97-478: In American comic books published by Marvel Comics , a mutant is a human being that possesses a genetic trait called the X-gene. It causes the mutant to develop superhuman powers that manifest at puberty . Human mutants are sometimes referred to as a human subspecies Homo sapiens superior or simply Homo superior . Mutants are the evolutionary progeny of Homo sapiens , and are actually revealed to be
194-487: A naturalistic style of superheroes with human failings, fears, and inner demons - heroes who squabbled and worried about the likes of paying the rent. In contrast to the super-heroic do-gooder archetypes of established superheroes at the time, this ushered in a revolution. With dynamic artwork by Kirby, Steve Ditko , Don Heck , and others, complementing Lee's colorful, catchy prose, the new style became very popular among teenagers and college students who could identify with
291-449: A mutant ! You possess an extra power...one which ordinary humans do not!! That is why I call my students... X-Men , for Ex -tra power!" This issue also features the first reference to mutants as the species "Homo Superior" by Magneto . Following the relaunch under writer Chris Claremont , narration in stories taking place on Muir Island described Moira MacTaggert as "second only to Charles Xavier as an authority on genetic mutation." In
388-498: A tabloid -sized, 10-by-15-inch (250 mm × 380 mm), 36-page magazine with a card-stock, non-glossy cover. An anthology , it mixed humor features such as the funny animal comic "Pelion and Ossa" and the college-set "Jigger and Ginger" with such dramatic fare as the Western strip "Jack Woods" and the " yellow-peril " adventure "Barry O'Neill", featuring a Fu Manchu -styled villain, Fang Gow. Issue #6 (Oct. 1935) brought
485-498: A Siegel/Shuster creation from the slush pile and used it as the cover feature (but only as a backup story) in Action Comics #1 (June 1938). The duo's alien hero, Superman , was dressed in a cape and colorful tights. The costume, influenced by Flash Gordon 's attire from 1934, evoked circus aerial performers and circus strongmen, and Superman became the archetype of the " superheroes " that would follow. In early 1939,
582-554: A certain extent like 'real' families but they are also a team. They differ from other teams such as the Justice League , which is like a meritocracy; only the best of the best join that team. In contrast, the X-Men is composed of outcasts. They train and nurture one another and are united by common goals and beliefs. ...the whole theme of the X-Men — the isolation of mutants and their alienation from 'normal' society — may be read as
679-735: A collection of English-language newspaper inserts originally published in Europe as the 1837 book Histoire de Mr. Vieux Bois by Rodolphe Töpffer . The G. W. Dillingham Company published the first known proto-comic-book magazine in the US, The Yellow Kid in McFadden's Flats , in 1897. A hardcover book, it reprinted material—primarily the October 18, 1896, to January 10, 1897, sequence titled "McFadden's Row of Flats"—from cartoonist Richard F. Outcault 's newspaper comic strip Hogan's Alley , starring
776-442: A fictional oppressed minority , mutants are often used as extended metaphors for real-world people and situations. In 1982, X-Men writer Chris Claremont said, "[mutants] are hated, feared and despised collectively by humanity for no other reason than that they are mutants. So what we have here, intended or not, is a book that is about racism, bigotry and prejudice." Danny Fingeroth writes extensively in his book Superman on
873-603: A million copies a month each; comics provided very popular cheap entertainment during World War II especially among soldiers, but with erratic quality in stories, art, and printing. In the early 1940s, over 90 percent of girls and boys from seven to seventeen read comic books. In 1941, H. G. Peter and William Moulton Marston , created the female superhero character Wonder Woman , who debuted in All Star Comics #8 (December 1941) and Sensation Comics featuring Wonder Woman in 1942. MLJ 's Pep Comics debuted as
970-653: A parable of the alienation of any minority... of a minority grouping determined to force its own place within society. Within the Earth X universe, the powers of the vast majority of Marvel's human superheroes were revealed to have been the result of genetic manipulation by the Celestials millions of years in the past. In the Ultimate Marvel universe within the pages of the Ultimate Origins #1, it
1067-510: A profound impact upon the American comic-book industry. Their popularity, along with mainstream media attention and critical acclaim, combined with changing social tastes, led to a considerably darker tone in comic books during the 1990s nicknamed by fans as the "grim-and-gritty" era. The growing popularity of antiheroes such as Wolverine and the Punisher exemplified this change, as did
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#17327805872381164-442: A promotional item to consumers who mailed in coupons clipped from Procter & Gamble soap and toiletries products. The company printed 10,000 copies. The promotion proved a success, and Eastern Color that year produced similar periodicals for Canada Dry soft drinks , Kinney Shoes , Wheatena cereal and others, with print runs of from 100,000 to 250,000. Also in 1933, Gaines and Wildenberg collaborated with Dell to publish
1261-414: A sense of injustice as a means to motivate oneself and do good. McLeod proposed that the majority of the team should be women. According to McLeod, he liked drawing female characters and Claremont was well-known for writing female characters, so he felt that they should use this to avoid tokenism common among comic book portrayals of women. Of the characters who appeared in the new team, Xi'an Coy Manh
1358-549: A separate origin for each one. As part of the concept, Lee decided that these mutant teenagers should, like ordinary ones, attend school in order to better cope with the world, in this case Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters . Following the 1963 debut of this conception of mutants in the superhero series X-Men , Marvel later introduced several additional mutant superhero teams, including The New Mutants , X-Factor , Excalibur , X-Force , and Generation X . In early X-Men stories, Professor Xavier and others suggest that mutation
1455-520: A superhero, science-fiction and adventure anthology, but after the title introduced the teen-humor feature "Archie" in 1942, the feature's popularity would soon eclipse all other MLJ properties, leading the publisher to rename itself Archie Comics . Following the end of World War II, the popularity of superheroes greatly diminished, while the comic-book industry itself expanded. A few well-established characters such as Superman , Batman and Wonder Woman continued to sell, but DC canceled series starring
1552-494: A ten-cent pricetag [ sic ] on the comic books". When Delacorte declined to continue with Famous Funnies: A Carnival of Comics , Eastern Color on its own published Famous Funnies #1 (cover-dated July 1934), a 68-page giant selling for 10¢. Distributed to newsstands by the mammoth American News Company , it proved a hit with readers during the cash-strapped Great Depression , selling 90 percent of its 200,000 print, although putting Eastern Color more than $ 4,000 in
1649-402: A third of all North American sales in the early 1950s. Its 90 titles averaged a circulation of 800,000 copies per title for every issue, with Walt Disney's Comics and Stories peaking at a circulation of three million a month in 1953. Eleven of the top 25 bestselling comic books at the time were Dell titles. Out of 40 publishers active in 1954, Dell, Atlas (i.e. Marvel), DC, and Archie were
1746-508: A true comic book. But it did offer all original material and was sold on newsstands ". The Funnies ran for 36 issues, published Saturdays through October 16, 1930. In 1933, salesperson Maxwell Gaines , sales manager Harry I. Wildenberg , and owner George Janosik of the Waterbury, Connecticut , company Eastern Color Printing —which printed, among other things, Sunday-paper comic-strip sections – produced Funnies on Parade as
1843-777: A way to keep their presses running. Like The Funnies , but only eight pages, this appeared as a newsprint magazine. Rather than using original material, however, it reprinted in color several comic strips licensed from the McNaught Syndicate , the Ledger Syndicate , and the Bell-McClure Syndicate . These included such popular strips as cartoonist Al Smith 's Mutt and Jeff , Ham Fisher 's Joe Palooka , and Percy Crosby 's Skippy . Eastern Color neither sold this periodical nor made it available on newsstands , but rather sent it out free as
1940-622: A woman describing herself as a mutant who seeks a similarly superhuman mate. Roger Carstairs, a mutant who can create illusions, is shown in Man Comics #28, dated September 1953. A character with superhuman powers, born from a radiation-exposed parent, was seen in "The Man with the Atomic Brain!" in Journey into Mystery #52 in May 1959; although not specifically called a "mutant", his origin
2037-461: A year. In 1929, Dell Publishing (founded by George T. Delacorte, Jr. ) published The Funnies , described by the Library of Congress as "a short-lived newspaper tabloid insert" and not to be confused with Dell's 1936 comic-book series of the same name. Historian Ron Goulart describes the 16-page, four-color periodical as "more a Sunday comic section without the rest of the newspaper than
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#17327805872382134-459: Is a graphic novel published in 1982 by Marvel Comics . Written by Chris Claremont and illustrated by Bob McLeod , it introduced a new team of characters as teenage counterparts to the team of superhero mutants , the X-Men . It returns to the premise of the original X-Men , which featured a group of students, while retaining the diversity in race and social background introduced to the X-Men by
2231-468: Is also known as a floppy comic . It is typically thin and stapled, unlike traditional books . American comic books are one of the three major comic book industries globally, along with Japanese manga and the Franco-Belgian comic books . The typical size and page count of comics have varied over the decades, generally tending toward smaller formats and fewer pages. Historically, the size
2328-640: Is consistent with one. A little-known story in Tales of Suspense #6 (November 1959) titled "The Mutants and Me!" was one of the first Marvel (then known as Atlas ) stories to feature a named "mutant". Tad Carter, a mutant with telekinetic powers, is shown in Amazing Adult Fantasy #14, dated July 1962. Officially, Namor the Sub-Mariner is considered the first mutant superhero whom Marvel Comics ever published, debuting in 1939. However, Namor
2425-495: Is kidnapped along with his girlfriend, so Karma and Wolfsbane try to rescue them. Sunspot's girlfriend is killed in the ensuing fight. Cannonball , a teenage mutant hired by Pierce, kidnaps Professor X. The four New Mutants find where Pierce is holding Professor X, and they battle with Cannonball and Pierce. After Pierce is defeated, Cannonball defects and joins the New Mutants. Several teenage mutants from different parts of
