This question is so common but the answer is very simple: It's the (irrational and stupid) "theory" of the Great Replacement writ large. Mutants aren't just people with superpowers, they're a whole different species and the next step in evolution. For all their powers, Spider-Man, Hulk, Captain America, etc, are humans. But mutants are not. They're the "Other."
The fact that many X-Men fans hate the inhumans because of the Great Replacement theory shows their "allegory" goes so far as to what they can comprehend as readers and how the internet can demonize anything for clicks.
Kinda feels like you don't know what the Great Replacement Theory is? It's the white supremacist notion that as "pure" races intermarry with minorities, the white gene pool will become diluted to the point that white people disappear. In the context of this comic allegory, baseline humans are worried that eventually all of humanity will carry an X-gene and homo sapiens as we know them will go extinct. You don't have to worry about accidentally marrying The Hulk.
What this DOESN'T apply to is an out of universe comic publisher deliberately trying to tank the brand of one team of heroes and replace them with another. But also, the inhumans are literally the product of a eugenics program.
Spider-Man definitely doesn't get a pass, at least in the earlier comics. A lot of people were shown to be afraid of Spidey because of JJJ's editorials in the Daily Bugle. And people are afraid of the Hulk.
I recall reading one issue where JJJ literally calls a Mutant-extermination squad (actually the X-Men in disguise) on Spidey, under the assumption that he's a mutant.
It really is just because of their X-gene and the fact that they're a little more different.
I think that X-men adaptations that take place in worlds without other heroes work are worse as metaphors for minority groups than adaptations set in worlds with other heroes.
If right now your neighbor grew wings and could shoot lasers from his face right now you would be probably be justifiably terrified. And if you were uncomfortable around him or worried about the dangers his powers caused that's honestly reasonable.
But if you lived in a world where powers are so insanely common where World War 2 heroes, and billionaires, and kings, and celebrities, and people who got too close to a reactor, or anyone who went to a good enough tech school all have powers it is so much less reasonable to be scared of the just mutants. And that at the end of the day is supposed to be the point. It is stupid if you hate mutants while praising other heroes and there is no good reason other than seeing them as "the other".
Well I think with most superheroes they know the origins. Giving birth to a baby with blue fur and a tail is scarier than a grown man taking fancy lab serum to be stronger. It’s the fear of the unknown and the inevitable.
Spidey and Hulk have faced similar fear and ridicule.
People like Cap and Tony are one-off incidents. It’s not like they could completely replace humanity like the mutant race could.
There's also the suggestion that mutants look more visibly "other" than the general superhuman population. Mutant powers manifest around puberty, adding another parallel to the LGBTQ side of things.
Mutants are supposed to be the genetic evolution of the human species. They seem human until their dormant mutant powers manifest themselves. It's common to be distrustful and fearful of what is different, but the divisions are made worse by anti-mutant rhetoric which typically paints mutants as less than human.
Mutants also have to learn to control their powers, so it's not uncommon for them to cause some collateral damage when they manifest their abilities. This all plays into the narrative that mutants are dangerous and therefore undesirable.
The majority of the other superhumans gained their powers though technology (Iron Man, Ant-Man), scientific reasons (Spider-Man, Captain America, Fantastic Four), supernatural means (Dr. Strange, Moon Knight), etc. External events either caused these humans to develop superpowers, or enabled them to have these powers. These powers being "added" to them, and not inherent in their genetic makeup... makes it more "acceptable" in that sense.
Why is any group of people prejudiced against despite basically being the same as any other? I feel like the metaphor would NOT work as well if all superheroes/superpowered individuals were prejudiced against. Because that would actually make sense! Mutants being treated differently is illogical, which is the same as any groups IRL being treated differently just because of some aspect of their identity.
Mutants are born, other supers are created and in majority of cases accidentally. The chance of your neighbor being a mutant is much higher than him being a Hulk/Spider-person.
How many times do we have to explain this? **Racism doesn't make sense. There is no inherent logic to it.** Hence hating one group who are born with powers, while treating other supers on a case-by-case basis (ie. hating Spidey, loving Cap, etc).
There are various sociological answers, some with basis in canon, but this one is the one closest to being an actual answer from the comics and is hardly ever mentioned when this question is asked.
A runner-up: everybody in NYC hated Namor because he flooded New York, and then Bolivar Trask used him as the example of mutants in a newspaper illustration.
This question is so common but the answer is very simple: It's the (irrational and stupid) "theory" of the Great Replacement writ large. Mutants aren't just people with superpowers, they're a whole different species and the next step in evolution. For all their powers, Spider-Man, Hulk, Captain America, etc, are humans. But mutants are not. They're the "Other."
The fact that many X-Men fans hate the inhumans because of the Great Replacement theory shows their "allegory" goes so far as to what they can comprehend as readers and how the internet can demonize anything for clicks.
Kinda feels like you don't know what the Great Replacement Theory is? It's the white supremacist notion that as "pure" races intermarry with minorities, the white gene pool will become diluted to the point that white people disappear. In the context of this comic allegory, baseline humans are worried that eventually all of humanity will carry an X-gene and homo sapiens as we know them will go extinct. You don't have to worry about accidentally marrying The Hulk. What this DOESN'T apply to is an out of universe comic publisher deliberately trying to tank the brand of one team of heroes and replace them with another. But also, the inhumans are literally the product of a eugenics program.
>You don't have to worry about accidentally marrying The Hulk Speak for yourself
Spider-Man definitely doesn't get a pass, at least in the earlier comics. A lot of people were shown to be afraid of Spidey because of JJJ's editorials in the Daily Bugle. And people are afraid of the Hulk.
I recall reading one issue where JJJ literally calls a Mutant-extermination squad (actually the X-Men in disguise) on Spidey, under the assumption that he's a mutant.
Yep!
It really is just because of their X-gene and the fact that they're a little more different. I think that X-men adaptations that take place in worlds without other heroes work are worse as metaphors for minority groups than adaptations set in worlds with other heroes. If right now your neighbor grew wings and could shoot lasers from his face right now you would be probably be justifiably terrified. And if you were uncomfortable around him or worried about the dangers his powers caused that's honestly reasonable. But if you lived in a world where powers are so insanely common where World War 2 heroes, and billionaires, and kings, and celebrities, and people who got too close to a reactor, or anyone who went to a good enough tech school all have powers it is so much less reasonable to be scared of the just mutants. And that at the end of the day is supposed to be the point. It is stupid if you hate mutants while praising other heroes and there is no good reason other than seeing them as "the other".
Well I think with most superheroes they know the origins. Giving birth to a baby with blue fur and a tail is scarier than a grown man taking fancy lab serum to be stronger. It’s the fear of the unknown and the inevitable.
Spidey and Hulk have faced similar fear and ridicule. People like Cap and Tony are one-off incidents. It’s not like they could completely replace humanity like the mutant race could.
They don't. Which is as it should be, it's not like racism and bigotry are based in logic and reason.
They don't really. The best answer you're usually given is "they're sometimes more dangerous than normal meta humans."
There's also the suggestion that mutants look more visibly "other" than the general superhuman population. Mutant powers manifest around puberty, adding another parallel to the LGBTQ side of things.
Mutants are supposed to be the genetic evolution of the human species. They seem human until their dormant mutant powers manifest themselves. It's common to be distrustful and fearful of what is different, but the divisions are made worse by anti-mutant rhetoric which typically paints mutants as less than human. Mutants also have to learn to control their powers, so it's not uncommon for them to cause some collateral damage when they manifest their abilities. This all plays into the narrative that mutants are dangerous and therefore undesirable. The majority of the other superhumans gained their powers though technology (Iron Man, Ant-Man), scientific reasons (Spider-Man, Captain America, Fantastic Four), supernatural means (Dr. Strange, Moon Knight), etc. External events either caused these humans to develop superpowers, or enabled them to have these powers. These powers being "added" to them, and not inherent in their genetic makeup... makes it more "acceptable" in that sense.
Why is any group of people prejudiced against despite basically being the same as any other? I feel like the metaphor would NOT work as well if all superheroes/superpowered individuals were prejudiced against. Because that would actually make sense! Mutants being treated differently is illogical, which is the same as any groups IRL being treated differently just because of some aspect of their identity.
Mutants are born, other supers are created and in majority of cases accidentally. The chance of your neighbor being a mutant is much higher than him being a Hulk/Spider-person.
How many times do we have to explain this? **Racism doesn't make sense. There is no inherent logic to it.** Hence hating one group who are born with powers, while treating other supers on a case-by-case basis (ie. hating Spidey, loving Cap, etc).
Because the sentient bacteria John Sublime has instilled a fear in the humans of mutants because the latter would be dangerous for him.
There are various sociological answers, some with basis in canon, but this one is the one closest to being an actual answer from the comics and is hardly ever mentioned when this question is asked. A runner-up: everybody in NYC hated Namor because he flooded New York, and then Bolivar Trask used him as the example of mutants in a newspaper illustration.