X-Books FAQ/Mutant Tracker Thread II

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Q2: What is a mutant?

A2: Mutants are individuals born with the X-gene, making them the next possible step in human evolution, Homo superior (as opposed to homo sapiens). While the X-gene is present at birth, it is normally not until puberty that a mutation due to the X-gene begins to fully present itself, and unleash a mutant's full potential. While most often, this is in the form of a physical mutation of little import, but in other cases, mutants can develop a great variety of superhuman abilities due to how their X-gene manifests.

Purportedly, Stan Lee came up with the idea of “mutants” – humans born with a special “X-factor” in their genetic makeup which gave them super-powers – because he had such a hard time coming up with explanations on how the heroes and villains obtained their powers. Of course, this isn't entirely the case. While Namor is considered to be the "first mutant" character at Marvel, and debuted in 1939, he was not called as such until X-Men (vol. 1) #6, in 1963. Other characters with similar origins existed was before Marvel Comics as we know it today even existed, back during the Timely/Atlas days of the company. Among them are the "Weird Woman" who appeared in 1952, in Amazing Detective Stories #11, Roger Carstairs was a mutant illusionist who appeared in Man Comics #28, in 1953, and the first true character called a "mutant" on panel, Vincent Farnsworth, who had a phasing power, who appered in 1959. Prior to the X-Men there was also Lucius Farnsworth, a mutant millionaire beekeeper with size-changing and telepathic powers (possibly an early attempt to create Ant-Man) who appeared in Tales of Suspense #6, in 1963.

It would be in X-Men (vol. 1) #1 that Stan Lee and Jack Kirby would use the concepts of mutants as the crux of an entire story. Mutants were to be the science fiction analogues for a real-world social problem: racism. Other creators who have worked on the X-Men in the years that followed, most notably Chris Claremont, furthered this parallel to make the issues mutants face one of the most relatable to fans in comics.

While the heroes of the Marvel Universe had their share of angst, the mutant heroes had to deal with hatred for “their kind.” Unlike heroes who gained their powers through cosmic rays, special serums, or suits of armor, the general populace was wary of mutants – so called “Homo superior,” especially those who claimed to be humanity’s next evolutionary step. Like humanity supplanted Neanderthals, mutants seemed to be what would replace Homo sapiens, which inspired fear in most of the baseline human populace.

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Q3: What is a latent mutant?

A3: A latent mutant is a mutant who, while they do have an X-gene, have no manifesting powers, or physical indications of being anything but a normal baseline human. There are, of course, external stimuli that can activate their latent mutation. Some examples through the years have included mutants with the ability to awake hidden abilities in others (like Candra awakening powers within the Assassin's Guild), exposure to certain medical experiments (such as when Nanny helped awaken the latent telekinesis in Jean Grey's niece and nephew), to name but a few.

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Q4: What is an "Omega Level" mutant?

A4: Funny story... various writers have posed various answers to this question through the years. The most diplomatic answer is, an "omega level" mutant is one with great power, or at the very least, a great potential for power through their mutation, potentially on a global scale.

Now, if it wasn't clear how vague this term is, there have been characters like Emma Frost designated as "not Omega Level" several times, only to be labelled as, say, an "omega level telepath" at a later date. Most often, it's used for potential reality-warping characters (Franklin Richards, Legion, Absalom Mercator). Others, it's High-level psionics (Nate Grey, Quentin Quire), energy manipulators (Iceman, Vulcan), or some bearers of the Phoenix Force (Jean Grey, Rachel Summers) that are given the designation.

But honestly, it's just a more scientific-sounding to say, "very very very powerful". Don't sweat the details over who is, and isn't an omega-level character too much.

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Q5: What is a "secondary" mutation?

A5: First introduced to the X-books as a concept in New X-Men (vol. 1) #116, a secondary mutation is when a mutant's powers evolve further than previously ever seen, often in the form of a further physical mutation, or newer unrelated power to anything they ever previously manifested.

