What is a mutant? Depending on what comic universe you live in and who you ask, the answer could vary. Mutants and the X-Men are almost interchangeable. I've always wondered who was the first to use the phrase. Was it Charles Xavier? Did Mr. Sinister and Apocalypse use it in the 1800s? (It first appeared in a different context in a Marvel comic in 1959's Tales of Suspense #6). If you subscribe to the X-Men's thinking, a mutant is an individual born with the genetic trait, or x-gene, that allows them to develop powers naturally, usually at the time puberty hits.
According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, a mutant is defined as "of, relating to, or produced by mutation." Another definition is "the act or process of being altered or changed."
The big question is, is Spider-Man a mutant? His powers are definitely related to and produced by a mutation. He has been altered and changed. It's time to settle this once and for all. == TEASER ==
Let's think about the biggest user of the word mutant: Professor X. He may be the leading authority on genetics and mutation but he's also a big jerk. He may have been the one that coined the phrase and adopted it for his kind, but in doing so, he pretty much set up an exclusive club. He's made great strides for mutants but he's also isolated them from others with powers. It shouldn't matter if the individual had a genetic quirk that gave them powers or if it was some other wacky accident. The Fantastic Fourmutated when they were hit by cosmic rays. The public doesn't dwell on that and has accepted them as heroes. Life could have been different for the X-Men all these years if he chose a different way to discuss mutants in his early speeches. Professor X was a hypocrite in keeping his mutants isolated from others that have mutated and should have focused on unifying them with those that were different.
Spider-Man has had his own problems over the years. Often branded as a menace, I don't recall him being accused of being a mutant. The word has become a dirty word or label in the Marvel Universe and Spider-Man doesn't need another reason for people to hate him but it's time for a change. Spider-Man is a mutant. Professor X might argue but by definition, Spider-Man should be one. He has changed on a genetic level. His body has mutated. End of story. Just because he may be an expert in his field doesn't mean Professor X can simply changed the definition of a word. This isn't saying Spider-Man should join the X-Men any time soon but let's see the word used as it was meant to be used. Spider-Man is a mutant.
In technical terms yes he is but in the Marvel Universe mutants are considered more than just mutants but a separate splinter race of humans that are possibly the next step in evolution. So I think within that context you can clearly separate Spider-Man from the rest of the mutants because his mutation was man made rather than natural selection.
i would like to point out that the indivduals with active x-genes are not a seperate species from Homosapien as they can can have fertile offspring with normal humans.
Two species are distinguished as two organisms incapable of producing fetile offspring. Horses and donkeys are seperate species because even tho they can reproduce, their offspring (mules) are always sterile. Dogs however are still canis lupis as they can have fertile offspring with wolves.
In fact the x-gene isn't eve a real mutation as mutations are not hereditary. All these problems arise when people without scientific backgrounds write scientific stories with out doing real research.
that's a very good question. So technically a mutant is BORN as a mutant right? But yeah the writers screwed it up, cos there's no such "x gene" that will give people DIFFERENT superpowers that science cant.....ok no science. When wolverine first came out, (not FIRST but when he was still amnesiac and wondering who he was, thinking about that lab and stuff) i used to think he was a MADE mutant. Of course he survived the experiment thanks to his healing factor, and he had a natural sense of smell, so again this mutant was BORN with it. Or is a lupine considered not a mutant? But what about spidey? i mean,... his powers come from a spider right? and RADIOACTIVE is the key word, has the power to mess with someone/something's genes. Like the turtles,... they're mutants, but weren't born that way, Shredder's MUTAGEN, which was also RADIOACTIVE, CREATED (or as we're using it here, PRODUCED) the mutants. And of course, spidey is TOO COOL to be just human. As we learned in Hulk his genes were PERMANENTLY chenged due to the Gamma ray exposure (BUT he had that serum in him all along) And then,... think about Cap America's Super Steroid.....i mean serum. I would call cap America an enhanced human. Same with DD. They used to be normal, and then they became,...something else. HOWEVER, in both Rogers' and murdock's case, all they got was a little more of what they already had ( or didn't have at all, but still ACHIEVABLE) but Spidey, a) his powers are related to an ANIMAL, and there was no magic here. b) what he can do is different, mind blowing, Cap lifts a car, spidey grabs a falling building, cap dodges a bullet, spidey performs an entire CIRCUS ACT. Now,...his threads are ARTIFICIAL. BUT c) spider sense, now THIS is something that separates him from the ordinary species. So,... i would say, i WANT spidey to be a mutant. Cos his DNA was changed PERMANENTLY, there was RADIOACTIVITY here, and he can do amazing things, AND he considers it a gift AND a CURSE, like the X-Men feel (Beast, and Cyclops and Jean talking about having kids, the Friends of Humanity trying to kill mutants) Spidey has trouble too, and all he wants to do is have a NORMAL life, which is why when he got the chance when there were TWO of himselves alive.... (happens all the time man) he TOOK it. he RETIRED. that's totally a mutant thing to do
@karrob: I didn't mean that the definition of mutant didn't make sense, I mean the question is moot because the idea that people "fear and hate mutants" but not OTHER superpowered individuals made, at best, little sense, and just got worse over time. Think of it this way, why would people "fear and hate" the lamest mutant (which we all know is Dazzler), or someone like Angel (pre-archangel), but NOT "hate and fear" someone with actually potentially dangerous powers like Black Bolt, or Thor, or Silver Surfer, or Johnny Storm.
