Editing Professor X (section)

{{Short description|Comic book character}}
{{Other uses}}
{{redirect|Charles Xavier|the film character|Charles Xavier (film character)}}
{{Infobox comics character
|character_name = Charles Xavier<br />{{small|Professor X}}
|image          = File:Professor X, New Avengers, Illuminati.jpg
|converted      = y
|caption        = Interior art from ''[[New Avengers: Illuminati]]'' #3 (March 2007). Art by [[Jim Cheung]]. 
|real_name      = Prof. Charles Francis Xavier
|species        = [[Mutant (Marvel Comics)|Human mutant]]
|publisher      = [[Marvel Comics]]
|debut          = ''[[Uncanny X-Men|The X-Men]]'' #1<br>(September 1963)
|creators       = [[Stan Lee]] (writer)<br>[[Jack Kirby]] (artist/co-plotter)
|alliances      = [[United States Army]]<br />[[X-Men]]<br />[[Illuminati (comics)|Illuminati]]<br />[[X-Corporation]]<br />[[The Twelve (comics)|The Twelve]]<br />[[New Mutants]]<br />[[Excalibur (comics)|Genoshan Excalibur]]<br />[[Starjammers]]<br />Cadre K<br />[[Brotherhood of Mutants]]<br>[[Quiet Council of Krakoa]]
|homeworld= [[New York City]] 
|aliases        = Consort-Royal<br />Founder<br /> Doctor X<br />Warlord<br />Entity<br />Prisoner M-13<br />X
|powers         =
* [[Telepathy]]
* [[Telekinesis]]
*[[Genius]] intelligence
}}
'''Professor X''' ('''Prof. Charles Francis Xavier''') is a character appearing in [[American comic book]]s published by [[Marvel Comics]]. