The X Men: God Loves Man Kills

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X-Men: God Loves, Man Kills is an original graphic novel published in 1982 by Marvel Comics, starring their popular superhero team the X-Men. It was written by Chris Claremont and illustrated by Brent Anderson. The book was the basis for the film X2.
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[@duracollins]

This is why Bill Maher received such backlash on his comments about the Comic Book industry. The X-Men have been a prime example and a fascinating parrel to the divisiveness in politics and culture with concerns to civil-rights and extremist responses. Comic books basically created an introduction for children too young adults on how corrosive the real world can be and the good that can prevail if we choose to go high when they go low. Chris Clermont did an excellent job staying true to those who came before him with delivering that message and taking advantage of the genre to push the boundaries.

[@JorgeGomez-hx5uu]

Bill Maher is a fucking lowlife, cump dumpster tool. Wouldnt know a nickel from a penny.

[@Just_Some_Guy_with_a_Mustache]

36:02 "Human?! You DARE call that...thing-- HUMAN?!?" "Vell screw you, too, buddy."

[@victor6620]

Kurt looks so sad there. I can imagine him shrugging and going. "Aw.."

[@plaguedoctormasque8089]

All the Christholes care about is Appearences. And money and they dont care how they achieve it.

[@geraldyeager7652]

"I did some research upon the concept of 'demons' & I believe that among all life, humans are the closest thing to it." -Migi, Parasyte

[@adman1381]

One of the most important comic book stories ever written.

[@xgray2012]

And it was later adapted into a main storyline in X2: X-Men United.

[@morpheusbxthegod3096]

I have this graphic novel from the 80s...one of Chris Claremont's BEST WORK EVER...AND HE'S HAD CLASSIC STORYLINES...if they re-do the Xmen in the MCU you most DEFINITELY have to have William Stryker

[@bensanchez8121]

I don’t think they’ll have him be a preacher. He’ll probably be a military general like in X2. Which Fiege worked on

[@alburqueniense2442]

@@bensanchez8121 I hope it's not the case, I want the fanatic christian Stryker

[@aidanbagwell9590]

He in xmen series already

[@geenadasilva9287]

they won’t do it. disney won’t allow such a high profile product to criticise religion. much too controversial for movies. plus have you noticed that comics Stryker looks just like mike pence??

[@morpheusbxthegod3096]

@@geenadasilva9287 LOL! EXACTLY I THOUGHT I WAS THE ONLY ONE 😁

[@inmybestdaysidontdocrack]

I love cyclops in this story, it really shows the difference between early cyclops and what we got in modern times. We have a leader, who does what he can to save mutants, but he’s not evil, he’s the middle point of magneto and Charles. He takes actions when it needs to be done like destroying the machines. But he won’t kill someone on national television and give people a reason to hate mutants more. He’ll always take the approach of debate and trying to change someone’s belief. He’s the leader a movement like there’s needs. And it’s a little sad that was lost for a time over the past decade or so.

[@crishealingvtuber8626]

yep.

[@RockerMicke1]

this was after the dark phoenix saga when he got over jean grey's death

[@chillispulllist]

My church group (Coffee, Comics and Christ) just did a deep dive into God Loves, Man Kills -- your video came up in our discussion. Really great insight -- thank you for sharing!

[@emilysanchez4584]

Is this group online? Sounds cool

[@chillispulllist]

@@emilysanchez4584 it used to be. I moved out of the area and haven't started a Coffee Comics and Christ group at my new church yet. ☕💥✝️

[@yisusoflare6225]

that sounds like a cool church group

[@louiefillet6932]

If history has shown us anything, is that the nature of humans will never change. Only the methods, ideologies, and reasons in which we fight one another change. Its those courageous few who fight against the narrative that keeps the rest of us from falling into chaos and anarchy. Im thankful for those people. and of course for Rob, bringing theses great stories to life!

[@ruansasa289]

@@coyotetango6416 humans* all humans have done something wrong

[@andresdr]

They need to adapt this story for Xmen 97 in all its glory.

