Robert Kelly

Origin

Senator Robert Kelly was a a young American senator who was rising fast in American politics. He was a member of the United States Senate and a huge supporter of the Mutant Registration Act. He, at first, believed that mutants possed a threat to the United States and did everything in his power to secure the future and wellbeing of the American people.

Creation

Senator Robert Kelly was created by Chris Claremont and John Byrne and first appeared in The (Uncanny) X-Men Vol.1 issue 133 (1980).

Major Story Arcs

Assasination Atempt

Senator Kelly soon became a public figure, which people either loved or hated because of his controversial stand on mutant-politics. Because of this, the Brotherhood of Mutants tried to assasinate him (during the Days of Future Past story). Luckily, the X-men where able to save him. This did however not alter Kelly’s thoughts about mutants. If so, he was more determand to stop possible mutant threats, but he did see that not all mutants where dangerous and bad.

Loss of Wife

After the assisnation attempt, Kelly sought no ways to tackle the mutant problem. On one ocassion, he was invited by Sebastian Shaw of the Hellfire Club to his club. There Shaw asked Kelly to join forces. While Kelly was not pleased with this idea, he was shocked to find his wife Sharon Kelly at the club as well, dressed as one of the house-mades, as a gag. Kelly and his wife left the club some time later, with Kelly not being happy that Sharon was contacted by Shaw in order to pursuede him into joining forces. While they drove off in their limousine, they where unintentionally involved in a fight between the X-Man Rogue and the super-Sentinel Mastermold. Rogue was slammed into the car, causing it to crash. While Robert Kelly was unconsious, his wife managed to flee the wreckage and dragged Robert Kelly out of the car as well. After that, she went back to help Rogue, whom also lay unconsious in the car. At that moment, Master Mold blasted the car, causing it to explode and fatally wounding Sharon. Kelly held his wife as she layed dying. This caused Kelly to retire for a longer period of time, but more angry then ever. He blamed the X-Men for his wife’s death. Although not very active, he did support the anti-mutant agenda and agreed to the Operation Zero Tollerance initatieve by Bastion.

Dream’s End and Death

Some years later, Senator Robert Kelly made his public return as he participated in the race to becoming the next President of the United States. During one of his speach-rallies, a new version of the Brotherhood of Evil mutants tried to assasinate him. This was averted by timely intervention of the X-Men, but mostly by the former villain named Pyro. Pyro was suffering and dying from the Legacy Virus, a deciese only mutants could get. Pyro had had a change of heart and saved Kelly from certain death at his own expense. With his dying breath, he told Senator Kelly that he had saved his life because he thought Kelly should live in order to bring peace between mutants and humans.

With Pyro dying in Kelly’s arms, knowing a mutant saved his life, Kelly realised that he had been wrong all along. He changed his viewpoint on mutants and now wanted to help bridge the gap between humankind and mutantkind. He actively spoke about defending mutant-rights and how mutants and humans should be seen as equals.

Unfortunately, not all of Kelly’s former supporters agreed with his change in view of the mutants. During one of Senator Kelly’s pro-mutant speaches, a human former supporter of Kelly’s shot and killed him.

Others

Age of Apocalypse

Robert Kelly, held prisoner by Apocalypse’s guards Absorbing Man and Diablo in a Mayan temple, was rescued by the X-Men Nightcrawler, Magneto, and Rogue. They were able to free him from his captors, and Kelly went on to draft the Kelly Pact, an agreement of peace between mutants and humans, though Apocalypse did not intend to keep true to the treaty.

After the fall of Apocalypse, Robert Kelly was elected President. Remembering the role the X-Men had played in destroying Apocalypse, he made a press conference telling humans across the globe to grant amnesty to the mutants that helped get human society back on its feet.

Robert Kelly was a human and did not have any mutant powers.

Other Media

Movie

X-Men (2000)

Robert Kelly (played by actor Bruce Davison) was featured in the X-Men movie. He was a mutant hating politician who thought mutants should be locked up for their own safety and the safety of mankind. He was a victim of Magneto’s machine designed to turn humans into mutants, resulting in him becoming a jellyfish-like creature and dying.

Animated Series

Robert Kelly appeared in all three of the X men animated series, each time a mutant hater in a place of authority, a Senator in X men the Animated Series, later president, the Principal of Bayville High in X men Evolution and again a Senator in Wolverine and the X men. Only in the animated series was Kelly shown to eventually accept mutants (Most likely due to his later introduction to Evolution and the one season run of Wolverine)