The first on-panel discussion of the phenomena was Beast noting a secondary mutation having developed in Emma Frost, where she had developed the ability to transform her epidermis into diamond as a way of her evolving to survive the attack by Cassandra Nova's Sentinels on Genosha. Other examples include, but are assuredly not limited to:

• Toad developing various powers, including a prehensile tongue, or mind-controlling spittle
• Siryn (Theresa Rourke) developing an emotion-controlling voice, in addition to her sonic scream
• Angel (Warren Worthington III) developing healing blood

Some fans, of course, were quick to point out that the entire concept of secondary mutations could be a bit ridiculous, and a deus ex machina if writers continuously began granting additional random powers to characters to their own whims. It has not, however, as been extensively used as some critics feared it would come to be.

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Q6: What was the Genoshan Mutate Bonding Process, in terms of mutation?

A6: This answer is really covered well over at uncannyxmen.net, in an article contributed by all-around X-Men research guru Peter Luzifer.

The details of the mutate bonding process were explained in Uncanny X-Men (vol. 1) #237 and X-Factor (vol. 1) #89. In a first step, a colorful skin-tight suit is bonded to the mutates flesh, so that they will be instantly recognized as mutates. Additionally, the suits were sealed systems, protecting their wearers from the elements and injury, and re-processing all bodily wastes. Over the course of several sessions, the subject’s genetic potential was then brought fourth and shaped, to ensure that the mutate would manifest the most useful abilities. At least one session of the procedure also included psychokinetic conditioning, during which a mutate’s will was bound to a specific Magistrate in a master/slave relationship, so that they would never disobey. Finally, the mutate’s head was shaved, and their designated number was branded on their forehead.

So in effect, it took latent mutants, and teenage mutants who had yet to have their powers develop, and unlocked the best parts of their mutation to create useful powers, while stripping them of their free will to serve Genosha's Magistrates as slaves. In some cases (like with Wolfsbane), it was performed on known mutants to simply strip them of their free will.

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Q7: What is a “killcrop” mutant?

A7: The term "killcrop" caught on past its first inference, within the pages of X-Factor (vol. 3) #11. Damian Tryp, in a conversation with Daniel and Joan Madrox, explained it was a term often attributed mutant children born with their powers or physical mutations already evident, in ancient times. More commonly, they were known as "changelings".

While Jamie Madrox himself was the "killcrop" Tryp was discussing, having his duplication power on contact demonstrating when the doctor slapped him when he was born, and a second baby appearing.

However, Madrox is hardly the first or only character born with their mutation demonstrating somehow. Among others include Beast, Nightcrawler, Gambit, and Jason Stryker.

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Q8: What is the difference between a mutant, and a “Neo”?


A8: There never really was a discerning trait established that made it clear what made one mutant qualify as a "Neo". All that was ever established about them, was there was a variety of clans of these mutants, going back possibly to ancient times, and they live in seclusion from the majority of their kind, referring to them as just "spikes". It seemed as though the Neo all seemed to have enhanced physical abilities, in addition to another varying mutant power of some kind.

Genetically, however, the Neo were similar enough genetically to mutants that they also lost their powers due to the High Evolutionary's switching off all mutant genes from his orbiting space station in X-Men (vol. 2) #99. However, they apparently still vary enough from other mutants that the Evolutionaries could disinigrate them all en masse, globally, at the cellular level (they did so in X-Men (vol. 3) Giant-Size #1), without the rest of the globe's mutants being affected by the same attack. So there was some kind of a genetic difference, as well.

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Q9: Wasn’t there something about mutant “bloodlines”, mentioned during Chuck Austen’s run as writer on X-Men and what mutant "bloodlines" have already been established?


A9: Chuck Austen was the X-Men writer who really wanted there to be mutant “bloodlines”, mutants with similar mutations moving in groups through the centuries. The concept, though, was not entirely original. After all, we just mentioned the Neo in the previous FAQ question, who were created a few years earlier by Chris Claremont. Prior to that, Rob Liefeld had already established the existence of the Externals during the 1990s, a group of mutants who were all immortal, in addition to their other mutant power. Clan Akkaba, the descendants of Apocalypse, also are considered by some to be a bloodline, who often have some form of body-morphing or shape-shifting ability.

