7 Awesome X-Men That Could Actually Exist (And How You Could Be One Too)

From Harry Potter's Polyjuice Potion to Star Trek: DS9's Odo, shapeshifting is an integral part of sci-fi. With a complicated nature and deep storyline, Raven (aka Mystique) - played both by former model Rebecca Romijn and Oscar winner Jennifer Lawrence - is one of the most interesting shapeshifters in pop culture today.

While it's unlikely that anyone could mentally will themselves to look like someone else entirely, if your skin gets darker when you spend time in the sun, you've already got some transformational powers of your own. Human skin has the special ability to sense and respond to photons of ultraviolet light, in an effort to control the balance between our need for Vitamin D (the "sunshine vitamin" that prevents rickets and some cancers) and our need to shield our DNA from mutation-inducing solar radiation.

Depending on your family origin, you may have less effective versions of some genes related to melanin. This causes lighter skin, which allows more sunlight to penetrate the skin and more Vitamin D to be produced -- an important ability in Northern climates where the sun's rays are weaker and days are much shorter in winter. However, when exposed to more intense sunlight, a physical transformation occurs leading to darker (aka: more protected) skin. Okay, it's not as cool as morphing into a supermodel, but it DOES prevent cancer and that's pretty cool.

While humans aren't able to consciously control the colour of their skin, some animals are! The Indonesian Mimic Octopus - which can morph into the appearance of 13 distinct species including lion fish, sea snakes, jellyfish and sea anemonies - would be a worthy mascot for Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters!