X-Men and the Jewish Effect?

Today we will be talking about Marvel's most diverse group of heroes. The X-MEN are not only the most diverse racially but they show a vast variety of gifts and complications that reflect our real world. In the article "X-Men" as J Men: The Jewish Subtext of a Comic Book Movie the author depicts an interesting argument a answer, a why to the question of the characters and motives for their actions. The author claims that most of the characters motives rest upon the questionable assumption that it has a lot to do with the background of the creators. In other words he believes that Stan Lee and Kirby were both descendants of Jewish immigrants that were trying to fit into society. Lawrence Baron himself writes "X-Men comic book series belong to the generation of American-born Jews who sought acceptance and social mobility through assimilation." This is then reflected especially by Magneto. At the start of the X-Men film we find out he is a survivor of the holocaust. He saw the atrocities when his whole family was executed, when he escaped he realized he could not let the same event happen, he had to protect people like himself. In Baron's view Magneto is paranoid. He then goes on to say that this paranoia is a reflection of the authors, that they had to tell the truth and they did in the best way they could-through comics. Baron complicates matters further when he writes "American Jewish sympathy for the mainstream of the Civil Rights Movement also left its mark on the characters and plots of X-Men and other Marvel comic books." Basically he is implying that the wonderful action packed stories of the X-Men fall back on a deeper picture that reflects in the author's words "...ethnic minorities who dreamed up the original comic book superheroes projected their own social insecurities onto their creations by depicting them as aliens or physically distinctive beings who gladly relinquished "their heritage, in part or in full, for assimilation into the American melting pot." To finish of his article the author reminds us of the success the series has had, and it is amazing to see how far it has come but my only question is "Can we really base all that success off mere sympathy and original author's mask?" I agree with him partially but there has to be something more "I don't know" less emotional.

Well, let me start of by saying that "it's not that I do not believe in emotion." Appealing or having emotional motives can always attract a large audience because a majority of society has feelings. Yes, I understand that it's effective and we can credit it's success to it but hear me out for a bit. Baron overlooks what I consider an important point about human differences. Although I do believe that the authors had some emotional effect to the horrors committed half across the world, I do not believe those fueled all their motives. My own view is that Kirby and Lee saw the possibility of a great story. They did not experience first hand the concentration camps and troubles but they were conscious that they existed. What if they saw this as an opportunity to attract a large audience that wanted to read a relate-able story. I just find it hard to believe that these awesome stories came just from a mask that the authors wanted to show. That their motives were to write about their personal problems and what they had to go through in the melting pot of the U.S. Anyone familiar with the X-Men movies and comics should agree that what attracts us the most is the diversity and action. Yes, there might be an underlying deeper connection with the stories but we love to see the explosions and the different gifts the mutants show. Yes, the overall plot is a Magneto trying to save his own kind almost an anti-hero that has reasonable justification for his motives. But if the authors did recognize the horrors committed, I do not think they would write a story that does the same but not to Jewish this time, in this story humans are the ones that have to be killed and eradicated. My feelings on the issue are mixed. I do support Baron's argument that there is an emotional background to the story, but I find his argument difficult to digest because they could have just seen the idea and opportunity to write about an emotional topic and run with it not necessarily to  reflect their feelings. Yes maybe spread awareness and possibly to reflect their feelings but ultimately I believe they are just creative writers playing the role to develop these amazing stories.