Chuck Austen, though, himself established three more separate groups of mutants into the fold during his X-Men run. During the “Dominant Species” arc of Uncanny X-Men (vol. 1) #417, a group of mutants who could all assume a werewolf-like form led by Maximus Lobo were established. In Uncanny X-Men (vol. 1) #429, Austen would further introduce readers to the Cheyarafim, an ancient group of mutants who all have the common trait of birdlike wings, and were mistaken for angels upon the Earth (with Warren Worthington III and Icarus being modern day descendants of this bloodline). Their main rivals were the Neyaphem, a group of mutant teleporters who all looked like demons. They were led by Azazel, and consisted solely of his children (it included characters like Nightcrawler, Abyss, and Kiwi Black).

Most of the “bloodline” concept was dropped after Austen’s “The Draco” storyline ended, save for perhaps when Jeph Loeb created Romulus in Wolverine (vol. 3) #50. Eventually developed to have been the manipulating force through most of Wolverine’s life, Romulus was established as the eldest of a group of mutants who have existed since prehistoric times, and evolved from canines, rather than primates. Referred to as “lupines”, due to their animalistic mutations. Of course, what was odd about this group of mutants that Romulus had a vested interest in was it included two catlike mutants (Feral and Thornn) who had been established as having lost their powers on M-Day, and now had back their physical mutations… as well as a character that is neither wolf-like, nor a mutant (Sasquatch I). In any event, Romulus’ “lupines” included these characters as well as Wolverine, Sabretooth, Wild Child, Wolfsbane, and Daken. Romulus also had Victor Hudson as a servant, and showed great interest in Omega Red, in spite of neither of these characters being too feral in nature.

In X-Men (vol. 3) #30-35, writer Brian Wood introduced the concept of "proto-mutants", a genetic predecessor to the mutants of today, who existed centuries earlier in Kazakhstan, and were wiped out by a fearful human populace who was jealous of the fact that they seemed completely immune to the effects of the Black Plague, during the time of its highest impact.(circa 14th century). This saga is still ongoing.

While the concept of “bloodlines” might be intriguing in theory, after they start being executed, they’re mostly left by the wayside after criticism by fans. Thus far, anyway. We'll see what happens with the tale of the "lupines" and "proto-mutants" when all is said and done.

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Q11: What is the history of the Xavier School for Gifted Youngsters?

A11: The Xavier School for Gifted Youngsters, also known as the Xavier School for Higher Learning, or X-Mansion, is located at 1407 Graymalkin Lane, Salem Center, N.Y., and is the inherited property of Charles Francis Xavier. The Xavier Estate has been in his family for ten generations, the earliest being of Dutch ancestry, who built the mansion of stone. Upon encountering the time-traveller Cable (revealed in Cable (vol. 1) #45), when first thinking of forming the school, Xavier would be given technology from the future to use in the building’s upgrades to teach young mutants how to use their powers.

The Xavier School for Gifted Youngsters was renamed the Xavier School for Higher Learning in X-Men (vol. 2) #38, due to the majority of its inhabitants being adults, instead of youths, at the time, and the younger students being relocated to Emma Frost’s Massachusetts Academy in Snow Valley, Massachusetts. After Professor X (under the influence of Cassandra Nova) revealed his mutant nature to the general public, and opened its doors to mutants worldwide, the school became more commonly known as Academy X. Most recently, in Wolverine and the X-Men #1, Wolverine and several X-Men have returned to the Xavier Estate, creating a new school called the Jean Grey School for Higher Learning on the site.

Though protected by high-tech defenses, the X-Mansion has often been breached by the villains and evil mutants faced by the X-Men. Indeed, the X-Mansion has been destroyed and rebuilt several times. Here are a few instances of major property damage the mansion has endured:

