Professor X

Origin

Charles Xavier was born into a wealthy family and was the son of a nuclear researcher named Brian Xavier. His powers come into light when he read the mind of a man who could have saved his father from a terrible accident. That man ended up marrying Charles’ mother, Sharon Xavier.

Creation

Professor Xavier was created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, first appearing in X-Men #1 in 1963. His character was inspired by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and his physical inspiration was actor Yul Brynner.

Character Evolution

Charles Xavier had a vision of a world where humans and mutant could live together and benefit from each other’s strengths. Xavier tried to achieve this by promoting the peaceful affirmation of mutant rights, facilitating the co-existence of mutants and humans, protecting mutants from humans, protecting humans from the evil mutants such as Magneto. His school for higher learning helped him reach out to young mutants and help mold them into responsible mutants who only used their powers for the benefits of all mankind. His relationship with the member of his school and its staff is later strained by his need to manipulate them to serve his purposes.

He is often seen as an advocate for mutant rights and sought after for his thoughts on various mutant issues that exist in comics outside of the X-Men. Early on in the series, the X-Men almost never act without the permission or leadership if Xavier.

Charles is seen to have a dark side in certain stories in the comic. This is seen during the Onslaught story line. Onslaught is created when Charles allows himself to succumbs to this darker side. He lets himself go too far against his enemy, Magneto and erases his mind.

Later, Xavier shows that his manipulative and has many secrets that are kept from his team. His “Xavier Protocol” files are found by the X-Men, revealing his plans to kill any one of the X-Men, including himself, should there ever be a need to. Xavier also continues to experiment and test the Danger Room, even after he discovers that it has become sentient.

Major Story Arcs

Exploring The World

Charles was a gifted child who entered college when he was 16. He earned a bachelor’s degree in biology within 2 years and did post-graduate studies in Oxford, earning a degree in biophysics and genetics. At graduate school, he met a woman named Moira Kinross (Moira MacTaggert) and the two fall in love but he is soon drafted to fight in the Korean War. During that time, he receives a letter from her explaining that she has found another man. He later discovers that it was the abusive Joseph McTaggert.

Deeply depressed when Moira broke off their engagement, Xavier began traveling around the world after leaving the army. In Cairo, he meets a young girl named Ororo Munroe (later known as Storm), who is a pickpocket, and the Shadow King, a powerful mutant who is posing as Egyptian crime lord Amahl Farouk. Xavier defeats the Shadow King, barely escaping with his life. This encounter leads to Xavier’s decision to devote his life to protecting humanity from evil mutants and safeguarding innocent mutants from human oppression.

Meeting Magneto

In Israel, Professor X meets Erik Magnus Lehnsherr who worked at the clinic for traumatized victims from the Holocaust. A fellow mutant, he would become Xavier’s best friend and eventually his greatest enemy known as Magneto. They reveal their powers when Baron Strucker and his agents kidnap Gabrielle Haller who was a woman that Xavier saved, cured, and fell in love with. Strucker believed she knew where a mass of gold was hidden. Magneto attempted to kill Strucker but Xavier stopped him. From there on, they both realized they have different attitudes towards mutant and human relations. Xavier and Gabrielle depart, neither of them knowing that she is pregnant with a child who would go on to become Legion.

Later in the Himalayas, Charles discovers that Lucifer is planing for an invasion. During battle, the alien attacks Xavier by dropping a large boulder on Xavier’s legs, crushing them. Sage, another telepathic mutant, hears his cries for help and saves him, beginning a deep friendship between the two.

Forming The X-Men

Despite the accident Charles continued his studies, earning several degrees and eventually returns to the United States. It was here that Xavier started his School for Gifted Youngsters, a secret school for mutants which teaches them to harness and master their skills. His first students, including Cyclops, Marvel Girl, Beast, Iceman and Angel, became the X-Men, a protective force for the school and eventually other world affairs (key amongst them is battling against Xavier’s old friend Magneto, who believes the only way mutants will survive is by destroying the humans). Xavier would communicate with his students via his telepathic powers and provide them with advice or instructions when needed. He also used a device called Cerebro which amplifies his powers and seeks out mutants in need or ones with the potential to become his students.

Around this same time, he joined a group known as the Illuminati. He would later be given possession of the Mind Gem, one of the legendary Infinity Gems.

Krakoa

The X-Men are kidnapped by Krakoa, and Xavier assembles a new team. They are successful in their mission, though the original X-Men feel unwelcome. All of them leave the school, except for Cyclops. Xavier then falls in love with Princess Lilandra and works for her for a while. When Xavier returns, Jean Grey becomes the Dark Phoenix and destroys a populated planet. Xavier battles with her mentally, though he would have lost if it wasn’t for Grey helping him fight by keeping her own personality alive. She later commits suicide to prevent any more harm being done.

New Mutants

The X-Men fight an alien race called the Brood which kidnap Xavier. They plant a Brood egg into him to control him. He then assembles a new team of teen mutants and calls them the New Mutants. This team who would secretly be the hosts for the reproduction of the aliens. The X-Men discover this but are too late as Xavier has already turned into a Brood Queen. The Starjammers help by offering tissue samples Xavier donated to them and clone him. It is successful and he even regains his ability to walk. In-between this time he also helps a band of motorcycle junkies now called the Thunderiders. However, living as a paraplegic, it took some time to get used to. He even joins the X-Men out on the field during missions but discontinues it, as he feels that his place is in the school. Xavier is then beaten almost to death due to a hate crime. The Morlocks save him and there he recuperates but Callisto warns that he must not use his powers to his full potential, or he may injure himself once more. He returns to the mansion, but hides what he has been up to.

Magneto, reformed, attends a trial in court and Xavier comes to defend his friend when the two daughters of Baron Strucker come and crash the court room, leaving Xavier injured. Dying, he asks Magneto to look after the X-Men. Lilandra who has a psychic connection with Xavier feels this happen to him and rushes to him. There, she takes Xavier with her back to her empire so their technology can heal him. Magneto takes over, but some of the X-Men are unwilling to cooperate with him, seeing as he was a former enemy. In response to Magneto the original X-Men form their own team, X-Factor. During the Inferno storyline the school is destroyed and Magneto leaves with the new mutants who feel he has gone back to his old days as a terrorist. Xavier is healed and returns to Earth to resume his responsibilities. With another clash with the Shadow King, Xavier’s back is broken and he is a paraplegic once again.

