Two theories on why mutants are hated but other super powered people aren't

[Xelossik]

Spidercide :

English people still display a certain amount of disregard for Scottish, Welsh and Irish people to this day. There was institutionalized racism against Irish people who suffered a literal famine due to English people’s disregard for them. They’re experiences have been compared to those of black people and maybe that’s not entirely appropriate but it’s evocative of the kind of centuries long prejudice they have faced. So it isn’t less than 1% at all.

Almost all countries on Earth had institutionalized opression of other people. That's reality. You believe that people are evil or estupid and that's why we had institutionalized racism .
I believe that people are good but some had traumatic experiences. Both countries had many wars. English people won and conquered them right?

There is no logic to hating people of different skin pigmentations objectively speaking. Someone’s reasons for doing so might be logical for them. All that means though is that they are stupid.

Can You tell me why people shouldn't hate other groups? I am talking about Yours objective truth.
This is always subjective.
It is good to don't hate other people.

Children hate people of different skin colours they do so because they have taught to do so, not because it is inherent to them.

ok

That point being a mutant is hated and feared because they are a mutant. But someone like Reed Richards is not even though like a mutant he has super human powers as well.

yes
because Reed Richards don't try to destroy a world each friday.

Moreover you contradict yourself. There aregroups and organizations of super humans throughout the Marvel universe such as the Avengers and the Fantastic Four.

how many times Avengers did something really bad?
mutants are doing this always
each day You will hear in the news that mutants attacked.

Many super villains think they are better than everyone else and have tried to conquer the world many times too. Arguably moreso than mutants.

and people hate them right?

but villain has a name. he doesn't belong to the group.

people who lost their families in terrorists attacked often hate whole group instead of individuals. right?

[DurararaFTW]

I wasn't justifying the hatred mutants get, but rather trying to explain why humans would have a double standard at play, why they percieve one group differently from the other. It's not even Xavier's doing so much as other groups having better PR and percived legitimacy.

Yes racists have made sense of their actions and rationalized them. That doesn't mean it makes rational sense objectively speaking. Hitler and the Nazis rationalized their actions and beleived they made sense within their ideology. It was still objectively illogical nonsense though.

We're not talking about people's ability to rationalize to themselves, but rather actual objective logic here. Objectively racism doesn't make sense and there are double standards, therefore why would it be that unbeleivable that the Avengers are treated differently to the X-Men

I also never implied the X-Men were at fault....like ever....not even once....not even a little...

Yes you are. Saying FF4 avoided hatred by not wearing masks while Xavier created the X-Men, who wore masks, inviting hatred, is absolutely blaming the actions of Xavier and the existence of the X-Men. And racism isn't moral, doesn't mean it doesn't make sense. I'm white, I'm straight, as are my friends, so to feel superior I pick a group that is not those things to treat inferior. It's simple, the path of least resistence. But in this case, Luke Cage or Captain Marvel are as much the Other as any mutant. the average Marvel citizen inheritely knows to distinquish mutants from other powered folk regardless of whether they know said powered individuals identity or the source of his power.

Because writers on non-X-Men don't want to shackle themselves to the mutant problem but that doesn't mean their main character is gonna hold a pressconference detailing who he is, where he is from and how he ended up being different. It's okay to admit there's an out of universe reason at work here.

[Jokerz79]

Yes you are. Saying FF4 avoided hatred by not wearing masks while Xavier created the X-Men, who wore masks, inviting hatred, is absolutely blaming the actions of Xavier and the existence of the X-Men. And racism isn't moral, doesn't mean it doesn't make sense. I'm white, I'm straight, as are my friends, so to feel superior I pick a group that is not those things to treat inferior. It's simple, the path of least resistence. But in this case, Luke Cage or Captain Marvel are as much the Other as any mutant. the average Marvel citizen inheritely knows to distinquish mutants from other powered folk regardless of whether they know said powered individuals identity or the source of his power.

Because writers on non-X-Men don't want to shackle themselves to the mutant problem but that doesn't mean their main character is gonna hold a pressconference detailing who he is, where he is from and how he ended up being different. It's okay to admit there's an out of universe reason at work here.

I know no longer part of their backstory but originally the FF risked their lives and in the case of Ben suffered disfigurement in the public eyes as these heroes were trying to help win the space race for America. That had to help in the public eye IMO and the Avengers had a legit living legend from WWII.

[The Whovian]

The X-Men exist in a world where modern American Christians -- instead of radical islamists -- are terrorizing civilians and targeting minorities.

Are you being serious?

[Vegan Daddy]

Are you being serious?