2522-463: Is related to nuclear radiation, as his parents worked on the development of the atomic bomb , though later descriptions of mutation would describe it deriving from genetics. The first in-story mention of mutants in this context is in The X-Men #1, in which Professor Xavier explains his school to the newly admitted Jean Grey: "You, Miss Grey, like the other students at this most exclusive school, are
2619-415: Is resistant to the psychic attacks of Moonstar and Xi'an. Professor X breaks free as Pierce and Sam fight the new mutants, and he uses his stronger telepathic abilities to overpower Pierce's mind. Two weeks later, the new mutants try on their superhero uniforms. Sam arrives on Professor X's request so he can redeem himself by joining their team. Professor X finds himself hopeful for the first time since he lost
2716-586: Is revealed that super-powered "mutants" were artificially created via genetic modification by the Weapon X program in a laboratory in Alberta , Canada in October 1943. The project was an attempt to produce a supersoldier , inspired by the existence of Captain America . James Howlett was the first individual to be so modified. At some later point, possibly during a confrontation between Magneto and his parents,
2813-464: Is taken symbolically as the beginning of a new era, although his success was not immediate. It took two years for the Flash to receive his own title, and Showcase itself was only a bimonthly book, though one which was to introduce a large number of enduring characters. By 1959, the slowly building superhero revival had become clear to DC's competitors. Archie jumped on board that year, and Charlton joined
2910-612: The Flash and Green Lantern and converted All-American Comics and All Star Comics to Western titles, and Star Spangled Comics to a war title. The publisher also launched such science-fiction titles as Strange Adventures and Mystery in Space . Martin Goodman 's Timely Comics , also known as Atlas, canceled its three formerly high-selling superhero titles starring Captain America (created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby ),
3007-613: The Human Torch , and the Sub-Mariner , briefly reviving the characters in 1954 only to cancel them again shortly thereafter to focus on horror, science fiction, teen humor, romance and Western genres. Romance comics became strongly established, with Prize Comics ' Young Romance and with Young Love , the latter written and drawn by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby; those two titles' popularity led to an explosion of romance comics from many publishers. Dell 's comic books accounted for
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3104-546: The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) media franchise: American comic books An American comic book is a thin periodical originating in the United States , on average 32 pages, containing comics . While the form originated in 1933, American comic books first gained popularity after the 1938 publication of Action Comics , which included the debut of the superhero Superman . This
3201-553: The New Mutants graphic novel , after witnessing Rahne Sinclair demonstrate her mutant shapeshifting ability, MacTaggert refers to "an anomalous DNA matrix" in her blood signaling that Sinclair "could be a mutant." The cause of mutation was elaborated upon in the first issue of the spin-off series X-Factor, in which Cameron Hodge refers to "people who possess the X-Factor mutation in their genetic makeup." This genetic mutation
3298-757: The Senate Subcommittee on Juvenile Delinquency held hearings on comic book indecency from April to June 1954. In the wake of these troubles, a group of comics publishers, led by National and Archie, founded the Comics Code Authority in 1954 and drafted the Comics Code, intended as "the most stringent code in existence for any communications media". A Comic Code Seal of Approval soon appeared on virtually every comic book carried on newsstands. EC, after experimenting with less controversial comic books, dropped its comics line to focus on
3395-1017: The Xavier School for Gifted Youngsters , Professor X has the Vietnamese refugee Xi'an Coy Manh (Karma) practice her mind control abilities on MacTaggert. Professor X is reluctant to take on new disciples, as the X-Men had recently been captured by an alien race and he fears they had died. Professor X, Rahne, and Xi'an go to meet Moonstar and learn of Black Eagle's death. They are attacked by Pierce's armored soldiers, but Moonstar and Xi'an use their psychic abilities to stop them. Professor X uses his own powers to freeze Moonstar, preventing her from killing their defeated foes. MacTaggert, Rahne, and Xi'an then go to Brazil to find Roberto. Roberto and his girlfriend Juliana are held captive by cybernetic men, so Moonstar and Xi'an arrive to rescue them. Mistaking her for an enemy, Roberto activates his powers and strikes Xi'an. This releases her mind control over one of
3492-663: The Yellow Kid . The 196-page, square-bound, black-and-white publication, which also includes introductory text by E. W. Townsend , measured 5 by 7 inches (130 mm × 180 mm) and sold for 50 cents. The neologism "comic book" appears on the back cover. Despite the publication of a series of related Hearst comics soon afterward, the first monthly proto-comic book, Embee Distributing Company's Comic Monthly , did not appear until 1922. Produced in an 8 + 1 ⁄ 2 -by-9-inch (220 mm × 230 mm) format, it reprinted black-and-white newspaper comic strips and lasted
3589-417: The 1960s saw a superhero revival and superheroes remained the dominant character archetype throughout the late 20th century into the 21st century. Some fans collect comic books, helping drive up their value. Some have sold for more than US$ 1 million. Comic shops cater to fans, selling comic books, plastic sleeves ("bags") and cardboard backing ("boards") to protect the comic books. An American comic book
3686-535: The 1960s, DC, and then Marvel, began to include writer and artist credits on the comics that they published. Other notable companies publishing comics during the Silver Age included the American Comics Group (ACG), Charlton , Dell , Gold Key , Harvey Comics , and Tower . Sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll were featured, as the anti-authoritarian underground comix made waves in 1968, following
3783-457: The 1970s coincided with the appearance of comic-book specialty stores across North America. These specialty stores were a haven for more distinct voices and stories, but they also marginalized comics in the public eye. Serialized comic stories became longer and more complex, requiring readers to buy more issues to finish a story. In the mid-to-late 1980s, two series published by DC Comics , Batman: The Dark Knight Returns and Watchmen , had
3880-542: The 1990s changing the format and distribution of their comic books to more closely resemble non-comics publishing. The " minicomics " form, an extremely informal version of self-publishing , arose in the 1980s and became increasingly popular among artists in the 1990s, despite reaching an even more limited audience than the small presses. The development of the modern American comic book happened in stages. Publishers had collected comic strips in hardcover book form as early as 1842, with The Adventures of Obadiah Oldbuck ,
3977-542: The 2011 film X-Men: First Class , Hank McCoy (later known as Beast ), upon being outed to a colleague as a mutant, responds, " You didn't ask, so I didn't tell. " In his article Super Heroes, a Modern Mythology , Richard Reynolds writes: Much of the appeal and draw of the mutants that comprise the X-Men has to do with feeling like an outcast while simultaneously feeling like part of a family. Mutants are ostracized because they are different but they bound together because of their differences. They may be forced together to
Mutant (Marvel Comics) - Misplaced Pages Continue
4074-520: The 36-page Famous Funnies: A Carnival of Comics , which historians consider the first true American comic book; Goulart, for example, calls it "the cornerstone for one of the most lucrative branches of magazine publishing". Distribution took place through the Woolworth's department-store chain, though it remains unclear whether it was sold or given away; the cover displays no price, but Goulart refers, either metaphorically or literally, to "sticking
4171-598: The American comic book has been adapted periodically outside the United States, especially in Canada and the United Kingdom . While comics can be the work of a single creator, the labor of creating them is frequently divided between a number of specialists. There may be a separate writer and artist , or there may be separate artists for the characters and backgrounds. Particularly in superhero comic books,
4268-678: The CCA) stopped publishing crime and horror titles, which was their entire business, and were forced out of the market altogether, turning to magazine publishing instead. By 1960, output had stabilized at about 1,500 releases per year (representing a greater than fifty percent decline since 1952). The dominant comic book genres of the post-CCA 1950s were funny animals, humor, romance , television properties, and Westerns . Detective, fantasy , teen, and war comics were also popular, but adventure, superheroes, and comic strip reprints were in decline, with Famous Funnies seeing its last issue in 1955. In
4365-569: The Cheyarafim after this has not been revealed. Angel and Icarus are said to be descended from Cheyarafim, while Nightcrawler is supposedly the son of a Neyaphem, Azazel. In the pages of " House of X and Powers of X ", the Chimeras are genetically altered humanoid mutants who are combined from the DNA of past mutants so that they would have combinations of their power set and also propagate
4462-477: The Couch about the appeal of mutants and their meaning to society: The most popular pop culture franchises are those that make the viewer/reader feel special and unique, while simultaneously making him or her feel he or she is part of a mass of people experiencing and enjoying the same phenomenon. The plight of the mutants is universally compelling. Many people feel a need for a surrogate family, one composed of those
4559-589: The DNA samples of an Arraki named Tarn the Uncaring. When the experiment proved to be a failure and the Quiet Council of Krakoa found out about it, Mister Sinister is undeterred in his next plans to research the Chimeras. Later in the " Sins of Sinister " storyline, Mister Sinister was in an alternate timeline where he created his Chimeras after taking over world with his Sinister gene. The following are
4656-609: The Modern Horror age. But as of 2009 historians and fans use " Bronze Age " to describe the period of American mainstream comics history that began with the period of concentrated changes to comic books in 1970. Unlike the Golden/Silver Age transition, the Silver/Bronze transition involves many continuing books, making the transition less sharp. The development of the " direct market " distribution system in
