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

[Spidercide]

Over the years a common criticism of the X-Men franchise has been how nonsensical it is for the denizens of the Marvel universe to treat mutants with prejudice whilst they are fine with other super powered characters such as the Fantastic Four.


Here is my attempt at resolving the issue.


Okay for starters not ALL the super powered beings of the Marvel universe are treated with open arms and not EVERYONE is prejudiced against mutants.


The Hulk and the Thing and even Spider-Man are treated with a certain amount of mistrust if nothing else; often they’re even seen as freaks.


If you think about it when the X-Men debuted in 1963 the Marvel universe was pretty sparsely populated. Spider-Man, the FF, the Avengers (i.e. Ant Man, Wasp, Hulk, Thor and Iron Man) and a few other characters were essentially it.


Now the Hulk, the Thing and Spider-Man WERE treated with a certain amount of mistrust and fear, but many of the other characters were not (at least not to my knowledge).


Most of them though were either characters who didn’t have powers (like Iron Man), used some form of science to give them their powers (Ant Man) or had powers innate to them being something from beyond this Earth (i.e. Thor who is a literal God).


And apart from guys like that, the FF and the Avengers frankly had really good public relations. The FF were the first superhumans to really make the scene in ‘modern day’ Marvel New York and they built themselves up as celebrities. In fact in Mark Waid’s run on Fantastic Four Reed Richards admits that he purposefully built the FF up as celebs in order to avoid them being treated as freaks. For the sheer novelty alone the FF would’ve been more accepted by the general public, to say nothing of the scientific contributions or their public displays of heroism over the years.


The Avengers were also an ‘official’ essentially government approved super hero team, which in the minds of the masses legitimised them and kind of conveyed the message that ‘They’re alright’



Plus later on Captain America, the living legend of WWII, joined their ranks and I’m sure a lot of people in the Marvel universe adopted the attitude that if they’re good enough for Captain America they’re good enough for them too.


But with the X-Men…they were masked individuals with very obvious super powers (not feats of technology, but literal feathered wings and huge feet) who came out of nowhere and disappeared just as suddenly. They were the unknown and a lot of people fear that.


Then you have all the mutants not just randomly appearing in public but manifesting entirely randomly and at alarming speeds all across the world, within the very homes of the citizens of the Marvel Universe. The idea that you or your family members (including your children) could just suddenly develop (potentially dangerous and uncontrollable) super powers is an incredibly frightening one.


If this makes any sense it’s kind of the distinction between being okay with super humans being ‘over there’, but not being okay with them being closer to home. This is besides the fear that the human race itself is at an obvious physical disadvantage compared to mutants or that mutants could essentially breed out humanity.


So how and why normal humans might fear mutants (however misguidedly) is not hard to understand.


Equally it is possible that this ‘lack of legitimacy’ that mutants have compared to the Avengers/FF is why so many people accept the latter but not the former. The FF arrived early on enough that they were embraced by the public and are beloved celebrities and the Avengers have government backing. Mutants though have none of these and could run around unchecked. This is probably why so many people were in favour of the various Mutant Registration acts, now that I think about it.


There is however another explanation we could use.


So…basically people’s problems with the X-Men/Mutants in the Marvel universe is that it makes no sense for people to be prejudiced against them but be okay with non-mutant super heroes.


That is the gist of people’s objections right? That it makes no sense and isn’t rational?


Well here is the thing…its prejudice…Prejudice doesn’t make sense. Prejudice isn’t rational.


Forget any political or sentimental beliefs you hold, from a purely logical (and even biological) point of view prejudice towards people of a certain skin colour or sexual orientation makes 0 sense.


It makes 0 sense and yes has been hypocritical over the centuries. How many stories have we heard about people who are prejudiced still liking a certain celebrity or entertainer who is black/gay/’different’. It even applies to just people they know.


Many people are/have been racist or homophobic, and yet they make ‘exceptions’ to their prejudice. They don’t like gay people but ‘This guy is alright’



They don’t like Asian people but ‘You’re not like those other ones!’



And this has gone on for literally centuries.