The whole rationale behind "fear of mutants" was that people like Senator Kelly are going around saying "Mutants are dangerous. They can read your mind, or walk thru walls, or do other stuff which is dangerous if they're evil or at least jerks." My point was "How is it bad for you if one dude has wings? or some chick can make some pretty lights that do absolutely nothing useful unless you're prone to photosensitive epilepsy? How is that worse than some guy whose voice can kill you, or a god who can effectively smite you, or an all powerful cosmic being, or even some guy who can just walk around and set stuff on fire?" How is Kitty Pryde, who has a somewhat dangerous power of walking thru walls, worse than the Vision who can ALSO walk thru walls AND is a robot, AND can fly, AND shoots lasers from his eyes, AND is super strong, super fast, has super reflexes, is super smart, AND can repair damage to himself?
It DOES NOT makes sense. In summation, if Chewbacca lives on Endor, you must acquit! The defense rests.
He, I suppose is a genetic mutant through the radiactive spider bite that gave him his powers but the true marvel term of a mutant is someone who was born with a genetic superpower. Therefore in my opinion Spider-Man is not a mutant
The definition of a Mutant in Marvel Universe is those individuals whose were born with the "X-Gene", Neither Spidey, nor none of the FF were born with the X-Gene, so they aren't mutants. Quite Simple.
I believe the mutant hate and fear was that most heroes and villains got thier powers thru accidents, serums, magic, technology, are aliens, robots, gods, etc.... The idea of a normal person getting these amazing powers by way of those listed were rare, if not unique.
But with the X-gene, now anyone could have powers, including would be villains. There was a time that it was stated that 1 in 3 people could be a mutant (not sure of the 1 in 3, but something along those lines). The idea being that mutants was the next evolution of man, Ordinary people were afraid of being taken over by them and mutants had to be stopped or at least controlled.
It wasn't so much that some guy who change his skin color was the threat, but that if all mutants joined together, how could ordinary people stop them.
As for Spider-Man being a mutant, I always considered him an enhanced human. He's stronger, faster, more agile than average. His spider-sense could be considered some psychic ability triggered thru the radioactive spider (since spiders don't even have spider-sense) and his webbing is man-made. Hell, replace the webs with a shield and you got a Captain America.
The official Marvel definition of a Mutant is: Someone who is born with a genetic anomaly which results in the appearance of Superpowers. It's from the Offical Marvel Handbook.
Spidey wasn't born with his powers he got them trough an origin so Spider-man is not a Mutant
" The way I see it, Mutants in the Marvel Universe are a separate cousin-species to Humans, (i.e. Homo Superior and Homo Sapiens ). Whereas, Spider-man, the Fantastic Four, Hulk, Captain America etc, are Mutates, that is, they are people whom have been mutated. In the dictionary form on the word they are mutants, but they are not Mutants. The capitalised term denoting the species.
So, Cyclops, Xavier, Rogue, Emma Frost, Magneto = Mutants and, Spider-man, Fantastic Four, Hulk, Daredevil = Mutates
I think Beast might actually be a Mutant Mutate, to add confusion to the mix because he drank a serum that turned him blue, while his strength, intellect and dynamic posture predates that as a result of his X-Gene.
