# How would Marvel Comics mutants really be classified, scientifically? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 25, 2008, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-marvel-comics-mutants-really-be-classified-scientifically/469518 "2008-10-25T16:13:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Larry\_Borgia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/larry_borgia/32/156_2.png) [@Larry\_Borgia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Borgia)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2008, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-marvel-comics-mutants-really-be-classified-scientifically/469518/21 "2008-10-26T05:12:14Z")
Evidence for intelligent design ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2008, 6:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-marvel-comics-mutants-really-be-classified-scientifically/469518/22 "2008-10-26T06:44:44Z")
As far as Beast being a ladies’ man, he produces pheromones that induce sexual attraction. That probably helps. As for what mutants are; I know that there are some species where a minority undergoes a different pattern of physical development than the rest; not as a defect, but as part of their normal development. But I can’t recall what that phenomenon is called. > [@Larry\_Borgia](#): > > Evidence for intelligent design Actually, no. You see, they ARE the result of intelligent design by the Celestials; but the Celestials put some sort of effect on Earth that makes all but a few people forget all about it even if told. So, they won’t be called evidence for intelligent design, because it’s not **allowed**. ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2008, 7:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-marvel-comics-mutants-really-be-classified-scientifically/469518/23 "2008-10-26T07:38:48Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > As far as Beast being a ladies’ man, he produces pheromones that induce sexual attraction. That probably helps. He does? I knew Longshot did, and Stacy X, I didn’t know Beast did, too. Hell, invite those 3 to a party, watch things devolve… ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2008, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-marvel-comics-mutants-really-be-classified-scientifically/469518/24 "2008-10-26T13:37:30Z")
I don’t have the comics anymore, but… When Grant Morrison changed Beast into a (Disney-inspired) feline, he had Hank describe the definition of a new species as being unable to mate with the old, predecessor species. In the same storyline, it was revealed that Hank could no longer use a conventional toilet and had to use a high-tech cat box. When Trish Tilby dumped him, he briefly claimed to be gay, then told Scott Summers that his sexual orientation could not be easily described in conventional terms. He’s going further along the mutation path than any other Marvel character and is giving us a disturbing front-row view of the process. ---
**Author:** ![Love\_Rhombus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/love_rhombus/32/10694_2.png) [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2008, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-marvel-comics-mutants-really-be-classified-scientifically/469518/25 "2008-10-26T14:28:01Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > As far as Beast being a ladies’ man, he produces pheromones that induce sexual attraction. That probably helps. > > As for what mutants are; I know that there are some species where a minority undergoes a different pattern of physical development than the rest; not as a defect, but as part of their normal development. But I can’t recall what that phenomenon is called. > > Actually, no. You see, they ARE the result of intelligent design by the Celestials; but the Celestials put some sort of effect on Earth that makes all but a few people forget all about it even if told. So, they won’t be called evidence for intelligent design, because it’s not **allowed**. I thought he meant because they were made by Lee and the rest. And some mutants are born with their powers, like Jamie Madrox. The majority aren’t, though, and he may not be a mutant anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Cuckoorex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ad7895/32.png) [@Cuckoorex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cuckoorex)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2008, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-marvel-comics-mutants-really-be-classified-scientifically/469518/26 "2008-10-26T17:51:20Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > Actually, no. You see, they ARE the result of intelligent design by the Celestials; but the Celestials put some sort of effect on Earth that makes all but a few people forget all about it even if told. So, they won’t be called evidence for intelligent design, because it’s not **allowed**. Yup. Kinda. Celestial gene engineering involved making humans capable of developing powers. Ultimately, the X-Gene resulted from the Celestial gene tampering that first resulted in the Eternals, but I think that the X-Gene was an unplanned side effect. But yes, you could say that the Celestials are responsible for the existence of mutants in the Marvel Universe. To further confuse things, there are the Externals, a select group (or subspecies) of mutants that appear to be immortal but were NOT the direct result of Celestial gene engineering. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2008, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-marvel-comics-mutants-really-be-classified-scientifically/469518/27 "2008-10-26T21:31:20Z")
> [@Cuckoorex](#): > > Yup. Kinda. Celestial gene engineering involved making humans capable of developing powers. Ultimately, the X-Gene resulted from the Celestial gene tampering that first resulted in the Eternals, but I think that the X-Gene was an unplanned side effect. I’m don’t think it was unintended. I recall the line about the Celestials creating “the gene-preserving Eternals, the gene-altering Deviants, and the gene-oblivious Latents”. The term “Latent” implies that there’s something there that could manifest. This apparently not being unique; the Skrulls being descended from their species’ Deviants who exterminated the other branches. And as I recall, the reason for mutants appearing in such numbers was a side effect of nuclear tests. I always thought that the X-gene was probably a mutated version of one of the key genes the Celestials built in to give Latents the ability to manifest powers; a version locked into the “on” position as it were. With some other side effects ( such as different brainwaves ), due to it being active from birth as opposed to being triggered by gamma rays or being bitten by a radioactive spider. I suppose the real world equivalent would be hypothetical people who have a mutation that results in them and their children **always** being a genius. Geniuses being within normal variation, but certainly not the norm the way they are in this new group. And really, I think one could make an argument for something like that being if not yet a new species, at least the beginning stages of such a split. ---
**Author:** ![smiling\_bandit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@smiling\_bandit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smiling_bandit)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2008, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-marvel-comics-mutants-really-be-classified-scientifically/469518/28 "2008-10-26T23:24:36Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > And as I recall, the reason for mutants appearing in such numbers was a side effect of nuclear tests. I always thought that the X-gene was probably a mutated version of one of the key genes the Celestials built in to give Latents the ability to manifest powers; a version locked into the “on” position as it were. With some other side effects ( such as different brainwaves ), due to it being active from birth as opposed to being triggered by gamma rays or being bitten by a radioactive spider. The problem is that if nuclear tests somehow activated or kickstarted dormant genes all around the world, we pretty much have to throw out anything even remotely connected to the idea of science, since it no longer had even the slightest connection to anything we understand. Secondly, the idea that it’s all the Celestial’s doing is belied by the fact that numerous other races, of which we have no evidence of their tampering, do the same. Third, they’ve “explained” it dozens of times and completely contradicted themselves every time. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2008, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-marvel-comics-mutants-really-be-classified-scientifically/469518/29 "2008-10-27T00:00:04Z")
> [@smiling\_bandit](#): > > The problem is that if nuclear tests somehow activated or kickstarted dormant genes all around the world, we pretty much have to throw out anything even remotely connected to the idea of science, since it no longer had even the slightest connection to anything we understand. Well, yes. But these are comic books; not exactly a bastion of hard sci fi. > [@smiling\_bandit](#): > > Secondly, the idea that it’s all the Celestial’s doing is belied by the fact that numerous other races, of which we have no evidence of their tampering, do the same. Not really. Non-Terran superpowers tend to be rare, and most are either natural and universal to the race, or the result of cybernetic or imposed biological alterations, not spontaneous transformation and empowerment. ---
**Author:** ![smiling\_bandit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@smiling\_bandit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smiling_bandit)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2008, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-marvel-comics-mutants-really-be-classified-scientifically/469518/30 "2008-10-27T02:11:33Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > Well, yes. But these are comic books; not exactly a bastion of hard sci fi. My point was that if this is true, then we can’t even look at it from a scientific perspective, (which may be correct). > [@](#): > > Not really. Non-Terran superpowers tend to be rare, and most are either natural and universal to the race, or the result of cybernetic or imposed biological alterations, not spontaneous transformation and empowerment. …Of what we see in _some_ of the comics. Not others. And, albeit oddly, there’s no fundamental difference between forms of super-powers. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-marvel-comics-mutants-really-be-classified-scientifically/469518.md?page=1)