The early 1990s saw Marvel experimenting with a new comics line set in the future—dubbed the 2099 line. Although the most notable figure to come out of this imprint was Spider-Man 2099 (a character who was brought over to the main Marvel U last year), the second most recognizable series was X-Men 2099.
As Marvel dives head first into the Secret Wars crossover event, they announced that one title would focus on the Avengers of 2099. Now, I’m not one to begrudge the Avengers their fame, but I’d like to make the case that America is finally ready to revisit the X-Men of 2099.
Here are the top six reasons (looking at current media) why we’re ready to be rocked by the not-so-merry mutants of the future.
1. Mutants
Although the Avengers franchise has been wildly successful, the X-Men movie franchise has more than held its own. In fact, X-Men: Days of Future Past was the 6th highest grossing film of 2014.
*Bonus: the film was also set in the future AND it was…
2. Dystopian
Not sure when this bubble will pop, but for the moment, dystopian stories are huge right now. The Hunger Games, Divergent, Maze Runner, the Giver…the list continues ad nauseam. The Hunger Games franchise alone has netted roughly 2.3 billion dollars worldwide!
The X-Men—despite the fact that they are in the future—are not fully accepted in their society. Many people are simply trying to survive in the harsh landscapes and the matter is made worse by…
3. Evil Corporations
In a generation that saw Occupy Wallstreet and has led many discussions on economic disparity, it isn’t a stretch of the imagination to think of Big Business as a villain. Something so foreign as the inner workings of a multimillion dollar corporation is the perfect vehicle for stories that involve secret plots.
Films like Captain America: Winter Soldier (the #7 best grossing film of 2014) and shows like Agents of SHIELD have capitalized on this idea by introducing the world to Hydra, the shadowy corporation that infiltrated the government.
In the 2099-verse, corporations such as Stark-Fujikawa, Alchemax, and the Synge Casino Complex are regularly behind unscrupulous actions.
4. Ecological
More than ever, environmental concerns are coming to the forefront of our world. Terms like climate change, non-GMO organic food, and carbon footprints have infiltrated our lexicon and our media culture. Already the #9 grossing film of 2015, Mad Max: Fury Road is set in a future that has been decimated by atomic war in a society where water and fuel are scarce.
Just like Fury Road, the X-Men of 2099 live in an atomically-burned-out world with few resources. Several heroes in the 2099-verse made environmentalism their chief concern—Bloodhawk of the X-Men for example. An eco-terrorist bent on protecting the wilderness at whatever cost, Bloodhawk’s gritty edge might resonate with audiences raised on Captain Planet.
5. Diversity
Our modern culture is one that increasingly pushes for diversity. Shows like Orange is the New Black and Sense8 (Why aren’t you watching Sense8?! Do it now!) sport casts that are far removed from mere tokenism.
The X-Men of 2099 had a cast of characters that was widely diverse for its time, having a majority of its members as multiethnic or multicultural. The group includes: Cerebra (Indian), Krystalin ( ½ African), Meanstreak (½ Chinese), Metalhead (½ Japanese), Desert Ghost (Vietnamese), and La Lunatica (Mexican).
6. Fetishism
Alright…let’s face it. Although I don’t like it, 50 Shades of Grey grossed half a billion dollars. Currently, it is the #3 film of 2015. That means that there is one unique element of X-Men 2099 that might appeal to a wider audience: S&M.
One of the main antagonists in the series is a group called the Theatre of Pain, a kinky analog to the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants that takes extreme pleasure in kidnapping and torturing various people. The plot often cycles back to the Theatre: members are captured and tortured, their leader defects to join the Theatre, a member of the Theatre switches to the good side, and on and on.
So hopefully, this new Secret Wars 2099 title will revisit our favorite group of dysfunctional mutants. The future is now…and we’re ready for it.
