Should we get a in depth explanation on how the x gene works ?

[Dog]

Since this is my wheelhouse I absolutely want it.

But then I realize writers will never be able to keep it consistent or accurate going forward.

You got it!

https://aiptcomics.com/2018/11/09/re...erent-mutants/

From an actual geneticist!

[Rev9]

Wolverines fancy E-blood type does nothing for his story going forward, neither will breaking down the X-gene in a sequence so no(It's superfluous if not fun, but has no payoff)

[Odd Rödney]

Nah, that would just make it much harder to tell good stories and that's what I'm here for!

[Mutant 77]

The Celestials came to Earth and experimented on proto-humans making eternals, deviants, and humans. The Kree experimented on proto-humans and skipped the evolutionary phase and made the inhumans.

Mutants are just humans that slowly evolved and randomly are born with the X-Gene. The X-Gene is just a gene that is needed to manifest evolved human power. If a human isn't born with the "power" gene, they have no power. Mutant is just another name for "evolved human." That's why they labeled themselves the superior race - Homo Superior. They're like the Eternals, but it just took longer to reach that power level. And the writer can choose to make them stronger depending on how much they like the character.

That's how it works.

So mutants who were born in ancient civilizations, as Apocalypse, Selene Gallio and many others, don't make sense at all. Because I think that mutations should start to emerge/appear in the 19th century, not before.

That said, I just hate the name "X Gene". As simple as that, "X" stands for Xavier, and the gene should be renamed after something else.

[marhawkman]

Unless your in the genetics job field, many many dont understand how real genes work. Like do you know how the gene works that decides eye color? We dont need a scientific explanation that the average reader would not understand to take up five issues, because that is how much time at the minimum and how much background knowledge you need to understand genetics....

CHALLENGE ACCEPTED!

Going so far as to get into the specific proteins seems like a bit much, but a basic explanation isn't that hard.

Eye color is mostly the gene for the pigment used in your iris. Different eye color genes make different pigments and your eye color is whatever the pigment comes out as.

Of course the part where the real question comes in... how does your body know which gene is the eye color pigment?

[Cane_danko]

So mutants who were born in ancient civilizations, as Apocalypse, Selene Gallio and many others, don't make sense at all. Because I think that mutations should start to emerge/appear in the 19th century, not before.

That said, I just hate the name "X Gene". As simple as that, "X" stands for Xavier, and the gene should be renamed after something else.

It’s the xfactor not xavier. This has been addressed multiple times over the past few decades.

[Zelena]

Whatever the fictional science is, the only certainty is that writers will either break the rules, or engage in artful circumvention of them.

True. Comic authors, except few exceptions, are not interested by the reality. They just want to tell a good story, not one that is based on real facts. It just vaguely sounds logical and consistent. “Abandon all rational thinking, ye who enters in my comic“.

[CosmiComic]

What kind of inconsistencies are there with the X-gene? I thought the concept is reasonably simple

[Huntsman Spider]

What kind of inconsistencies are there with the X-gene? I thought the concept is reasonably simple

Mostly that "one gene" creates such a variety of mutations depending on the individual mutant.

[CosmiComic]

Mostly that "one gene" creates such a variety of mutations depending on the individual mutant.

I see.i guess it could be explained as the gene allows one to get powers but the exact powers depend on other genes as well as environmental factors

[Mutant 77]

I would call that "Gene M".

"X" belongs to the X-Men, and stands for "Xavier".

[marhawkman]

I see.i guess it could be explained as the gene allows one to get powers but the exact powers depend on other genes as well as environmental factors

It could, but even the the writers go weird ways with THAT too. Like saying the Legacy Virus kills Skrulls because "each gene is an X-Gene".... really? that's dumb.

[Wiccan]

The only thing I think needs to be more explained and consisent is children inhereting their parent's powers... Not that I think they all should instead of having different powers, but for the ones that do: Are they as strong as their parents? If they're less powerful, why, even though they have the exact same powerset and it's obviously not random? If they're more powerful, then why, for the same reason?

This is something that kinda bothers me about the Grey-Summers kids. If Jean is omega, then Rachel should be too. Cable has the virus excuse, and Nate Grey got depowered. But for her there's no reason. And why is that there was this thing about Jean and Scott's kids in particular being super powerful, as in supposedly more powerful than Jean, even though they're only inhereting her powers but not Scott's?

[CosmiComic]

It could, but even the the writers go weird ways with THAT too. Like saying the Legacy Virus kills Skrulls because "each gene is an X-Gene".... really? that's dumb.

Maybe there needs to be some story bible all writers adhere to about the x-gene

[AppleJ]

I have my own psuedo-sciencey headcanon that is useful to me for writing fanfic when children and inheritance is involved.

But generally speaking it doesn't come into play super often in the comics.

However, it DOES irk me when people say things like "I have the BRCA gene" for instance though because NO.

Literally EVERYONE has not one but two copies of both the BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene. What you really mean to say is that you carry a mutation on one copy of either BRCA1 or BRCA2 which greatly increases your risk for breast and ovarian cancer should one of your cells in those tissues acquire a de novo mutation on the other non-mutated copy of that particular BRCA gene. It's the double hit theory.

So I don't think of mutants as having an extra gene and definitely not a whole extra chromosome called X. That makes no sense since they can be born to humans and have children with humans.

In my mind for this universe, all humans carry this gene that is either constitutively silent (i.e. inactive) in normal humans or normally functions to inactivate numerous downstream gene expressions. This "X" gene is maybe some ancient holdover that is important in many many downstream gene expressions that effect form and function, the kind normally only active during certain development periods or observed in instances of punctuated evolution. And mutants are literally just humans with at least one mutated copy of gene X - Possibly two if they got one from each mutant parent. And it would have to be an autosomal dominant type of inheritance, which allows for de novo mutants to arise randomly from normal human parents and for mutant status to function independent of sex chromosomes - i.e. I would NOT put the X gene on the X chromosome.

I also headcanon that different mutations to the X gene are part of what causes certain general families of mutation to exist (energy manipulation, telepathy, etc) and the degree of functionality of the mutated gene is related to the type of mutation. A stop gain or frameshift, depending on location, can take out different aspects of gene function and have a stronger phenotype versus perhaps a more subtle point mutation phenotype. Plus all the combinations that can happen.

So yeah, maybe outside the scope of most writers. But I still find it very intriguing.