X-Men and the Mutant Metaphor (3 page)

About This Study

This study focuses on the original and longest-running X-Men comic book,
The Uncanny X-Men.
Unfortunately, focusing on a single series will not eliminate all of the potential confusion of discussing the comic books, as this series itself has had several changes to its titles in the course of publication. In 1963 Marvel published the first issue of
The X-Men.
This was the series title on the cover as well as in the legal indicia within the comic book. With issue
#50
, the cover title switched to
X-Men
, though the legal indicia did not reflect the loss of the article until issue
#94.
The cover title was changed to
The Uncanny X-Men
with issue
#114
, though the legal indicia did not reflect this change until issue
#142
. And, the final title change (thus far) resulted in the cover title became simply
Uncanny X-Men
with issue
#394
, though the legal indicia did not change to
Uncanny X-Men
until issue
#408
. Throughout this book the title found on the cover and the cover date of the comic book will be used when citing an issue.

An additional aspect of comic books that has the potential to cause confusion is the somewhat fluid nature of comic book continuity. While the stories are published continually and can be read as one whole, some plot points are sometimes retroactively altered. Characters may be revealed to have been impersonated by shape-shifters or robots, deaths are undone, origins are reimagined, and entire storylines are retroactively inserted into previous issues by modern writers (sometimes altering a story that was published decades ago). When there is a change to the established continuity of a serialized story, it is often referred to as a “retcon,” which stands for retroactive continuity. Retcons have occurred in long-running TV series, sprawling narrative universes such as Star Trek, and very often in comic book narratives. For example, in
The X-Men #42
(Mar. 1968) Professor Xavier suffers a fatal wound and dies. The writer, Roy Thomas, has said that his “original intention was that he would remain dead” (DeFalco 26). But two years later in
The X-Men #65
(Feb. 1970) a new writer, Dennis O’Neil, revealed that Professor X had not died, but that a shape-shifter who had taken his place at the time had died and Professor X had been in hiding since that time.

This analysis of the X-Men will follow the comic book narrative in the chronological order it was published. For the purpose of this study, the first five hundred issues will be examined. I have divided the series into time periods that reflect significant publishing eras of the X-Men comic book series.

First, the period from 1963 to 1975 will be considered. This period represents the introduction of the X-Men, seven years of stories, and a five-year span in which Marvel published reprints of the first X-Men comic books. It includes the issues between
The X-Men #1
(Sept. 1963) and
X-Men #66
(Mar. 1970). The period between 1970 and 1975 when Marvel only published reprints will not be analyzed.

The second period, 1975–1983, begins with Marvel telling new stories with the X-Men and introducing a new team of mutants. This period made the X-Men one of the most successful comic book franchises in history. This period includes the issues between
Giant-Size X-Men #1
and
The Uncanny X-Men #166
(Feb. 1983).

The period 1983–1991 saw the expansion of the X-Men universe beyond a single X-Men title.
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This broadening of the franchise led to the introduction of many new mutant characters and more diversity in the title. The comics in this period include all the issues between
The Uncanny X-Men #167
(Mar. 1983) and
The Uncanny X-Men #280
(Sept. 1991). The years 1991–2001 saw the launch of the second core X-Men title and also the departure of Chris Claremont from writing duties for the first time in sixteen years. The issues in this period range from
The Uncanny X-Men #281
(Oct. 1991) through
The Uncanny X-Men #393
(June 2001).

The years 2001–2008 mark the final period, with
Uncanny X-Men #500
(Sept. 2008) marking the last issue that will be considered in this study. In this era Joe Quesada, the editor in chief of Marvel Comics, felt that the proliferation of mutant characters and ancillary X-Men titles in the Marvel universe had significantly weakened the mutant metaphor that should be at the core of the X-Men comic books. To reestablish this metaphor, a pseudo-magical solution was used to depower 90 percent of all the mutant characters in the Marvel universe, reestablishing the minority metaphor that Quesada felt was integral to the series.

