Let's talk about mutant genetics

[Dog]

You guys were such a great help when I was putting together this article on cognitive biases, I thought I'd ask again!

The genetics of the X-Men might not make real world sense, completely, but I think we can use it to teach about how things actually do work. To that end, to help celebrate the relaunch of Uncanny in November, I've enlisted a geeky geneticist to do her best in teasing out just how Marvel mutation might work, in light of everything we know now. Check out her awesome X-23 article!

What I'm looking for help on is finding everything that's been said about mutation, the X-Gene, and all of it, in the source material. The "canon" stuff, where writers take a stand and say "this is how it works." Then we've got something to go on.

I found the part in Astonishing X-Men #25 where Beast talks about "exotic proteins" triggering varied mutations. What else is out there? Has it ever been established why mutants started to appear in great numbers so suddenly? What about inheritance? Who's tried to wade into that topic? Any and all hand-waving science explanations in the comics are appreciated!

Thank you all for any help you can provide! Once again, we will shout you out in the articles if we use your input!

[AppleJ]

I do not have any source material to recommend sadly, but I work in a genetics lab and likewise find these questions/theories fascinating! So I hope you get some responses.

Do regular humans carry the X-gene? Does the X-Gene get activated somehow by de novo or inherited mutations in a promoter or enhancer region? Is the X-gene dominant or recessive? Autosomal or X-linked? If dominant, do children of two mutants that inherit both mutations suffer any ill effects? There are a lot of AD conditions that are lethal or severe when homozygous or compound heterozygous.

I was not an X-Men Blue reader, but I think the Mothervine arc touched on inducing latent X-genes in humans. Will let you know if I come across more info.

[Force de Phenix]

You guys were such a great help when I was putting together this article on cognitive biases, I thought I'd ask again!

The genetics of the X-Men might not make real world sense, completely, but I think we can use it to teach about how things actually do work. To that end, to help celebrate the relaunch of Uncanny in November, I've enlisted a geeky geneticist to do her best in teasing out just how Marvel mutation might work, in light of everything we know now. Check out her awesome X-23 article!

What I'm looking for help on is finding everything that's been said about mutation, the X-Gene, and all of it, in the source material. The "canon" stuff, where writers take a stand and say "this is how it works." Then we've got something to go on.

I found the part in Astonishing X-Men #25 where Beast talks about "exotic proteins" triggering varied mutations. What else is out there? Has it ever been established why mutants started to appear in great numbers so suddenly? What about inheritance? Who's tried to wade into that topic? Any and all hand-waving science explanations in the comics are appreciated!

Thank you all for any help you can provide! Once again, we will shout you out in the articles if we use your input!

It's "chicken or the egg" paradox. Did two mutant parents have a latent X-Gene, or is it activated spontaneously? It depends. I would read about the Celestials because it would give you info on how evolution works in Marvel. Also other how other species like inhumans and the Eternals work. "Mutants" are "human mutants".

[sublimeclown]

In X2, it's stated that men are the carrier for the X-Gene (in the scene where Bobby "comes out"). Not sure if that coincides with the comics or not, but it's interesting.

Weren't the X-Men considered "children of the atom" because their mutations had something to do with atomic radiation? I think that idea kind of got phased out over the years.

[Rover]

In Avengers #5 and #6 that came out this summer, the Avengers fought the Celestials and the story talked about a Celestial falling to Earth because it was infected by some bugs (the horde). There is a panel in #6 where characters say that humanity has the potential for mutation and super powers because it was originally meant to fight the horde. There are references to humanity being a 'cosmic incident' throughout the two issues.

For the genetics, I think Astonishing -Men #25 had the most comprehensive explanation of how the genetics work.

And for mutant births, New X-Men #118 had this panel where solar radiations are mentioned:

newxmen118.jpg

The different bubbles are meant to represent 'sound bytes' from different channels. So the solar radiation might just be a theory that exists without being confirmed. But then you have a character like Beast who was born a mutant because his father was exposed to radiations. (I think this was established in the 60s, I don't know the issue number though).

And the Second Coming event ended with Hope having the Phoenix force, which resulted in mutant genes being activated around the globe. I don't think they ever explained how the connection between the Phoenix force and the mutant gene works. (this would be in Second Coming chapter 14).

I also remember seeing references to a feral gene in Wolverine. Not sure if that is different from an X-gene, or if it's a type of X-gene? (this probably was in an early 2010s Wolverine run, sorry I don't have a more precise issue number).

