Ancient History[]

Genosha was uninhabited throughout most of recorded history. It was discovered by Europeans in the 16th Century and later landed on by both the Dutch and the British East India Company. A transit point for trade between Africa and Asia, the island was occasionally used by pirates until the French began to take control. After a conflict with the French, the British controlled the island in the 18th Century.

20th Century[]

Genosha became a crown colony in the Early 20th Century. It became an independent state in the 1960s.

Modern Era[]

Genosha became a thriving country, one of the richest in the world. However, the nation's wealth was due to using mutants as slaves. The government tested their citizens, and any mutants were stripped of basic rights.

Mutants in Genosha were the property of the state and children who were positively identified with the mutant gene were put through a process which stripped them of free will and were made into "mutates". Developed by the Sugar Man and given to the Genegineer, the process was capable of modifying certain mutant abilities in order to fulfill specific labor shortages.^[17][18]

The foundations of Genoshan society were upset due to the efforts of outside mutant interests. Some members of the X-Men, (Wolverine, Rogue, and their ally Madelyne Pryor), were kidnapped by Genoshan Magistrates under the order of the Genegineer.^[19]

Later, the X-Men and their allies rescued their teammates, Storm, Meltdown, Rictor, and Wolfsbane, from Genoshan brainwashing, toppling the government after discovering their alliance with former X-Factor ally turned mutant hater, Cameron Hodge, and that Havok was one of the Magistrates since having his memory wiped by the Siege Perilous. Havok himself, woken from his conditioning by his brother Cyclops, killed Cameron Hodge in the process. Another ally, a member of the New Mutants named Warlock, was killed by Cameron Hodge. The news of this death was broadcast worldwide.^[20]

A new Genoshan regime that promised better treatment of mutants was put in place after Hodge's destruction. A period of general turmoil and a number of attacks by superhumans (including Magneto's Acolytes who were unwilling to forgive the former Genoshan government for its crimes against mutants) followed. The government X-Factor, including Wolfsbane, later returned to the island to help restore peace between its government and a rogue group of super-powered beings that had fled the island. The Genoshan government tried to undo the ill effects visited upon Wolfsbane.^[21]

Civil War[]

Unfortunately for Genosha's new government, Fabian Cortez had need of their country. Seeking a safe zone to hide in after betraying Magneto and the Acolytes, Cortez used his natural charisma to rouse the Genoshan Mutates into an uprising against their human oppressors. The existing government was horribly murdered, and street-fighting broke out between the Mutates and the Magistrates. Cortez was eventually killed, but the damage was done -- Genosha was at war with itself.^[22]

Magneto's Reign[]

The United Nations ceded the island nation to the powerful mutant Magneto after he demanded an entire mutants-only nation. Magneto and his Acolytes managed to reestablish a modicum of peace and stability only briefly until civil war broke out between him and the remaining human population on the island led by the Magistrates. Magneto eventually defeated the Magistrates and restored order to most of the island, with hold-outs briefly remaining at Carrion Cove before being obliterated.^[23]

The elimination of the Legacy Virus gave Magneto a freshly healthy army, leading him to declare a campaign of global conquest. A small team of X-Men stopped this plan, badly injuring Magneto in the process.^[24]

Wild Sentinels[]

The entire island was reduced to rubble and its mutant population was slain by Cassandra Nova's Wild Sentinels.^[12] There were very few survivors, many evacuated, and the Brotherhood of Mutants turned one of the Sentinels into a memorial statue. Foreign military forces threw up a cordon around the island; no one got in and those trying to leave were fired upon.^[25]

Xavier's Leadership[]

Magneto and Xavier joined forces to rebuild Genosha. A few survivors and newly arriving mutants who wished to help with the rebuilding process remained on the island including Callisto, Freakshow, and Wicked. There was a conflict with Magistrates, the island's former law enforcement. Though they were assisted by humanoid creatures they referred to as 'trolls', the Magistrate's forces were driven off. Some of the Magistrates were captured and kept in the island's makeshift jail, while others agreed to work with Xavier to rebuild the island. Unus the Untouchable and his squadron of mutants remained a problem, as they didn't wish to be part of Xavier's group.^[26]

House of M[]

After the Scarlet Witch's nervous breakdown, Magneto snatched Wanda from her battle with her fellow Avengers and brought her to Genosha, where he asked Xavier to restore the Scarlet Witch's sanity but to no avail. Xavier could not help her and, concerned for the threat to reality that Wanda posed, Xavier consulted the Avengers and the X-Men about what to do with Magneto's daughter. Their decision was rendered moot, as by the time they reached Genosha, reality altered around the heroes and became a world ruled by the House of Magnus ("House of M"). While conventional reality was eventually restored by Wanda, millions of mutants lost their powers or died when she uttered "No more mutants," leaving only a few hundred mutants alive and powered. Just like most of his new Genoshan allies and enemies, Magneto was among the de-powered people, remaining trapped on the island.^[27]

Quicksilver stole the Terrigen Crystals from the Inhumans in an attempt to restore his old powers and to restore the powers of other mutants depowered by M-Day. The theft led to a conflict on Genosha between the re-powered mutants (whose powers came back as too powerful for their own good), the Inhumans, and the U.S. Office of National Emergency (O.N.E.). The conflict ended with the re-powered mutants surrendering and O.N.E. confiscating the Terrigen crystals, to which Black Bolt responded by verbally declaring war on the United States.^[28]

Collective[]

Energy cannot be created nor destroyed, and the same held true for the energies of the numerous depowered mutants. Eventually, these energies gathered in the form of an unsuspecting energy-absorbing mutant named Michael Pointer. “The Collective” fought the Avengers, traveled to Genosha, and reached out to the startled Magneto. The Collective, controlled by Xorn, attempted to restore Magneto’s powers and convince him to lead the remaining mutants into taking over the planet. To the Collective’s surprise, Magneto resisted and allowed the Avengers to separate the energy from his body and send it into the Sun. The comatose Magneto was also taken into S.H.I.E.L.D. custody, but the helicopter that was supposed to transport him off Genosha exploded once it lifted off. Magneto survived the explosion and remained depowered until the High Evolutionary's dangerous experiment returned his magnetic abilities.^[29]

While searching for a cure to M-Day, Beast and Dark Beast traveled to Genosha to study the numerous mutant corpses on the island.^[30]

While in search of their mother, the Scarlet Witch, Wiccan and Speed travelled to Genosha to comb through the ruins for her or for any clues as to her whereabouts. Unfortunately, they left empty handed.^[31]

Necrosha[]

Selene travelled to Genosha with her followers, who were resurrected by the Technarch transmode virus and declared it the location of her new Rome. She used the Techno-Organic virus to raise all those who were killed by Cassandra Nova's Sentinels. Selene then consumed all those mutants, powered or not, and ascended to a godlike status, but was eventually killed by X-Force, and her Inner Circle was disbanded.^[32][33] Elixir quit the team, citing difficulty in shifting out of his black form.^[34] In the aftermath, Elixir opted to remain on Genosha, healing and burying the corpses left by Selene and her Inner Circle.^[35]

During a visit to Genosha by the students of Jean Grey's School for Gifted Youngsters' students organized by Beast and Kitty Pryde, Sabretooth and AOA Blob assaulted Kid Gladiator and Kid Omega in order to kidnap Genesis.^[36]

Magneto's return[]

After his return, the Red Skull took the idea of mutant concentration camps from Ahab's future and turned the island into one of them.^[37] Following the defeat of the Red Onslaught, a powerful form of the Skull, Magneto returned to Genosha and began rebuilding it once again.^[38]

However, his fledgling mutant community in Genosha perished when the Terrigen Mist cloud swept over it, causing sixty of the mutants present take ill and die. Magneto continued to inhabit Genosha, making it the base of operations for his new team of X-Men.^[39]

Unbeknownst to the rest of his team, however, Magneto had planted a series of explosives around Genosha. When the Dark Riders attacked, Magneto and his X-Men defeated them, and then detonated the explosions, sinking the island of Genosha and killing the Dark Riders, while simultaneously sending a message to the rest of the world.^[40]

Empyre[]

Wanda returned to Genosha and spent months preparing to resurrect the millions of dead mutants there. However, she accidentally raised them as zombies instead.^[41]

