WARNING: The following contains spoilers for X-Men #7 by Jonathan Hickman, Leinil Francis Yu, Gerry Alanguilan, Sunny Gho, VC's Clayton Cowles and Tom Muller, on sale now.
The X-Men are pushing more boundaries than ever before. As the mutant nation of Krakoa stakes its claim on Earth, developing a new culture with its own language and asserting its right to independence on the world stage, some mutants are also fighting a more personal battle for unconventional relationships. While the relationship between Scott, Jean and Logan already seemed to break away from the norms of monogamy, X-Men #7 may indicate it breaks away from heteronormativity as well.
The series debut caused a stir online when fans first noticed the diagram of the lunar Summer House depicted doorways connecting the rooms of Scott, Jean and Logan. As the series continues, the polyamory of the three X-Men becomes more clear, but up until now there only seemed to be an indication that Scott and Logan were sharing time with Jean.
Part of what surprised fans about the development is that there has been animosity between Cyclops and Wolverine for years. At one point the tension burst out into the "Schism" event that fractured the X-Men. Further stories, particularly outside the comics, reinforced the idea that each was jealous of the other's relationship with Jean, and that placed them at odds. Yet, the polyamorous relationship seems to support the utopian lifestyle of Krakoa and indicates the two X-Men buried the hatchet.
Now, in a shared moment in the latest issue, the two mutants appear to have gone much further than simply making amends. During a sleepless night, Scott joins Logan as they enjoy coffee and gaze into space. When Wolverine complains of his sleeplessness, Scott teases him that it's because of his body hair. "Too hot for covers," he observes, "and too cool without them." The moment is oddly intimate for the two former rivals, but the scene only progresses further from there.
Scott invites Logan on an outing with Jean and the kids, hoping to have a chance to kick back and relax. Wolverine openly muses at the idea of Jean wearing a bikini, to which Cyclops adds "Scott in a Speedo" to the fantasy. Wolverine certainly appears to like the idea, letting out a chuckle before musing, "Well, who could say no to that?"
While there's certainly a case to be made that nothing has been stated explicitly about the pair's relationship, the exchange certainly pushes the boundaries more than they ever have been in the mainstream comic. X-Men were notable for their strides in LGBTQ representation with the character Northstar, but making two of the biggest characters in the franchise sexually fluid would be an unprecedented win for superhero comics as a genre.
Of course, there are detractors who do not like the idea or feel it is out of both X-Men's character. Only time will tell what truly lies behind the story. There's always the outside possibility that the mutants' intimacy is a product of Xavier's mental manipulations to keep his utopia together. The more that fans wait for some reveal of an outside influence uniting so many mutants across the moral and political spectrum, the longer the tension only seems to build and the questions burn all the hotter. Little is ever as it initially seems in comics, but more and more the Logan/Scott/Jean relationship seems like the most progressive relationship in any mainstream title.