• Kitty Pryde badly damaged the mansion when battling a N’Garai demon in Uncanny X-Men (vol. 1) #143.
• It was demolished in a battle with the Sidri in Uncanny X-Men (vol. 1) #154 (February 1982) and atomized by Mr. Sinister in Uncanny X-Men (vol. 1) #243 (April 1989). However, certain portions of the mansion, such as sub-basements, survived both attacks.
• When Onslaught revealed himself and fought the X-Men in X-Men (vol. 2) #54 (June 1996) and Onslaught: X-Men, the mansion took heavy damage, though was quickly repaired in-between issues after the "Onslaught" storyline.
• In “Operation: Zero Tolerance”, Bastion forced Jubilee to reveal the mansion's defenses. He then stripped down the mansion, having nearly everything inside the mansion removed.
• After defeating Bastion, the X-Men moved back into the mansion and restocked it, as detailed in X-Men (vol. 2) #70 (November 1997).
• The X-Mansion survived an assault by the Shi’ar Imperial Guard in New X-Men (vol. 1) #122-126 (March-July 2002)
• The mansion was damaged in a riot by students led by Quentin Quire and the Omega Gang in New X-Men (vol. 1)#134-138 (January-May 2003).
• In the “Planet X” storyline of New X-Men (vol. 1) #146-150, however, the X-Mansion was destroyed; the rebuilding process could be seen in New X-Men (vol. 1) #155-156 (June 2004).
• In the wake of M-Day, the mansion was infiltrated by followers of the Reverend William Stryker in an attempt to wipe out the students, resulting in some structural damage and several casualties. The mansion was also damaged when the Acolytes attacked at the behest of Mr Sinister in an attempt to recover Destiny’s Diaries from the X-Men during “Blinded by the Light” in X-Men (vol. 2) #201.
• During World War Hulk: X-Men #1-3 a fight broke out between the X-Men and the Hulk, who came to attempt to claim Charles Xavier, one of the Illuminati (even though Xavier wasn’t there when the group voted to send him into space). The battle raged across the estate, included a Blackbird being crashed on the property, and damaged the mansion.
• In the “Messiah Complex” crossover, the Mansion was completely destroyed by the O.N.E. Sentinels, whose pilots were overcome by nanomite Sentinels. The X-Men would move west to San Francisco after this battle.
• The mansion would not be rebuilt until Wolverine and the X-Men #1, when the X-Men decided a better option would be to make the entire building using the Danger Room’s hard light holographic technology to avoid having to repair physical damage to the building whenever it might be inevitably damaged by threats to the team.

For other details about the mansion’s layout through the years, the Danger Room, the N’Garai Cairn, Breakstone Lake, or the Blackbird Hanger Bay, here’s another link to an article over at uncannyxmen.net by Steven Bishop and Peter Luzifer that discuss the Xavier Estate’s features further.

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Q12: Who are the X-Men?

A12: The X-Men are a team of heroes within the Marvel Universe made up primarily of mutants, fighting not only for their own kind, but also for the benefit of a world of humans that hates and fears them, in the hopes that the two species can coexist harmoniously. The X-Men were formed by Professor Charles Xavier under a cloud of increasing anti-mutant sentiment, and the team’s original base of operations was their haven at his mansion in Westchester, N.Y., to train young mutants to use their powers for the benefit of humanity, and to prove mutants can be heroes.

While once upon a time, team membership was not easy to come by for outsiders to the X-Men, necessarily, after M-Day, the team has allowed many of the mutants living upon the island known as Utopia with them to join them in battle, and Cyclops has even declared that they are “all X-Men”, in the heat of battle (during “Second Coming”). At other points, characters like Candy Southern have been granted “honorary X-Man” status (during an issue of X-Men: The Hidden Years). Listing all the characters who have been X-Men is just opening up the floor to debate, so really, let’s just leave it up to individual fan interpretation.

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Q13: I’ve heard that there are extraterrestrial characters who are also mutants in the X-Men… who are they?

A13: Well, let’s start with the half-alien, half-mutant X-characters:

• Adam X- Half human/half-Shi’ar
• Lifeguard- Half human/half-Shi’ar

And there are aliens who are mutants of their race:

• Ariel- Mutant member of the alien race that lives on Coconut Grove, who unlike most of her kind, who all can teleport, she additionally has persuasive abilities.
• Broo- Mutant of the Brood, who unlike most of his kind, has a conscience and sense of morality
• Warlock- Mutant of the Technarch race, giving him a defined sense of self.

Other non-mutant members of the X-Men include:

• Kid Gladiator, aka Kubark, a Strontian and son of the former Imperial Guard member and current Emperor of the Shi’ar, Gladiator (Kallark).
• Danger, the artificial intelligence that was once the Danger Room until it gained sentience and independence.
• Longshot, the genetically created being from the Mojoverse.
• Moira MacTaggart, human genetecist
• Dr. Kavita Rao, human scientist
• Dr. Yuriko Takaguchi, human scientist
• Candy Southern, honorary member and human
• Tom Corsi and Sharon Friedlander, magically-altered humans.
• Lockheed, the alien dragon.

