That was so weird.

 

[X-Maniac]

The leaked X2 script was also not the shooting draft -- more alterations were made so we don't know how long the shooting draft was.

The shooting draft is in The Art of X2 book...

 

[X-Maniac]

Yea, I hated that whole idea of Jean going blind. That was so weird.

It was never a real idea. It was a big fat lie to cover up the Phoenix story so we wouldn't guess the ending.

The trouble is that the fans/geeks like to know everything. Tell them that Jean becomes Phoenix and it would be 'ZOMG11!! she soooo diez in dis movie.'

The same would happen if they cast Apocalypse or anyone that obvious. The fans would think they knew what was going to happen. I'd rather be surprised with some original thinking and a storyline that isn't adapted word for word or frame for frame from the comics. Which is exactly what's happening in my X4.

 

[GL1]

It's all about cyclops showing up, imho.

Instead of wiping out Quill and Psylocke like peon soldiers, let them get a real finish. Let's say psylocke is about rock Wolverine's world and suddenly a red blast belts out, knocking her into a distant wall... cyclops, perhaps even arm in a cast, comes hobbling up over the hill, hand on visor...

Instead of Jean being owned by Wolverine, let Cyclops' blast feed her as a distraction (like she feeds off of it in the comics), and let wolverine creep up behind her or something. Keep the dialgoue between Cyke and Jean, as it should be.

Give the whole team something to do. It would be cool if Storm had to work to keep phoenix's effects from ripping up the area. The kids on crowd control and Beast and Angel shutting down the cure.

Also, while Rogue is in the office to get the cure, let her see some sassy southern belle with flying and superstrength suffering an allergic reaction. Rogue takes the girl's powers to save her and she turns catatonic. She's run out of the clinic and she arrives on Alcatraz Island after watching the newscast to help Colossus deal with Juggernaut, who is kicking his butt.

I'd have sent Blink after Shadowcat.

 

[ChaoticPsylocke]

Here's a quite a few last battle scenarios that I wrote in the past.

:: Juggernaut chasing Kitty through the lab tearing through the walls::

Juggernaut- ::Crashing through the final wall cornering Leech and Kitty:: I'm the wrong guy to play hide and seek with.

Kitty- Who's hiding? ********!

Juggernaut- ::Prepares to charge when suddenly a female voice from behind is heard::

Rogue- Hiya Sugah! What's all this fuss about now?

Kitty- Rogue, what are you doing?!

Rogue- Kitty, I need you and the little one to go as far away from here as possible. I'll handle the big lug here.

Juggernaut- ::Growls and punches Rogue in the face sending her face back violently, when all of a sudden he starts to shudder and get weak::

Rogue- ::Smiles through his fist:: Is that the best you got sweetheart? ::Rogue pulls her first back and punches Juggernaut sending him through a wall::

::Rogue follows Juggernaut through the wall::

Rogue- You know I don't approve of big men hitting on innocent girls like myself. But then again, you're not a man since you're getting your ass kicked by the same little girl sugah! ::Rogue picks up Juggernaut and throws him through another wall::
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
::Cue the scene to Jean destroying everything in sight::

Scott- ::Looks to Logan and Storm:: I'm the only one who can stop her.

Logan- Scott, you can't go against her.

Scott- Logan, this isn't your call to make. Go with Storm and get everyone to safety now!

::Scott watching Jean destroy everything around him::

Scott- Jean.....I know you're still there.

::Suddenly a grimace of pain is seen on his face falling to one knee and he slowly starts demolecularizing just as Xavier did. Suddenly he stands up straight and begins his walk through the flames to get to Jean::

Jean as Phoenix- You would die for them?!

Scott- ::He stands before Jean stern and his skin along with his X-uniform intact:: For them and for you Jean.......

Jean- ::Starts to become herself again::

Scott- For you and for them......

Jean- ::Starts crying:: Save me Scott......Please.

Scott-::Balds his fists as tears start streaming down his face. His hands go to his visor and he takes it off with his eyes closed:: I love you Jean.......... Forgive me please.....

Jean- ::Phoenix beginning to take over once more:: I love you too Scott.

Scott- :::Crying still:: Please forgive me......::His eyes open which releases a powerful optic blast killing Jean in the process::

Jean- ::Falls down into his arms::

Scott- No.....No........No..

