tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24364674.post115705384533355844..comments2023-12-30T01:46:52.888-05:00Comments on The Roar of Comics: Why I Hate the Mutant GeneStevenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14772087090448461047noreply@blogger.comBlogger25125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24364674.post-83550234586974383702016-09-20T00:52:51.357-04:002016-09-20T00:52:51.357-04:00(yes, I am aware I'm responding to something a...(yes, I am aware I'm responding to something a decade old. That's not going to stop me from sharing my thoughts.) The X-gene could also be a common destabilizing factor. A single gene that makes the entire genetic structure malleable to circumstance, and causes mutations by it's presence but remains distinct and detectable. I also vaguely recall that it was possible to detect mutants Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24364674.post-86340482082885026022012-05-12T10:52:31.420-04:002012-05-12T10:52:31.420-04:00There is actually this thing called epigenetic inh...There is actually this thing called epigenetic inheritance. Genes are silenced by the addition of methyl groups to C5 in cytosine and recruitment of metyl binding domain proteins (MBDPs). The thing is that differential silencing of genes by epigenetic modification occurs defferentially between chromasomes inherited from the father and the mother. The same deletion on chromosome 15 leads to tokencylonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15451815842600406043noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24364674.post-39374894636116209822009-11-15T17:56:59.753-05:002009-11-15T17:56:59.753-05:00Mutant genes are inheritable, so you might have on...Mutant genes are inheritable, so you might have one from one parent. This is one of the bases of evolution. Look at Hemoglobin S, it's a mutant form of Hemoglobin A that causes Sickle Cell Trait or Disease and it's inherited.Mold Testinghttp://www.isct.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24364674.post-46514270517522567382009-08-26T22:18:57.400-04:002009-08-26T22:18:57.400-04:00I understand where you're coming from but you ...I understand where you're coming from but you could say that the X gene does give the capacity to gain abilities but it is their minds, on a subconscious level that deceives what abilities they get and why. Each of them in some way were attached to their abilities long before they manifested. Storm for example in lived Africa. I know I if lived somewhere where its hot all the time I would Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24364674.post-47605510215862554542008-07-14T13:56:00.000-04:002008-07-14T13:56:00.000-04:00I'm currently writing a paper that involves the un...I'm currently writing a paper that involves the understanding of mutation in X-Men, and this is actually the first time I've seen anything about this in the comic books other than just treating each mutation as a separate and unrelated mutation. Other than the House of M #2 reference given by Dr. Archville, does anyone know of anything like that in the comic books? This makes some difference to Jeremy Piercehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03441308872350317672noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24364674.post-56826224074927520092008-06-23T08:58:00.000-04:002008-06-23T08:58:00.000-04:00In House of M #2, Beast explains that it isn't jus...In <I>House of M</I> #2, Beast explains that it isn't just one gene, but a whole bunch of strands of DNA wrapped together. So the mainstream/616 explanation is that it is a polygene thing, not a single gene.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24364674.post-61359990692050545042008-06-22T10:47:00.000-04:002008-06-22T10:47:00.000-04:00You should really read the whole series before com...<I>You should really read the whole series before complaining about it.</I><BR/><BR/>Would that require every X-Men mini series and guest appearance for the last 40-odd years, or just the main X titles?<BR/><BR/>Wouldn't want to miss anything relevant before forming an opinion on it.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24364674.post-19495096836498482812007-06-05T09:25:00.000-04:002007-06-05T09:25:00.000-04:00Ok, you really should read X-men, the fact that th...Ok, you really should read X-men, the fact that they are called mutant is very simple, their "x-gene" lies dormant until the person suffers from extreme distress, why do you think that all the mutants gain their abilities at an early age. Later on in the series, they learn that the gene is a mutation, everyone has it, but only certain few actually allow it to fully mutate, for example, Bobby Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24364674.post-53789779468890126212007-04-16T04:01:00.000-04:002007-04-16T04:01:00.000-04:00A lot of this stuff was decided when people didn't...A lot of this stuff was decided when people didn't generally know better, so it was believable at the time. Gamma Rays sounded like they could turn a person into the Hulk at the time, and the x-gene sounded like it explained stuff at the time. They should change it now, fix it so that it doesn't alenate more people from these comics as time goes on. <BR/><BR/>Quite possibly the funniest screw-up Evan W Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15913827676898954618noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24364674.post-63341387018694052902006-11-30T11:49:00.000-05:002006-11-30T11:49:00.000-05:00Oh, hello. Late comments.
