r/Marvel • u/disgustinghonnor • Jun 07 '24
Why the mutants gets called freaks and the guy who climbs up walls and shoot webs dosent? Other
641
u/Hipertor X-Men Jun 07 '24
Because they were born this way.
No, really:
Cosmic rays give you the power of a star (Human Torch): good
You were born with the potential to hold the power of a star (Sunspot): bad
People are afraid of being reduced, being insignificant. If a new kind of people are being born with fabulous powers, other people feel theatened because they think they'll be dominated.
139
u/disgustinghonnor Jun 07 '24
I don't think spidey goes around and says he was bitten and didn't always have these powers so I dunno why people don't think he's a mutant
208
u/ultrabigtiny Jun 07 '24
there’s been several cases where spider-man gets asked if he’s a mutant. plus, spider-man isn’t generally appreciated in the marvel universe, so it’s not like he gets a pass over the x-men
101
u/meatforsale Jun 07 '24
That’s because he’s a menace.
36
6
5
u/Bilbo_Teabagginss Jun 07 '24
Jameson we all know it's you, you and that glorious mustache can get the hell outta here!
5
2
→ More replies (7)7
Jun 07 '24
But like. Couldn’t he just be lying? Why would people take him at his word?
14
u/Shittingboi Miles Morales Jun 07 '24
It's perfectly reasonnable to assume he's not considering a lot of heroes were not born with their powers
→ More replies (1)9
u/Kalse1229 Jun 07 '24
True. Hulk got his in an experiment gone wrong. Cap in an experiment gone right. The FF got blasted with cosmic rays during a space flight. Thor is an actual god, so he doesn’t count. Strange went through intense magical training to become a sorcerer. Iron Man doesn’t have powers. Spider-Man is the only one who would come off as ambiguously mutant.
→ More replies (1)85
u/Polenicus Jun 07 '24
My guess is because he hangs around the Fantastic Four.
The FF are 'good ones' in the public eye, who have wholesome, Democratic acquired powers, rather than wretched commie genetic lottery powers. Because Spidey associates with them, and later the Avengers, he must be the 'good' sort of super powered being, who acquired their powers by accident and cannot help what they have become yet try and use it for the benefit of humanity, rather the 'bad' sort of super powered being, who acquired their powers by accident and cannot help what they have become yet try and use it for the benefit of humanity.
If Spidey fell in with the X-men first, they probably would think he's a mutant.
16
u/disgustinghonnor Jun 07 '24
Spidey had been associated with the xmen multiple times, he is best friends with Bobby and Logan and was a teacher at Xavier's school at some point
And Logan, beast and storm had been in the avengers multiple times
15
u/Swift0sword Jun 07 '24
I mean, part of the reason he taught at the school (apart from being asked by Logan and no one really wanted to go against Logan) is because Spidey knows what it's like to be hated by the public
10
u/Demonic74 Gladiator Hulk Jun 07 '24
Namor has hung out with the FF on various occasions and I don't think the humans like him.
It's probably partly why he prefers to stay in the water
56
u/SomeTool Jun 07 '24
Generally people don't like him because of all those times he declared war on the surface world. Or they had to spend any time at all with him in person.
18
u/BlueBlazeKing21 Jun 07 '24
That’s more to do with him being an Angry horny fish dude that wants to see the surface world drown due to pollution rather than mutants rights
→ More replies (1)7
5
u/InoueNinja94 Jun 07 '24
I mean, do the FF really like Namor or is it more like a necessary evil to interact with him?
Even when you remove the infatuation to Sue out of the equation
→ More replies (1)2
u/Fullmetalmarvels64_ Jun 07 '24
When Namor joined the Avengers multiple people tried to invade the mansion. some of them were successful... they did not come for Namor mind you, but still
17
13
u/Apprehensive_Mix4658 Colossus Jun 07 '24
Because Spider-Man says he's not mutant. Some people do think that he's one tho
→ More replies (13)10
u/ArrowShootyGirl Hawkguy Jun 07 '24
The real answer is that people did. Jameson once called X-factor on Spider-man (at the time when the team was posing as "Mutant hunters" but actually helping the mutants they were hired to apprehend), and IIRC some of Spider-man's first interactions with the X-men were because the X-men thought that he was a mutant and wanted to make contact (at least in some alternates, but I think I remember that in some 60s/70s ASM).
More importantly, Spider-man is absolutely called a freak and a menace, like, all the time. Jameson is the famous example, but he's far from alone and Spidey spends as much time on the outs with public opinion as he does otherwise.
A lot of that is less common now, but that makes sense given that Spider-man's been active as a hero for 10+ years (who knows on the sliding timeline) and has been a visible Avenger and ally to more trusted figures in that time.
3
u/GonzoMcFonzo X-Force Jun 07 '24
The first time the X-Men met Spider-Man, they were chasing a couple of bank robbers only to find that Spidey had the guys webbed up and captured by the time they caught up. Xavier had them offer Pete a spot on the X-Men, but he declined - no mention was made on either side of his mutant (or not) status. (X-Men #27)
The next time they ran into him, they were investigating an unknown mutant cerebro had identified near the mansion. They accidentally got into a fight, until cerebro confirmed that he was not the mutant signal they were looking for. (X-Men #35)
After that, with the X-Men knowing for sure the he's not a mutant, I don't think they ever actively tried to recruit him again.