::Scott lifts up his head opening his eyes screaming in rage, sadness, and guilt as a powerful optic blast shoots into the night sky::
-------------------------------------------------------------------------

::The speech with the X-Men before the final battle. Only this time it has Cyclops giving the speech::

Beast- Hard to believe this once fit me.

Cyclops- Magneto has an army that is making their way to Alcatraz.

Beast- Can you estimate how many he has Scott?

Cyclops- Thousands including Jean.

Beast- His power has limits, hers do not.

Iceman- Scott, there's only 7 of us.

Scott- Yes, we're outnumbered. I'm not going to lie to you. When we lost the Professor there was a lot of confusion, strife, sadness, and hopelessness. But if we don't make our stand now then everything he stood for will die with him. I made a promise to Professor and I intend to keep that promise. I'm not going to let his dream die nor will I let our dream die. Are you?

Iceman- ::Shakes his head:: No. I won't.

Cyclops- Then we stand together now and forever as X-Men.

Rogue- Count me in as well sugahs.

Angel- Me as well.

Beast- ::Looks over to Rogue:: What made you change your mind child?

Rogue- Remembering what you told me and listening to Scott helped me make my stand I am making it now.

Scott- ::Nods and looks to the other X-Men:: Let's go.

::Wolverine looks at Scott while Scott is about to head into the chamber. He grabs Scott by the arm and looks him in the eye::

Logan- Scott, I know we haven't always seen eye to eye bub. But it's at times like these that I remember why you're in charge.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Vilya provided this amazing artwork of Cyclops at the final battle.

::This is after the X-Men make their entrances at Alcatraz and Scott, being the leader, is the last one to come out of the plane. The camera would go into a close up of his visor and then pan behind him as he views the Brotherhood from the plane::

::He then would jump from the plane shooting his optic beams into the ground and landing on one knee::

Cyclops-::Slowly walking towards the X-Men as the fog settles in and the rain begins to fall, he looks over to the soldiers:: You men cover the doors. Everyone get together and hold this line!

::He stands with his allies as they make their last stand and the visual of them lined up would be the same, except Cyclops would be front and center::
-------------------------------------------------------------------------

::Scott begins fighting the guy with the regenerating arms. He leans back firing an optic blast, then fires another one only to see the mutant has both arms again::

Scott- ::Shocked and appauled::

Mutant- Come on!!

Scott-::Shakes his head and fires an optic blast into his crotch area. Grow those back moron. (A slight nod to his "Missing a face, moron?!")

i absolutely love this rogue way more, and cycplos in logans place really shows how much more that would have made sense. i mean that is cykes character just being in logans body. ugh i hate x3!

 

[Cosmic Mind]

Hi, long time since months ago...... well, the ending kind of let me waiting for more, way to short and fast, the artwork of the movie shown that that it was gonna be more masive....

 

[Angamb]

the final battle was poor definetly.

today big amercian productions can make amazing action scenes, what Fox did was that... poor.

 

[X-Maniac]

the final battle was poor definetly.

today big amercian productions can make amazing action scenes, what Fox did was that... poor.

I think it's quite a challenge with X-Men and all their powers. You'd always get questions about 'Why didn't ______ use their powers to______?"

In X2, the team were split up in the dam and had lots of small fights to showcase their powers. To me, that was a way of getting around trying to deal with all of them together.

X3 tried to put them all together but then you get lots of questions/issues about the way characters are used and how they use their powers. In the end, you get winners and losers in those kinds of scenes.

To create an epic final battle with just SIX X-Men would be quite difficult. It's not like having two huge armies as in LoTR. The storyboards - the ones that show Angel flying in the battle - indicate that they had thought about having a chaotic final battle. But that didn't happen. I think mostly it worked out okay except for Phoenix standing around and Storm's wave being cut out.

 

[Angamb]

the number of x-men wasn't and isn't a problem. If the battle were 10 minutes longer, each member can have a great moment versus a brotherhood member, and also more team work.

 

[LastSunrise1981]

I think it's quite a challenge with X-Men and all their powers. You'd always get questions about 'Why didn't ______ use their powers to______?"

In X2, the team were split up in the dam and had lots of small fights to showcase their powers. To me, that was a way of getting around trying to deal with all of them together.

