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District X, also known as Mutant Town or the Middle East Side, is a fictional location that appears in
American comic book An American comic book is a thin periodical literature originating in the United States, commonly between 24 and 64 pages, containing comics. While the form originated in 1933, American comic books first gained popularity after the 1938 publ ...
s published by
Marvel Comics Marvel Comics is a New York City–based comic book publishing, publisher, a property of the Walt Disney Company since December 31, 2009, and a subsidiary of Disney Publishing Worldwide since March 2023. Marvel was founded in 1939 by Martin G ...
. It is described as a neighborhood based in
New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
primarily populated by mutants, first seen during
Grant Morrison Grant Morrison (born 31 January 1960) is a Scottish comic book writer, screenwriter, and producer. Their work is known for its nonlinear narratives, Humanism, humanist philosophy and counterculture, countercultural leanings. Morrison has writt ...
's run on the series '' New X-Men'' in ''New X-Men'' #127. The neighborhood was established in Alphabet City,
Manhattan Manhattan ( ) is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the Boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City. Coextensive with New York County, Manhattan is the County statistics of the United States#Smallest, larg ...
(also known as Loisaida), a neighborhood in the East Village (located between Avenues A to D, and between Houston and 14th Streets). This would fall within New York's 12th congressional district and the
New York City Council The New York City Council is the lawmaking body of New York City in the United States. It has 51 members from 51 council districts throughout the five boroughs. The council serves as a check against the mayor in a mayor-council government mod ...
's 2nd district. According to the front cover of ''X-Factor #31'', it had a population of 743, having been much reduced by the Decimation. ''District X'' also refers to a comic book series about the neighborhood and its inhabitants. Written by David Hine, the series was a police procedural, starring
Bishop A bishop is an ordained member of the clergy who is entrusted with a position of Episcopal polity, authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance and administration of di ...
and Ismael Ortega, who investigated crimes committed by and against the ghetto's mutant residents. The series also explored Ortega's complicated personal relationships and gradual descent into drug abuse and adultery. It ran as ''District X'' for 14 monthly issues beginning in May 2004, then as ''Mutopia X'' as part of the crossover House of M event for five monthly issues beginning in July 2005.


District X (fictional location)