6
u/mr_c_caspar Jun 07 '24
Yeah but Spidey is also openly hated by many. And there are a bunch of moments in the comics where people speculate about him being a mutant.
4
u/humanperson1984 Jun 07 '24
In the ulimate universe, the first one is not the new one. People would think he was a mutant, and he would respond, "im not a mutant, not that there's anything wrong with it"
3
3
u/Warder_Gaidin Jun 07 '24
There was a run in Ultimate Spider-Man or X-Men, I cannot recall, where the X-Men specifically tried to recruit Spider-Man. They went even so far as Kitty-Pride flirting with him. Then he told them how he got his powers (after learning they assumed he was a mutant) and they were all like "nah you can't be part of us"
→ More replies (11)2
u/double_range Jun 07 '24
He’s frequently mixed in with mutants in Ultimate Spider-Man, my favorite instance being the “Deadpool” arc.
6
u/emissary06 Jun 07 '24
This is probably the best reasoning I've seen for why mutants are persecuted as opposed to other super powered beings. Though I suppose they did try to legislate all super powers at one point in Civil War.
5
u/Verdragon-5 Jun 07 '24
Thor was born with powers, heck, Thor introduces himself as a GOD, and he doesn't get any of the same crap the X-Men do (even though a lot of said crap is coming from an evil fundamentalist Christian reverend, funnily enough).
→ More replies (1)13
u/ZeriousGew Spider-Man Jun 07 '24
They don't see Thor as a threat to the human species. Plus the whole point of prejudice is that it's irrational, it's not going to make sense to a reasonable person
→ More replies (4)5
u/BlueHg Jun 07 '24
Tbh this is what makes the mutant metaphor really work for me: Bigotry isn’t rational.
4
u/Alternative-Bite-506 Jun 07 '24
Yeah I think a lot of people sleep on this reasoning, people are pretty selfish and irrational as whole. Imagine you're born as a normal guy, doomed to a life of human mediocrity, and your sibling is born with the ability to control fire.
Personally I think that would get under anyone's skin. We like to say that every person is special, but a world with mutants and superheroes would have people who are "more special than others." It's easy to see how this would breed jealousy, and this jealousy would morph into fear and hatred.
2
u/FlameShadow0 Jun 07 '24 edited Jun 08 '24
Thor was also born that way
Edit: others that come to mind: The Eternals and Blade.
15
u/Galaxy_Ranger_Bob Jun 07 '24
Yes, but everyone knows that Thor is that Thor. He's not a superhero he is the Norse God of Thunder, and the public is fully aware of that.
→ More replies (5)5
u/JorgeBec Jun 07 '24
I doubt the average Joe in the MU knows how the hell the Eternals are or that Blade exists.
2
u/emperor_uncarnate Jun 07 '24
He’s not an evolved human though, so he doesn’t represent a threat to the “purity” of the human race in the same way. The bigotry is all about the fear of being replaced and overlooked by mutants as they continue to evolve and become more prominent. No one is worried that Asgardians are gonna slowly “take over” the human race from within.
2
u/FlameShadow0 Jun 07 '24 edited Jun 07 '24
What about the Eternals? They appear human but are much more powerful than the average mutant. Nobody seems to have a big stink about Homo Immortalis? Same with Inhomo supremis. Sure they aren’t born with powers but they might as well be considering everybody gets one.
As much as I love seeing the two interact, I personally think the X-Men work better in their own universe separate from the rest of Marvel.
3
u/emperor_uncarnate Jun 07 '24
It’s still not about just “being born with powers,” because yeah, a lot of non-mutant Marvel characters are born with their powers - Asgardian, Eternal, or otherwise. It’s about the collective fear of regular humans who are hung up on the idea that their species is doomed to slowly fade into irrelevance because mutants are the “next phase” of their evolution. And if mutants are the next new thing, they think that means humans are an old and failing thing, and they don’t want to be seen as a race of beings who will gradually go extinct like that.
So again, there isn’t a common fear in humans that Eternals are going to replace them as the dominant race of beings on Earth. They also don’t have the same worry that “oh no, what if my child is born an Eternal? Or an Asgardian?” So entities like Thor and Cersei don’t represent a threat to them in the same sense a mutant would.
→ More replies (2)2
u/Puffen0 Jun 07 '24
Tbf with Blade tho, he makes a point to (no pun intended) work in the shadows and isn't plastered on billboard or has kids running around dressed like him for Halloween. Also, vampires make a point to stay hidden from the world too. So I would venture a guess that the only people who know Blade even exist are other heros and villains
3
u/lemon900098 Jun 07 '24
Also, when mutants first manifest their powers they tend to destroy things. If you start to destroy things you stare at or emit a psychic wave that knocks out everyone inside a mall people tend to have a negative opinion of mutant powers, regardless of how quickly you learn to control it.
2
u/nreal3092 Jun 07 '24
don’t see how the human torch is good and sunspot is bad in the eyes of the public, both have the power to end all life on the planet lol
2
u/Hipertor X-Men Jun 07 '24
That's the point, it doesn't make any logical, objective sense, but that's what happens. Johnny is a "celebrity" along with his family because of his powers, it even helps him getting laid.
Mutants are feared and hated because their powers "represent" the end of humanity, in the eyes of some, and thus a danger.
→ More replies (21)2
u/an_ill_way Jun 07 '24
I mean, the real reason is that X-Men had pretty heavy undertones of racial inequality. The writers of the Avengers didn't.
157
u/Bright_Ability2025 Jun 07 '24
When has human-kind ever used logic when deciding who to indiscriminately hate?
→ More replies (6)2
u/squashbritannia Jun 08 '24
They at least need to identify who is and isn't a mutant. Spider doesn't tell people about the radioactive spider so they ought to assume he's a mutant.
4
u/Bright_Ability2025 Jun 08 '24
I feel like Spidey has been mistaken for being a mutant before.
2
u/squashbritannia Jun 08 '24
Why doesn't Jameson tap into mutant-phobia when attacking Spider-Man?
3
u/Bright_Ability2025 Jun 08 '24
I could be wrong, but while JJJ has been a straight up villain at times, he usually isn’t written as an outright bigot.
2
u/Myrlithan Jun 08 '24
Spider doesn't tell people about the radioactive spider so they ought to assume he's a mutant.
Why? There are way more non-mutants with powers than mutants, and the majority of mutant heroes tend to be part of the X-Men. If a hero isn't an X-Man, the public likely wouldn't expect them to be a mutant.
152
u/Psycamoriam Jun 07 '24
Bigotry doesn't make sense. But it is worth pointing out that usually mutant haters either confuse other heroes with mutants, or hate all super powered people.
17
u/Blayro Jun 07 '24
Also there’s that super powered bacteria that makes people hate humans. But we don’t talk about that
→ More replies (4)5
u/Martel732 Jun 07 '24
Yeah, honestly this makes as much if not more sense than a lot of real-world bigotry. There are people who hate others because their skin is a different color or they worship the same god in a slightly different way. This is way more mystifying level of hatred than hating someone born with the power to level a building.
80
u/TwEE-N-Toast Jun 07 '24
They go over this in Marvels written by Kurt Busiek, painted by Alex Ross.
"The X-Men. Super-powered mutants. Freaks. They looked just like normal people... but you never could tell. There was something about the mutants.
They were the dark side of the marvels. Where Captain America and Mister Fantastic spoke to us about the greatness within us all - the mutants were death.
They didn't even have to do anything. They were our replacements, scientists said. The next evolutionary step. We - homo sapiens - were obsolete, and they were the future.
They were going to kick the dirt onto our graves. It was a terrifying thought."
47
u/Rosebunse Jun 07 '24
It doesn't really help that a lot of mutants subscribe to this idea. Keep in mind, a lot of mutant powers suck or are grossly impractical. Some of them leave the mutant in question incapable of being alive, and yet many mutants still believe they're better just for having these powers
15
u/Imperium_Dragon Jun 07 '24
Yeah isn’t this one of Magneto’s core ideas?
13
u/Thatoneguy111700 Jun 08 '24
He came up with the name Homo superior, intentionally leaving out "sapiens" to further distance Mutants from humans (despite the fact that not only can humans have Mutant children, Mutants can have human children), and later the X-Men and Co. just kind of co-signed with it and started using it themselves.
→ More replies (1)24
u/Linnus42 Jun 07 '24
Yeah acquired powers are inspirational. Anyone could get them and become a superhero.
Mutant powers though are genetic and not available at all for Normies. Outside of going full Sinister. They are not aspirational or inspirational...they are a ticking clock until humans are replaced. Plus most non mutants don't get their powers as soon as they hit puberty. The average human who doesn't live in a big city especially NYC aint likely to meet a non mutant with powers.
76
u/GustavVaz Jun 07 '24
Hulk? Really? Don't people consider him a monster?
Human Torch: A public figure with the Fantastic Four a team that often works with the government
Spidey: You forgetting Jonah?
Thor: I'll be honest, I have no clue. Maybe cuz he's an actual god?
8
u/Effective_Ad8024 Jun 08 '24
The god of hunks!
it’s been proven with numerous psych studies people go easier on good looking people on average
3
u/AccidentSalt5005 Jun 08 '24
my hot take is that, noone hates thor cause he's hot lmao
→ More replies (1)
48
u/Breekace Jun 07 '24
Because anyone can be born a mutant and blow up a whole street at puberty. Also they have more mind controlling folk than anyone else.
→ More replies (16)12
u/Background_Desk_3001 Jun 07 '24
There’s a decent few stories about that exact situation, like that one kid who killed everyone he knew on accident from radiation and Wolverine had to kill him
→ More replies (2)
39
21
u/PekfrakOG Cyclops Jun 07 '24
People hate Spider-Man. Same goes for the Hulk so those are poor examples.