No, but I do think the Purifiers are a corny and dated sterotype. I know there are plenty of active Christian terrorist groups around the world, but American christians aren't the ones throwing gays off buildings and suicide bombing teenagers. Would we ever see a fictional ISIS analog in an X-Men comic? Hell no. Marvel desperately tries to be topical and relevant but only if it's perfectly inoffensive.

Meh. I don't really care to be honest. I just think Marvel's attempts at social commentary are goofy. At least Claremont had the novelty, and he didn't take any of it seriously. These newer comics....yeesh.

[BFF]

it's always been silly

also, being a mutant would be awesome and not something to get depressed about. people hate me? let them. if they cause trouble, i'll end them with my superpower.

[Spidercide]

1) Technically, mutants are another race. They're considered an evolution, and so, the "they're gonna end the human race!" aspect of their existence is strong. They were already born that way, while others are actually humans who just got their DNA modified for some reason, and with that, the whole religious thing that the purifiers for example have comes to play. Also, some super heroes don't even have powers, or are just aliens.

2) Anyone could be a mutant. Other superheroes either got on an accident or were given powers for some reason, they're considered this kind of super special rare thing, even if that's not exactly the case. Some of them have secret identities, so they can't suffer from anything in their civilian life where no one thinks they're a superhero, and others are actual politic, military and etc figures, like Captain America, Captain Marvel, any SHIELD agent, etc. But a mutant, anyone on your neighborhood, or your children, or your friends could actually be mutants, either in secret or yet to awaken their powers, and lots of these are just civillians like other people.

3) I mean... Is racism logical at all? Do you think it actually makes complete sense on the real world for black people to suffer from racism? Or for women to not have equal rights? Or LGBT people suffering from homophobia?

4) Mutants are more likely to have weird unusual appearances, like Nightcrawler, Beak, Eye Boy, Bling!, etc, and some of them can't hide it, while most heroes known for the people, like 90% of the Avengers are normal-looking. That's the case with X-Men too, but there's a significant number of civilian mutants and students on the school that aren't like that, and some who don't hide their mutation while super-heroing, like Colossus.

1) In the 1992 cartoon the Sentinels actually eloquently pointed out Mutants aren't a seperate species or evolution. They are human too therefore if they were created to kill mutants it means killing humans too

2)-3) That was my whole point in the OP

Spidercide :

Almost all countries on Earth had institutionalized opression of other people. That's reality. You believe that people are evil or estupid and that's why we had institutionalized racism .
I believe that people are good but some had traumatic experiences. Both countries had many wars. English people won and conquered them right?

Can You tell me why people shouldn't hate other groups? I am talking about Yours objective truth.
This is always subjective.
It is good to don't hate other people.

ok

yes
because Reed Richards don't try to destroy a world each friday.

how many times Avengers did something really bad?
mutants are doing this always
each day You will hear in the news that mutants attacked.

and people hate them right?

but villain has a name. he doesn't belong to the group.

people who lost their families in terrorists attacked often hate whole group instead of individuals. right?

I believe people institutionalized racism out of ignorance and/or evil means like profit yeah.

What’s conquering them got to do with anything.

Yes I can as a matter of fact.

It is objectively good not to hate other groups. Hate not only breeds more hate and thereby suffering. There is nothing subjective about that. I mean dude...like...you for real saying it’s subjectively bad that people hate other people because of their skin colour?

Neither do most mutants. Most mutants aren’t super villains or would be criminals. Most mutants are just trying to live their lives, whilst a minority of them are villains, another minority superheroes and another minority somewhere in between.

I mean on average there are actually WAY more non-mutant super VILLAINS running around than non-mutant super HEROES, by sheer virtue of most heroes having a rogue’s gallery unto themselves.

So on average MOST super powered people like Reed Richards are actually bad guys but the public doesn’t inherently try to kill them like they do mutants.

The Avengers don’t represent every super powered person out there. They don’t even represent MOST super powered non-mutant people. MOST super powered non-mutant people are super villains of varying degrees of villainy.

If the news is doing it’s jb you will also hear each day about super powered non-mutant criminals committing crimes. And I’d be willing to bet heroic mutants tend to get underreported if at all.

The villains in question belong to the non-mutant superpowered group of people.

You are saying it’s logical and rational that the public distinguish the Scorpion as an individual but see Apocalypse and Jubilee as one and the same.

Yeah they do, which is why it begs the question someone who’s brother was killed by Carnage doesn’t just hate all suepr villains or all super humans in general, but does make a distinction for mutants.

At the same time mutants were not feared and hated merely because some of them were criminals.

It’s really obvious they were feared and hated merely because they were different.

