History Main / Mutants

* ''Literature/ThisImmortal'': On post-apocalyptic Earth, genetic mutations caused by nuclear pollution abound, with babies being born deformed even in the civilized areas. Some mutant tribes in Greece resemble and are named after mythological creatures, including [[FaunsAndSatyrs satyrs]] and [[OurCentaursAreDifferent centaurs]]. Conrad's god Bortan [[CanisMajor is as large as a horse]] and has plates on his sides, and Conrad himself likely owes his [[TheAgeless halted aging]] to a genetic mutation of his own.

* ''VideoGame/TheSimpsonsGame'': In the ''VideoGame/{{Frogger}}'' parody segment in "Lisa the Tree Hugger", the floating platforms that Bart and Lisa must use to cross the river include giant three-eyed crocodiles and turtles with AHeadAtBothEnds interspersed with the regular logs, implicitly being animals mutated by the nuclear waste found lying around everywhere.

* In ''VideoGame/{{Killzone}}'' the Helghast have evolved to suit the environment of their adopted homeworld, to the point that they require specialized breathing apparatus to visit other worlds. Complete with [[RedEyesTakeWarning evil red eyes]].

* In ''Franchise/{{Nasuverse}}'', a lot of characters get their powers by being born mutants. In one of the side stories it is said that while such a person can turn the side of a battle, they typically don't survive said battle. And keeping these mutations in the next generation is a difficult task. A few families of the Demon Hunter Association managed to overcome these problems, especially Nanaya and Ryogi. Their powers were not particularly impressive, but they compensated this by being [[BadassFamily Badass Families]].
* Mewtwo from ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'' is a genetically altered Mew.
* In ''VideoGame/{{Sacrifice}}'', there's a tribe of humanoids that are afflicted with a genetically inherited cancerous disease. The goddess Persephone has taken pity on this mutant tribe and while they aren't cured of it, they have been given resistance to the pain it causes, in return the mutants act as Persephone's artillery by ripping out tumors from their bodies and throw them at enemies from long range.

* The Sai, the descendants of the humans in ''VideoGame/{{Stormrise}}'' have mutated in order to adapt to the extreme conditions after an experiment to change the climate of earth by mankind went horribly wrong, resulting in the mother of all storms and turning most the earth uninhabitable.

* In ''VideoGame/UFOAftershock'', there are two races, the Cyborgs and the Psionics, who are humans who were born with special abilities due to a genetic mutation caused by the Biomass. The Cyborgs' mutation allowed them to [[{{Cyborg}} graft robotic implants onto themselves easily]], while the Psionics developed PsychicPowers.
* One of the supernatural creatures in ''VideoGame/WhiteNoise2'', Morgul, is a giant mutant.

* ''Series/TheXFiles'' regularly featured these as the MonsterOfTheWeek, including the liver-eating Eugene Victor Tooms, among numerous others.

* ''Wiki/SCPFoundation''

* ''Wiki/SCPFoundation'': [[https://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/scp-654 SCP-654 ("Thunderhorn")]] is a narwhal that can [[ShockAndAwe fire a lightning bolt from its horn]]; the lightning bolt ability is noted as being a mutation.

* The film ''Film/TheAlligatorPeople'' has... well, a man whose genes got mixed with an alligator [[NuclearNMutant due to radiation]].

A large body of examples of fictional mutants can also be seen on Wiki/{{Wikipedia}}: [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mutant_%28fictional%29 Mutant (fictional).]]

* The film ''Film/TheAlligatorPeople'' has... well, a man whose genes got mixed with an alligator [[NuclearNasty due to radiation]].

* Viruses regularly mutate into even more harmful variants. Perhaps the best example would be the Corona virus, which has gradually evolved to form variants.

* ''Film/TheseAreTheDamned'': The nine children being kept in a secret underground bunker by the British government have skin that's cold to the touch, and are [[RadiationImmuneMutants immune to radiation]] yet [[PoisonousPerson contaminate any living thing that comes into contact with them]]. They were created in the womb by a freak radiation accident, and are being studied in the hope of creating more such children who can continue the human race if nuclear war breaks out.
* Several mutants appear in ''Film/TotalRecall1990'' as deformed inhabitants of Mars. One of the most famous ones is probably the [[{{Multiboobage}} three-breasted prostitute]].

There are two different ways to use the word Mutant: it can refer to characters who were born with a mutation, such as most members of the ComicBook/XMen. Creator/MarvelComics, the storytellers that have to be the most specific about this kind of thing, refers to these as '''Mutants'''. The other definition is things that have had their genetic code changed after birth, whether by [[ILoveNuclearPower radiation damage]], [[GeneticEngineeringIsTheNewNuke gene therapy]], or a [[ThePlague pandemic disease]]. Marvel calls these '''Mutates'''. Usually in fiction, these after-market mutations also alter germ cells and [[LamarckWasRight get passed on to the mutate's kids]]. For clarity's sake (and in accordance with the [[SuperRegistrationAct Mutant Registration Act]]), we keep the examples of these two different kinds of mutation separate.

