Marvel Is Redefining What ‘Mutant’ Means In X-Men Lore
Warning: spoilers for Giant-Size X-Men: Thunderbird #1 are ahead!
The mutants of Marvel Comics' X-Men team have long been used as a stand-in for marginalized groups in society. While some mutants are born with their powers, others manifest them at a point of intense stress during adolescence. This origin in particular has been used several times in X-Men comics to address topics such as racism, anti-Semitism, homophobia, ableism, gender-based violence, and more. As such, because of the tie between marginalized identities and mutant identities in X-Men comics, it is safe to say that many mutants' superpowers are symptomatic of the oppression they face in society. But with the X-Men now in an unprecedented era of peace and prosperity, this idea is being rewritten.
Currently, the X-Men are living peacefully on the island nation of Krakoa, a safe haven for mutants where everyone is essentially immortal, due to their society's ability to resurrect their dead. This has allowed any fallen mutant from any point in history to be given a second chance, seen most recently with the character, Thunderbird (John Proudstar), also known as the first X-Man to die in battle. X-Men like Thunderbird who had long been dead have found the utopia of Krakoa difficult to become accustomed to, as so much of X-Men history revolves around persecution. Additionally, because the X-Men's life on Krakoa is so unique, the island has given birth to its own unique culture that is specific to mutant experiences like never before.
Related: X-Men's New Trans Mutant Superhero Arrives This June
Thunderbird in particular discovers that «mutant» means something different in this new era of X-Men history, one that comes with its own set of rituals, rules, and
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