Realistic or Futuristic: serious injuries and assistive technology in the Marvel Comic Universe (MCU) films (Part 2)
Written by Rosti Readioff and Alice Faux-Nightingale.
In part one, published last month, we explored the assistive devices used by Avengers’ War Machine, and looked in detail at the armour suit he uses in the films. In this post we move on to investigate another well known MCU character with a spinal injury, Professor X, and his characteristic wheelchair.
In the X-Men series, Professor Charles Xavier is the founder of the X-Men and the headmaster at the school for mutants. Like the rest of the X-Men, he has supernatural abilities, specifically telepathic powers and complete control over the mental state.
Although he is nearly always seen in a wheelchair, the origin of his disability is only addressed in the film First Class. Xavier is hit in the spine by a deflected bullet which causes him to lose function in his legs and use his wheelchair (there was a brief moment where, through a particular drug, he is able to regain the ability to walk but since it removes his powers, he does not use it long term). This is slightly different to the comics where he becomes paralysed because his legs are crushed under a giant rock, but this post will just analyse the films. During the films Professor X uses a range of wheelchairs, all controlled using a joystick; earlier models are wheeled, while the later wheelchairs float on a series of jets.
Looking into the technology, a wheelchair as the name suggests is a chair fitted with wheels, used by people for whom walking is difficult or impossible due to illness, injury, or disability. This device can be propelled manually by the user turning the rear wheels by hand or propelled electrically by motors. A basic manual wheelchair incorporates a seat, foot rests and four wheels: two caster wheels at the front and two large wheels at the back. The two larger wheels in the back usually have hand-rims: two metal or plastic circles. There are often handles behind the seat to allow for a friend or carer to push when needed.
Professor X controlled his first wheelchair with a joystick similar to an electric wheelchair. Electric wheelchairs are propelled by a motor and a battery, and they are usually operated with a joystick or push buttons. Unlike manual wheelchairs, electric wheelchairs require stronger frames to support the motor and the battery as well as the user; therefore, they tend to be heavier than manual wheelchairs. The cost of electric wheelchairs also limits their accessibility.
There are a wide variety of electric wheelchairs, commonly divided into three categories:
- Indoor: suitable for use in places with smooth and even surfaces.
- Outdoor: suitable for uneven terrain because they are designed with larger wheels.
- Indoor/outdoor: suitable for both indoor and outdoor environment with some compromise in their design to deliver a balance of features.
There are powered wheelchairs which have the ability to recline or tilt in space. These would help a user who has weak upper body strength to move independently, or work as pain relief for someone who experiences back and/or hip pain. Powered wheelchairs with elevating seats and sit to stand mechanisms are also available for individuals who are full-time wheelchair users. Designers and engineers are working hard to overcome the challenge of designing a versatile electric wheelchair that can be used in different environments. Scewo designed a self-balancing electric wheelchair that can climb stairs independently and smoothly using multiple rubber tracks (watch this video to see Scewo wheelchair in action!). However, even Scewo left the floating functionality out of their design.
The jet powered wheelchair, although futuristic at the moment, is increasingly becoming a possibility. Just this month Franky Zapata crossed the English Channel on a hoverboard that he invented and he was able to maneuver himself accurately and travel at speeds of up to 110 mph. Zapata’s hoverboard was powered by a backpack containing fuel to keep him flying and this activity required high physical demand to resist strong winds in the Channel. Based on one of Zapata’s comments in an interview for The Guardian, we believe that the current hoverboard as it stands now is not suitable as an add-on for wheelchairs. However, in the future this technology could be adapted and applied to assistive devices such as a wheelchair, but for now the hoverchair remains futuristic.
If you have enjoyed reading this short blog, then why don’t you visit Part 1 and Part 3 of this series? In the meantime, if you would like us to write about different assistive technologies related to human movements, then please feel free to comment below or get in touch.