* In ''Film/TheHillsHaveEyes1977'', the members of the antagonistic CannibalClan exhibit a number of deformities and mutations. Papa Jupiter was twenty pounds at birth and the size of his father at the age of ten; his children (save for Ruby) are just as freaky, with Pluto being the most visibly different. It's subtly implied that their deformities come from [[ILoveNuclearPower radiation]] from the tests the Air Force are running nearby (though Creator/MichaelBerryman being cast as Pluto is a rather... strong hint); in [[Film/TheHillsHaveEyes2006 the remake]], it's outright stated that their mutations are caused by radiation exposure (along with [[InbredAndEvil inbreeding]]).

** ComicBook/{{Daredevil}}'s childhood accident with [[ILoveNuclearPower radioactive]]/[[ChemistryCanDoAnything chemical]]/whatever waste blinded him, but also helped to [[SuperSenses enhance his senses]] beyond what would be possible for a non-mutate blind person.

** ComicBook/SpiderMan originally got his powers when the bite of a radioactive/[[ComicBook/UltimateSpiderMan genetically-altered]] spider altered his genes. [[ILoveNuclearPower As it does]].

** Two major in-game races, the [[OurGhoulsAreCreepier Ghouls]] and the [[HulkMashUp Super Mutants]], are the result of a combination of [[ILoveNuclearPower radiation fallout]] and the Forced Evolutionary Virus, a pre-war biological weapon that was designed to create disposable {{Super Soldier}}s. When the war happened, some containment vessels burst and were exposed to radiation, creating an air-borne version of the virus that turns anyone exposed to it alongside a massive dose of radiation into a Ghoul, a person who looks just like a zombie even though they're still alive. They also gain [[RadiationImmuneMutants immunity from radiation]] which instead heals them ''and'' makes them [[TheAgeless biologically immortal]], but has the drawback of running the risk of turning Feral, a state when their brains decay from radiation exposure, turning them into mindless cannibals, like a traditional zombie, and making them sterile as well. The Super Mutants, on the other hand, are the result of direct, untainted exposure to the FEV, which turns humans into hulking, ogre-like monsters with SuperStrength, biological immortality and superhuman toughness. Unfortunately, it also tends to lower their intelligence, and renders the mutate completely sterile.

* In Website/TheOnion article "[[http://www.theonion.com/article/new-osha-regulations-cut-down-workplace-mutations-52828 New OSHA Regulations To Cut Down On Workplace Mutations]]", laws are proposed specifically to prevent people from spontaneously mutating due to [[NoOSHACompliance workplace accidents]] in [[GeneticEngineeringIsTheNewNuke bioengineering facilities]], pharmaceutical development, [[ToxicWasteCanDoAnything hazardous waste processing plants]], [[ILoveNuclearPower nuclear power plants]], or [[MagicalParticleAccelerator particle accelerators]] causing them to develop antennae, compound eyes, mouths on their hands, the heads of venus flytraps, or similar drastic mutations.

* [[CorruptCorporateExecutive Derek Powers]], the Season 1 ArcVillain of ''WesternAnimation/BatmanBeyond'', developed a nerve gas that had the side effect of being mutagenic and being influenced by its environment. When Powers is [[HoistByHisOwnPetard exposed to the gas himself]] and undergoes radiation therapy to treat it, the gas serves as the catalyst [[ILoveNuclearPower with its own "cure"]] to turn him into [[WalkingWasteland Blight, the walking meltdown]].
* Duke Nukem, one of the villains in ''WesternAnimation/CaptainPlanetAndThePlaneteers'', becomes a mutant after exposure to [[ILoveNuclearPower radioactive nuclear waste]].

* {{Parodied|Trope}} in a WhatIf episode of ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy'' where the Griffins get super powers from [[ILoveNuclearPower radioactive waste]]. When Mayor West tries to replicate the results, [[SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome he just gets leukemia]].

* Wiki/TaerelSetting: The kin'toni, being "gene engineered beasts" who used to be zu'aan and mutated after birth due to the kin'toni virus, giving them superhuman powers adapted to the land around them

* Wiki/Taerel Setting: The kin'toni, being "gene engineered beasts" who used to be zu'aan and mutated after birth due to the kin'toni virus, giving them superhuman powers adapted to the land around them

* The ''Franchise/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles'', despite their name, are actually mutates instead of mutants, having been born normal turtles before being given humanoid form by a [[MutagenicGoo mysterious substance]] known either as Ooze or Mutagen (in reality industrial waste created by the alien Utroms in the comics and most later incarnations, and Krang in [[WesternAnimation/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles1987 the first cartoon]]). The same goes for virtually their entire supporting cast, most notably their adoptive father Splinter, and sometimes-foe Leatherhead.

* ''Literature/DraconisMemoria'': The Spoiled, the native inhabitants of Arradsia, are twisted, misshapen mockeries of mankind. Extremely primitive and almost animalistic in their behaviour, their bones are gnarled and mangled from birth and their flesh is marred by numerous scales, horns and spikes randomly growing from them.