The X Factor

Mutants are among us, but theyre not what you think

bY KEVIN GARCIA

The Brownsville Herald

Mutation is the key to evolution. This basic principal of science serves as the driving force behind the X-Men, a team of mutants who, through a sudden leap in evolution, are born with superhuman powers.

X-Men: The Last Stand, the latest for the franchise that began in 2000, opens in theaters today.

For science, mutation is about changing biology, for the X-Men, mutancy is about being different. As a metaphor, they can represent any minority group, whether that means race, sexuality or religion.

That notion remains compelling, regardless of whether you necessarily believe that mutation will proceed the way it is depicted in the X-Men, explained Greg Park, writer of Marvel Comics X-Men: Phoenix Endsong, a graphic novel.

Cyclops, the leader of the X-Men, his power is that he can blast this concussive force out of his eye, Pak said. What makes that compelling on an emotional level is that he cannot control it. That becomes a metaphor for the kind of distrust we have in our own strength and also the fear of intimacy.

The exploits of such mutated humans have made for compelling fiction, but is it possible for people to poses telepathy or shoot laser beams from their eyes?

The answer according to scientific experts: No. Still, there are mutants among us.

REAL WORLD MUTANTS

(Mutation) is the absolute very basic first step in evolution, said Gernaro Lopez, a professor of biology at the University of Texas at Brownsville and Texas Southmost College.

In biology, any change to a genetic material is considered a mutation.

Real world mutations can be so small that they are often unnoticeable, even to the effected person or organism, but they can be as large as altered limbs, Lopez said.

For example, were worried about a mutation in the bird flu virus, Lopez explained. Right now its non-lethal but it needs a few more mutations to deal with molecules fighting it off in the human immune system.

Robert L. Park, a professor of physics at the University of Maryland, said mutations could have even less obvious effects.

Mutation is a spontaneous change in DNA, Park said, explaining that DNA functions in humans are constantly being altered.

This is happening to us all the time (when) our bodies are eradicated from cosmic rays, from radioactive elements in the environment, even solar rays. But, most do not lead to any advantage and do not change the population, he said.

Far from granting superpowers, Park said such influences can have negative effects like cancer or diabetes. Changes, good or bad, can be passed on to the next generation.

Unlike the X-Mens mutations, real mutations are more mundane. They can include cancer, degenerative disorders or even small super powers, like high metabolism. Park added that less common mutations, like three legs on a frog or 11-toes on a cat, can hurt an organisms chances for survival.

MUTANTS AS SUPERHEROES

Although mutants like Cyclops, played by James Marsden in the films, may never really exist, they make for great fiction according to Pak.

We can all accept the reality of mutants in the world, that is a biological reality, but not the notion of mutants that can shoot concussive force beams out of their eyes or heal any wound instantly or have psychokinetic powers. he said.

One of the first X-Men, Jean Grey, is also one of the most powerful mutants, at least as the Phoenix. While she began with simply telekinetic powers, the character evolved over the decades into something much more.

What really takes her to the next level happened during the Dark Phoenix saga, Pak said. She actually died heroically, helping the X-Men fly to earth ... she was resurrected with these tremendous new powers.

Powers are a staple of comic books, but it was the effect they had on the Phoenix that made her story so interesting.

There was no explanation of where those powers came from, but they tapped into this mythic sense of a hero suddenly having incredible powers and then losing control of them, Pak said.

Pak conceded that most X-Men have powers that seem beyond the realm of nature, but Wolverine, played by Hugh Jackman, seems slightly more realistic.

You can imagine mutations or genetic manipulation leading to a person that could heal more quickly than others, he said.

REAL WORLD SUPERHEROES?

Park said human mutation doesnt have an effect on the overall population anymore because, with six billion people spread through changing environments, there is no way for a successful change to take root in the gene pool. That doesnt mean mankind must remain static.

Lopez suggested further DNA changes will be purposeful ones made by humans. Nano-technology and genetic manipulation, he explained, will evolve humans in ways natural selection would probably never have.

If you wanted to make somebody invulnerable to bullets, you could create, through nano-technology, a sheen of diamonds like skin, Lopez said.

Park agreed that scientific advancements could replace nature in human evolution and put normal people on par with the super-powered X-Men. This is going to become one of the most socially contentious issues ever, Park said. There is a strong social bias against it, but my guess is, its unstoppable.

X-Men: The Last Stand is now showing at Cinemark Sunrise Mall.

kgarcia@brownsvilleherald.com