The rise in Manhattan's mutant population, coupled with racism among normal humans, leads to mutants forming their own community in Manhattan's Lower East Side (described as the fictional 'Middle East Side' in Peter David's
X-Factor ''The X Factor'' is a television music competition franchise created by British producer Simon Cowell and his company Syco Entertainment. It originated in the United Kingdom, where it was devised as a replacement for '' Pop Idol'' (2001–200 ...
). Although humans live in this neighborhood, they form a minority. '' NYX'' establishes that District X is an official title for the region. The neighborhood is depicted as poor, overcrowded and violent, with a high crime rate and warring mutant gangs. Most of the residents regard it as a
ghetto A ghetto is a part of a city in which members of a minority group are concentrated, especially as a result of political, social, legal, religious, environmental or economic pressure. Ghettos are often known for being more impoverished than other ...
. It is described in ''District X'' as having the "highest unemployment rate in the USA, the highest rate of illiteracy and the highest severe overcrowding outside of Los Angeles," even though New York City as a whole has seen a decrease in violent crime. It also has the highest crime rates in the country for narcotics, prostitution, and burglary. Many of the characters featured have mutations more akin to curses than gifts, further exacerbating the neighborhood's poverty and disadvantage. It also has a large underground population, inhabiting tunnels beneath the neighborhood and living in homeless squalor. Many residents are immigrants, such as Bosnian immigrant Dzemal. In ''X-Men Unlimited #2'', Bishop notes that "there are mutants in District X from every nation on Earth. Every race, religion and culture." Margaret O'Connell, writing for Sequential Tart, describes District X as "the mutant ghetto of the
Marvel Universe The Marvel Universe is a fictional shared universe where the stories in most American comic book titles and other media published by Marvel Comics take place. Superhero teams such as the Avengers, the X-Men, the Fantastic Four, the Guardia ...
version of New York City", and as "a slum where minor-league mutants from all over the globe – often more visibly handicapped or disfigured by their genetic abnormalities than the relatively glamorous and outwardly normal X-Men – have congregated in a disaffected and varyingly dysfunctional clump." Stories set in District X feature a range of mutant-owned businesses, clubs and restaurants, as well as a burgeoning mutant subculture. Bands such as '
Sentinel Sentinel may refer to: Places Mountains * Mount Sentinel, a mountain next to the University of Montana in Missoula, Montana * Sentinel Buttress, a volcanic crag on James Ross Island, Antarctica * Sentinel Dome, a naturally occurring granit ...
Bait' and 'Juggernauts' are mentioned as parts of this subculture, while mutant fashion designers like Jumbo Carnation and nightclubs such as Daniel's Inferno create a vibrant, mutant-oriented nightlife. In this respect, District X may be considered a Marvel Universe analogue to
Harlem Harlem is a neighborhood in Upper Manhattan, New York City. It is bounded roughly by the Hudson River on the west; the Harlem River and 155th Street on the north; Fifth Avenue on the east; and Central Park North on the south. The greater ...
, the Meatpacking District, or
Little Italy Little Italy is the catch-all name for an ethnic enclave populated primarily by Italians or people of Italian ancestry, usually in an Urban area, urban neighborhood. The concept of "Little Italy" holds many different aspects of the Italian cul ...
, as a cultural center, 'ethnic' enclave and population hub for a disenfranchised minority. Grant Morrison's creation of an analogy to an ethnic ghetto has been praised, with J. Caleb Mozzocco noting that "if the mutants were always being likened to oppressed ethnic groups and minorities, then why not treat them like a real ethnic group, complete with mutant language, styles, culture and a "Mutant Town" in New York City?" David Brothers, writing for
4thletter!
', notes that:
Morrison turned mutants into a subculture, a logical extension of what happens when new elements are introduced into society. They were still oppressed, but they actually had some kind of culture to go along with their oppression. He gave them their own Chinatown, their own Little Italy, and made it a point to show that mutants, while not entirely accepted just yet, were more than just mutant paramilitary teams.
During the House of M storyline, the district is transformed into a rich, exclusively mutant neighborhood named ''Mutopia X'' (during the same storyline, Hell's Kitchen is transformed into a human ghetto called Sapien Town). After this story, the residents suffer the ' Decimation', with most of them stripped of their mutant abilities. Many remaining mutants are moved to a relocation camp on the grounds of the
Xavier Institute X-Mansion and Xavier Institute are the common names for a mansion and research institute appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The mansion is depicted as the private estate of Charles Francis Xavier and serves as the bas ...
. Some former mutants remain in District X, with many — like Quicksilver and Rictor – suffering from depression and alienation. After the Decimation, the district becomes known as the (fictional) 'Middle East Side', losing many of its distinctive characteristics. The area becomes increasingly depopulated as former mutants seek to live normal lives. In ''X-Factor'', anti-mutant riots grip the district after the Decimation, with agents of the human supremacist group Purity roaming the area in '' X-Men: The 198''. In Peter David's ''
X-Factor ''The X Factor'' is a television music competition franchise created by British producer Simon Cowell and his company Syco Entertainment. It originated in the United Kingdom, where it was devised as a replacement for '' Pop Idol'' (2001–200 ...
'' (vol.3), The former ghetto is the base of operations for X-Factor Investigations, who frequently deal with the aftermath of the Decimation and its effects on the local community. In the
Civil War A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...
storyline, Jamie Madrox and his team declare 'Mutant Town' a sanctuary for superheroes being pursued by the government. This brings them into conflict with the regular X-Men team, who eventually allow them to have their way. The former 'Mutant Town' is later besieged by X-Cell, a terrorist group composed of former mutants who blamed the United States government for the loss of their powers. After the events of '' X-Men: Messiah Complex'', the neighborhood is briefly taken over by Arcade, working for an ex- Purifier, Taylor. Mutant Town is completely destroyed in ''X-Factor #31'', 'The Middle East Side is Burning', as a 'back-up' plan by Arcade following his defeat. A series of explosions incinerate much of the neighborhood, with Arcade's force fields preventing fire fighters from entering the area until the entire district is utterly annihilated. In ''X-Factor #32'', Valerie Cooper announces that the ruins will be demolished and replaced with suburban housing, and that "in a few decades, no one will even know that this used to be called Mutant Town".


