X-Men and the Mutant Metaphor (4 page)

Following Stan Lee’s departure from writing the title, the X-Men’s foes become less mutant-centric and more like other superhero comic books. Roy Thomas, the writer who took over from Lee, explained that “I actually preferred doing stories with regular supervillains. I just wasn’t that big into the whole mutant thing at the time” (DeFalco 23). This shift in foes lessens the mutant metaphor that began to be fully realized with the Sentinels Trilogy. The X-Men begin to fight villains who were already established in other Marvel comics or face villains whose motivations and powers are completely unrelated to mutants. In retrospect, Thomas recognized that this removed any “distinct flavor” from the X-Men (DeFalco 23). Although Thomas did create a few new characters, like the Banshee, he mostly relied on preexisting characters. Thomas has stated that he “hated the idea of creating many new characters for Marvel, because I knew I wouldn’t own them” (DeFalco 26). As a result, he recycled many characters for new appearances, even bringing back the Red Raven for an issue, a character from the Golden Age of Marvel comics, which the company still retained the rights to.

Eventually another villainous mutant group, Factor Three, becomes the focus of the X-Men’s adventures. Around the same time that the Factor Three storyline occurs, the comic books begin to have back-up stories that relate the origins of the members of the X-Men. Of all the X-Men stories published in this period, these back-up stories have the most overt themes about the evils of prejudice and bigotry.

Following the Factor Three storyline, in a battle with a subterranean creature, Professor X apparently dies, and the X-Men lose some of their focus as a team. Several issues alternately feature the adventures of individual members of the team, often still dealing with mutant threats. A threat to a newly discovered mutant has the team unite to face Magneto once again. The team decides to continue working together and meets several more mutants, some as allies and some as enemies. In the final issues before the series switched over to reprints, it is revealed that Professor X faked his death to be able to focus all of his time and abilities to preparing to repel an alien invasion. After defeating the alien threat, and having one final adventure with the Hulk, the series began to reprint earlier issues.

Members of the X-Men

The initial roster of X-Men included the founder and leader of the team, Professor Xavier, and five students who were being trained in the use of their mutant powers. Professor X, Cyclops, the Beast, Iceman, Angel, and Marvel Girl were all created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby.

All of the members of the X-Men in this period were white middle-to-upper-class Americans. In short, this was a very WASP-ish group to be struggling against prejudice in a minority metaphor. Further complicating the use of this particular group as representative of a racial metaphor is the fact that none of these mutants were in any way distinguishable from white Americans. Although later mutants would often have distinctive features that would set them apart from all of humanity, such as fur, horns, or different skin pigmentation, the original X-Men could “pass” as non-mutants whenever they wished. Even Angel, who had wings on his back, could use “restraining belts” to prevent “wings from bulging under [his] suit,” which allowed him to pass as a non-mutant (
X-Men #1
, 18). This team of mutants can “pass” as regular humans whenever the need arises. Werner Sollors defines passing as “[t]he crossing of any line that divides social groups” (247). Some examples of passing, identified by Everett Stonequist, include “Jews passing for Gentiles, Polish immigrants preferring to be German, Italians pretending to be Jewish, the Japanese Eta concealing their group identity to avoid discrimination, [or] the Anglo-Indians passing for British.” Despite these many instances where the term is applicable, it “is used most frequently as though it were short for ‘passing for white,’ in the sense of ‘crossing over’ the colored line in the United States from the black to the white side”(247). In the Marvel universe there are those mutants who can pass as normal humans and those who cannot because their mutation is too visible. In this period, almost all the mutants that are seen can pass as normal humans.

This is also true of the mutant villains the X-Men fight in this period. Magneto and his Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, which include Mastermind, the Toad, Quicksilver, and the Scarlet Witch, can all pass as normal humans when they choose. Similarly, the other mutants the X-Men face, including Unus the Untouchable, the Vanisher, Banshee, Warlock, Changeling, the Living Pharoah/the Living Monolith, Sauron, and Sunfire, can all “pass” as normal humans. Of the mutants presented in this run, only the Blob, who appears to be morbidly obese to the point that he works as a sideshow freak at a carnival, and Mesmero, who may have green skin (or it may be a mask and costume; it is not presented consistently in the comic books), stand out from normal humans due to their mutations. However, the Blob could still be normal, only obese, and Mesmero has the power to hypnotize people, so both could pass as normal humans if they chose.

