• tetris11@lemmy.ml
        21·
        2 days ago

        Even within Marvel, is he genuinely not a mutant? I swear I’ve read a comic where he suspects that the substance that blinded him, not only sharpened his other senses but even made him smarter to some degree. Sure, Stick honed his senses, so there’s a self-development aspect of it too, and his parents might have not carried the X-gene or whatever it is, but ultimately his powers comes from a mutation in his DNA no?

        • uid0gid0@lemmy.world
          3·
          2 days ago

          Marvel is very strict about who is and who isn’t a mutant (unless you’re talking about Franklin Richards, but that is a whole other discussion). To be an official “mutant” in marvel comics you have to be born with the X-factor in your genes that lets your powers express naturally. External forces like gamma radiation, radioactive spiders, cosmic rays, DNA manipulation, etc make you a mutate, not a mutant.

          • tetris11@lemmy.ml
            11·
            2 days ago

            I think its more murky than that.

            There was a whole story arc about mutant growth hormone, which was derived from skin cells scraped off people like the Owl and other supers.

            This MGH gave humans temporary mutant powers, and cites its origin as the X-Gene.

            Confusingly though, it still tries to draw an arbitrary distinction between inherited mutants and somatic ones.

            Origin

            While it is most of the time extracted from mutants, it can also be extracted/synthesized from other super-powered individuals, but the source of their superpowers must alter their genetic make-up. For example, the Owl or Spider-Woman are not mutants, but their powers come from genetic mutations, and they were both used as MGH sources.

            My understanding of this, is that anyone who has a non-fatal mutation of their X-factor gene develops mutant powers and abilities and, if permanent, becomes a mutant.

            “Traditional” mutants inherit the X-factor, and are mutants from birth. That’s the only distinction I can see, and seems like a bit of a weak distinction tbh.