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BRAND_X
June 13, 2006
"The author would also like to acknowledge
the makers of comic book villains and
superheroes, those who invented, or at
least popularized, the notion of the
normal, mild-mannered person transformed
into mutant by freak accident, with the
mutant thereafter driven by a strange
hybrid of the most rancid bitterness and
the most outrageous hope to do very, very
odd and silly things, many times in the
name of Good. The makers of comic books
seemed to be onto something there."
-- Dave Eggers,
"A Heartbreaking Work
of Staggering Genius" (2000)
p. xi - xii
STAGGERING
The original X-Men was
a Stan Lee/Jack Kirby Two years previously,
creation in 1963. Lee/Kirby had made a The Four -- like
breakthrough with the Spider-man -- are
It fused together a "Fantastic Four", a ostensibly the
scenario from science reaction to the creations of freak
fiction novels with the popularity of DC's accidents involving
superhero genre: "Justice League". radiation.
genetic mutations producing
a new race of super humans. The X-Men are a
slightly
The X-Men were a Science Fiction: different scenario:
collection of products of freak
teenagers gathered "Slan", "Children accidents from
together by Xavier. of the Atom" ... before they
were born.
Xavier's recruits were THE_SECRET_MASTERS_OF_DESTINY
often literally Doomed by a
outcasts, at risk of quirk of fate,
being lynched by or doomed from
fearful mobs... birth.
Because after all, they
were a risk to anyone But they
close to them, because have not
of their strange, choosen
uncontrolled powers. Not even their fate.
the Hulk.
Xavier provides a MONSTERS
hiding place for them,
a retreat where they
can try to control The cover story is
their capabilities. that he's running an
exclusive private Somewhat less plausibly,
This is an extremely school: "Xavier's he's also turning them
powerful story, that School for Gifted into a combat unit,
resonates deeply Children". complete with uniforms.
on a number of levels:
A "secret identity"
These children pass for a group, rather
from a world of than an individual. Just givens of
bigotry and hostility the super-hero
into a civilized genre.
realm; their strange
natures go from But what
hated to valued It's asserted does that
in a single step. that they are But a single explain?
"mutations", mutation that
SEEKING a new species: could generate Why these
the Homo all these genre
Superior. strange conventions
colorful and not
(Yet another individual some
strange variations is other?
dumbing extremely
down of a unlikely.
Nietzschean
notion...)
A common Marvel
theme of the period:
The great power that
is bound together
with a weakness. A conviction that
nothing comes for
free?
A second, related theme:
The great power does not
solve any of the ordinary Also the theme of
human problems. the Philip Wylie novel Lee & Kirby
"Gladiator" (1930) put back
Lee/Kirby heroes are in some
typically vaguely unhappy, elements
mildly neurotic people: that Siegel
all-too-human supermen. Marvel often and Schuster
seems like the skipped.
There's the source of the
Cyclops with super-soap
his lack of sub-genre.
control over But you can make
his ray-beam a case for that
eyes, and the beginning with
need for his "The Scarlet
"quartz" visor Pimpernel"
to contain (play: 1903, novel: 1905)
them.
And his That visor can be
endless compared to "Iron-Man"
romantic and the high tech
mooning over proto-pacemaker built
Jean Grey... into his armor's chest The powerful
plate, forcing him to armor which
Aka "Marvel wear it constantly to *cannot* be
Girl": The survive. taken off... That's
token female a basic
of the group And both are Marvel
who seems reminiscent, of "The comics
like a very Thing", who would notion.
underpowered like to be able to
drip of a shut off his
character. thingness, but is Then there's the
stuck without a wheel-chair bound
(Much like secret identity. "Professor X":
the Fantastic a powerful
Four's Spider-Man "mentalist" in
"Invisible is an odd a damaged body
Girl") one in this
series, a (Note: Stephen
As time goes on subtle case Hawking became
and different where just a big hit
teams work having the much later.)
on the project, power is the
many of these drawback.
parameters change...
"With great power
The capabilities comes great
of "Marvel Girl" responsibility"
(later "Pheonix")
are ramped up, Presuming you *are*
and different themes responsible, then
are deployed in a power is an annoying
new more feminist imposition.
era.
Like: "Absolute
power corrupts
absolutely,
especially if
you're a woman."
A favorite of
Chris Claremont:
the same theme Interesting thing about
occurs later "mutate"... it's an (I wonder
with Storm. inherently passive verb. what jargon
they use
You don't go out in the
and mutate something. recombinant
DNA biz.
It just happens. Probably
the same
as in
gardening:
"hybridize".)
"Look at your children,
See their faces in golden rays...
Don't kid yourself they belong to you,
They're the start of a coming race
The earth is a bitch --
We've finished our news --
Homo Sapiens have outgrown their use...
All the strangers came today;
And it looks as though they're here to stay"
-- David Bowie, "Oh! You Pretty Things"
"Hunky Dory" (1971)
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