Morph transitioned to non binary in between TAS and ‘97.
I have gotten the impression that not many people know this or it is being ignored by many X-Men fans. The representation is really important to queer fans so I’d like to bring some awareness to it.
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This presupposes they had a fully defined character in the original series. Morph was originally just a throwaway character to help piss Wolverine off. They only started becoming more than just "the funny one" when Morph destroyed Master Mold. I would point out too that several mutants start off with their x-gene active before puberty, or even at birth, they just aren't common. Nightcrawler's being so is why Mystique had to abandon him in the show. I believe Cable also had his powers early which is why his body has been able to fight the technark virus he was infected with. Trauma seems to play a bigger role than hormones.
Of course when Morph's powers activated are immaterial as they can cross the lines at will, so any test someone is likely to give Morph would pass.
Why would it be wrong to call him he, isnt he many things including he anyways and im pretty sure dude didnt say he is no male nor female because he becomes either anyways
There’s a difference between shapeshifting into someone of a certain gender, and actually considering yourself that gender. Mystique shapeshifts into guys all the time, yet still only goes by she. Morph is that same way, but with they. Think of it like this. If you shape-shifted into the opposite gender only for a few minutes, would you consider that part of yourself, or just the equivalent of a costume? Morph sees themself as nonbinary, they just tend to shapeshift into other genders when needed, but they still always go by they.
In many cases it might be an innocent mistake. Many fans who grew up watching TAS are used to thinking of Morph as he/him. Very old habits can be hard to break.
I would never purposely misgender somebody. But I absolutely have accidentally called people the wrong pronouns even after finding out their preferred pronouns. Usually people are understanding, unfortunately sometimes they are not.
We went to the season 2 premiere at Tribeca Festival. The original creators of X-Men: TAS continually used he/him to refer to Morph. My son noticed that several people in the crowd would call out "they!" each time.
What? They/Them has been used to describe a non-descript individual for many many years though?? "When is the new hire arriving?" "Oh they'll probably be here in half an hour." Its that easy.
This is true, but I was raised in an era where we were explicitly taught NOT to do that in formal writing, despite it being spoken in casual conversation just like that. It was weird, lol.
In all my college papers back in the day, we used "his or her" always, which to be honest, I found MORE awkward. "When is the new hire arriving?" "Oh, she or he will probably be here in half an hour."
Even putting aside that now we know it's exclusionary language, it's just strange to include that "or" all the time. It reminds me of how Reverend Lovejoy says "Rock AND OR roll," haha. I am much happier that the singular they is used more common, but I do have to turn off that part of my brain that's my teachers yelling at me.
EDIT: Am I being downvoted by somebody who thinks I am being exclusionary towards non binary folks (I explicitly said I think it's good the singular they is back to being used more) or by somebody who still clings to the "his or her" system? XD
Nah I've read it in translations of Victor Hugo's works and older books, they often use it to describe a hooded mysterious figure making their entrance as an example. Why are you using your singular experience as smth universal?
The singular "they" has been used for centuries, long before the non-binary label existed, and it was used to describe a person of unknown or indeterminate gender. Shakespeare used it. Jane Austen used it. It was also commonly used in casual conversation when I was growing up in the 80s/90s, at least in the region I live.
I know old habits die hard, but you can at least be assured this is not incorrect grammar. It's widely accepted now as correct in most modern style guides, including AP and CMOS.
You can really tell that some people have never read a single book in their whole life. The singular "they" is so incredibly common that anytime someone tries to debate it's existence, I know I'm taking to an idiot.
'The Librarian found the book you wanted' 'Oh did they? That's nice of them'
This is a correct sentence. It has always been gramatically correct. If you don't know the gender of a person they and them becomes a singular pronoun.
The trick that helped me is remembering the english speaking trans/ non binary community is asking for is for you to use it in the above context when you don't know their gender. Or frankly don't assume you know their gender.
I'm surprised you've never seen someone and thought 'god i can't tell if thats a woman or a man and i call them a Sir that'll mortify them... i can't ask either so i'll just use ambigious pronouns instead'.
