After the Cuban Missile Crisis, Charles was hit hard. He was depressed for a while, but still worried about the future of mutants. So, he decided to use his ancestral home to establish a school.
On the surface, this school was meant to educate gifted children, but in reality, it was a haven for mutant kids, a place to teach and protect them.
Following the explosion of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, the radiation caused a sudden surge in mutant births. However, the government deliberately kept this under wraps, and the public only viewed these mutations as a strange disease.
If a family gave birth to a mutant child, they would often be affected, burdened by the cost of trying to treat the "sick" child, seeking doctors far and wide.
Some families even went as far as abandoning these children, just like what happened to Mystique, when she was young.
The mutant population quietly grew, which further escalated the tension and conflict between them and human society. Charles set up the X-Mansion and formed the X-Men as a way to peacefully help mutants integrate into human society.
Compared to Erik's confrontational approach, Charles' method was far more acceptable, and he even secretly helped the government handle some tricky cases.
However, the sad truth was that, in the eyes of the government, there was no real distinction between "moderate" and "radical" factions. They might have known the difference but didn't care at all.
Some saw Charles' peaceful methods as a sign of weakness, and given that he had gathered so many mutants with abilities, his school became viewed by the government as nothing more than a "testing ground" or a "recruitment camp."
Alex and Sean were forcibly drafted into the Vietnam War. Naturally, other mutants were sent along with them, including Logan.
Just like how Logan was later targeted by Stryker and manipulated into becoming an experimental subject, mutants like Havok, Banshee, and others faced inhumane treatment in the military.
Not only did they have to fight on the battlefield, but they were also secretly detained and forced to participate in experiments. The government didn't see them as comrades or soldiers, but as obedient slaves—pitiful test subjects!
At this point, Peter's face darkened. He ran his hand through his hair and muttered, "Why? Why treat them like this?, they didn't ask to be born with powers. No one can choose their appearance or traits after they're born! The Professor has done so much already—why can't there be a little more tolerance and understanding?"
Wanda sighed. "Peter, do you know? I used to be like you, so naïve about the world...
And it hasn't even been a year since I started participating in the Quiz game, but after seeing so many possible futures, it feels like I've aged years..."
"Listen, Peter, I can't give you an answer because I don't even understand it myself. But I do know one thing—understanding and tolerance between people is the hardest thing to achieve. Otherwise, there wouldn't be so many wars and killings."
Peter was still a kid. He had just formed his ideals of becoming a superhero, fighting crime, and upholding justice. In his eyes, and those of people his age, the world was simple.
Good and bad were clearly defined. To solve a problem, all you had to do was defeat the villain, and the world would return to a state of brightness and hope.
But now, Peter was realizing that the world was far more complex than he had thought. It was like a tangled ball of yarn, with evil right in front of him, but he had no idea who to hate or who to defeat.
Sure, the government and military's treatment of mutants was cruel and despicable, but at the same time, it was undeniable that they were acting in the interest of the general human population.
Yes, personal greed and hatred played a part, but from a broader perspective, their actions were indeed in line with the majority's concerns. The existence of mutants posed a real threat to humanity's survival and dominance.
During the Cuban Missile Crisis, the U.S. and Soviet Union—two superpowers that couldn't stand each other—were able to unite in a short period of time to fight against the threat mutants posed. While personal interests were involved, most of it came down to the ruling elites of these nations wanting to maintain their control over billions of humans.
As long as those in power aligned themselves with humanity's interests, their attitude toward mutants wouldn't change—at least not easily.
So, Peter, who had grown up in human society, found his own stance still aligned with ordinary people. He could criticize the government for its harsh treatment of mutants, but he knew he couldn't avenge them. What was he supposed to do—wipe out all those in power?
This wasn't a problem that could be solved by defeating a few individuals. It wasn't just the government's attitude; public opinion was also against mutants. As Erik had repeatedly emphasized, most ordinary people feared and rejected mutants. Changing this mindset and public opinion wasn't something that could be done overnight.
Mutants were innocent. They didn't have a choice. Sure, there were bad ones who committed crimes, but there were also good ones like Charles and Hank McCoy.
"The Professor has already done his best, really…" Peter shook his head, his lips pressed tightly together. "The more I think about it, the more frustrating it gets. Is there really no hope for peace between mutants and humans?"
Wanda tilted her head, thinking for a moment before answering, "Well, if Thanos showed up in their world, maybe humans and mutants would unite in peace."
"Alright, Peter, stop thinking about it so much. it's not your concern. Mutants have nothing to do with you or your world, unless you plan to join the Multiverse Defenders…"
"Can I join the Multiverse Defenders?"
Peter looked at her curiously. Wanda had mentioned the multiverse and the Multiverse Defenders in previous Quiz, but he hadn't asked for details, and Wanda hadn't been too keen on explaining. Now, she finally gave him a more thorough introduction.
Meanwhile, on the other side, Logan and Erik remained silent. As mutants, they both felt a personal connection to the future being revealed in the video, and their anger was palpable.
Logan opened his mouth, about to say something, when a line of text suddenly appeared on the screen:
[Professor Charles Xavier, overwhelmed with guilt and self-blame for failing to protect his students, falls into deep despair. Who helped him recover from this emotional blow and return to normal?]