Comments on: Sometimes, the “Science” Makes My Head Hurt

By: Andrew W.

Andrew W. — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 21:42:35 +0000

As a lay person, the thing that struck me as the weirdest thing was that they suggested that mutants were cooked up in the Weapon X facility. They call Wolverine Mutant Zero, implying that he’s the source from which all mutants spring.

It just seems weird. And, if Weapon X cooked up mutants in the first place, why would they be capturing them in that arc of Ultimate X-Men?

By: Dr Archeville

Dr Archeville — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 12:56:44 +0000

> Steven
> Which would be an improvement over the single gene
> causes all mutants, which IS the explanation in
> “mainstream” continuity, and which I hate.

Actually, in House of M #2, Beast explains that it isn’t just one gene, but a whole bunch of strands of DNA wrapped together. So the mainstream/616 explanation is that it is a polygene thing.

By: M

Mon, 23 Jun 2008 01:04:28 +0000

My take on the x-factor in Marvel U, is that it’s an activator or power supply for mutant abilities but it’s the details of the person’s genetic make up or physiology that determine what those abilities will be. Of course that doesn;t really explain why there seems to be so many odd coincidences between a mutant’s powers and his or her personality or what they (or the writer) needed at the point in the story where their powers manifest.

By: Bad

Bad — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 01:29:41 +0000

The genealogy thing is priceless. I never knew that “genealogy” meant “mess of genes in this guy over here.”

By: Omar Karindu

Omar Karindu — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 16:33:52 +0000

In recent years, Marvel have gotten a bit better about taxonomical matters, calling mutants "homo sapiens superior" rather than just "homo superior." As to how the single x-gene could produce the ridiculous variety seen in comics, well, I have a completely lunatic theory that I spent waaaayyyy too much time on.

By: Eric the .5b

Eric the .5b — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 21:11:36 +0000

Marvel mutant genetics have always been kooky, even above and beyond the normal comic book science.. Even in the original continuity, they’d describe mutants as a separate species from normal human beings one moment, then in the next talk about them interbreeding with humans or mutants who have normal babies.

By: Sarah

Sarah — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 15:57:25 +0000

I thought maybe the “geneaology” bit meant “we went back in time, and manipulated his family’s history specifically to breed him like this.”

By: Steven

Steven — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 15:29:34 +0000

Huh, I read the image and the dialogue as saying that Wolverine has a different genome, making him, and all mutants, a different species than human beings. Which would be an improvement over the single gene causes all mutants, which IS the explanation in "mainstream" continuity, and which I hate.

By: Scott

Scott — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 15:14:23 +0000

Multiple genes, or different genes for different people, makes the most sense to me, but apparently Bendis is going for a the single-gene theory (and for the record, so is DC with there “meta-gene”)

By: Dr Archeville

Dr Archeville — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 14:55:05 +0000

I think that Beast (in 616/mainstream continuity) has said that “Mutancy” is a poly-gene thing. Like some forms of Type 2 diabetes.