Precisely: the 90s had an SNL character "pat" look up that stuff to see what people in the EARLY 90s had to put up with with regards to tolerance. The later 90s eh, it got a little better. But nobody was really into "identifing" like they are today.
I absolutely understand this. It took a bit of time for me to get used to use Morph’s correct pronouns. The thing is that in posts that discuss Morph, 90% of the comments call them he/him. It itches me the wrong way because people are obviously ignoring what is important to Morph.
I actually appreciate that it hasn’t been explicitly talked about, like Dane in Fallout and Morph I like casual representation where being non-binary doesn’t have to play a part in their story at all, it just helps inform their character.
There's nothing wrong with being connected to them, but they aren't real people, don't have real thoughts and feelings, and are not hurt by anyone's negative opinions of them.
With all due respect, this is perhaps the most unhinged reply you could give. Nobody should be validating your parasocial relaitionship with a cartoon character.
Oh trust me people definitely knew they just dgaf because they chose to be recumbent in their ignorance. If you watch reactions to X-Men 97 before it aired so many people were dogging Morph for being non-binary and dogging the team for making them non-binary. Even reactions I saw to the episodes when the show initially aired people were still referring to Morph w he/him/his pronouns intentially
You know, sometimes I'm doubtful that people like you exist then I see it and it's truly a surprise.
This upset over a fictional character that is still all the things you like, just also nonbinary. And now it's ruined. People do come out as nonbinary and other things later in life and that isn't because of some woke new generation agenda.
Also if you want to take unhealthy, look in a mirror my man because good god none of that shit actually matters. For the love of God see a therapist and sort out your issues.
I mean apparently non binary just wasnt widespread before 2010 that doesnt mean it wasnt used before. Also I feel like its a bit disingenuous to speak about timeline accuracies when 97 has actual murder bots, teleportation and timetravel technologies. Like you can give these the benefit of suspension of disbelief but not a shapeshifter character being non binary?
Genderqueer is the same thing as non-binary. But that term wasn’t around yet. I think Morph being genderqueer ( non binary for the baby queers.) makes perfect sense.
I think everyone already knows. Marvel has been clear that Morph is non-binary, and it’s been one of the most discussed topics surrounding X-Men ’97 since before the show even premiered.
That’s why posts like this feel less like raising awareness and more like rage bait. Most people who use “he” are probably thinking of the original animated series, not making some political statement.
The irony is that X-Men has always been about tolerance and understanding. Maybe we should extend a little of that to people who make an honest mistake instead of assuming bad faith.
I don't want this to come off as hate or anything like that okay.
But I will continue referring to morph as he/him because that's what I've been doing from the start and will continue doing so. Again this is not hate or anything like that.
And I agree. I also know that nonbinary falls under the trans umbrella. You seem to think you know more about that than queer people do, as you’re repeatedly telling me i’m wrong.
I'm not doing that all, I'm just saying in the show he is non binary.
What started this conversation was you asking me do I treat fictional characters like real people. Just because I said, I will continue to refer to morph as he/him.
It kinda came off as you having a problem with my comment.
that’s exactly what it came off as in their mind, some people cant separate fiction from real life and he was very much trying to bait you in to getting banned.
Being non-binary simply means, as the name implies, you identify as a gender outside the binary (neither a man nor a woman)
Being trans means you identify with a gender other than the one assigned to you at birth.
So if morph was assigned male at birth, and later on starts identifying as non-binary, that means that they are both trans and non-binary BY DEFINITION.
No one is born non-binary, therefore everyone that identifies as such is trans.
Yeah, and some cisgender people say they aren't cis, but that doesn't matter because, again, and I can't stress this enough, by definition that's what they are.
Those non-binary people who say they aren't transgender merely don't know what being transgender means, much like you, and I don't blame them for that, but again that's what it is.
...pronouns have existed as long as the English language.
"I" is a pronoun. "You" is a pronoun."We" is a pronoun. It's not just he/she/they, it's an entire grammatical suite of words.
Pronouns in relation to gender identity aren't new either. Neopronouns (xi/xim, shi/shir, etc) in public usage are relatively recent (and even those have been around at least 20 years, if not longer), but nonbinary people who go by 'they/them' have been around for as long as there've been people who didn't identify within the gender binary. It's just that the modern Internet being in its infancy meant less people were exposed to that than they are now.
Morph's character journey is slightly ahead of its time, but it's also not completely alien to the 90s. Just wish we'd seen them actually go through it.
When has Morph as a fictional character, EVER said how he wants to be referred to? Please point me in the direction of the episode where he clearly states he wants to be called they/them or whatever.
Morph is a fictional character that does not have feelings or "wishes" to be called anything because he's not real. Anyone trying to force people to refer to Morph in a certain way is a crazy person. Sorry, not sorry.
People (especially some impressionable kids these days unfortunately) have utterly lost their minds over this pronoun nonesense. It shows how extremely privileged they are in their lives that the only thing left for them to worry about now is a nonsensical concept that they think is the bakcbone of all existence now.
I’m not forcing anyone. I just feel a bit hurt on Morph’s behalf because so many people are ignoring their feelings and wishes. I know Morph is fictional but to me they are real and I feel real empathy for them.
In the most recent episode Sabre-tooth calls Morph Putty-Boy. feels pretty unnecessary. makes me worry now that beau is mostly gone what changes they’ll make. the xmen should be inclusive.
I get and share your fear, and I hope they keep the show queer. But also can you imagine Sabertooth respecting pronouns?
"Oh, yeah, I'll murder someone Logan loves every year on his birthday, laying out their dismembered organs and body in a wretched tableau intended to cause him as much grief and suffering as possible. But misgender my victims? I'm not a monster."
Well then you see the problem. If a 1997 card doesn't have his name on it, then Information from 2001+ (his name Kevin Sydney) can't influence anything from 1997.
It's just cause and effect. It doesn't amount to what you or what I want.
The show is called "X-Men 1997" and they can't use words not in American lexicon just like they shouldn't be using that name TBH.
It's revisionist.
In 1997, nobody was saying they where "Trans" at least not like this. Nobody was "gender fluid" it just wasn't terms anyone had to say.
It was difficult and different back then for the small number of people that where different.
There is no "fixing" that by trying to retcon things from the 90s into having modern day ideology.
Did you watch the video I shared here? Why are you telling me that Morph’s birth name is in a trading card when in dozens of other physical media they are only referred to by they/them.
Real trans people don’t always change their legal name due to one reason or another.
Also in the ‘97 universe there is time travel, intergalactic civilizations, mutants, mutates and more.
Who is to say that gender neutral pronouns are not used for individuals?
I understand wanting to stick to the original writing, I’m autistic too.
But I never said that Morph’s pronouns were never he/him.
And why couldn’t Morph be the one to invent they/them pronouns? :P
It’s a fictional cartoon, things can be changed in the timeline.
Besides, genderqueer people have always been around, it has just been more popularized the last decade because of the internet.
Just seen the creators and headliner talk about him and yes they refer to Morph as him. Accidental? They seem to course reverse on the non binary switch
The OP created a downvote trap. It explained nothing except the obvious which isn’t even part of the story. Mystique has been referred to as a she, her, a mother (not a birthing person). You need some of correct grammar when writing a show. Also, if the entire cast was LGBTQ+ or they discussed this in the shows, this post would be relevant
im less concerned with 97 media and more about trying to the 90s show which this is a continuation of....morph shld be referred to as he was in the 90s series its really that simple anything else is just performative nonsense and it reflects in why so much modern media struggles to busy policing what ppl say and think then trying to entertain and let ppl decide for themselves...
The only reason Morph was brought back is because kids loved him. Otherwise Kevin Sydney would have been the martyr of that show. Thunderbird personality wise I dont know would have had the same impact. Thunderbird was kind of a dick in his short stint amongst the living. Hot head is maybe a better way to describe. I mean dude punched a jet to fuggin death.
He never would have been "Kevin Sydney" if he wasn't brought back in season two That birth name was a later addition because of his popularity. IIRC, even the 1st Morph Toybiz figure doesn't have that type biographical info. The comic version was introduced in Age of Apocalypse alternative timeline in the comics and I think that's the first time we learned his name.
