The X-Men franchise seems like the only superhero team I know almost nothing about.
I ate up the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) movies. Even DC heroes like the Flash and Shazam are some of my favorites.
I am the biggest nerd for Star Wars and Star Trek.
But the only thing I know about X-Men is the two character names Professor X and Wolverine.
As well as the two actors who portray them.
I can understand the concept of mutants possibly representing multiple minority groups, but I don’t have a more specific opinion.
X-Men Research
Even though I know little about the X-Men franchise, I did consider being professor X as a Halloween costume one year.
But not because he uses a wheelchair and is physically disabled.
My Halloween goal was to find a costume where I could wear a suit.
I just like dressing up and didn’t want to have to buy a costume that year.
When researching the Professor X Halloween costumes’ design, I started to second guess myself.
What Halloween costumes are there?
As an Asian-American, I can sometimes struggle to find a character that I like that also looks like me.
I gravitate toward Spider-Man because he wears a mask, and many interactions of Spider-Man are with people of color. (For example, Miles Morals)
It would require more than a nice suit if I wanted to be Professor X.
I’d have to use my wheelchair, which I had a strained relationship with at the time. I was still struggling to see mobility aids as a source of freedom. I thought,
“Am I being dishonest pretending I’m wheelchair-bound for Halloween?”
Halloween
Halloween is, of course, the holiday to pretend. But I have also had experiences where friends have assumed something wrong if I chose my wheelchair over crutches.
People know I can walk. I was overwhelmed by the feeling that I would be pretending or choosing to look “more disabled” when most people can’t do that.
As a kid people were less aware of my capabilities. Maybe then I wouldn’t have second guess the wheelchair.
Professor X is potentially part of a group costume. That highlights seeing people who know I can walk.
I don’t even use a power chair with a joystick like him.
At the time, I associated a power chair with being “even more disabled or limited” That’s not true. People with disabilities can not be ranked. Like the best Halloween costumes.
Photo by Victor Camilo from Unsplash
I just struggled to see myself in my wheelchair because it lead to feeling like I’m being forced to adapt to life even more than I already have to on crutches.
Even though I have ankle braces and walk with crutches, I still “pass” pretty well as an abled body person in a crowd because I can stand and walk among them.
Giving that up, even for a day, felt wrong. When considering Halloween costumes for kids I had similar thoughts.
“Can I be this character with crutches or leg braces?”
How my wheelchair changes someone else’s perspective on how disabled I am doesn’t matter as much to me.
The trouble I would still have today would be finding a bald cap that matches my skin tone because I’m not white.
Looking at Halloween costumes for men triggers awareness of the lack of diversity in the Halloween costume department.
At the end of the day, Halloween is a fun time to pretend and you should dress however you want.