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Q14: In what issue did a character die/get resurrected?

A14: Luckily, I can outsource this question to a whole article on the topic of deaths and resurrections on uncannyxmen.net that’s really well researched by their user, Monolith.


Q15: What characters has (Character Name) been romantically involved with?

A15: Another great question that’s best covered in an article on uncannyxmen.net where they actually have a full relationship map to detail which X-characters have been romantically linked to who, and the general nature of that relationship, be it one-night stand, unrequited crush, or serious relationship. All that research contributed by Dean Clayton and the UXN staff.

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Professor X FAQs

Q16: Shouldn’t Professor X be well into his 80s, if not older? Why does he look so young?

A16: The original X-Men continuity placed Xavier as having fought in the Korean War alongside his stepbrother, Cain Marko (revealed in a flashback in X-Men (vol. 1) #12). While this would place his date of birth at the latest, in the early 1930s so he could be 18 to serve in the military (especially after he had already gone to college at Oxford)… yes, Charles Francis Xavier should be in his 80s.

However, it could be contended that his physical body is now much younger. Xavier’s original body was infected with a Brood Queen embryo (in Uncanny X-Men (vol. 1) #158), leading to him being overwhelmed by the influence of the parasitic alien, eventually transforming him into an insectoid horror... But thanks to the medical genius of the Starjammers’ medic, Sikorsky, however, Xavier’s original body was cloned, and his consciousness placed in it in Uncanny X-Men (vol. 1) #167). It could be argued that this “took a few years off” of Xavier’s physical age, and the new body was actually a few years younger (and it obviously had some “wear and tear” taken off it, as it came with a set of working legs).

Q17: Why isn’t Professor X currently in his iconic wheelchair?

A17: I’ll answer this question with a chronological breakdown of all the times Xavier has been crippled, and then miraculously cured and allowed to walk. It honestly alternates, somehow. Here goes…

• Xavier, from the point he learned to walk as a toddler, and did so without detriment.
• While adventuring in Afghanistan, Charles Xavier encountered the alien threat known as Lucifer, who caused a cave-in within his subterranean hide-out that would crush Xavier’s legs and leave him crippled (revealed in X-Men (vol. 1) #20).
• After Xavier’s body was infected with a Brood Queen embryo (in Uncanny X-Men (vol. 1) #158), it would be completely overwhelmed by the influence of the parasitic alien, eventually transforming him into an insectoid horror. Thanks to the medical genius of the Starjammers’ medic, Sikorsky, however, Xavier’s original body was cloned, and his mind transferred to the new body… which of course came with an undamaged set of legs. Xavier could walk again (as of Uncanny X-Men (vol. 1) #167).
• In spite of various beatings, or a few occasions where he pushed himself to the limits of his power and briefly fell comatose while adventuring primarily with the Starjammers, Xavier returned to Earth, sensing the manipulations of his old nemesis, the Shadow King. As he tried to save the X-Men from the malevolent telepath on Muir Isle, the two would do battle on the Astral Plane. The extensive damage that the Shadow King did to Xavier’s body there was reflected on his actual physical body, and as a result, Xavier was crippled a second time (as of Uncanny X-Men (vol. 1) #280).
• After being shot by Stryfe during “X-Cutioner’s Song”, Xavier’s life was saved using a strain of the techno-organic virus by Apocalypse, and as a bizarre side effect, there was a single day where Xavier regained the use of his legs, choosing to go roller-blading with Jubilee, before eventually having to return to his wheelchair (Uncanny X-Men (vol. 1) #297).
• Cassandra Nova managed to infect most of the X-Mansion with Nano-Sentinels during her time at the school, and while housing her consciousness in Xavier’s body. However, when Xavier was returned to his own body, which had been cured of Nano-Sentinels by Xorn (Magneto?) in (New X-Men (vol. 1) #126), Xavier discovered he could walk again.
• In (New X-Men (vol. 1) #146), Xavier would discover that his spine had not been healed by Xorn, but instead, the Nano-Sentinels he was infected with had been magnetically influenced to operate as though it had been by Xorn (Magneto?). This left him back in the wheelchair yet again.
• During “House of M”, the Scarlet Witch managed to re-write reality and create a world where Xavier had been killed years earlier, and Magneto had risen to become the most influential leader in the free world, ruling from Genosha, on an Earth where mutants were the elite class, and humans were in effect, second class citizens. When reality was reset, originally the X-Men could not find Xavier with Cerebra, because he had lost his mutant genes to the Decimation. But as they would come to learn in X-Men: Deadly Genesis #5, he would at least gain the use of his legs again (and he eventually would get his powers back after being put into the M’Kraan Crystal by Vulcan during “Rise and Fall of the Shi’ar Empire”).