4753-434: The X-Men. The Uncanny X-Men had become one of Marvel's most popular series by the 1980s under writer Chris Claremont , but at the time it did not have any of the spin-off series that the franchise came to be known for. The editor-in-chief of Marvel Comics , Jim Shooter , wished to focus on the school aspect of the X-Men. The artist for the series, John Byrne , suggested a separate team of mutants. This team would play
4850-407: The angsty and irreverent nature of characters like Spider-Man , Hulk , X-Men and Fantastic Four . This was a time of social upheaval, giving birth to a new generation of hip and more counter-cultural youngsters, who found a voice in these books. Because Marvel's books were distributed by its rival, National, from 1957 until 1968 Marvel were restricted to publishing only eight titles a month. This
4947-408: The art may be divided between: The process begins with the writer (often in collaboration with one or more others, who may include the editor and/or the penciller) coming up with a story idea or concept, then working it up into a plot and storyline , finalizing it with a script . After the art is prepared, the dialogue and captions are lettered onto the page from the script, and an editor may have
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#17327805872385044-478: The bandwagon in 1960. In 1961, at the demand of publisher Martin Goodman (who was reacting to a surge in sales of National's newest superhero title The Justice League of America ), writer/editor Stan Lee and artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby created the Fantastic Four for Atlas, which now re-named itself Marvel Comics . With an innovation that changed the comic-book industry, Fantastic Four #1 initiated
5141-540: The character Azazel , the Cheyarafim are a group of angel -like mutants who were the traditional enemies of the Neyaphem, a demonic-looking group of mutants who lived in Biblical times. The Cheyarafim were fanatics who had a strict, absolutist view of morality which led them into conflict with the Neyaphem. This escalated into a holy war , causing the Neyaphem to be exiled into an alternate dimension. What happened to
5238-534: The comic-book debut of Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster , the future creators of Superman . The two began their careers with the musketeer swashbuckler "Henri Duval", doing the first two installments before turning it over to others and, under the pseudonyms "Leger and Reuths", they created the supernatural -crimefighter adventure Doctor Occult . In 1938, after Wheeler-Nicholson's partner Harry Donenfeld had ousted him, National Allied editor Vin Sullivan pulled
5335-432: The countercultural era. Legal issues and paper shortages led to a decline in underground comix output from its 1972 peak. In 1974 the passage of anti-paraphernalia laws in the US led to the closing of most head shops, which throttled underground comix distribution. Its readership also dried up as the hippie movement itself petered out in the mid-1970s. Wizard originally used the phrase "Bronze Age", in 1995, to denote
5432-464: The country. Some cities passed laws banning comic books entirely. In 1954, psychiatrist Fredric Wertham published his book Seduction of the Innocent , where he discussed what he perceived as sadistic and homosexual undertones in horror comics and superhero comics respectively, and singled out EC Comics due to its success as a publisher of these genres. In response to growing public anxiety,
5529-443: The cyborgs, who then shoots at Roberto. Juliana takes the bullet for him and dies. Meanwhile, Professor X is captured by Sam, who has been hired by Pierce. In her wolf form, Rahne tracks Professor X's scent and enters the facility where he is held. Pierce holds Professor X captive with a device that can nullify his powers and read his mind. Sam attacks Rahne as Moonstar, Roberto, and Xi'an arrive. The new mutants confront Pierce, but he
5626-575: The darker tone of some independent publishers such as First Comics , Dark Horse Comics , and (founded in the 1990s) Image Comics . This tendency towards darkness and nihilism was manifested in DC's production of heavily promoted comic book stories such as " A Death in the Family " in the Batman series (in which The Joker brutally murdered Batman's sidekick Robin ), while at Marvel the continuing popularity of
5723-471: The early days of comic books, this practice had all but vanished during the 1940s and 1950s. Comic books were produced by comic book companies rather than by individual creators (EC being a notable exception, a company that not only credited its creative teams but also featured creators' biographies). Even comic books by revered and collectible artists like Carl Barks were not known by their creator's name— Disney comics by Barks were signed " Walt Disney ". In
5820-444: The epitome of peak physical skill, having superhuman levels of strength, speed, reflexes, agility, stamina, and durability. Vargas also seems to be immune to various mutant abilities (such as Rogue's absorption and Psylocke's telekinetic blast). Mutants have been shown to successfully crossbreed or a result of crossbreed with Humans (Homo sapiens), Atlanteans (Homo mermanus), fairies, and other humanoid aliens like Shi'ar , etc. As
5917-497: The film rights to the X-Men and other mutant characters reverted to Marvel Studios . When asked if his use of the term "mutants" meant the film would be avoiding the term "X-Men", Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige clarified that he was using the two terms interchangeably. He added that Marvel Studios' approach to the characters would be different to Fox's franchise. Since 2022, the mutant race have appeared in various media set within
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#17327805872386014-444: The final say (but, once ready for printing, it is difficult and expensive to make any major changes), before the comic is sent to the printer. The creative team, the writer and artist(s), may work for a comic book publisher who handles the marketing, advertising, and other logistics. A wholesale distributor, such as Diamond Comic Distributors , the largest in the US, distributes the printed product to retailers. Another aspect of
6111-483: The introduction of the Comics Code Authority in the wake of Senate hearings on juvenile delinquency , which, ignoring the social problems caused by the wars of 1939–45 and 1950–52, sought to blame those problems solely on comics. While there was only a 9% drop in the number of releases between 1952 and 1953, circulation plummeted by an estimated 30–40%. The cause of the decrease is not entirely clear. Television had begun to provide competition with comic books, but there
6208-510: The known Chimeras: Maximus Lobo claims to be a part of a mutant sub-species of feral wolf -like mutants, whom he calls the Dominant Species. He later tries to recruit Wolf Cub into his ranks to no avail. A few years later, another mutant named Romulus claims that some human mutants evolved from canines instead of primates. Romulus' sister Remus would later consider his claim to be a hoax when she meets Wolverine. Humans are not
6305-628: The late 1940s and early 1950s horror and true-crime comics flourished, many containing graphic violence and gore. Due to such content, moral crusaders became concerned with the impact of comics on the youth, and were blaming comic books for everything from poor grades to juvenile delinquency to drug abuse. This perceived indecency resulted in the collection and public burning of comic books in Spencer, West Virginia and Binghamton, New York in 1948, which received national attention and triggered other public burnings by schools and parent groups across
6402-433: The major players in volume of sales. By this point, former big-time players Fawcett and Fiction House had ceased publishing. Circulation peaked in 1952 when 3,161 issues of various comics were published with a total circulation of about one billion copies. After 1952, the number of individual releases dropped every year for the rest of the decade, with the biggest falls occurring in 1955–56. The rapid decline followed
6499-545: The mutant population. Third generation Chimeras have a 10% failure rate making them unable to be warriors. Fourth generation Chimeras have a corrupted hive mind. They were more common in Moira MacTaggert 's ninth life where they were created in Mister Sinister's Breeding Pits on Mars. Sometime after the " X of Swords " storyline, Mister Sinister created his first Chimera by splicing his own DNA samples with
6596-585: The mutant trigger was released into the environment worldwide, leading to the appearance of mutants in the general population. Following the events of the Ultimatum storyline, information concerning the origins of mutancy was made public and steps were taken in the US to make being a mutant illegal. While the move apparently has majority support among the non-mutant population, a vocal minority has voiced concern that it will lead to witch-hunts and genocide. Following Disney's acquisition of 21st Century Fox in 2019,
6693-587: The mutants and proposed a formal treaty alliance, explaining to Storm , "You mutants share some DNA with Deviants? It's of little matter. Until a mutant triggers our physiological 'excess deviation' response, you're not Deviants in the way that counts. You're just human." Introduced in the second series of X-Factor , a changeling is a mutant whose powers manifest at birth. Jamie Madrox and Damian Tryp are examples of this sub-class. Cheyarafim and Neyaphem first appear in Uncanny X-Men #429. According to
6790-706: The next stage in human evolution . The accuracy of this is the subject of much debate in the Marvel Universe . Unlike Marvel's mutates, which are characters who develop their powers only after exposure to outside stimuli or energies (such as the Hulk , Spider-Man , the Fantastic Four , Absorbing Man , and Captain Marvel ), mutants have actual genetic mutations . A March 1952 story in Amazing Detective Cases #11 called "The Weird Woman" tells of
6887-521: The only species to have mutant subspecies. Created by Rob Liefeld , Externals are immortal mutants whose powers have allowed them to exist for centuries. Eventually, most of the Externals are killed by Selene , and later by Apocalypse . Introduced in Chris Claremont 's X-Treme X-Men , a character known as Vargas claims to be humanity's natural response to mutants. Vargas was born at
6984-559: The process involved in successful comics is the interaction between the readers/fans and the creator(s). Fan art and letters to the editor were commonly printed in the back of the book, until, in the early 21st century, various Internet forums started to replace this tradition. The growth of comic specialty stores helped permit several waves of independently-produced comics, beginning in the mid-1970s. Some early examples of these – generally referred to as "independent" or "alternative" comics – such as Big Apple Comix , continued somewhat in
7081-505: The publication of Robert Crumb 's irregularly published Zap Comix . Frank Stack had published The Adventures of Jesus as far back as 1962, and there had been a trickle of such publications until Crumb's success. What had started as a self-publishing scene soon grew into a minor industry, with Print Mint , Kitchen Sink , Last Gasp and Apex Novelties among the more well-known publishers. These comix were often extremely graphic, and largely distributed in head shops that flourished in
