From the very first episode, the allusions and parallels between the main characters on "Alphas" and the X-Men has been apparent. Both teams started with exactly six characters. Both teams hide from the world and police their own kind. But more than the organizational similarities, the characters feel very much like they are pulled out of the X-Men comic books. In fact, the similarities are so striking that most of the characters even seem to be reliving comic book story lines involving their parallel characters.
X-Men's Professor Xavier/ Dr. Lee Rosen - The leader of the team is practically a perfect match to the telepathic leader of the X-Men. Unlike Xavier, Rosen does not have any special abilities, but they are both medically and psychologically trained, and both prefer the peaceful approach. The parallel was made even more apparent in Episode 8 when the villain attempted to kill dozens of people. Pushed beyond reason, Rosen broke his vow to never use a gun and killed the villain. The scene felt very similar to when Xavier broke his vow on responsible use of his power and destroyed Magneto's mind after Magneto nearly killed Wolverine.
Wolverine / Cameron Hicks - Speaking of the famous mutant, Cameron Hicks is a pretty close match. Wolverine's catch phrase is that he is "the best there is" at what he does; Hicks' special ability makes him basically the best there is at just about any skill-based physical activity. The parallel is made even stronger by the fact that Hicks is an alcoholic just like the vicious, hairy X-Man.
Jean Grey / Nina Theroux - Jean Grey exhibited two facets that made her notable among the X-Men: she had powerful psychic abilities and she was the desire of nearly every major character in the series. Nina projects both of these abilities in spades. Her ability to "push" people allows her to control their thoughts and actions. Her stunning good looks and screen presence make her the unquestioned sexpot of the series. To continue the X-Men parallel, the character currently most attracted to her is Hicks, just as Wolverine was also madly in love with Jean Grey.
Beast / Rachel Pirzad - It requires a little gender bending, but Rachel has surprising similarities with the X-Man Hank McCoy, aka Beast. Rachel is classically educated and startlingly intelligent, just like McCoy. She may not have the physical agility of McCoy, but she possesses similar heightened senses and the intellect to perfectly analyze almost any given situation. Also, just like McCoy she is shy and slightly ashamed of her powers. She feels like she will be judged for them. Almost every major personality breakthrough for McCoy has involved dating and, given Rachel's main personal plotline, that will almost certainly be the same for her.
Cyclops / Bill Harken - No, Bill does not fire lasers out of his eyes, but like Cyclops, he is the de facto team leader in the field. And, like Cyclops, his personality does not make him particularly well suited for the job. Both characters have very rigid ideas of right and wrong and do not deal well with even the slightest questioning of their authority. In terms of powers, both characters have very non-subtle, aggressive powers that they are not fully in control of. Finally, the main challenge to the authority of Bill is Cameron, just like Wolverine is the main challenge to the authority of Cyclops.
Kitty Pride / Gary Bell - Obviously nothing about Gary's power is in any way similar to Kitty's. Gary can see electronic signals while Kitty can make her body insubstantial. What is very similar about the two characters is that both are essentially the children of their respective groups. When Kitty first arrived in the X-Men, she was far younger than the rest and was treated like a kid. Similarly, Gary, due to his autism, is treated like a kid and rarely allowed to fully participate. But a second similarity also arises. In many of the early issues with Kitty, her power was essential to the success of the team. Gary's ability to see electronic signals has proven equally critical time and again throughout the series. Both characters are always pushing to move beyond the limits placed on them, and Gary is likely to grow into a full team member just like Kitty did in the comics.
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