Daniela Hernandez
English - 4A
April 29, 2015 The Beginning of The X-Men
The first appearance of the X-Men in the Marvel Comics began the changes in diversity all around the globe. The X-Men brought characters of many different race, ethnicity and citizenship, reassuring the readers that any one can be a hero. Being different wasn’t a problem to the X-men, on the contrary the benefits of being different were endless. The mutants had powers of all sorts due to radiation and exposure their parents received whilst conceiving them.
The X-Men created by Stan lee and illustrated by Jack Kirby in the year 1963. Who first appeared in the Marvel comics. The X-Men were created during the civil rights movement, reason being they supported racial rights,feminist
…show more content…
From multiple nations and cultures. Around the same time, in many parts of the world riots began to break out against racial segregation and discrimination. The X-Men served as a sign in the southern U.S, supporting the causes and showing others they accepted being different. Stan Lee knew this, he decided to show the comic book fanatics that differences we each have individually is what makes the earth go round. Evolution was a big part of the X-Men throughout the time periods. Diversity ranging from various super powers the mutants obtained, showed that being peculiar wasn't the worst thing possible. Many mutants ranged from demonstrating a symbol of racial acceptance to acceptance of choosing the opposite sex. Proving to society that you can’t choose what you're born into. Being of different skin color, ethnic group, whom you love, and why you’ve decided to work instead of staying at home all day, isnt something that can be changed, its something that forms in the heart as the time changes is something the X-Men can relate to. ("History of the X-Men Comics." Marvel …show more content…
In the same way the mutants come out to their parents about their powers or the abilities they’ve come to find out they possess. It’s the same way teenagers in the real world talk to their parents about predicaments such as, revealing they have been into drugs, or they don’t have the same views as their parents, even coming out to their parents about loving the same sex. Also in the same similarity of the reactions of the parents after the mutants reveal their powers. Many reactions may be negative, positive or in many cases shock, are the imitations of the reactions parents in todays time would have towards their children revealing such things. Another social issue the X-Men don’t fail to point out is social acceptance. The Mutants are forced to live a childhood of being discriminated, made fun of, not having the feeling of acceptance be included in their life for being different. Contrasting the troubles many teenagers face, having to keep secrets , hiding important information that may be of life or death. The X-Men showed many comic book fanatics that they are not alone , Perfection isn’t a thing that exist. They showed many teenagers that things will get better in time, and a part of making it better is being able to trust each other and count on one another.(Bradford Wright. "The
Since Marvel’s booming popularity in the 1960s, Lee has found himself the figurehead and public representative of the company.
One way he influenced the comic book world was by revolutionizing the way characters behaved in his stories. Many of the characters in the older comic books were given makeovers to make the audiences like them more because they were flat and lacked emotion. This was called the Silver Age of Comics. The older characters lacked a personality. Stan Lee was an office assistant at Timely Comics in 1939 and soon after that he became an interim editor in the 1940s (Stan). When Martin Goodman, the publisher of Marvel Comics, Timely Comic’s new name, since 1939, asked Stan Lee to create a team of superheroes better than the Justice League of America, their rival in comic books, Stan Lee had his doubts. Mr. Goodman thought that comic books should be dumbed down because they were for “stupid children.” Stan Lee did not agree with Martin Goodman’s idea. Stan Lee already wanted to quit, so his wife advised him to go ahead and write the story the way he wanted to write it. If Goodman fired him it would be okay since he already was contemplating quitting. Lee decided to write a story about four people who got superpowers after an accident in space. They were completely different from other superheroes because they did not wear costumes. The story was also based in New York City instead of Metropolises or Gotham City like Superman and Batman. These characters also had a real personality along with a real job, no secret identity, or alter egos. This story was known as the Fantastic Four. It was extremely different than many other comic books. (Garcia)
The X-Men, 2009. 71-76. The 'Secondary' of the 'Secondary'. Print. The.
