Since their inception in the ‘60s, the X-Men have differentiated themselves from other superhero groups by also being political figures. Unlike The Avengers or the Fantastic Four, characters that mostly just enjoy the benefits of being superpowered celebrities, the X-Men’s existence as mutants means that anything they do is viewed as a representation of all mutantkind. They must be protectors of humanity while also being a model minority in the eyes of the same people responsible for their oppression.
Naturally, this creates tension with the team’s less morally pure characters, but the beauty of the X-Men is in how they provide a refuge for even the most wayward mutants. Wolverine’s blood-soaked past, Rogue’s years as a member of the Brotherhood of Mutants, Gambit’s former membership in the Assassin’s Guild, Emma Frost’s longstanding history as a villain... the fact that they’ve all since become official X-Men is a testament to the power of Xavier’s dream. A world without the X-Men would be a dire one for mutantkind, and that’s precisely the approach that Insomniac’s upcoming Wolverine game is taking.