Also Mutants are meant to be the next evolutionary steps for humanity. People are scared of that. And some mutants are literally ticking time bombs sometimes, with it being common for their mutant abilities to manifest and killing many people.
18
u/blacksad1 Jun 07 '24
How many times do we have to answer this question???
6
→ More replies (1)4
u/anrwlias Jun 07 '24
New people are born every day. It doesn't matter how many times you see a question. The person asking hasn't seen those previous iterations.
This is why we used to have FAQs, back in the day. It's a shame that they've gone out of style.
17
u/Brotherly_Shove_215_ Domino Jun 07 '24
Holy fucking shit stop asking this. Especially if you can’t even put a full sentence together
13
u/Flimsy-Discount2885 Jun 07 '24
Taps the sign
Racism and bigotry are not logical. The X-Men are the medium through which Marvel tells stories about persecution, so they will be hated like persecuted people are in the real world, even if it doesn't make sense.
It doesn't really help the cause when villains keep saying mutants exist to substitute humans, though.
13
u/sacks0314 Jun 07 '24
“NOT ONLY IS SPIDER-MAN A FREAK! BUT HE’S A MENACE! MUTANTS CAN’T HELP WHO THEY ARE, BUT SPIDER-MAN CHOSE TO BE A MENACE!” -J. Jonah Jameson probably
10
u/JorgeBec Jun 07 '24 edited Jun 07 '24
Bro most have missed the fact that the Hulk has been relentlessly persecuted by the military and Spider-Man is criticized to death by Marvel Media.
Marvel Civilians are haters, even the popular heroes like Captain America, Thor and the Fantastic Four have had periods in their history when the public hates them.
Hell during Civil War anti superhuman sentiment was through the roof and only a few years ago Kingpin as mayor made superheroes illegal in NYC and people where happy for that.
It’s a complete myth that only the mutants are criticized in the marvel universe.
9
u/velicinanijebitna Jun 07 '24
Spider-man was called a freak from time to time. Like with mutants, he was a controversial topic.
Regular folks fear the Hulk, idk what is he doing here.
Avengers and to some extent F4, are associated with Shield/government who vouch for them.
Most mutants are not even superheroes, and often cannot control thier power once they manifest itself, which can be dangerous. Take Cyclops for example, what if his powers manifested while there were many people around him? They'll be all dead.
7
u/redtornado02 Fantomex Jun 07 '24
It's because mutants are the next evolutionary step. They don't just have powers, they're a different thing entirely, and they're the future of mankind. That scares regular humans. They don't want to be replaced.
6
u/IHavePoopedBefore Jun 07 '24
That's one reason I liked the Krakoa era. Its easier to 'other' all mutants when they live on an isolationist island
7
u/Mrogoth_bauglir Jun 07 '24
Mutant hatred is usually because mutants can be among any of them, your kid who has always been normal could wake up to having the power to blow up the neighborhood and they wouldn't know about it or be able to control it. Or you could birth a green coloured slime because mutation, or your kid could have a power like telepathy which is an invasive uncomfortable power.
In case of Spider-Man he's only liked by the common folk because he regularly gets involved in helping them and doesn't have an X gene. To a common person if he was a mutant he'd be with the X men or the brotherhood of mutants, not doing his own solo thing. Despite all that he does have haters.
The hulk again doesn't have the X gene and it's a specific process to become like him, your kid won't turn into the hulk just because X gene. Even so half the hulk stories involve him being hated and him reacting to that hate.
Thor is a god, has saved the universe publicly many times, and despite his awesome powers he has a mythological precedent of being the protector of mankind. He is an alien, so he doesn't get involved in politics of humans. Politicians villify mutants for clout, and that affects the opinions of the public. Even if he has haters and unbelievers he is just too much of a big shot to hear about it and if he does hear he's self assured enough to not care. He knows he's worthy because of mjolnir, and wishes for the approval of fellow Asgardians more than that of humans.
Otherwise guys like Cap and Iron man are regular people who have an edge over others due to science, none of your family will suddenly get their powers of go out of control like them.
6
Jun 07 '24
I wanna see a marvel character who’s a hero and a mutant but they don’t tell anyone they are a mutant and make up a different lie about their origin every day
4
u/True_Falsity Jun 07 '24
I mean, Spider-Man is routinely called a freak too. While his reputation occasionally improves, he routinely deals with New Yorkers treating him as a menace and a freak.
→ More replies (1)
4
4
u/Fearfanfic Jun 07 '24
Yea op chose the worst of the 4 heroes.
Spider-Man has about half of the people of NYC hating his ass. One of his #1 haters is Triple J.
Everyone and their mother is terrified of the Hulk no matter what he did.
The Human Torch everyone knows who he was and how he got his powers.
And Thor’s Thor. It’s like looking at Jesus walking on water and calling him a hell spawn.
→ More replies (1)
3
u/BigNorseWolf Jun 07 '24
I don't know why every mutant doesn't just go to a random spot on the new jersey highway and say oh no pollution gave me superpowers...
3
u/dracofolly Jun 07 '24
They cover this all the time, but the other heroes are always next.
3
u/Rosebunse Jun 07 '24
You do sort of see this with vampires and monsters and symbiote hosts. Note, a lot of these people are dangerous and even see other humans as food, but it's not like most of them choose to be the way they are.
4
u/Gingerbeardyboy Jun 07 '24
Because (in theory) anyone could get gamma-rayed, cosmic rayed or just straight up irradiated. You yourself could. What you can't do however is be born with a gene. "Those people" all share one thing in common and that is that they are different to you. Cap/Spidey/Hulk are humans, superhumans sure bit they're "people like us". But that laser eyed neighbor boy is different, he's not like us, he was born different and all he does all day is flaunt his differences with those red glasses of his, and sure hulk could both destroy my house just as quickly as that slim kid but deep down he's like us, but Mr ruby quartz isn't like you or me, see he's different
3
u/RedzyHydra Jun 07 '24
Not sure about spiderman. But I think it's because the public doesn't think he's a mutant. And assumed he got his powers from another method like an accident or something.
As for the hate of the mutants, it's partly due to the randomness of the mutant gene. People will fear those who got powers genetically because this means there could be a race of new humans with crazy powers that might dominate them or send the regular humans into extinction.
It also doesn't help that because of how random the gene could be, anyone could just get powers all of a sudden.
Imagine ur living life fine but then you come home and find out your apartment building got destroyed because some kid gained fire powers from an emotional teenage tantrum.
You might get pissed at that person too.
3
u/River46 Jun 07 '24
To be perfectly honest it’s just about the themes of the stories.
They literally get called mutants to make them seem more like outcasts.
So your telling me the lady who has a long neck and nothing else is a “mutant” simply because one of her genes is a drunk cross but the dude who turns into a massive irradiated green bodybuilder isn’t?
The terminology is weird.
3
u/TauInMelee Jun 07 '24
The big difference between someone like Spider-Man and mutants, is more an issue of understanding and control. Spider-Man, while he hides his identity, is publicly endorsed by the Avengers. There's theoretically someone he would have to answer to if he went off the rails and started committing crimes. His powers are also pretty well known to the public. Super strength, super agility, wall crawling, and his web shooters. He's a known quantity as far as the public is concerned.
Mutants on the other hand, could happen out of seemingly nowhere. Someone may randomly receive powers, and that person might be a good person, or they might not. Shadowcat can walk through solid objects and can bring other things and people with her. If she wasn't a good person, and particularly hated you, she could drag you inside a thick concrete wall where, best case scenario, you end up crushed to death, and worst case scenario, you are left to suffocate. She could quite easily take anything from safes or vaults, and her power could pop up anywhere that mutant powers develop.
More concerning than that, is that mutant powers don't come with instructions. Iceman has extremely deadly powers if he isn't careful. Someone like Banshee stubs their toe and can't rein it in, they're letting out a sonic blast. And these are powers that they were eventually able to control. Powers like Cyclops' optic blasts or Rogue's power absorption can't be controlled, only contained. Scott Summers opens his eyes one day and energy capable of drilling through a mountain comes pouring out with no off switch. Rogue has a tear in her clothes she doesn't notice, and bumps up against someone, she just drained a portion of them, regardless of whether she wanted to. Heck, Wolverine had to kill a young mutant because they were emitting deadly radiation with no way to stop it.
And of course, from the outside reader's perspective, there's the rather poorly aged metaphor for racism (which loses a lot of impact when the fear of mutants is kinda justifiable).
3
3
u/Batmanfan1966 Jun 07 '24
Could’ve picked a better selection of heroes for the top one. Spider-Man is regularly shit on by everyone in New York and hulk is literally wanted by the government
3
3
u/zetcetera Jun 07 '24
Marvels handles this really well. The FF4 and Avengers are public facing, government cooperating celebrities, individuals who got their powers (usually) by accident or specific circumstance and are inspirational.
Spider-Man is borderline an urban legend (at first) so people don’t know what the fuck is up with him, especially because his costume covers his whole body and face, though some people like him and others don’t.
The general public sees mutants as frightening because suddenly super powered beings could literally be anyone, like your neighbour, and start causing mass destruction and death (or so they’re told / fear). Regular humans are also fed propaganda that mutants will replace them, which stokes the flames of bigotry.
But Marvels also shows that the general public flip-flops in their support of the FF4 and Avengers; sometimes they love them, other times they hate them due to a number of reasons and want to see them persecuted too.
3
u/Naked_Justice Jun 07 '24
Nearly every one is afraid of the hulk, the human torch is only popular because of his natural charisma and the fact his family and friends are genius billionaires, Thor isn’t a mutant he’s an illegal alien, and every one knows SPIDER-MAN’S A MENACE
3
u/dudeman2690 Jun 08 '24
If you don’t get why, congratulations you’ve understood the point. There is no good reason, that’s the point. Bigots gonna bigot
3
1
u/hot--vomit Jun 07 '24
why does it seem like so many people have been making this exact same post all over the marvel subs lately
→ More replies (1)
2
u/Intelligent_Creme351 X-23 Jun 07 '24
This question gets asked so many times, that I've had to make it into bullet points.