The Cotati have set up a base in Genosha as part of their plot to invade Wakanda. Their plans were interrupted when they were attacked by the zombies of Genosha's mutant inhabitants. Angel's group discovered this when they came to check up on the Genoshan gate. The activities of the Cotati also attracted Hordeculture.^[41]

Threshold[]

The Marauders gathered genetic material from Genosha's dead and sent it back in time inside a puzzle box to give rise to Threshold, the first mutant society.^[42]

15 million dead mutants in the Wild Sentinel massacre was resurrected by the Four in the White Hot Room.^[14]

Facts[]

Localization[]

• Genosha is located off the east coast of Africa, in the Indian Ocean. The Seychelles are southeast of the country while Madagascar is southwest of the island nation.^[43]

Languages[]

The major language of Genosha is English.^[43]

Economy[]

The monetary unit used in Genosha is the Genoshan Dollar.^[43]

Genosha was a thriving country, one of the richest in the world. However, the nation's wealth was due to using mutants as slaves.^[19]

The richest and influential citizens lived at Havershaw Heights away from the poorer parts of the country.^[44]

Politic and international relations[]

The capital and largest city of Genosha is Hammer Bay. It was home to the central government.

Genosha is a parliamentary democracy and a member of the Commonwealth of Nations. Prime Minister David Moreau was in power for over fifteen years. Sasha Ryan was the Commissioner for Mutant Affairs, the second most powerful position on Genosha, with wide-ranging powers over the entire mutant population.^[45]

Genosha was an apartheid state, the government tested their citizens, and any mutants were stripped of basic rights. Citizenship in Genosha was permanent and the government did not recognize any immigration. Citizens who attempted to leave the country were tracked down and forcibly brought back to the island by the special police force known as Magistrates, and mutant problems were handled by a special group of mutants known as the Press Gang. The Press Gang consisted of Hawkshaw, Pipeline, and Punchout, and were aided in their task by Wipeout.^[19]

Alternate Realities[]

Earth-92131[]

Ultimate Universe (Earth-1610)[]

Genosha is a small island nation in the Indian Ocean south of Madagascar. Its main export is reality and action-television programs. After the assassination of the government minister by Longshot, mutants were reduced to second-class citizens.^[46] Other prominent citizens include Mojo Adams, Spiral, and Deadpool.

Marvel Animated Universe (Earth-8096)[]

Genosha is an apparent mutant paradise under the rule of Magneto. Magneto offered the country as a sanctuary for mutants from around the world, promising peace and equality.^[47] Despite the façade, Magneto was actually an oppressive ruler who unfairly incarcerated Genoshan mutants who did not abide by his tyrannical rules.^[48][49] When Magneto's true manipulative agenda was revealed, he was ousted by his daughters, the Scarlet Witch and Polaris.^[50][51]

Zenosha - Amalgam Universe (Earth-9602)[]

...

House of M (Earth-58163)[]

Genosha is considered the unofficial capital of the world. Ruled by the benevolent King Erik Magnus. King Magnus and his royal family frequently hosted dignitaries from across the world and even from other planets. When Layla Miller awoke heroes to the nature of the altered reality, they took to Genosha to attack the Scarlet Witch.^[52]

Genosha Bay - Marvel Noir (Earth-90214)[]

Genosha Bay was originally settled by Quaker missionaries who built a penitentiary that was extremely isolated to allow prisoners to contemplate the gravity of their sins. By the 1930s, Genosha Bay became a United States' extraterritorial prison. Run by Warden Emma Frost, Genosha Bay held prisoners from around the world, and became notorious for practicing inhumane punishments on its prisoners ranging from sleep deprivations and water torture. Genosha caught the notice of the public and culminating in a Senate Judiciary Meeting on consider closing the prison. However, even if the prison were to be close down, lawmakers were unwilling to allow its more severe criminal sociopaths from being relocated into prisons on the mainland United States. In reality, Genosha Bay was used as a proving ground in recruiting the prisoners as a next generation of government operatives.^[53]

Gha-No-Shah (Earth-13059)[]

Gha-No-Shah is a Tolkienian style realm rule by the evil tyrant Lord Xavier, Witch King. It is inhabited by Orcs, giant Beasts, and peaceful Crawlers. A team of interdimensional X-Men helped to overthrow the Witch King and bring peace to the land.^[54]

Earth-24201[]

Genosha is in the Battleworld domain of X-Topia Province. It ended up quarantined due to the Extinction Virus that was killing the mutants.