7178-650: The red. That quickly changed, with the book turning a $ 30,000 profit each issue starting with #12. Famous Funnies would eventually run 218 issues, inspire imitators, and largely launch a new mass medium . When the supply of available existing comic strips began to dwindle, early comic books began to include a small amount of new, original material in comic-strip format. Inevitably, a comic book of all-original material, with no comic-strip reprints, debuted. Fledgling publisher Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson founded National Allied Publications, which would evolve into DC Comics , to release New Fun #1 (Feb. 1935). This came out as
7275-407: The role of students, while the existing X-Men would act as teachers. Claremont and editor Louise Jones did not want to create a new team of mutants, fearing it would detract from the novelty of the X-Men, but Shooter issued an ultimatum that either they create one or he would have someone else do it. Claremont and Jones referred to the series as the "X-Babies" while they worked on it. This nickname
7372-629: The satirical Mad —a former comic book which was now converted to a magazine format in order to circumvent the Code. DC started a revival in superhero comics in 1956 with the October 1956 revival of its former golden age top-seller The Flash in Showcase #4. Many comics historians peg this as the beginning of the Silver Age of American comic books, although Marvel (at this point still known variously as both Timely and Atlas ) had started reviving some of its old superheroes as early as 1954. The new Flash
7469-637: The second incarnation of the team. The New Mutants is the fourth publication of the Marvel Graphic Novel branding and the first spinoff of X-Men . It was followed by an ongoing series in 1983, also titled The New Mutants . The graphic novel follows Professor X , the leader of the X-Men, as he gathers the New Mutants to protect them from the villain Donald Pierce . With Karma and Wolfsbane , Professor X goes to collect Moonstar when they are attacked. Another mutant, Sunspot ,
7566-709: The spectators to panic. Sam Guthrie (Cannonball) is caught in a mine collapse in Kentucky when he discovers the power to propel himself with intense energy, rescuing one of his fellow workers. Donald Pierce monitors the mutants with the intention of killing them. Moonstar of the Cheyenne in Colorado is told by her grandfather Black Eagle that she is to learn to control her ability to create psychic images under Professor X , but she protests due to her anti-white sentiment . That night, Pierce has her grandfather killed. At
7663-701: The success of Superman in Action Comics prompted editors at National Comics Publications (the future DC Comics) to request more superheroes for its titles. In response, Bob Kane and Bill Finger created Batman , who debuted in Detective Comics #27 (May 1939). The period from the late 1930s through roughly the end of the 1940s is referred to by comic book experts as the Golden Age of comic books . It featured extremely large print-runs, with Action Comics and Captain Marvel selling over half
7760-432: The team coming from different cultures. The characters of The New Mutants were drawn from different countries, age groups, classes, religions, and world views. This builds on the social commentary seen in X-Men , combining the stigma against mutants faced by the characters with the problems faced by real-life marginalized groups. The New Mutants presents these issues as something that can be surmounted by using anger and
7857-426: The team in the costumes of the original X-Men. The team is differentiated from all of the previous X-Men in that their story had them grouped primarily to learn about using their powers rather than specifically as a superhero team. The New Mutants incorporated an element of teenage angst that had yet to appear in X-Men . One element retained from the newer X-Men was the team's diversity, with different members of
7954-426: The time had not been developed or titled. He chose the latter. Glynis Oliver was taken on as the colorist , and Tom Orzechowski as the letterer . The New Mutants was originally intended to be a standard comic book, and McLeod began drawing a 22-page issue. When he was approximately half way done, the plan was changed and he was instead to produce a 50-page graphic novel on a stricter time schedule. The process
8051-417: The tradition of the earlier underground comics , while others, such as Star Reach , resembled the output of mainstream publishers in format and genre but were published by smaller artist-owned ventures or by a single artist. This so-called " small press " scene (a term derived from the limited quantity of comics printed in each press-run) continued to grow and diversify, with a number of small publishers in
8148-479: The various X-Men books led to storylines involving the genocide of superpowered "mutants" in allegorical stories about religious and ethnic persecution. In addition, published formats like the graphic novel and the related trade paperback enabled the comic book to gain some respectability as literature. As a result, these formats are now common in book retail and the collections of US public libraries . The New Mutants (graphic novel) The New Mutants