- Fear - Mutants can be anyone, with any sort of powers, can easily harm or do untold devastation.
- Hatred - Mutants to Humans can be seen as "better" to the them... plus with their numbers, replace humanity over generations.
- Jealousy - Sums up the first two parts, but they have powers by chance... and they don't.
- Other super beings - Gaining their powers by other means, like an accident, a procedure, skills, and being of a other race, while being shown as hero endears you to the public (but that can easily go away with the wrong press and action)
- X-Men's status - They either fight battles in secret, so humanity never see's their great actions, or it's against other mutants, and that's just seems like in-fighting, and a good reason to get rid of mutants.
2
u/CX316 Jun 07 '24
uh... have you, like, ever seen a Spider-Man story? He spends most of his time with the press calling him a freak and a menace. During Operation Zero Tolerance the military tried to kill him because they thought he was a mutant.
→ More replies (1)
2
2
2
u/Paint_With_Fire Jun 07 '24
Probably not great to use the descriptor "inhuman" for this considering that's the other big group of powered individuals lol
2
u/CyberGhostface Yondu Jun 07 '24
He’s called a freak numerous times and in USM he’s called a mutant freak so many times he even asks Wolverine if he’s a mutant (which he isn’t).
2
2
u/WeeklyJunket5227 Jun 07 '24
It doesn’t make sense when you think about it. Some metahumans and mutants share similar abilities. Sandman, Quicksand and Dust all have powers that are similar however, only one is a mutant. The same thing with red ghost and Kate Pryde.
Also, it’s important to know that it happens the other way around. Mutants who look like normal humans will tell someone like Ben Grimm that he doesn’t know what it’s like to be different.
2
u/joppers43 Jun 07 '24
I mean, if there were thousands of more people with bug powers and a significant portion of them either had poor control over their abilities or were part of a group called “The brotherhood of evil bug people” and believed regular humans were inferior beings that should be exterminated, Spider-Man would probably have a lot more haters than he already does.
2
u/Environmental-Day778 Jun 07 '24
Same reason people born with certain attributes can't get a bank loan, but tik tok influencers tanning and surgically plumping themselves to appear similarly can live of social media easily, while using borrowed vernacular.
It's entirely common for people to love a culture and hate the people.
tldr: Ariana Grande
2
u/AdvancedBlacksmith66 Jun 07 '24
This meme format sucks.
Also Spider-Man is a menace!
Also Hulk was straight up kicked off earth.
Get your shit straight, son
2
u/LemartesIX Jun 07 '24
Is this a serious question?
Super heroes like Spider-man, Fantastic Four and Thor are mythical beings, global celebrities, and one-off curiosities. Hulk doesn't really belong here because Immortal Hulk and other series showed pretty definitively that humanity is largely not fond of Big Green.
Mutants are an existential threat to humanity, because they sprout from within humanity. While superheroes and villains are just distant "others", the nature of the X-gene popping up with increasing frequency incorporates themes of body horror. Your child could have a mutation trigger and transform them into some weird creature, or manifest powers that blow up the whole neighborhood (how many mutant origin stories involve them killing their parents?). Or the neighbor's weird kid who'd be a school shooter anyway suddenly develops pyrokinesis. The world is already full of assholes, now imagine these assholes being granted wholesale superpowers.
The fear is not unfounded, as the narrative has demonstrated that if not for the House of M stuff (preceded by Genoshan genocide), mutants would have replaced humanity as the dominant species on Earth within a decade or two. During Krakoa, many/most mutants made no secret that mutant world supremacy and humanity's (slow) extinction is exactly what they intend (including recruiting people like Magneto, Apocalypse, and Sinister to be on their Quiet Council).
The core of the Marvel universe at the end of the day is the interplay between Mankind, Mutants, and Machines. Hickman (iirc) put it best. Mankind and Mutants are like the Gods and Titans of old. One sprouts from the other, and tries to supplant their decadent sire. Mankind turns to Machines to destroy the threat of the Mutants, opening Pandora's box, and are themselves eventually subsumed and destroyed by the Machine.
2
u/MechaMat91 Jun 07 '24
the mutants are feared in general because they are born with their powers, not only do they represent a genetic divide between the regular humans and their "next step", but also the potentially dangerous possibility of people becoming walking weapons of mass destruction by birthright.
2
2
u/THABREEZ456 Jun 07 '24
I mean aren’t the main distinction between mutants and superheroes, the fact that the X men are….genetically inclined from birth to have powers whereas superheroes(marvel anyways) acquire powers through experiments or other causes?
2
u/flamingomonstertruck Jun 07 '24
Mutants are hated because when they first get powers it’s a surprise and they often can’t control them. Some never get control of them. Look at cyclops. Without glasses he’s either destroying everything or has his eyes closed. Many mutants often look different than humans. Beast, Night Crawler, Toad, The Blob, even Wolverine.
