Aren't all super-powered folks basically the same?

[BuraddoRun]

I get that the X-men being hated and feared was their thing since the beginning and they allegorically represent marginalized groups, but really, isn't it hard to draw that line after all these years? If Marvel's super-powered beings, or heck, I'll limit it to Earthlings, were only mutants, it would make sense. But there are all sorts of different sources of superpowers now. The Marvel U is BIG. To a common person, how would one even be able to tell the difference between a mutant or a radioactive-powered human, or super serum-enhanced human, or cosmically-powered human, or magic-wielding human, etc? Besides on the genetic level, which isn't outwardly apparent, how could a regular non-powered person tell?

One thing I wish had been explored further was a thread from X-Men Fantastic Four a few years ago. I don't have the comic handy so I'm going by memory, but didn't Reed say something about the source of ALL powers coming from basically the same place? That's what he was researching when working with Franklin and hiding his X-gene or whatever, right? Does anyone else remember that? Has anything been said about that in the comics since that mini-series?

Finally, I think the allegory itself is losing steam for another big reason these days. It's the fact that in this fictional world where mutants represent the marginalized, we also have characters that ARE marginalized. There are people in Marvel of minority race, there are disabled or handicapped people (both physically and mentally), there are LGBT+ people, and there are historical events that are the same as actual historical events, such as the Holocaust. There are even heroes that are members of these groups.

So isn't it a stretch at this point to keep the mutant hatred ongoing at such a large scale? I could understand small groups, but the world?

Also, I hate that mutants are considered a different race, basically, than human now. The groups mentioned above are all human, aren't they? Well mutants are humans, too, dangit! They used to even say as much...the good guys, anyway.

[Wolverine12]

I think this topic has been covered extensively over the years including on this forum but what it basically boils down to is that mutants will replace baseline humans in the future. So the humans in 616 are afraid of being obsolete, in their minds if they got bit by a radioactive spider than they could be Spider-Man, or if they got the super soldier serum they could be Cap. The mutants won (or lost depending on who you ask) the genetic lottery and the baseline human can’t change that. They were born without powers and will most likely never get them. After reading the Krakoa era I hope we can move away from humans hating mutants and get a few years of AI Vs Mutants. It’s more prevalent than ever.

[Zoks]

It's not a world wide hatred, but rather there are enough groups of people in the Marvel world that are willing to use violence against Mutants. Most people are neutral, otherwise the Mutants would have been wiped out ages ago. You think a government cannot simply test every child to see if they are a mutant at birth if the world really wants to get rid of mutants?

Now let's consider why mutants are hated more than your average super-powered hero. Most super-powered folks keep their normal appearances, so they aren't immediately recognized as "different" outside their costumed appearances. Guys who do look different who are not mutants are ostracized, like Ben from the Fantastic Four. Mutants tend to have physical mutations (often their only mutation), so they are much more noticeable. So when a normal person sees a mutant, they know the mutant is different. Then you have to remember mutants typically develop their mutations with no warning whatsoever. Consider this scenario: a mutant teenager two towns over suddenly developed their power to cause earthquakes, and accidentally knocked down every building in the neighborhood. Well little Jane suddenly has three eyes. Are you about to lose your home? Even if you are not a mutant hater, you'll still have some natural concern about your own safety. So people look the other way when mutants are singled out, because they'll never know when it might become their problem. It's not just mutants either. You think the average Marvel citizen wants the Hulk living down the street from them?

[shooshoomanjoe]

Isn't there a canonical reason for the hatred of mutants? Something about John Sublime...can't remember but Sublime was an ameaba that planted seeds in humanity to hate mutants.

[BuraddoRun]

I think this topic has been covered extensively over the years including on this forum but what it basically boils down to is that mutants will replace baseline humans in the future. So the humans in 616 are afraid of being obsolete, in their minds if they got bit by a radioactive spider than they could be Spider-Man, or if they got the super soldier serum they could be Cap. The mutants won (or lost depending on who you ask) the genetic lottery and the baseline human can’t change that. They were born without powers and will most likely never get them. After reading the Krakoa era I hope we can move away from humans hating mutants and get a few years of AI Vs Mutants. It’s more prevalent than ever.

