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Genosha is a fictional island nation in the Marvel Comics universe. Genosha was created by Chris Claremont and was first seen in Uncanny X-Men #235 (October 1988). It originally served as an allegory for slavery and later for South African apartheid before becoming a mutant homeland and subsequently a disaster zone. Its capital was the city of Hammer Bay.
Fictional country history
The island is located off the east coast of Africa, to the north of Madagascar, and boasted a high standard of living, an excellent economy, and freedom from the political and racial turmoil that characterized neighboring nations. However, Genosha's prosperity was built upon the enslavement of its mutant population. Mutants in Genosha were the property of the state and children who were positively identified with the mutant gene were put through a process developed by David Moreau, commonly known as the Genengineer, stripped of free will and made into mutates (a Marvel term for genetically-modified individuals as opposed to those who developed mutant powers naturally). The Genengineer was also capable of modifying certain mutant abilities in order to fulfill specific labor shortages. Citizenship in Genosha is permanent and the government does not recognize any emigration. Citizens who attempt to leave the country are tracked down and forcibly brought back to the island by the special police force known as Magistrates, and mutant problems are handled by a special group known as the Press Gang. The Press Gang consisted of Hawkshaw, Pipeline, and Punchout, and were aided in their task by Wipeout.
The foundations of Genoshan society has been upset in recent years due to the efforts of outside mutant interests. In the first storyline to feature the nation, some members of the X-Men (Wolverine, Rogue, and their ally Madelyne Pryor) were kidnapped by Genoshan Magistrates, under the order of the Genengineer. Later, in the multi-issue, multi-title X-Tinction Agenda storyline, the X-Men and their allies rescued their teammates, Storm, Meltdown, Rictor and Wolfsbane, from Genoshan brainwashing, toppling the government after discovering their alliance with former X-Factor ally turned mutant hater, Cameron Hodge and that Havok was one of the Magistrates since having his memory wiped by the Siege Perilous. Havok himself, woken from his conditioning by his brother Cyclops dealt the killing blow to Cameron Hodge in the process. Another ally, a member of the New Mutants named Warlock, was killed by Cameron Hodge. The news of this death was broadcast worldwide. A new Genoshan regime that promised better treatment of mutants was put in place after Hodge's destruction. A period of general turmoil and a number of attacks by superhumans, including Magneto's Acolytes who were unwilling to forgive the former Genoshan government for its crimes against mutants, followed.
A different version of X-Factor, including Wolfsbane, later returned to the island to help restore peace between its government and a rogue group of super-powered beings that had fled the island. The Genoshan government was shown with peaceful intentions, even trying to undo the ill effects visited upon Wolfsbane. Genosha was also shown to have typical suburban tract housing, like many small towns in America.
After the Age of Apocalypse story arc, it was revealed and retconned that the mutate process formula was given to the Genegineer by Sugar Man, a refugee of the Age of Apocalypse time line.
The United Nations ceded the island nation to the powerful mutant Magneto, after he demanded an entire mutants-only nation. Magneto and his Acolytes managed to reestablish a modicum of peace and stability only briefly until civil war broke out between him and the remaining human population on the island led by the Magistrates. Magneto defeated the magistrates and restored order to the island.
The elimination of the mutant killing Legacy Virus gave Magneto a freshly healthy army with which to conquer. A small team of X-Men stopped this plan, seemingly killing Magneto.
The powerful entity Exodus would impersonate Magneto for a while, in attempts to keep the peace.
Battles between mutates and humans flared off and on for some time. Then in New X-Men #115, the entire island was reduced to rubble and its mutant population was slain by Sentinels ordered by Cassandra Nova. Magneto and Xavier have since then joined forces to rebuild the island nation. A few survivors and newly arriving mutants who wish to help with the rebuilding process remain on the island.
Other versions
Amalgam Comics
In Amalgam Comics, Genosha is combined with Zandia to from Zenosha.
Ultimate Genosha
In the Ultimate Marvel imprint, Genosha has made an appearance. It is an island south of Madagascar. Its main export seems to be television programs. Mutants were recently reduced to second-class citizens after the murder of a government minister by a mutant called Longshot. Citizens include Mojo Adams, Spiral, and Deadpool.
In other media
Television
In the X-Men:The Animated Series, Genosha was claimed to be a mutant-friendly environment, where those possessing the "x-gene" could live peacefully without fear of persecution; this was all a lie. As soon as any mutants would show up, they'd be captured. Power-negating collars would be placed around their necks and they'd be put to work building Sentinels for the Genoshan government, under the direction of Bolivar Trask, Cameron Hodge, Henry Peter Gyrich, and a government official known as the Leader. This all changed with the arrival of the X-Men. With the help of Cable and a flood orchestrated by Storm, they were able to simultaneously free the mutant slaves and destroy the Sentinels.
- Genosha continues to enslave mutants employing Sentinels and the Magistrates, until they are rescued by Magneto and his Acolytes, with the aid of many mutants such as Random, Arclight, Tarbaby, Blockbuster, Peepers, Shocker, and even Gambit, the Beast and Professor X. All Genoshan mutants leave for Asteroid M.
- Before long, the country was taken over by Magneto who was ready to declare war on the rest of the world with the Genoshan mutants by his side. He never went through with his plans though as he was called to a dying Xavier's side in the series' final episode.
Video games
- In the SNES game, X-Men: Mutant Apocalypse, the mutant warlord Apocalypse was using the island as a hideout and using the mutant slaves for his own evil purpose.
- Genosha is the Sentinel's stage in the arcade and console-imported game X-Men: Children of the Atom. Master Mold can be seen working in the background. If the Sentinel wins, Master Mold lifts off. However, if the Sentinel loses, Master Mold gets destroyed as well.
- X-Men Legends II: Rise of Apocalypse has a chapter set in Genosha, which is devastated by Apocalypse.
External links