The Big Picture

X2: X-Men United is considered a superior adaptation of the classic X-Men story, “God Loves, Man Kills,” which heavily influenced the film’s plot. The film mostly draws from the source material, including Magneto joining forces with the X-Men and Xavier being tricked into killing mankind. X2’s impact can be seen in future X-Men movies, such as X-Men Origins: Wolverine and X-Men: Days of Future Past, and “God Loves, Man Kills” continues to be a significant and influential X-Men story.

In the halls of pop culture, very few superhero teams can compare to the X-Men. The mutant heroes celebrate their 60th anniversary this year, and throughout the decades they’ve been solid fixtures in film and television. There’s X-Men: The Animated Series and its upcoming sequel series X-Men ’97. And of course, there are the various feature films that put the Children of the Atom front and center. One of those films, X2: X-Men United, celebrates its 20th anniversary this year, and while it’s regarded as superior to the first X-Men film, it also serves as the perfect adaptation of a classic X-Men story.

X2: X-Men United When anti-mutant Colonel William Stryker kidnaps Professor X and attacks his school, the X-Men must ally with their archenemy Magneto to stop him. Release Date April 24, 2003 Director Bryan Singer Cast Patrick Stewart, Hugh Jackman, Ian McKellen, Halle Berry, Famke Janssen, James Marsden Rating PG-13 Runtime 133 Genres Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi, Thriller
That story is X-Men: God Loves, Man Kills. As part of Marvel’s Original Graphic Novel program, the series teamed veteran X-Men writer Chris Claremont with fledgling artist Brent Anderson. They used the freedom afforded by the graphic novel format to deliver an X-Men story that put the core elements of the team on full display. That story would end up heavily influencing the story of X2.

‘God Loves, Man Kills’ Saw Magneto and the X-Men Joining Forces
Image via Marvel Comics

God Loves, Man Kills features a unique foe for the X-Men in the form of Reverend William Stryker. Stryker operated his ministry on the belief that mutants were servants of the Devil, stirring a religious panic. To make matters worse, Stryker’s squad of warriors known as the Purifiers would hunt down and kill mutants. But the breaking point came when he sent his forces to ambush Professor Charles Xavier. Stryker intended to use a machine similar to Cerebro, the supercomputer Xavier used to detect mutants, to cause a psychic shockwave that would affect every mutant on Earth.

The X-Men soon found themselves battling the Purifiers alongside an unlikely ally: Magneto. The Master of Magnetism had been battling the Purifiers and volunteered his services in rescuing Xavier. But even though Stryker’s machine was destroyed, his cause still lived on. The beauty of God Loves, Man Kills is that it didn’t offer an easy ending. Even though Stryker was beaten, Cyclops points out that his words are the real danger. And toward the end, Xavier’s belief in a world where man and mutant can be united takes a serious hit. Once again, it is Cyclops who pulls him from the edge. Even Magneto was given more depth — his attempt at world dominion was an attempt to save the world from itself, as he sought to prevent a second Holocaust. Compared to the high-flying superheroics of the main X-Men title, it was clear that Claremont and Anderson sought to tell an X-Men story that would have a lasting impact.

Most of ‘God Loves, Man Kills’ Made It Into ‘X2: X-Men United’ — With One Exception
Image via 20th Century Fox

Many comic book adaptations usually pull from a number of sources when developing their stories, but X2 is one of the rare adaptations to mostly draw from a single source. A great deal of plot points from God Loves, Man Kills made their way into the film, including Magneto joining forces with the X-Men and Xavier being tricked into killing mankind when hooked up to a massive machine. The two key differences lie in Stryker’s characterization, as well as in the ending.

Instead of a preacher, Stryker (Brian Cox) is depicted as a high-ranking military colonel in X2: X-Men United. His plan also has a few extra steps: in order to justify a raid on the Xavier Institute for the Gifted, he brainwashes Nightcrawler (Alan Cumming) into attacking the President of the United States. Stryker is also revealed to be behind the Weapon X program that transformed Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) into a killing machine. But the most disturbing part concerns his son. In the comic, Stryker’s son was a stillborn mutant. Here, his son Jason — who can create powerful illusions — is the source of the mind control drug that he uses on other mutants. It’s a horrifying way to show that Stryker’s hatred of mutants knows no bounds, and Brian Cox sells it for all it’s worth. The scene where Stryker confronts Xavier and blames him for being unable to “fix” his son is a masterclass in tension, as Cox and Patrick Stewart engage in a battle of words.

The ending of X2 also served to set up another classic X-Men storyline. When the X-Men attempt to escape Stryker’s base at Alkali Lake, the Blackbird is damaged and in the path of a raging flood. Jean Grey (Famke Janssen) manages to save the Blackbird, but at the cost of her own life…or so it seems. The film ends with the shape of a fiery bird swimming underneath the water; coupled with Jean’s surges in power, this was meant to be a major hint at the adaptation of the classic Dark Phoenix storyline. And that storyline would be adopted not once, but twice: first in X-Men: The Last Stand and then Dark Phoenix. Ironically, director Bryan Singer wouldn’t helm either adaptation as Brett Ratner directed The Last Stand and longtime X-Men screenwriter Simon Kinberg made his directorial debut with Dark Phoenix.

The Impact of ‘X2’ and ‘God Loves, Man Kills’ Continues To Be Felt in X-Men Stories
Image via 20th Century

Given its reputation as one of the best X-Men movies, X2 had a major influence on future installments in the series. X-Men Origins: Wolverine expanded upon the clawed Canadian’s past and his relationship to Stryker, this time played by Danny Houston. Josh Helman would play Stryker in X-Men: Days of Future Past and the much maligned X-Men: Apocalypse; not only were both films directed by Singer, but Apocalypse features Wolverine going on a rampage before encountering a teenaged Jean Grey (Sophie Turner) who manages to calm him down long enough to escape.

Comics wise, Stryker would return in the “God Loves, Man Kills II” storyline in X-Treme X-Men, once again penned by Claremont. He also served as a major antagonist in the New X-Men comic, as he and his Purifiers stormed the Xavier Institute following a mass depowering of mutants. Twenty years may have passed, but God Loves, Man Kills remains the premiere X-Men story in terms of influence and impact.

X2: X-Men United is available to rent on Prime Video in the U.S.

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