How would changing the sex or race, or both, of an X-character change *them*?

[Mercury]

Think about it deeply before you answer. This could be a fun and interesting thread.

So, how would you change any given character? Would you change their sex, race, or both? Why? Also, how would doing so change their history and personality? What other changes would happen as a result of changing their sex and race?

[Daedra]

Think about it deeply before you answer. This could be a fun and interesting thread.

So, how would you change any given character? Would you change their sex, race, or both? Why? Also, how would doing so change their history and personality? What other changes would happen as a result of changing their sex and race?

Mutants should be able to change sex at will with 24h cooldown, race cannot really be changed……. I could wake up tomorrow and decide I’m a woman trapped in a male body but I doubt I could actually claim to be asian or native american.

[Ambaryerno]

Logan's entire backstory would have to change since he was able to pass as the son of Jonathan Howlett and Elizabeth Hudson, both of whom were part of wealthy, aristocratic, land-owning families in 19th Century Canada. Because the society of the time would have pretty much entirely excluded Indigenous people and Blacks from these social circles, it would be virtually impossible for Logan to be coded as BIPOC as a result. Even if his actual father was BIPOC or of mixed race, Logan himself still had to be "white enough" for Elizabeth to pass him off as Jonathan's son to hide her affair.

Similarly, changing Magneto's origins to some more contemporary genocide would not have the same impact. The Holocaust is unique in history for not only its scale (possibly exceeded by Stalin's purges, and the slaughter of Chinese by Japan) its industrialized, assembly-line approach to mass murder (which sets it apart from Stalin and China). And it's THIS that we often see in the "bad futures" where mutants face extermination: Mutants facing a very systemic, assembly-line sort of extermination. Having him survive something like Darfur is going to be radically different than what he experienced in the Camps.

[LordMikel]

If Cyclops was a female, it would change the dynamic between Cyclops and Wolverine and the relationship between Cyclops and Jean would be very controversial for the time. Now it might not be as bad of a problem.

[From The Shadows]

All i know is its a stupid idea and unneeded. People just want to push it like its the latest amazing thing like its never been tried before. Besides, I heard color is no longer blind and I at least believe in this now in instances like this, nor should it be. Its like this... if you have to be pushed like you are white or a man so you can erase your own poc/woman legacy I really don't want to understand. X-Men especially has a big enough library of women and poc. If you are talking about roles for actors I choose not to associate the two. Besides their canon appearances are important to me and that includes poc and women.

[JudicatorPrime]

Not to leverage or derail, but I wonder what if it was the race or gender (or both) of the creators and subsequent writers that was changed? What would the X-Men have been like then?

As for the OP, I can't say that I ever wanted any of the X-characters to change their ethnicity or gender.

[Mercury]

If Logan were changed to a woman, she'd go by **** McGee.

[Big Joe]

There's a whole story about why Banshee was a man when quite obviously he should not have been. Far too late by the time Syrin came along, Banshee, as a male hero, was far too well established.

[From The Shadows]

If Logan were changed to a woman, she'd go by **** McGee.

Even Girl Logan would lunge at Ice Man for that.

[ARkadelphia]

I’d make Raven a black male. Not much of her back story would change because, well, you know.

[jwatson]

Most characrters it won't because when they were created it was a non factor. Like Storm, BP, ususally when characters of color are taken into account those things come to the forefront and matter like Storm is the daughter of an african princess and an african american photojournalist. That is integral to her character and as such can't really be race bent but then you have Jean or Rogue, rogue in particular being a southern belle, it really doesn't matter as much as she could be a decatur southern belle. Or even cylcops there is nothing in his history that implies or connects to being specifically caucasian. So it really does depend on the character but in 90% of the instances their ethnicity just doesn't play a part in white characters and it was taken for granted because it was the norm.

edit: i do find it weird this is a topic now that it can happen in the other direction but never seemed to be a issue when white hollywood has been race bending forever to "tell a story"

edit 2: like not from the poster or here i just mean in general. it was no big deal when white hollywood did it but now it's all character integrity. and they were racebending historical figures. Jesus being the prime example that just kept getting lighter and lighter over the years.

[Mercury]

Even Girl Logan would lunge at Ice Man for that.

lmao! (I hope I didn't offend anyone with that comment!)

[PyroFN]

So, how would you change any given character? Would you change their sex, race, or both? Why? Also, how would doing so change their history and personality? What other changes would happen as a result of changing their sex and race?

Like as in the context of when they were created or in context to todays standards? Either way, it’s an interesting exercise.

[Mercury]

Like as in the context of when they were created or in context to todays standards? Either way, it’s an interesting exercise.

Yeah, all of that, but also maintaining, as much as possible, the fundamentals of their history. For example, imagine if the original five X-Men were all people of color, i.e., Black, Latino, Native American, etc., but still within the context of the early-1960s. That could make for a compelling story.

[Mercury]

...Storm is the daughter of an african princess and an african american photojournalist...

You can make her South African and certainly change her race to white. As PyroFN pointed out, just think of this as an exercise.