Protection? This is Extermination: Roles of Resistance, Intersectionality, and Joy within the X-Men
Location
Ponderosa Room C
Presentation Type
Presentation
Start Date
6-3-2026 3:35 PM
Event Sort Order
53
Abstract
This creative project attempts to construct an understanding of various themes, particularly intersectionality and resistance, within various X-Men media. There is also a focus on queer implications and queer realities within X-Men. It looks at both how X-Men functioned at its inception as an allegory and how it functions today, beyond its beginnings. The project currently contains three collages and a poem. Two of the collages serve as a mirror to each other, emphasizing both the importance of acknowledging and confronting discrimination, while also recognizing who indispensable joy and community are within resistance. The third collage depicts the character Angel and how his arc deeply intertwines with themes of religious trauma and his complicated relationship with himself. The poem serves as a character analysis of the character Mystique and her identity as both a mutant within the fictional world and as a queer woman in this one. As an ongoing artistic project, these pieces serve as the hopeful beginning of a longer journey within the media it engages with.
A compiled file of the current status of the project, as described in the abstract.
Protection? This is Extermination: Roles of Resistance, Intersectionality, and Joy within the X-Men
Ponderosa Room C
This creative project attempts to construct an understanding of various themes, particularly intersectionality and resistance, within various X-Men media. There is also a focus on queer implications and queer realities within X-Men. It looks at both how X-Men functioned at its inception as an allegory and how it functions today, beyond its beginnings. The project currently contains three collages and a poem. Two of the collages serve as a mirror to each other, emphasizing both the importance of acknowledging and confronting discrimination, while also recognizing who indispensable joy and community are within resistance. The third collage depicts the character Angel and how his arc deeply intertwines with themes of religious trauma and his complicated relationship with himself. The poem serves as a character analysis of the character Mystique and her identity as both a mutant within the fictional world and as a queer woman in this one. As an ongoing artistic project, these pieces serve as the hopeful beginning of a longer journey within the media it engages with.
Presenter Bio
Pallas Splattstoesser (she/they) is a sophomore at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, majoring in psychology and minoring in LGBTQ+ studies. Currently, they plan to attend graduate school, pursuing a PhD in psychology. While her path afterwards isn’t completely clear, she finds joy in working creatively and with other people. They have a sizable comic collection and enjoy cosplaying in their free time. She also has a deep love for writing.