Faculty Scholarly Dissemination Grants
Stan Lee Had a Dream: Race, Difference, and the Original X-Men
Department
Writing Department
College
College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Date Range
2014-2015
Disciplines
Arts and Humanities
Abstract
Critics commenting on the original X-Men are quick to note the connection between the mutant group hated and feared by humans and the struggles of minorities during the 1960s. Yet, as appealing as it is to see X-Men creator Stan Lee as a crusader for equality and his stories as political statements, an analysis of the texts offers a less rosy picture. This paper will examine the ways in which the characters and typical themes actually sever the idea of difference from race, making that difference more familiar and less threatening. Ultimately, rather than a place in the vanguard, these texts remain on safe political ground.
Conference Name
Popular Culture/American Culture Association
Conference Location
New Orleans
ScholarWorks Citation
Iadonisi, Richard, "Stan Lee Had a Dream: Race, Difference, and the Original X-Men" (2015). Faculty Scholarly Dissemination Grants. 568.
https://scholarworks.gvsu.edu/fsdg/568
