As far as I know, it's always just been described that mutants develop super human capabilities because of the X genes in their DNA... I know we are to assume that humans developing the X gene and being "mutants" is just a natural occurence because of evolution, but how is it that they all develop different capabilities? Usually in evolution, the whole species eventually develops the same features (for instance you don't see half gorilla monkey people today, humans have naturally lost all the body hair and stand up straight on two legs). So how do mutants get different power sets?!

Did Colossus develop hard, metal exterior skin because he worked on the farm for most of his younger days??

Did Mystique develop her shape shifting powers because she was always a very sneaky person right from the start?

Maybe Wolverine's blood line in evolution wasn't completely affected by people becoming less like animals, so maybe his animal like senses and natural bone claws developed because of that? Being experimented on and having his bones encased in admantium probably just brought out his animal instincts and savagery even more.

What about Xavier? How does one develop telepathic abilities like Professor X? Maybe he was just too smart for his own mind from a young age, and being a loner of sorts and being more of an introvert, maybe he just knew his mind so well and his inward thoughts were so strong that he realized he could project them out without even talking???

Any thoughts?

@ethanrjc:

I remember a while back hearing the explanation as a person with an x-gene gains their ability(ies) at some point in time during puberty and usually while in a stressful situation.

BELOW ARE JUST EXAMPLES AND NOT REAL CHARACTER STORIES

Ex.1 not that this is how it happened but say Kitty Pryde was a teen running from someone and ran down a back ally that was blocked off or in to a closet, essentially cornered some how, during the stressful time her mutant gene would jump start and he needing to get out of a closed in place would then grant her the ability to walk through walls. Again thats not how it happened i just remember hearing an explanation like that as for the reason why they have different powers.

Ex.2 Say Colossus was a teen and he got his arm cut in a saw or in a mulching machine (something with sharp parts that would essentially cut or tear off his arm) and at that moment his gene would kick in and he would turn to metal keeping him from losing his arm.

Ex.3 Say Bobby (Iceman) during his teen years fell through an ice covered lake and he was going to drown or die of the cold so his x-gene kicks in and makes it so he can turn to ice. Or maybe he was caught in a fire and so he wouldn't burn up his body turned to ice so he could absorb the heat around him keeping him from burning.

If you have ever heard of the Marvel character Darwin, I would say it's like his x-gene but instead of continuously evolving to suite the situation they only evolved to one situation

Generally Cosmic Power can make anything do some crazy stuff, so I like to think that there's a teeeeeeeeny little bit of it in the x-gene.

Then again I don't know that much about Marvel and in depth X-Men. I just about know what most of them can do, but I lost it at time travel.

@ethanrjc: the gene itself provides an impulsive reaction to exterior stress in puberty that becomes permanent in adulthood.

• Magneto wanted to tear down the fence of the concentration camp. The fence was made of metal, he gained the ability to manipulate metal allowing him to do just that, tear them down.

• Colossus first transformed into metal to rescue his sister from an approaching tractor. Becoming metal was the most effective way for his body to protect her and survive himself.

• Jean Grey wanted to communicate with her dying friend and therefore reached into her mind, experiencing her death.

• Storm's village was suffering a drought and so she gained the ability to influence the rains to nourish them.

• Jubilee was trying to escape the mall police and needed a distraction. Ergo: Sparkly explosive bursts

• Husk was desperate to become a mutant like her big bro and pleaded with god that she'd tear through her own skin to get powers...and that became her power :P

It doesn't always work that way, obviously since some have deemed their special talents a curse. Sometimes the onset of mutant powers incites skull-splitting migraines i.e. Kitty Pryde & Cyclops (whose emergence of power didn't seem to have anything to do with their circumstances at the time)

I always thought of it as dependent on the other genes. Like maybe the X-Gene grants the potential for superhuman abilities, but what characterizes it are the person's other genes, that affect what direction the mutation takes. I like to think that that's why family members have similar powers, because almost all of their other genes are very similar. That also could explain the infinite possibilities a mutant's power could manifest itself in, because there are so many combinations of every other gene in the body.