Fez, there's a lot in y...Oh, hello. Late comments.<br /><br />Fez, there's a lot in your post, not all of it coherently written (is English your first language?), so I'll just address the point you shouted.<br /><br />"IS JUST A COMIC BOOK! It does not have to make too much sense, no more than a a fairy tales, poetry or mythology tales!"<br /><br />Uh, yeah, exactly. And a scientific explanation, PARTICULARLY the X-Gene Stevenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14772087090448461047noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24364674.post-27425976886376267452006-11-28T23:20:00.000-05:002006-11-28T23:20:00.000-05:00I think Scott gave a very neate explanation and cl...I think Scott gave a very neate explanation and clarification of some of the points in the article. I agree that some of the science seems blurry to me, but being a plant geneticist that crashed by coincidence with the X-men story, I believe that the creators of the story did the homework and read some genetics (even tough some of the explanations we are giving here became clear in recent years).Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24364674.post-17448533223416378482006-11-27T14:11:00.000-05:002006-11-27T14:11:00.000-05:00Well, you made some points. But perhaps is better ...Well, you made some points. But perhaps is better to read things on larger point of view. <br />First off , youì'll be surprised to know that there exist no humans in Marvel Universe comic world. One of the staple , never changed, basis of that universe is that alien omnipotent beings, the Celestials, came to earth and made experiments on hominid D.N.A., creating three species, the Eternals, Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24364674.post-1157513210428547842006-09-05T23:26:00.000-04:002006-09-05T23:26:00.000-04:00Well, before you go running off with the two gene ...Well, before you go running off with the two gene idea, realize I had to leave out A LOT of mutants that don't fit either category: Cyclops, Angel, Beast, Gambit, Jubilee... even if you add a gene for "blasters" and another for "animalism", you'd still have Nightcrawler, Quicksilver, and the Scarlet Witch...<BR/><BR/>And I haven't read Dragon Prince, but I'll look for it now. Magic power as Stevenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14772087090448461047noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24364674.post-1157503333115240482006-09-05T20:42:00.000-04:002006-09-05T20:42:00.000-04:00I like that two gene idea. It makes sense...maybe...I like that two gene idea. It makes sense...maybe too much sense.<BR/><BR/>Did you ever read Melanie Rawn's <B>Dragon Prince</B> series? She has it set up so that magical ability is an inherited trait and explains how one type is autosomal dominant and the other autosomal recessive. Interesting stuff (and the series is a good read as well).Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24364674.post-1157497406766403492006-09-05T19:03:00.000-04:002006-09-05T19:03:00.000-04:00Thanks Scott, I was waiting for you to weigh in!An...Thanks Scott, I was waiting for you to weigh in!<BR/><BR/>And you're right, of course. Mutant genes are inheritable. I simply meant that if someone inherits a gene, <I>they</I> are not a mutant. And from a story point of view, it's kind of important that Jean Grey <I>doesn't</I> share that gene with her parents.<BR/><BR/>And good points about the multiple Hemoglobin A mutations, Expression and Stevenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14772087090448461047noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24364674.post-1157493620538004172006-09-05T18:00:00.000-04:002006-09-05T18:00:00.000-04:00The Mutant Gene/X-Factor/Gen Factor/Metgene has al...The Mutant Gene/X-Factor/Gen Factor/Metgene has always bothered me as well. From the X-Men point of view, but also from some of the recent scenes in <B>52</B> (where apparently you can choose which power is expressed).<BR/><BR/>A couple of points:<BR/>First, mutant genes are inheritable, so you might have gotten one from a parent. This is one of the bases of evolution. Look at Hemoglobin S, Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24364674.post-1157475585914358842006-09-05T12:59:00.000-04:002006-09-05T12:59:00.000-04:00ah, but Bully, midichlorians, at least, ran in fam...ah, but Bully, midichlorians, at least, ran in families and always expressed as the same trait (more or less).<BR/><BR/>The real problem with midichlorians as a story concept is that they were a scientific explanation (sort of) for what had been a strictly religious phenomenon (sort of). I wonder, did fundamentalist Jedi oppose the teaching of midichlorians in Coruscant academies?