The conflict between mutants and normal humans is often compared to real-world conflicts experienced by minority groups in
America such as
African Americans, various religious or non-religious groups, (
ethnic minorities,
autistic individuals, the
LGBTQ community, etc.)
[49][50] It has been remarked that attitudes towards mutants do not make sense in the context of the Marvel Universe, since non-mutants with similar powers are rarely regarded with fear;
X-Men editor
Ann Nocenti remarked that "I think that's literary, really – because there is no difference between Colossus and
the Torch. If a guy comes into my office in flames, or a guy comes into my office and turns to steel, I'm going to have the same reaction. It doesn't really matter that I know their origins. ... as a book,
The X-Men has always represented something different – their powers arrive at puberty, making them analogous to the changes you go through at adolescence – whether they're special, or out of control, or setting you apart – the misfit identity theme."
[51] Also on an individual level, a number of X-Men serve a
metaphorical function as their powers illustrate points about the nature of the outsider.
Ideological differences[edit]
Characters in the X-Men franchise espouse a variety of political ideologies, and these differences are a frequent catalyst for conflict. The most prominent ideological clash in the X-Men franchise is that between Xavier and Magneto; despite later interpretations of the two as analogues for Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X, writer Chris Claremont (who originated Magneto's backstory and history with Xavier) saw them as more comparable to
David Ben-Gurion and
Menachem Begin.
[85] Xavier's ideology has drawn comparisons to
assimilationism and
model minority politics, while Magneto, originally depicted as a mutant
supremacist, is later portrayed as a
liberationist advocating
self-determination through
mutually assured destruction.
Callisto is a
separatist, who seeks to protect the Morlocks through
isolationism.
Emma Frost is portrayed as rejecting social movements, opting to use the
capitalist system for her personal benefit, or for that of individual mutants in her care.
Apocalypse is characterized as a
social darwinist who believes that mutants can only survive through the rule of might. The
Mutant Liberation Front commits acts of
terrorism to
liberate mutants wrongly incarcerated by the government. Even when individual characters expressing conflicting ideologies are portrayed as either misguided or villainous, their motives and beliefs are often treated by the X-Men with nuance, sympathy, and respect; for example, during
Secret Wars, when
The Avengers take issue with Magneto's placement among the heroic team by
The Beyonder, the X-Men defend him as an ally, despite disagreeing with his methods.
[86] Pulitzer-winning national security journalist
Spencer Ackerman has stated that "the importance of the X-Men as a universe of stories, as a mythos, is that we should always be debating who is right."
[87]