Hellfire Gala Unlettered Preview

[Saithor]

Honestly I just wish they would drop the entire outwait humanity thing because it really screws with the metaphor and also approaches really bad ground with the entire great replacement nonsense going around. The idea that mutants, a metaphor for minorities is just waiting for all the majority to die out and be replaced by the minority, is unintentionally fulfilling a lot of very racist conspiracy theories used irl. I at least think they retconned the E-gene away which made that issue so much worse

[Devaishwarya]

I don't think that that's Krakoa's, (or mutants in general) actual goal and intent, in this era. (or in any era)
No one, in is sitting down having cocktails and hors d'oeuvres waiting for the right time to supplant humans nor have they ever actively tried to eradicate humanity on a mass scale...a pity the same cannot be said for that hateful subset of humans who would be overjoyed if all mutants never existed.

[Saithor]

I don't think that that's Krakoa's, (or mutants in general) actual goal and intent, in this era. (or in any era)
No one, in is sitting down having cocktails and hors d'oeuvres waiting for the right time to supplant humans nor have they ever actively tried to eradicate humanity on a mass scale...a pity the same cannot be said for that hateful subset of humans who would be overjoyed if all mutants never existed.

I get they aren’t actively doing it, but it’s still a somewhat painful comparison to have. If you squint and frame it the right way, you could say it’s a metaphor for integration? Then again the sci-fi and superhero elements of X-men keep on ramming into the contemporary metaphor parts so at least it’s not as bad as it could have been.

[Devaishwarya]

Yes it most definitely is an integrations issue (That's been the core of Xavier's dream) but...as with many of these societal issues between "abuser" (humans) and the "victims" (mutants) as in real life, it's usually the abuser who refuses to change their thoughts and ways for the better of all.

Not saying that mutants haven't shot themselves bloody time and again with regards to making it easier to be accepted thanks to a few megalomaniacs but, there really hasn't been any recorded attempt from the humans to actually want to even try to integrate with mutants...hence Krakoa as a last ditch effort/resort for mutant peace of mind and existence.

[Saithor]

Eh, books have had sympathizers among the youth, humans, etc., for quite a while. What the actual issue is that Marvel wants it's persecution of mutants status quo so they were never willing to let any actual status quo changes that could affect the core conflict until now, at which point because they have been hyping up this conflict for so long and driving it more and more intense to the point that this kind of thing seems reasonable...unless you're like me, are young, got into comics five years ago and is wondering what the hell is going on after catching up on all the back issues. You can argue in-universe reasons but there's no actual good in-universe reason for what happens in the X-books, at the end of the day it's because the X-men aren't allowed to change anything about human-mutant relations. Kelly starts to sympathize? Kelly's dead. Youth is more tolerant? Never allowed to come of age. Nation of mutants gets set up? Killed by Sentinels activated by Professor X's evil twin.

Honestly I'm waiting to see what thing they do to reset things this time. Not eagerly, before someone jumps down my throat, but I'm not betting on Marvel deciding now is the time to finally change things.

[Devaishwarya]

I get that "feared and hated" is their schtick but, yes...it would be great to see more active support on a larger scale from the human side of the divide. We do know there are pocket 'villages' where mutants are accepted and loved and appreciated but if this is a fictional world surely we can also have whole groups who are pro-mutant so that there's greater, more balanced depiction.

[JB]

Sibling with the (un)common sense.

This is the most sensible and understandable take I've read here in a very long while. The hateful and divisive ones are usually the most loud and obnoxious but also not that great in numbers. I would guess that Mutants have more support from the humans than the "reports" would suggest.

Thank you, dear one. My hope is that with this year's Hellfire Gala having the theme of celebrating mutant/human relations, we're starting to see a lot more of the supportive majority.

[gonnagiveittoya]

I don't think that that's Krakoa's, (or mutants in general) actual goal and intent, in this era. (or in any era)
No one, in is sitting down having cocktails and hors d'oeuvres waiting for the right time to supplant humans nor have they ever actively tried to eradicate humanity on a mass scale...a pity the same cannot be said for that hateful subset of humans who would be overjoyed if all mutants never existed.

Almost exactly that happens, including the hors d'oeuvres, in X-Men 4 lol. Magneto basically says the plan is a combination of mutant CRT and Replacement Theory. The first half he even says directly to the humans.