Muir Island Saga

Xavier eventually becomes imprisoned by the Skrulls during their attempted invasion of the Shi’ar Empire. Xavier breaks free from imprisonment by Warskrull Prime, and is reunited with the X-Men. A healthy Xavier returns from the Shi’ar Empire and is reunited with both the current and original X-Men teams. He resumes his leadership responsibilities of the united teams. In a battle with his old foe, the Shadow King, Xavier’s spine is shattered, returning him to his former paraplegic state, while his son David is seemingly killed. In the following months, Xavier rebuilds the mansion, which previously was rebuilt with Shi’ar technology, and restructures the X-Men into two teams.

X-Cutioner’s Song and a new Team

While holding a mutant rights speech, Xavier is nearly assassinated by Stryfe in the guise of Cable, and is infected with the fatal techno-organic virus. For reasons of his own, the villain Apocalypse saves him. As a temporary side-effect he gains full use of his legs and devotes his precious time to the youngest recruit on his team, Jubilee.

With all his students now highly trained adults, Professor Xavier renames his school the Xavier Institute For Higher Learning. Also, he assumes control of a private institution, the Massachusetts Academy, making it a new School for Gifted Youngsters. Another group of young mutants are trained here, Generation X, with Banshee and Emma Frost as headmaster and headmistress, respectively.

Onslaught and Joseph

For a long time, Professor X was unknowingly hosting an entity made of hatred named Onslaught . Magneto uses his powers to rip the Adamantium out of Wolverine‘s body. Xavier was furious through his wrong-doings and wipes out Magneto’s mind in a rage. Because Xavier used his powers so strongly, it mixes his and Magneto’s anger and summons Onslaught. He destroys much of Manhattan until many of the Marvel superheroes come to stop him. Xavier loses his telepathy powers and overcome by his guilt, leaves the X-Men. He returns however, once he learns of a group of impostor X-Men called Cerebro’s X-Men.

After the battle of Genosha, the UN concedes the island to Magnus, and Wolverine is angered by Xavier stopping him from getting his revenge on Magneto. Charles and Logan are later trapped in a dimension with different laws of physics, wherein they have to coordinate their moves together and, in the process, gain a better understanding of the views of others.

The Twelve

Apocalypse kidnaps the fabled ” Twelve,” special mutants whose combined energies would grant him omnipotence. After Apocalypse’s defeat with the help of Skrull mutants, Xavier goes with the young Skrull, known as Cadre K, to train them and free them from their oppressors, and eventually returns to aid in the Legacy Virus research.

Moira’s Death

Mystique and the Brotherhood start a deadly assault on Muir Isle by releasing an altered form of the Legacy Virus, all in retaliation against the election campaign of Robert Kelly. Mystique blows up Moira MacTaggert’s laboratory complex, fatally wounding her. Charles goes to the astral plane to meet with her and retrieve information on the cure to the Legacy Virus, but after gathering the information he does not want to leave her alone. If not for Jean pulling him back, the professor would have died with his first love, who states she has no regrets.

Dream’s End

As the Legacy Virus is cured, many infected Genoshan mutants recover overnight, providing Magneto with an army to start the third World War. Magneto demands Earth’s governments to accept him as their leader, and abducts and crucifies Xavier in Magda Square for all to see. Though a loyal member of Magneto’s Acolytes, Amelia Voght can’t stand to see her former lover punished in such a manner and sets him free. Jean Grey and untrained newcomers, as most of the team are elsewhere, distract Magneto which allows Wolverine gut him. Xavier is too late to intervene.

X-Corporation and the New X-Men

Following his battle with against Magneto, and the desctruction of the mutant nation known as Genosha by his estranged sister, Xavier thought the time to change and take action was now. That is why he, during a television interview, publicly outed himself as a mutant. Now publicly known as a mutant, Xavier began making speeches to the public about mutant tolerance. While being stored in the new Cerebra mutant location devise, Xavier somehow manages to walk again. This to the surprise of his students and himself. How this happened, he did not know, but he made the best out of the situation. In hoping to spread the message of mutant tolerance, Xavier founded the X-Corporation with offices all over the world. The purpose of the X-Corp is to watch over mutant rights and help mutants in need. As a result of being outed, the school no longer hided the fact that it was a school for mutants and it opened its doors for more mutants and even human students to come in. A student named Quentin Quire and members of his gang start a riot at the Xavier Institute during an open house at the school. As a result, Quire and two other students where killed, much to the horror of Charles Xavier. Uncertain about his dream’s validity, Xavier announces that he will step down as headmaster and be succeeded by Jean Grey.

Xorn

After fellow X-Men, Xorn ‘reveals’ himself to be Magneto, having apparently not died in the Sentinel raid on Genosha, things take a turn for the worst. Xorn-Magneto re-paralyzes Xavier, telling him that it was him that kept Xavier’s legs working all this time. After Xorn revealed this truth, he kidnapped Charles, and destroys the X-Mansion, killing several of the students. Xorn-Magneto then assaults New York, where Cyclops, Fantomex and a few students confront him. After the rest of the X-Men arrive, a battle ensues that results in the death of Jean Grey by Xorn-Magneto via an electromagnetically induced stroke. Wolverine decapitates Magneto, who shortly afterwards.

To Genosha

With Jean dead, Xavier leaves the school to Cyclops and Emma Frost, and goes to Genosha to bury the corps of Xorn-Magneto. It is revealed there that Xavier knew Xorn-Magneto was never the real Magneto. After the battle in New York with Xorn-Magneto, Magneto had contacted Xavier and told him he was still alive after Cassandra Nova’s assault, but had remained all this time in Genosha. Xavier is one of the few people to know that Magneto had nothing to do with the death of Jean or the assault of New York. The two resolve their differences and attempt to restore their friendship, leading a team of mutants, The Genoshan Excalibur, to rebuild and restore order to the destroyed island nation.