[@cmurphy0707]

Here’s hoping.

[@MiXVoy]

A four-parter

[@tedforsstromjacobsson4160]

This has always been why I love most variations of science-fiction. Humanity’s wrongs are spotlighted and examined in the most basic and credible ways and solutions are reached in some manor. And the oppressed are always seen and heard by the writers. Sci-fi and Hiphop culture really raised us right in the ways it teaches us to see the world from everyone’s different viewpoints

[@silvertemplar8061]

36:50 Not a Chance I was gonna let that Happen! Your heroic paraphrased narration is very well done man.

[@jetcitykitty]

Depictions of good cops always gets me emotional. I am descended from a good cop and there are so few left, today.

[@silvertemplar8061]

@@jetcitykitty I think it’s just a matter of where you look.

[@ronaldbaxter5499]

This is exactly how the first MCU X-men should go

[@seth9655]

There is no way these days Disney would release a movie about something like this. The story is great, but it was done in a time when stories like this were more "acceptable".

[@larryfoulkeofficial8609]

@@seth9655 wasn't this extremely controversial

[@SunsetBear]

@@seth9655The truth is that disney doesn’t believe in anything and the only “controversial” aspects of their films are deliberately made that way to spark online debate and market their films. Any semblance of a spine, or teeth, that the MCU might’ve had, or might’ve grown over the years, is dissolving at the bottom of a pool of acid at Disneyworld

[@davidgeldner2167]

Call Xavier a villain or antihero all you want he’s always a hero to me. Think of the amount of stress and suffering he beats at all times. He’s not perfect but he’s relatively a saint. He could have conquered Magneto and used him to conquer the world EASY by now

[@chrisbuttonshaw2088]

true but Xavier around the House of M was a bit of a bastard. Vulcan's team and Danger being the examples. Charles has more in common with Magneto than he likes to admit

[@johnalbert6900]

@@chrisbuttonshaw2088 that was, to use a pro wrestling term, a cheap pop to get a shallow reaction. Turning Xavier and Scott into grimdark antiheroes or outright villains was a poor attempt to boost sales and should never have been implemented.

[@murk4552]

​@@johnalbert6900 Xavier got the 1st Krakoan team killed, is why Onslaught existed, didn't care he got Destiny killed, lied to Scott about Jean coming back from the dead (told Wolverine to keep Scott in line for good), knew Essex was Sinister for decades, left Marko to die in the rubble as his half-brother, had pedo thoughts about Jean as a underage girl in the 60's runs, is why Cassandra Nova existed and who got Genosha bombed, etc. Bruh is NOT a hero

[@DD-ot6ew]

Can you make a Chris Claremont playlist of all the stories he's written.

[@KojinMacJorn]

SEcond this!

[@christianxyz8641]

I agree

[@mjcurtiss]

Please do this 🙏

[@nomsi4263]

If I was to buy an X men omnibus, which one would have this story.

[@pencilneckgeek1842]

please

[@demiurge9212]

This story would make a great X-MEN tv series.

[@AngelReyes-jr4ft]

Oh yeah yeah

[@demiurge9212]

@@AngelReyes-jr4ft Oh yeah yeah

[@michaellara5411]

Or a R-rated movie, live-action or animated. As long as they don't offend a lot of religions such as Christianity . Despite God Loves, Man Kills being somewhat of a controversial story based on divisive topics, I don't think it will get an adaptation any time soon Closest we'll ever get is X2: X-Men United

[@robgau2467]

I wish

[@blindgamer584]

X-2 is loosely based this storyline

[@davidgeldner2167]

Stryker is among the most heinously despicable abominations in all storytelling. He may as well hold cannibalistic satanic rituals, he’s that evil already.

[@darkseid6089]

And what really terrifying about William is that he really believe what he's doing is for the greater good William Stryker is a genocidal maniac.

[@davidgeldner2167]

@@darkseid6089 Terrifying yes, but even more so just so hatable. Hate-able if you will. There’s virtually no redeeming quality, besides like you say he at very least does what he believes is right…but still. He’s so twisted and sick, and not in a “needs help” way, like a f’ed up way lol.

[@geraldyeager7652]

Comment?

[@ulty1472]

Well the satanic part did eventually happen

[@jackhamilton9604]

plus he's a moron who thinks William begins witha B

[@wobdarden]

Thank you for covering my absolute favorite X-Men story, and favorite comic story of all-time Rob. Been watching for years. Thanks for the love, homie.

[@matthewlafleur3791]

I love when Magneto put that metal in their bodies let me be the bad guy

[@taylorlarson9669]

And here we are 30 years later still dealing with the same crap. ultimately hatred prejudice and jealousy will always win out and as you said Americans love to blame somebody else instead of taking their own responsibility.

[@bigmiggy4792]

Taylor Larson lol wow so America is the only racist country? Pretty sure everywhere there’s racism everywhere I’ve know many of foreign people come over and say that they experienced worse racism in Europe than America. So blaming everything on America you lame

[@gooseteamsix5894]

@@bigmiggy4792 Everyone is racist. It just depends on if you turn it into hate or not.

[@novaphonix8284]

There is the same petty hatred and evil ideology in South America, Asia, The Middle East, Europe, and Canada. America should have outgrown the cruel and brutal ideology of hate by now. Instead we should have come together to deal with the madness that's destroying the country and the world. I know that we'll wake up soon, because we'll have too!!! Merry Christmas too all!!!

[@gooseteamsix5894]

@@novaphonix8284 I suggest a civil war. One side with guns, and one side with marijuana and speech taxes.

[@novaphonix8284]

GooseTeamSix look go play with yourself, I don't know why you chose me to troll, move on; I am not the one. Bye go smoke your marijuana!

[@shadowkyng40]

Watch the comments...see how easy it is to give in to and use hatred,bias and snap judgement. Do you see it in yourself? Ps. Not sure why one would think this would piss-off Christians.Jesus warned at length about people doing things in his name. This sort of examination is very much instep with Jesus teaching.

[@JackSloane333]

Yep.

[@faytlyte25]

Don't waste your time trying to find rhyme or reason in a youtube comment section

[@TengAi21]

AMEN, Shadow!!!

[@generalj216]

I think it would piss them off because they’re always told to shut up when they actually stand up for their faith and aren’t passive 24/7

[@lonewolfjuannieves7059]

Knew it says fin at the end and wolverine was referring Don Quixote, Chris Claremont is a genius. Also got hooked X men thanks to my dad.

[@marcusmorales2681]

I remember reading this as a kid and it blew my mind

[@seth9655]

It's kind of a shame that we will never see stories like this in the MCU. Hell, even FOX didn't done it in the old X-Men movies. They tried something similar, but it was still toned down.

[@HelloTardis]

The MCU tries. Unfortunately, people these days get overly upset when topics of race, or being different get brought up. This comic book was a direct parallel to people in America who have been oppressed, and who rise above it and become better for it. The problem today is that when you try to bring ANYTHING like racism or oppression up, you get entities like Fox News, & others who follow them, who get upset at the mere mention of racism. They get mad that ANYONE who brings it up, and pretend it doesn’t exist. They act like people don’t experience racism and are just making it up, and THEN turn around to make it seem like THEY are being oppressed. Mutants live in a world where they fight for people that hate and fear them. They were created to represent the oppressed and hated people of the world. Half of America doesn’t even realize this, OR they don’t care. Btw, Fox X-men did the mutant registration act story which was very close, AND the “Mutant cure” which is similar to the “pray the gay away” sort of mentality of expecting people to be cured of being different.

[@HelloTardis]

Oh and also, X-men 2 is a partial adaption of this comic. Yknow…william Stryker subverting professor x trying to destroy mutants. Magneto “Joins” the X-men to stop him yada yada….

[@seth9655]

@@HelloTardis I know that X2 used some elements of this story. As I "said" in my comment, FOX tried something similar to this story, but it was still toned down.

