Ultimate X-men: Of Hatred
By J.W. L
Prologue
Disclaimer: All copyrights belong to Marvel comics and all respective owners.
Years ago, during Xavier's World Tour.
Outside, there are hundreds of protestors, chanting, yelling, and waving signs. Entire families came out just to show how much they hate the people inside and the message they have to share. They don't want peace, they don't want coexistence, they want genocide.
Inside, there are much fewer attendants, but they have come with open minds and are eager to hear from the man who wants peace between this generation and the next. Peace between Homo sapiens and Homo Superior, men and mutants.
His book has become a best seller and it lays it all out, how men and mutants can get along, including how mutants can be beneficial to an economy. How today's children will become tomorrow's leaders both men and mutants. There was even a chapter dedicated to how evolution is not equal in how mutants mutate.
Not all mutants are born equal it seems.
There were a few notable case studies included in the book for examples. Very clinical descriptions and pictures of mutants who no longer shared even a passing resemblance to humans any more. Some were just different, while others required special care.
During his lectures, Xavier would always spend a little time upon those mutants unfortunate enough to no longer appear human, claiming that they were the ones he worked so hard for. They were the ones who bore the brunt of the world's hate because they were the easiest to identify as a mutant.
Xavier would speak for an hour with his infamous team of mutants dedicated to his cause sitting behind him. His X-men, only seven strong, but already some of the most powerful mutants on the planet, all showing support for peaceful co existence between men and mutants.
After the lectures, the floor would be opened to questions for the leader of the X-men, Professor Xavier.
"Professor, you said that some mutants are born different and others change during puberty. Could you elaborate a little bit on that point?"
"Certainly. While it is rare, there is a small percentage of mutants born with their X gene already activated resulting physical differences and or extraordinary abilities from birth. Most mutants exhibit the X-Factor later in life during their teenage years or puberty.
"As any parent of any teenager, mutant or normal, can attest, their bodies are put through enormous stress and quickly change from children to young adults. In the case of mutants with physical 'gifts' that manifest during this time, they can take any where from a few seconds to several years to fully develop."
"While there isn't a way to predict who will become X factor positive, or what types of gifts are acquired, they are still children, impressionable children who are going through a tough time physically and emotionally already without the added stress of not only becoming young adults but also becoming one of the world's most hated minorities."
"Next Question please."
At the end of the lecture, after all the questions have been asked and the Professor and his X-men have left. The crowd of believers in a better world hold their heads up high as they brave the hateful world beyond the doors of the building.
While many of the anti mutant protestors have exhausted themselves against the mutants, there were still those who hadn't forgotten about those who actually listened to them.
Within the crowd of anti mutant fanatics, entire families have come to express themselves. Young children learning to hate from their parents before learning to love, never stopping to think that maybe, they were learning to hate themselves.
One year ago:
"You f&ing Genejokes need to learn that you aren't wanted here."
It was a crowd of teenagers, oddly silent during the savage beating that was being given to the young mutant in their midst. A freshman who had the misfortune of having a skin rash during class that turned out to be him growing a new skin.
"No, please." Nobody present would remember what happened, they were all hanging out elsewhere, they would all have alibis.
Their champion was the school's star athlete. He was the quarterback for the football team, a track runner, and basketball player, whatever sport he played he excelled at. He also hated mutants. It was in his blood.
The freshman was nobody, an example to be made of just because he was obviously different.
"Please…" The mutant freshman was on the ground whimpering.
"Alex." One of the other students hissed, Alex looked up with his fist raised for another hit at the mutant.
"You're lucky today mutie. I don't ever want to see your face at my school again." Alex punctuated the last bit with a kick to the young boy's stomach. Within minutes, the only person left in the area was the severely beaten young mutant who couldn't gather the strength to get up.
That night, Alex would go home and tell his father all about the mutant that he taught a lesson too, and his father would tell Alex how proud he was of him. They would sit and yell at the T.V. when the X-men would make the news and make plans to sabotage any safe houses they could find when they were in New York again.
Nobody saw the young mutant again; nobody at the school gave it a second thought.