I’ve never understood the MCU fear of Mutants

[bretmaverick2]

The normal folks of the MCU don’t seem to have a rabid fear of non mutant powered folks - Goliath, Wasp, Spitfire, Thor, Doctor Strange, Human Torch, Thing, and on and on - so why the fear of mutants??

Unless non mutant heroes run around explaining their origins and why the AREN’T mutants, I don’t get the overriding fear of mutants vs. powered heroes.

Anyone care to explain?

[houndsofluv]

short answer: shh, just let it happen

[AHRNIHAL]

The normal folks of the MCU don’t seem to have a rabid fear of non mutant powered folks - Goliath, Wasp, Spitfire, Thor, Doctor Strange, Human Torch, Thing, and on and on - so why the fear of mutants??

Unless non mutant heroes run around explaining their origins and why the AREN’T mutants, I don’t get the overriding fear of mutants vs. powered heroes.

Anyone care to explain?

I didn't even know MCU have mutants. Weird.

[loke13]

I mean doesn't this hold true for the comics too? All the super powered heroes are pretty much beloved except the mutants. I think a bit of suspension of disbelief is required. The X-Men virtually operated in their own universe for decades with only minimal crossovers so it was a lot easier to do the whole "hated and feared" shtick

[Marvelboy1974]

I always thought the same thing. I think in reality everyone secretly wants super powers and those who didn’t have powers would be jealous.

[Snoop Dogg]

All the super powered heroes are pretty much beloved except the mutants.

where do people even get this impression, now even captain america is hated, they weren't even popular before civil war and whatnot, this isn't dc

[Zelena]

— They are probably afraid that their children become mutants. It looks like a curse. Non-mutants powered folks are either non-humans (Thor), became special due to their own making (Wasp) (well Human and Thing, it was an accident.) As they are teenagers when their powers manifest, they often make damages.
— The number of non-mutants powered folks is rather small and they're often affiliated to governemental organizations. Mutants, on the other sides, are "wildcards" and their number is growing.
— Better advertising?

[Snoop Dogg]

"Look out, it's the Avengers! There a few dozen of them max and we still hate them!"

"Look out, it's the X-Men! A huge leviathan organization with countless members that are representatives of a larger species that threatens to replace us on an evolutionary level, a species that includes a number of dangerous and destructive individuals who's actions, along with the number of disaster-level incidents associated with them, we can pin on the entire race! Some of them could be your children! They could be everywhere! GET THE PURPLE ROBOTS!"

[loke13]

where do people even get this impression, now even captain america is hated, they weren't even popular before civil war and whatnot, this isn't dc

I said pretty much. Captain America (and other costumed heroes) are treated more as celebrities where public opinion switches from positive to negative depending on the story being told (and lets be honest public opinion falls more towards the positive side for the Avengers more often than not). The X-men and mutants don't get that same luxury public opinion is negative 24/7.

[Wiccan]

I think you mean MU.

MCU is for movies.

[Agent Z]

where do people even get this impression, now even captain america is hated, they weren't even popular before civil war and whatnot, this isn't dc

They'd face some criticism but not to the extent of the X-Men. It really was a case by case thing.

[Confuzzled]

Simple.

Avengers, Fantastic Four etc. started out as regular human beings who just happened to gain superpowers due to some external circumstances. The regular MU schmo thinks such a thing could happen to him as well so he's complacent.

The mutants OTOH are born different and are a literal evolutionary stage of 'Homo Superior', rendering homo sapiens as obsolete. Regular schmo is petrified of this concept and hence, of the species as a whole.

[ChronoRogue]

I don't think racism or homophobia make much sense either but those are still big issues even today.

I think a big factor could be media and public perception. A hate driven campaign or propaganda machine can influence very heavily the way the public view things. Mutants themselves sometimes label themselves a different species, so that's another obstacle. Also despite the Avengers doing some speeches every now and then, mutants in the MU don't exactly have anyone really in their corner lobbying or rallying for better rights or to spread awareness. Heck, the government itself actively makes genocidal machines because they fear them.

As for hate on a individual basis, fear of getting replaced or crowded out is a big thing. As others have said, unless you live in NYC you're unlikely to ever run into an Avengers, alien, etc... Mutants can pop up anywhere. Think about how immigration gets pushed back so much and imagine that happening on level where you can't even actively gate it because it could be your child or your neighbors kids. It'd drive the conservative conspiracy nuts wild irl.

[Bozack]

Simple.

Avengers, Fantastic Four etc. started out as regular human beings who just happened to gain superpowers due to some external circumstances. The regular MU schmo thinks such a thing could happen to him as well so he's complacent.

The mutants OTOH are born different and are a literal evolutionary stage of 'Homo Superior', rendering homo sapiens as obsolete. Regular schmo is petrified of this concept and hence, of the species as a whole.

This is how I've always interpreted it.

[Shadowcat]

Why do people fear Muslims? The LGBT? People of color? Fear and hate mongers are irrational.