MUTANTS 429
#210 (1986), the Marauders entered the scene as a group of hired mutant assassins
killing the Morlocks and extracting the mutant DNA for their employer, Mr. Sinis-
ter, an archenemy of all X-teams. Th e Friends of Humanity serve as the stereotypical
hate-group akin to anti-Semitic groups in the real world. Since their fi rst appearance
in Uncanny X-Men #299 (1993), they have continued to threaten, harm, and even kill
mutants within the Marvel universe. Under guidance of the Reverend William Stryker,
the Purifi ers are a fundamentalist cult seeking to purify the human race of mutants by
violent means. Th ough fi rst appearing in Marvel Graphic Novel #5 : X-Men: God Loves,
Man Kills (1982), it has only been after the “House of M” saga that they have taken on
a more prominent role in several X-titles.
Marvel has created many external and direct threats to mutants over the years,
but in the 1990s, Marvel began experimenting with indirect mutant extermination.
Th e fi rst came in 1993 with the conclusion of the crossover series, X-Cutioner’s Song.
In the fi nal scene, the Legacy Virus is unleashed in the world and shortly there-
after, Illyana “Magik” Rasputin becomes the fi rst casualty. Th e Legacy Virus infected
many mutants, both popular and unknown throughout the 1990s, until Marvel
writers created a cure. Th e Legacy Virus served as an analogy for HIV/AIDS, play-
ing on the fears of the general population about means of transmission and anxiety
of groups typically associated with the disease. Within the Marvel universe, a cure
was created for the Legacy Virus, but in order for it to take eff ect one mutant had to
be infected and die; Peter “Colossus” Rasputin, brother of Magik, sacrifi ced himself
to end the plague.
Th e second major attempt to limit or reduce the ever-expanding cast of mutants
came in 2005 with impact of the “House of M” story arc. During the run of New
X-Men in the early 2000s, mutants became less of a tiny, feared minority and more
of a subculture that was becoming increasingly fashionable among younger people.
Mutants lived openly, clustering in their own neighborhoods in cities such as New
York. However, this took the X-Men away from their traditional focus, so “House
of M” and “Decimation” were written to return to prior status quo. Th e story fo-
cused on the attempts of Pietro “Quicksilver” Maximoff to protect his catatonic sister,
Wanda “Scarlet Witch” Maximoff , from Professor X and others who looked to kill the
Scarlet Witch since her power of probability was causing signifi cant rifts and catas-
trophes within the world. Before they can intervene, her powers reorder the universe
into a world where homo-superiors reign over homo-sapiens. Led by Wolverine, a
cohort of superheroes realizes the change and seeks out the leading and most powerful
mutant family (Magneto’s family) to correct the altered reality. In the ensuing battle
and revelations, the Scarlet Witch returns the world back to the way it was with one
exception; in what is referred to as the “Decimation,” the world’s population of mu-
tants has been reduced to less than 200, with several major mutants being depowered,
including Professor X, Magneto, Robert “Iceman” Drake, and Quicksilver. Th is arc al-
lowed Marvel Comics to regain control and reconstruct X-titles continuity while also
returning to some of the roots of alienated and feared outsider status.