<BR/><BR/>ElaineStevenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14772087090448461047noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24364674.post-1157464374127709912006-09-05T09:52:00.000-04:002006-09-05T09:52:00.000-04:00Here, let me apply for a No-Prize. Unfortunately, ...Here, let me apply for a No-Prize. Unfortunately, my knowledge of the X-Gene's use is far from encyclopedic. <BR/><BR/>So, one option is that the X-Gene is a gene carried by all people, or most people, but is generally mundane, perhaps even difficult to detect. What makes it the "X-Gene" is a mutation in that particular gene. The unique way the gene mutates determines how the mutation will be Tom Fosshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13796424725228769265noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24364674.post-1157230624098846962006-09-02T16:57:00.000-04:002006-09-02T16:57:00.000-04:00while I don't have a lot of knowledge about x-men ...while I don't have a lot of knowledge about x-men lore couldn't a possible solution to your poroblem is to say that the x-gene isn't actually a gene, but rather a designation for the gene that mutated.<BR/>so while cyclops and magneto both have an x-gene they wouldn't have the same x-gene.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24364674.post-1157187926654384662006-09-02T05:05:00.000-04:002006-09-02T05:05:00.000-04:00J. Michael Straczynki's _Rising Stars_ could be ti...J. Michael Straczynki's _Rising Stars_ could be tiresome at times, but I did like how he handled this issue. The superpowers were a teratogenic effect and couldn't be inherited at all.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24364674.post-1157160761920523952006-09-01T21:32:00.000-04:002006-09-01T21:32:00.000-04:00The first Wild Cards novel came out in 1987. (Bull...The first <I>Wild Cards</I> novel came out in 1987. (Bully's pal John was workin' in a bookstore in Albany, NY when it did, and the Bantam sales rep cannily sold it to him as "for fans of the X-Men.")<BR/><BR/><I>Invasion!</I> came out in late 1988, according to Wikipedia ("The Encyclopedia <I>You</I> Can Scribble In!")<BR/><BR/>All this talk of X-genes and mutations, though? In the words of Bullyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11708103213119467419noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24364674.post-1157123793251918062006-09-01T11:16:00.000-04:002006-09-01T11:16:00.000-04:00Matthew, the timing just works for Invasion! to be...<I>Matthew, the timing just works for Invasion! to be rip-off of Wild Cards, but both ("all superpowers derive from one, alien source") seem based on Philip Jose Farmer's Wold Newton Universe.</I><BR/><BR/>I hadn't thought the timing was that close; in my mind <I>Wild Cards</I> had been out for years before <I>Invasion</I>.<BR/><BR/>But I wouldn't say that Farmer was a major influence on <I>Wild Matthew Ehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01007497367844755093noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24364674.post-1157121441944705652006-09-01T10:37:00.000-04:002006-09-01T10:37:00.000-04:00Matthew, the timing just works for Invasion! to be...Matthew, the timing <I>just</I> works for Invasion! to be rip-off of Wild Cards, but both ("all superpowers derive from one, alien source") seem based on Philip Jose Farmer's Wold Newton Universe.<BR/><BR/>Wild Cards does sound interesting. I particularly like the very high mortality rate and the concept of Deuces. I wish we saw more useless superpowers in X-Men and superhero stories as well.<BR/Stevenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14772087090448461047noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24364674.post-1157079178193615232006-08-31T22:52:00.000-04:002006-08-31T22:52:00.000-04:00Clearly, this is all more friends of humanity prop...Clearly, this is all more friends of humanity propaganda... :E<BR/><BR/>One of the major problems is that each writer seems to have his own idea about what makes a mutant a mutant. During Stan Lee's run, mutants actually were mutants in the correct scientific sense. There was no correlation between family and mutations, and he came out and specifically said it. IIRC, Havoc was the first to Dr Obvioushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00966038406811006557noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24364674.post-1157077435276021072006-08-31T22:23:00.000-04:002006-08-31T22:23:00.000-04:00Ever read the Wild Cards shared-world novels? It's...Ever read the <I>Wild Cards</I> shared-world novels? It's about a world in which an alien gene-bomb was set off over Manhattan in 1946, giving a lot of people superpowers and other inconveniences. I bring it up because it's a little similar to the X-gene (and to the metagene that DC introduced in <I>Invasion</I>, and which I'm convinced was stolen from <I>Wild Cards</I>), except they work the Matthew Ehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01007497367844755093noreply@blogger.com