There have been major changes to the superhero archetype in comics in these recent years as compared to the past. Along with that arises controversy on the subjects like the new female Thor or a black kid as Spiderman. Many are zealously against such changes for reasons like sexism or racism. While many others are fervently behind such changes because they use it to empower their own political views on today’s topics. These topics are important to today’s society however they should not be so important in comic books because comic books should be value-neutral and gender, ethnicity, sexuality and things of this nature should not matter.
Superheroes have been around for at least 90 years. The first superhero comic book came out in 1933 about Superman. Since then, there have been tons of superheroes created and two of the most popular superhero “universes” have been made. These two “universes” are called Marvel and DC. Many people have different opinions on these two universes and it even begins in arguments and debates; however, Marvel is the better “universe” because they really took superheros to the next level. Marvel came out with more and more creative superheroes as the years went by. Marvels best superhero is the Incredible Hulk because of his changing ability, physical abilities, and work efficiency.
In 1941, Stan Lee, the creator of the Marvel universe, released his firs comic book about the patriotic hero Captain America. This comic was released during World War 2 to give the Americans a sense of hope and to let people know that we’re not alone. Marvel does a good job with its comics because they want to show you that even when times get tough, as long as you have hope things will get better. A good example of this would be Spiderman. When his Uncle Ben died, his last words to Peter were, “With great power, comes great responsibility.” Spiderman goes on to
Every child in the United States has heard or read the Marvel and DC comics books. If you have not then you have probably have heard of their characters like the famous star spangled hero, Captain America, or the Dark Knight himself, Batman. Both Marvel and DC has influenced the children and adults of American in its darkest times. The great wars affected many by its poisonous grasps, and its victims sought comfort with the antidote provided by the marvelous illustrators and writers of comic books. Now their cinematic counterparts are here to inspire the 21st century. The Marvel and DC cinematic universes have similar content, they both have unique characteristics that set them apart.
In the world of comics, two main publishers dominate: DC Comics and Marvel Comics. DC Comics promotes superheroes such as Batman, a vigilante who began fighting crime solely to avenge the untimely death of his parents. He possesses no unique superhuman ability, other than a substantial fortune inherited from his late parents. Yet, the public in the Batman comics still adore their hero. In contrast, Marvel Comics promotes superheroes such as the X-Men, a team of superheroes who possess the X-Gene, a DNA mutation that gives each member a different ability.
...splayed on the big screen “come from our own experiences of overcoming adversity” (387). X-men is a story about a team of heroes who fight to protect the mutant and human relationship while advocating for mutant rights and equality. This movie is a metaphor for the African American Civil Rights Movement that peaked in the 1960s, signifying America overcoming adversity. X-Men can not only be applied to America, it is a metaphor that can be applied to the world. The film references to the Holocaust, another historical and racial occurrence. The film speak to not only the nation but the world by reminding its audience of the struggles people have faced in order to be where they are today. It is a lesson that can always be applied to current events, such as gay rights. It is a reminder that all, no matter their differences, deserve justice, equality, and happiness.
Marvel Worldwide Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American publisher of comic books and related media. In 2009, The Walt Disney Company acquired Marvel Entertainment, Marvel Worldwide 's parent company.
The Golden Age of Comics was perhaps the greatest era in comic book history. Many people loved the comics during this time period because they were all stories about good triumphing over evil. Many of these stories reflected over historical events over the time period. “Pro-American characters were popular due to the time period occuring mostly during World War II.” (PBS)
IMDb.com - "The X-Men" IMDb.com - n.d. Web. The Web. The Web. 7 Feb. 2014. Aceshowbiz.com -.
Wright, Bradford W.. "Origins of The Comic Book Industry." In Comic Book Nation: the transformation of youth culture in America. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2001. 4.
Daniels, Les (1991). Marvel: Five Fabulous Decades of the World's Greatest Comics. Harry N. Abrams. p. 37. ISBN 0-8109-3821-9.