Each chapter will provide a brief overview of the creators who worked on the comics during the period, an overview of key stories and the general narrative of the comics in this period, and then a close reading of key stories focusing on the portrayals of race and gender.

Chapter 7 will examine the statistics of character representation through the series. This includes information about the number of appearances by individual characters, the racial and gender makeup of the team, the supporting cast, and the villains, and how these have shifted across the decades of publication.

While much of this project will be looking closely at the portrayals of gender in individual issues of the X-Men comic book series, one overarching aspect of the series should be addressed early on. The team name is explicitly masculine despite the team always having female members. Sometimes female team members have outnumbered the men on the X-Men. Despite the fact that for most of the published adventures of the X-Men the team has included prominent female characters, the team name has rarely been discussed as a gender issue within the published comics or by creators.

To better understand and analyze this concern, a few matters should be addressed. First, the X-Men was not the initial proposed name for the comic book or the superhero team. Stan Lee explains his initial plan:

Originally, I proposed naming the chronicle of our merry little misfits
The Mutants
. I thought it would make a great title. But I was outvoted by the powers-that-be in the front office. I was told, with much conviction, that nobody knew what a mutant was, therefore that couldn’t be the title of the magazine. I tried, in my stumbling, bumbling way, to say that some people knew the word, and those that didn’t would soon learn after the book was published. But, as you can tell by the present title, yours truly didn’t always emerge victorious! However, undaunted and unbowed, I returned with another name—
The X-Men
. I truly expected to be booted out of the office for that one. I mean, if people didn’t know what a mutant was, how in the world would they know what an X-Man was? But I guess I’ll never make my mark as a logician—everyone okayed the title. (“Our Merry”)

The Mutants
would have been a gender-neutral title for a team of characters that, in the first issue at least, featured four active male heroes and one heroine, as well as the male leader of the team.

Second, the debate concerning sexist language has been going on for decades, but it had not yet begun in earnest when Marvel Comics first published
The X-Men.
One of the first and most famous articles drawing attention to the sexual bias of language was “De-Sexing the English Language,” which appeared in the first issue of the feminist publication
Ms. Magazine
. The article, written by Casey Miller and Kate Smith, argues against tendency of the English language to make the generic human male with words such as “mankind.”

Ms. Magazine
began publication in 1972, a full nine years after the first issue of
The X-Men
was published. In 1963 the use of terms such as “men” or “brotherhood” to describe a group of both men and women was unlikely to have been considered much of a concern to the average American. Indeed, the practice is still common today, though more are aware of the connotations such word choices have.

X-Men has a similar function to the historic use of terms such as “mankind” or “men” in the English language, a gendered noun acting with nongendered inclusiveness. Even the villains in early issues employ similar male-dominant titles. The first team the X-Men battle is called the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, despite having a female member (only one, much like the earliest incarnation of the X-Men). In the letters column, though, readers did discuss the team name and the gender implications. In a letter published in
The X-Men #28
(Jan. 1967) Dennis Clark wrote

Dear Stan, Roy, and Werner,

This is not a social letter. Neither is it a hate note. It’s just a few lines to emphasize an important point. For years loyal fans have read the X-Men with pleasure. The stories are great, the art magnificent, inking irresistible, and the lettering luscious. So, what’s my gripe? The name! It’s the name! For years people have read the X-Men without (I repeat—without) noticing one certain super-heroine—Marvel Girl! For years you have called the team the X-
Men.
Poor Jean—she’s being insulted. She’s a female, a poor innocent mutant who is called an X-
Man
! Maybe you could change the name to the X-People or something, but please do something. (667)

The official response to the letter, written in the Marvel’s standard informal and playful manner, was:

Your point is well taken, pungently presented, and daringly documented—but—somehow we question the fact that the X-People is the kind’a mag title that’ll knock anyone outta his tree! Mebbe we can change our name to The X-Men and Friend, or some such passionate phrase! (667)

In fact, in the very first issue the group was referred to as “the X-Men and Marvel Girl” in one line of dialogue, but other than that the term X-Men is used inclusively for Marvel Girl. Though a future writer, Tom DeFalco, does call a group of heroes “The X-People” in an alternate future timeline, it is doubtful Marvel ever seriously considered a name change.