Q18: And I’ve seen Professor X with, and without his powers on a few occasions, what happened?

A18: Xavier has had his telepathic powers, although, through the years, he’s had a few points where they have been, at the very least, “tweaked”, if not lost.

• Xavier had a boost to his powers when he was revived from a coma using the “Phalkon” by the Starjammers. The “Phalkon”, of course, was part of the Phoenix Force, and Xavier, calling himself “The Bald Phoenix”, began to have telekinetic abilities, in addition to his telepathy (in X-Men: Spotlight on Starjammers #1-2). These powers faded with time, however, back to his original telepathy (at least by the time he turned up again in Uncanny X-Men (vol. 1) #285).
• Xavier would completely lose his powers when he was separated from the Onslaught entity by Thor in Uncanny X-Men (vol. 1) #336).
• Xavier would have his powers restored by the Mannite, Nina, while doing battle with a sentient Cerebro in X-Men (vol. 2) #84).
• Professor X would lose his powers again after reality was reset by the Scarlet Witch in House of M #7. He would turn up without them for the first time in X-Men: Deadly Genesis #5).
• Xavier would regain his powers after being placed inside the M’Kraan Crystal by Vulcan during “Rise and Fall of the Shi’ar Empire” in Uncanny X-Men (vol. 1) #485. When Darwin jumped into the M’Kraan Crystal to rescue him in Uncanny X-Men (vol. 1) #486, Xavier’s powers had returned.

Q19: Whatever happened to Xavier’s “Mutant Underground”?

A19: The “Mutant Underground” was an organization created by Charles Xavier to covertly help mutants worldwide, and its members were both humans, and mutants working in tandem for their cause. Among those known to have been involved include Carter St. Croix, Renee Majcomb, Sabra, as well as Mystique, Shortpack, Prudence, Jesse Bedlam, and Forge.

But where did they go? Once the Decimation hit in House of M #8, and the world’s mutant population went from about one million, down to a few hundred, the whole organization fell apart. Similar to how the international offices of X-Corporation were closed, presumably.

Besides that, Xavier was probably busy dealing with the fact that he’d lost his telepathic powers, and that old skeletons were being found in his closet like his covering up the deaths of his second team of X-Men (which included Gabriel Summers, Cyclops’ brother). A trip into Shi’ar space later… well, by the time Charles got back, that was likely it for the “Mutant Underground”, with him absent.

Q20: What are the Xavier Protocols?

A20:The Xavier Protocols were a series of planned strategic ways Charles Xavier had deduced for taking down a mutant with extreme prejudice, if there was no other solution to stopping them, for good. The X-Men first came to learn of their existence during “Onslaught”, when they were brought into a room on Muir Island by Moira MacTaggart to collect them, as a way of stopping Onslaught. More details on the specifics can be found here, in another great article at uncannyxmen.net.

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Jean Grey/Phoenix Force FAQs

Q21: What is the full explanation behind the Phoenix Force, and its connection to Jean Grey or other characters?

A21: This is another complicated question, because a few times, the stated case has been retconned, thus changing the answer. The answer is covered extensively in an article that covers the whole relationship quite well, from Peter Luzifer over at uncanny men.net.

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Q22: How old is Wolverine, and does he have a definitive origin or real name?

A22: Wolverine was finally given a definitive origin story in 2001, the six issue miniseries simply titled, “Origin”. We learned in it that he was born sometime in the late 19th Century (likely around 1890), and his birth name is James Howlett. He was raised on the Howlett family estate in British Columbia, Canada.