Can the Xmen still be a metaphor for discrimination when pretty much all theirs

[Striderblack01]

Again I will say that Humans can't tell Mutants and Superhumans apart.

Person 1 "Excuse me man on fire are you a mutant or superhuman"
Mutant "I am a mutant"
Person 1 "Great now that I have that clear up I can hate you"

If that's true, wouldn't the opposite make more sense?

Assuming everyone with powers is a mutant or alien until proven otherwise?
Or until the Avengers PR machine makes them "okay"?

[Hizashi]

Maybe there's something we're not considering. As readers we can see what's happening, and to a limited degree hear what's happening. But can we smell what's happening? Do mutants smell different or worse than other superhumans? Does Jean Grey throroughly wash her notably large feet?

Be careful, there are eyes and ears and feet everywhere.

[Alan2099]

I tend to think of it like this.

To the citizens of the Marvel Universe, there are super heroes and super villains. For the most part, people are cool with super heroes. Why wouldn't they be? They're heroes. They're on your side. Super Villains, they are naturally against. They're villains. They're out there breaking the law.

Mutants usually are listed as either. They're people and people just suck. That guy that yelled at you for no reason in traffic? The person who demands to speak to your manager because you won't honor a three year old coupon from another store? Those guys that stand right next to the exit and chainsmoke? Those people are bad enough. Now imagine those people can shoot lasers from their eyes?

[Zelena]

I tend to think of it like this.

To the citizens of the Marvel Universe, there are super heroes and super villains. For the most part, people are cool with super heroes. Why wouldn't they be? They're heroes. They're on your side. Super Villains, they are naturally against. They're villains. They're out there breaking the law.

Mutants usually are listed as either. They're people and people just suck. That guy that yelled at you for no reason in traffic? The person who demands to speak to your manager because you won't honor a three year old coupon from another store? Those guys that stand right next to the exit and chainsmoke? Those people are bad enough. Now imagine those people can shoot lasers from their eyes?

Worse than that… For regular criminals, the society has created the police and the problems that can cause individuals are largely known. Everyone can create damages with simple tools but these damages are limited and everyone knows that he/she will have to face the consequences if they contravene the law… once they are caught, of course.

The mutants, not better not worse than regular humans, with their wide range of powers, are an unknown threat, too. It’s not certain that the police would be able to arrest those who decide that human laws aren’t for them and they can do what they want.

The X-men were supposed to show that the mutants can be a force of good and not necessarily a threat, the best and the brightest… A sort of elite.
But it doesn’t negate the reality of the threat…

[Omega Alpha]

I tend to think of it like this.

To the citizens of the Marvel Universe, there are super heroes and super villains. For the most part, people are cool with super heroes. Why wouldn't they be? They're heroes. They're on your side. Super Villains, they are naturally against. They're villains. They're out there breaking the law.

Mutants usually are listed as either. They're people and people just suck. That guy that yelled at you for no reason in traffic? The person who demands to speak to your manager because you won't honor a three year old coupon from another store? Those guys that stand right next to the exit and chainsmoke? Those people are bad enough. Now imagine those people can shoot lasers from their eyes?

And not only that, but these people are on route to become the majority, or at least be in practice the dominant group, of the world in a few decades.

[The tall man]

Normal humans can hate mutants for ordinary mundane reasons. For example you train hard to complete and excel at athletics, you give everything and then your competitor is a mutant with enhanced physical abilities and no need train who dominates you without breaking a sweat. Or maybe a mutant with the ability to manipulate pheromones decides to seduce your loving/faithful spouse just because. Or perhaps you are going for a promotion at work, you are qualified and earned it but a mutant telepath coworker manipulates the boss to get the job instead. Those are only a few of the numerous ways someone can come to hate mutants( they feel wronged). Now maybe they should only hate the specific mutant who wronged them but that hate can grow to include all. Like has been said, mutants are just like ordinary humans with all the negative emotions they possess. They can be selffish, petty, vindictive, callous, hateful, deceitful, greedy and on and on. If mutants existed in the real world of course most would use their abilities for their own personal benefit, gain and advantage( its human nature). So that's how I view human hatred towards mutants in the MU. Not on the macro level where its genocidal giant killer robots (way over the top). But on the micro level where its personal, this one specific mutant wronged me, they ruined my life and I'm powerless to do anything about it so i hate them. But this is fantasy comics so we need over the top, we need the killer robots and the widespread anti mutant hysteria and the genocidal programs. We need big bad enemies for our heroes to fight.

[Alan2099]

Normal humans can hate mutants for ordinary mundane reasons. For example you train hard to complete and excel at athletics, you give everything and then your competitor is a mutant with enhanced physical abilities and no need train who dominates you without breaking a sweat.

That's even something they did in the very first few issues of the original X-men series.

Toad used his skills to dominate some track and field event. Later, Beast would quit the team and become a professional wrestler, only to loose to Unus the Untouchable who was also using his mutant powers to "cheat".