A couple issues later, in
The X-Men #31
(Apr. 1967), another letter writer addresses the team name, coming to the defense of using “The X-Men.” Jeff Zweig, using some of the same reasoning that would later be criticized in the
Ms. Magazine
article referenced above, wrote:

I must show one fan the error of his ways. He wrote to you to complain that the title “X-Men” excludes females. I would hasten to inform him that the term “mankind” refers to women as well as men, and if it’s a generic term I fail to see why “X-Men” shouldn’t be one, too. (736)

Zweig’s letter goes on to address recent events in the comic book series, and the editorial response to his letter answers those concerns and does not touch on his discussion of the team name. In any event, the gendered nature of the name has occasionally been raised by creators and fans, it does not seem to be a common concern.

Despite its gendered name, the X-Men has long been home to some of the interesting and independent female characters in superhero comic books. This study will highlight several of these positive portrayals, but also identify times when gender stereotypes are used carelessly. Race and gender issues in society are always evolving, and the context of the times is important in understanding some of the issues that will be explored in this book. Hopefully, this analysis proves enlightening and the insights gained can deepen our understanding of the relationship between popular culture and the society that produces and consumes it.

Notes

1. Superman and Batman were honorary members from the beginning, and Flash and Green Lantern would become honorary members when each proved popular enough to be spun off into their own titles. An exception was made for Wonder Woman; after she was created and spun off into her own comic book, she would still appear in Justice Society adventures, but only as the team secretary.

2. Both Marvel and DC Comics had multiple company names before settling on their current, more well-known names. For convenience and clarity, I will refer to both by their current names throughout the book.

3. Throughout this work, the cover date on comic book issues will be used to refer to when the comic book was released, though the cover date does not exactly match the month a comic book was published. According to Brian Cronin, in the early 1960s there was usually a four-month gap between the official cover date and the ship date. In the 1990s two months was made the official gap between cover date and ship date by Marvel and DC Comics. However, there have almost always been variations in the exact difference between the two dates, even within those general guidelines. Because of this difficulty, the cover date will be cited rather than a publication date.

4. Much as the cover title and cover date were used for simplicity and clarity, in this work the credit will be given to the writers and artists for the comic book. Rarely will the inkers, colorists, or editors be mentioned, though their contribution is key to the final product.

5. The first spin-off of the X-Men franchise was technically
Dazzler
,
which began publishing in 1981, but it was part of a corporate tie-in with Casablanca Records.
The New Mutants
, which began publishing in 1983, was the first natural narrative spin-off of the series.
X-Factor
, another comic book in the X-Men family, began publication in 1985.

Chapter Two

Intriguing Concept, Uneven Execution

The X-Men #1
(Sept. 1963) to
X-Men #66
(Mar. 1970)

Creators

Marvel Comics was finding great success with the superhero genre in the early 1960s. Creativity and business were booming. In a short span, the company published comic books introducing the Fantastic Four, the Incredible Hulk, Ant-Man, Thor, Spider-Man, and Iron Man. Marvel’s first superhero comic book had featured a team, but after the Fantastic Four, the company had focused on creating individual heroes. In 1963, two new team books would be published that have each become franchises in their own rights, with spin-off titles, multimedia adaptations, toys, and other merchandise.
The Avengers #1
and
The X-Men #1
were released the same month, cover dated September 1963. In
The Avengers
, Stan Lee and Jack Kirby combined several of the previously introduced individual heroes into one team. Lee and Kirby used
The X-Men #1
to introduce five brand-new superheroes and their wheelchair-bound leader, Professor X.

