My Fan Theory On The Origin Of Mutants In The Marvel Universe

[MarvelMaster616]

I've been wanting to do something like this since I discovered the fan theory section of Reddit. As such, I've become a major proponent of fan theories. I find they add greater depth to a story or franchise. I also noticed that there aren't too many popular fan theories about the X-men. With that, I'd like to present one that I actually came up with after reading Marvel Legacy.

We see it happen in the X-books at least once every couple of years. Mutants are on the brink of extinction and the X-men have to save them. That was the whole plot of House of M. However, no matter what humanity tries to do to wipe them out, mutants find a way to survive and bounce back. Now, the X-men have a major role in this. That much I don't discount with this theory. However, after reading Marvel Legacy #1, I think there's something bigger at work here. It has to do with one underlying factor that drives mutation in the Marvel universe. It can be best summed up with this:

Mutants in the Marvel Universe are a direct evolutionary response to the existence of aliens, gods, and magic.

Think about it. Humanity lives in a world full of gods, aliens, and mystical forces. In nature, whenever a species faces significant stress, evolution tries to go into overdrive to adapt. We saw in Marvel Legacy #1 that gods, Celestials, and cosmic forces were on Earth as far back as a million years ago, which could have been the initial catalyst. Then, you have stories like X-men First To Last which show added influences from beings like the Evolutionaries. All these stresses could've acted as a catalyst, of sorts, to make the human genome create the X-gene. Because when you're a species in a world that's regularly influenced by gods and aliens, you need a little something more than stone tools to survive. Mutant powers could be a direct response to that.

It also adds greater meaning to Tony Stark's revelation in Avengers vs. X-men. In that, he says the Phoenix Force demanded more mutants after Wanda cast her spell. Being a cosmic force, that implies that mutants were a natural evolution that need to exist for humanity to survive. In a sense, that makes the bigotry against mutants all the more important to battle because if that side wins, everyone loses. If the X-men win, though, both sides win.

I did a whole post about it on my blog, which you can read here.

My Fan Theory: The (True) Origins Of Mutants And The X-men

Like any fan theory, I'm not claiming that this theory is canon. But I think it's one of those theories that gives an extra bit of context to mutants in the Marvel universe. I just wanted to share it with my fellow X-men fans.

[Geek Mangacomic]

Pretty interesting theory.

[Hizashi]

I like it, makes sense to me.

[Havok83]

Its already canon that mutation is a result of celestial manipulation. There wasnt enough non-human beings in regular contact with humans to prompt their evolution

[MarvelMaster616]

Its already canon that mutation is a result of celestial manipulation. There wasnt enough non-human beings in regular contact with humans to prompt their evolution

Manipulation isn't the same as evolution. We also saw that in X-men First To Last. My theory doesn't change or ignore that, although I probably should've addressed that. It simply adds a larger context as to why mutants developed in the first place. Marvel Legacy #1 establishes all these powerful forces on Earth at a time when the human species was still evolving into homo sapiens. Their very presence, as well as that of the Celestials, simply created the circumstances that kickstarted the evolution of the X-gene. Sure, it was manipulated at later points, but the actual evolution of it predated that, according to my theory.

[Dthirds3]

I thought came about du to the creation of the eternals and deviants. As either a after effect of the energy or there descendants. But over all im preatty sure the celstials were involved.

Side note was there ever a eternal with a x gene.

[BishopsJuice91]

This could definitely work as the explanation of mutants arriving in the MCU

[ZNOP]

Manipulation isn't the same as evolution. We also saw that in X-men First To Last. My theory doesn't change or ignore that, although I probably should've addressed that. It simply adds a larger context as to why mutants developed in the first place. Marvel Legacy #1 establishes all these powerful forces on Earth at a time when the human species was still evolving into homo sapiens. Their very presence, as well as that of the Celestials, simply created the circumstances that kickstarted the evolution of the X-gene. Sure, it was manipulated at later points, but the actual evolution of it predated that, according to my theory.

Predated it how? Do you have a theoretical way of explaining this "pre-Celestial" evolution?

[ZNOP]

I thought came about du to the creation of the eternals and deviants. As either a after effect of the energy or there descendants. But over all im preatty sure the celstials were involved.

Side note was there ever a eternal with a x gene.

Not that I know of and I have years of Eternals and Eternals related reading material...

[lurkerforyears]

I think it is 100% canon that Celestial kickstarted the x-gene

And Apocalypse, who is only one of many people who have had his job (he had like 2 or 3 predecessors, one I think was a Cro Magnon man or Neanderthal), is pretty much an employee of the Celestials, like a gardener, whose job is to make sure evolution goes right.

Something that I think isnt canon anymore is that Celestials want many superhumans on earth, because they want the earth to be able to resist Galactus. Because celestials are born from planets. If Galactus eats a planet, the Celestial can't be born.

[MarvelMaster616]

Predated it how? Do you have a theoretical way of explaining this "pre-Celestial" evolution?

That's where Marvel Legacy #1 comes in. In the first pages of that issue, we see proto-human primates roaming the area. The date of that event was one million BC. To my knowledge (and correct me if I'm wrong), there is nothing in the canon that says the Celestials or some other force did any manipulation before that. That's the key. Manipulation is not the same as creation. For much of the X-books, that has been Apocalypse's primary purpose. He's driven to improve and enhance mutants. He might have been the first individual of homo-superior, but the genetic drift that eventually led to that speciation process, which takes a long time in evolutionary terms, could've begun one million years earlier with the events of Marvel Legacy. That one event could've acted as that stressor that led human pre-cursors to evolve the X-gene. It was never just implanted, like the Kree did with the Inhumans. Again, though, if there's something in the canon that contradicts that, please correct me.

[ZNOP]

Eternals (1976) #1