X-tra Oridinary - Regular Mutant Civilians (maybe not every mutant is born to be a soldier)

[Anduinel]

District-X did a lot of this before it was killed off in House of M, what with most 'average' mutants being turned into humans. What a waste of a good series.

Agreed. It was obstensively a Bishop spotlight book, but Hine did a great job making it a gritty, intense and outright creepy exploration of what it's like for mutants who never got their Hogwarts letter and have to live out in the social climate the X-Men helped create. Great series, and I especially appreciated that it didn't turn out to be a mutant-bashing-of-the-week like I feared would come from a mutant cop book. I'd love to see David Hine tagged to do a Morlock book or something similar.

[blinkingblah]

District-X did a lot of this before it was killed off in House of M, what with most 'average' mutants being turned into humans. What a waste of a good series.

Loved the District X series I wish it was still around. I wouldn't mind a kind of of series that is like District-X that takes place in Madripoor.

[Sinister340]

I do believe there was a title that showed mutants around the world trying to live regular lives it was called MUTIES. But it didn't last long unfortunately.

[sungila]

District-X did a lot of this before it was killed off in House of M, what with most 'average' mutants being turned into humans. What a waste of a good series.

Wow! Thank you. I never even knew this existed.
Still, it appears to have a dystopian quality that seems to be the one way mutant civilians have been portrayed. I will definitely look for these back issues.
And keep hoping that there may be some chance for a more 'human' mutant title that doesn't have to be decidedly dark, apocalyptic or defeating. There is so much possibility to the 'mutant' idea that has never been fully explored.

As Overhazard says

I always wondered what would happen to a student who went to the xaiver or jean grey school who just wanted to get a hold on their powers and that's it. No tights or fights, just get out of school and live in the real world. I'd love to read that book.

I'd love to read that too. A whole cast or collection of short-minis of mutants in the world. (That's the 'idea' anyway...right? The concept that 'mutant' means 'different' and that this 'difference' can be a bane or a gift - or maybe not even noticed...just a part of what makes a person an individual). Is this progression asking too much of the X-Men?

I keep thinking about Gateway. What's his life like? What's his story? Beyond the little snippets we get...what's he all about?
That alone would be a great series for me.

But the possibilities are endless...and the potential reward is great.

[Sea Hound]

Peter David's X Factor (the investigations series) really explored the idea of mutants using their gifts outside of the X-Men, especially in it's first couple of years. Anyone could walk up and hire them. It also was set in mutant town NYC and dealt a lot with depowered mutants, and the families of mutants. It's a really wonderful series to read, and the best part is there's an awful lot of it.

[Pav]

District-X did a lot of this before it was killed off in House of M, what with most 'average' mutants being turned into humans. What a waste of a good series.

Exactly right. District X might not be EXACTLY what the OP is looking for, but it comes pretty close. As an x-fan who appreciates the development of the mutant subculture to create a realistic world for the mutants to inhabit, I wholeheartedly endorse District X.

In fact, for those readers who'd like to see more from their x-comics than "team of heroes punch bad guy", I'd suggest the following:

Grant Morrison's New X-Men
District X / Utopia X
the Madrox mini and the first 13 issues of X-Factor (Investigations)
the Chamber miniseries

Any others?

-Pav, who believes the secret to good twenty-first century storytelling is world-building...

[Sundowhn]

Thank you for your input Sundowhn. I have the highest regard for your opinions but I am surprised that you'd champion an association with the Avengers as a step in the right direction. I follow your logic but IMO the whole A/X thing has hurt both titles and done serious harm to numerous characters. If anything I feel like it has marginalized and confused the X-Men even more.

I think I view it more as a means to an end. Marvel wanted to get away from the niche nature of the franchises, and I agree with that part. It's ridiculous for the X-Men to have saved the world from Armageddon on Tuesday, the Avengers to have defeated an alien invasion on Wednesday and the FF to have twarted a world takeover on Thursday and for none of them to have known what was going on with the other. If it's a particularly big thing, it makes some sense for them to sometimes work together. It also makes sense for them to keep an eye on one another, especially the X-Men keeping an eye on the Avengers in their role as government sanctioned heroes. The Avengers have never given a rat's arse about mutant issues and have let them be slaughtered en masse in the past. They've recently gone on record as saying they were wrong to do so, so it makes sense that a handful of X-Men might say "ok, we're gonna give you a chance to back those words up, but we've got our eyes on you". There's a strong line between an attitude like that and one of being a lapdog. This, of course, is also assuming that the Avengers act like they do in the Avengers books and not how Bendis has written them in UXM or ANXM or how they were portrayed at the beginning of AvX -- an extension of the whole controlling authoritarian part of the machine.

I also think for mutants to have a real shot at coexistence, they have to be a part of the world, not exist in some paramilitary Utopia or hide out in a bunker.

Some of my favorite stories in the past have been with characters interacting with the wider world and their place in it, rather than acting as a part of the X-Men.

[Mari]

If I remember correctly, X-Men Unlimited is very similar to the idea you are presenting. It was a good series with stories about personal lives and interactions of the X-Men.

Another series I liked, which is similar to your idea, is Divided We Stand.

[sungila]

Peter David's X Factor (the investigations series) really explored the idea of mutants using their gifts outside of the X-Men, especially in it's first couple of years. Anyone could walk up and hire them. It also was set in mutant town NYC and dealt a lot with depowered mutants, and the families of mutants. It's a really wonderful series to read, and the best part is there's an awful lot of it.

Peter David's X-Factor is always spoken of with high regard and praise. It's certainly something I intend read. Thanks for reminding me Sea Hound. I am so guilty of not reading PD's X-Factor because I don't have any affinity for the cast...which is a stupid excuse.