[jwatson]

I would say yes. Though the weight of it depends on perspective and history. Like to some white men right now to them their is an attack on the white male and they are being discriminated against.

[BroHomo]

I would say yes. Though the weight of it depends on perspective and history. Like to some white men right now to them their is an attack on the white male and they are being discriminated against.

Whaaat connects the 2??

[jwatson]

Whaaat connects the 2??

It's all in the post perspective and history.

[c-lei]

Yeah I definitely think the metaphor is increasingly losing its weight as other comics are able to tackle topics of discrimination in a more authentic way.

I think the main solution is to mix up teams so that they're more diverse. The lineup for the new SWORD book seems to be doing a good job of this.

And baically pretend the problems don't actually exist-in other words look the other way. and cover your eyes and ears.

Yep. Nothing new here.

[Devaishwarya]

Personally...I don't need or want my X-books to be all about real world discrimination and intolerance front and centre all day every day. (There are books for that horrible, negative mess as if the daily news wasn't enough.)

Because:
1: Writers aren't really equipped to deal with that on a continuous and in-depth basis.
2: That shyt gets old and tired and boring real fast.
3: No matter what they do, they'll never be able to please a majority.

By all means...be the exemplars, diversify the teams, hit those markers, show the world how we can do better and be better with inclusivity and community and unity, but above all that...just Give me adventurous story-telling in outer space, mythical realms and mystical wonders with a bit of save-the-universe super-heroics thrown in for good measure.
That's all I ask.

[ClanAskani]

Normal humans can hate mutants for ordinary mundane reasons. For example you train hard to complete and excel at athletics, you give everything and then your competitor is a mutant with enhanced physical abilities and no need train who dominates you without breaking a sweat. Or maybe a mutant with the ability to manipulate pheromones decides to seduce your loving/faithful spouse just because. Or perhaps you are going for a promotion at work, you are qualified and earned it but a mutant telepath coworker manipulates the boss to get the job instead. Those are only a few of the numerous ways someone can come to hate mutants( they feel wronged). Now maybe they should only hate the specific mutant who wronged them but that hate can grow to include all. Like has been said, mutants are just like ordinary humans with all the negative emotions they possess. They can be selffish, petty, vindictive, callous, hateful, deceitful, greedy and on and on. If mutants existed in the real world of course most would use their abilities for their own personal benefit, gain and advantage( its human nature). So that's how I view human hatred towards mutants in the MU. Not on the macro level where its genocidal giant killer robots (way over the top). But on the micro level where its personal, this one specific mutant wronged me, they ruined my life and I'm powerless to do anything about it so i hate them. But this is fantasy comics so we need over the top, we need the killer robots and the widespread anti mutant hysteria and the genocidal programs. We need big bad enemies for our heroes to fight.

The problem is that mutants powers aren't necessarily harmless.

Someone who has an unfair advantage in sports is something currently the world is struggling with with transgender athletes competing with women. And except many issues with scholarships, there really any negative consequences to allow them to compete.

But the difference with mutants is someone whose powers can't be controlled and causes massive death and destruction - that's something to legitimately fear.

Someone with telepathic powers might cheat on tests at school, but what if they did something harmful with their powers? What if they convince someone they dislike to jump off a bridge?

That's part of the reason that the comparison with discrimination fails. There isn't a reason for people to fear transgender individuals even if they might have some advantages in women's sports. But a teenage mutant who can destroy the entire school because they can't control their powers... that's not exactly something that's irrational to want the government to protect average people against.

[gonnagiveittoya]

Yeah ultimately the big flaw with the mutants as a metaphor is many mutants are actually dangerous, whereas stereotypes about real minorities are fictions designed to make them seem dangerous. A teenager realizing they might not be straight or not having white skin isn't comparable to, say, being able to level buildings at the age of 14.

Sure, in-text the majority of mutants don't have destructive powers, but A: they're always background characters and B: even if the number of mutants with let's call it "X-Men caliber" powers is statistically low that's still a LOT of people. Omega level mutants are basically (and depending the mutant, potentially literally) nukes.

[jwatson]

The problem is that mutants powers aren't necessarily harmless.

Someone who has an unfair advantage in sports is something currently the world is struggling with with transgender athletes competing with women. And except many issues with scholarships, there really any negative consequences to allow them to compete.

But the difference with mutants is someone whose powers can't be controlled and causes massive death and destruction - that's something to legitimately fear.

Someone with telepathic powers might cheat on tests at school, but what if they did something harmful with their powers? What if they convince someone they dislike to jump off a bridge?

That's part of the reason that the comparison with discrimination fails. There isn't a reason for people to fear transgender individuals even if they might have some advantages in women's sports. But a teenage mutant who can destroy the entire school because they can't control their powers... that's not exactly something that's irrational to want the government to protect average people against.

To me that opens the question which is worse. A mutant who can control the mind of someone and tell them to jump off a bridge and they do it or a human that is so indept at manipulation and a bully that they tell someone to jump off a bridge and they do? And i wonder which would happen more. one telepath vs. thousands of manipulative human bullies.