Random comics thought

[jeriendhal]

The one thing I never got about the X-Men is how periodically they have to disappear when the X-Mansion is destroyed (again) and the anti-mutant hysteria gets too high.

Haven't these people ever heard of lawyers?

Do they have even the vaguest definition of "Hate Crime?" available to them?

Dude, your teacher is one of the most powerful telepaths on the planet. (At least when he's on the planet and not faking his death or just being a dick.) You can call in favors from some of the biggest superteams in the world. How hard can it be to gather enough evidence and sue the government for racial discrimination every time a new anti-mutant initiative starts working its way through congress again?

Comments

[jhubert.livejournal.com]

This of course assumes that "Hate Crime" legislation in the Marvel universe is similar to ours...

[jvowles.livejournal.com]

Simple:

* There are others who -- like in the real world -- find their political or social goals are furthered by stalling such legislation, and some of them are undoubtedly superpowered as well.

* These initiatives are usually *secret* -- as in, funded and supervised through black ops, back channels, hidden and semi-self-sufficient initiatives.



Of course the real reason is that the main story of the Xmen is one of dealing with discrimination, prejudice, hate, and fear. The stories that resonate most are the ones where that struggle is painted clearly, and thus they keep telling the same one over and over again.

[demiurgent.livejournal.com]

In the end, the problem with the X-Men-as-Discrimination-Analogue is simple: the comics are open ended. They need to sell comics this year, and next year, and the year following.

Any gains they made will have to be eliminated, because no one will buy comics about the X-Men's happily ever after. They can have any number of pinnacle moments in their struggle -- any number of "I have a dream" speeches and major victories and historical moments -- but they have to be swept aside to continue the status quo. If the X-Men aren't being persecuted without recourse, they're just another super hero team.

[khavrinen.livejournal.com]

I have to go with the Doylist explanation and say that "Volume 37 of the X-men's epic legal battle", in which none of your favorite mutants actually is seen to use their signature abilities, but instead sit around in a courtroom listening to page after page after page of interminable testimony is probably not going to be flying off the comic store's shelves.