Another topic that could be interesting to explore is the mutant growth hormone. The mutant growth hormone has been used in different stories, sometimes it's like a drug that boosts a mutant's powers and sometimes it actually triggers the mutation. I don't think they ever gave a detailed explanation about the hormone and drug, but I wonder if it means mutants have an additional hormone or a different version of the growth hormone.

Uncanny X-Men showed the bad guys extracting the mutant growth hormone from Dazzler (in issues published in 2013 or 2014 I think). Mystique basically had some needles in her and they would extract the drug. Kids were shown taking the growth hormone as a drug throughout New X-Men 2001-2004. In Uncanny X-Men 2013-2014, Blob had lost his mutant powers but they could be temporarily restored thanks to the drug. In Dark X-Men (2009), the mutant growth hormone was used on humans and they temporarily got mutant powers.

[donpricetag]

I love the subject, but it only seems to matter as long as editorial makes it a priority. Every writer that comes along changes how things work. Mutants used to get their powers around puberty with only a handful of exceptions. Not to mention if you look at the way Aaron and others have populated the School, you'd think Morlock-class mutants were more previlant than any others, which doesnt make sense unless the x-gene started to mutate humans wildly and more aggresively. I guess you could argue that High Evolutionary's tamperings changed things, or that M-Day made it even worse, but its all been so random as of late. The largest population of mutants should have subtle changes and augments to aspects that are already present. People with elephant heads, deer antlers, and shark bodies should be rare (or nonexistent), both examples in one place should be impossible.

[yogaflame]

Earth X, which is not mainstream canon per say, but is heavily influenced by mainstream canon(and ended up influencing later mainstream canon in many ways), reinforces the mainstream canon that the Celestials manipulated early mankind and inserted the x-gene into them. So I believe that means that all humans have an inactive X-gene. Mutants that Cerebro and Sentinels can detect have active X-genes. The X-gene, I think, gives the person access to various other genes("junk DNA") or is otherwise moderated by epi-genetic markers, to account for all the various powers mutants display. The reason in Earth X was that the Celestials had a baby gestating inside of the earth, and the superpowered mutant population would serve as anti-bodies to protect the earth until the baby had matured and 'hatched'. In Earth X, the Terrigen Cloud was released and practically everyone on earth developed mutant powers(with the Terrigen activating the inactive X-gene in all those 'regular humans' who weren't active mutants before). Again, this is an alternate universe, so it doesn't quite align with mainstream canon(the recent Avengers story positions the Celestials as trying to incubate a cure for their cosmic bug disease instead of protecting a baby Celestial inside the earth).

The canon has varied wildly over the years in it's depiction of the X-gene and how it works. There is no consistent metric or explanation, or even illustration.

[yogaflame]

[yogaflame]

This site has a real biologist attempting to explain it without much canon at all, but with a lot of scientific point of view.

And this article is another such attempt, but has a little more canon influence, such as bringing up DoFP's three classifications.

daysoffuturepast.jpg

[yogaflame]

Ultimately, though, Marvel canon suggests the X-gene is basically a God-gene, and the Celestials implanted it within humanity so that they could one day transcend the death of this universe to be the cosmic constructs of the next one, so the baseline sciencey part is basically not that important.

[Force de Phenix]

Earth X, which is not mainstream canon per say, but is heavily influenced by mainstream canon(and ended up influencing later mainstream canon in many ways), reinforces the mainstream canon that the Celestials manipulated early mankind and inserted the x-gene into them. So I believe that means that all humans have an inactive X-gene. Mutants that Cerebro and Sentinels can detect have active X-genes. The X-gene, I think, gives the person access to various other genes("junk DNA") or is otherwise moderated by epi-genetic markers, to account for all the various powers mutants display. The reason in Earth X was that the Celestials had a baby gestating inside of the earth, and the superpowered mutant population would serve as anti-bodies to protect the earth until the baby had matured and 'hatched'. In Earth X, the Terrigen Cloud was released and practically everyone on earth developed mutant powers(with the Terrigen activating the inactive X-gene in all those 'regular humans' who weren't active mutants before). Again, this is an alternate universe, so it doesn't quite align with mainstream canon(the recent Avengers story positions the Celestials as trying to incubate a cure for their cosmic bug disease instead of protecting a baby Celestial inside the earth).

Earth-X was a cool story and explained things well (and simple) because, well, the story is just about that.