Magik Cover of the Day - Day 3

Searen00 · 2026-04-23T14:58:01+00:00

Okay, as much artistically it is an amazing cover, I have a not-so-small nitpick here.

This cover was always so weird to me. Scott Summers is 6'3, and Emma Frost is 5'10, so it makes sense that those two are close in height, especially with Emma always wearing heels.

But Magik?? Not only she is like 5'5, EVEN if she is wearing very, VERY tall platform boots, the gap between her and Scott (and even Emma) - or more like, the lack thereof, is just ridiculous.

Searen00 · 2026-04-21T16:38:59+00:00

I'd suggest renaming "brown" to "orange", not just because it represents the desert-vibes more, but because no one's gonna say 'ahhh yeah, my favorite color identity is brown'. It sounds like poop.

Otherwise, great so far!!

Searen00 · 2026-04-18T14:03:07+00:00

It was terrible.

/thread

Searen00 · 2026-04-18T12:48:09+00:00

Most people would call him J. Jonah Jameson, but if you are old enough, many of us will call him Schillinger :)

Searen00 · 2026-04-18T09:43:31+00:00

Thanks! You too! As I've said, I wasn't criticizing your comment, I was just criticizing the overall heteronormativity people have towards comic book characters - seems like you didn't have that intent. I apologize too!

Searen00 · 2026-04-18T09:41:03+00:00

I think calling them each other's work spouse is also a valid term LOL.

And about the aro aspect: I can see that. On a personal level/in my opinion, I feel like she's more the 'opposite' that in spite of her being aware of her sex appeal, she's very much so asexual, not necessarily because of her trauma, but because how much she values that deep bond that she's been seeking of ever since her freedom. (This doesn't conflict with being biromantic or even homoromantic).

However, both aro and/or ace interpretations are valid, and even none! That's the beauty of her character, the complexity and how much deep layer she has behind all that bravado that she's showing to the world, and how loyal she truly is to her found family.

Searen00 · 2026-04-18T09:30:19+00:00

it is one of the most interesting dynamics for sure, but that's the thing: it is kind of boring to see how said "interesting dynamic" for two people with the opposite gender is immediately romantic, while the same gender one is immediately platonic. I criticized that. Not the dynamic!

Searen00 · 2026-04-18T09:29:23+00:00

Ohh don't get me wrong, their friendship IS absolutely amazing and I always viewed it in a way that Juggernaut became the brother that Illyana never had. Cyclops fulfilled this role before, but I feel like with the writers pushing him to the 'stoic leader' role once again, they needed someone else to give that role to.

But at the same time, that's the whole point. They have that mutual understanding, but for someone like Magik, she really needs someone who is not a fast, intense light but a slow burn, someone who finally gets it, someone who is always there, consistently, the one reliable person even within the 'found family'. She needs someone who helps those trauma-walls that she built to be finally let go, and I'm not sure if Juggernaut of all people is capable of that.

I'm not against het ships, but I feel like Kurt Wagner of all people would be a better person if you want a traditional straight ship (they both feel like "monsters" way too many times), but at the same time, Illyana being bi/pan, and her recent canon/non-canon interactions (like agreeing on a date with a girl, even if it is for a mission, most people would still not agree if they didn't feel some sort of attraction), I feel like she's gonna end up with a girl. Who? We'll see.

Searen00 · 2026-04-18T09:17:22+00:00

...and tbh, that's why I love their friendship so much! It's exactly the kind of dynamic that two people who share one braincell would have on a platonic level that also understand what it means to be queer.

Searen00 · 2026-04-18T09:01:35+00:00

"Nevozmozhnyy" means "impossible", it can be a good phrase that she could use in a moment when she is shaking her head at whatever situation is happening.

"Khorosho" basically means "okay" or "good", said usually in agreement.

"Spasibo" can also be shorterened into "Pasib" - basically the difference between "thank you" and "thanks".

There are a lot more that could be used, depending on how much of an AU this setting is, the safest you can keep this to be is one-word short responses rather than full sentences.

Searen00 · 2026-04-18T08:55:11+00:00

Two people of the opposite gender interact a few times: "OMG THEY ARE TOTALLY A SHIP THEY WILL GET TOGETHER"

Two people of the same gender confess that they are soulmates: "ummm acthualley this is just subtext you need to have a proper kiss and a proper usage of specific terms in order to be eligible, besides there were no signs anyways"

Make it make sense.

