X-Men and the Mutant Metaphor

Among both fans and the academic community, there is a general assumption that the X-Men franchise is one of the most progressive and inclusive superhero comic books that has been published. However, this study challenges such assumptions, revealing that there is an unfortunate trend throughout the majority of the title's history: Minority characters are most likely to be villains, female characters are most likely to be supporting cast members, and white males are most likely to be members of the X-Men.