Board Thread:Questions and Answers/@comment-5166895-20140504201116/@comment-24928383-20140511061838

Outrage over this inconsistency was my initial reaction as well. But then I immediately put my big juicy brain to work and began applying my biology degree and here’s what I came up with (This is going to require some background, so put on your thinking cap, get comfortable, and be patient):

There are 3 primary mechanisms of non-spontaneous mutation: 1. Radiation 2. Chemicals 3. Biological Vectors (such as viruses, prions, viroids, etc). Radiation and Chemical Mutagens cause uncontrolled random damage to DNA which is why exposure to them always results in some form of cancer (Sorry Bruce Banner, no HULK for you).

However, biological vectors such as viruses are a little more sophisticated. They function by inserting their DNA or RNA into our own genomes, converting our cells into virus factories. So when we are infected with a virus we, in effect, become part virus ourselves. HIV is a retrovirus and a perfect example of this because like all retroviruses, it has an RNA genome which it converts into DNA and inserts into our genome by way of the process of reverse transcription which is the theory applied to the science of gene therapy and allows for far more “conducive” forms of mutation.

Roughly 10% of the Caucasian population possesses a couple of mutations of their own which make them immune to a myriad of pathogens that the rest of us are not, including HIV.

Nows where I bring it on home. Let’s say the Dimension X mutagen is a biological vector of some kind that acts as a mutagen, like maybe a virus and April is among the 10% of the Caucasian population possessing this hyper active immune system. April is immune to the mutagen because her body is able to produce antibodies to the Dimension X mutagen.

Sorry for the long winded explanation but that’s my 2 cents and I hope it puts to rest this seemingly glaring plot hole.