At the mansion, the Danger Room takes a humanoid form and calls itself ” Danger“. It attacks all the X-Men and leaves to kill Xavier. With the help of Magneto, they both hold off Danger while Xavier calls the X-Men to help. Danger then reveals to Colossus that Xavier knew about Danger. Xavier is ashamed that he did not reveal this truth and the X-Men leave, disgusted with him.

House Of M

The Scarlet Witch kills many Avengers due to a mental breakdown and Magneto, concerned, asks Xavier to telepathically communicate with her, hoping to calm her down. Xavier is unsuccessful though and calls a meeting with the X-Men to decide Witch’s fate. However, her brother Quicksilver believes they are planning to kill her and convinces her that she can right her wrongs. There, she creates an alternate reality where mutants are the majority and where Magneto is the ruler and Xavier is believed to be dead on Genosha years ago. A mutant named Layla Miller restores some of X-Men’s and Avengers’ memories and they head to Genosha to discover that Magneto has erected a memorial for Xavier where his grave is. Cloak goes through the grave to find that a body isn’t even there. Scarlet Witch then alters the reality once again where she causes mutants to be on the verge of extinction and by taking away their powers. The powers are collected into a massive energy ball called The Collective (who was recently Xorn).

Deadly Genesis

Even though Xavier’s body is missing, they try to find him through Cerebro but cannot detect him. In the Deadly Genesis ( X-Men: Deadly Genesis) series before Xavier had sent a team to rescue the X-Men on Krakoa, he had sent another team from Moira and one of the students was Vulcan who was a brother of Cyclops. It was traumatizing for Cyclops knowing that he had a new found brother only to be killed after a brief meeting. In order to save Cyclops’s life, Xavier wiped his memory of Vulcan and then assembled a new team, without the knowledge of Moira’s team revealed to anyone else. The Collective revives Vulcan and the youth attacks the X-Men causing Xavier to come out of hiding. His legs have been restored after the House of M events and he was no longer a mutant. Vulcan forces Xavier to tell what he had done to Cyclops.

Cyclops is angered by this and is ostracized by him, but some of the students are more forgiving. Xavier still forms a new team to battle Vulcan and take revenge on the Shi’ar Empire. While on the way, he is kidnapped by Chancellor K’Tor, who is the Shi’ar Vice Chancellor. Charles was then transported inside the M’Kraan Crystal by Vulcan, where his mutant powers were restored. He was later saved by Darwin and both of them, together with Warpath, Nightcrawler, and Hepzibah all escaped back to earth with the help of Lilandra. They left Havok, Marvel Girl and Polaris to form the new incarnation of the Starjammers with Corsair’s old crew, after he was killed by Vulcan.

World War Hulk

Upon returning, he begins a search for Magneto, hoping to find him before the US government does. He is still team leader and his team now consists of Nightcrawler, Warpath, Storm, Hepzibah and Caliban. Xavier talks to Val Cooper about what has happened to Caliban and how the O*N*E wants him. Later while the rest of the team begin looking for the Morlocks, who have been taken control of by Masque, who is also looking for Magneto. Charles and Nightcrawler leave in a X-Jet to find Magneto. They are unnoticed by the Sentinels as Xavier had placed a cloaking device on the plane. Charles and Kurt travel to where someone claimed to see Erik. They arrive at a graveyard in Germany and they find out that Erik was looking at the headstone of one of his former loyal henchmen who had died since M-Day.

Their search is cut short once they find out the Morlocks plan to blow up a church. The team stops the Morlocks and returns to the mansion. Back on earth, he encountered a very angry Hulk, who was searching for the members of the Illuminati, a group that had exiled him. Although Charles was not in attendance when the decision to exile the Hulk, he said that he would agree on his exile, but would eventually bring him back to earth in search for a cure. Nevertheless, the Hulk fought and defeated every X-Man that came and defended their mentor. He only stopped when Mercury showed him the gravestones in the Institute grounds and how the mutant population had been reduced to a few hundreds. Hulk having sensed that Charles had suffered enough soon left.

Messiah Complex

In the Messiah Complex, Charles detected a new mutant since M-Day that is powerful enough to overload Cerebro. He asked Cyclops to send a team to retrieve the baby but they come back empty handed. Charles criticized Scott’s decisions concerning the situation they are now in, from sending a team of X-Men finding the Acolytes, to forming the X-Force to track down his own son, Cable, but Scott only wanted Charles to leave the mansion because he has become a distraction to him. Later, Professor X was contacted by Cable about losing the mutant baby to the traitorous actions of Bishop, who in turn, lost the baby to the Marauders. Charles was later accidentally shot by Bishop, who was aiming for the baby. With the Professor dead, Cyclops declared that the X-Men are to be disbanded.

X-Men Legacy

It is revealed that Professor Xavier survived the gunshot inflicted by Bishop but he is in a coma. He is kidnapped by Exodus with the help of Tempo and Omega Sentinel. Exodus tries to heal Xavier but while in the coma, Xavier fights Exodus. In the end, Exodus approaches Magneto himself, who is apparently still depowered. Magneto and Omega Sentinel are able to stir up Xavier’s memories, coaxing him out of his coma, but he is slightly confused and partly amnesiac. Later, as Exodus confronts Magneto about Joanna Cargill’s fate, and is about to kill him, Xavier drags him onto the Astral Plane, putting his own restored mind at stake. After a harrowing psionic battle between the two, Xavier defeats Exodus, who reveals to him that the reason he abducted and restored his mind is that he wanted Xavier to lead the Acolytes and find the mutant messiah child in order to indoctrinate her into their cause. Xavier, disgusted with Exodus’ words, calls him a fool and refuses to help him.

During the battle between him and Exodus, Emma’s telepathy picks up on the fight, and she realizes that Xavier is alive and tells Cyclops. After Xavier, Magneto and Omega Sentinel depart from the Acolytes’ base, he leaves them both in order to try and regain his lost memories by visiting people from his past. His first visit was the with now depowered Carter Ryking (formally known as Hazard), who is a patient at the Ryking Secure Psychiatric Facility for going insane after losing his powers, and became more mentally unstable. Carter allowed Xavier to search his memories, to help him recover some of his memories. While reading his mind, Xavier discovers that when they were young, they were test subjects for Mister Sinister (he was called Nathan Milbury when Xavier was young), which was approved by Xavier’s father. It appears that Mister Sinister had been manipulating Xavier’s life for quite some time.

