Charles Xavier

Charles Xavier first appeared in *The X-Men* #1, published by Marvel Comics in 1963 and created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. Known as Professor X, he is a mutant telepath who founded a school in Westchester County, New York, to teach young mutants how to understand and control their powers. The school also became the base of the X-Men, a team Xavier formed to defend both mutants and humans.

His first students were Scott Summers, Jean Grey, Hank McCoy, Bobby Drake, and Warren Worthington III: Cyclops, Marvel Girl, Beast, Iceman, and Angel. In their debut story, the team confronted Magneto after he seized a military installation at Cape Citadel. Xavier and Magneto became enduring opponents, though both sought a future for mutants. Xavier argued that mutants and nonmutants could live together; Magneto frequently turned to force in response to persecution.

Xavier’s telepathy lets him communicate across distances, read thoughts, and influence minds. He uses Cerebro, a device associated with the school, to locate other mutants. Those abilities also make his choices unusually consequential. Stories have challenged his willingness to keep secrets or alter memories, even when he believes he is protecting his students. His relationship with Cyclops, in particular, has been strained by revelations about decisions he made without the team’s knowledge.

In *Giant-Size X-Men* #1, published in 1975, Xavier assembled an international group to rescue the original team from the living island Krakoa. The recruits included Storm, Wolverine, Nightcrawler, Colossus, Banshee, Sunfire, and Thunderbird. That mission transformed the X-Men from a small group of American teenagers into a team drawn from different countries and backgrounds.

One of Xavier’s most damaging acts came after Magneto tore the adamantium from Wolverine’s skeleton. Xavier responded by shutting down Magneto’s mind. The psychic consequences later helped give rise to Onslaught, a powerful entity that threatened the Marvel Universe. The storyline made Xavier’s capacity for harm impossible to separate from his stated ideals.

On screen, Patrick Stewart played Xavier in the *X-Men* film released in 2000 and several sequels. James McAvoy portrayed a younger Xavier beginning with *X-Men: First Class* in 2011. Their performances depict different stages of the same central conflict: Xavier wants to give mutants safety, education, and a place in the world, but must decide how much control he is entitled to exercise in pursuit of that goal.