Although the X-Men franchise is one of the most successful in the history of the comic book industry, the initial run from
The X-Men #1
(Nov. 1963) through
The X-Men #66
(Mar. 1970) is of uneven quality. There are hints at the thematic depth and innovative storytelling that would make the series famous, but it is understandable why this was one of Marvel’s lower-selling titles of the 1960s. Most of these sixty-six issues contain mediocre stories with adequate but uninspired art, though some of the better stories are very good, whereas the lesser stories are completely forgettable. A few issues are only memorable because they are, in terms of art and narrative, terrible comic books. Many of the most iconic characters that the public identifies with the X-Men franchise, such as Wolverine and Storm, are not introduced until later eras. Similarly, many of the most famous storylines (several of which that have been mined for multimedia adaptations) come from subsequent eras of the
The Uncanny X-Men
or from spin-off franchises. In this first period of X-Men comic books, the seeds of many important thematic elements and characterizations are present, but for the most part they do not come to fruition until later.

This unevenness is not solely found in the varying quality of the stories from issue to issue: the very characters themselves shift dramatically. For example, in the first couple issues the Beast speaks in the same manner as his teammates, but with the third issue he suddenly uses a very heightened pseudo-academic vocabulary and is treated as the smartest of the X-Men. It would not be surprising to see shifts in tone, theme, and characterization as new writers pen the team’s adventures, but the shifts present in Lee’s early issues indicate that when the series began to be published Lee hadn’t yet fully established his goals and intentions for this series, much less the personalities of some main characters.

Even more problematic than these larger issues that would only become apparent to a reader of multiple issues, is that at times the internal logic of individual issues doesn’t hold up to scrutiny. In
The X-Men #9
(Jan. 1965), Professor X confronts Lucifer, the man who cost him the use of his legs. The Professor uses a tank-like wheelchair to reach Lucifer’s underground lair. Lucifer traps Xavier, at which point Xavier pulls out a gun and fires it at Lucifer, crying out, “Did you think I would come to you unarmed, or unprepared??” (208). Lucifer avoids the shot and warns that if his heart stops a bomb will detonate. At the end of the issue, after Xavier has been freed and the X-Men have defeated Lucifer, the team allows their enemy to walk free. When Lucifer asks why he is being allowed to leave, Professor X explains, “Because we X-Men are pledged never to cause injury to a human being—no matter what the provocation!” (223). Xavier seems to have forgotten the gun he fired, clearly with the intent to injure, at the beginning of this same issue. Even more incongruous is a panel in
The X-Men #17
(Feb. 1966) in which Professor Xavier warns the Beast telepathically that he cannot remove his mask in front of a doctor who is treating him, lest he gain any clues as to the X-Men’s true identities. He also telepathically warns the Beast not to give the doctor any indication that he knows the professor, as Professor Xavier does not want anyone to suspect he has a relationship with the X-Men, much less that he is the team’s leader. But in a speech balloon in the same panel he refers to the Beast using his real last name, McCoy, giving the doctor a clue both to the Beast’s true identity and revealing that he knows more about the X-Men than simply their code names.

There is similar difficulty in providing a clear and distinct identity for the X-Men’s most famous foe, Magneto. He appears the most frequently of all the X-Men’s enemies. In this early period, and also in subsequent eras, the creators are quite flexible concerning just what the power to control magnetic fields entails. In
The X-Men #1
(Nov. 1963), Magneto leaves a threatening message suspended in the air that is “composed of the dust particles from the air itself, skillfully magnetized into a message by the unseen mutant” (21). In the same issues, Magneto traps several soldiers by “narrowing my magnetic waves,” something a soldier describes in a later panel as “like being encircled by an invisible fence” (23). Early on, there is evidence that Lee intended Magneto to have psychic powers, very similar to Professor X’s, in addition to his magnetic-based powers. In
The X-Men #6
(July 1964), Magneto demonstrates an ability that would later be called astral projection, as he mentally sends forth a psychic version of himself to explore the ocean floor. As the caption explains, “Thus, the leader of the evil mutants, whose brain power is second only to that of Professor X, transforms all his vast mental energy into an illusory figure of himself . . . and sends it forth” (134). Though it is used throughout an extensive sequence in this issue, covering several pages, this mental projection is never demonstrated again by Magneto. In
The X-Men #18
(Mar. 1966), Magneto seems to display a level of mental control more akin to hypnotism than astral projection, but it is referred to as “magnetic attraction,” giving it a closer link in name to his primary powers (417).

