I want to be incredibly honest when I say I love theX-Men. I too believed in Charles Xavier’s dream that a world where humanity and mutantkind could peacefully coexist is possible. However, during the Krakoa Saga, Xavier believed he had to modify his desires to fit within a callously hateful world. While Xavier’s dream seemingly died with Krakoa, one mutant team has already proven that it can actually work.
While Marvel’s other X-Men teams have been focused on new cataclysmic threats, petty internal struggles, and building the foundations for anew School for Gifted Youngsters, Ms. Marvel and her friends have begun to build something bigger than themselves. InNYX #7 -by Jackson Lanzing, Collin Kelly, & Enid Balám - Marvel officially debuted the new meaning behind the series’ namesake.
“NYX,” originally a nickname for a ghetto primarily composed of mutants also known as District X, has instead beenadapted into a thriving local community for both mutants and humans.Finally, Xavier’s dream is being achieved, albeit on a smaller scale.
NYX Thrives As a Local Community of Mutants and Humans
NYX #7 -Written by Jackson Lanzing & Collin Kelly; Art by Enid Balám; Color by Raúl Angulo; Lettering by VC’s Joe Sabino; Cover Art by Sara Pichelli & Federico Blee
What sets theNYXseries apart from the other ongoing X-Men series, is its sense of scale. As I said,the other X-Men seriesare currently taking on threats much larger than themselves. While the NYX crew has some of their own threats to deal with, it all ties back into the theme of “community.” The goal of NYX, both the series and the community center, is to hyper-focus on the day-to-day lives of mutants whodon’t have the luxury of living in a mansion or a private island.It’s about showing that a dream like Xavier’s is possible.
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Unlike Xavier or Magneto’s disciples, NYX embraces a new way of establishing a solid relationship between mutants and humans - peace. Despite the rage and violence being thrown at them by bigoted citizens, NYX peacefully stands its ground,unwilling to give the bigots the violence that they expect from mutants.Instead, NYX has rapidly evolved into a thriving community where mutants and humans come together to lend their talents and powers for the greater good of the community. NYX is actively accomplishingwhat Xavier failed to dobecause they ignore the arbitrary line between humans and mutants. NYX is for everyone.
Xavier Segregated the X-Men From the World
NYX Aims to Connect With Their Community
So why is it that Xavier’s dream failed time and time again when NYX has successfully achieved it in a significantly shorter amount of time? I thinkit’s mainly due to scale and segregation.On the issue of scale, NYX is focused on the local community. Just like in the real world, one’s life is impacted by their neighborhood dynamic far more than it is by state-level or national-level changes.Xavier and Magnetoboth, especially during the Krakoa Saga, believed they could change the entire world with one massive movement. However, all that did was scare people.
I’m not condemning him for establishing a home for mutants to live peacefully, but by segregating his people, it became easier for humans to see mutants as “the others.”
The biggest problem wasXavier’s inclination to segregatehis mutants from the world. I’m not condemning him for establishing a home for mutants to live peacefully, but by segregating his people,it became easier for humans to see mutants as “the others.”As a professionally trained sociologist, I can say that once one community is segregated from another, the arbitrary divide between the two rapidly widens. However, the mutants of NYX aren’t hiding. Instead, they’re expanding the boundaries of their community to reach everyone in need of a helping hand, stripping away the anxious fears that segregation can lead to.
NYX Is Trying to Bridge the Gap Between Mutants and Humans
Smaller Communities Are Quicker to Help Each Other
So, what’s next for NYX? Right now, NYX is succeeding because of its smaller scale. It’s easy to manage the turbulent threats and challenges because smaller communities are more likely to embrace relying on themselves. The rest of the X-Men teams can start tobring NYX’s ideologies and practices to their own corners of the world.Every major X-Men team has settled into wildly different locations across the country and the world. Ifthe X-Men in Alaska, Louisiana, Illinois, and so on established strong communal relations just as NYX has, a new wave of acceptance could pick up traction.
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The bigger issue now is that the X-Men are often way too stubborn to try to accomplish this. Once again, I completely understand mutants’ fear of persecution and violence. Their lives are constantly under the threat of those who wish to eradicate mutants. However, NYX is working. It’s an honest grassroots organization that focuses onbridging the gap and dismantling misunderstandings.Critics of the organization, like Synch in this issue, have been opening their eyes to an established fact -Xavier’s dream is possible. The problem was never his dream, but how he chose to achieve it.
Charles Xavier’s Dream Isn’t Dead
The Next Generation Can Save Xavier’s Legacy
The X-Men should rest happier knowing that their ex-leader’s dream is still alive and thriving.
Despite his horrifically immoral actions, Xavier’s dream isn’t dead. It’s alive and thriving in the hands of the younger generations who aren’t subscribing to their predecessors’ actions.The young mutantswant to try something new and are quicker to bridge the peace between mutants and humans. They’reembracing the better parts of Krakoan and Arakki societywhile allowing humanity to participate in the culture as well. While I’m more than sure that this peace won’t last forever, as is the nature of comics, for now, theX-Menshould rest happier knowing that their ex-leader’s dream is still alive and thriving.
NYX #7is now available from Marvel Comics.
X-Men
The X-Men franchise, created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, centers on mutants with extraordinary abilities. Led by the powerful telepath Professor Charles Xavier, they battle discrimination and villainous mutants threatening humanity. The series explores themes of diversity and acceptance through a blend of action, drama, and complex characters, spanning comics, animated series, and blockbuster films.