X3 tried to put them all together but then you get lots of questions/issues about the way characters are used and how they use their powers. In the end, you get winners and losers in those kinds of scenes.

To create an epic final battle with just SIX X-Men would be quite difficult. It's not like having two huge armies as in LoTR. The storyboards - the ones that show Angel flying in the battle - indicate that they had thought about having a chaotic final battle. But that didn't happen. I think mostly it worked out okay except for Phoenix standing around and Storm's wave being cut out.

Just out of curiousity X-Maniac. How would you have handled the final battle if you were a writer/directing the scene? Wouldn't you agree that a big scale epic battle along the lines of a Braveheart, LOTR, and somewhat Transformer style would be more fitting than the anti-climatic version?

 

[X-Maniac]

Just out of curiousity X-Maniac. How would you have handled the final battle if you were a writer/directing the scene? Wouldn't you agree that a big scale epic battle along the lines of a Braveheart, LOTR, and somewhat Transformer style would be more fitting than the anti-climatic version?

Well, off the top of my head it's hard to just rattle out what I would want to happen. It would take detailed strategic planning to make sure all the best options were covered.

But there aren't enough X-Men or Brotherhood for the Braveheart/LOTR battle you mention; nor is there anyone of the size of Transformers. So I'd forget about comparing it with those for a start.

It would be great to see Cyclops there, from the point of view of pleasing the fans online; and Rogue too, if there was a way to make her more useful in a battle where she needs to be touching people to take them out. I wouldn't want Rogue to be doing silly karate moves like something out of Charlie's Angels or Bionic Woman - that would be really cheesy and totally out of character. As for Angel, he wasn't shown as a trained fighter and apart from flying overhead, he wouldn't be that much use; a suggestion from someone else that he could hold on to Rogue and dangle her on to people to absorb their powers sounds silly.

I think the problem with what people say is that they just say things like 'Colossus should have fought Juggernaut' without thinking of the logistics and mechanics of how that would slot in to the overall battle. It's not okay for people to just say 'I want Rogue there' - they have to suggest good ways of doing that and make it fit with the rest of the battle.

At the end of X3, for instance, Storm is so powerful that she could have whirled the Brotherhood away with controlled tornadoes; Magneto could have pulled the X-jet into the bay; Callisto could have run into the building to kill Leech. All those things would end the battle in very decisive ways! So that's probably why they weren't done in the movie.

This is why the previous movie avoided 'battle' scenes and instead went for individual fights - but even then, there have been endless questions - why didn't Storm slow the descent of the plummeting jet in X2 with a cushioning wind (she's done just that in the comics)? It's difficult to account for each and every scenario when you have such powerful people.

So, I would have to make a list of characters and draw up strategies and then decide why things happened or didn't happen. But, right off the top of my head, you could have it mentioned that the X-jet was shielded against Magneto's senses when under stealth, so as to account for why he didn't control it as in X2; you could show Callisto going towards the building only for her rapid molecular motion to be halted temporarily by an icy blast from Iceman, then Storm would create a flash flood, then the recovered Callisto would attack her. Juggernaut could fight Colossus and reach a stalemate, then Magneto starts to smash Colossus around using his magnetic pull, Colossus turns back to flesh so Magneto can't control him and is then knocked out by Juggernaut, who then storms into the building and is followed by Kitty. So, probably the same final events but an extended version that included other characters and accounted for more possibilities.

 

[Phoenix_Flare]

I always thought the finale battle would have been epic if they all fought Dark Phoenix like in the comics and TAS

I really dont have a problem with how it was portrayed in X3 except they should have kept Storm's flood/lightning scene...on the commentary they said they didnt like the scene cuz she took out Callisto w/lightning, well we haven't seen Storm creat hail yet so that would have been cool, knockin mutants unconscious w/golf size hail...LOL

I would like to see Colossus jumpin in the air and smashing the ground with his right fist when the wave of mutants are rushing towards causing a wave, kept the Phat shattereing scene...

