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Marvel makes a huge change to the X-Men‘s origins, rewriting the early days of mutantkind. While society celebrates mutates like the Fantastic Four and Spider-Man as saviors, a significant part of humanity sees mutants with intense hatred due to the fear of evolutionary replacement. Anti-mutant citizens perceive mutantkind as a dangerous new species destined to render Homo Sapiens extinct. Even harmless or non-combatant mutants face vicious persecution, while non-mutant heroes who wield far more destructive power receive public adoration.
Current Marvel Comics canon establishes that mutans’ origins trace back millions of years to Celestial genetic experimentation on early hominids. Throughout ancient history, rare mutants arise as godlike myths or small secret societies, exemplified by immortals like Selene, Apocalypse, and the ancient civilization of Okkara. However, Earth’s mutant population remains tiny and dispersed for millennia. The dramatic surge in visible mutant births occurs only in the mid-twentieth century, triggered directly by the dawn of the Atomic Age. Widespread nuclear radiation across the globe activates dormant X-Genes within the human populace at unprecedented rates, which transforms the genetic anomalies into a prominent global phenomenon.
Mutant history is constantly changing, with new revelations about mutantkind’s origins and history being unveiled by the most unexpected characters in the present day.
Mutants Appeared Longer Ago In Earth’s History, Known As The Darkborn
The Uncanny X-Men #36; Written By Gail Simone; Art By Luciano Vecchio & Matthew Wilson
Rogue and Gambit place all their faith in Father Gabriel and Repent’s ability to exorcise Wyvern out of Gambit’s body, and their trust eventually pays off, but not before witnessing terrifying imagery. As if the altar wasn’t intimidating enough, The mutant exorcist Repent aka Vincente Herrera reveals that mutants began appearing much earlier than anybody knows, several times, “centuries before” the Atomic Age. In one of these instances, mutants were called “i Tenebrosi” or “the Darkborn,” and they were slain by religious figures who considered them demonic beings.
Repent’s revelation redefines mutant history as a cyclical evolutionary process. The existence of the Darkborn reveals that the X-Gene periodically activated in large populations without any specific trigger, and it reinforces the idea that it’s in humanity’s nature to respond aggressively to the threat of replacement. Prejudice against mutantkind isn’t a modern panic born from twentieth-century science, but a nearly innate impulse that leads humans to engage in eradication attempts, formerly as witch hunts, and currently as systemic persecution. There must have been countless unknown mutants who were accused of being demons and erased from history.
The Uncanny X-Men #36 is now available from Marvel Comics
- Movie(s)
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X-Men (2000), X2, X-Men: The Last Stand (2006), X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009), X-Men: First Class (2011), The Wolverine (2013), X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014), Deadpool (2016), X-Men: Apocalypse (2016), Logan (2017), Deadpool 2 (2018), Dark Phoenix (2019), The New Mutants, Deadpool & Wolverine (2024)
- TV Show(s)
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X-Men: Pryde of the X-Men, X-Men (1992), X-Men: Evolution (2000), Wolverine and the X-Men (2008), Marvel Anime: Wolverine, Marvel Anime: X-Men, Legion (2017), The Gifted (2017), X-Men ’97 (2024)
- Video Game(s)
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X-Men: Children of the Atom (1994), Marvel Super Heroes (1995), X-Men vs. Street Fighter (1996), Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter (1997), Marvel vs. Capcom (1998), X-Men: Mutant Academy (2000), Marvel vs. Capcom 2: New Age of Heroes (2000), X-Men: Mutant Academy 2 (2001), X-Men: Next Dimension (2002), Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds (2011), Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 (2011), X-Men Legends (2005), X-Men Legends 2: Rise of Apocalypse (2005), X2: Wolverine’s Revenge (2003), X-Men (1993), X-Men 2: Clone Wars (1995), X-Men: Mutant Apocalypse (1994)
- First Film
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X-Men (2000)
- Character(s)
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Professor X, Cyclops, Iceman, Beast, Angel, Phoenix, Wolverine, Gambit, Rogue, Storm, Jubilee, Morph, Nightcrawler, Havok, Banshee, Colossus, Magneto, Psylocke, Juggernaut, Cable, X-23
- Comic Release Date
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213035,212968
