Editing Genosha (section)

==Publication history==
Genosha, a significant location in the [[Marvel Universe]], first appeared in ''[[Uncanny X-Men]]'' #235 in 1988. The island nation was created by [[Rick Leonardi]] and [[Chris Claremont]],<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Tim |first=Webber |date=April 4, 2024 |title=Important X-Men Locations, Explained |url=https://www.marvel.com/articles/comics/important-x-men-locations-explained-list |access-date=August 10, 2024 |website=[[Marvel Comics]]}}</ref> who used it as an allegory for [[Apartheid|apartheid-era South Africa]], portraying a society where [[Mutant (Marvel Comics)|mutants]] were subjugated and transformed into mindless "mutates" by a brutal regime led by the Genegineer, [[List of Marvel Comics characters: M|David Moreau]]. This portrayal of Genosha highlighted issues of oppression and exploitation, resonating with themes of [[Racial segregation|racial]] and [[Social justice|social injustice]].<ref name=":1">{{cite book |last1=Misiroglu |first1=Gina Renée |url=https://archive.org/details/supervillainbook0000gina/page/138/mode/2up |title=The Supervillain Book: The Evil Side of Comics and Hollywood |last2=Eury |first2=Michael |date=2006 |publisher=Visible Ink Press |isbn=9780780809772 |pages=138–139, 223, 317, 342, 349, 402 |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":0" />

Initially depicted as a paradise with a dark underbelly, Genosha was ruled by a government that treated mutants as second-class citizens, exploiting them as slave labor. The nation's early stories drew parallels to real-world issues of apartheid, reflecting Claremont's intention to use the X-Men comics as a platform for exploring complex social and political issues. The island's story evolved dramatically over time. In ''Uncanny X-Men'' #255 (1989), the depiction of Genosha expanded to show the nation descending into [[civil war]], with mutants and "normal" humans locked in a violent conflict, reminiscent of the [[Bosnian War|ethnic conflicts in Bosnia]] during the 1990s. This civil war storyline deepened Genosha's role in the X-Men mythos as a symbol of the broader struggles faced by mutants.<ref name=":1" />

[[Magneto (Marvel Comics)|Magneto]], the X-Men's long-time adversary, was later granted control of Genosha by the United Nations in an attempt to deter him from further aggression against humanity. Under Magneto's rule, the island became a sanctuary for mutants, but this was short-lived. In ''[[New X-Men (2001 series)|New X-Men]]'' #115 (2001), [[Cassandra Nova]], the evil twin of [[Professor X|Charles Xavier]], unleashed a devastating Sentinel attack on Genosha, wiping out most of its population.<ref name=":1" />