X-Men 2 (2003) - 52 questions

Question: Could someone please tell me where I can find a good quality picture of the back of Jean Grey's coat? I want to copy the Phoenix symbol that you see on the back of her coat (it's when Jean and Storm enter the church looking for Nightcrawler). I can't get anything resembling a decent picture on my TV (I even went frame by frame), and various Google image searches haven't even yielded a crappy picture. For something that should be simple, it's sure driving me up a wall. If anyone can help me out I will be extremely grateful.

Question: In the ending scene, how come Jean couldn't control the plane, and stop the flood from the inside? Would've been a whole lot easier.

Answer: Because, as we see earlier in the film, Jean's increasing power levels cause problems with electrical equipment. She has to be clear of the plane for it to fly under its own power. From the outside, she can control it without risking it losing power and crashing into the water below.

Question: Instead of waiting for someone to inject liquid iron into themselves, could Magneto manipulate the small amounts of iron that are already present inside a person?

Answer: It's unlikely. Most of the naturally occurring iron atoms in the human body are tied up as part of the hemoglobin molecule - it's unclear whether Magneto could affect it under those circumstances. The amount of iron is also extremely small, at most a couple of grams, which really isn't much to work with. Mystique's escape plan gives him a lot more to work with, in a much purer form.

Question: I never understood what happened to Kurt Wagner in the end. Did he stay in the mansion?

Answer: For a while, yes, but at some point, he leaves because the X-men are too violent and he prefers a peaceful life.

Question: I was watching this movie last night, and it got to the part where Nightcrawler/Storm are looking down at the kids in the cell. On the back wall there looks to be an image of Nightcrawler in the place where he teleports later on. What is this doing there?

Answer: This is mentioned in a mistake for the film. It is in fact Nightcrawler himself just before he steps forward, appearing to have just teleported into the cell. For some unknown reason, the editors used this shot before he was to have teleported.

Question: In a conversation between Senator Kelly and Colonel Stryker - regarding whether Stryker wants a war - Stryker says he was leading military operations when Kelly was still a baby. Kelly isn't young. How old are each character supposed to be? (Granted, that's technically Mystique as Kelly, but Stryker does not know that).

Answer: Given his history with Logan, Stryker could easily be in in 70s. Assuming Senator Kelly is in his 50s, that could put Stryker as a young operative when Kelly was born. In any case, he may be exaggerating.

Question: Apparently Jubilee is in the scene when the army attacks the mansion. Can anyone tell me where she is? Thanks.

Answer: Jubilee appears several times throughout the movie, although not seen using her powers, apart from in deleted scenes on the DVD. She is the Oriental girl running around the mansion, she is in the holding cell in Alkali Lake (Storm shouts "Jubilee" to her), she is seen with a blanket wrapped around her when they find the helicopter is gone and she is seen in Xavier's office at the end.

Question: Where did Colossus and the other students go after they escaped from the school?

Answer: It's never shown in the movie. We only know they escape through the hidden tunnels. Since the students obviously knew about the tunnels, there was likely a predetermined location for them to meet at in an emergency.

Question: When Professor X starts killing everyone, he and Jason remain unharmed. Does Cerebro protect them from it?

Answer: Anyone inside the Cerebro chamber would have to be immune to its effects. Otherwise, the professor wouldn't be able to use the machine.

Question: Does Cyclops sleep with his visor on?

Answer: He has various other sets of glasses made of the same material - he would wear one of those rather than his bulkier visor.

Question: Is there a reason for Storm creating a storm when the X-Men talk to the president or is it just to make the scene more "spooky"?

Answer: The president is delivering a live address on television. The storm would make an excuse for the break in the signal.

Question: I've never understood how, in the comics, Rogue kept the powers she "absorbed" from Ms. Marvel, yet with any other mutant/human she absorbs, the effect is only temporary (as in the films). Can anyone explain this to me?

Answer: The effect of her powers depends on how long she holds onto that individual for - usually she lets go quickly, so absorbs their powers and memories for only a short period of time. With Ms Marvel, Rogue had to hold on for much longer, as Marvel continued to struggle, ultimately resulting in the permanent transfer.

Question: Why wasn't Ray Park or Tyler Mane cast for the movie?

Answer: It's because their characters Toad and Sabretooth both got killed during the final fight of X-Men 1 (Toad was hit by Storm's lightning, Sabretooth fell off the statue of liberty).

Question: This may seem morbid, but does anyone know how Kurt put those scars on himself?

Answer: Since he is a demon and does have sharp nails he could have easily done it to himself. I would think that he would have used his tail to do the ones that are located on his back and so forth. But to me his scars resemble that of a burn scar as if untreated it will "bubble" slightly if the burn is bad enough. Say for instance a cow being branded!

Question: How did the X-Men get into the Oval Office at the end of the movie?

Answer: Xavier just mentally froze everyone in the building, including the President, then they walked in. He then released the President for the length of their conversation, then immobilised him again while they left, releasing everyone once they were safely out of the building.

Question: What is Mystique's real name? I've heard it before but I can't remember what it is.

Answer: Mystique's original name was Raven Darkholme, but she also spent many years masquerading as Mallory Brickman.

Question: Is Wolverine actually a 'mutant'? Since he had the adamantine surgically grafted in his skin, it didn't come naturally like mutants do.

Answer: Yes, his mutant abilities are enhanced senses, enhanced strength and agility and rapid healing. His healing factor is what allowed him to survive the implantation of the adamantium.

Question: Why didn't Nightcrawler just teleport into the White House to kill the President, instead of sneaking in with the group, putting on makeup to hide his skin, etc? Why did Stryker have him do all of that?

Answer: Because as he says later in the film, he doesn't teleport anywhere unless he can see where he is going to rematerialise. He had to get into the Whitehouse first to be able to see where he needed to go next.

Question: When I used to collect Essential X-men, someone wrote in saying that they had seen the Mutant Leech somewhere in the film, but I can't find him, has anyone spotted him and can anyone tell me where he is?

Answer: Leech is the boy with the discolored, forked tongue (the one that Wolverine carries away near the end of the movie).

Question: They talk about how Nightcrawler may accidentally teleport himself into a wall. What would have happened if he did?

Answer: If he appears within the wall, he would die. The structure of a wall is solid so his body including his organs and so on would only appear (or materialise) within cracks and gaps within the wall. Something could not "instantly form" within a solid area.