In X-Men 2000 there had been no known super villain mutants but the government were preparing to register ALL mutants because they MIGHT be dangerous.

It was a hatred born of seeing someone different to them, not because oh hey look there are these groups of mutants who terrorize people.

I mean even looking at X-Men #1 yeah there was an evil mutant present but also FIVE good ones who stopped him.

Yes you are. Saying FF4 avoided hatred by not wearing masks while Xavier created the X-Men, who wore masks, inviting hatred, is absolutely blaming the actions of Xavier and the existence of the X-Men. And racism isn't moral, doesn't mean it doesn't make sense. I'm white, I'm straight, as are my friends, so to feel superior I pick a group that is not those things to treat inferior. It's simple, the path of least resistence. But in this case, Luke Cage or Captain Marvel are as much the Other as any mutant. the average Marvel citizen inheritely knows to distinquish mutants from other powered folk regardless of whether they know said powered individuals identity or the source of his power.

Because writers on non-X-Men don't want to shackle themselves to the mutant problem but that doesn't mean their main character is gonna hold a pressconference detailing who he is, where he is from and how he ended up being different. It's okay to admit there's an out of universe reason at work here.

Hey genius?

I talked about the Fantastic Four AND the Avengers who also had secret identities.

Both groups had better PR and in some cases obviously not mutated super powers.

Then I elaborated that for the X-Men specifically their anonymity and weirdness led to people fearing them as they feared the unknown as ONE factor in why people have a double standard.

It’s not placing blame on the X-Men, but rather the prejudiced assholes who hold that double standard.

We’re talking about the type of racism/prejudice here which results in actively treating people badly because they are different from you. It’s not about making yourself feel better, it’s about hating something different for simply being different or regarding it as lesser merely because it is different.

Also that rational still doesn’t make any logical sense at all.

[Xelossik]

Spidercide:

I believe people institutionalized racism out of ignorance and/or evil means like profit yeah.

What’s conquering them got to do with anything.

Conquering? Well dehumanization is very popular even there. Many posters here like to dehumanize other people who have different opinion. How would they act if they would have fight against them?

It is objectively good not to hate other groups. Hate not only breeds more hate and thereby suffering. There is nothing subjective about that. I mean dude...like...you for real saying it’s subjectively bad that people hate other people because of their skin colour?

No. I wrote that bad and good are subjective.

Neither do most mutants. Most mutants aren’t super villains or would be criminals. Most mutants are just trying to live their lives, whilst a minority of them are villains, another minority superheroes and another minority somewhere in between.

I am pretty sure that You can replace mutants with refugees. Yet some people will hate refugees because they can die in terrorists attacks right now.

If the news is doing it’s jb you will also hear each day about super powered non-mutant criminals committing crimes. And I’d be willing to bet heroic mutants tend to get underreported if at all.

I think that You should read Uncanny Avengers vol issue 6 - about media and their job
heroic mutants being underreported - Astonishing or New X-men had scene about this. that's true

The villains in question belong to the non-mutant superpowered group of people.

which group?

You are saying it’s logical and rational that the public distinguish the Scorpion as an individual but see Apocalypse and Jubilee as one and the same.

but Apocalypse and Jubilee .... they describe themselves as mutants

Yeah they do, which is why it begs the question someone who’s brother was killed by Carnage doesn’t just hate all suepr villains or all super humans in general, but does make a distinction for mutants.

he hates Carnage because super villains are not a group. carnage calls himself : carnage

In X-Men 2000 there had been no known super villain mutants but the government were preparing to register ALL mutants because they MIGHT be dangerous.

but fox is doing everything different and shows generic stories.

I mean even looking at X-Men #1 yeah there was an evil mutant present but also FIVE good ones who stopped him.

who were hiding

[JudicatorPrime]

Hate doesn't require sound logic or reason. It's application and implementation, however, often does, or so our history as a species would indicate.

[darewithpeace]

. Much like the assumption that back in the day Jewish people, or black people or Asian people were ‘inferior’ to white people?


I very much believe such mentalities are taught rather than inherent. I mean many children simply don’t make a big deal about people’s race or skin colour. That’s something that kind of develops due to outside influences as they grow older.

you are right about that

[Xelossik]

Hate doesn't require sound logic or reason. It's application and implementation, however, often does, or so our history as a species would indicate.

Why do You think that way?
Do You believe that children can hate other people without reason?
Did You ever hate something or someone without logic or reason?
Do You have any scientific data to show to prove that people can hate something/someone without reason?

We need reasons to hate someone.