8245-515: The world develop their superpowers. Rahne Sinclair (Wolfsbane) is shot by Reverend Craig in Scotland after she transforms into a wolf , but she is saved by Moira MacTaggert . Roberto da Costa (Sunspot) plays a championship football game in Brazil when another player attacks him for being half-black, but he transforms into an energy being and defends himself with superhuman strength , causing
8342-449: The world has abused and persecuted in the same way they have been their whole life. This is especially true in adolescents, which may in part explain some of the draw of mutants. An obvious parallel between homosexuality and mutation is drawn in the feature film X2 , where Iceman 's mother asks, "Have you tried not being a mutant?" This question (or various forms thereof) is common among parents who find out their children are gay . In
8439-408: Was a cloud with a silver lining, and proved the making of Marvel, allowing the company to concentrate its brightest and best talent on a small number of titles, at a time when its rivals were spreading their creative talents very thin across a huge number of monthly titles. The quality of Marvel's product soared in consequence, and sales soared with it. While the creators of comics were given credit in
8536-464: Was also a rise in conservative values with the election in 1952 of Dwight Eisenhower . The Comics Code Authority, a self-censoring body founded to curb the juvenile delinquency alleged to be due to the crime and horror comics, has often been targeted as the culprit, but sales had begun to drop the year before it was founded. The major publishers were not seriously harmed by the drop in sales, but smaller publishers were killed off: EC (the prime target of
8633-399: Was derived from folding one sheet of Quarter Imperial paper (15 in × 11 in or 380 mm × 280 mm), to print 4 pages which were each 7 + 1 ⁄ 2 by 11 inches (190 mm × 280 mm). This also meant that the page count had to be some multiple of 4. In recent decades, standard comics have been trimmed at about 6.625 x 10.25 inches. The format of
8730-425: Was dismissively used in the future by the character Kitty Pryde . Bob McLeod was chosen as the penciller and inker for The New Mutants . He was a new artist at the time, having done some penciling jobs but never been the main pencil for a series. After penciling X-Men #151 and #152, Claremont and Jones offered that he could become the series' main penciller, or he could co-create The New Mutants , which at
8827-440: Was even more challenging because it coincided with McLeod's wedding and honeymoon. By the time The New Mutants was written, there had been two iterations of the X-Men : the team of mutant students introduced in the 1960s, and the later team of mutant adults that was primarily a superhero team. The New Mutants drew heavily from the 1960s team, featuring teenage characters still learning to use their powers, and McLeod depicted
8924-414: Was followed by a superhero boom that lasted until the end of World War II . After the war, while superheroes were marginalized, the comic book industry rapidly expanded and genres such as horror, crime, science fiction and romance became popular. The 1950s saw a gradual decline, due to a shift away from print media in the wake of television and the impact of the Comics Code Authority . The late 1950s and
9021-682: Was later dubbed the X-Gene. At one point, Beast states that the X-Gene is located on the 23rd chromosome ; the process described is that the gene activates mutation producing a protein stimulating chemical signals which induce mutations on other genes. Mutations are depicted as generally manifesting during adolescence, however this is not universal. Some mutants, such as Nightcrawler , are visibly mutated from birth, while others like Magneto do not develop their abilities until adulthood. Some mutants are not even aware of their latent mutations unless deliberately activated, such as Polaris , whose manifestation
9118-468: Was not actually described as a mutant until Fantastic Four Annual #1, decades after his first appearance. The same is true of Toro , partner of the android Human Torch introduced in 1940. The modern concept of mutants as a distinct species independent of homo sapiens began development under Marvel writer and editor-in-chief Stan Lee in the early 1960s, as a means to create a large number of superheroes and supervillains without having to think of
9215-582: Was set after X-Men #151, in which the X-Men were presumed dead. Claremont and McLeod began working on an ongoing series for the team, also titled The New Mutants , immediately after finishing the graphic novel. It debuted in 1983. The New Mutants franchise allowed Marvel to compete with the DC Comics publication The New Teen Titans . As the characters became adults in the 1990s, the New Mutants disbanded as its members left, died, or joined other X-Men spinoff teams. The niche created by The New Mutants
9312-474: Was the only one to be introduced prior to The New Mutants , having first appeared in Marvel Team-Up #100 (1980) by Claremont and artist Frank Miller . The New Mutants was released as the fourth publication of the Marvel Graphic Novel series, which featured longer stories printed on higher quality paper than that of standard comic books. The story in the graphic novel was titled "Renewal" and
9409-533: Was triggered with technological aid. In the 2022 storyline, A.X.E.: Judgment Day , mutants are discovered by Eternals to be an offshoot of the Deviant race, triggering efforts by the Eternals' leader Druig to wipe them out, giving the mutants an explicit link to the Celestials and to the publisher's cosmic storylines. In the series' conclusion, new Prime Eternal Zuras confirms the end of hostilities with
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