- "We're mutants, we're never safe."
- âWolverine to Cassandra Nova[src]
Mutants (Homo superior) are a series of enhanced species that possess specific genetic mutations that grants them unique superhuman abilities or distinct physical characteristics. Usually, the term mutants refer to Homo superior, a race that evolved from Homo sapiens. However, multiple other species, such as the Talokanil, are able to develop mutations and those individuals would also be classified as mutants.
History[]
Mutations on Earth[]
Namor's Genetics[]
Ch'ah Toh Almehen's mutation manifests since his birth
In order to survive the smallpox that was brought by the Spaniards, the inhabitants of a small Mayan village in the YucatĂĄn ingested a herb that was found in the ocean, which unknown to them was affected by vibranium. Fen, who was already pregnant with her child, ingested the herb along with the rest of her tribe. The herb affected their anatomy and biology, making them unable to breathe out of the water. The entire village then left the surface to live underwater, where Talokan was founded.
Ch'ah Toh Almehen uses his wings to fly
Due to the effects of the herb, Fen's son was born with the ability to breathe both inland and underwater. In addition to his Talokanil physical traits, the child also had a mutation that manifested as a pair of wings on both ankles, allowing him to fly, pointed ears, and an extended lifespan. He became the King of Talokan, and his mutation led to him being venerated as K'uk'ulkan, the Feather Serpent God. However, he took the name Namor for his enemies, after he had been dubbed "el Niño sin Amor" by a dying priest.[2]
Kamala Khan's Powers[]
Bruno Carrelli studies Kamala Khan's genes
- "Kamala, there's something different in your genes. Like... Like a mutation."
- âBruno Carrelli to Kamala Khan[src]
In 2025, once Kamala Khan wore one of the Quantum Bands, she became able to unlock the full potential of the Noor Dimension.[3] The sudden manifestation of her powers led her friend Bruno Carrelli to examine Khan's genes, as she was the only one in her family able to use the bangle.[4]
Bruno Carrelli tells Kamala Khan about the mutation in her genes
Bruno Carrelli discovered that Kamala Khan's genetics were different from her family's due to a mutation in her genes. He quickly found Khan and relayed this important information to her. As mutants were not a known race at the time, Khan simply responded that whatever that meant, it would just be another label to classify people with powers. She then brushed it off.[5]
Ms. Marvel fights Dar-Benn
In 2026, Khan helped Captain Marvel and Monica Rambeau fight Dar-Benn and the Kree, who were seeking her bangle. Even without her bangle, Khan used her Noor structures to save both of her teammates in the scuffle.[6]
The Void[]
War Against Cassandra Nova[]
Cassandra Nova's Henchmen reside in the Void
The Omega-level mutant Cassandra Nova was banished to the Void by the Time Variance Authority due to being deemed too dangerous for her universe. Eventually, the TVA gave her permission to run her operations there as she pleased, and she assembled an armed community with other survivors, some of the members also being exiled mutants. Over the years, she killed and tortured several variants of her brother sent to the Void and even obtained the wheelchair of one of them.[7]
Eventually, a Resistance with the mutant clone X-23 was formed to stop her. During the Preservation of Earth-10005, Nova was betrayed and almost killed by Pyro, one of her henchmen. However, Deadpool and Wolverine saved her, so she got them out of the Void. Realizing that the TVA broke their agreement, Nova went to Earth-10005 intending to use the Time Ripper to eradicate all the realities in the multiverse besides the Void. Deadpool and Wolverine then followed her and overloaded the Ripper, causing Nova to be atomized by the antimatter energy of the machine.[7]
Alternate Universes[]
| This section requires expansion |
Earth-838[]
Charles Xavier is an Illuminati member representing mutants
On Earth-838, Supreme Strange formed a secret organization called the Illuminati, which included among its members, Professor Charles Xavier, a powerful telepathic mutant to represent the mutant race. Along with the Illuminati, Xavier would fight and defeat Thanos. After their victory, Xavier watched Strange's execution at the hands of Black Bolt since Strange's corruption by the Darkhold had become another threat the Illuminati had to deal with.