''District X'' (2004–2005 series)

''District X'' is a comic book
series Series may refer to: People with the name * Caroline Series (born 1951), English mathematician, daughter of George Series * George Series (1920–1995), English physicist Arts, entertainment, and media Music * Series, the ordered sets used i ...
published by
Marvel Comics Marvel Comics is a New York City–based comic book publishing, publisher, a property of the Walt Disney Company since December 31, 2009, and a subsidiary of Disney Publishing Worldwide since March 2023. Marvel was founded in 1939 by Martin G ...
. The
police procedural The police procedural, police show, or police crime drama is a subgenre of procedural drama and detective fiction that emphasises the investigative procedure of police officers, police detectives, or law enforcement agency, law enforcement agencies ...
is set in 'Mutant Town'. The series stars the X-Man and
FBI The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic Intelligence agency, intelligence and Security agency, security service of the United States and Federal law enforcement in the United States, its principal federal law enforcement ag ...
agent Lucas Bishop, assigned to the ghetto to investigate rising crime rates among the population in New York's (fictional) '11th Precinct' in Alphabet City. Bishop works with
NYPD The City of New York Police Department, also referred to as New York City Police Department (NYPD), is the primary law enforcement agency within New York City. Established on May 23, 1845, the NYPD is the largest, and one of the oldest, munic ...
patrolman Ismael Ortega, an ordinary human married to a
mutant In biology, and especially in genetics, a mutant is an organism or a new genetic character arising or resulting from an instance of mutation, which is generally an alteration of the DNA sequence of the genome or chromosome of an organism. It i ...
( Armena Ortega). A major subplot concerned Ismael's relationship with his family, with the stresses of his job adversely affecting his home life.


Publication history

The series was part of the Marvel Knights imprint. It started in '' X-Men Unlimited'' v2 #2 and then ran for fourteen issues from July 2004 to August 2005. It briefly changed title to ''Mutopia X'' for five issues, between September 2005 and January 2006, before its cancellation. The series was written by British writer David Hine, who previously worked on the ''Mambo'' series for '' 2000 AD''. It was originally drawn by Australian artist David Yardin, followed by Filipino artist Lan Medina. The series was mostly inked by Filipino artist Alejandro "Boy" Sicat. All artists involved worked with Brian Haberlin's Avalon Studios during the series' publication. During the House of M crossover, the series was replaced by the miniseries ''Mutopia X''. Hine continued some of the series' plot points in '' X-Men: The 198'' miniseries.


Plot


Mr. M (#1–6)

Officers Gus Kucharsky and Ismael Ortega are assigned to New York's 11th Precinct, commonly known as District X or 'Mutant Town'. While investigating allegations that Jake Costanza is holding his mutant wife against her will and abusing her, Kucharsky falls under Mrs. Costanza's mutant mental powers and kills them both, before attempting to take his own life. Gus survives and Ortega covers for him. Gus is forced to retire early and Izzy is assigned to serve as the liaison to federal agent, Lucas Bishop. Violence erupts between rival crime lords "Shaky" Kaufman and "Filthy Frankie" Zapruder over a mutant, Toad Boy, and the addictive narcotic he produces (known as 'Toad Juice'). When Kaufman learns of the lucrative sales of 'Toad Juice' in District X, he raids Zapruder's facilities and kidnaps the Toad Boy for himself. However, it is unknown that Toad Juice can be fatal to normal humans; a theft of the drug leads to the death of over a dozen human teenagers. After the death of a human patron at the nightclub Daniel's Inferno caused by exposure to Toad Juice, the police begin a desperate investigation before other unsuspecting addicts face the same fate. This prompts a turf war between Zapruder and Kaufman. Both men are eventually arrested. When Absolom Mercator finally decides to use his powers to try to help others, his efforts backfire and he suffers an intense identity crisis. Believing that he must use his powers to destroy Mutant Town, Mercator warns his friend, Hanna Levy so that she can escape safely. The police intervene and use Lara the Illusionist to show Mr. M the devastation he could unleash. This snaps the mutant back to his senses and he willingly returns to his peaceful life of quiet isolation after a short period in jail.


