Oppression, Resistance and Revolution - Friday

[hisownagenda.livejournal.com]

“Good morning, class,” Magneto said after everyone had taken their seats. “My name is Erik Lehnsherr. For the purpose of this class you may address me as... professor.”

He smirked a little at that before continuing.

“Now, I’m sure many of you know me by a very different name. That is a topic for a different day. For those of you who might be curious, feel free to ask Mr. Starsmore who is a teacher here or Miss Pryde at the local bar. I’m sure they have some delightful tales to tell you.”

Giving his class a smirk, he began to walk up and down the rows of desks and began to lecture.

“This class is entitled Oppression, Resistance and Revolution,” he continued. “Which will entail both lecture as well as practical labs. As part of this course we will be looking at the history of oppression, resistance and revolution throughout history. We will discuss its roots and its effect on society. I realize that many of you may not be from this planet or perhaps from an alternate line of history. For the purpose of this class, I shall be drawing examples from my own world. I expect all of you to provide your own examples as you see fit. Before we begin our class exercise today, Mr. Kaplan will be the TA for the course. Mr. Kaplan? Please see me after class for instructions. If he's here.”

Coming full circle, Magneto took his place in front of the class. “Now, I understand it’s typically a tradition in this school to start class with introductions. I do not feel that is necessary. Instead I would like for you all to go around the room and tell me about a cause you feel is worth dying for.”

And then with a random point of his finger, Magneto selected his first student. “You. Begin.”

Comments

Discussion

[hisownagenda.livejournal.com]

State a cause you'd be willing to die for. Charming starter for the class, isn't it?

Re: Discussion

[abitlowkey]

"Are we speaking of a true death or one of the sort your kind is so fond of?" Hey, he was from Marvel. He knew the score.

Re: Discussion

[hisownagenda.livejournal.com]

"True death,' Magneto replied with a smirk. "Is that even possible for your kind?"

Re: Discussion

[whitequeensfire.livejournal.com]

"Umm, I don't really want to die," Angelica said hesitantly. "But I'll risk my life if something is important enough, like protecting my home and my friends or mutants in my world."

Re: Discussion

[hisownagenda.livejournal.com]

"No one wants to die," Magneto replied with a small smile. "However your cause is good one."

Yes. Angelica gets a gold star for being a mutant and standing up for them.

Re: Discussion

[taseredagod.livejournal.com]

"Uh...I'd rather not die for a cause? Can I just live for it instead? I can be very passionate and loud and stuff. I'm much more useful alive." Darcy blabbered along.

Re: Discussion

[hisownagenda.livejournal.com]

Magneto scowled at the girl. "Undoubtedly," he said sarcastically. "I'm sure there are many causes who could use someone who is loud. And stuff. What causes do you think those would be?"

Re: Discussion

[glacial_queen]

"Ridding Glacia of my uncle and the puppet Queen he has doing his bidding," Karla replied in cold, clipped tones. She wasn't going to stop glaring anytime, either.

Re: Discussion

[hisownagenda.livejournal.com]

Magneto cocked an eyebrow at the girl. "I'm afraid I have not heard of Glacia and their political state," Magneto replied frankly. "Would you care to tell us why your uncle would need to be deposed?"

Re: Discussion

[failsatspirit]

There was something about this guy that was giving Korra the creeps, but that didn't stop her from replying. "Protecting those in need from those that would harm them."

She'd had it drummed into her head that that was one of the duties of the Avatar, and even if she wasn't the Avatar any more, she could still feel the rightness of it deep in her bones.

Re: Discussion

[hisownagenda.livejournal.com]

"How idealistic," Magneto replied dryly. It was listening to one of Xavier's students. Back in the day when they still listened to him.

"And how exactly would you determine whose needs are necessary to protect?"

Re: Discussion

[glacial_queen]

Karla was going to wait until "Professor Lensherr" had finished talking to Korra and then toast her with her coffee. Both her answer and the attitude she'd given him made the other girl all right in Karla's book.