Basically, Mutant should be capitalised in the same way as Human is when talking about the species, or in particular a member of the species. But not if it's a characteristic, who are most likely known as Human Mutates. =] "
Best answer. Mutants are essentially the next step in evolution and the beginning of a new species, hence the term Mutants and why Professor X uses it in that way. Other heroes, like Spider-Man, the Hulk, the Fantastic Four, etc, are mutates. They are not a separate species but rather humans who have been mutated either by accident or experimentation. The distinction is important.
@Icon: the word mutants and mutate are the same. Their is no difference. Spiderman has become a mutant even the fantastic four until they can change back permanently to humans again. But their is another term for them super powered humans.
stan lee actually confirmed this, spiderman is a mutate because he wasn't born with his powers he got them later on. A mutant is someone who is born with their powers, mutates are beings that get it from a different source later on
"It wasn't so much that some guy who change his skin color was the threat, but that if all mutants joined together, how could ordinary people stop them."
I get that idea. I mean I comprehend it and all. But you could say the same about ANY group. I'd give the example of "what if everyone with blonde hair and blue eyes joined together and decided they wanted to rule everyone?" except that kinda already happened about 70ish years ago.
To me, that whole "tribalist," "us vs them" argument falls apart when you realize it's REALLY hard to get a large group of people with a few minor commonalities to agree on anything.
" The way I see it, Mutants in the Marvel Universe are a separate cousin-species to Humans, (i.e. Homo Superior and Homo Sapiens ). Whereas, Spider-man, the Fantastic Four, Hulk, Captain America etc, are Mutates, that is, they are people whom have been mutated. In the dictionary form on the word they are mutants, but they are not Mutants. The capitalised term denoting the species.
So, Cyclops, Xavier, Rogue, Emma Frost, Magneto = Mutants and, Spider-man, Fantastic Four, Hulk, Daredevil = Mutates
I think Beast might actually be a Mutant Mutate, to add confusion to the mix because he drank a serum that turned him blue, while his strength, intellect and dynamic posture predates that as a result of his X-Gene.
Basically, Mutant should be capitalised in the same way as Human is when talking about the species, or in particular a member of the species. But not if it's a characteristic, who are most likely known as Human Mutates. =] "
Brilliantly spoken :)
Side-note on most commenters' arguments however, Mutants are not Homo Superior, they are Homo Sapiens Superior. This is why Mutants and Humans can breed fertile offspring together as they are the same species, but not the same sub-species. The only probable Homo Superior was Vargas who was born without an X-Gene, but still possesses superhuman powers. Still, it has not been confirmed that even he is of the Homo Superior species.
No, no he isn't. Marvel has made it clear that he and characters like The FF, Deadpool, Etc. are MuTATES. And throughout the years it's been hinted that the spider bite may not actually be the source of Pete's powers, but may be supernatural (The web and all of that)
Ok, Spider-Man is not a mutant. Even he is genetically altered by the spider-bite, it doesn't make him a mutant or a mutate. Just an enhanced human. When Spider-Man transforms into Man-Spider, then he's a mutate. Mutants are people who are born with powers and mutations or deformities. Not enhanced. Enhanced humans and Mutants are different from each other. If you look at the Inhumans, they are not mutants. They are humans whose powers were enhanced by the Terrigen Mists. Graydon Creed is the human son of Mystique and Sabertooth. Either Graydon Creed didn't have the X-gene or his X-gene has not been activated yet. Who knows? Since Creed never developed his powers at puberty, then he's human. He would have been an enhanced human if he was exposed to the Terrigen Mists. Or the Terrigen Mists would have activated his X-gene. Mr. Sinister is also not a mutant. Because he was born human. However, you can consider him as a mutate because his transformation by Apocalypse was completed. His powers grew and his body changes. The Hulk is not a mutant. You can say he is a mutate when he transforms. As a result of gamma radiation and child abuse, Bruce Banner becomes the Hulk. Hulk is the split personality of Banner just like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Franklin Richards is a mutant because his powers got manifested at early age and it may be due to the cause of non-mutants, Mr. Fantastic and Invisible Woman. However that case is not confirmed. Just imagine if Reed and Sue haven't got affected by the cosmic radiation. Would Franklin Richards be born a mutant? It wouldn't make a difference. Because mutants can be born from human parents. Would Superman be a mutant? No, He's a Kryptonian and his powers can only be activated by the sun. In DC Comics, enhanced humans are called metahumans and they are different from mutants. Would you consider Captain America a mutate? No. Because he isn't transformed into a monster like the Hulk. Mutates are people whose deformities or transformations have occured as a result of the accident. Enhanced humans like Captain America whose abilities got enhanced by using a super-serum. So enhanced humans or metahumans are not mutates. Hence, Captain America is not a mutate but an enhanced human. Mutants are people whose powers and deformities are manifested. You can say Beast is both a mutant and a mutate. Because one, Beast was born with deformities (large hands and legs) and has a great agility. Two, Beast used some chemical to transform himself into blue-skinned Beast. You have two or three categories to identify: Metahumans, Mutants, and Mutates.
