Reading the X Men comics was refreshing – not the usual, undeveloped,
flawless superhero narrative we’re used to reading. Professor X particularly
interested me. His mysterious past, his role as a professor, his being in a
wheelchair, and his power provide for a complex character. A character like
this would not exist in a Superman or
a Batman. He is far too old and
frail. However, in X Men, the
professor’s age and disability make him the character he is. It is as if his
handicap makes the audience recognize his heightened telepathic capabilities. I
did a quick search on the different ways Professor X has been forced into a
wheel chair. The accounts range from a vague childhood accident, to a
motorcycle crash, to a boulder falling on him. Whatever the case, the
unfortunate accidents undoubtedly shape him into the stoic, commanding, and
honorary man he is now. He doesn’t want to fight evil and score a girl –
rather, he wants to promote peaceful relationships between humans and mutants.
He’s a family man. The evil-fighting patriarch. These progressive views,
especially for comics at the time, draw connections between Professor X and MLK
Jr, as mentioned in the podcast. Superman and Cat Woman, for example, are far too simple to incite such a
comparison. Quite simply, Professor X is an unfamiliar, different type of
superhero. This can be said with most other X Men characters. This leaves me
with a few questions: how does the professor’s handicap fit in with his
character’s traits? Would Professor X still convincingly play this role if he weren’t
in a wheelchair?
I would agree that Professor X's placement in a wheelchair is a tool used to emphasize or draw greater attention to his telepathic abilities. He's portrayal as a wise, highly intelligent man is dependent on his handicap, and his wheelchair serves to create a clear distinction between physical and mental strength. Unlike the other comics we have read Professor X is the first example of a physically impaired superhero. His depiction as having clear strengths and limitations humanizes him to readers and also provides an alternative narrative to the assumption that disabled individuals are defined by their handicap. The emphasis on his handicap at the beginning of the 1963 edition also added an element of mystery that kept me reading, particularly because little backstory was provided concerning his life.
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