"X-Men Legends" checks all three of the boxes outlined at the beginning, if you ask me. It's fun to play, makes a good visual call (at the time) by using their Ultimate universe uniforms up against the more traditional backdrop, and hammers home the feeling of being a sudden outsider to the rest of humanity thrown…

This opens the door to Latveria getting a UN Security Council seat. ALL HAIL DOOM.

The Hand isn't really a compelling villainous force because they aren't really meant to be. They're a prop or a backdrop to Matt's own personal issues with various characters. That's how they were used here, which is actually pretty faithful.

Don't get me started.

I've only enjoyed two Deadpool runs: Joe Kelly's, and Posehn/Duggan's because it reminds me a lot of Joe Kelly's.

Here's how you fix the X-Men:

Busiek HATED the Dark Phoenix storyline (you can read his letters to the editor in the second omnibus to prove it.) That's not a good starting point.