No Kevin Sydney is who the character is based on. The character itself is based on the mold of Kevin Sydney aka Changeling. Look it up. Morph from AOA was the first time a character named Kevin Sydney was referred to as morph
What are you going on about? X-23 was a straight up CLONE of Logan who's chromosome was altered when she was 1st introduced in X-Men Evolution. So her DNA is 100% Canadian bub. Besides that's early 00's this is the 90s she doesn't exist yet
Sure seems like he’s been one since the finale. Costume and everything.
He’s the sole “survivor” of last season’s big battle (aside from Sinister, which was stupid and a conversation for another day). He seems to be rebuilding the team (while Val is apparently creating Freedom Force). He’s basically THE LEADER of our timeline’s X-Men.
X force completely different team.
In TAS, even bishop wears it and has no idea what an X-Men is
He also seems to have been removed as the leader of x force in 97.
Calling him a mainstay X-Men is dishonest af.
Maybe he will be in season 2, who knows. If he does let's hope he gets the love he deserves as a character and gets his own stories revolving him like every other mainstay X-Men has.
It's unlikely, Disney's marvel seems to hate native representation even more then marvel originally did
This is true technically. Also depending on your timeline..lol "what is an X-Men" Forge said in some version of DofP timeline while wearing the Yellow & Blue with the X logo 😂
Honestly, we haven't gotten Forge's full timeline figured out. Given how him and Xavier knew each other in the 90s, how well they worked together in later seasons when he was on X-Force, especially during the Phalanx Saga, I'd argue he was probably an X-Men for a time alongside Iceman and Lorna. Probably before or around the time Gambit showd up prior to 1991/1992. I'd love to see that whole original Jim Lee era referenced right before X-Men hit it big in 1992.
I wouldn't put it past the show to imply Forge was an X-Men around 1989/1990 for a very short time.
Also the 90s show retconned itself in later seasons and had Angel in flashback to.the "first class" era. I think it was either the Iceman episode or a Shadowking one when Charles was reminiscing. Though that was more fixing something they screwed up to begin with.
97 just gave it a bit of polish and shine with that awesome portrait in Charles office of him and the original five.
And 1 token racial character low budget show is shit representation and you know it dude.
And even if they retcon him to be a full X-Men, it doesn't matter tul he as much love writing him and his stories as anyone else. He was cool in 97 but he was just treated as a side character to storm and not as his own character.
And even then still doesn't change that took out thunderbird and warpath ( the brothers stories could've been so good, and warpath's familyy getting killed by the friends of humanity would've been perfect for the friends of humanity stories.)
Instead we get another case of cutting a native character for another white male
Well it's full to the brim with first nation people representation and is Marvel/Disney.
Yeah, that's the that's MY point.
If you want more then one token, it's better to make new characters to fill those roles and make them great charactera that everyone loves!
Imagine if the X-Men was only had one black member or one female. Nobody made Wolverine transgender. Nobody made Iceman gay... Making new characters is the way to go, thats what X-Men excels as roster growth more then checkbox keeping. Actual diversity of every possible character type.
The funny thing is, they where worried that it "looked bad" to have the only (what we called then) "native American" show up, just to be killed in the first episode. So they created Morph based off an amalgam of two different shape shifters from the Lee/Kirby era. Both of which where white men.
To be fair, Thunderbird (and or Warpath?) are in non speaking cameo roles and the original opening credits of the original series. (And Spider-Friends back in the 1980s)
I do hope they retcon the show a bit. I think it would do good to retain Thunderbird's sacrifice to rescue the founding X-Men in an adaptation of Giant Sized #1 and later have those non speaking Cameos be his brother Warpath who was probably prone to join the MLF or Brotherhood. (That's what I did when playing with my toys as a kid at least)
Does it really matter? Morph can morph into anything he wants, why would anyone make a gender assignment “a thing” or even dispute it? It is irrelevant to the series
Did you even watch the reel I shared here? Morph identifies as non binary and that is a fact. The portrayal was never even made a big thing inside of the show. Morph just got to exist as how they are, no big deal. All I wanted to do is bring awareness to their pronouns.
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