Mutant (fictional)
Encyclopedia
The concept of a mutant is a common trope in comic books and science fiction
. The new phenotype
s that appear in fictional mutations generally go far beyond what is typically seen in biological mutant
s, and often result in the mutated life form exhibiting superhuman
abilities or qualities.
, genetic mutation has been used as an explanation for super-powers since the 1950s. Mutants have played a major role in Marvel comics, particularly the X-Men
and related series. In the Marvel Comics universe, they are a heavily-persecuted minority. The Marvel Universe
redefines the term to beings who are in a higher stage of evolution known as "Homo superior" and are not yet accepted by the human race.
, where they form part of the population known as metahumans. DC Comics does not make a semantic or an abstract distinction between humans (or superheroes/villains) born with mutations making them different from humans mutated by outside sources. All humans with powers are simply referred to, and treated as, one group collectively known as metahumans. The term mutant does still exist for humans born with actual powers instead of attaining them. For instance, a select group of minor characters from Team Titans
, Justice Society and Infinity Inc.
are seldom referred to as mutants, not metahumans.
Those who gain powers after their birth may be called metahumans, but in the Justice League cartoon, the Royal Flush Gang
were called mutants by the Joker
because they were born with superpowers. Likewise, the mid-1950s DC superhero Captain Comet
was born with his powers and was described as a mutant. Killer Croc
, an enemy of Batman
, has also been called a mutant.
Usually writers tend to use the term for parodying purposes. Doom Force, a mutant group which mimics the Marvel Universe at the time, toils with the fact that X-Force
is a revamped Doom Patrol. Another group of Mutants are the Outcasts. Much like the X-Men, Outcasts
are a group of mutants in a dystopian future struggling to survive.
Also characters who were transformed through radiation or a mutagenic gas are sometimes identified as mutants instead of Marvel's term, 'mutates'. In the Static Shock
animated series Virgil Hawkins was first described as one before introducing the term metahuman.
Mutants in the DC Universe
use the traditional terminology of there being a genetic deformity.
One particular example of a mutant in the DC Universe is Captain Comet
.
comic stories Mutants are caused by the effects of radiation after the Atomic Wars. All Mutants are banned from Mega-City One
and are deported into the Cursed Earth
Wasteland. This policy has left the mutants resentful and they often attack the city. Dredd himself has voiced doubts about the policy and when on duty in the Cursed Earth treats mutants the same as any other beings. He will however carry out the law when they enter the city.
In at least one version of this world's future, (see Strontium Dog
and Durham Red
) this will lead to the normals attempting genocide
against mutants in the mid-2160s, and a long war called the Bloodshed in the 24th century.
's own spark (most likely indicating that he is also a mutant).
In Zevo-3
, mutants are people and creatures disfiguratively mutated by a chemical compound called zevo, turning animals into monsters and giving people superpowers.
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
. The new phenotype
Phenotype
A phenotype is an organism's observable characteristics or traits: such as its morphology, development, biochemical or physiological properties, behavior, and products of behavior...
s that appear in fictional mutations generally go far beyond what is typically seen in biological mutant
Mutant
In biology and especially genetics, a mutant is an individual, organism, or new genetic character, arising or resulting from an instance of mutation, which is a base-pair sequence change within the DNA of a gene or chromosome of an organism resulting in the creation of a new character or trait not...
s, and often result in the mutated life form exhibiting superhuman
Superhuman
Superhuman can mean an improved human, for example, by genetic modification, cybernetic implants, or as what humans might evolve into, in the near or distant future...
abilities or qualities.
Marvel Comics
In Marvel ComicsMarvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
, genetic mutation has been used as an explanation for super-powers since the 1950s. Mutants have played a major role in Marvel comics, particularly the X-Men
X-Men
The X-Men are a superhero team in the . They were created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, and first appeared in The X-Men #1...
and related series. In the Marvel Comics universe, they are a heavily-persecuted minority. The Marvel Universe
Marvel Universe
The Marvel Universe is the shared fictional universe where most comic book titles and other media published by Marvel Entertainment take place, including those featuring Marvel's most familiar characters, such as Spider-Man, the Hulk, the X-Men, and the Avengers.The Marvel Universe is further...
redefines the term to beings who are in a higher stage of evolution known as "Homo superior" and are not yet accepted by the human race.