Professor Xavier (Professor X)

Charles Xavier, sometimes called Professor X, is the world’s most powerful telepath and a champion of mutant rights in the Marvel narrative universe. When introduced to readers, he is bound to a wheelchair. Xavier is bald and clearly meant to be an older character, certainly much older than the teenagers he is training. Some of Xavier’s backstory is addressed in these issues. He lost the use of his legs during a battle with an alien villain called Lucifer. His stepbrother, the not subtly named Cain, is a supervillain named Juggernaut who hates Xavier because they feuded so much as children. In later periods of X-Men comic books, significant backstory about Xavier’s previous romantic life, son, and his work with Jews following World War II is added.

Scott Summers (Cyclops)

Scott Summers, code named Cyclops, can shoot energy beams from his eyes. His optic blasts cannot be switched on and off like Superman’s heat vision; if his eyes are open, they are emitting a powerful and destructive wave of energy. The only substance that can control them is “ruby quartz,” which absorbs the energy. He always wears either glasses or a visor to control his mutant power. Cyclops often feels his power is a burden because it is a constant threat to those around him. Cyclops is the most serious member of the team, and Professor X makes him the team leader when they are in the field. Cyclops is madly in love with Jean Grey, the only female on the team, but doesn’t act on his feelings during this period of X-Men comics.

Hank McCoy (Beast)

Hank McCoy is code named the Beast. He has larger hands and feet than a normal person and is extremely agile. Though later the character would sprout blue fur all over his body, in this period he has white skin and can easily pass for a normal human. The Beast is the most intellectual of the group. He has an interest in science and deliberately uses an advanced vocabulary, at times annoying his teammates with his word choices. If there is a word that has four syllables and means the same thing as a two-syllable word, the Beast will choose to use the four-syllable word. The Beast is an example of a character who defies the expected stereotype. The strongest and brawniest member of the team is really the most intellectual. In future issues, as the result of drinking a formula in
Amazing Adventures #11
(Mar. 1972), the Beast sprouts blue fur all over his body, which further cements the dichotomy between his brutish physical appearance and scientific mind.

Bobby Drake (Iceman)

Bobby Drake, the Iceman, is the youngest member of the team. He can turn his body into snow, later ice, and he can decrease the temperature around him. He can also produce ice and snow projectiles by sapping moisture from the air around him. He is the prankster of the team and is often reprimanded for his immaturity.

Warren Worthington III (Angel)

Warren Worthington III has wings sprouting from his back and uses the code name Angel. He comes from a very wealthy family and has stereotypical upper-class tastes. Like Cyclops, he is attracted to Jean Grey, and for a time a love triangle between the three is used to generate some tension on the team, though Jean Grey only ever expresses an interest in Cyclops.

Jean Grey (Marvel Girl)

Jean Grey, originally code named Marvel Girl, has telekinesis. Grey’s defining characteristic, at least initially, is that she is a female for the boys on the team to fight over. She longs for Cyclops, but in this period their mutual attraction is not acted on. After the team graduates from Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters, Jean is the only member that is shown going on to college.

Calvin Rankin (Mimic)

Calvin Rankin, or Mimic, is the first addition to the team, though it is only short-lived. Originally a villain created by Stan Lee and Werner Roth (
The X-Men #19
), Mimic has the mutant power to imitate the powers of other mutants around him. When near the X-Men, he sprouts wings like Angel, has optic blasts, can control ice and snow, and has telekinesis and increased dexterity. But when he is not near other mutants, he has no powers at all. After battling the X-Men, Calvin decides to attempt to reform his life and joins the team for three issues (
The X-Men #27
through
#29
), though it is always a contentious relationship. After a few issues, he departs.

Lorna Dane (Polaris)

Lorna Dane was created by Arnold Drake and Don Heck and first appeared in
X-Men #49
(Oct. 1968). She has the power to control magnetic waves. She adopts the code name Polaris. She is told she is Magneto’s daughter, but the truth of that statement is something that is debated for several decades in X-Men comic books. When she first appears, Iceman is instantly smitten with her, but she falls in love with Alex Summers after he is introduced several issues later.