• Hammer Bay (Capital City)
  • Magneto Monument
  • Magneto's Palace
  • Magda Square
  • Havershaw Heights
• Carrion Cove
• Ridgeback Mountains

House of M (Earth-58163)[]

• House of Magnus Royal Palace

Current Residents[]

• None

Former Residents[]

Non-exhaustive list of former residents of Genosha:

• Alda Huxley
• Andrew Graves (Spoor)
• Anna Marie (Rogue/Mutate #9602)
• Annika (Book)
• Broadband
• Burst/Mutate #028
• Caiman
• Carmella Unuscione
• Charles Xavier (Professor X)
• Clarice Ferguson (Blink)
• Cormick Grimshaw (Pipeline)
• David Moreau (Genegineer)
• Delphi
• Edgerton (Mutate #01)
• Ellie Phimister (Negasonic Teenage Warhead)
• Eric Kleinstock
• Explodey Boy
• Fabian Cortez
• Freakshow
• Fred Dukes (Blob)
• Glamour
• Gregori
• Gunshot
• Gunther Bain/Angelo Unuscione (Unus the Untouchable)
• Hack
• Hank McCoy (Beast/Mutate #666)
• Harlan Kleinstock
• Hawkshaw
• Hub
• James Howlett (Wolverine//Mutate #9601)
• Jennifer Ransome
• Joanna Cargill (Frenzy)
• Josette
• Joshua Foley (Elixir)
• Karima Shapandar (Omega Sentinel)
• Kath Katu
• Kevin Ford (Wither)
• Leon Matheson
• Lightning Rod
• Lois London (Mortis)
• Lukas
• Madame Reneau
• Madelyne Pryor (Red Queen/Mutate #9818)
• Mandy
• Marshall Stone III (Random)
• Max Eisenhardt (Magneto)
• Meg
• Michael (Mutate #49)
• Mollo
• Mortimer Toynbee (Toad)
• Mutate 682
• Nils Styger (Abyss)
• Ororo Munroe (Storm/Mutate #020)
• Phillip Moreau
• Piecemeal/Mutate #416
• Prodigal
• Punchout
• Purge
• Rahne Sinclair (Wolfsbane/Mutate #490)
• Renee Majcomb
• Robert
• Sarah Ryall (Scanner)
• Scott Summers (Cyclops/Mutate #007)
• Seamus Mellencamp
• Selene Gallio (the Black Queen)
• Shola Inkose
• Skelter
• Sugar Man
• Suvik Senyaka
• Sven Kleinstock
• Syth
• Tabitha Smith (Boom-Boom/Mutate #035)
• Tam Anderson
• Taylor
• Thomas Philip Moreau (Zealot/Mutate #685)
• Tyr
• Ugly John (Steve)
• Wanda Maximoff (Scarlet Witch)
• Wipeout

For a more exhaustive list, see the residents of Genosha collected here.

Teams and groups[]

Teams or groups who were based or originate of Genosha.

• Acolytes
• Genoshan Excalibur
• Genoshan Magistrates
• Genoshan Mutates
• Press Gang
• Selene's Inner Circle & Dead Mutants Army
• Unforgiven
• Unus' Gang
• X-Patriots

• When Genosha first appeared in Marvel comics in 1988, its society, in which mutants were persecuted and denied basic rights by the non-mutant government, reflected that of Apartheid South Africa where the white government oppressed the black population. Apartheid was one of the great causes of the 1980s and 90s, with South Africa facing major criticisms and trade sanctions by other nations.
• Under Magneto's rule, Genosha's national anthem was "Genosha, Genosha, Promised Island, Mutant Utopia."^[12]
• Genosha had by far the highest mutant population out of any mutant community. At over 16.5 million mutants, Genosha had about 95% of the Earth's entire mutant population before the massacre.^[13] In contrast, when the mutant nation of Krakoa was formed, the global mutant population was only 100,000;^[55] thanks to Krakoa's Resurrection Protocols, it eventually peaked at 250,000 (still 66 times less than Genosha).^[56][57] Arakko's population started at 2 million but was reduced to less than 1 million.^[58][59]