Underworld (#7–12)

A series of brutal murders followed by a mysterious blackout leads to an investigation of the growing underground mutant community, called the Tunnel Rats. Calling themselves "Those Who Live in Darkness", the tunnelers claim responsibility for the blackout and state that they want the city to leave them alone. In recent months, police and social services have put pressure on the Tunnel Rats by destroying their homes and remanding their children into state custody. Tensions with the Tunnel Rats come to a head just as Bishop and Officer Ortega manage to track down The Worm, a hideously mutated young man who is seeking revenge for being cast out by his parents. Bishop convinces many of the Tunnel Rats to rejoin surface society but a small band decides to dwell deeper in the tunnels under Mutant Town. Their journey is cut short by The Worm who massacres them all before being stopped by Bishop and Ortega, who kills him.


One of Us (#13–14)

William "Billy" Bates discovers that he is a mutant, calling himself "The Porcupine", and becomes a frequent patron at the Café Des Artistes. He falls in love with the Café's waitress, Sylvie Lauziere. When a group of anti-mutant humans start harassing her, Billy steps in and inadvertently kills several humans with his emerging powers. He barricades himself in the Café with Sylvie, which the authorities perceive as a hostage situation. In order to hide the fact that a mutant slaughtered several members of Purity, an anti-mutant movement, Alexei Vazhin orders hitwoman Sashenka Popova to kill the boy, and pays hush money to the Lauzieres to cover up the truth of the incident.


''Mutopia X'' (#1–5)

The
Scarlet Witch The Scarlet Witch is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in The X-Men #4 in March 1964, in the Silver Age of Comic Boo ...
transforms the entire world into a mutant paradise ruled by her father Magneto. This shift in reality turns District X into "Mutopia X", the center of art and culture in the new mutant-dominated world. The denizens of District X find themselves in a newly elevated societal status. Lara the Illusionist is a movie star married to entertainment mogul, Daniel "Shaky" Kaufman. Absolon Mercator and Gregor Smerdyakov have founded the Center for Transformation and Illumination and are the center of a spiritual following as they help mutants achieve their genetic potential. Ishmael Ortega is tasked with protecting Mercator from assassination. After the Decimation, Ishmael Ortega's daughter dies. He attempts suicide, before reuniting with his family.


Characters

''District Xs large ensemble cast included: * A "mysterious stranger" called Mr. M (also the title of the first story-arc), who attempted to destroy District X out of sheer world-weariness but was stopped by Bishop and Ortega. * Two rival crime lords, "Filthy" Frankie Zapruder and Daniel "Shaky" Kaufman. * Gregor Smerdyakov, a mutant who puts down roots whenever he falls asleep. * Winston Hobbes, a large worm-like mutant who inhabits the District X sewer system. * Lara the Illusionist, a high-paid call-girl whose customers include 'a former President of the United States', capable of creating highly realistic illusions and fantasies. * Armena Ortega, wife of Ismael Ortega who generates a protective bubble when she sleeps. The district also possessed a large population of mutants whose mutations and/or personalities made them unsuitable for the flashier or more dangerous "super" life. These include: * A woman who can burst into flames but is not immune to being burnt. * A man whose sole power is that his skin is bright blue. * A woman who could control men with the sound of her voice (her husband kept her bound and gagged in their apartment because of this). * A boy who has large skin flaps under his arms.


