Mutant X FAQ: What mutant type is Lexa Pierce?
Classifying Lexa Pierce
What kind of new mutant is Lexa Pierce? Good question. Lexa has the ability to control light. She can thus make herself invisible by bending light around her, form searing lasers with her fingertips, and create blinding flashes of light with her hands. Ever since Lexa suddenly appeared in "Into the Moonless Night," fans have been debating into which new mutant class to place her. Everyone agrees that she's not a feral, since Lexa clearly states that in "The Breed," but various sites around the web have listed Lexa as a molecular, an elemental, a psionic illusionist, or some combination of molecular-elemental.
Fans are not the only ones who are confused; it seems The Powers That Be never definitively decided either. Philip Segal, the producer of the episode "Into the Moonless Night," states in that episode's commentary that Lexa is an elemental. Mutant X's executive producer and head writer Peter Mohan asserted in a Starburst interview that Lexa's actually a 'light molecular,' but then went on to explain that she resembles Brennan (an elemental) and a stealth mutant (a type of molecular):
"She saves up like a big battery similar to how Brennan stores electricity and can then manipulate it," says Mohan. "Lexa bends light around her, which gives her a stealth-like ability. In instances like that all you see of her is a vague shimmer. The character can also focus light through beams that she shoots from her hands, almost like laser beams, as well as create flashes of light to blind adversaries. There are other things we'll probably have Lexa do with her powers in terms of creating spectral effects and whatnot, but that's something we'll have to think about."
Let's examine the evidence.
Psionic Illusionist. It's unlikely that Lexa is an illusionist, since she becomes invisible not by casting an illusion on the viewer, but by bending light. Her lasers and light flashes are real enough to cut through metal, ignite fires and knock people down. So the choices are narrowed down to elemental or molecular.
Elemental. According to the new mutant classifications on the faux website Genomex.net, elementals are nature-wielders who "have the ability to channel elemental/environmental energy through their bodies." If one considers light to be an element like fire or electricity, Lexa's lasers and light flashes would seem more characteristic of an elemental like Brennan Mulwray or Josh Valentine than a molecular. But while elementals like Brennan and Josh are able to channel and focus the elements through their bodies, they don't control them. Brennan, for example, can create electrical arcs in varying intensities, but he can't wrap a bolt of lightning around a tree. Lexa, on the other hand, can manipulate light itself, as she does when bending light around herself and those she's touching to become invisible. This indicates that there might also be a molecular component to Lexa's abilities.
Molecular. Genomex.net states that moleculars "possess attributes to defy physical science," or break the laws of nature from a molecular level. There is a certain type of molecular, stealth mutants, like Danielle and Catherine Hartman in "Whiter Shade of Pale." A stealth mutant becomes invisible by erecting a molecular shield around her body which reflects the light. Lexa, however, becomes invisible by actually bending the light itself rather than erecting a force-field to block it, so she's probably not a stealth. According to the breakdowns on Genomex.net, there is a type of molecular which specifically controls light, a chromatic molecular. Lexa might better fit into this category.
All things considered, it's quite possible that Lexa is an elemental-molecular mix. She can channel light into lasers and light flashes the way an elemental might, but she can also manipulate it around herself and those she's in contact with like a molecular.
More about Lexa is here.
Return to The Mutant X Warehouse
What kind of new mutant is Lexa Pierce? Good question. Lexa has the ability to control light. She can thus make herself invisible by bending light around her, form searing lasers with her fingertips, and create blinding flashes of light with her hands. Ever since Lexa suddenly appeared in "Into the Moonless Night," fans have been debating into which new mutant class to place her. Everyone agrees that she's not a feral, since Lexa clearly states that in "The Breed," but various sites around the web have listed Lexa as a molecular, an elemental, a psionic illusionist, or some combination of molecular-elemental.
Fans are not the only ones who are confused; it seems The Powers That Be never definitively decided either. Philip Segal, the producer of the episode "Into the Moonless Night," states in that episode's commentary that Lexa is an elemental. Mutant X's executive producer and head writer Peter Mohan asserted in a Starburst interview that Lexa's actually a 'light molecular,' but then went on to explain that she resembles Brennan (an elemental) and a stealth mutant (a type of molecular):
"She saves up like a big battery similar to how Brennan stores electricity and can then manipulate it," says Mohan. "Lexa bends light around her, which gives her a stealth-like ability. In instances like that all you see of her is a vague shimmer. The character can also focus light through beams that she shoots from her hands, almost like laser beams, as well as create flashes of light to blind adversaries. There are other things we'll probably have Lexa do with her powers in terms of creating spectral effects and whatnot, but that's something we'll have to think about."
Let's examine the evidence.
Psionic Illusionist. It's unlikely that Lexa is an illusionist, since she becomes invisible not by casting an illusion on the viewer, but by bending light. Her lasers and light flashes are real enough to cut through metal, ignite fires and knock people down. So the choices are narrowed down to elemental or molecular.
Elemental. According to the new mutant classifications on the faux website Genomex.net, elementals are nature-wielders who "have the ability to channel elemental/environmental energy through their bodies." If one considers light to be an element like fire or electricity, Lexa's lasers and light flashes would seem more characteristic of an elemental like Brennan Mulwray or Josh Valentine than a molecular. But while elementals like Brennan and Josh are able to channel and focus the elements through their bodies, they don't control them. Brennan, for example, can create electrical arcs in varying intensities, but he can't wrap a bolt of lightning around a tree. Lexa, on the other hand, can manipulate light itself, as she does when bending light around herself and those she's touching to become invisible. This indicates that there might also be a molecular component to Lexa's abilities.
Molecular. Genomex.net states that moleculars "possess attributes to defy physical science," or break the laws of nature from a molecular level. There is a certain type of molecular, stealth mutants, like Danielle and Catherine Hartman in "Whiter Shade of Pale." A stealth mutant becomes invisible by erecting a molecular shield around her body which reflects the light. Lexa, however, becomes invisible by actually bending the light itself rather than erecting a force-field to block it, so she's probably not a stealth. According to the breakdowns on Genomex.net, there is a type of molecular which specifically controls light, a chromatic molecular. Lexa might better fit into this category.
All things considered, it's quite possible that Lexa is an elemental-molecular mix. She can channel light into lasers and light flashes the way an elemental might, but she can also manipulate it around herself and those she's in contact with like a molecular.
More about Lexa is here.
Return to The Mutant X Warehouse