Went to see X-Men: First Class tonight and, I must say, I was extremely blown away. My fiancé reluctantly agreed to the film, but even she was pleasantly surprised by the end of it. There were so many great elements to the story, that I don’t even know where to begin. Here are some of the themes that spoke to me the most: seeking revenge, finding balance (both inner and outer), self-discipline, society, and right vs. wrong (fine line to truth). Each of these themes helped unlock the hidden abilities of mutants, but they can also help us unlock our own “powers.”

1. Seeking Revenge

This was the most obvious theme in Eric’s (a.k.a. “Magento”) path. The anger he had towards the murderer of his mother caused him to seek revenge against his surrogate “father,” when was much older. It was a classic tale of Frankenstein, and was even referenced in the film.  Hatred and vengeance are referenced a lot in Japanese animes. One anime character, which I find has remarkable similarities to Eric, is Sasuke (from Naruto Shippuuden). His whole life was consumed by the desire to avenge his clan’s slaughtering, and the outcome was most hideous. The synchronicity is amazing because, in the latest episode, which I watched this morning, Sasuke’s sensei, Kakashi, confronts him and says, “Do not become obsessed by vengeance” – similar to what Charles said to Eric. I’m sure there are many other examples but, it seems like no matter what we say, do or record, “history repeats itself.”

2. Finding Balance (Rage vs. Serenity)

After a disastrous incident occurred at a CIA bunker for new-found mutants, Eric made Charles realize that a war was coming, and that they needed preparation. Charles then took matters into his own hands and opened his mansion as a safe-haven for mutants. With the few that he had, he worked hard at unlocking each and every one of their repressed abilities. For Eric, the most difficult part was getting him to use an alternate source of power, other than anger and rage.

With Eric’s permission, Charles searched Eric’s mind for the brightest part of his memory DNA, which was a lost memory of him and his mother that he thought he had lost. Charles told Eric that this was his strongest source of power, the “balance point between rage and serenity.” When I heard this, a chill ran through my body, and I felt like a part of my DNA was awakened within.

This balance point is similar to the point we must find in ourselves when trying to meditate or access our own Higher Guidance (God, Jesus, Krishna, Allah, Buddha, or even Aphrodite). In acknowledging this equilibrium, we train ourselves in the form of Self-discipline.

3. Self-Discipline

While Charles trains with each mutant, he consistently tells them that they CAN control their abilities. So, instead of using angry or repressive methods, he puts sheer love, faith and trust in each and everyone of them, for fear and doubt usually stand in the way of them channeling their “powers.” As each one of them is trusted by Charles, they quickly discover to trust in themselves. During these training sessions, the theme of feeling “rejected” kept coming back to me.

4. Societal Beliefs

In the world of X-Men, mutants have a negative connotation. As a result, many of them learn to hide or be someone they are not. Many kids that come to Charles are usually very afraid to highlight their skills and talents. This is because they believe that, just because they don’t look like everyone, they aren’t normal. They learn to be ashamed of their appearances and try extra hard to “fit in,” but this is far from ideal.

“Change is the only constant in life.” ~Gandhi

As a society, we have a responsibility to welcome change and diversity. In the future, those changes may include Beings (aliens) unlike us. Each member of our global, or even Universal, community is unique and, at various points in our lifetime(s), we will have to accept this. Although we live in a relative world, where good requires bad to know itself (and vice versa), we must do everything in our power to unite in our diversity.

5. A Fine Line to Truth

Being relative beings, we usually like to label things as this vs. that, right vs. wrong, true vs. false. However, in various instances of the film, our perceptions of right vs. wrong are challenged. Although Charles is noble in his wish to “keep the peace,” he does so at the cost of growing resentment by the very people he wishes to protect. In doing good, he creates resentment in those who see him trying too hard to be a part of a society that excludes him and his “kind.”

Eric, however, believes that humans should be extinguished because they are weaker, and are essentially the cause of their own demise. Their wars gave rise to the mutants, so it is only natural for their “creations” to destroy the creators. The story sounds like when humans turned against the Greek gods, or when Adam and Eve went against their Creator God in disobedience.

Eric seeks destruction. Charles seeks peace. Both are “right,” given their view of the world, but both are also uncompromising, and there lies the struggle. It is much like the Native American legend of the struggle between two wolves that occurs within each of us. The truth of who you are is determined by which wolf you choose to feed. Which is the true you?