“Are we destined to a fate beyond beyond our control? ?”
– Jean, X-Men: Dark Phoenix
X-Men movies and the comic-series are enormously popular, as they depict an incredible collection of human mutants, both good and evil, born with extraordinary and bizarre superpowers. Wolverine, Storm, Cyclops, Magneto, and Mystique are famous for making blades pop out from their knuckles, conjuring hurricanes from the sky, emitting powerful beams from their eyes and manipulating the universe through telekinesis. These characters are creative, imaginative concepts of the comic book author and illustrator Stan Lee, living only on paper and film.
Would you believe me if I told you there are real-life X men??
I don’t literally mean genetic mutants, who fight the evil and save the world, but humans with phenomenal traits and super-awesome features.
Mutants are very common. If we consider the changes in the genes that occurred to the human race, You are a mutant! So am I!. These mutations are the very reason behind the uniqueness and differences in our hair colour, texture, eyes colour and shape and skin colour and features, height and weight differences and variations in our personalities and perspectives. Though we are proud mutants, some peculiar mutations set specific individuals apart.
While I was going through some of my stuff, I came across an article I had written when I was 17. I felt extremely nostalgic because this article had been a fundamental idea that shaped my interests from then on. Titled “Do Real-Life X Men exist?”, this article was my take on real individuals with mutations depicting remarkable traits and superpowers.
So, here I am, attempting to share a list of Real-life X-men that fascinated me back then and continue to amuse me today:
Real Life X men
1. Rubber boy
Daniel is the most flexible person in the world and has won 7 Guinness world records for representing ultimate double-jointed flexibility. He can dislocate both arms, both legs and turn his torso about 180 degrees. His flexibility is partially due to a rare condition called Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, a disorder that causes connective tissues to become loose and stretchy.
2. Super Vision Power
In 1972, the University of Stuttgart, West Germany, reported that their student Veronica Seider possesses a visual acuity about 20 times superior compared to a normal human. The average human eye has a visual acuity of 20/20, but Veronica’s visual acuity has been measured at around 20/2. Truly the Best eyesight in the world!
3. Mr Muscle
This superhuman was born with well-developed musculature and gained even better strength than his peers as he got older. A genetic condition called myostatin-related muscle hypertrophy comes from a mutation in the gene that produces myostatin- a protein that limits muscle growth, the reason behind this musculature. Abnormally low levels of this protein in Liam’s body lets it build muscle without any limits- imparting a well-toned muscular body and superhuman strength.
4. Painless Steve
Steven Pete carries a genetic mutation in the SCN9A gene, which results in congenital analgesia or congenital insensitivity to pain. It sounds like a great trait to have, but Steven has broken more bones than he can count. His condition also renders him unable to smell. It doesn’t sound much like an advantage, right? Steven’s brother Chris also suffers from the same condition. When he was a baby, his parents realized something was very much wrong with him after he chewed off part of his tongue. Oh, scary!!
5. Super Skeleton
Timothy carries a mutation in the LRP5 gene– the gene responsible for determining our bones’ density. The mutation in this gene makes Timothy’s bones far denser than the average human, allowing him to walk away from accidents that would normally have the rest of us with broken bones. He is a real-life superhero who pursues research and works with a group of scientists. He hopes to use his miraculous trait to develop treatments for conditions such as brittle bone disease and osteoporosis.
6. Flash Sonar
Daniel lost both his eyes due to retinoblastoma in his infancy. But this deficiency enabled him to develop specialized skills to ‘see’ using echolocation techniques. He clicks his tongue and sends peculiar flash sounds that bounce off the surfaces around him and return to him, eventually helping him construct a clear picture of the environment surrounding him. The trait of echolocation in a human is probably due to convergent mammalian evolution. With great echolocation or flash sonar abilities, Daniel can ride his bicycle, unaided, through crowded streets and down steep mountains.
7. Short Sleeper
Can you imagine working or studying or just living with just a few hours or no sleep? Well, I sure cannot. Superhuman Abby Ross can live and function very well with less than 4 hours of sleep per night. This unique ability is attributed to a mutation on the DEC 2 gene– the circadian rhythm regulator gene. Apparently, this mutation contributes to less sleep trait and enhances one’s immunity to the effects of sleep deprivation. Sounds cool, right!
8. Super Endurance
Finnish skier Eero displayed high endurance throughout his life. He has been the world’s best cross-country skier, having won three Olympic gold medals and two world championships. Mäntyranta and 50 members of his family have high sensitivity to erythropoietin- a hormone that speeds up the red blood cell and haemoglobin production transports more and more oxygen to keep the muscle going, enhancing the overall endurance. Eero Mäntyranta’s Hb level has been recorded to be 230-236 g/L, while the Hb level of a typical male range is 140-180g/L. The higher-than-normal blood-oxygen capacity is the very reason for the absolutely incredible endurance of this superhuman.
Though there is no science fiction behind these amazing superhumans, their unique traits are highly enthralling. Assuming that some of us have superhuman traits, is it possible that science and technology could pave the way for us to select our own superpowers? CRISPR gene editing allows scientists to be extremely precise while manipulating genetic material. But can CRISPR technology give us the superpowers we want and establish a brotherhood of mutants? Only time will tell…
“Despite appearances, no species rules the Earth and there’s room for all of us.”
—Charles Xavier (Earth-616)
If you could choose one superpower, what would you choose? Let us know in the comments below: