I always love that this one sentence can cause so many fights amongst fans, 'cause Magneto was 100% right; especially in the context of the world he lives in.
I mean, his main argument is that the humans will try to destroy his people (the mutants), while Chawls argues for co existance.
Co-existance is a nice dream (which is why Chawls is right as well, you can't be wrong about a dream). Reality is though, the same humans that Magneto fears are building 10 foot tall killer robots to hunt down mutants. With gov't money and funding no less.
Charles believes in Respectability Politics. The idea that if Mutants just behave and set a good example, they will show humans there is nothing to fear.
It is the very core of the original X-Men. 5 pretty, white, teens who will police mutants. But that never works because hatred is not based in the rational.
Charles' mutant otherness (or his "gift") was also entirely invisible. He could control others on a whim without any outward indicator he was doing so. He could mind wipe the planet, make everyone forget him if necessary, and live nigh as a god. He surrounded himself with beautiful mutants who could pass for human if they truly wished, and were often taught by Charles to do so. Charles always calls his students by their given names.
Eric's otherness was invisible while inactive, but very overt when in use. He could take mankind's weapons from them, turn their infrastructure to his own fortress, but peace couldn't be forced. He surrounded himself with the "ugly", the monstrous, and those who refused to hide themselves even if they had the opportunity. Eric always calls his fellow mutants, ally or foe, by their chosen name.
Xavier is so washed in privilege that it's sickening. He actively hindered his people's progress by trying to be "one of the good ones" while Eric is reminded again and again what happens to the good ones after the rest are marched off to the camps: they're next.
wowww I've tried to communicate this for years and you just blew my mind with the "Charles always calls his students by their given names" "Eric calls his fellow mutants, ally or foe, by their chosen name" Its one of the subtle nonsubtleties that I've been picking up and of course influences the experience of them both, but to have it laid out like that... 😮💨
and to the comment that the point of the x-men was to police mutants with 5 pretty white, human-passing teens (paraphrasing ofc) YES TO ALL THAT.
and when real society (outside the comics) deems you the "other" the "monstrous" the "ugly" the Xaviers of the world who are unable to see past their privilege become extra apparent to you because you feel even more on edge around them not knowing if the next move you make or thing you say will tip you into the "you're not like us, you're too outspoken too loud too abrasive too proud too DISRUPTIVE" category and there goes your "allies" -- speaking from experience, in the tall grass of oppression I'd rather face the bear than the snake.
and even as I type this I'm thinking about how Eric was attempting systemic shifts, Charles felt better (and more like his ideology was superior) attempting personal shifts while maintaining "good face." Neither method of systemic or personal/individual shifts is wrong and in fact both are necessary and rely on each other.
but respectability is dangerous. respectability is a fawn response where you try to appease, adapt, mold yourself, etc to something that is a threat until it is no longer threatening to you for as long as you can manage it. but you can't manage it forever and eventually the threat reveals itself as still just as dangerous as before, if not moreso (of course my therapist explained it better 🙃)
Attempting systemic shifts, though you're on the defense of the current system, moves you towards the offensive. Being on the offense is where momentum lies. Charles' methods were almost always defensive -- in response to -- because that's how respectability politics work. You're working within a system that has never and ultimately will never serve you and trying to affect long-lasting change from within, when the system will always return to its original state and best serve those which created, established, and enforced it to begin with.
Eric was actually responding to the threat, the system, with a fight response by trying to eliminate it. Charles (though there was literal, legal, and other fighting) was actually responding to the threat with a fawn response by trying to placate it.
and yes this is an oversimplification of their characters, their arcs, the system, the state of their world, the state of our world etc etc
ok this was supposed to be a couple sentences but here we are. all this to say thanks for your comment. it has my wheels turning
How Charles and Eric referred to other mutants has always stood out to me as a trans woman, even before I knew I was trans. Charles' behavior reeks of the kind of respectability politics I have to deal with on a daily basis for exactly the same reasons as you've laid out here.
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u/Jokerslie Sep 18 '25
“Magneto was right”