Xavier eventually discovers that Mister Sinister plans to use him, Juggernaut, Sebastian Shaw, and Carter Ryking as potential hosts for Sinster’s mind to take over by a machine he made. Xavier begins to bleed, and suddenly gives into Sinister. However Xavier is still alive, battling Sinister to regain his mind and body. Sebastian Shaw and Gambit find the machine of Mister Sinister and destroy it. Xavier defeats Sinster and removes him from of his body. After thanking Shaw and Gambit, he leaves them to go and see Cyclops. Xavier returns to the X-Mansion , only to find it in ruins. He leaves it to meet up with Cyclops after threatening him for the visit. Xavier tells Cyclops how Sinister was manipulating Cyclops’s and Jean’s lives and wants Cyclops to give him permission to scan his mind for any of Sinister’s influence.

However it turns out that Cyclops had secretly invited Emma Frost to their meeting and had entered into Xavier’s mind. She shows Xavier his past and the wrong decisions he has made, for example: erasing Beast’s existence from the minds of everyone who knew him, not believing Rogue when she needed his help, and erasing Cyclops’s memory of meeting his brother Vulcan. Knowing what he had done was wrong, he says he must move on with his life and try to deal with the consequences. Emma ends inspecting his mind and reminded him of Moira Mac Taggert’s last dying words. Xavier gives his blessing to Cyclops and continues his path to regain part of his memories.

Xavier helps Wolverine to bring his son Daken from the Hellfire Club. After helping him, Xavier meets his step-brother Juggernaut. He finds Juggernaut in a bar, in which he has damaged, and has kept the costumers and the waiter trapped inside. Xavier and Juggernaut talk about the meaning of the name Juggernaut. They also talk about the time Cain was trapped in an another dimension, how he found the crystal that gave him his powers, and when he joined the X-Men. After they finished their conversation Xavier gave Juggernaut a small box as a gift, telling him to open it after Juggernaut kills him. Juggernaut eventually kills Xavier and is shown moving on with his life, defeating the X-Men, and having everything he wants. However, it turns out that none of what happened was real. When Juggernaut opens the box, given to him by Xavier, Xavier appears to him and tells him that everything that has happened except for smashing the bar happened in Juggernaut’s mind.

Charles tells him he entered his mind while he was sleeping. Xavier now understands Juggernaut better, and knows the path he chose to walk, but warns him not to stray onto his. Xavier’s next path is to find Rogue. Xavier recruits Gambit to join him to go to Australia to find Rogue, who is staying at the X-Men’s old headquarters. When they arrive, they find themselves trapped in Danger’s holographic projection, in which it projects only Rogue’s past life moments and her moments with the X-Men. After encountering some events in Rouge’s life, Charles and Gambit encounter a Shi’ar salvage crew who were responsible for damaging Danger, which is why she created this holographic projections.

They join Xavier and Gambit in finding Danger. They finally find where Danger is, and Xavier enters inside her to fix her. When inside, Danger tries to attack him, sensing an unauthorized intruder, in the last second he uses the password. She shouts at him telling him that he used her as a slave, stole her of herself. Xavier reveals to her that when she said her first words “Where am I?” he went and checked with her Shi’ar makers. They assured him that it could not happen. However, he felt her awareness, and her emotions. He explained that he wanted to release her, it’s just that there were billions of lines of machine codes, he didn’t know which line to erase without lobotomizing her. And even if he had succeeded, he feared that she might kill his X-Men, knowing everything about her. So he let her suffer while he watched. Xavier ends her suffering by fixing her, in which everything returns to normal. The Shi’ar crew shoot at Xavier, as they intend to take both Xavier and Danger to their emperor, Vulcan, who has put a bounty on Xavier. Rogue comes to their rescue and Xavier awakens Danger to help Rogue and Gambit. After defeating the Shi’ar crew, Xavier and Danger are able to help Rogue gain full control over her powers.

Secret Invasion

Xavier was shown to be at a meeting with the Illuminati, who were discussing the Skrulls’ plan to invade earth by replacing the super heroes with Skrulls posing as them. Knowing that none of them can trust each other (of the possibility of being replaced) they disband the team.

Dark Reign

Norman Osborn and his Dark Avengers arrive in San Francisco to enforce the law and to stop the anti-mutant riots that is going on in the city. Xavier appears to be with Norman Osborn and encourages his law, telling Cyclops publicly to turn himself in. This Xavier turns out to be Mystique, who was recruited by Norman Osborn to help him. The real Xavier is imprisoned in Alcatraz by Norman Osborn, and is slowly losing his telepathic powers. He was able to make pisonic contact with Beast, who is also imprisoned. Emma Frost was able to find the real Charles Xavier, explaining that both of them are Omega class telepaths. In battle against Norman Osborn and his Dark Avengers, he and Emma try to remove the Void from the Sentry, unfortunately, a sliver of the Void enters her mind. Xavier quickly tells her to transform into her diamond form to stop the Void from taking over her.

Nation X

After the events of Utopia, Xavier has come to live on the risen Asteroid M, now named Utopia, along with the rest of the X-Men and is also allowed to join the Utopia lead council (Cyclops, Storm, Namor, Iceman, Beast, Wolverine and Emma Frost). While he no longer continues to openly question every move that Cyclops makes, he is still concerned about some of his leadership decisions. While attending the funeral of Yuriko Takiguchi, Magneto arrives at Utopia under peaceful terms. Xavier does not believe it, and attacks Magneto telepathically, causing Cyclops to force him to stand down. He later apologizes to Magneto for acting out of his old passions from their complicated relationship, which Magneto accepts.

Second Coming

Professor Xavier is seen delivering a eulogy at Nightcrawler’s funeral. Like the other X-Men he is saddened by Kurt’s death and anxious about the arrival of Cable and Hope. At the conclusion of Second Coming Professor X is seen surveying the aftermath of the battle from a helicopter. As Hope descends to the ground and cradles Cable’s lifeless arm, Xavier reflects on everything that has occured and states that, that he feels that Hope has indeed come to save mutantkind and revive his dream.

