The Ages of the X-Men by Joseph J. Darowski

Author:Joseph J. Darowski
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: McFarland
Published: 2014-06-26T16:00:00+00:00

Can’t Go Around Him

In many ways, Wolverine was the idealized male. He overcame any weakness he experienced as a child, either in character or in physicality. He experienced personal tragedy and emotional trauma, yet continued to thrive. He was a warrior; who could fight with a brutal, animalistic, skill or comport himself with the Zen-like control of a trained samurai. Yet it was that animalistic, nearly feral, side to his personality which linked his identity to the hypermasculinity of the uncultured and uncivilized (Brown 30). The more bestial he became the more unbound and pronounced his manhood. Wolverine dominated his environment, it did not dominate him.

The dichotomy between rank and social grouping was expressed in interpersonal relationships. Take the dynamic between Cyclops and Wolverine; both had the capacity to function as alpha males but the X-Men accepted Cyclops as their leader and his power of authority was validated by Professor X, who assumed the ultimate role of patriarchal dominance. Rather than compete, Wolverine put himself at the fringe of the group. As a functioning hegemonic male in his own right, he could recalculate perceived gender norms within the paradigm of the hierarchy; a behavior which would not be possible for lower ranked members of the X-Men. Whether that behavior was accepted or deemed transgressive by Professor X, was another matter entirely.

In X-Factor, differences in masculinity were accentuated by contrasting the higher (Havok) and lower (Multiple Man) ranked males. Like Cyclops, most of Havok’s subordinates were closer to his level in the hierarchy, such as Quicksilver, or to a lesser degree, Guido. They displayed fundamental traits of the hegemonic male by suppressing expressions of physical and emotional weakness, rarely showing signs of indecision or fear, and their virility was readily apparent in their physicality. Those traits differed from Multiple Man, who was physically slight, required specific direction, and expressed a predilection for being in the company of others to the point that isolation resulted in anxiety (X-Factor #87, Feb. 1993). Having a low rank was within the parameters of normative male behavior, so long as the individual acknowledged that rank in the paradigm was absolute. Despite the fact that Cyclops was an alpha male he would revert to the role of beta in the presence of Professor X, no matter how long the Professor had been apart from the team.

Since the X-Men were idealized, their displays of extreme physical abilities were coupled with equally extreme environments. In X-Men Unlimited #1 (June 1993), Cyclops, Storm, and Professor X survived a jet crash in the Antarctic. The narrative opened with Cyclops wandering around a snow storm with his eyes squeezed shut since the loss of his visor would prevent him from controlling his optic blasts. He was suffering from cracked ribs, a collapsed lung, and wearing nothing but his torn blue and yellow X-Men uniform (which one imagines was made from a non-insulating lycra blend). He reacted to the environment and his injuries with a grimace; what would kill a normal man was merely a tough day for Cyclops.

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