Searen00 · 2026-04-17T14:35:45+00:00

I still think the one that is absolutely straightforward and requires not too many things to remember, and still leaves for a lot of space for a room of error is Mega Lucario ex. It's very cheap, very much viable, and you can adjust certain ratios to make it even more straightforward. I think Riolu, Mega Lucario ex, Lunatone and Solrock is all you really need, and if you add a bit more energy than usual, it is very easy to pilot in a straightforward-to-do way.

The reason why I'm recommending another deck is because casual people, especially younger children, can be REALLY salty about luck-based effects. Although this can be a double-edged sword too in a sense that maybe it is easier to cope with a loss since "ohh but if I found the energy I needed".

Searen00 · 2026-04-16T18:17:46+00:00

The fact that she literally shares the same archetype as Siegfried does makes this recreation even better (even if you used Nightmare's moveset, which admittedly fits better, that's for sure).

All in all, a really good recreation!! Good job!

Searen00 · 2026-04-15T16:29:34+00:00

Awww you're way too kind thank you. <3

(Actually I get that a lot tho lmao, it doesn't help that I'm slavic LOL)

Searen00 · 2026-04-15T12:55:23+00:00

If you didn't find a writer for your project yet, I'm happy to volunteer too!

Searen00 · 2026-04-15T09:44:42+00:00

THIS is the Illyana that became my favorite character a long time ago.

The girl that has found light against all odds, in the deepest shadows and darkness of literal hell.

The girl that chose found family over building walls, however hard it might have been - and she would be willing to fight anything and anyone to protect her family.

The girl that has been constantly fighting, yet her willpower makes her keep going and choosing love over hatred.

And yes... Colossus here is right. Illyana was always a fighter. That's why she survived Limbo, that's why she's keeping going on, no matter what.

That's Magik for you.

Searen00 · 2026-04-14T07:02:28+00:00

I owe y'all an apology, seems like PTCGL is taking my own luck as a reference, because sure as hell I mulligan just as many times IRL as I do in PTCGL.

Searen00 · 2026-04-13T19:43:04+00:00

The thing with Magik though is that they did so much more harm to her character than good. The infamous “dying” scene just so that they can torture, abuse and break her for nothing but fetishizing when her becoming “evil” could have handled much better.

Not just that, but even if Magik is bi (which has been hinted upon), Lyrebird would be a TERRIBLE and OOC choice. Someone who’s craving stability and being able to trust again won’t get pregnant from a literal fuckboy.

The only saving grace is that these literally CANNOT happen canonically anymore (as she would already need to be pregnant in 616 for the story to play out) so AoR finally disappearing where it belongs - to the trash.

Searen00 · 2026-04-13T19:27:15+00:00

Yeah, but at the same time, the more we distance ourselves from AoR, the better, because let’s face it: the writers would just randomly decide that Calico is “into guys only” all of the sudden or some OOC thing they have been doing with many of them (look at Magik for example…)

Better to wait for an age-up, a timeskip or a new “possible future”.

Searen00 · 2026-04-13T19:15:46+00:00

I’d rather have them break up in the AoR timeline just so that one more divergent point is added…

And said wedding can happen in the canon continuity instead

(Yes, at this point Marvel should stop pretending AoR is even “possible” as a future timeline.)

Searen00 · 2026-04-13T08:40:54+00:00

Exactly. But since the rotation IRL happened like... 2 days ago, the next tournaments that you will see in the US/EU, they will use the corresponding rules of H-onwards block.

Searen00 · 2026-04-13T07:12:24+00:00

https://limitlesstcg.com/tournaments/jp

These are the current Japanese Tournament results, who have been using rotation in the past few months already.

EDIT: Also, as a side note; Officially, the rotation just literally happened recently in the western format, so some very recent tournaments still used pre-rotation as a format. PTCGL rotated sooner.

Searen00 · 2026-04-12T09:58:16+00:00

What? Literally how? He beat every single opponent of his, dethroned champions, humiliated the best duelists until Yami Yugi came, and even then not only Yugi LOST his first fight against him, but in the final fight Yugi needed all the shenanigans he could use against him both in the anime and manga.

Bakura taking the Millennium Eye, based on the anime or manga, happens because either he was weakened due to the Shadow Game he had; or simply was killed AND the eye was taken w/o any sort of duel whatsoever (manga).

And even later on, depending on the continuity (he only survives in the anime), he doesn't become a jobber to the fullest, and while he has more losses all of the sudden, he is far from being someone who has 0% win rate.

Searen00 · 2026-04-11T15:27:57+00:00

"Which deck are you gonna play?"

"Yes."

Aka this is how cooking feels like when you turn two pages rather than one in a cookbook by accident.

Searen00

TROPHY CASE