Collected editions

The series, both written by David Hine, was collected into two trade paperbacks: * ''Mr. M'' (collects ''District X'' #1–6, with pencils by David Yardin, Lan Medina and Mike Perkins, and inks by Alejandro Sicat, Avalon Studios and Drew Hennessy, 144 pages, January 2005, ) * ''Underground'' (collects ''District X'' #7–14 and the prologue from ''X-Men Unlimited'' #2, with art by
Adi Granov Adi Granov (; born 1977) is a Bosnian-American comic book artist and conceptual designer. He is best known for his painted work with Marvel Comics, for whom most of his comics work is produced, in particular his work on Iron Man. He is especially ...
, pencils by Lan Medina, and inks by Alejandro Sicat, 200 pages, October 2005, ) ''Mutopia X'' was collected into the trade paperback ''House of M: Mutopia X'' () and as part of the hardcover collection ''House of M, Vol 4: No More Mutants'' ().


Reception

Academic Martin Lund, in the ''Journal of Urban Cultural Studies'', stated that while District X was introduced during Morrison's run as part of the mutant subculture, it wasn't his main focus. It did reappear in subsequent series such as writer
Joe Quesada Joseph Quesada (; born January 12, 1962'' Comics Buyer's Guide'' #1650; February 2009; page 107) is an American comic book artist, writer, editor, and television producer. He became known in the 1990s for his work on various Valiant Comics books, ...
's '' NYX'' (November 2003–October 2005) with artists Joshua Middleton (#1–4) and Robert Teranishi (#5–7), however, ''NYX'' displayed continuity and geography errors such as District X appearing in the Lower East Side "rather than in Morrison's Alphabet City and, strangely, given Quesada's above-quoted emphasis on 'keeping the real world real', the Lower East Side's Essex Street was placed within the boundaries of Alphabet City. Thus, although 'Mutant Town' did make a few appearances between its creation and District X, it was not until Hine, Yardin and Medina's series that the place became an area of sustained focus". Lund highlighted the real world echoes and caricatures displayed in their portrayal of District X, such as the drug trade and homelessness, and that contemporary Alphabet City "was a contested space" – "the problem bubbling in the modern unconscious, that surfaces in District X, is that these urban Others simply will not go away". Ryan Bradley, for '' CBR'' in 2020, also highlighted the development of the mutant subculture in Hine, Yardin and Medina's series where "the mutants living in District X developed their own slang, music, and drugs" and that the neighborhood "was populated by the kind of mutants that weren't candidates to be X-Men: individuals whose mutations made them recognizably mutant, but didn't have powers to defend themselves. It was a sad reality, as they were attacked by anti-mutant humans often". Bradley commented that during the Decimation storyline, District X initially was a "haven for mutants who were depowered but still had vestigial physical differences and those who retained their powers under the protection of Jamie Madrox's X-Factor Investigations", however, the neighborhood's destruction in ''X-Factor'' #32 "was a somber ending for a sad setting". Ashley Fields, for ''
Screen Rant ''Screen Rant'' is an entertainment website that offers news in the fields of television, films, video games, and comic books. It is owned by Valnet, parent of publications including Comic Book Resources, Collider, MovieWeb and XDA Developers. ...
'' in 2023, commented that District X was "unique" among the various attempts at creating a mutant area, such as Genosha,
Utopia A utopia ( ) typically describes an imagined community or society that possesses highly desirable or near-perfect qualities for its members. It was coined by Sir Thomas More for his 1516 book ''Utopia (book), Utopia'', which describes a fictiona ...
, and
Krakoa Krakoa is a fictional living island appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. It first appeared in '' Giant-Size X-Men'' #1 and was created by Len Wein and Dave Cockrum. While often depicted as an antagonist, Krakoa later fe ...
, within Marvel Comics since the idea was "that it was separated, yet still stuck with the constraints of human society. ..While the area was known as Mutant Town, it had every quality of mutants trying to live and grow in the middle of a world where they were still seen as freaks – though that didn't stop the place from existing. There were no major heroic figures to swoop in and save District X". Fields highlighted that even the House of M inversion of the "neighborhood was still defined by its proximity to humans".