Just look at European history.


White people in the North and South of England might have fought Civil Wars and displayed prejudice against one another, but they’re united in their dislike of the French or Germans (who’re also white) and most of those predominantly white nations all agreed that, despite their racism to one another, they are all ‘superior’ to any given non-white person from Africa or Asia.


Or heck what about Nazi Germany? This is a period of time where a disturbing amount of people subscribed to the idea of there being a superior race made of tall, muscular, blonde haired and blue eyed Aryan folk. And that was an idea many put forward by their supreme ruler who was…a short, weedy dark haired guy…


Additionally in some countries where racism was practiced (and I believe still is in parts of the world) your standing as a citizen was measured upon just how dark or light your skin colour was. You could very obviously not be white, but if you were a black person with a comparatively paler complexion you were seen to be ‘better’ than other black people with darker skin tones.


A very sad example of this can actually be found in the biography of the prominent African American leader Malcolm X.


According to his biography, his mother Louise married his father Earl Little partially because Earl had a very dark complexion, a trait Louise found attractive because she herself was ashamed of her own lighter skin complexion (I think because she was born out of a white man raping her mother, but don’t quote me on that).


Earl actually favoured his son Malcolm more than his other children precisely because Malcolm had the lightest skin complexion of all this children. Earl Little was someone who supported black pride and Pan-Africanism, which demonstrates a certain contradiction in his actions.


How could he have black pride but favour one of his children above the others because his skin complexion was closer to a white person’s?


Well there are probably multiple explanations, but a pretty big one is that prejudice inherently makes no sense.


And in the case of mutants how hard is it to imagine that certain groups of people who have problems with mutants influence the government or the media and hard sell to the public the idea that ‘mutants are bad’ to the point where that idea takes root and is just commonly accepted general knowledge. 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.


Additionally in most respects prejudice doesn’t really exist in the animal kingdom at all. The breed or different colourings of dogs are meaningless to those animals. A bulldog, a Labrador and a Chihuahua don’t distinguish their own breed from one another, they just see one another as fellow canines. Hell dogs see US as fellow canines, just weirdly shaped ones.


In this way the complaints of fans or people who argue about how nonsensical it is for there to be prejudice against mutants but not other super humans is kind of redundant and stupid.


They’re basically asking for prejudice to make sane and rational sense. Except prejudice by its very nature isn’t sane or rational, and it makes no sense whatsoever.


For these reasons the whole prejudice against mutants (as opposed to other super humans) is not really something to get hung up over.


And if nothing else mutants provide a good metaphor for examining the theme of prejudice. This not only provides fertile storytelling opportunities, but also is a genuinely important topic to discuss and understand.


So what I am trying to say guys is cut the X-Men a break guys.

[Cykewasright]

Actually the answer is a lot simpler than you think. People hate mutants because they were told to that is all there is to it.

[Prof. Warren]

Well here is the thing…its prejudice…Prejudice doesn’t make sense. Prejudice isn’t rational.

While that's true to a point, I think there's a very simple psychological explanation for why prejudice for mutants exists while most other superpowered beings are deemed ok. It's a reason that anti-mutant bigots would vigorously deny - even to themselves - but I think it is at the heart of why mutants are hated - jealously and resentment. There are people who hate mutants because they don't want to admit that mutants are Homo Superior. It's easy for the average person to not hate, say, Iron Man. Or Captain America. Or Spider-Man. All these heroes were created due to a set of circumstances that no one else could duplicate.

Mutants, however, are born. They won the genetic crapshoot. That means the average person could've been born a mutant but wasn't. Inhumans are different because it's tied into their heritage. It's something seeded into their DNA due to alien intervention. Again, something the average person can't easily point to and say "that could've been me."

Being born with the X-gene, however, is a different thing. If you accept that it is a gift to be born a mutant, then the flipside of that is to accept that it is inferior to be born a normal human. And for many people, they have to tear down the thing that reminds them of their own inadequacies. Rather than admit their jealousy of mutant's abilities, they have to make it seem that mutants are freaks and try to make mutants ashamed of their powers. They have to stir the sentiment that mutants were not blessed with their abilities but cursed with them and that humanity is better off without the X-gene.

Of course for hardcore religious types, that hatred would be even greater - how could you reconcile the idea that God chose to improve on humanity and that improvement didn't include you? Of course you'd want to make it seem that God is on your side and not with the mutants. Of course you'd want to paint mutants as being a blight on God's work. And that's not even getting into the whole evolution argument that would be anathema to many religious believers because it denies the concept of divine creation. Better in the minds of these people to label the X-gene as an aberration and not as proof of evolution.

So mutant prejudice actually does have some twisted but "logical" (to the racist, ignorant mind) reasoning behind it.

It doesn't continue in the MU "just because."

[Xelossik]

While that's true to a point, I think there's a very simple psychological explanation for why prejudice for mutants exists while most other superpowered beings are deemed ok. It's a reason that anti-mutant bigots would vigorously deny - even to themselves - but I think it is at the heart of why mutants are hated - jealously and resentment. There are people who hate mutants because they don't want to admit that mutants are Homo Superior. It's easy for the average person to not hate, say, Iron Man. Or Captain America. Or Spider-Man. All these heroes were created due to a set of circumstances that no one else could duplicate.

Mutants, however, are born. They won the genetic crapshoot. That means the average person could've been born a mutant but wasn't. Inhumans are different because it's tied into their heritage. It's something seeded into their DNA due to alien intervention. Again, something the average person can't easily point to and say "that could've been me."

Being born with the X-gene, however, is a different thing. If you accept that it is a gift to be born a mutant, then the flipside of that is to accept that it is inferior to be born a normal human. And for many people, they have to tear down the thing that reminds them of their own inadequacies. Rather than admit their jealousy of mutant's abilities, they have to make it seem that mutants are freaks and try to make mutants ashamed of their powers. They have to stir the sentiment that mutants were not blessed with their abilities but cursed with them and that humanity is better off without the X-gene.

Of course for hardcore religious types, that hatred would be even greater - how could you reconcile the idea that God chose to improve on humanity and that improvement didn't include you? Of course you'd want to make it seem that God is on your side and not with the mutants. Of course you'd want to paint mutants as being a blight on God's work. And that's not even getting into the whole evolution argument that would be anathema to many religious believers because it denies the concept of divine creation. Better in the minds of these people to label the X-gene as an aberration and not as proof of evolution.

So mutant prejudice actually does have some twisted but "logical" (to the racist, ignorant mind) reasoning behind it.

It doesn't continue in the MU "just because."

That's good reason. some people in mu should feel that way.

[WhiteQueenEmmaFrost]

For the longest time Mutants were a tiny minority. They were hidden away and then slowly protected humans and now it's completed devolved into mutant vs. mutant mega crossover stories. It's metaphorical cannibalism.

Super Hero meta humans seldom have a "woe is me" attitude

[NoDakFan]

The reason mutants are hated and other super heros aren't is pretty simple - it's the "it could be anyone / next stage in evolution" factor.

Not everyone can become Hulk or Iron Man or Spiderman. These are men who are highly intelligent who were in the right place and the right time - they're anomalies. Iron men or Spider-men aren't going to replace humans as the new "dominant species in the evolutionary chart"

Mutants are. Mutants are the next step. Mutants are proof that humans aren't the top dog. Mutants make humans look like chimps, and humans don't like that.

Furthermore - anyone could be a mutant. Sure, the X-gene mainly develops in teenagers, but your grandmother, your neighbor, the guy you cut off on teh free way and have now pissed off could have powers taht could kill you.

Its a combination of self-preservation / fear of the unknown.

[useridgoeshere]

Marvel has messed up the Mutant metaphor with extinction plots and by making every Mutant a superhero. It made sense to me when there were Mutants just trying to live their lives as school teachers, doctors, accountants, etc. However, the idea that this same dynamic doesn't happen in real life America is wrong. It's probably hard to comprehend if you've lived a life of privilege, but the exact same thing happens with African Americans and members of the LGBT community. As Ebony magazine covered, America loves Black culture, but hates Black people.