DC Comics
Mutants play a smaller, but still substantial role in DC ComicsDC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
, where they form part of the population known as metahumans. DC Comics does not make a semantic or an abstract distinction between humans (or superheroes/villains) born with mutations making them different from humans mutated by outside sources. All humans with powers are simply referred to, and treated as, one group collectively known as metahumans. The term mutant does still exist for humans born with actual powers instead of attaining them. For instance, a select group of minor characters from Team Titans
Team Titans
Team Titans was a comic book published by DC Comics that spun out of DC's New Titans series. It began in September 1992 and ended in September 1994. The Team Titans were first introduced as a shadowy group stalking the Titans...
, Justice Society and Infinity Inc.
Infinity Inc.
Infinity, Inc. is a team of superheroes appearing in comic books published by DC Comics. The team is mostly composed of the children and heirs of the Justice Society of America, making them the Society's analogue to the Teen Titans, which is composed of sidekicks of Justice League members...
are seldom referred to as mutants, not metahumans.
Those who gain powers after their birth may be called metahumans, but in the Justice League cartoon, the Royal Flush Gang
Royal Flush Gang
The Royal Flush Gang or RFG are fictional characters in DC Comics. They first appeared in Justice League of America #43 in March 1966 under the leadership of Professor Amos Fortune.-History:...
were called mutants by the Joker
Joker (comics)
The Joker is a fictional character, a comic book supervillain published by DC Comics. He is the archenemy of Batman, having been directly responsible for numerous tragedies in Batman's life, including the paralysis of Barbara Gordon and the death of Jason Todd, the second Robin...
because they were born with superpowers. Likewise, the mid-1950s DC superhero Captain Comet
Captain Comet
Captain Comet is a fictional DC Comics superhero created by DC Comics Editor Julius Schwartz, writer John Broome, and artist Carmine Infantino....
was born with his powers and was described as a mutant. Killer Croc
Killer Croc
Killer Croc is a comic book supervillain in the DC Universe, an enemy of Batman. Created by writer Gerry Conway and artist Gene Colan, while there was a shadowy cameo in Detective Comics #523 , his actual first appearance is credited to Batman #357 , which is also the first appearance of Jason...
, an enemy of Batman
Batman
Batman is a fictional character created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger. A comic book superhero, Batman first appeared in Detective Comics #27 , and since then has appeared primarily in publications by DC Comics...
, has also been called a mutant.
Usually writers tend to use the term for parodying purposes. Doom Force, a mutant group which mimics the Marvel Universe at the time, toils with the fact that X-Force
X-Force
X-Force is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero team, one of several spin-offs of the popular X-Men franchise. Conceived by writer/illustrator Rob Liefeld, the team was formed in New Mutants, vol. 1 #100 and soon afterwards was featured in its own series.The group was a new incarnation of the 1980s...
is a revamped Doom Patrol. Another group of Mutants are the Outcasts. Much like the X-Men, Outcasts
Outcasts (DC Comics)
Outcasts is a 1987 twelve-issue limited series written by John Wagner and Alan Grant and drawn by Cam Kennedy and Steve Montano.-Plot :The series takes place in the dystopian future: a bleak world ruled by mega-corporations and corrupt politicians that prey on the weak and poor members of society...
are a group of mutants in a dystopian future struggling to survive.
Also characters who were transformed through radiation or a mutagenic gas are sometimes identified as mutants instead of Marvel's term, 'mutates'. In the Static Shock
Static Shock
Static Shock is an American animated television series produced by Warner Bros. Animation. It premiered in September 2000 on the Kids' WB! block and ran for four seasons, with a total of 52 half-hour episodes....
animated series Virgil Hawkins was first described as one before introducing the term metahuman.
Mutants in the DC Universe
DC Universe
The DC Universe is the shared universe where most of the comic stories published by DC Comics take place. The fictional characters Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman are well-known superheroes from this universe. Note that in context, "DC Universe" is usually used to refer to the main DC continuity...
use the traditional terminology of there being a genetic deformity.
One particular example of a mutant in the DC Universe is Captain Comet
Captain Comet
Captain Comet is a fictional DC Comics superhero created by DC Comics Editor Julius Schwartz, writer John Broome, and artist Carmine Infantino....
.