Critical reception of the series

In his review of issue #3, Paul O'Brien described the series as "one of the best things to come out of Reload". In his review of 2004, O'Brien noted that " 'District X'' hasnot been a complete creative success, but at least it's been trying." However, O'Brien was less favourable to later issues of the series; in his review of ''District X'' in 2005, he noted that "ultimately, ''District X'' feels like a case of potential never quite realised – and not just because it got cut off by a change in the direction of the line". ''Comic Book Galaxy'' noted, with reference to the Mr. M arc (issues #1–6), that "the potential for an excellent book is evident". Comics Bulletin were highly favourable to the series, stating that " is a rare comic book that is able to breathe new life into a stale genre, and yet that is precisely what District X has managed to do... ''District X'' is more than just a traditional superhero comic, establishing itself as an entertaining blend of action, crime noir and social commentary". Writing for ''Sequential Tart,'' Margaret O'Connell praised the series as an "absorbing, well-crafted tale which effectively combines both crime and science fictional elements", comparing the series to
George R. R. Martin George Raymond Richard Martin (born George Raymond Martin; September 20, 1948) also known by the initials G.R.R.M. is an American author, television writer, and television producer. He is best known as the author of the unfinished series of Hi ...
's ''
Wild Cards ''Wild Cards'' is a series of science fiction superhero shared universe anthologies, mosaic novels, and solo novels. They are written by a collection of more than forty authors (referred to as the "Wild Cards Trust") and are edited by George R. ...
'' series, ''
NYPD Blue ''NYPD Blue'' is an American police procedural television series set in New York City, exploring the struggles of the fictional 15th Precinct detective squad in Manhattan. Each episode typically intertwines several plots involving an ensemble ca ...
'', and
DC Comics DC Comics (originally DC Comics, Inc., and also known simply as DC) is an American comic book publisher owned by DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery. DC is an initialism for "Detective Comics", an American comic book seri ...
' '' Gotham Central''. Lund believed that the series did not ask readers "to inhabit the world of the dispossessed" but instead readers "are invited on a ride-along, a voyeuristic tour of the slum that once was and might be again, unless the wheels of progress and urban renewal keep turning. Thus, District X condenses, mediates and puts a selection of urban problems on display – crime, drugs, homelessness, increased overcrowding and self-destructive desperation – and proceeds to show how official discipline provides their solution, telling readers that police intervention has the power to get rid of them". Lund commented that the series "tells readers that force in favour of clearing out radical difference in the neighbourhood and making it into a space fit for 'normal' people is natural, rational and logical and in the best interest even of those who might be displaced by gentrification, disproportionately incarcerated in the name of 'law and order', or put at risk of their lives in dangerous shelters. And in doing so, rather than 'keeping the real world real', the series lines up with so many neighbourhood representations of the past century and presents for a new readership the middle-class gentrifier's myth of what Alphabet City could and should be".


In other media


Video games

* Mutant Town appears in '' Marvel Heroes''. It gets founded after there is an increase of the mutant population in New York City, and the mutants feel a need for a place of their own. However, the city is under almost constant attack of the Purifiers who want to kill all its inhabitants. * District X appears in the digital collectible card game '' Marvel Snap''.


See also

*
Asteroid M Magneto (; birth name: Max Eisenhardt; Pseudonym, alias: Erik Lehnsherr and Magnus) is a Character (arts), character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, commonly in association with the X-Men. Created by writer Stan Le ...
* Genosha


References


External links

*
UncannyXmen.Net
{{DEFAULTSORT:District X 2004 comics debuts Fictional elements introduced in 2002 Marvel Comics titles Marvel Comics locations X-Men titles Fictional neighbourhoods Manhattan in fiction