For decades, the X-Men have been presented as a metaphor for the Civil Rights Movement, as mutants were seen as different because of their abilities and how they appear due to factors outside their control. Their response to bigotry and hatred is to educate their greatest haters, while the villainous Magneto and his Brotherhood of Evil Mutants originally fought for mutant supremacy and the annihilation of humanity — a mission that angered the already frightened human populace.
When writer Chris Claremont took over “Uncanny X-Men” with artist Dave Cockrum and, later, John Byrne, the X-Men were shaped into more complex heroes who were viewed by society as menaces worthy of extinction despite their efforts to make the world a better place. In this era, prejudice towards mutants runs rampant, as exemplified in Claremont and Brad Anderson’s “X-Men: God Loves, Man Kills,” one of Marvel’s first graphic novels. The story sees mutants dealing with religious hatred as the team is viewed as abominations by god-worshipping zealots. Evil actors seeking mutant erasure also played vital parts in other classic storylines like “The Fall of Mutants,” where the government tries to control them through a mandatory registration act and criminalizes those who don’t comply, while “X-Men: Days of Future Past” portrays a dystopian timeline where they were nearly entirely eradicated.
The X-Men attempt to change mutant perception in the Krakoan Era, offering humans life-extending medicines in exchange for sovereignty as their own nation. However, hopes of forging a mutually beneficial relationship are tainted by the anti-mutant organization Orchis, which makes the medicines deadly, leading to mutants becoming even more hated. No matter what aid and help they offer to humanity and the world, X-Men are rarely perceived as equal to humans.
For decades, the X-Men have been presented as a metaphor for the Civil Rights Movement, as mutants were seen as different because of their abilities and how they appear due to factors outside their control. Their response to bigotry and hatred is to educate their greatest haters, while the villainous Magneto and his Brotherhood of Evil Mutants originally fought for mutant supremacy and the annihilation of humanity — a mission that angered the already frightened human populace.
When writer Chris Claremont took over “Uncanny X-Men” with artist Dave Cockrum and, later, John Byrne, the X-Men were shaped into more complex heroes who were viewed by society as menaces worthy of extinction despite their efforts to make the world a better place. In this era, prejudice towards mutants runs rampant, as exemplified in Claremont and Brad Anderson’s “X-Men: God Loves, Man Kills,” one of Marvel’s first graphic novels. The story sees mutants dealing with religious hatred as the team is viewed as abominations by god-worshipping zealots. Evil actors seeking mutant erasure also played vital parts in other classic storylines like “The Fall of Mutants,” where the government tries to control them through a mandatory registration act and criminalizes those who don’t comply, while “X-Men: Days of Future Past” portrays a dystopian timeline where they were nearly entirely eradicated.
The X-Men attempt to change mutant perception in the Krakoan Era, offering humans life-extending medicines in exchange for sovereignty as their own nation. However, hopes of forging a mutually beneficial relationship are tainted by the anti-mutant organization Orchis, which makes the medicines deadly, leading to mutants becoming even more hated. No matter what aid and help they offer to humanity and the world, X-Men are rarely perceived as equal to humans.