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Tuesday, December 28

X marks a spot!

 

X-Men - Definition


When googling around I discovered some facts which just so happened to fit in with my ABC Wednesday project. This little idea of mine is now in its 4th year soon to be entering Round 8!
X is always a challenge, yet I know people will embrace it with imagination and resourcefulness.

 
The cover of Astonishing X-Men #7 by John Cassaday, featuring (from left to right) Wolverine, Emma Frost, Cyclops, Lockheed, Shadowcat and Beast

The cover of Astonishing X-Men #7 by John Cassaday, featuring (from left to right) Wolverine, Emma Frost, Cyclops, Lockheed, Shadowcat and Beast

The X-Men are a group of comic book superheroes featured in Marvel Comics. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, they first appeared in X-Men #1 (September 1963).
The team’s original incarnation failed to find a large audience. However, after a 1975 reformation, the X-Men grew to become one of the most hugely popular franchises in the comic book industry, producing dozens of spin-off series and turning many of the writers and artists involved in the series into industry stars.
Since the early 1990s, the X-Men have been adapted into many other media, most notably two animated television series and a string of blockbuster Hollywood movies.
The X-Men are mutants, human beings who, due to a quantum leap in evolution, are born with superhuman abilities. Mutants are often hated by regular humans both because of ordinary bigotry and because humans fear that mutants are destined to replace them. This fact is worsened by a number of mutants, most notably the team's arch-nemesis Magneto, who use their powers to try to disrupt and dominate human society. The X-Men were gathered by the benevolent Professor X to protect a world that hates and fears them from Magneto and other threats.
Herein lies the sociopolitical undercurrent of the franchise. Mutants are often seen as a metaphor for racial, religious and other minorities that face oppression. Professor X has been compared to African American civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. and Magneto to the more militant Malcolm X.
Another civil rights metaphor the X-Men have is gay rights. Comparisons have been made between the mutants' situation, including the concealment of their powers and the age they realise these powers, and homosexuality, as was illustrated in a scene of the X-Men film X2 that had Bobby Drake "come out" as a mutant to his parents.
The X-Men series itself is known for containing a richly diverse cast of characters and is perhaps the most multicultural book in comics. So appropriate today when I know Xenophobia will feature in ABC Wednesday.

For more ABC fun, visit here always welcome to hop aboard!

33 comments:

  1. I think this is a great topic. So good, in fact, that I had touched on it last year. And you're right - the parallels with xenophobia are hard to miss.

    BTW, my X post this week I had written 6 months ago, and put in the automode to post! I've since changed both the badge and the link to ABC Wednesday.

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  2. Interesting ABC post Denise.

    Do me a favour hon, take a look at my Microfiction post and tell me do you get my punchline? It seems to have eluded people. :(

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  3. At least you have plenty of time to think before X comes round again Denise.

    What's the snow like over your way? Here it is pure ice everywhere.

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  4. I must admit that I have never heard of this series, but it fitted the subject very well - with some interesting features in addition.

    PS Thank you for the nice comment :-)

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  5. Hey, what a great post for the X Day! Hope you had a wonderful Christmas, Denise, and wishing you a very Happy New Year! Thanks as always for the ABC fun!!!

    Sylvia

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  6. Well, I learned something new today! Thanks!

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  7. This is all new to me, but interesting! Happy New Year Denise.

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  8. Great post and interesting history of the X-men. Happy new year ahead!

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  9. I'm afraid I was never into the comics and X man. Very interesting though. you are right it does show a diverse society.
    Thanks for all you do for ABC Wednesday. its been a lot of fun wracking my brain each week.

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  10. A multicultural comic book. Who knew? That's what I get for ignoring an entire subset of literature, to coin a phrase.
    Thanks for the education, Mrs. N, and thanks for ABC Wednesday. Gotta love it.
    -- K

    Kay, Alberta, Canada
    An Unfittie's Guide to Adventurous Travel

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  11. Great post for a difficult letter.

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  12. Perfect post for today and ties in with mine, too. :D

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  13. I have heard of the X-men, but never new the history behind them. I'm not a sci-fi fan, so of course I wouldn't know about them.

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  14. I remembered posting a picture of the comic book X-men in the last run,but not the story behind it, good read!

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  15. How my grandsons love X-men characters.

    Good choice... I had a really hard time with this one!

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  16. A most interesting and thoughtful post Denise. i have not come across the X- Men before. Wishing you all the best for the New Year.

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  17. And I thought it was all simple entertainment! LOL!

    I guess humankind has always had a rich history of myth and fable as a way of getting truths across to the younger generation, and we are no different.

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  18. I may have to rethink my stand on the X-Men!
    Donna

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  19. Great X. I've heard of the X-men but that's about it. Now I know more than I did several minutes ago - thank you!

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  20. wow I just learned about it today.. Now I can share more with friends that for sure not aware of this too.. thanks Happy ABC Wednesday

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  21. My boy students aged 7, are always asking me to look for X men on my computer.

    Did you have a Merry Christmas?

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  22. My kids had a cd on this so I'm quiet familiar... intereting Denise.. It's quiet hard...

    thanks for dropping by. On This Side of Town

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  23. Interesting. Now could you explain bionicles, bakugan,and pokemon so I can understand what my 12 year old talks about?

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  24. Excellent - I'm in favour of anything that emphasises that xenophobia is wrong!

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  25. Ha! The X-men comics were the first thing the husband suggested when he found out this week was the letter X. I've never read the comics but I am a big fan of the movies. Great post! Happy New Year, Mrs. Nesbitt!

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  26. I love XMen. They are one of my favorite movies.

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  27. Awesome X post. It really tickled my fancy to see the X-Men mentioned.

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  28. Love the XMen - eso\peciallythe movie series! (and Wolverine)
    Have a Happy New Year!

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  29. Thanks for thinking of this great meme idea! It has inspired me to seek out new artists - especially whose names begin with X,Y and Z! A fun challenge!

    Happy new year, Denise!

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  30. I don't like X-men or X-files, maybe it's better with Y men ?

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  31. while visons of Hugh Jackamn dance in my head

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Thank you for your comments, always nice to know somebody has taken the time to let me know what they think.