Avengers VS X-Men

After his students become corrupted by the Phoenix Force, Xavier joins the fray in helping the Avengers through various points. He has asked Cyclops to stop and tried to fight with Phoenix avatars, Magik and Colossus. Eventually, Xavier enters Scott’s mind to hide the oncoming Avengers team. After attempting to shut down Cyclops, Scott assaults Emma, taking her power. With the full influence of the force coursing through Cyclops, he deals a fatal blow to the man that was like a father to him for years.

Charles’ death shook both the Avengers and X-Men deeply. In an interrogation with Captain America, Cyclops claims that Xavier was responsible for whatever good was inside him and that his death was a tragic and personal loss to him but that it was worth it for the re-emergence of mutants, a claim that infuriates Rogers. He says that Charles Xavier was one of the finest men he knew, that his death had no redeeming factors and that he pitied Summers if he thought so. Later, Alex Summers paid his brother a visit and coldly tells Scott that he was selfish during the Phoenix affair and that he abandoned Xavier and his teachings before killing him.

The Scarlet Witch visits Xavier’s memorial reminiscing over Charles’ kindness to her over the years despite her parentage. She mourns her role in his death and avows to uphold his dream. The sight of Wanda Maximoff at Xavier’s grave proves too much for a nearby Rogue and an argument is instigated between the two women. It is unknown whose body, if any, is buried at the Xavier Memorial as the body of Charles Xavier appears to be in the possession of the Red Skull who claims he will use his brain to “eradicate the mutant menace”.

Xavier’s Dark Side

Xavier is seen to struggle with his dark side and it seems to have been with him since the womb where he kills his sister Cassandra Nova. He also struggles with Onslaught, a part of his evil alter ego. In some scenarios, he’s seen as manipulative. The X-Men discover plans called the Xavier Protocols which devises plans for each X-Man in case they ever went rogue. As Xavier sent a new team of hastily trained X-Men, one of the mutants Vulcan, Cyclops’ brother, was killed. Xavier erased the memory of Vulcan from Cyclops and made them think that the noises on the island proved that the island was alive, to match Cyclops’ new memories.

Personal Information

Characteristics

• Height: 6’0″
• Weight: 190 lbs.
• Eyes: Blue
• Hair: Bald (formerly blond)
• Distinguishing Features: Xavier was formerly confined to a wheelchair after having his spine shattered

Status

• Identity: Publicly known
• Occupation: Mutant rights activist, geneticist, teacher; former headmaster of the Xavier School for Gifted Youngsters, soldier
• Citizenship: U.S.A.
• Place of Birth: New York City, New York
• Education: Ph.Ds in genetics, biophysics, psychology, and anthropology, and an M.D. in psychiatry
• Marital Status: Divorced
• Known Relatives: Brian and Sharon Xavier (parents, deceased), Cassandra Nova (twin sister), Kurt Marko (stepfather, deceased), Cain Marko (Juggernaut, stepbrother), Lilandra Neramani (ex-wife), David Charles Haller (Legion, son)

Powers and Abilities

Professor X is one of the most powerful telepathic mutants in the world. He is an Omega Class Telepath, equaling Emma Frost’s abilities. He is able to read minds and communicate telepathically on a high level nearly anywhere around the world or even on a galactic level. With his telepathic power Professor X can manipulate, erase and create memories, control the actions of people and can mentally harm someone even to the degree of causing death. His gift allows him to opens channels of communication and plant suggestive thoughts even if a person is extremely far away. He is considered a very intelligent man, being able to learn things quickly by accessing someone’s brain and learning from it. He can also give his teachings to other people by telepathy, and they can learn as quickly as him as well. This includes learning alien languages too. Xavier can also make it seem like he can alter time to a degree when Xavier trains a new group of mutants telepathically which seems as if they’ve only been learning for months when in reality it was in hours. In truth, this ability was just him using his telepathy to alter their perceptions of time. He also has the ability to project his astral form and control the astral plane.

Alternative Version

Earth-1610 (Ultimate X-Men)

In the Ultimate universe, Charles Xavier is the one of the most powerful telepaths and has limited telekinetic abilities. He has a son called David with MacTaggert and leaves her in order to pursue Magneto’s dream with him though Magneto turns his back on him, throwing a shard into Xavier’s legs. Xavier also tampers with people’s minds to get what he wants, but he realizes that that is wrong. His love interests are Emma Frost and Mystique. Xavier also admits his feelings for Jean more in this version. He tells Cyclops that he is in love with Jean, and he becomes jealous because Jean spends more time with Xavier. He shouts out that he loves her when she is the Phoenix and is about to kill Lilandra. In the Ultimatum event, Xavier is killed by Magneto after he snaps his neck. Recently, in the latest Ultimate X-men story arc, Professor X is revealed to be alive and well, seen giving orders to Rogue on how to deal with William Stryker.

Earth-6141 (Shadow Xavier)

A fight between Dazzler and a group of violent mutants capture the attention of the X-Men. When they arrive, they discover that they are from another universe where Xavier was possessed by Shadow King and controlled him to corrupt the X-Men to wipe out the human race. This version could walk but died in New Excalibur #19 when a group called Black Air killed him; however, the other versions of X-Men returned to Shadow King where they lived.

Earth-311 (1602)

In the reality known as 1602 Xavier is known as Carlos Javier. He is carried around by Beast but his paralyzed form is not explained. It is set during the Elizabethan Era (during Queen Elizabeth) and is a founder of a school where the 1602 versions of the Witchbreed (X-Men) are the originals.

X-Men Noir

Xavier believed that sociopaths were the next stage of social evolution. He ran a juvenile detention center where he would train the kids to be better criminals instead of reforming them. He wrote a paper about this, he was expelled from the American Psychiatric Association. He was later arrested while the DA tried to figure out exactly what to charge him with. He was interviewed by Tom Halloway and later interrogated by Magnus over where Anne-Marie was.

Earth-1815

In this reality, where the Exiles were sent on their first mission, Professor X was evil and intended to kill all humans.