[Devaishwarya]

He may have said it...and even meant it (at the time)...but has he/they (any of the superwealthy mutants acted on it? We know they're still producing the Flower Drugs but that's still a freebee.
Have there been verified reports from the other nations of Schools and Banks and Media and Politicians being bought?

Or...stay with me...maybe...just maybe...he was only posturing, making a point to show the or dignitaries just how powerful they are. (in a similar vein to his "We are now your Gods' declaration)

An' tuh besides...if there was any directional truth to his statement, that plot most likely have gone the way of HiX-Man's leaving (as it was HiX-Man who wrote that)

So...I won't hold to that as the X-Era has long moved on from that issue and that meeting.

[gonnagiveittoya]

I didn't read X-Corp but isn't that basically what their job is in universe? Buying stuff with all the money they get from the drugs? I recall something about them owning like production companies and hospitals in a data page

[JB]

I didn't read X-Corp but isn't that basically what their job is in universe? Buying stuff with all the money they get from the drugs? I recall something about them owning like production companies and hospitals in a data page

Yes, X-Corp was being created to expand into other industries after the success of the medicines. What's interesting is that one of their pharmaceutical competitors, Noblesse, demanded that they leave the industry and blew up their Savage Land plant. Why? Because according to the CEO of Noblesse, pharmaceuticals is a "dirty" business and they didn't want the mutants entering with their magical medicine that is actually saving lives.
CEO: You're re-entering the market with the optics of corporate heroes. And business is not hero friendly. We don't want you. And we will drive you out and remind you why there is no room for compassion among our kind.
Warren: Our kind?
CEO: The rich. You've swum in the water where the sharks feed. And now you're wet with blood.

Magneto was threatening to beat them at their own game.

[Saithor]

The issue here is Magneto's statement is very open to interpretation both because of the derailing of the overall plan and the fact that this was never really addressed again. People are going to draw a negative viewpoint because this is well, Magneto. And honestly I don't care what Magneto's ultimate intentions are, I'm against private schooling so no on that, I'm in favor of public ownership of the media so no on that, and I despise privatized healthcare so I don't care for that either. Capitalist dog.

Also let's avoid X-corps, otherwise I will continue bringing up the fact of Selene's new greatest, oldest, most deadly enemy in all of existence, the potato!

Also white knight Mastermind. Hrrghhk

[Frontier]

He may have said it...and even meant it (at the time)...but has he/they (any of the superwealthy mutants acted on it? We know they're still producing the Flower Drugs but that's still a freebee.
Have there been verified reports from the other nations of Schools and Banks and Media and Politicians being bought?

Or...stay with me...maybe...just maybe...he was only posturing, making a point to show the or dignitaries just how powerful they are. (in a similar vein to his "We are now your Gods' declaration)

An' tuh besides...if there was any directional truth to his statement, that plot most likely have gone the way of HiX-Man's leaving (as it was HiX-Man who wrote that)

So...I won't hold to that as the X-Era has long moved on from that issue and that meeting.

I feel like with Magneto you never know how much is him posturing or how much of it he's actually being serious...although usually it's the latter.

[Grunty]

I feel like with Magneto you never know how much is him posturing or how much of it he's actually being serious...although usually it's the latter.

Doesn't help that so many writers are seemingly interpreting and using him differently according to where they like him to be on the hero/villian spectrum without the people in charge actualy looking like they bother correcting them. Resulting in his characterization now being all over the place depending on the writer.

Which in turn makes it damn near impossible to get a good grasps of what ever a situation is as you say, or meant to be taken at face value.

[Huntsman Spider]

Doesn't help that so many writers are seemingly interpreting and using him differently according to where they like him to be on the hero/villian spectrum without the people in charge actualy looking like they bother correcting them. Resulting in his characterization now being all over the place depending on the writer.

Which in turn makes it damn near impossible to get a good grasps of what ever a situation is as you say, or meant to be taken at face value.

I think the best way to answer that is that Magneto, like many such people in real life, is a lot more complex and conflicted in his thinking and philosophy than many would assume. Given his formative experiences as a child, he's convinced --- somewhat rightfully --- that the default human position to anything they don't understand is virulent hatred and genocidal violence and the only way his people will be safe is to respond in kind. Ironically/tragically, all that really does is give more impetus and fuel to those who hate and seek to exterminate mutants as a whole.