The problems with the ''mutant metaphor''

[Doom'nGloom]

People are discussing whether there is a legitimate comparison between X-men and real life minorities while even in this day and age X-men is still a mostly straight white lead franchise. What Claremont did may have been revolutionary in 70's, 80's and even 90's but it just doesn't cut it anymore, not with characters like Kamala, Miles etc. also running around whose stories actually touch upon their real life minority identities. Wolverine being the most popular character of the franchise and the most storied one tells you all you need to know which is why I think the metaphor while being a part of X-men mythos, shouldn't be its driving force.

[davetvs]

People are discussing whether there is a legitimate comparison between X-men and real life minorities while even in this day and age X-men is still a mostly straight white lead franchise. What Claremont did may have been revolutionary in 70's, 80's and even 90's but it just doesn't cut it anymore, not with characters like Kamala, Miles etc. also running around whose stories actually touch upon their real life minority identities. Wolverine being the most popular character of the franchise and the most storied one tells you all you need to know which is why I think the metaphor while being a part of X-men mythos, shouldn't be its driving force.

Wolverine being the most popular mutant says nothing about the validity of the metaphor and everything about the typical comic book fan being a straight white male dudebro who prefers to read about other straight white male dudebros. Nothing wrong with that; representation matters after all, but it's beyond ridiculous that this is the same demographic most likely to try to invalidate the X-Men's civil rights themes (I wonder why that is...) or who will tell minority groups they don't deserve representation in media (like they do) because it's "pandering."

[Doom'nGloom]

Wolverine being the most popular mutant says nothing about the validity of the metaphor and everything about the typical comic book fan being a straight white male dudebro who prefers to read about other straight white male dudebros. Nothing wrong with that; representation matters after all, but it's beyond ridiculous that this is the same demographic most likely to try to invalidate the X-Men's civil rights themes (I wonder why that is...) or who will tell minority groups they don't deserve representation in media (like they do) because it's "pandering."

Wolverine being most popular doesn't but him being a regular on X-force and having his own series and now having a story that will last for 3 months while Bobby and Bishop being relegated to background most of the time in a series they were meant to colead says something about the priorities of the x-office. And I'm not denying civil rights inspirations of the metaphor. I'm saying if X-men is all about the minority identity and the metaphor (there is more to X-men than just that but for the sake of argument let's assume that) then the least they should do is give it's minority characters prominent roles in books. Storm is a good start with the regent title so I wanna see more developments like that. It's not enough to slap mutant badge on prominent characters and call it a day if said characters are mostly straight white man.

[davetvs]

Wolverine being most popular doesn't but him being a regular on X-force and having his own series and now having a story that will last for 3 months while Bobby and Bishop being relegated to background most of the time in a series they were meant to colead says something about the priorities of the x-office. And I'm not denying civil rights inspirations of the metaphor. I'm saying if X-men is all about the minority identity and the metaphor (there is more to X-men than just that but for the sake of argument let's assume that) then the least they should do is give it's minority characters prominent roles in books. Storm is a good start with the regent title so I wanna see more developments like that. It's not enough to slap mutant badge on prominent characters and call it a day if said characters are mostly straight white man.

I agree with you, but even that is less about the validity of the metaphor and more about the fact that 99% of X-Men writers throughout history have been white men. There is only so much you can do with the metaphor and its related nuances if you do not understand them, because you haven't lived them. There are white writers like Ewing who write characters of color very well, but I have been dying for an actual persecuted minority to get a chance to write the flagship X-Men book because it's way, way, way overdue.

[ChronoRogue]

People are discussing whether there is a legitimate comparison between X-men and real life minorities while even in this day and age X-men is still a mostly straight white lead franchise. What Claremont did may have been revolutionary in 70's, 80's and even 90's but it just doesn't cut it anymore, not with characters like Kamala, Miles etc. also running around whose stories actually touch upon their real life minority identities. Wolverine being the most popular character of the franchise and the most storied one tells you all you need to know which is why I think the metaphor while being a part of X-men mythos, shouldn't be its driving force.

They do need to do better on this front. I feel like Hickman exacerbated this problem, as 90% of the characters he drew focus on this era were basically white.

Magneto, Xavier, Moira, Mystique, Destiny, Sinister, Emma Frost. The only POC you could consider he elevated was Apocalypse but he got shuffled off in the first phase of Krakoa.

Also am I the only one who found Hickman's choices in Omega's and QC members concerning?

For the Omegas, like half of them were already established and are fine, but Hickman seemed to add a good amount on his own including Magneto, Proteus, Monarch, Exodus and Storm. Just because you are a powerful mutant or reality warper does not mean you need to be an omega. Anyway the optics of having the "strongest" mutants only include three women and like one POC... did he not see a problem with this?

The Quiet Council is slightly better with it's balance of women, especially later on, but for POC it's still horrible. Where is the representation of mutants from different nations outside of anglo-saxon countries? Seriously, I get who the comic book audience is directed toward but this is the X-Men. Do better.

I guess you could argue "why should that matter?" if POC or women are not omegas or QC members but these seats are the most visible positions of power on Krakoa. It's never read well that a group that has a metaphor associated with minorities has their group represented by a vast majority of white people in terms of decisions-making and control. And I always assumed other countries had their own leaders and hubs of mutants of power, which could have been cool to introduce onto Krakoa but nope, same old same old.

[Doom'nGloom]

I agree with you, but even that is less about the validity of the metaphor and more about the fact that 99% of X-Men writers throughout history have been white men. There is only so much you can do with the metaphor and its related nuances if you do not understand them, because you haven't lived them. There are white writers like Ewing who write characters of color very well, but I have been dying for an actual persecuted minority to get a chance to write the flagship X-Men book because it's way, way, way overdue.

I totally agree with you on that.

They need to show the validity of the metaphor with the way the characters are handled. They haven't done a very good job with it until very recently. Let's hope it improves going forward.

[LordUltimus]

Real shame this mode of thought is all but completely absent in the Krakoa Era, where "human" is used to describe anything mutants don't like.

[BroHomo]

I'm not really getting why other people's interpretation of a media outlet affects someone's enjoyment

Real shame this mode of thought is all but completely absent in the Krakoa Era, where "human" is used to describe anything mutants don't like.

why shouldn't it after years of being abused for not being human. It's not a declaration of mutants thinking they don't belong to the human race

[LordUltimus]

I'm not really getting why other people's interpretation of a media outlet affects someone's enjoyment

why shouldn't it after years of being abused for not being human. It's not a declaration of mutants thinking they don't belong to the human race

It literally is. They actually correct you when you refer to them as human.

[gonnagiveittoya]

The same arguments you're using for saying mutants are inherently dangerous are similar to the notions that black folk are 'dangerous' or gang affiliated.

No one is taking it literally but there are GOSPEL TRUTH similiarities to how mutants are treated to how im treated as a black queer person and i speak from experience.

Not remotely the same. There is zero possibility that, at a random point in puberty, a black kid can accidentally level a city block and kill dozens of people by randomly developing a dangerous power.

[gonnagiveittoya]

I'm not really getting why other people's interpretation of a media outlet affects someone's enjoyment

why shouldn't it after years of being abused for not being human. It's not a declaration of mutants thinking they don't belong to the human race

How on earth did you come to this conclusion when they absolutely see humans as a separate (and lesser) species. Storm literally compares them to insects at one point.

[Outburstz]

It literally is. They actually correct you when you refer to them as human.

Because they want it to be very clear that they are homo superior not homo sapiens

When someone calls someone a human there is a belief that they are sapiens

It's no different than someone saying that person is a black american but corrects them by saying they are Jamican american because saying your black american makes people think you are descendant of USA slaves. Both are still black but there is a difference.

Both are homo genus but due to their treatment homo superior is a thing

[LordUltimus]

Because they want it to be very clear that they are homo superior not homo sapiens

When someone calls someone a human there is a belief that they are sapiens

It's no different than someone saying that person is a black american but corrects them by saying they are Jamican american because saying your black american makes people think you are descendant of USA slaves. Both are still black but there is a difference.

Both are homo genus but due to their treatment homo superior is a thing

Then say "sapiens". That's what they did in House of M.

Besides, I wouldn't say something like "human and neanderthal", they're both human.

[Saithor]

Because they want it to be very clear that they are homo superior not homo sapiens

When someone calls someone a human there is a belief that they are sapiens

It's no different than someone saying that person is a black american but corrects them by saying they are Jamican american because saying your black american makes people think you are descendant of USA slaves. Both are still black but there is a difference.

Both are homo genus but due to their treatment homo superior is a thing

When they are using the word human to refer to things like how their ideologies and ideas will withstand and form a stable society unlike the human ones, or Synch's use of it in the vault, or other uses, I am sorry, but no, that is not just a factual statement, they are emphasizing humanity as something beneath them.

[Outburstz]

Then say "sapiens". That's what they did in House of M.

Besides, I wouldn't say something like "human and neanderthal", they're both human.

I'm not sure you understand identity and biology.

Because of their constant ill treatment which are far to numerous to name they adopted the homo superior identity. Simply calling them sapiens makes people think they are simply humans without an X gene as if it isn't important. The homo superior id is making it clear that they are not that but have the x gene.

This difference is there because of their treatment not biology. That does not make this id any less valid