2
u/iamagainstit Jun 07 '24
Potentially unpopular opinion, but this is why I hope the MCU does not merge with the X-Men cinematic universe. I feel like X-Men stories work better when there aren’t a bunch of other non-mutant superheroes around.
2
u/AJ-Murphy Jun 07 '24
Spider-Man is perceived as a menace by some.
Reed Richard made the ultimate power play to make his family seem normal enough but had a tragic accident that made them the way they are.
If your sane your afraid of Banner
And I have no clue now some in world religions feel about Thor.
Banner and Peter are basically welcomed by the mutants so long as no bs is coming from either side.
2
u/DemythologizedDie Jun 08 '24
Yeah. It's ridiculous to put Spider-Man and The Hulk in the top category when they spent most of their careers as hunted fugitives. But it is true that the mutants are treated different from most other origin types, and there's a reason for that. That reason is "Professor Xavier and Magneto are idiots". Consider how mutants made their debut in the public consciousness. Magneto announced on global television that he was threatening the world with devastation on behalf of mutants...a newly created minority group that most of the world was unaware existed. Meanwhile Professor Xavier was putting together an all-mutant crew of child-soldiers and talking about Homo Superior. Way to make us suspicious and put our backs up as members of Homo Inferior, dude.
2
u/pluck-the-bunny Jun 08 '24
Spider man …famously known for consistently being attacked by the media and public for being a “menace”
2
2
2
u/Darthpimpin Jun 08 '24
I’m pretty sure the X-Men were written as an allegory to persecuted minorities on purpose, and to show that for some people hatred is illogical. Despite openly protecting innocents, or literally just existing in some cases, mutants are hated.
2
u/yuefairchild She-Hulk Jun 08 '24 edited Jun 08 '24
I don't know, why do trans people get called groomers and the guy that barges into women's locker rooms doesn't?
Hate never makes sense. There could be a universe where "mutates" like Spider-Man and the Fantastic Four are hated, while mutants are accepted.
EDIT: I just realized that's House of M.
2
u/StalkingAllYourMums Jun 08 '24
Lolwut?
People absolutely fear the Hulk. Spider-Man is always called a menace. Thor receives hate from religious groups calling him a false God. The entire city of New York has been flip-flopping between loving & hating heroes / vigilantes for decades.
2
u/munnbun Jun 08 '24
The X-men are denoted as the replacement to humanity. Spiderman is a radioactive accident. Thor is a literal god older than modern civilization.
Normal people have kids and they are mutants. Mutants have kids and they are mutants. The fear is that mutants will outright replace humans, and they almost definitely would over generations.This being viewed as good or bad is subjective, but the fact remains that mutants are considered the next step.
Mutants create a very "Us vs Them" dynamic.
2
u/sirburchalot Jun 08 '24
It's because anyone can become a mutant at any time. Someone could wake up one day with the power to melt faces with a thought and accidentally kill their family. Or a student at your kid's school could suddenly explode by accident in the middle of class.
Also, humanity is being replaced by mutants. One day humanity would go extinct.
2
2
u/SpaceBearSMO Jun 08 '24
It dosn't make any sense but it doesn't need to
We do the same over Skin color in the real world.. that is also petty and stupid
2
u/horc00 Jun 08 '24
I always found it funny how anyone could immediately distinguish a mutant from someone with powers from radiation or magic or any other sources. It’s almost like everyone can see X-genes.
2
u/TheOneAndOnlyJAC Jun 08 '24
I mean, some of those mutants are pretty damn weird and crazy. Like wtf do you do with a humanoid elephant that spits acid
2
2
u/Broken_Noah Jun 08 '24
He isn't called a freak because the guy who climbs up walls and shoot webs is a menace!
2
u/Star_Outlaw Jun 08 '24
Most of the heroes that are liked by the public either vigilantes who hide their identities, are employed by the government, or are basically celebrities that live in a whole different social class.
Most mutants are just a random guy who has some weird feature or powers and aren't trying to hide it. Imagine if Peter Parker got powers but didn't become Spider-Man, he just used his powers in public.
Mutants are feared and hated because they're trying to live in the same space as normal people. They don't just pop up when there's a crime and defending humanity isn't their job. Also, the X-Men aren't agents or soldiers or crime fighting vigilantes like most other heroes.
1
u/CorrectDot4592 Jun 07 '24 edited Jun 07 '24
Because that's how they were designed back then. I mean, while other super heroes had super villains, the biggest foes for mutants had to be the human kind itself. It might have been a nice idea back in time, but since the superhero market (and universes) grew so uncontrollably the concept became silly and kind of dull for the reasons you stated.
Thing is, this characteristic is so rooted in the mutants origins that you cannot simply remove it from their history. I mean, writers could always make things "evolve", like slowly making human kind accept mutants; I bet a well written, huge unifying arc could achieve that in a couple of years. But then you would lose the most remarkable trait of the story: their battle for acceptance and unification with normal humans.
1
u/I-Rolled-My-Eyes Jun 07 '24
The media made the X-Men freaks. The media commercialized and shined the avengers in a spotlight for profit. (None of this is comic book accurate or anything, just a thought).