Earth-9997

In the Earth X reality all telepaths are killed when the Skull’s mutant powers manifest. Cyclops takes over with a new team, calling himself Mr. S.

Earth-905

In this reality Xavier became the Juggernaut instead of Cain Marko.

Earth-295

In the Age of Apocalypse reality Charles was killed by his son Legion before he could form the X-Men, leading to Apocalypse becoming the ruler of America, and Magneto founding the X-Men.

Earth-1298

During the Mutant X series, the worst comes out of him once again, manipulating and causing physical damage to certain people close to him. He travels the globe capturing telepaths and stealing their energy from him. He also takes control of SHIELD, captures Gambit’s daughter and attempt to kill the X-Men in one swift blow with a nuclear strike.

Earth-2149

In the Marvel Zombiverse, Professor X was eaten by a zombified version of the Alpha Flight.

Earth-4011

In Wolverine The End, Logan is blamed for the death of Professor X, but no one has any really proof. Upon his death, the Professor’s essence entered Logan’s body and now resides inside the former X-man. The Professor talks to Logan and Logan talks back often making it look like Logan is talking to himself. In this reality the Professor knows that Logan’s brother, John Howlett is alive but has been keeping the information from Logan.

X-Treme X-Men: The search of the ten Evil Xaviers

On the 2012 X-Treme X-Men volume an interdimensional team of X-Men led by a disembodied Xavier travel across dimensions hunting ten evil versions of Xavier who are endangered the stability of the Multiverse.

Other Media

Television

Marvel Super Heroes (1966)

Professor X appears with his team of mutants called The Allies of Peace (which is originally the X-men). The team was composed of Scott Summers, Hank McCoy, Bobby Drake, Warren Worthington and Jean Grey. He had talked to Namor about helping him in fighting Doctor Doom.

Spider-Man and his Amazing Friends (1981)

Professor Xavier co-starred with the X-Men. He introduced the Danger Room to Firestar and Spider-Man. A menace then contacted them via computer. Professor X tried to read his mind but his mind but was somehow blocked. He then found out that Cyberiad was seeking revenge against Firestar, as he detected her memories. He then divided the team to perform different tasks in making the mission easier. They were able to defeat Cyberiad together.

He was voiced by Stan Jones.

Pryde of the X-Men (1989)

Kitty Pryde arrived at the Institute at the invitation of Professor X. Professor X then projected an image of himself for Kitty to follow which led her to the Danger Room. He introduced Cerebro, which was responsible for the discovery of Kitty Pryde as a mutant. While watching the X-Men fight in the Danger room, Charles introduced the X-Men. He then introduced Kitty to the X-Men as their newest and youngest member. When the Brotherhood attacked the mansion, he told Kitty that Magneto was his former friend and Juggernaut was his half-brother. The Brotherhood succeeded in stealing a power circuit. Knowing that it would cause trouble to humanity, Professor X sent his X-Men to space to try to retrieve the machine. When the X-Men succeeded against the Brotherhood, there was still one more problem: Kurt had to be left to sustain the machine’s required energy (using his own) or else the Earth would be doomed. Professor X instructed him to teleport when it was close to exploding. Nightcrawler then reached Earth’s atmosphere, which would eventually burn and kill him. Professor presumed his death; however, he survived with his teleportation skills. A new line up of the X-Men was then formed.

He was voiced by John Stephenson.

X-Men: The Animated Series (1992)

Professor X is the founder of the X-Men. He was a former friend to Magneto and, because of their contrasting points of view, they have to fight each other. Professor X lost his ability to walk during the incident. It was stated that he also handled the same original X-Men. He exiled Bobby Drake from the Institute because of their misunderstanding but when he realized that it was wrong, he asked the X-Men to accept Bobby back.

This incarnation of the character also appeared in two-episodes of Spider-Man: The Animated Series, where Spider-Man tried to get help from Professor X to find out what he is mutating into, only to learn that Professor X didn’t have the ability to know. His dark side also manifested in the Dark Phoenix Saga. In the series finale, Charles nearly dies, but is taken to the Shi’ar home world to recover. Though forced to leave his beloved X-Men behind, he is filled with confidence that they will continue his dream.

He was voiced by Cedric Smith.

X-Men: Evolution (2000)

Professor X (Charles Xavier) founded the Xavier Institute to become a haven for all mutant students. He firmly believed that mutants and humans could co-exist peacefully. He is at conflict with Magneto, who believes that the humans have no place in the world and should be replaced by the mutants or the homo superior. With the aid of the Cerebro , Professor X succeeds in recruiting various new members to the X-Men, such as Rogue, Nightcrawler and Shadowcat. He is shown to be an extremely understanding and kindhearted individual throughout the series. Once, he also had a relationship with a human named Gabrielle Haller. They had a son named David Haller. She later consulted Professor X because David was lost. Together with his X-Men, they investigated the disappearance. They discovered that David had a multiple personality disorder. When Professor X encountered one of his identities (Lucas), he tried to delete the other personalities in David’s mind mentally. He succeeded in deleting Ian, but Lucas was a very strong telepath. David was soon freed. When the mutant named Apocalypse was freed from the Eye of Ages, Professor X and Storm went to his base in an attempt to contact him, but Apocalypse did not listen and seemingly killed both of them.

The other X-Men assumed he was dead. However, when they went to Egypt, it was revealed that Professor X and Storm became Apocalypse’s horsemen. He then regained his ability to walk and his powers were extremely boosted. When the mutants cooperated with each other, they were able to defeat him and put him back to his normal state. After apocalypse was defeated and the X-Men were safe at home, he foresaw a vision about the future of the X-Men.

He was voiced by David Kaye.

Super Hero Squad Show (2009)

Professor X appeared in the episode “Mysterious Mayhem at the Mysterious Mutant Academy,” voiced by Jim Ward.

Wolverine and the X-Men (2009)

A mysterious explosion in the Institute caused Professor X and Jean Grey to be lost. It then became the reason for X-Men’s temporary disbandment. After a year, Emma Frost went to the Institute to offer herself to operate Cerebro in hopes of finding both Jean and Professor X. Emma found him in a coma in Genosha. He was under the care of Magneto. The X-Men then went to Genosha to look for him. After fighting Magneto, he led them to Professor X. Mentally, he let the X-Men see what kind of future will there would be if they give up saving the mutant race, as there were X-Men who had died and lots of Sentinels were ruling the entire mutant race. With his consent, he let Wolverine lead the X-Men, which disappointed Scott. But with his persuasion, the X-Men were formed. In the future where he was living while in a comatose state, he was able to form a group of future X-Men to fight against the Sentinels. He was voiced by Jim Ward.

Iron Man: Armored Adventures (2009)

Professor X makes a cameo appearance at the very end of the episode “The X-Factor,” where he approaches a young Jean Grey and offers her refuge at his school after she, Iron Man and War Machine battle Magneto. His face isn’t seen, but he is shown in his trademark wheelchair.

He was voiced by Ron Halder.

X-Men Anime (2011)

Professor X contacts the X-Men who were disbanded after Jean Grey’s death. He sends the X-Men to rescue a Japanese mutant called Armor from the U-Men, a group of humans who steal mutant organs for gaining powers. He was voiced by Katsunosuke Hori in the Japanese version of the show and by Cam Clarke in the English dub.

Legion (2017)

Professor X is heavily alluded to in the show’s first season, but does not appear in person. Instead, his wheelchair can bee seen in flashbacks. It is revealed near the end of the season that some time prior to the beginning of the series, Professor Xavier had battled a powerful psychic mutant named Amahl Farouk, and seemingly destroyed him. However, Farouk survived as a psychic entity known as the Shadow King, and spent the ensuing decades tormenting Xavier’s illegitimate son, David Haller. It is currently known where Xavier is and why he gave David to the Haller family instead of raising him himself, but David speculates that Farouk’s ultimate goal is to regain human form so that he can destroy Xavier and exact his revenge. Professor Xavier eventually appears in person during the show’s third season, played by Harry Lloyd.

Film

X-Men (2000)

Patrick Stewart played Professor X in the X-Men trilogy, released by Fox. He sends some of his X-Men to protect Wolverine and Rogue from an attack by one of Magneto’s henchmen; Sabretooth. When Wolverine comes to the Institute, Professor X promises to help him remember his past. During the movie, he uses his powers to speak through Sabretooth and Toad, but to no effect. Unbeknownst to the X-Men, Mystique had sneaked in to the mansion in order to corrupt Cerebro. Upon using the machine, Professor X gets poisoned. He later recovers. He is then able to point Wolverine in the direction of some answers out at Alkali Lake in Canada.

X-2: X-Men United (2003)

The Professor finds Nightcrawler and sends Storm and Jean Grey to find him while he heads to Magneto’s cell. Magneto is under someone’s control, however, and the Professor is taken prisoner by William Stryker. The plan is to use the Professor with a make-shift Cerebro to concentrate on every mutant on earth in order to overload all their minds and ultimately kill them. The scheme is headed by Stryker’s son, a powerful telepath, who is able to manipulate Xavier’s sense of reality. The plan works until the Professor is saved by Storm and Nightcrawler. He then flies with his X-Men to have a candid conference with the President about the realities of the human and mutant war that has been brewing.

X-Men: The Last Stand (2006)

Professor X has very little time in this movie. He is shown in a flashback approaching Jean Grey’s house in hopes of inducting her into his school. When Jean is found in the present (she had apparently died in the last movie), the Professor admits that he had placed mental blocks on Jean to help control her powers. Now that she is back, the Professor fears that a huge power will awaken within her. It does and Jean escapes. The Professor tries to talk Jean into returning to the school, but his persistence merely makes her angry. She disintegrates him. It is later seen (after the movie’s credits) that the Professor’s mind may have survived to inhabit another body.

X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009)

Professor X makes a cameo appearance and rescues the escapees of the Weapon X program. This cameo was also played by Patrick Stewart.

X-Men: First Class (2011)

In the film, The Professor is played by actor James McAvoy. The film revolves around the early life of Charles Xavier (Professor X) and his friendship with Erik Lehnsherr (Magneto), the beginning of the X-Men, their eventual schism in beliefs about humanity, and the revelation of mutants to the world. It is also revealed that he and Mystique were raised together as siblings, and were once very close before she left the X-Men to join the Brotherhood with Erik.

For more info visit the X-Men First Class page.

The Wolverine (2013)

Patrick Stewart reprises his role as Professor Xavier in a short post-credits scene at the end of the movie In the scene, Magneto and a mysteriously-resurrected Xavier confront Wolverine at an airport, and freeze all of the civilians around them. When Wolverine asks how Charles could possibly still be alive after having been killed by the Phoenix, Xavier simply tells him that he needs Wolverine’s help to combat the coming threat of the Sentinels.

X-Men: Days Of Future Past (2014)

Both Patrick Stewart and James McAvoy reprise their roles in the crossover film, playing the younger and modern versions of Xavier, respectively. In the movie, the future version of Xavier is shown as one of the world’s last surviving mutants following the rise of the Sentinels. With Magneto by his side, Xavier devises a plan to have Kitty Pryde use her secondary mutation to send Wolverine back in time to 1973, so that he can convince the younger Xavier to stop Mystique from assassinating Bolivar Trask, the man who proposed the Sentinel project. It is reasoned that if Trask is never killed, he will never become a global martyr for the cause of mutant extermination, and thus the Sentinels will never be created in the first place.

Back in 1973, the younger Charles Xavier is shown to have become a drunken, disheveled wreck in the years since First Class. It is revealed that most of his teachers and older students had been drafted during the Vietnam War, and that Banshee had been killed some time after the formation of the X-Men. Due to these events, Charles had shut down the school, disbanded the X-Men, and begun taking a “cure” that allows him to walk again at the cost of his telepathy. After some convincing from the future version of Wolverine, Charles agrees to help stop Mystique.

Near the end of the film, Charles agrees to stop taking the cure and accepts his disability, allowing for his powers to return. After a time-traveling conversation with his future self, he regains his courage to fight on and ultimately is able to convince Mystique to spare Trask, stating that he had spent his life controlling her actions, but that now she is free to choose her own path and do the right thing. The young Charles is last seen with a renewed sense of optimism, hoping that he can rebuild the X-Men and work towards the dream of peaceful cohabitation between humans and mutants.

