Both Magneto and Professor X are fighting for the same thing – a world where mutants can live without fear and can be accepted members of ‘society.’ Throughout the film, the X-Men are called “freaks” and ostracized for their differentness. This parallels quite well with the Civil Rights Movement as African Americans face racial segregation and discrimination. Furthermore, the relationship between Magneto and Professor X demonstrates the rift in the rights movement and one of the reasons the movement was not as effective as it could have been (Cone 3). Fundamentally both these men want the same thing, but have vastly different ideas of how to achieve this end.
Similar to Malcom X who was a leader and prominent figure in the Civil Rights Movement, …show more content…
Magneto single handedly stops all the missiles in their tracks fired by Soviet and American ships, and directs them back. Professor X tries to convince Magneto to stop attacking them pleading that “There are thousands of men on those ships. Good, honest, innocent men! They’re just following orders.” Magneto replies, “I’ve been at the mercy of men just following orders. Never again” (X-Men: First Class 1:54). While Professor X ends up being able to stop Magneto from destroying all the ships, this was the moment the relationship between Professor X and Magneto took an irrecoverable turn. This is a parallel to Malcom X and Martin Luther King Jr. They were aware of the dangers of disunity among African Americans and together, they “would have been a powerful force against racial injustice.” However, their enemies were able to pit them against each other and effectively “diluting the effectiveness of the black freedom movement” (Cone 3). Together, they complemented each other and covered each other’s weaknesses, but alone, their philosophies were “half truths” (Cone 16). In X-Men: First Class, Magneto and Professor X indeed complemented each other, but breaking this alliance represented a substantial weakening of the mutants. This signifies an important lesson in unity and working together in order to reach certain
Similar to Malcom X who was a leader and prominent figure in the Civil Rights Movement, …show more content…
Magneto single handedly stops all the missiles in their tracks fired by Soviet and American ships, and directs them back. Professor X tries to convince Magneto to stop attacking them pleading that “There are thousands of men on those ships. Good, honest, innocent men! They’re just following orders.” Magneto replies, “I’ve been at the mercy of men just following orders. Never again” (X-Men: First Class 1:54). While Professor X ends up being able to stop Magneto from destroying all the ships, this was the moment the relationship between Professor X and Magneto took an irrecoverable turn. This is a parallel to Malcom X and Martin Luther King Jr. They were aware of the dangers of disunity among African Americans and together, they “would have been a powerful force against racial injustice.” However, their enemies were able to pit them against each other and effectively “diluting the effectiveness of the black freedom movement” (Cone 3). Together, they complemented each other and covered each other’s weaknesses, but alone, their philosophies were “half truths” (Cone 16). In X-Men: First Class, Magneto and Professor X indeed complemented each other, but breaking this alliance represented a substantial weakening of the mutants. This signifies an important lesson in unity and working together in order to reach certain