I was just wondering is there a story that explains why mutant siblings in a lot

[jwatson]

of cases are immune to the powers of their siblings? Like Cyclops/Havok and Emma/Cordelia. was just curious if there is any issue where they talk about it and how that immunity comes into play.

[H-E-D]

Honestly, I didn't remember this was a thing, but I'd assume it has something to do with overlapping energy signatures and them being immune to their own powers.

[ChronoRogue]

Honestly, I didn't remember this was a thing, but I'd assume it has something to do with overlapping energy signatures and them being immune to their own powers.

That's probably a big part of it. Some powers are very different though, as Cyclops optic blasts comes from a dimension of physical force and Havoks energy blasts are cosmic absorb plasma.

Maybe it's kind of a evolutionary self-defense mechanism? We know mutants who develop their powers in human families can cause great destruction or trauma with the spontaneous manifestation of their mutant powers.

However if they were to present their powers while with a family of mutants who have similar powers or have an immunity to them, then they can safely learn to control them and are not a danger to family members. It might be the natural evolution of mutant families to have immunities to familial powers.

[salarta]

I expect it's an idea that originated as "mutants in the same family have the same genetic source code and therefore are immune to each other," but over time it was forgotten or discarded because it gets in the way of family fighting each other for the sake of drama.

[Sutekh]

of cases are immune to the powers of their siblings? Like Cyclops/Havok and Emma/Cordelia. was just curious if there is any issue where they talk about it and how that immunity comes into play.

It would be neat if it were handled more consistently, with Scott and Alex perhaps being immune to Vulcan's powers, Pietro being immune to Wanda's powers (and perhaps the two of them even being immune to Magneto's?), or Mariko being immune to her brother's energized sword. There's some interesting story potential there. Also for someone like Sinister or the Dark Beast to use DNA harvested from various mutants and their relations to create some sort of serum that temporarily immunizes him to various mutant powers.

"Oh, sorry Scottie. I injected myself with a serum made from your brother's blood, so your optic beams just tickle now, at least until my immune system finishes flushing them out of my system..."

[Beetle]

I find it more interesting when mutant siblings create a new power when working together. Like the Fenris twins or Northstar and Aurora touching. Or the M-Twins combining into a single Monet.

[H-E-D]

I find it more interesting when mutant siblings create a new power when working together. Like the Fenris twins or Northstar and Aurora touching. Or the M-Twins combining into a single Monet.

I'm not really so fond of that trope. Maybe it's just because I'm a twin and the thought of needing to work together with my brother to unlock my true power sounds infuriating to me lol.

I also do think that being overly tied to Aurora in terms of powerset is something that holds Northstar back from being as big of a player as they'd want him to be.

[Sutekh]

I'm not really so fond of that trope. Maybe it's just because I'm a twin and the thought of needing to work together with my brother to unlock my true power sounds infuriating to me lol.

I also do think that being overly tied to Aurora in terms of powerset is something that holds Northstar back from being as big of a player as they'd want him to be.

It is true that Andreas von Strucker really only seemed to come into his own after his sister's death (and retaining the ability to activate his power through the squicky medium of keeping some of her skin...).

If Northstar gained the ability to generate blinding flashes without Aurora being present (much as she has, thanks to Walter Langkowski's experiments that made her undetectable as a mutant), that might add some pizzaz to his character, and differentiate him slightly more from a 'flying Quicksilver.'

It is interesting that those experiments essentially granted Aurora a new power (light generation, independent of Jean-Paul) and *cost* Northstar a power (since he could no longer touch Jean-Marie to generate light, instead negating *both* of their powers if he did!).

On the upside, Walter's last empowerment-experiment fused him with one of the Great Beasts, so the twins got off light, I guess...

"Uh, well, on the upside, I can now create blizzards, but the downside is I'm possessed by Kolomaq. And you?"

"Rampaging firestorms, and possessed by Tolomaq. Fun times ahead..."

Ugh. And now I'm reminded of those horrible Thunderriders. Five mutant motorcycle roadshow performers who could fuse into a single rider who combined all their different skills. What a craptastic mutant power.

"And Bob's a great mechanic, so now I'm a great mechanic!"

Literally any Marvel telepath. "Wow." (Puts hand to temple.) "And now *I'm* a great mechanic, too!" (Puts hand to temple again) "And now you can't remember how to twist off a gas cap. And are scared of bees. And vomit uncontrollably when you hear the word 'cumquat.'"

[jwatson]

Thanks all for the replies. I hope it gets addressed at some point to especially when it also seems to extend to cousins like Black Tom and Banshee. I always felt it was a really interesting aspect of mutants and in a lot of ways a divine way to make sure siblings don't hurt each other when growing up. I mean i've had fights with my brothers i can only imagine if one of us was a mutant and didn't know any better.

[ETMike1988]

Hmmm... Maybe one of the siblings has got a healing power and can cure everybody.... except his/her siblings.

[cranger]

To me this is the type of thing that is interesting to the characters themselves. That is, it is an interesting bit of trivia that Scott and Alex cannot hurt each other with their powers.

The idea of this becoming a rule for mutant siblings just weakens it. The need to explain it just weakens it. All it leads to is 'cool' ideas like an army of mutant hunters who have all sorts of mutant DNA injected into them so they are immune to all the mutant powers.

[PsionicHero]

That's probably a big part of it. Some powers are very different though, as Cyclops optic blasts comes from a dimension of physical force and Havoks energy blasts are cosmic absorb plasma.

Maybe it's kind of a evolutionary self-defense mechanism? We know mutants who develop their powers in human families can cause great destruction or trauma with the spontaneous manifestation of their mutant powers.

However if they were to present their powers while with a family of mutants who have similar powers or have an immunity to them, then they can safely learn to control them and are not a danger to family members. It might be the natural evolution of mutant families to have immunities to familial powers.

I believe Cyclops optic blasts coming from a different dimension was a retcon that came about AFTER it was established that the brothers were immune to each others abilities.

Before the dimension power explanation for Cyclops, his powers were metabolized solar energy. So Scott metabolized solar energy, and Havok cosmic energy. So since they were similar in that nature, they were immune to each other.

At least that's how I always figured it worked.

Same for the Frost sisters - since they were genetically related, their psychic energies had no effect on one another.

[jwatson]

To me this is the type of thing that is interesting to the characters themselves. That is, it is an interesting bit of trivia that Scott and Alex cannot hurt each other with their powers.

The idea of this becoming a rule for mutant siblings just weakens it. The need to explain it just weakens it. All it leads to is 'cool' ideas like an army of mutant hunters who have all sorts of mutant DNA injected into them so they are immune to all the mutant powers.

I can see your point but in the case of siblings who can't hurt each other it seems like if the power comes from an internal source or is channeled through the body that is the only time it happens. So it would be nice to know why exactly that does. Like for instance if Storm had a sister her bio electricity she produces from her body may not hurt her but lightning that she calls down from the sky imo would most definitely do so. And what's to say having the dna injected into them is the same, for all we know it could be something in the mother's gestational cycle that is passed on. For instance like mutants who develope in the womb or shortly after birth, what in most cases protects the mother who is carrying said mutant?

[CoCoBandz]

I find it more interesting when mutant siblings create a new power when working together. Like the Fenris twins or Northstar and Aurora touching. Or the M-Twins combining into a single Monet.

"Our combined power when together is to turn into....our big sister"

How messed up is that?