That's why I loved the show "Dollhouse" - one of the central themes of the show is how the brain-rewriting technology is progressing and how it will change the world. As much as everyone gushes over Firefly and Avengers, I think Dollhouse should be remembered as Whedon's sci-fi creation that really focuses on the classical themes of SF - speculating on how a science/magical event would change the world.
also, how many Congressmen and pundits could the X-Men have bought with the money they spent on an invisible jet and an underground fortress?