Adding to the mystery of Magneto, his bases of operations frequently change. In the first issues, he launches his attack from “a secret laboratory near Cape Citadel” (19). In his second appearance (
The X-Men #4
(Mar. 1964)), Magneto uses “a lonely uncharted island in the Atlantic” (88), a massive freighter he has stolen, and a fictional South American country that he conquers as bases. In the very next issue (
The X-Men #5
(May 1964)), Magneto now has a base on an asteroid orbiting the Earth, called Asteroid M, which he and his henchman travel to and from via magnetically powered rockets. In
The X-Men #6
(July 1964), the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants is again based from “an uncharted isle far out to sea” (132), though it is unclear if this is the same island base briefly seen in
The X-Men #4
(Mar. 1964) because Kirby’s art does not depict the same structures on the islands in the two issues. In
The X-Men #7
(Sept. 1964), Magneto is now using “a lonely ramshackle mansion” as his base (158). In the same issue, the X-Men are lured to a factory to battle Magneto and his evil mutants, and Magneto declares, “This factory belongs to me! I have kept it for just such a time as this!” (168). And, in what seems to have been intended to be Magneto’s last appearance for some time, in
The X-Men #11
(May 1964), Magneto is using what is either a floor of an apartment building or an office building in the heart of New York City as his base (259). In fewer than a dozen issues, Magneto makes six appearances, with different bases (each well-equipped with computers and weapons) each time.

Despite the varied quality and lack of internal continuity of the issues from this period, this is the start of what has become a multimedia franchise that is extremely successful. Additionally, some of the deeper matters that are linked with the franchise are introduced at this time. The themes of fear and prejudice from normal humans toward mutants are explicitly introduced in some issues, setting these X-Men comic books apart from the other superhero comic books published by Marvel at this time.

The X-Men #1
(Sept. 1963) was written by Stan Lee and with art by Jack Kirby. Lee and Kirby collaborated on the first eleven issues. Lee would continue to write the series through issue
#19
. After fully penciling the first eleven issues, Kirby would provide layouts through issue
#17
with Werner Roth
1
providing the finished pencils. Following Lee as writer in this period were Roy Thomas, Gary Friedrich, and Arnold Drake. On art, Werner Roth began to provide full pencils with issue
#18
and was followed by Ross Andru, Don Heck, Jim Steranko, and Neal Adams. Kirby, Steranko, and Adams are considered masters of the comic book medium. Linda Fite is the first female writer to work on
The X-Men
, writing the back-up story in
The X-Men #57
(June 1969).

General Storyline

In
X-Men #1
(Sept. 1963) readers are introduced to the wheelchair-bound Professor Xavier, who runs Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters. The students at the school, actually Professor Xavier’s mansion, are really the X-Men, and the school serves as both a cover to hide the X-Men’s identities and as the team’s base. As the issue begins, the four current students, Cyclops, Angel, the Beast, and Iceman, are told a fifth student, Marvel Girl, will be joining the school. The villain in this issue is Magneto, an “evil mutant” who the X-Men fight in their first public outing as superheroes (19). The team stops Magneto from taking over an American military base at Cape Citadel. In the next couple issues, the X-Men defeat new mutant menaces the Vanisher and the Blob. Magneto, now with a team of mutants he calls “The Brotherhood of Evil Mutants,” becomes a recurring foe in the first dozen issues.

