Analyzing the Ethnic Conflict in Wolverine and the X-Men

Abstract

Wolverine and the X-Men is a cartoon that aired over the course of 2009 on the Nicktoons network...The main conflict within this show centers around the shaky relations between the mutants and the non-mutants, as well as the imminence of the war that Xavier sees in the future. This identity-based war parallels ethnic conflict in the real world. This paper will apply Wolverine and the X-Men to five common ethnic conflict frameworks (ancient hatreds, manipulative leaders, economic rivalry, spiral of insecurity, and symbolic politics) to determine which theory best explains the on-screen narrative.