[@geraldyeager7652]

@@seth9655 As said earlier in the video, Fox didn't want to piss off the religious folk

[@solidcricket]

​@@HelloTardisthe problem is Marvel is not just about USA anymore. And most of the problems which happen in usa cant be felt totally relatable in some other countries like India

[@flopimus]

It's interesting to contrast Cyclops's outlook in this story with his markedly more ruthless one later during X-men Civil War

[@briantelik12]

I was turned on this graphic novel by a friend during my senior year in high school. It is to me, one of the most poserful stories ever written.

[@manowar5516]

I appreciate you finally navigating *this* particular story, as you being a black comic content provider have never shy'd from *any* racial writings in mainstream comics. Excellent content, thank you.

[@jonharrison9222]

Pity Fox wouldn’t let Stryker in the films be the evil fundie of the comics.

[@quinndobb3449]

I love the full stories!!!! More more more lol I'm sure it's not the easiest so I applaud the time and effort to always deliver on these!! Love ya Rob!!

[@thecommenter9726]

Dear Rob, I know for "reasons" you still cant say it in video but from me and all my people in the hood that I've turned onto your channel... You have earned your nigga card . All my people waiting on your uploads everyday. Keep doing you brother 💪🏾👍🏾

[@kattnonya9049]

i understand the social and racial discord in this comic im a dc fan but growin up in tha late 80s and 90s and havin psychological issues and being straight buck crazy and not knowin how to deal xmen helped me

[@patriotsrebelsrogues7332]

kinda like the creepy grand wizard thing they did with Stryker. all faith paths can be twisted in to just another platform for hate and violence. just curious did the Friends of Humanity and Strykers people ever get together ? or am I thinking cartoon mixing in comicbooks?

[@davidgeldner2167]

Rob, I for one would love to hear you do other X-Men stories in this fashion. I found a few, but no Dark Phoenix Saga and no Days of Future Past, no Decimation...as far as I can tell. Please do more X-Men stories.

[@callitwhatyoumay]

NOW! Now I understand why Rob fanboys for Chris Claremont. This was by far one of the best stories I've seen and listened to here on CE. Robs unique skill of honing in on "the lesson" in the story, is unmatched. No other YT comic story teller is anywhere NEAR Robs ability. 10 outa 10

[@nicktroisi6347]

This story needs to be adapted

[@ETPlayground]

I feel like a Black woman wouldn't tell someone "they're just words" and more so something like "it sucks, but you can't react or they'll get worse". Unless she's supposed to be a sheltered person, I don't know the character's history.

[@nweditor875]

One of my all time favorite stories hands down I wish Marvel would make a novel version of this story do a real modern spin on it like they did with Days of Future Past and Dark Phoenix.

[@MrSilus2000]

The purifiers sound like colonizers

[@wolfbite1984]

Guaranteed this will be how the X-Men begin in the MCU or it will be a sequence of movies telling this story

[@JhonNye96]

X mens commentary has aged well, unfortunately

[@FreewayKingz]

A voice of a God, thank you for starting my Friday off great!

[@erikbuchanan4648]

Im watching this 4 years after it was made due to Supreme Court Justice Thomas comparing trans people to X-Men mutants. Striker and the Purifiers would be proud of what our country has become.

[@kalebdickerson268]

Came here thinking the same thing.

[@xarvous]

You should do more of these older storylines, I love 'em.

[@toddadams8420]

First graphic novel I ever read. Grew up next to the town where the story opens. I always thought it was interesting that the two kids were black because there were very few black people in Westport ct back then. I guess that's still true

[@greggvanvranken6482]

I was a HUGE X-Men fan when this came out. Definitely Claremont at one of his peaks, with freedom to take it a bit further, to darker places he'd only hinted at before, and a MAJOR shift in a long time cliche villain, Magneto, who for the most part had been a 2nd rate Dr. Doom till Claremont developed him. Amazing piece of comic book work.