Professor X uses his ability to find Wanda Maximoff
Xavier became the leader of the Illuminati and was summoned when the Doctor Strange from the prime timeline traveled to their Earth. During Strange's meeting with the Illuminati, Xavier read Strange's mind and noticed his noble intentions, and that he was not like their own Strange. Xavier then tried to fight and save Scarlet Witch, since she was corrupted by the Darkhold. However, his attempts were proven to be in vain, since Scarlet Witch killed Xavier.[8]
X-Men-Binary Alliance[]
Beast and Binary look at Monica Rambeau
In another universe, a mutant superhero team named the X-Men existed, where one of its members, Beast, studied Monica Rambeau when she entered their universe. He then informed Professor X of his findings.[6]
Earth-10005[]
| This section requires expansion |
To be added
Mutant Genocide Universe[]
- "One day, while I was off on my own, the humans came. They went mutant hunting."
"I can guess the rest."
"No, no, let me say it, I... I need to say it. By the time I stumbled home, shit-faced from the bar, it was too late. They were dead, every... This suit's all I've go to remind me of... who they were. What I did." - âLogan and Laura[src]
In the "Mutant Genocide Universe" universe, some humans were driven by fear and hatred towards mutants, orchestrating a surprise attack on the X-Mansion while Wolverine was away. This led to the deaths of several X-Men members, including powerful mutants like Storm, Cyclops and Jean Grey. Because of this event, Wolverine fell into a depressive spiral.[7]
Silver Surfer Jubilee Universe[]
In the "Silver Surfer Jubilee Universe", the mutant Jubilee obtained a surfboard, that turned her skin to silver, transforming her into the Silver Surfer.
Characteristic Traits[]
Mutants are beings that often appear humanoid and, due to their unique genetic mutation, have powers that manifest in various ways.
Mutant Powers[]
| Power | Image | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Flight |  |
Namor was born a mutant due to his mother Fen ingesting an herb that turned her into a Talokanil while she was pregnant with him. Due to his mutation, Namor was born with wings on his ankles, allowing him to fly. |
| Superhuman Senses |  |
Namor's genetic mutation allows him to hear certain conversations at great distances even underwater, as is the case when he heard Queen Ramonda and Princess Shuri while he was diving upon reaching Wakanda. Wolverine's genetic mutation enables him enhanced, acute senses akin to those found in animals, such as an increased sense of smell. While in the Void, Logan was able to smell Sabretooth's presence and also use this while on the road with Deadpool to sniff out the location of a nearby diner in the Void due to the presence of food, despite their distance from the location. |
| Longevity |  |
Namor, having mutant genes, also has a higher life expectancy than the rest of his people, which allows him to live five centuries while aging at a fraction of the normal rate. Wolverine and his alternate variants also exhibit increased longevity, with Logan telling Deadpool he has lived for at least two centuries in his life thus far. |
| Regenerative Healing Factor |  
|
Mutants like Deadpool and his Variants, Wolverine, Sabretooth, X-23 and Lady Deathstrike have accelerated healing factors. |
| Retractable Claws | 
|
Wolverine and all of his alternate variants have two sets of three retractable claws inside their forearms that emerge between each of their knuckles. Lady Deathstrike and Sabretooth have a similar ability with the power to shrink and grow their nails. X-23 also exhibits this ability due to being the daughter of Wolverine, but she is differentiated by having two sets of two, smaller claws inside her forearms, as well as a third claw that extends from her foot. |
| Superhuman Reflexes |  |
Logan is able to effortlessly dodge melee attacks at a greater rate of success than a normal human being. |
| Transformation |  |
The Beast's mutation can cause him to transform into a blue feline-like being. |
| Telekinesis |  |
Due to her mutant genes, Cassandra Nova has the power of telekinesis, the ability to move things with her mind. She used this power to toss Deadpool and fight Wolverine, controlling his arms and making him stab the ground with his Adamantium claws. |
| Telepathy |  |
Additionally, Professor X has the mutant power of telepathy which allows him to read others' minds and speak to them telepathically. Also, he can show people memories from his past as he did to Earth-616's Doctor Strange a memory of Black Bolt executing his universe's Doctor Strange. Cassandra Nova unlike her twin brother, had to touch her enthralled ones to enter their minds. |
| Pyrokinesis |  |