umm I think a quick fight scene w/Rogue n Juggs would be cool when Juggs is running through the soldiers and right before he jumps on the jeep Rogue stops him and they duke it out and Jugg knocks her into a wall,(but this would work if her powers would have evolved to flight and strength like they planned to do in X2)

keep the Kitty/Juggs chase the way he was defeated was weak! Right when Juggs busts in the white room and exchanges lines w/Kitty and right b4 he charges Rogue comes up behind him, grabs his arm and with her ungloved hand drain him..I can hear her sayin this: Rogue: Hold on sugah (grabs/bend his right arm) the date's not over yet...and takes her left hand and absorb his power knocking him unconscious
well thas wat comic Rogue would do...LOL

IF Cyclops was their sum optic attacks, hand to hand combat
Iceman should have frozen sum BOH instead of that damn icewall!!!
Angel swooping in knockin mutants on their ass, pickin a few up and droppin them in the ocean
Beast was cool with me and Wolverine was Wolverine in the battle

my only beef is that Phoenix should had more lines showing how cocky she is when the X-Men confront her...to make long story short this battle should like the TAS version...she kicks their a$$, touching moment w/Scott, and as a shocker Kitty/Logan phase behind Jean and stabs her while she is human and she dies in Scott's arm, the X-Men crowd around Scott and mourn.....THE END...LOL

 

[Angamb]

yes, all the team should have tried (at least) to battle Jean and stayed there in her death, it would have been more emotional, and come on! you have such a great cast, with great actors as the x-men, and you waste their talent that way? Let's see Kitty, Storm and Beast sufferinf because of Jean's death.

 

[DawnWarrior]

Man, if I knew this thread existed, I would have posted here ages ago.

EXT. CONSTITUITION AVENUE - MILITARY STRONGHOLD - CONTINUOUS
Mutants breach the X-Men -- flying over tanks, hummers -- Cyclops and the others try to quell them -- Omega Red SLAMS before LOGAN, who CHARGES him with his CLAWS, gutting him.

Scarlet Witch approaches Storm. She sends a LIGHTING BOLT at
her, knocking her out. Callisto QUICKLY, without warning, SLAMS a fist into Storm MULTIPLE times -- trying to KNOCK HER OUT -- but Storm learns,
and GRABS her hand -- sending LIGHTNING BOLTS through her body.

I like your layout, Seen, a lot. You’ve clearly put a lot of work into it. How did you get Omega Red and Scarlet Witch in there? I was thinking of bringing in Wanda, but I couldn't figure out how.

Grammar is definitely not my forte.

True, but at least you spelled “definitely” right. I can’t even do that sometimes, and I'm good at spelling.

I hope I can read your whole script sometime soon. Some ideas from yours that I like:
-Storm squaring off with Phoenix.
-Rogue defeating Juggernaut; I'm starting to warm up to the idea.
-Cyclops, struck with the cure, gets close to Jean and kisses her. As he does, Jean uses her powers to charge up Cyclops’ optic blasts, so that he can destroy her. (I'm not sure if I'd do it precisely that way, but it's very well-conceived nonetheless.)

Also liked Nell2ThaIzzay's idea of bringing in Gambit. We'll see how well Gambit plays in the Wolverine movie.

Obviously there's no possible way to give everyone everything we want, but it is possible to give us an X3 we can keep coming back to. The L-Train fight in Spider-Man 2 is like that, and we could have had it with this movie, but we didn't. Not even close.

 

[psylegacy]

my idea for X3 is : - Rouge doesn't take the cure. - Cyclops didn't die, Instead he coma for a while. - Emma Frost join the X-men as their official telepath after prof X got killed by jean grey. - Forge monitor the x-men during their danger room training session. - Rouge, Cyclops, Angel, Forge and Emma Frost arrive at alcatraz to aid the x-men at the very last minute after final battle started. - When Emma located the Brotherhood's location by using cerebro, Jean sense emma's presence and she quickly disrupt the cerebro causing an induce pain to emma who is wearing the cerebro helmet. - During the Phoenix Destruction, Cyclops was able to talk jean back to her senses. while Emma quickly entered jean's mind and battle the phoenix from within jean's mind. - Instead of jean got killed by cyclops or wolverine. She commit suicide (just like in the comic), before she die she telepathically tell cyclops to move on therefore in the end cyclops started a relationship with emma frost. so what do u guys think ?

 

[psylockolussus]

Cyclops and Rogue should have been in the final battle, that would have been ah-mazing!

And Angel should have fight with the X-Men not just save his daddy.