[@thephyrexian9664]

Truly and epic story, and an all time great, more stories like this please 👌🏻

[@miamimagicians]

This is the best video you've ever made you have an excellent excellent channel! William stryker similar to Jim Jones

[@Joseph_R._Azevedo]

Or Fred Phelps and Steven Anderson

[@lazynerd3211]

imagine MCU first xmen movie is based off this...

[@TheEvilHumanist]

That was a lengthy explanation of how torture works. Thanks for dumbing it down for us.

[@BarberShave19]

Stryker is one heck of an example of giving Christians a bad name. I know he's a fictional character and all, but there are a lot of people around the world just like him, twisting God's word for their own fanatical means.

[@matthewbreen1951]

So um Stryker's current run in X-Force.... that's a thing. Also, have a sub.

[@TheEvolver311]

35:58 The best explanation from Rob ever?

[@tutorialsnottrash7882]

"HURRRDERRRRGUURRRR Mutants BAD" Hahaha EVERY TIME

[@callitwhatyoumay]

The 'Xavier torture scene' was god dam brilliant!

[@kaotikguy]

Been thinking of this story all week.

[@JasonPettigrewace2354]

This story would be the perfect one to have as a movie today......as long as they do it faithfully.

[@callitwhatyoumay]

PLEASE!!! MORE OF THESE ONE CLAREMONT STORIES!!! AND MORE 'BACK IN THE DAY' FULL STORIES! WE LOVE U ROBITO

[@snsi2977]

I love the old x men stories

[@blackkcinamacritic]

One of the best stories in Marvel

[@dogquin1001]

Rob I love these full story compilations

[@Squiggrock]

I love the full versions. I would also love if you would give us Heroes in Crisis 3!

[@maniacalprism5465]

"Hrdrgr mutants bad" lol

[@chrisbuttonshaw2088]

DAMN this makes me want to re-read the Decimation era X-Men and black ops X-Force for the 7th time lol

[@robertoserrano4618]

Marvel really let Kitty drop the N-Bomb TWICE?

[@mikeharris2692]

I really enjoyed having all the vids put into one video! I don’t know how long it takes to put this together after the initial videos are put out, but if you could do this for some of the stories that’d be great!

[@carrion_man3700]

The real danger is that Stryker makes some salient insights; however, he runs them to extremes and warps the population to his views. It is totally acceptable to ask questions about the nature of superheroes, or meta humans. But the nature of his observations aren't styled to help public discourse. His rhetoric makes it unsafe for all people because of the radical discourse. Essentially, people wouldn't be afraid of "Muties" if they didn't have powers. God, I miss Claremont! His X-Men run is stuff of legend. So complex. I know people of very different political persuasions who are able to read his X-Men run and have great conversations about the stories and their context. Something I feel is all too rare these days.

[@abysscallstoabyss55]

Awesomeness!!! Dude, you are the man, man! You bring me back to my childhood and the things I had either missed or forgotten. You do good work, sir!

[@itachi65ful]

This is a incredible story.

[@neknamirrem6315]

You missed the critique of the religious right and the Evangelical movement of the 80's.

[@CFree-gw2uo]

Well done!! My favorite one so far!

[@josephmulvihill1761]

LOOK ITS MIKE PENCE

[@mrwookie3557]

🤣🤣🤣😂👍

[@kittredge5167]

You mean gaffe master Biden?

[@majikss]

@@kittredge5167 no he means Mike pence

[@mthompson390]

@@kittredge5167 Don't you dare try to group papa Joe in with your right-wing bigots.

[@kittredge5167]

@@mthompson390 lol, oh I dare. Biden has said some incredibly stupid things.

[@Milo-1975]

Its been a while. I have this comic, but haven’t read it in decades. Good job Homie. ✊🏿

[@viktorholmberg6931]

This video was absolutely great! Good job, I enjoyed it greatly.

[@go7cha459]

[@bah715]

“Rrrrgerrrerrr….mUtAnTs bAd!!” 🤣🤣🤣

[@sweawesome5136]

One of my favorite comics ever

[@najahmansur9961]

This is so deep on another level wow...