Judge Dredd
In the Judge DreddJudge Dredd
Judge Joseph Dredd is a comics character whose strip in the British science fiction anthology 2000 AD is the magazine's longest running . Dredd is an American law enforcement officer in a violent city of the future where uniformed Judges combine the powers of police, judge, jury and executioner...
comic stories Mutants are caused by the effects of radiation after the Atomic Wars. All Mutants are banned from Mega-City One
Mega-City One
Mega-City One is a huge fictional city-state covering much of what is now the Eastern United States in the Judge Dredd comic book series. The exact boundaries of the city depend on which artist has drawn the story...
and are deported into the Cursed Earth
Cursed Earth
The Cursed Earth is a part of the fictional universe from the Judge Dredd series that appears in the UK comic book 2000 AD.-Background:...
Wasteland. This policy has left the mutants resentful and they often attack the city. Dredd himself has voiced doubts about the policy and when on duty in the Cursed Earth treats mutants the same as any other beings. He will however carry out the law when they enter the city.
In at least one version of this world's future, (see Strontium Dog
Strontium Dog
Strontium Dog is a long-running comics series featuring in the British science fiction weekly 2000 AD, starring Johnny Alpha, a mutant bounty hunter with an array of imaginative gadgets and weapons....
and Durham Red
Durham Red
Durham Red was originally created in 1987 as a female sidekick and lover for Johnny Alpha in the long-running British comicbook series Strontium Dog. She was a sexy bounty hunter with a mutation that gave her a vampiric lust for blood.-Publication history:...
) this will lead to the normals attempting genocide
Genocide
Genocide is defined as "the deliberate and systematic destruction, in whole or in part, of an ethnic, racial, religious, or national group", though what constitutes enough of a "part" to qualify as genocide has been subject to much debate by legal scholars...
against mutants in the mid-2160s, and a long war called the Bloodshed in the 24th century.
Comic books
- Diclonius, a race of mutants in the manga Elfen LiedElfen Liedis a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Lynn Okamoto. A thirteen-episode anime television series adaptation was produced by the studio ARMS and broadcast on TV Tokyo from July to October 2004. The anime was later licensed in North America on DVD by ADV Films...
- CyberforceCyberforceCyberforce is an Image Comics super-hero team created by artist Marc Silvestri and writer Eric Silvestri in 1992. Silvestri would begin performing both the plotting and pencilling chores, but the series was subsequently drawn by other artists, including David Finch...
is a group of mutant cyborgCyborgA cyborg is a being with both biological and artificial parts. The term was coined in 1960 when Manfred Clynes and Nathan S. Kline used it in an article about the advantages of self-regulating human-machine systems in outer space. D. S...
s in Image ComicsImage ComicsImage Comics is a United States comic book publisher. It was founded in 1992 by high-profile illustrators as a venue where creators could publish their material without giving up the copyrights to the characters they created, as creator-owned properties. It was immediately successful, and remains...
. - EastmanKevin EastmanKevin Brooks Eastman is an American comic book artist and writer, best known as the creator of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Eastman is also the current owner, editor and publisher of the magazine Heavy Metal.-Early life:Eastman was born on May 30, 1962 in Springvale, Maine...
and LairdPeter LairdPeter Alan Laird is an American comic book writer and artist. He is best known for co-creating Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles with writer and artist Kevin Eastman.-Early life and career:...
's Teenage Mutant Ninja TurtlesTeenage Mutant Ninja TurtlesThe Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are a fictional team of four teenage anthropomorphic turtles, who were trained by their anthropomorphic rat sensei in the art of ninjutsu and named after four Renaissance artists...
. - In Larry HamaLarry HamaLarry Hama is an American comic book writer, artist, actor and musician who has worked in the fields of entertainment and publishing since the 1960s....
's comic Nth Man: the Ultimate NinjaNth Man: the Ultimate NinjaNth Man: The Ultimate Ninja is a comic book about an American ninja set in an unspecified near future where World War III has started. It was written by Larry Hama between 1989 and 1990, based largely on his success writing the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero comic, which he wrote concurrently with...
, the American Midwest is struck by a DNA-altering bio-weapon which turns ordinary humans into pale, fanged, boil-covered psychotic creatures called "moots", who crave human flesh. - Several super-powered characters in the Justice MachineJustice MachineThe Justice Machine is a fictional team of superheroes originally created by Michael Gustovich and appearing in comic books from many small publishers in the 1980s and 1990s.-Publication history:...
comic are said to be mutants. - Mutant, Texas: Tales of Sheriff Ida RedMutant, Texas: Tales of Sheriff Ida RedMutant, Texas: Tales of Sheriff Ida Red is a four-issue comic book miniseries created by Paul Dini and illustrated by J. Bone, published by Oni Press in 2002. The stories take place in a mythical West Texas town changed by a release of atomic power and mystic forces.The lead character is Sheriff...
tells of a town populated by bizarre mutant creatures. - Ex-MutantsEx-MutantsEx-Mutants was a comic book series created by writer David Lawrence and artist Ron Lim along with editor David Campiti in 1986. It was first published by Eternity Comics and then Amazing Comics. Contractual problems resulted in a move to Pied Piper Comics. A legal dispute followed, and after...
tells of a group of post-nuclear mutants surgically altered to look like "normal" humans.