On the Spider-Man cartoon show they handled this subject. Peter is mutating further into a giant spider, he asks for their help because they are mutants and he is mutating and he mutated into the Spider-Man he is. Xavier tells him that while that is true, their mutations are genetic and have been with them since birth, Spider-Man's genes were genetically altered later in life. So, he tells Peter, that he isn't actually their definition of a Mutant. (actually I think in the cartoon Xavier tells Peter he doesn't cure mutants.) But still, I think that he is a different form of mutation. Didn't this happen in the comics too? During the Stan Lee/Kirby/Ditko era? Didn't Peter run into the X-Men and Xavier and they talked about this?
Of course, we are forgetting that in early X-Men comics, it flat out states that Xavier and Beast both were mutants because their fathers worked in nuclear power plants and the radiation mutated their genes which were then passed onto their sons.
So, how is that any different from the Fantastic 4 getting superpowers from radiation due to cosmic rays? Simply put, it isn't different. The Fantastic 4 are mutants. Spider-man is a mutant.
X-Men writers wanted to put social commentary in the stories by making parallels with racism, but it simply makes no sense when viewed in context of the other Marvel properties.
If Peter Parker were born with the abilities he develops after getting bitten, he'd be a mutant. But he wasn't. He is an 'altered human' like Steve Rogers, Reed Richards and Ben Grimm for example.
Peter's child however (with MJ of course...) would be a mutant, provided that s/he develops abilities.
By that definition - Franklin Richards is a mutant, Power Pack are not.
" On the Spider-Man cartoon show they handled this subject. Peter is mutating further into a giant spider, he asks for their help because they are mutants and he is mutating and he mutated into the Spider-Man he is. Xavier tells him that while that is true, their mutations are genetic and have been with them since birth, Spider-Man's genes were genetically altered later in life. So, he tells Peter, that he isn't actually their definition of a Mutant. (actually I think in the cartoon Xavier tells Peter he doesn't cure mutants.) But still, I think that he is a different form of mutation.Didn't this happen in the comics too? During the Stan Lee/Kirby/Ditko era? Didn't Peter run into the X-Men and Xavier and they talked about this? "
MUTANT AGENDA! yeah Beast tries to help him, it was an X-Men Spidey crossover (but it was the spidey cartoon) THING IS editors and writers screw things up too much, they PLAY GOD with the characters they created BUT Marvel cant DICTATE what a mutant is. And MUTATES were genetically engineered by Sinister, Spidey's mutation was MEANT to happen just like Flash's lightning bolt
To me, that whole "tribalist," "us vs them" argument falls apart when you realize it's REALLY hard to get a large group of people with a few minor commonalities to agree on anything
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Sure, but all you need is a really good leader, be it 70'ish years ago, or some guy named Magneto.
like most of the characters in marvel, spider-man's DNA has been mutated in some way, whether its a spider bite, or gamma explosion, or super soldier serum, but when it comes to mutant in terms of xmen, he is not, since he wasn't born with the x gene, he is a mutate, someone who had their genes altered
" Well the TMNT were normal Turtles who got exposed to mutagenic ooze. Now they are the Teenage MUTANT Ninja Turtles. Not the Teenage MUTATE Ninja Turtles. Spider-man is a MUTANT. "
The only reason Mutant was used in TMNT, as Tom Putnick explained (I think) , is because the creator wanted to use terms that were popular at the time, like Teenagers and Ninjas
I guess Hulk would be as well. But I read a Hulk comic right before Prof Hulk became that stated that Banner may have been born with effected genes from gamma because of his Dad's dealing with it.
Bitten by a radioactive spider giving Peter Parker his powers by "mutation" making him a mutant by mutation. Nuff said. Same goes for the hulk and the fantastic four
I always thought Spidey tagging along or temporary joining the X-men made more sense than the avengers...
Plus Spidey became a mutant by accident at first..but he really was one at the end of the day, even evolving more Spider-like at some point, first growing more arms and then "The Other" storyline continued that evolution...until it was recently erased by Brand New Day..
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