| X-Men: God Loves, Man Kills | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Date | November 1982 |
| Main characters | X-Men Magneto William Stryker |
| Series | Marvel Graphic Novel |
| Publisher | Marvel Comics |
| Creative team | |
| Writers | Christopher Claremont |
| Artists | Brent Eric Anderson |
| Colourists | Steve Oliff |
| ISBN | 0-7851-0039-3 |
X-Men: God Loves, Man Kills is a graphic novel published by Marvel Comics in 1982. It was written by Christopher Claremont and illustrated by Brent Eric Anderson, and it was released as the fifth entry in the Marvel Graphic Novel series. It stars the superhero team the X-Men in a battle against William Stryker, a televangelist who seeks to eradicate super-powered mutants like the X-Men. Claremont wrote God Loves, Man Kills to be accessible as a stand-alone story that conveys the themes behind the X-Men in a more mature tone. The story was written at the height of televangelism and takes a critical approach to the practice, presenting Stryker as an example for the danger of its abuse. It examines the nature of discrimination, using mutants as an allegory for persecuted groups while invoking racial discrimination and antisemitism. God Loves, Man Kills received critical praise and become one of the most popular stories featuring the X-Men. Critics highlighted its tone and thematic elements, while retrospective reviews have described its long-term relevance to societal issues. It was followed by a sequel in X-Treme X-Men #25–30 (2003) and was adapted into the film X2: X-Men United (2003).
In God Loves, Man Kills, Stryker leads an ideological movement describing mutants as ungodly while he has his Purifiers hunt and kill them. After the Purifiers take some of the X-Men captive, the remaining members work with their nemesis Magneto to save them. Stryker brainwashes the leader of the X-Men, Professor Xavier, and harnesses his telepathic powers to launch psychic attacks against all the world's mutants during a televised sermon. The X-Men free Xavier and give their own speech to refute Stryker's beliefs. Stryker draws a gun to shoot the X-Men, but a police officer shoots him first. Although Stryker is defeated, Magneto warns the X-Men that Stryker's ideas are not and that the X-Men's ideal of peaceful coexistence will fail.