These first eleven issues fall into a routine of the X-Men training in the first part of the issue, then battling a foe and nearly losing before being rescued by either Professor Xavier’s mental powers or some other outside force. The X-Men are not very competent as superheroes, even nearly falling before an attack by nonpowered circus folk in
The X-Men #3
before Professor X uses his powers to make the Blob and his army of carnies forget why they’re attacking the X-Men and decide to walk away. In
The X-Men #5
, during a battle on Magneto’s floating asteroid base in which Professor X is not present, the fight ends because, as Magneto explains, “During the battle someone must have brushed up against some of the detonate buttons” (127). In subsequent issues, the guest star Namor thwarts Magneto’s plans (
The X-Men #6
),
the Blob accidentally saves the X-Men from certain death (
The X-Men #7
), guest star Ka-Zar helps rescue the team (
The X-Men #10
), and an alien force captures Magneto and takes him to another planet (
The X-Men #11
). Constantly it is not the X-Men who save the day, but some outside influence.

The quality of the storytelling becomes noticeably higher with the X-Men’s first multipart stories.
The X-Men #12
(July 1965) and
#13
(Sept. 1965) introduce a new villain, the Juggernaut, who would become a regular member of the team’s rogues gallery.
The X-Men #12
(July 1965) uses the pacing of the story to build tension more successfully than any previous issue. On the first page of the issue, Professor Xavier’s computer, called Cerebro, which can (sometimes) detect mutants (and occasionally other threats; its functionality is inconsistent in these early issues), sounds an alarm that a menace is approaching the team’s mansion. The remainder of the issue features intercut scenes of the X-Men preparing defenses, Professor Xavier sharing a tale of his childhood and his troubled relationship with his stepbrother, Cain Marko, and a shadowy figure approaching and battling past the X-Men. The final panel of the issue shows the figure in full color for the first time, having defeated the X-Men and now facing Xavier while taunting, “So dear brother! We meet again! Pity it is for the last time!” (295). Although some of the elements of the story are decidedly cheesy—Xavier’s recounting of his childhood is extremely melodramatic—the pacing of this issue, which builds to the final reveal, genuinely increases excitement. The storytelling through the art is a fine example of Jack Kirby’s mastery of the comic book art form. The following issue, in which the Human Torch aids the X-Men in defeating the Juggernaut, keeps the increased quality even as it too has moments of melodramatic silliness.

Immediately following this two-part story is the Sentinels Trilogy, spanning from
The X-Men #14
to
#16
. The Sentinels Trilogy is the first story to fully engage with the idea of humanity fearing mutants and creating a genuine threat to the emerging class of powered individuals. A few earlier issues,
#5
and
#8
, had shown normal humans fearing mutants, but this is the issue that most clearly cements fear, prejudice, and hatred as central themes of the X-Men. It is Lee’s best work as writer of the series. The Sentinels Trilogy is where Lee finds the uniqueness of this series about mutants, what would make it stand apart from the other superhero titles he was writing and publishing.

In the issues, an anthropologist, Bolivar Trask, stokes normal human’s fears by predicting that the superpowered mutants will enslave normal humans. Trask, funded by the government, builds a Master Mold that can build hundreds of Sentinels in quick succession. In the end, Trask sees that the Sentinels he helped create are a more dangerous threat to humanity and freedom than the mutants he feared, and he destroys the Master Mold, dying in the resultant explosion.

The following two-part storyline borrows heavily from elements of the stories that introduced the Juggernaut and the Sentinels, though it is not quite as successful. There is the same ominous pacing as the issue that introduced the Juggernaut, building to a final reveal of Magneto as the villain of the issue. And Magneto’s plan is similar to what we saw with the Master Mold, as he analyzes the DNA of Angel’s parents and builds a machine that will produce hundreds of identical mutants that will follow his orders before the X-Men thwart his plans.