Eugenic #1

[history79]

Comments

[lonewolf23k]

Anti-Vaxxer, the Comic!

...Yeah, I know that's not the intended goal of the story, but that's what it seems like at first glance. Pass.

[leoboiko]

It's really not about vaccines at all.

Eh not quite

[blue_bolt]

The difference being that without this guy we'd have no children period.

Given the 60% infection and 100% stillbirth rates, he made it possible for more than half the human species to have children. That's definitely not an anti-vaxxer sentiment.

Re: Eh not quite

[mastermahan]

Necessity backstory aside, it *is* about a vaccine being a secret vehicle to alter people's children.

[spider_man6]

Just went to Forbidden Planet last night, where James T and the artist for this as well as the Woods was. Got him to sign my copy of Detective Comics volume one and showed him some fan art for the book. He's so awesome!

[freezer]

Is this putz seriously suggesting that racism is the root cause of all man's conflicts? No racial differences, no war?

There is not enough "NO" in the known universe for this.

Ditto

[blue_bolt]

This Doctor obviously is a true specialist. He is great with Organic Chemistry, Biology and Human Genetics... and probably nothing on earth outside of those fields.

Re: Ditto

[miramira]

He's also obviously never seen the "Eye of the Beholder" episode of the Twilight Zone. You'd have to do a lot more than modify humans physically to get rid of our ability to divide people into "in" and "out" groups.

Re: Ditto

[nyadnar17]

Man....man you aint kidding. This guy is so ignorant it hurts "randomized differences"? Are you stupid? The human brain is designed to see patterns. With a species numbering in the billions you really think we won't be able to categorize into sub-races based on sets of randomized traits?

To say nothing of the other tribal traits others have mentioned.

[goattoucher]

Not that I agree with this, but I think his take is a bit more nuanced:

No physical differences to create conflicts.

Does this mean no racism? Sure, but is also means no prejudgment or positive/negative treatment based on looks. No pretty or ugly people. Nobody considerably fatter or thinner. Think about how humans treat each other based on those considerations alone?

No physical traits to fetishize, because all superficial traits are random. We would all be creatures of the mind, judging each other based on actions, not appearances.

Except...

Creatures of the mind still have different beliefs, values, and cultures. You will not eliminate religion or politics. It will not eliminate nationalist pride. Eliminating literal superficial differences will eliminate metaphorical superficial conflict, but fundamental differences will still exist. The humans this man has created will be creatures of the mind, but creatures of the mind can still have pretty significant conflicts.

Now, the true test of this series is whether or not it addresses this. Will the Doctor's idealistic vision fall apart in practical reality, or will the writer under think the issue and have Utopia come to pass just because nobody is pretty or ugly anymore?

[nyadnar17]

Even IF his trait randomization is large enough to stop new subgroups that share the same traits forming, there is also the little problem that there is now a new mutant race being born ultra physically distinct from the entire rest of humanity.....I am sure that won't cause any problems.

[goattoucher]

I think the suggestion is that "normal" humanity will die off from MDV if they do not take the vaccine, and taking the vaccine assures that the next generation will be mutants.

Also, if the geneticist can be believed, the mutant race will be physically and mentally superior to humanity.

As for the random superficial features, I think we just have to suspend our disbelief enough to accept that facial features will vary significantly without causing a reduction to the quality of life to the mutants (facial features are positioned where they are for a reason, after all).

[remial]

"guys, you aren't looking at the up side. you know when your friends would show you pictures of a shaved monkey, and expect you to say 'oh what a cute baby!'? You don't have to do that anymore!"

really, that was MY first thought.

edit: ok, having read the issue, my second thought is that is some ways this is the world that the various SJWs say they want. no judgement of people based on skin color, sexuality, or gender identity.

[leoboiko]

> SJWs

shakes head slowly

reaches for the gin

[mastermahan]

Well, except it also eliminates gay people and trans people. So, not.

[fra080389]

I laughed.
The entire "no gender, no sexual orientation, no race, no war and conflicts" remember me an actual rhetoric about how no religion or/and no nations (one flag for all the World) would solve all problems.
People find always a reason to hate each other. So the respect is the key, not the obliteration of all differences. That would be impossible.
Maybe it will be the moral of this story, or maybe not.

[silicondream]

"We'll be taller. Stronger. Smarter. More efficient. Also, we'll be lipless purple scrotum-faced mutants with our features scrambled like Mr. Potatohead. Now that I think of it, we won't really be strong or smart and we'll only be efficient at inducing pity and vomiting. But we'll be taller!"

Will Rufus save us?

[sisterofbloomerjunior]

"When Naked Mole Rat Humans Rule the World!"