Alex Summers (Havok)

Alex Summers is Scott Summers’s younger brother. Created by Arnold Drake and Don Heck, Alex first appeared in
X-Men #54
(Mar. 1964). There had been no hint to Scott’s having any extended family up to this point. When first introduced, Alex does not possess any mutant powers, but in the course of his first storyline he develops the ability to generate “plasma blasts” from his body, though he has little control over them. It is later discovered that he and his brother are immune to each other’s mutant powers. Havok and Polaris each guest-starred in several issues before becoming members of the team for two issues near the end of this period.
2

Close Readings

Early on, the X-Men featured an obvious metaphorical correlation between mutants and racial minorities. The issues of race relations and prejudice were worn on the proverbial sleeve of the series. Bryan Singer, director of
X-Men
and
X2
, says of the comic book, “This was Stan Lee and Jack Kirby’s way of commenting on prejudice [. . .] This is the comic book version of
The Crucible
” (“Origin of the X-Men”). The X-Men were created at a time when race and prejudice were among the most pressing issues in America. The mutants who made up the X-Men were literally a separate race in this narrative, and the issue of prejudice has long been the prevalent theme in the series.

Many have noted this correlation between the X-Men narrative and American historical events, and some have even noted direct parallels between the leaders of the mutant race and civil rights leaders. Professor X, who preaches peace between the races, seeking equality above all else, is considered to have been inspired by Martin Luther King Jr. Conversely, Magneto, who sees mutants as superior to all other races and has a supremacist point of view, is often seen as reflective of Malcolm X and the black power movement. Ralph Winter, a producer of the first X-Men film, said Bryan Singer particularly emphasized this aspect of the X-Men mythology: “Bryan [Singer] embraces this Martin Luther King versus Malcolm X approach to the values that are being presented” (“Origin of the X-Men”). One of the final lines spoken by Magneto in the film features a quote lifted directly from Malcolm X. Malcolm X said, “We declare our right on this earth [. . .] to be a human being, to be respected as a human being, to be given the rights of a human being in this society, on this earth, in this day, which we intend to bring into existence
by any means necessary
.” The words spoken by Magneto in the first film are “The war is still coming, Charles, and I intend to fight it . . . by any means necessary.” Singer, by lifting one of the most famous lines from Malcolm X’s speech, is clearly embracing the interpretation that Magneto is meant as a parallel for Malcolm X.

Many others have seen this similarity. Michael Fassbender, who portrays Magneto in the film
X-Men: First Class
, compares Xavier to Martin Luther King Jr. and Magneto to Malcolm X. Fassbender, in preparing for his role, latched onto the concept of “two ideals, two intelligent guys but with different methods of achieving what they want. Erik doesn’t trust humans and thinks they need to be wiped away and I can kind of see his point” (“X-Men: First Class”). John Trushell argues in “American Dreams of Mutants” that because Professor X sought “accommodation with homo sapiens” while Magneto “resemble[d] increasingly radical elements” of the Civil Rights movement, finding “such parallels are not far-fetched.” It has become almost commonplace for fans or commentators to identify and accept this interpretation of the X-Men, though there are those who resist this reading.

In the essay “Lee, Kirby, and Ovid’s Metamorphoses: or How Not to Read the X-Men, and then How to Read Them,” Roberts is opposed to making one-to-one correlations between the fictional narrative and the real world. He calls such interpretations dumb, explaining:

Why is it dumb? Because (and excuse me for stating the obvious) Charles Xavier is not Martin Luther King Jr. He’s Charles Xavier. There is
one
way in which he resembles Dr. King—he has dedicated his life to the peaceful emancipation of his people. But there are myriad ways in which he does
not
resemble King: he is a bald-headed white cripple with tremendous telepathic powers who lives in an enormous mansion in New York state, is in charge of a school for gifted mutant supermen and is an occasional traveler into outer space. [. . .] Concentrating on the one thing these two people have in common to the exclusion of all these points of difference is plain myopic. (142)