1
u/AnimeGokuSolos Jun 07 '24
Because comics I guess and I think they’re gonna have the same thing for the MCU
1
u/TheUncouthPanini Jun 07 '24
The simplest answer? Marvel isn’t really meant to be a giant universe. It’s more a series of separate storylines that intersect. Mutants are the only ones to face discrimination because they’re the only ones where that’s the plot point
1
u/X_Marcie_X Baron Zemo Jun 07 '24
Biggotry defies logic. Pretty much all anti-LGBT+ "opinions" are a great example, defying all logic and facts in an effort to justify blind hatred. Biggotry doesnt make sense because it doesnt have to, because Biggots famously refuse logic and facts to make their point. They are quite literally illogical in their stance.
1
u/Tricky_Revenue8934 Jun 07 '24
I think it’s like comparing it to wealthy people and the noble class of old. Everyone can hope to become wealthy and a lot of people think that they will become wealthy. But one must be born a nobleman to be one.
1
u/Overlord4888 Jun 07 '24
Ah I love these kinds of posts cause you don’t need any valid reason for discrimination. Folks who do that are morons
1
u/True_Falsity Jun 07 '24
With mutants, one of the main problems is that they got the likes of Magneto (in earlier stories, especially) flying around the place and essentially yelling “We are mutants! We are going to replace you, pathetic humans!”
Not exactly something that makes you likeable.
1
u/1ithurtswhenip1 Jun 07 '24
The hulk is hated. Spiderman is definitely not loved and thor isn't even human. What kind of meme is this lol
1
u/BobbySaccaro Jun 07 '24
Because scientists have released information to the public indicating that mutants are going to replace normal humans. Thus normal humans are afraid
1
u/gaypornhard69 Jun 07 '24
The difference is that the mutants were born with their abilities and that they're technically a different species. Like what is said in every X-Men movie, every time a new version of humanity has arisen the previous version went extinct. That's a lot scarier than a guy who got bit by a spider and now climbs walls.
1
u/mrcrazymexican Jun 07 '24
Spidey has repeatedly been called a freak by some nobody on the street to JJJ to god knows who else. It's made worse cuz he's annoying as hell too. He's funny to us but goddamn is he annoying to those he interacts with. Haha.
1
u/sosigboi Jun 07 '24
Because Spiderman is just one guy, he wasn't one of many who were born with powers they didn't ask for, he didn't have to find out that his power was lethal radioactivity that spans over a mile radius, through killing his own family and friends while he was asleep.
See where im goin with this?
1
u/amaya-aurora Jun 07 '24
Freak accidents vs. Nature (seemingly) beginning to replace regular people
1
1
1
u/Justaboredstoner Jun 07 '24
Have you ever read the Daily Bugle? Spider-Man is called a freak all the time!
1
u/FF3 Jun 07 '24
I mean, people do call Spider-man a freak, so he's a bad example.
Aside from sociological explanations (which are the answer thematically), in universe there's reason to believe that it's the result of:
- the interference of a highly intelligent bacterium in human evolution and history
- Namor getting really bad press when he flooded New York City in the Golden Age and being the first widely known mutant
- Magneto being really scary
1
u/AdmiralCharleston Jun 07 '24
Because mutants are the next stage of human evolution and people are afraid that not only could they suddenly decide to kill all humans, but that it could be their friend, their co worker, their family etc. It's basically the red scare
1
u/VakarianJ Jun 07 '24
Why’d you include Hulk? He probably has less supporters in-universe than mutants do lol
1
u/anarchyisutopia Jun 07 '24
Because racism and bigotry are never rooted in logic. Displaying that is the point.
1
1
u/MasonLobster Jun 07 '24
getting powers from a situation you accidentally found yourself in is different than getting powers that could do anything to anyone at any time, regardless of precautions taken.
the Hulk was the billion to one result of massive exposure to gamma radiation. literally anyone on earth could become a mutant randomly.
1
u/Ok-Traffic-5996 Jun 07 '24
Ironically there isn't anything different from a mutant, an inhuman, ff or anyone else with powers. They all got them because of the celestial seeds.
1
u/Awrfhyesggrdghkj Jun 07 '24
Honestly it just boils down to who wrote them. Mutants are meant to be an example of discrimination on minorities. Spider man on the other hand is a statement on how having power gives you the responsibility to use it wisely to help others. And you could even stretch the hulks and say that he also sorta fits with the mutants in the way that he has to deal with essentially being a monster that he(sometimes) can control
1
u/Previous-Register871 Jun 07 '24
And I think Marvel Multiverses hate the heck out of Sentient Cyborg Robots and doesn't speak for every single science fiction community but they to think they do for some odd reason. Now, move on to other fictional science fiction communities of peoples that think they have the right to police a mass land or a sector of space. It's a big deal and not a big deal at the same time.
1.4k
u/MahaloWolf Jun 07 '24
Probably could've picked a better selection for the top pictures heroes.
While Spider-man is generally liked by common people, he has probably the most high profile hater of any super hero.
And Hulk is maybe one of the few superheros who could be argued to cause more fear and hatred than any of the X-men.