Exactly right. District X might not be EXACTLY what the OP is looking for, but it comes pretty close. As an x-fan who appreciates the development of the mutant subculture to create a realistic world for the mutants to inhabit, I wholeheartedly endorse District X.

In fact, for those readers who'd like to see more from their x-comics than "team of heroes punch bad guy", I'd suggest the following:

Grant Morrison's New X-Men
District X / Utopia X
the Madrox mini and the first 13 issues of X-Factor (Investigations)
the Chamber miniseries

Any others?

-Pav, who believes the secret to good twenty-first century storytelling is world-building...

Thank you for offering these (post super-hero punch bad guy) 'alternative' suggestions. It'd be a great thing to compile a list of the best (non-combat) X-stories. Sometimes the more subtle stories get lost in the hoopla. I'd add the first Magik solo series to this list as a rewarding 'and now for something completely something different' experience (and essential for any new-comer Illyana fans) http://marvel.wikia.com/Magik_%28Ill...eries%29_Vol_1

I think I view it more as a means to an end. Marvel wanted to get away from the niche nature of the franchises, and I agree with that part. It's ridiculous for the X-Men to have saved the world from Armageddon on Tuesday, the Avengers to have defeated an alien invasion on Wednesday and the FF to have twarted a world takeover on Thursday and for none of them to have known what was going on with the other. If it's a particularly big thing, it makes some sense for them to sometimes work together. It also makes sense for them to keep an eye on one another, especially the X-Men keeping an eye on the Avengers in their role as government sanctioned heroes. The Avengers have never given a rat's arse about mutant issues and have let them be slaughtered en masse in the past. They've recently gone on record as saying they were wrong to do so, so it makes sense that a handful of X-Men might say "ok, we're gonna give you a chance to back those words up, but we've got our eyes on you". There's a strong line between an attitude like that and one of being a lapdog. This, of course, is also assuming that the Avengers act like they do in the Avengers books and not how Bendis has written them in UXM or ANXM or how they were portrayed at the beginning of AvX -- an extension of the whole controlling authoritarian part of the machine.

I also think for mutants to have a real shot at coexistence, they have to be a part of the world, not exist in some paramilitary Utopia or hide out in a bunker.

Some of my favorite stories in the past have been with characters interacting with the wider world and their place in it, rather than acting as a part of the X-Men.

THANK YOU FOR THIS!!! Very well. Can you think of any examples off hand? (This first half of Excalibur was all about this sort of approach)
We'll have to agree to disagree about the whole interweaving of X and A. To me it's just over-simplifying things. Comics were good for a long time without making the whole scene one endless crossover event.

If I remember correctly, X-Men Unlimited is very similar to the idea you are presenting. It was a good series with stories about personal lives and interactions of the X-Men.

Another series I liked, which is similar to your idea, is Divided We Stand.

Some of XMU was great. But overall I found the 'origin' twists and back-stories to be hurried, poorly drawn and sometimes out of character.(But, I'm mostly speaking as a Nightcrawler fan on this - I haven't read much of the series - the Kurt Wagner XMU issues weren't very good at all and were more-or-less the unfortunate summations of stories that would have been better served in continuity). But Cebulski's XMU 14 with Illyana and Piotr was amazing and exactly the sort of X-Men writing that makes all the battles and bloodshed worth it. Without these intimate asides...none of if would have any heart. This set up the return of Magik is the most profound and moving way.

For me, Divided We Stand, wasn't about 'non-combatant' civilians. It was about soldiers on leave suffering through PTSD and isolation. It was really good for being what it was (especially enjoyed Nightcrawler visiting Scalphunter & Illyana recalling her childhood), but it wasn't really about 'normal' life. Was it? Maybe it's as close to normal as anybody who's been enlisted in the X-Men can get...it was a 'recovery' series that could go deeper if given a chance.

[sungila]

Maybe if we look at the history of X-Men who maybe shouldn't be soldiers (or who didn't have to be) it would interesting to imagine what could've been...or could be?

See, for me, it's like 90% of the cast.

Imagine Ororo, Kurt, Jean, Dani, Hank, Remy, Illyana, Piotr any of them... they didn't HAVE to be trained as soldiers did they?
Forge was one of the few characters I can think of off-hand who openly spoke about war trauma...(his being Vietnam)...and that always made him intriguing to me. Forge is a character with so much more potential than has been explored.

Part of me feels like being a 'mutant' has traditionally meant being sent to the 'draft' as soon as your powers begin to manifest (like sending every 15-18 year old off to boot camp) - it doesn't make any sense...does it?

[From The Shadows]

Isn't that sort of what the first NYX miniseries was?

Also District X. And I loved District X! And I stand by that was one of Marvels best books at the time.

This can be an interesting premise.

District-X did a lot of this before it was killed off in House of M, what with most 'average' mutants being turned into humans. What a waste of a good series.

Agreed! It was an awesome book!

[Sundowhn]

THANK YOU FOR THIS!!! Very well. Can you think of any examples off hand? (This first half of Excalibur was all about this sort of approach)
We'll have to agree to disagree about the whole interweaving of X and A. To me it's just over-simplifying things. Comics were good for a long time without making the whole scene one endless crossover event.

Ah, indeed, the X-Men/Avengers dynamics are a matter of preference.

As you said, Excalibur handled it well. The XSE team did that sort of thing, the Divided We Stand arc, some of the Manifest Destiny stories, as others pointed out District X, Liu used it often in her Astonishing run, and really just the interspersing of stories dealing with daily life added some of the nicest, most meaningful moments in comics for me. It makes them seem so much more well-rounded.

I'd love to see either a title or a nice strong story line showing the measures the co-existence side are taking to pave the way for the younger gen to have a real place in the community rather than just training them to fight, but I think it should be part of the whole picture rather than some kind of stand alone, sandbox theme.