Re: Discussion

[genesishero]

"I would do everything I can to make certain the world is a safe place for those who can't," Evan replied, holding his chin up as he spoke. "There are too many villains out there who would take away innocent lives just to prove that they're stronger, or because those innocents are different."

He lingered on that last word. It had been a bit of a sticking point for him, lately.

"... Nobody deserves to be victimized just because people aren't willing to try to understand them. I'd stand up for that. And I know it's dangerous work and might get me killed someday. I've accepted that."

Ladies and gentlemen, Fandom's own idealist Apocalypse.

Re: Discussion

[hisownagenda.livejournal.com]

"And if a certain religious group in your world who not only espoused hatred toward... let's say mutants, but also committed acts of genocide suddenly had the tables turned on them," Magneto postulated. "And now a group of mutants are attacking them and making them the victims. Who would you pick?"

And because Magneto wanted to see Evan's reaction...

"Or would you let nature sort it out and let the strongest survive?"

Re: Discussion

[upmysleeve.livejournal.com]

"Helping out anybody who's being picked on unfairly." Ace had been listening to the rest of the answers - and the followup questions. That was why she added, "If it matters who, you're doing it wrong."

Spoken like somebody with flexible definitions of unfair, of course. She might have a few choices to make if she came upon, say, a pack of skinheads getting stomped by the local police.

Re: Discussion

[hisownagenda.livejournal.com]

"Interesting," Magneto said pausing a second or two to mull over the answer. "And how would you determine what's fair?"

Re: Discussion

[ultron_junior]

Victor shifted uneasily in his chair. He had not had great experiences with most of the adult X-Men he'd met, and he was all too aware that Magneto was ... a special case beyond that. And this question as a start to class was just intense.

"I guess I'd die if it was the only way to protect somebody important to me," he decided.

Re: Discussion

[hisownagenda.livejournal.com]

"Somebody," Magneto echoed. "A concise answer. However what we're trying to find here is a cause that is important to you. Or are you only limited to saving those you care for?"

Re: Discussion

[batwaffles.livejournal.com]

. . . oooooookay, somehow this was not what Stephanie had expected out of this class, and the whole dying-for-a-cause thing was kind of a downer. And uncomfortable.

"If I really had to, to save people I care about," she began slowly, trying to make it sound like this would be a really hard standard to achieve, "I guess I would. But I don't generally feel like the world's worth the effort."

That was a total lie, and maybe rolling her eyes when she said it was trying too hard, but the less people suspected that Stephanie Brown had things in common with Robin the Girl Wonder, the better. Unlike some Caped Crusaders whose secret identities could get uncovered by fanboy teenage exes of hers with too much time on their hands. You know, just in singular. Ahem.

Re: Discussion

[nothornlessrose.livejournal.com]

"My people," Cassidy said softly. "I would die to protect my people."

Re: Discussion

[notconflicted]

"I would die in the service of the Empire," Sia said, not even having to think about it.

Or, you know, she'd die out of pure stubbornness but that wasn't really a cause.

Re: Discussion

[new-it-girl.livejournal.com]

"I'd do just about anything for the people I care about," Hanna said truthfully. "I'd like to think I would die for them, too, if I was ever put in a situation like that."

Even if it was so...final.

Re: Discussion

[squire-hand.livejournal.com]

"My friends, my Prince, my country," James said simply.

Re: Discussion

[harpy-daughter.livejournal.com]

"I wouldn't." Yes, Surreal had a passing acquaintance with tact, but she wasn't going to make the effort for class, especially since this male felt too dangerous to play Court games around. "I have never been given reason to care for a cause beyond my own survival."

...maybe Tersa, but only if her death would actually save the broken witch, and not just delay the inevitable.

Re: Discussion

[monkeymonkeydie.livejournal.com]

"Seriously?!" Bucky asked. "All of you people are crazy! I tell you what: If a magical so-called 'cause worth dying for' comes along riding on a unicorn and farting rainbows, I'll just stand behind everybody else where it's safe, okay?"