I'm with you there. I really wished the Krakoa era had explored AI VS mutants more than just this endgame against Enigma. Plus, as far as real-world relevancy goes, this topic is a big one with lots of room for new exploration.

[PhoenixStudies]

Mutants are different, because they are born that way. Some humans are worried about being replaced. Some are scared of dangerous mutants.

Also, bigotry is irrational. Some humans might love Captain America and Thor and still hate mutants.

[toddcam]

It never really made sense. Even if some people thought "oh well non-mutant genetic variant is ok" how would they even be able to distinguish your average superhuman from a mutant? Like, they'd have to know everybody's origin. Nobody asks Nightcrawler if he was bitten by a radioactive blue goblin before trying to kill him. But somehow they know Spider-Man was an average American boy before he got superpowers (which, by the way, can be passed genetically too, so what is the real difference?)?

[Exodus]

never really understand this argument. Real life bigotry and processes of racialization for example are also "baseless" and "arbitrary", but historically and socially manufactured and supported, changing from regional context to another, and you cannot tell fully by a person's appearance why it happens. Race does not exist! Still, some groups of people are racialized (as a process to dehumanize them, often for capitalist or colonial exploitation); may it be anti-Black racism, antisemitism, anti-slavic racism, or anti-latinx racism.

So, it makes sense to me that some superhumans are racialized as mutant in this world while others are not.

[toddcam]

A difference is there are markers for bigots in the real world to distinguish between the "acceptable" people and the other people, in either behavior or appearance. How would the public know which is which? There is nothing that physically or behaviorally distinguishes mutants from non-mutant superhumans. The FF could be an exception because of their highly visible origin, but your average person wouldn't see, for example Luke Cage or Danny Rand and know their powers were not mutations.

[j9ac9k]

... Also, bigotry is irrational. ...

^^This. Look at the real world and you'll find this to be true. Why would the MCU be any different?

[Exodus]

A difference is there are markers for bigots in the real world to distinguish between the "acceptable" people and the other people, in either behavior or appearance. How would the public know which is which? There is nothing that physically or behaviorally distinguishes mutants from non-mutant superhumans. The FF could be an exception because of their highly visible origin, but your average person wouldn't see, for example Luke Cage or Danny Rand and know their powers were not mutations.

well, there are visible and non-visible minorities in the "real world" also.

non-mutant superhumans are also such a tiny group who are personally known to the public. Mutants, hence, trigger quite similar discourses like antisemitism and homophobia.

[Master of Sound]

My thoughts on this from the very start of reading X-Men comics is that one of the main reasons X-Men is so popular is because they are human, but are a minority and therefor treated differently.
This is probably why many people who are a part of minority love the comic so much, as we can all relate how it feels to be treated different, just because your genes are slightly different than the majority.

Nothing that we chose to be, but we were born that way and are f---ing proud of it.

[sunofdarkchild]

DC has generally done a better job of explaining why people born with powers are feared and hated by the same people who love Superman than Marvel has with anti-mutant prejudice. Maggie Swyer put it very well in Adventures of Superman 569 in 1999.

maggie sawyer.jpg
maggie sawyer2.jpg

[cranger]

Other posts have pretty much covered the differences here, but I think a lot of the problem is many more X-books focus on that aspect and the other books bring it up rarely. In that past, the other superhero books would use that story more often while it was mostly just a background element in X-books. Lately X-books have gone overboard on it and other character books never bother with it. In short, there is no reason X-books have to play it up anywhere near the level they do.

[H-E-D]

Mutants are different, because they are born that way. Some humans are worried about being replaced. Some are scared of dangerous mutants.

Also, bigotry is irrational. Some humans might love Captain America and Thor and still hate mutants.

To me, this is why Mutants need to be in the same universe as the rest of the Marvel heroes for the Mutant metaphor to make sense.