- Avengers = Minority celebrities. Rare and distinct from society. Not part of your everyday life. Providing a service. Plenty of racists cheer for Black athletes, listen to Black artists, etc. and would fawn all over Black celebrities if they met them.

- X-Men = equal rights advocates, e.g., NAACP, HRC, BLM, GLAAD. People are threatened by these groups for trying to fight discriminatory outcomes and level the playing field for minorities. They force people to confront truths that they don't want to face.

- Mutants = regular people who are different from the majority. They're the minority trying to get a job at your company, move into your neighborhood, date your daughter, teach your kids, etc. And similar to LGBT, where listening to Elton John or laughing at Modern Family doesn't mean you want your kid to tell you he's Gay, appreciating Captain America doesn't mean you'd be okay with your kid being able to move things with his mind.

I think back to an old All in the Family episode where Archie (racist, hates Blacks, etc.) fawns all over Sammy Davis Jr., viewing him as different from other Blacks. Same thing. Avengers are Sammy Davis Jr. (celebrity). X-Men are George Jefferson (disrupter). Mutants are every other minority character Archie encounters. Same dynamic exists today.

So that's how it makes sense to me.

[WhiteQueenEmmaFrost]

I think back to an old All in the Family episode where Archie (racist, hates Blacks, etc.) fawns all over Sammy Davis Jr., viewing him as different from other Blacks. Same thing. Avengers are Sammy Davis Jr. (celebrity). X-Men are George Jefferson (disrupter). Mutants are every other minority character Archie encounters. Same dynamic exists today.

So that's how it makes sense to me.

Avengers help people mutants help themselves

[Spidercide]

Spidercide :

maybe

probably less than 1%

I agree.

I understand. but let's not forget that in Europe tan was considered as flaw (because peasants were tanned).


Cool but people also. They have reasons. These reasons may be illogical for You. They are logical for them. Do You believe that childs hate people of different color?


Wy they should be treated this way? Villains are not a group. They are not a race. They are not an organisation.

(many) mutants think that they are better than people and mutants were trying to conquer the world many times.

Instead of looking at individuals ... they are looking at group.
There are good and bad people in MU. Similar to mutants. (some) people in MU believe that mutants are evil. Some X-men fans believe that humans in MU are evil.

No definitely.

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.


Then why did you say otherwise?

That only reinforces my point about judging people by their skin tone.


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.

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


Putting aside how there are groups of villains and organizations of them you are missing my point.

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.

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


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

[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?

[Vegan Daddy]

The X-Men exist in a world where modern American Christians -- instead of radical islamists -- are terrorizing civilians and targeting minorities. Trying to understand it is a fruitless endeavor.

As for the mutant metaphor, it's there to teach youngins some empathy....and to indulge stuffy, disconnected liberals who live in fantasy land(like me).

[Jokerz79]

I'd hate to go back to the divide of Terrigen Mist but in the real world I've seen people say mutants should either literally go to hell AKA Limbo a hellish dimension or leave their family, friends, jobs, and lives behind and go into the vacuum of space with no set destination hoping some alien culture will except the mutant refugees oh or they could just die I guess all so the Inhumans could keep the ability of future generations to have superpowers. After that the why people in the Marvel Universe hates mutants but not superpowered humans no longer seems strange.

[ariwl1]

Dubbing mutants Homo Sapien Superior and declaring they would eventually replace humans in evolution probably didn't help things.

[Confuzzled]

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

Most terrorist crimes in America are committed by modern American Christians. The only reason it isn't apparent is because the media is reluctant to call it "terrorist crimes" and instead sticks to stuff like "lone wolf", "hate crime" etc.

[Xelossik]

Most terrorist crimes in America are committed by modern American Christians. The only reason it isn't apparent is because the media is reluctant to call it "terrorist crimes" and instead sticks to stuff like "lone wolf", "hate crime" etc.

not by Islamists?
last time checked data from US police... white was responsible for majority of crimes because they are the biggest group. but black people were responsible for more crimes per person.