X-Men is one of the most popular comic book franchises ever, with successful spin-offs that include several feature films, cartoon series, bestselling video games, and merchandise. This is the first look at the deeper issues of the X-Men universe and the choices facing its powerful "e;mutants,"e; such as identity, human ethics versus mutant morality, and self-sacrifice. J. Jeremy Wisnewski (Oneonta, NY) is Assistant Professor of Philosophy at Hartwick College and the editor of Family Guy and Philosophy (978-1-4051-6316-3) and The Office and Philosophy (978-1-4051-7555-5). Rebecca Housel (Rochester, NY) is a professor at Rochester Institute of Technology, where she teaches about writing and pop culture. For William Irwin's biography, please see below.

X-Men is one of the most popular comic book franchisesever, with successful spin-offs that include several feature filmscartoon series, bestselling video games, and merchandise. This isthe first look at the deeper issues of the X-Men universe and thechoices facing its powerful "mutants," such as identity, humanethics versus mutant morality, and self-sacrifice.J. Jeremy Wisnewski (Oneonta, NY) is Assistant Professor ofPhilosophy at Hartwick College and the editor of Family Guy andPhilosophy (978-1-4051-6316-3) and The Office and Philosophy(978-1-4051-7555-5). Rebecca Housel (Rochester, NY) is a professorat Rochester Institute of Technology, where she teaches aboutwriting and pop culture. For William Irwin's biography, please seebelow.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS: Superheroic Thanks to X-tra Special Humans andMutants Alike! xiIntroduction: You Are About to Embark on an X-perience with"the Strangest Heroes of All" 1X1: ORIGINSTHE X-FACTOR IN THE EXISTENTIAL1. The Lure of the Normal: Who Wouldn't Want to Be aMutant? 5Patrick D. Hopkins2. Amnesia, Personal Identity, and the Many Lives of Wolverine17Jason Southworth3. Is Suicide Always Immoral? Jean Grey, Immanuel Kant, and TheDark Phoenix Saga 27Mark D. White4. X-istential X-Men: Jews, Supermen, and the Literature ofStruggle 38Jesse KavadloX2: EVOLUTIONCONSCIOUSNESS, CONSCIENCE, AND CURE5. Mad Genetics: The Sinister Side of Biological Mastery53Andrew Burnett6. Layla Miller Knows Stuff: How a Butterfly Can Shoulder theWorld 66George A. Dunn7. X-Women and X-istence 85Rebecca Housel8. Mutant Rights, Torture, and X-perimentation 99Cynthia McWilliams9. When You Know You're Just a Comic Book Character:Deadpool 107Joseph J. DarowskiX3: UNITEDHUMAN ETHICS AND MUTANT MORALITY IN THE X-VERSE10. Magneto, Mutation, and Morality 125Richard Davis11. Professor X Wants You 140Christopher Robichaud12. Dirty Hands and Dirty Minds: The Ethics of Mind Reading andMindwriting 153Andrew Terjesen13. The Mutant Cure or Social Change: Debating Disability170Ramona Ilea14. Mutants and the Metaphysics of Race 183Jeremy PierceX4: TH E LAST STANDWAR, TECHNOLOGY, DEATH, AND MUTANTKIND15. Mutant Phenomenology 197J. Jeremy Wisnewski16. War and Peace, Power and Faith 209Katherine E. Kirby17. High-Tech Mythology in X-Men 223George TeschnerCONTRIBUTORS: And Now, We'd Like to Introduce the X-Perts:Ladies and Gentlemen, the Amazing, Astonishing, Uncanny, UltimateAuthors from Xavier's School for Gifted Philosophers! 236INDEX 241