As his namesake suggests, Pyro has a mutation enabling him the ability to physically manipulate the size, heat and intensity of any flame he comes into contact with, despite being unable to shoot fire himself. He performs this ability when depriving Human Torch of his flammable form as the latter attempts to launch a fire blast towards him. |
| Kinetic Energy Generation/Manipulation |  |
Gambit has a unique mutant ability to convert the potential energy of any inanimate object he touches into pure kinetic energy, charging that specific object so it is able to release said energy in a controlled, explosive manner as an offensive weapon. He demonstrates this ability through the use of his primary weapons, his playing cards and his bĆ staff. |
| Teleportation |  |
Mutants such as Azazel have the ability to teleport certain distances within a known parameter, either for evasive purposes or to close in on adversaries or certain locations. |
| Prehensile Tongue |  
|
Toad has a sticky, prehensile tongue not dissimilar to the animal that shares his namesake. |
| Metal Mimicry |  |
Colossus has the ability to transform his skin into metal. |
| Shockwave Generation & Manipulation |  |
Arclight can generate and manipulate shockwaves and powerful vibrational forces. |
| Speed Physiology & Superhuman Speed | |
Callisto's body was adapted to the rigors of high-speed movement allowing her to run at speeds that exceed those of regular humans. |
| Psionic Energy Manipulation & Weapon Manifestation |  |
Psylocke is able to manipulate and mold psionic energy, forming constructs such as weapons and defenses which appear as light purple energy in the shape of whatever Psylocke creates. She formed a whip to ensnare X-23 during the Assault on Cassandra Nova's Lair and pull her down from the skull of the compound. |
| Superhuman Strength |  |
Juggernaut could effortlessly lift both Deadpool and Wolverine up from the ground with just one hand and throw X-23 a considerable distance after ripping her off his shoulders even while injured. |
| Superhuman Durability |   |
Juggernaut was able to endure a blast of kinetic energy from Gambit and multiple stab wounds from X-23's adamantium claws. |
| Quill Generation | 
|
Quill has small quills all over her body which she can shoot out at will. |
| Climate Manipulation |  |
The mutant known as Storm had the ability to control the weather, being able to summon storms in the skies. Her powers increased with MjĂžlnir. |
| Energy Blasts | |
Jubilee could produce sparkly light blasts from her hands. |
Notable Mutants[]
Mutant Hybrids[]
Non-Human Mutants[]
Appearances[]
Trivia[]
- In the comics, mutants are known to carry a genetic trait known as the "X-Gene", created by the Celestials, which causes them to naturally develop superhuman powers from birth, that fully manifest during puberty.
- Various implicit and explicit references to mutants and associated characters are made in the series She-Hulk: Attorney at Law:
- The episode Superhuman Law depicts Jennifer Walters searching for new jobs on a blog site, which features an article reporting on the sighting of a man who had recently fought in a bar brawl and sported metal claws, which is believed to be describing Wolverine.[11]
- The episode Just Jen features the character Craig Hollis/Mister Immortal played by David Pasquesi. The character originated in the comics as the only individual with homo supreme genetics, a step beyond mutation in human evolution; the character self-identifies as a mutant regardless.[12]
- Mister Immortal was first to be introduced in the cancelled Marvel Television series New Warriors.
- The episode The Retreat features El Ăguila, who in the comics is a mutant.
- The main on end credits sequence of the episode Mean, Green, and Straight Poured into These Jeans additionally featured artwork of Augustus Pugliese showcasing his sneaker collection to Nikki Ramos, certain designs of which alluded to other mutant characters, such as Namor, Scott Summers/Cyclops, Remy LeBeau/Gambit and Nathan Summers/Cable, in addition to a pair inspired by Wolverine's classic comics costume.[13]
- The episode Beloved of the series Secret Invasion depicts a book written by Varra under her human alias Priscilla Davis titled Decoding the "Superhuman" Gene. Despite no explicit reference to mutants, the book's subject matter is similar to the function of the X-Gene present within all mutants from birth.
Behind the Scenes[]
- The Marvel Cinematic Universe is the fourth property to depict the mutant race in live-action, following the made-for-television movie Generation X in 1996, the television series Mutant X (2001-2004), and the X-Men film & television franchise produced by 20th Century Fox from 2000 to 2020.
- An alternate version of the post-credits scene for Iron Man contained a reference to "assorted mutants" as alluded to by Nick Fury. It ultimately went unused due to 20th Century Fox owning the film rights to mutants at the time.[14]
- Due to internal disputes at Marvel over 20th Century Fox owning the film rights to the X-Men and other mutants, Inhumans in the Marvel Cinematic Universe occupied a similar status quo to mutants, often being depicted as a minority group subject to hatred, fear and bigotry for their abnormalities.[15]
- When 20th Century Fox and Marvel Studios agreed to share the characters Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver between the Marvel Cinematic Universe franchise and the X-Men films, the latter studio was prohibited from being able to mention the characters' backgrounds as mutants, their affiliation with the X-Men and Brotherhood of Mutants, or their origins as the children of Magneto, as the former studio owned all the film rights to mutants and mutant-related terminology until 2019.[16]
- In the Russian dub of Avengers: Age of Ultron, Steve Rogers uses the term "mutants", instead of "the enhanced".
- Wanda and Pietro's background as mutants was retconned in the comics continuity ahead of Age of Ultron's theatrical release, instead revealing their nature as normal humans experimented on and given their powers by the High Evolutionary.
- Marvel Television used characters such as Mary Walker and Molly Hernandez, who are mutants in the comics. They were not allowed to be identified as mutants due to 20th Century Fox owning the rights to mutants. It is stated that Molly got her powers from being exposed to a mutant fungus, which was the closest way for Marvel Television to reference her comic origin.
- Kamala Khan was originally an Inhuman in the comics; however, in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, she is labelled as a mutant. This is also a partial homage to Ms. Marvel co-creator Sana Amanat's original intention of having Kamala Khan possess mutant genes in the comics as opposed to being an Inhuman.[17]
- The change in Kamala's background within the MCU would be reflected in the mainstream Marvel continuity following the show's release. Khan was temporarily killed during the events of The Amazing Spider-Man #26 (May 2023) before being recovered by the X-Men in Hellfire Gala 2023 #1 (July 2023) and put through a Resurrection Protocol on the mutant nation of Krakoa, restoring the character as an Inhuman-Mutant hybrid. These events would be followed up on in a miniseries titled Ms. Marvel: The New Mutant, co-written by Ms. Marvel staff writer Sabir Pirzada and Iman Vellani, who portrays Khan in the MCU.[18]
- Various mutants in the Marvel Cinematic Universe are characters who originated in 20th Century Fox's X-Men film series and were reimagined as mutants in those films when they aren't traditionally depicted as such in the comics. These include Deadpool, Juggernaut, Lady Deathstrike, and Yukio. While these characters are closely associated with mutant characters in the comics, they are mutates who gained their powers through other means besides an X-Gene, such as experimentation or interaction with stimuli.
- Although Marvel Studios introduced characters with a mutation, the term Mutants and Mutant Gene are yet to be properly explored in the MCU, Kevin Feige elaborated on that saying "we've already hinted over the past few years at certain people possessing what will one day be known as the mutant gene."[19]
References[]
- â âX-Menâ Movie At Marvel Studios Gains Momentum As Michael Lesslie Comes On As Screenwriter
- â Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
- â Ms. Marvel: 1.01: Generation Why
- â Ms. Marvel: 1.02: Crushed
- â Ms. Marvel: 1.06: No Normal
- â 6.0 6.1 The Marvels
- â 7.0 7.1 7.2 Deadpool & Wolverine
- â Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
- â Marvel Studios Announces Historic R-Rated Disney+ Show
- â âX-Menâ Movie At Marvel Studios Gains Momentum As Michael Lesslie Comes On As Screenwriter
- â She-Hulkâs Wolverine Easter egg has Marvel teasing the X-Men yet again - Polygon
- â She-Hulkâs Mister Immortal is a nod to the greatest Avengers team of all time - Polygon
- â She-Hulk's Sneaker Collection Includes Easter Eggs For X-Men, Fantastic Four, Deadpool & More - /Film
- â A newly revealed alternate Iron Man post-credits scene hints at the X-Men - Polygon
- â Marvel is Killing X-Men and Fantastic Four Merchandising - Forbes
- â How Marvelâs Next 10-Year Saga Could Unite Avengers and X-Men - The Hollywood Reporter
- â Ms. Marvelâs Creators Originally Wanted Her To Be A (REDACTED) In The Comics Too â Exclusive - Empire
- â Marvel's real motive behind Ms. Marvel's death and resurrection revealed - Popverse
- â Kevin Feige on Deadpool 3, Wolverine's Yellow Suit and Sex Jokes in MCU
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