Post by rberman on Feb 11, 2018 0:17:39 GMT -5
There was discussion in another thread recently about whether the X-Men were shown as "hated and feared by a world they are sworn to protect" from the earliest stories, or whether that notion came about a little later in the series. I went through the first five issues and pulled out all the places where human/mutant relations are discussed:
Issue 1: Angel declares his superiority to Xavier: “Mistakes are for Homo Sapiens, sir! Not The Angel!” Xavier says “When I was young, normal people feared me-distrusted me! I realized the human race is not yet ready to accept those with extra powers!” So I decided to build a haven… A School for X-Men! Here we stay, unsuspected by normal humans, as we learn to use our powers for the benefit of mankind… to help those who would distrust us if they knew of our existence!” Xavier also warns of evil mutants who hate humans and want to destroy them and rule the earth. Cue Magneto, saying very much that: “The human race no longer deserves dominion over the planet Earth! The day of the mutants is upon us! The first phase of my plan shall show my power… to make Homo Sapiens bow to homo superior!” Later, “I’ll leave the helpless homo sapiens with no room for doubt!” Later, “I, the miraculous Magneto, claim this entire installation… in the name of Homo Superior!” When Scott (er, “Slim” as he is called at this point) offers assistance to the military, the general responds: “Who or what are the X-Men?... All right! We’ve got nothing to lose! But I feel like a danged fool!” Magneto: “Not all with mutant powers are fit to rule the earth! You must be destroyed!” Army officer: “The name X-Men will be the most honored in my command!”
Issue 2: Cyclops rescues construction workers from a falling wall and one responds: “Say, you’re Cyclops, aren’t you? One of the X-Men? I never thought you jokers were for real! Put it there, pal!” The Vanisher: “I am indeed a true mutant… one of those destined to replace the human race! I am Homo Superior!” Later… “As a true mutant… as a member of Homo Superior, I have the ability to teleport myself…” To his human minions: “It is only fitting that Homo Superior should be served by the inferior Homo Sapiens!” FBI Special Agent Fred Duncan uses “a strange looking scalp device given to him by the amazing leader of the X-Men” to ask Xavier for help with The Vanisher. Duncan sends “A special Military Air Taxi” to bring them to Washington, DC. Beast says, “Looka me! A regular hero! I’ll probably be invited on the Ed Sullivan Show!” The Vanisher responds, “If you are, it will only be for your novelty value… as a freak!” Jean tells him, “Our prime mission is to protect the human race from the likes of you!” A man reading a newspaper scoffs: “The X-Men are nothing but over-rated phonies! If they were really so great, they wouldn’t keep their identities a secret!” Xavier gets White House approval for his plan to catch The Vanisher.
Issue 3: The Blob has heard of the X-Men: “Those jerky juveniles in the corny costumes??” The main plot revolves around Xavier’s concern that the Blob will reveal their secret identities. Next time, don’t bring strange mutants to the mansion! Blob threatens his employer: “I found out what I really am! I’m a mutant! Understand? One of the Homo-Superior! And that means I’ll run this show from now on!... Now hop to it, you puny Homo Sapiens!”
Issue 4: Mastermind threatens Quicksilver, “I shall destroy you now as easily as I might destroy a mere Homo Sapien!” Toad wonders of Magneto, “What wondrous deed can he be performing now, to make Homo Sapiens tremble?” Magneto reminds Scarlet Witch “How the superstitious villagers called you a witch because of your mutant power.” She caused their village to burn, and they somewhat understandably attack her with pitchforks. Magneto reiterates, “Remember, we are the Homo Superior! We are born to rule the earth! The humans must be our slaves! They are our natural enemies – and together, with our super-human powers, we can conquer them all!” Quicksilver confesses, “I’ve no love for humans, either! Magneto responds, “Why should we love the Homo Sapiens?? They hate us – fear us because of our superior power! That is why we hide on this fortified isle, waiting for the time to strike—to take control of the earth from them!” Xavier mentally debates Magneto: “We must use our powers to bring about a golden age on earth—side by side with ordinary humans!” Magneto responds, “Never! The humans must be our slaves! They are not worthy to share dominion of the earth with us!” Magneto mocks, “Humans are like sheep! They respond to certain stimuli—and fear is one of the most potent!” Mastermind says of Magneto’s iron rule, “I’ll show Homo Sapiens that we are their rightful masters!” Magneto derides innocent civilians: “They are merely Homo Sapiens – They would kill us if they could!”
