Marvel has just dropped a historic bombshell, one that permanently ties the X-Men to the Hulk. Both the Hulk and the X-Men debuted early in the Marvel Age of Comics, and have become pillars of the publisher’s empire, appearing in not only live-action movies, but cartoons, novels, games and other forms of media as well.

The Hulk and the X-Men also both arrived during comics’ Silver Age, which coincided with the Cold War between the United States and the former Soviet Union. A hallmark of this era was the threat of “mutually assured destruction” via nuclear warfare. The science fiction medium of this era is replete with atomic menaces preying on ordinary people.

There was also another, very real fear: what effects this radiation would have on people in the long term, and the Hulk and the X-Men spring from problem. Bruce Banner changed into the Hulk after exposure to “gamma rays,” whereas the first generation of X-Men had parents who worked with or around radiation.

The Hulk and the X-Men Are Now Forever Linked

The Mother of Horrors Is Responsible For All Aberrations, Mutants Included

Now, 60+ years later, Marvel is finally drawing a direct line between the Hulk and Earth’s mutants as a whole. Speaking to AIPT’s David Brooke, Infernal Hulk writer Phillip Kennedy Johnson linked mutants to the Mother of Horrors, a primordial entity currently menacing the Jade Giant. AIPT quoted Johnson as saying:

In theory, all earthbound mutants come from the Mother of Horrors in some kind of way.

This is one of the biggest changes to either franchise’s lore in a long time.

Naturally, this retcon raises serious questions about not only Marvel’s ever-evolving cosmology, but also about the X-Men’s place in it. The Mother of Horrors was responsible for mutants and everything else profane. This might seem to cast mutants in a new and darker light. It could also make the X-Men villains even.

Yet AIPT’s Brooke is quick to point out this is not the case. Instead of making the X-Men bad guys, he argues, it positions the team as “spiritually entangled” within the corrupt system the Mother of Horrors has created. If the Mother is to be defeated, all of her children must band together.

Marvel Has Floated Origins For Its Mutants Before

The Celestials Are Usually Responsible for Mutants

Since mutants were formally introduced to the Marvel Universe in 1963, various creators have tried to explain their origins. The most prevalent theory is that mutants were the product of experimentation on humanity by the star-spanning Celestials. Given the Celestials’ do tamper with life throughout the cosmos, this theory makes sense.

In his opening arc on Avengers, writer Jason Aaron took this idea a step further. During the course of the story, it comes to light that a dying Celestial infused the Earth with his essence, explaining not only mutants but the larger than average number of heroes on the planet as well.

But now, with the revelation the Mother of Horrors is behind mutants, Marvel has once again refined its lore, giving the X-Men an almost supernatural origin. The Mother of Horrors, in just under two years, has made itself one of Marvel’s most terrifying villains, who lives to blaspheme everything the One-Above-All creates.

The Hulk and the X-Men Rarely Fought, But That Is Bound to Change

The Hulk’s Father Was Scared His Son Would Be a Mutant

What this revelation means for the X-Men moving forward will play out in the months ahead. The Hulk rarely seems to run afoul of the X-Men, except for Wolverine, but now the mutants may have a target on their backs. The Mother of Horrors may come to claim her mutant children.

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Linking the Hulk to the mutants reaches deep into the character’s tragic backstory. Bruce’s father Brian was paranoid that his work into gamma radiation would cause his son to be born a mutant. This obsession eventually drove Brian to abuse Bruce, creating the conditions that gave birth to the Hulk.

The Mother of Horrors’ Creation May Get Away From Her

Will This Massive Change to Hulk and X-Men Lore Stick?

The Mother of Horrors has certainly lived up to her name. By creating aberrations on Earth, including monsters and mutants, she has inflicted eons of terror and trauma upon the planet. The Hulk will have his work cut out for him if he wishes to shake her influence once and for all.

As noted earlier, this news may seem to depict the X-Men in a sinister light, but the truth is the team has been a powerful force for good, much like the Hulk has been as well. The Mother of Horrors may have created Marvel’s mutants, but in the end they may also be responsible for her downfall.