[@derekwright7447]

I love this video but at one time, I thought you said “Wolf Rain” and I was like, who?? How did I miss this character 😂😂

[@dylangamesandmore4295]

EPIC!!!!

[@savage20sickness]

This story was incredible!!! Thanks for putting me on to this.

[@sabe8092]

Damn it Rob. Love your coverage of Stryker lol.

[@Newarksfinest05]

13:23 mutants are bad lol

[@AcedOutKing]

Hey Rob, I enjoy your videos so much! On another note, I would like to see you cover the whole "Age of Apocalypse" and "Maximum Carnage" series😁

[@vikingfan_8469]

This is how X Men should be introduced in the MCU

[@an8strengthkobold360]

This needs build up.

[@deespaeth8180]

There's no way modern audiences would allow it. Dropping the N bomb, the violence, the gore. Definitely could not take the kids to see it. R rating, maybe X, no pun intended.

[@cherylmarie7848]

Hey Rob, love your vids. But was wondering if you could do a remake or go further in depth of the "Crisis on infinite earths" run.

[@AMO17]

Can definitely see why fox didn’t go the full route. Dude was messed up. I need to read the story to get a full grasp though. Damn near don’t want to lol

[@scottleneau6221]

Yep. Thoughtless prejudice. No rational foundation behind fears of mutants, say, destroying the world, or killing half the universe, or starting a civil war. Totally unjustifiable, unsupportable, indefensible fear-mongering. I especially liked the part where you pointed out that fear controls human emotions, and directs their actions. Though i'd argue that outrage does as well. There was a discussion here to be had about the scenario that mutants presented, and I like that Marvel eventually explored both sides of the issue.

[@dinosaurgardening2401]

Penultimate doesn't mean the best, it means the second to last, as in second to last chapter in a book or second to last round in a tournament. 🤙 Love your videos, thanks for all the entertainment, you're the best.

[@redsledgeblu5234]

Placing blame on others is not an American trait. It has gone on loooooong before America was even thought of. Its still going on in absolutely every nation, world wide.

[@xgray2012]

And this was the story that was loosely adapted into X2: X-Men United.

[@najahmansur9961]

Wow this is the best story

[@stevencooper1103]

The cop saved him because he was ginger. The closest thing to mutants we have in the real world, lol. Please don't flag, I have a bright red beard, lol.

[@SpeedWayDre]

OMG Rob!! Thhhhhaaaaannnnnkkkk YOOOOUUUU!!! For bringing awareness to those Dammed Sadistic Hobos maaan... The Scourge of the Universe lol.... If only there were "Quarters" 💰given 🤦🏾‍♂️ 😁 we could've been spared. LOL. All jokes aside I've been watching your videos since the Marvel Explained days... Amazing stuff, I still say if you ever do "The Bible Explained" I'm campaigning for it. 😎 🤵🏾

[@macromondo8026]

i honestly love these full stories compilation because i always end up missing one or two chapters of a complete series and it makes me mad, also by god this story is amazing, this is how you make an argument against double standards and extreme points of view, no side is better than the other and people at large cannot be cannot be just judged and labelled as evil because for every extremist that wishes harm upon you, there are 2 or more people that realize those type of views are wrong.

[@josephthio909]

Kills man, loves god.

[@dantheface2986]

Mans real, god isnt

[@superthorc6894]

joseph thio gotta love that rearrangement there

[@vixonvontrollington4529]

God’s Real *Man Isn’t*

[@darthshenron5180]

Totally worth it rob..

[@korndud]

im loving this comment section (and the video, of course)

[@Alexmatt5830]

I love this story

[@joelsorto5303]

Damn Rob J. Long time listener. Just got this comic and it was crazy to read 1983 and what not. But still the part where they lynch the children. Made my revolutionary side wake up.

[@maxsoap5650]

I usually blame Jody Foster for my problems

[@thephyrexian9664]

Absolutely same, every single time

[@darnellmillien4345]

The producer of the watchmen series could definitely do this justice.

[@ChristopherTucker18]

Just started reading this on Marvel Unlimited.