Print media
- A December, 1953 article in Mechanix IllustratedMechanix IllustratedMechanix Illustrated was an American magazine founded in the first half of the 20th century to compete against the older Popular Science and Popular Mechanics...
Magazine called "How Nuclear Radiation Can Change Our Race", warned that in the event of an "Atom War", a mutant species of supermen might arise to assist --or to dominate-- humanity. The article was written by "O. O. BinderOtto BinderOtto Oscar Binder was an American author of science fiction and non-fiction books and stories, and comic books...
", and opened with a two-page illustration drawn by comic book artist Kurt SchaffenbergerKurt SchaffenbergerKurt Schaffenberger was an American comic book artist. Schaffenberger was best known for his work on Captain Marvel and the Marvel Family , as well as his work on the title Superman's Girl Friend, Lois Lane during the 1950s and 1960s.-Early career:Schaffenberger was born on a farm in the...
, which shows bald, large-craniumed mutants either helping humanity with their superior intellects (in a small section of the picture) or dominating mankind as slavemasters (in the much bigger splash image). - The Mutant Chronicle novels are based on a pen and paper role-playing gameRole-playing gameA role-playing game is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal acting, or through a process of structured decision-making or character development...
originally published in 1993. It was made into a film (which has very little to do with the novels or the RPG) entitled Mutant ChroniclesMutant Chronicles (film)Mutant Chronicles is a 2009 independent science fiction horror film, loosely based on the role-playing game of the same name. The film was directed by Simon Hunter, and stars Thomas Jane and Ron Perlman. The film was released throughout Europe in an unfinished form. The film premiered on VOD on...
in 2009.
Video games
- Crash: Mind over MutantCrash: Mind over MutantCrash: Mind over Mutant is a platform video game published by Sierra Entertainment and developed by Vancouver-based Radical Entertainment for the PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable , Wii and Xbox 360. The Nintendo DS version of the game was developed by TOSE...
- The Fallout series features mutants throughout as a result of both radiation and an engineered virus.
- Mutants in System ShockSystem ShockSystem Shock is a first-person action-adventure video game developed by Looking Glass Technologies and published by Origin Systems. Released in 1994, the game is set aboard the fictional Citadel Station in a cyberpunk vision of 2072...
are created when humans are exposed to a mutagen virus.
- Mutants in Resident Evil are created when humans or animals are infected by one of the world's many fictional pathogens.
- In Crackdown 2Crackdown 2Crackdown 2 is a sandbox-style third-person shooter video game developed by Ruffian Games and published by Microsoft Game Studios. It was released on Xbox 360 in July 2010 and is a direct sequel to the 2007 video game Crackdown.-Gameplay:...
, mutants are the result of research from the Agency.
- Pig Cops, mutated police officers as well as other mutants in the Duke NukemDuke NukemDuke Nukem is a video game series focusing on its protagonist, Duke Nukem. Originally created by Apogee Software Ltd./3D Realms as a series of video games for the PC, the franchise expanded to games released for various consoles by third party developers...
series.
- Mutants in Metro 2033 are the result of radiation after a devastating nuclear war.
Films
In the remake series of The Hills Have Eyes, the Mutants or Hill People are humans who have been given misshapen physicalities due to radiation exposure from nuclear weapons testing.Television
In Beast Wars: Transformers, Rampage is a mutant (or at least his spark is) Cybertronian science experiment due to his indestructible spark, of which is simply a replication of StarscreamStarscream (Transformers)
Starscream is a fictional character in the Transformers franchise. He is one of the most prolific characters in the Transformers fictional work, appearing in almost all incarnations of the story. Starscream is usually portrayed with the same characterization...
's own spark (most likely indicating that he is also a mutant).
In Zevo-3
Zevo-3
Zevo-3 is an French-American animated television series that currently airs on Nicktoons. It is based on three characters that previously appeared in Skechers commercials , although they have been redesigned...
, mutants are people and creatures disfiguratively mutated by a chemical compound called zevo, turning animals into monsters and giving people superpowers.