Mutant (Marvel Comics)

In American comic books published by Marvel Comics, a mutant is a human being that possesses a genetic trait called the X-gene. It causes the mutant to develop superhuman powers that manifest at puberty. Human mutants are sometimes referred to as a human subspecies Homo sapiens superior or simply Homo superior. Mutants are the evolutionary progeny of Homo sapiens, and are often referred to as the next stage in human evolution. The accuracy of this is the subject of much debate in the Marvel Universe. Unlike Marvel's mutates, which are characters who develop their powers only after exposure to outside stimuli or energies (such as Spider-Man, Captain America, Fantastic Four, Hulk), mutants have innate genetic mutations from birth.