Issue 5: When Jean’s parents come to visit the school, Scott ponders: “I wonder if anyone would dare come near quiet Scott Summers if they knew that when I remove my protective glasses, the destructive power of Cyclops is unleashed upon the world!” Jean muses, “Being normal Homo Sapiens, how could mom or dad understand that their daughter Jean Grey is really Marvel Girl!” Jean’s mom reports her own initial meeting with Xavier: “When he first asked if Jean could attend your school, we were a bit hesitant! But then, when we were contacted by Washington, DC, recommending your course so highly, we knew it was the best thing for our daughter! And we were so impressed to learn that some of your courses are classified Top Secret by the government!” When Toad enters an athletic competition, the X-Men watch on TV. “Look at the crowd! They’re livid with rage! Just like Professor X always warned us… normal humans fear and distrust anyone with super-mutant powers!” and “They’re calling him ‘fake’! They feel it must be a trick of some sort… they want to believe that… it makes them feel less inferior!”
In summary, Magneto feels (1) humans hate and fear mutants, and (2) mutants deserve to rule humans. Other evil mutants follow this line.
Professor X feels (1) humans fear mutants, but (2) mutants must protect and collaborate with humans.
We see that authority figures (the army, "Washington DC") are happy to have help from Xavier, and apparently understand that he's a mutant. But average people on the street are either dubious about mutants (until helped by them) or enraged by their powers (when Toad wins a sporting event). However, both Vanisher and Blob have no trouble assembling armies of human minions to attack Washington DC and the X-Mansion, respectively.
Issue 1: Angel declares his superiority to Xavier: “Mistakes are for Homo Sapiens, sir! Not The Angel!” Xavier says “When I was young, normal people feared me-distrusted me! I realized the human race is not yet ready to accept those with extra powers!” So I decided to build a haven… A School for X-Men! Here we stay, unsuspected by normal humans, as we learn to use our powers for the benefit of mankind… to help those who would distrust us if they knew of our existence!” Xavier also warns of evil mutants who hate humans and want to destroy them and rule the earth. Cue Magneto, saying very much that: “The human race no longer deserves dominion over the planet Earth! The day of the mutants is upon us! The first phase of my plan shall show my power… to make Homo Sapiens bow to homo superior!” Later, “I’ll leave the helpless homo sapiens with no room for doubt!” Later, “I, the miraculous Magneto, claim this entire installation… in the name of Homo Superior!” When Scott (er, “Slim” as he is called at this point) offers assistance to the military, the general responds: “Who or what are the X-Men?... All right! We’ve got nothing to lose! But I feel like a danged fool!” Magneto: “Not all with mutant powers are fit to rule the earth! You must be destroyed!” Army officer: “The name X-Men will be the most honored in my command!”
Issue 2: Cyclops rescues construction workers from a falling wall and one responds: “Say, you’re Cyclops, aren’t you? One of the X-Men? I never thought you jokers were for real! Put it there, pal!” The Vanisher: “I am indeed a true mutant… one of those destined to replace the human race! I am Homo Superior!” Later… “As a true mutant… as a member of Homo Superior, I have the ability to teleport myself…” To his human minions: “It is only fitting that Homo Superior should be served by the inferior Homo Sapiens!” FBI Special Agent Fred Duncan uses “a strange looking scalp device given to him by the amazing leader of the X-Men” to ask Xavier for help with The Vanisher. Duncan sends “A special Military Air Taxi” to bring them to Washington, DC. Beast says, “Looka me! A regular hero! I’ll probably be invited on the Ed Sullivan Show!” The Vanisher responds, “If you are, it will only be for your novelty value… as a freak!” Jean tells him, “Our prime mission is to protect the human race from the likes of you!” A man reading a newspaper scoffs: “The X-Men are nothing but over-rated phonies! If they were really so great, they wouldn’t keep their identities a secret!” Xavier gets White House approval for his plan to catch The Vanisher.
Issue 3: The Blob has heard of the X-Men: “Those jerky juveniles in the corny costumes??” The main plot revolves around Xavier’s concern that the Blob will reveal their secret identities. Next time, don’t bring strange mutants to the mansion! Blob threatens his employer: “I found out what I really am! I’m a mutant! Understand? One of the Homo-Superior! And that means I’ll run this show from now on!... Now hop to it, you puny Homo Sapiens!”
Issue 4: Mastermind threatens Quicksilver, “I shall destroy you now as easily as I might destroy a mere Homo Sapien!” Toad wonders of Magneto, “What wondrous deed can he be performing now, to make Homo Sapiens tremble?” Magneto reminds Scarlet Witch “How the superstitious villagers called you a witch because of your mutant power.” She caused their village to burn, and they somewhat understandably attack her with pitchforks. Magneto reiterates, “Remember, we are the Homo Superior! We are born to rule the earth! The humans must be our slaves! They are our natural enemies – and together, with our super-human powers, we can conquer them all!” Quicksilver confesses, “I’ve no love for humans, either! Magneto responds, “Why should we love the Homo Sapiens?? They hate us – fear us because of our superior power! That is why we hide on this fortified isle, waiting for the time to strike—to take control of the earth from them!” Xavier mentally debates Magneto: “We must use our powers to bring about a golden age on earth—side by side with ordinary humans!” Magneto responds, “Never! The humans must be our slaves! They are not worthy to share dominion of the earth with us!” Magneto mocks, “Humans are like sheep! They respond to certain stimuli—and fear is one of the most potent!” Mastermind says of Magneto’s iron rule, “I’ll show Homo Sapiens that we are their rightful masters!” Magneto derides innocent civilians: “They are merely Homo Sapiens – They would kill us if they could!”
Issue 5: When Jean’s parents come to visit the school, Scott ponders: “I wonder if anyone would dare come near quiet Scott Summers if they knew that when I remove my protective glasses, the destructive power of Cyclops is unleashed upon the world!” Jean muses, “Being normal Homo Sapiens, how could mom or dad understand that their daughter Jean Grey is really Marvel Girl!” Jean’s mom reports her own initial meeting with Xavier: “When he first asked if Jean could attend your school, we were a bit hesitant! But then, when we were contacted by Washington, DC, recommending your course so highly, we knew it was the best thing for our daughter! And we were so impressed to learn that some of your courses are classified Top Secret by the government!” When Toad enters an athletic competition, the X-Men watch on TV. “Look at the crowd! They’re livid with rage! Just like Professor X always warned us… normal humans fear and distrust anyone with super-mutant powers!” and “They’re calling him ‘fake’! They feel it must be a trick of some sort… they want to believe that… it makes them feel less inferior!”
In summary, Magneto feels (1) humans hate and fear mutants, and (2) mutants deserve to rule humans. Other evil mutants follow this line.
Professor X feels (1) humans fear mutants, but (2) mutants must protect and collaborate with humans.
We see that authority figures (the army, "Washington DC") are happy to have help from Xavier, and apparently understand that he's a mutant. But average people on the street are either dubious about mutants (until helped by them) or enraged by their powers (when Toad wins a sporting event). However, both Vanisher and Blob have no trouble assembling armies of human minions to attack Washington DC and the X-Mansion, respectively.
