The X-Men comics, which originated in the 1960s, are more politically progressive and morally complex than older superhero stories such as "Superman" where the heroes are always right, and truth, justice, and the American Way always prevail. The series is a well-crafted parable about individuality and discrimination. The characters are mutants-struggling to find a place in a society that rejects them.
Its primary villain, Magneto, isn’t an evil lunatic- he’s a sympathetic character, a misguided revolutionary playing Huey Newton to Professor Xavier’s Martin Luther King. The iconic character, Wolverine, is a beer-swilling anti-hero who cares little for ideals and fights only to protect himself and his loved ones. The female characters are as powerful and important as the men, rather than being mere love interests.