[nx01a]

There was a Superman comic from 1999 where Maggi Sawyer explained why she was more afraid of people who were born metahumans than she was of Superman. Basically, as an alien Superman was unique. But the people who were born metahumans would continue to grow and 'threatened' to replace normal humans. What use is a regular cop when you can have an entire force of superpowered beings replace her?
That's what I think the issue is for mutants in the Marvel U. The Fantastic 4 are the result of accidents. Thor isn't human to begin with. Captain America is a government experiment. But mutants claim to be the next step in human evolution. The claim both implies that they are better than humans, and that there will soon be no humans and only mutants.

The fear of your neighbour or your coworker or your child or even you yourself being an inhuman [heh] monster is also a huge factor. Invasion of the Body Snatchers or Village of the Damned or The Twilight Zone's 'The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street' are perfect example of those fears. As far as most MU humans know, there aren't regular and sustained cosmic ray bombardments on the Earth's surface or mass government plots to spike drinking water with Super Soldier Serum or species of radioactive spiders spinning webs in every town; the average superhuman is a fluke, an oddity, a marvel... if you will. Mutants represent an eschaton event happening right before their eyes, the faster and stronger and better beings who the humans' own rebellious DNA is having replace them, the superior beings they can't fight against (without technological assistance) if they choose to subjugate and terrorize and murder them. Mutants are a genetic singularity, a point beyond which human existence will never be the same, a new existence that regular humans can't understand or even potentially be a part of.

[Jdsm24]

No, but I do think the Purifiers are a corny and dated sterotype. I know there are plenty of active Christian terrorist groups around the world, but American christians aren't the ones throwing gays off buildings and suicide bombing teenagers. Would we ever see a fictional ISIS analog in an X-Men comic? Hell no. Marvel desperately tries to be topical and relevant but only if it's perfectly inoffensive.

Meh. I don't really care to be honest. I just think Marvel's attempts at social commentary are goofy. At least Claremont had the novelty, and he didn't take any of it seriously. These newer comics....yeesh.

We live in a world where nearly half the population of the USA voted for DUMP even after all of his objectively negative qualities became general public knowledge and where the American Alt-Right is now ascendant and Western Neo-Nazism is currently in a revival and you disputed the contemporary relevancy of the Purifiers Et. Al.? These are the same people who believe in literal Judeo-Christian Biblical creationism and deny the reality of man-made climate change! tsk tsk tsk

And CC was the guy who started the pushing for Social Justice in the books during his original run in the 1980's (his Bisexual Claremazons, Xmen: God Loves Man Kills) and when he returned in the 00's. Haven't you read any of his recent stories where it's Kitty Pryde vs. the Purity Movement (Extreme Xmen, MekaniX, Xmen The End)?

And while his heart was in the right place, he was rather clueless on the actual details of the non-White USA cultures he liked to feature (ex. Sunspot speaking Spanish instead of Portuguese, Karma's family's names being messy nonsense in Vietnamese, ditto for Thunderbird 2 and Jaime Braddocks' Asian ex-gf's names, his confusing Indian and Bangladesh cultures)

[DurararaFTW]

Hey genius?

I talked about the Fantastic Four AND the Avengers who also had secret identities.

Both groups had better PR and in some cases obviously not mutated super powers.

Then I elaborated that for the X-Men specifically their anonymity and weirdness led to people fearing them as they feared the unknown as ONE factor in why people have a double standard.

It’s not placing blame on the X-Men, but rather the prejudiced assholes who hold that double standard.

We’re talking about the type of racism/prejudice here which results in actively treating people badly because they are different from you. It’s not about making yourself feel better, it’s about hating something different for simply being different or regarding it as lesser merely because it is different.

Also that rational still doesn’t make any logical sense at all.

PR is not a quality people are just born with. the FF as well as Antman, Wasp, Hulk and in terms off capital on Midgard had less resources starting out then the wealthy Charles Xavier. Their approach to superheriosm worked toward getting that good PR or at least not inspiring the idea that science born superpowers are an inheritely dangerous idea in the Hulks case. But Professor X' way singlehandedly prompted a universal hatred of mutants that gripped humanity and would never let go again. Regardless of whether you are willing to admit that this is blaming Xavier I think it's a bad explanation.

[Jdsm24]

Mark Millar mentioned in his work on both Spider-Man and Wolverine that there are literally thousands of superheroes in the USA alone (Lower 48) and the ratio of super villains to them is 1:10 . And the general Public only knows that they are not actually genetic mutants when they become Actual Celebrities whose life stories get featured in the mass media. So , it is reasonable to assume that, unless expressly informed otherwise, the American Public believes that every superhero and supervillain who is turning the USA into their own personal playground/battleground is in fact a genetic mutant! That explains all the fear and hatred and envy!