"We have image inducers," Emma Frost says while showing the X-Men around Massachusetts Academy, "but no one uses them."
"Why not?" Jean asks. "Don't you care about their safety?"
"I care more about their safety than you could possibly imagine." Emma says. "But it's not a matter of just refusing to use image inducers, they just genuinely wouldn't work for some of our students."
"They worked for Kurt." Jean says.
"Until someone touched him and figured out he was actually fuzzy." Emma says. "Or that he doesn't have the 'correct' number of fingers."
"Well..." Jean trails off.
"And that would be precisely what I'm talking about." Emma says. "We have several students who can't hide that they're mutants because image inducers only change your appearance, not anything else about you."
"But they worked for Kurt." Scott says.
"He wasn't on fire like Benjamin Hammil is." Emma says. "That's a lot harder to hide."
There's silence from X-Men as they expect Scott and Jean to answer. Unfortunately, neither of them has a response.
"And he's at least human-shaped, unlike Carlo Brewster and several other of my students." Emma says. "Even if an image inducer could hide Rueben O'Hara's trunk, there would still be problems because of that."
Once again, the X-Men look to Scott and Jean for a response.
Once again, Scott and Jean don't have one.
"And, ultimately, you can't expect people to accept that mutants exist and aren't a threat if you go to great lengths to hide their existence." Emma says.
"That's not fair." Scott says. "The Professor has done more for mutants than you ever have."
"He opened a school to train them." Jean says.
"Did you not just tour my school?" Emma asks. "Regardless of whichever school you feel is better, that's not doing more than me."
"And her school is better." Amara says.
"Well, it's bigger, for starters." Amara says.
"Living spaces are separate from class room buildings." Sam says.
"They have so many extracurricular options." Jamie says.
"And actual chefs preparing the food." Bobby says.
"Guys," Scott says, "while those are all valid reasons to think this school is better,"
"They are!" Scott exclaims. "But that's not the point, is what I was going to say!"
"I believe we were discussing image inducers." Emma says. "Or perhaps how I'm not doing enough for the betterment of mutantkind."
"Right." Jean says, taking a deep breath. "What all have you done?"
"Successfully had Boston declared a sanctuary city for mutants." Emma says. "Legally, they can't be discriminated against for being mutants here."
"Frost: 1, Xavier: 0." Ray says quietly. Jean still glares at him.
"Successfully petitioned the courts, with help from the Mutant Rights Coalition, to have Pow-R8 factories shut down until they can prove they're no longer a danger to mutants." Emma continues. "And worked with some of the best minds to develop a cure for the condition caused by them."
"That counts as 2, for anyone keeping score." Joanna Cargill says.
"How'd you get the courts to agree to that?" Leyu Yoshida asks.
"I asked them if they really wanted to make mutants more dangerous than they already are." Emma says.
"That's horrible!" Jean exclaims. "We're trying to convince people we're not a threat!"
"Not everyone's going to be convinced." Emma says. "Some people, yes. But not everyone. Most importantly, I'm a telepath. I chose what to say based on what I knew would guarantee me a victory in court. It might not help change their minds, but it'll keep a lot more mutants safe, so I refuse to feel bad about it."
"You used your telepathy in court?!" Jean exclaims, shocked.
"Not gonna lie, that's kind of cool." Amara says.
"Don't you remember how nice it was getting to use our powers to help others without worrying so much about rules?" Amara asks.
"It was nice..." Jean says fondly, "but the world isn't going to be nice to mutants who break rules."
"The world isn't going to be nice to mutants, period." Emma says. "Playing by their rules is only going to lead yourself to slaughter. No one ever got their rights by asking for them nicely."
"That's... true." Jean says.
"I feel like we've lost the plot." Scott says. "What do you do instead of image inducers?"
"Successfully made it illegal to discriminate against someone for being a mutant around here." Emma says. "Luckily, that doesn't happen often anymore."
"People just got used to mutants." Emma explains. "They're just a part of life now."
"That... sounds nice, actually." Scott says.
"The colleges around here don't discriminate, either." Emma says.
"Are you serious?" Jean asks hopefully.
"If you need help filling out applications," Emma starts, "the Academic Counseling Office would be happy to help."
"Right." Jean says. "I used to have so many accomplishments."
"When I was outed as a mutant, the school revoked all of them." Jean says.
"Put them on your application anyways." Emma says. "And now you have a topic for your admissions essay."
"That might work." Scott says. "You earned them fair and square. Even if Principal Kelly refused to believe you."
"Thanks." Jean says. "Which way is the Academic Counseling Office?"
Emma gives them directions and then they're off, leaving the X-Men behind.
"So... would anyone like transfer paperwork?" Emma asks.
After the X-Men have a falling out with Xavier, they're invited to visit Massachusetts Academy for a weekend.
Yes, Emma has an ulterior motive for inviting them. She makes it clear she wants them to consider transferring to her school when they arrive.
Emma: "Is it really an ulterior motive if I tell you immediately that's why I invited you?"
During the tour, the topic of image inducers for some of their obviously non-human students comes up, and the conversation continues from there.
Xavier really was more of an activist in the comics than in the cartoon. It's disappointing.
And it needs to be called out that cartoon!Xavier isn't doing much for mutants. The two greatest victories for mutants (Senate, Bayville High) were won by other people.
Yes, they were people he trained, I'll give him that, but his personal approach is passive, which won't work all the time. And I feel that needs to be addressed.
It's canon that they're going to face more adversity and challenges, so they need a leader who doesn't just blindly trust others when they're posing a risk to mutants (Guy Spear) and will advocate for his students when they need him (Jubilee, Rahne).