When Wolverine returns to the future, he finds that history has indeed been restored, and that the dead mutants (including Jean Grey and Cyclops) have now returned to life. In the final moments of the film, the older Charles smiles as he welcomes Logan back to the present, and tells his old friend that they have much to discuss.

X-Men: Apocalypse (2016)

In X-Men: Apocalypse, Xavier is once again portrayed by James McAvoy. The plot of the movie revolves around the ancient being known as Apocalypse waking up in 1983. After discovering the power of Xavier, Apocalypse uses him to send the world a message, telling them that the end is coming.

Apocalypse plans on stealing Xavier’s body so he can inherent his powers. The X-Men manage to track down Charles and fight Apocalypse physically while he battles him mentally. With the help of Jean Grey, they manage to defeat Apocalypse.

In this movie we see James McAvoy’s Xavier start to act more like the previous version of Charles Xavier that was portrayed by Patrick Stewart.

McAvoy would reprise his role for a final time in 2019’s Dark Phoenix.

Logan (2017)

Patrick Stewart reprise his role for the final time in Logan, Hugh Jackman’s last Wolverine film. Set in the near future, the film opens with an aging Charles being taken care of by Logan and Caliban in seclusion near the Mexican border. It is revealed that Charles is now suffering from Alzheimer’s disease and has lost most of his mental faculties. He has also been branded a fugitive after the “Westchester Incident,” a tragedy where he lost control of his powers and injured numerous people, killing several of the X-Men in the process.

Using his powers, Xavier makes mental contact with Laura, a young clone of Wolverine who is being hunted by the Reavers after escaping the facility where she was created. Logan, Xavier and Laura go on the run together in order to deliver the child to a special rendezvous with the other surviving escapees, but Charles is mortally wounded after being attacked by X-24, a “perfect” Wolverine clone created by Zander Rice. Logan and Laura bury Charles’ body and hold an impromptu funeral, with Logan eventually becoming too overcome with emotion to finish his eulogy.

Video Games

X-Men (1992)

In the Japanese X-Men arcade game from Konami (based loosely off of Pryde of the X-Men), Professor X appears as an NPC. He first appears at the very beginning of the game, where he sends the X-Men to go save the city from Magneto and his army of Sentinels. He is later captured, and has to be rescued during the boss fight against Mystique.

X-Men: Children of the Atom (1994)

Professor X appears in a cameo in this Japanese fighting game, where he can be seen operating the controls in the Danger Room. He also appears in Colossus’ ending, where he helps the young mutant with his training.

Marvel vs. Capcom: Clash of Super Heroes (1998)

Professor X has a cameo just before the final boss fight against Onslaught, where he can be seen trapped inside the psychic entity. When Onslaught is vanquished, a freed and unconscious Xavier appears in his place. He also shows up in Wolverine and the Hulk’s respective endings.

X-Men: Mutant Academy (2000)

Professor X is a non-playable character in this fighting game. He helps the player during training.

X-Men: Mutant Academy 2 (2001)

Xavier is an unlockable character in the fighting game X-Men: Mutant Academy 2. He also helps the player in the practice mode. He is unlocked by beating the game as Juggernaut. He is also featured in cut scenes.

Spider-Man 2 : Enter Electro (2001)

Professor X helps the player during training sessions in this game. He was voiced by Daran Norris.

X-Men: Next Dimension (2002)

Xavier is featured as a non-playable character in this fighting game. Patrick Stewart reprises his role from the live-action X-Men movies and provides Xavier’s voice, serving as the narrator of the game’s Story Mode.

X-Men Legends (2004)

Professor X is a playable character in X-Men Legends. He can be unlocked by completing all the danger room discs. Patrick Stewart returns to voice the Professor.

X-Men Legends II: Rise of Apocalypse (2005)

Xavier is a playable character in this game upon completing all danger room missions. In other missions he is a Major NPC providing guidance during missions. Patrick Stewart again reprises his role.

Marvel: Ultimate Alliance (2006)

Xavier is a non playable character in this game, voiced by Tom Kane.

The Simpsons Game (2007)

Professor X is mentioned in The Simpsons Game by Lisa Simpson.

Spider-Man: Web of Shadows (2008)

Xavier appears as an assist character in the Playstation 2 version of Spiderman: Web of Shadows.

Marvel: Avengers Alliance (2012)

Xavier appears as an NPC in season 2.

Lego Marvel Super Heroes (2013)

Xavier is a playable character in Lego marvel Super Heroes, voiced by James Arnold Taylor.

Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order (2019)

Professor Xavier appears as an NPC in the X-Men: Rise of Phoenix DLC pack, voiced by Keith Ferguson

Merchandise

• Professor X was featured in ToyBiz’s Uncanny X-Men line.
• Professor X was featured in ToyBiz’s X-Men: Mutant Armor and X-Men: Space Riders lines.
• The Onslaught figure from ToyBiz’s X-Men: Onslaught series featured a tiny Professor X sculpted in a bubble on its back, meant to represent him trapped inside the psychic being like in the comics.
• Hard Hero produced a Professor X maquette based on his appearance in X-Men: Evolution.
• Professor X was featured in ToyBiz’s toy lines for the first two X-Men films.
• Professor X was featured in ToyBiz’s Marvel Legends Galactus Build-a-Figure wave.
• Professor X was featured in Hasbro’s Super Hero Squad line.
• Professor X was featured in Hasbro’s Marvel Universe line.
• Bowen produced a statue and mini-bust of Professor X.
• Iron Studios did a Professor X statue.
• Professor X was featured in Hasbro’s Marvel Legends line as part of the Ultimate Riders sub-line.
• To celebrate the 20th anniversary of the first X-Men movie in 2020, Hasbro released a special Marvel Legends two-pack featuring the X-Men: Days of Future Past versions of both Professor X and Magneto. The Professor X figures came with heads representing both the Patrick Stewart and James McAvoy versions of the character. The version of the character seen in the 2017 Logan film was later released as an SDCC exclusive.
• The Dawn of X version of Professor X was featured in Hasbro’s Marvel Legends line as part of the Tri-Sentinel Build-a-Figure wave.