Editing Mutant (section)

==Warhammer 40,000==
[[File:Mutant_Rabble.PNG|320px|right|thumb|Mutant Rabbles. No, there is no such thing as [[Tzeentch|too many mutations.]]]]
The [[Imperium of Man]]'s thoughts on mutants can be summarized by the page quote: "Beware the alien, the heretic, and the mutant". Or the much shorter quote “Kill the Mutant” which is a bit more accurate. After all, mutation of the body from the Holy Human Form is a sure sign of [[Chaos]] taint, and for that matter reflects poorly on the parents of the mutant in question, for surely the child would not be mutated if the parents were truly faithful to the [[God-Emperor of Mankind|Emperor]]! As this shows, the more fanatical adherents to the Imperial Cult make no distinction between genetically engineered mutants (which sometimes even includes the Emperor’s own Adeptus Astartes), those who were unfortunate enough to be born in an irradiated wasteland, and genuine Chaos mutants.

That said, some mutants are tolerated by more pragmatic elements in the Imperium, because they are necessary and/or relatively stable. This includes [[Navigator]]s, who are necessary for [[Warp]] travel; [[psyker]]s, who are important for astropathic communication, powering the [[Astronomican]], and feeding the Emperor (who himself is one, on top of totally not god powers); and the various strains of [[abhuman]]s, who are stable and useful.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, followers of Chaos treat mutants very highly, as they are considered favored by the [[Chaos Gods]]. [[Tzeentch]] in particular doles out mutations like there's no tomorrow (and knowing 40k, there legitimately may not be), giving his followers extra eyes, arms, legs, and even heads.

It's noted in the fluff that the reality is that most mutants are actually the result of legitimate flaws in the human genome, thanks to countless centuries of pollution, radiation, and bio-warfare; in Imperial space mutants caused by worship of the chaos gods make up a distinct minority in comparison. However, the Imperium treats all mutants the same, with a "better safe than sorry" mindset, and it's made pretty clear that this is actually why ''regular'' mutants are so eager to throw in with the forces of Chaos if given the chance.

An exception is found by [[Eisenhorn]] when he tracks a [[Inquisition|REDACTED TO PREVENT SPOILERS]] to the agri-world of Eechan; the world has a large lower-caste population of mutants who work the farms and crop-mills. These mutants are tolerated because purging them would mean the loss of food supply to many systems until the world can be repopulated, and it is possible they are mutant because of a factor caused by living on Eechan itself.

However, the state on which mutation becomes a crime varies between worlds. Usually, minor mutations such as bizarre skin color or an extra finger or toe is often brushed off or easily fixed via surgery and considered radiation caused or simply mundane birth defects. Major mutations such as an extra set of eyes or reptilian or slimy skin would be more likely to be looked into by either the [[Adeptus Arbites|Arbites]] or the [[Inquisition]] as the chance of these being related to Chaos is unsurprisingly quite high. Because of this, some of these mutants often flee into the deepest pits in Hive Worlds or escape and hide within the vastness of space. Usually these mutants find companionship and trust in the [[Lost and the Damned]] whom use them as specialized shock troops due to the fact that no two mutants are the same and have differing qualities and quirks that can prove advantageous in battle. These rag-tag teams of mutants are called mutant rabbles and are often undisciplined and rowdy.

The extreme end of the scale is Lastrati, a planet that purged its 14 billion population so much that '''0.2 %''' survived. All of the survivors were then killed by the '''fucking [[Black Templars]]''' who thought the Lastrati ''' ''[[Grimdark|had gone too far]]'' '''.

There are a few instances of mutation where the subject actually turns out to be physically wholesome to the point of unnatural beauty, this may come together with psyker powers, think something akin to [[Sanguinius]], either if this is the result of the current biological threshold the human race is going through or some artificial or warp-based agent may depend on an individual basis.

Usually the laws of Imperial worlds normally forbid such creatures from possessing armaments; those weapons that mutants do possess are usually limited to [[Stub Gun|crude]] [[Stub Rifle|homemade]] [[Musket|firearms]], chains, whips and clubs which can be easily made and concealed.
{{Lost-and-Damned}}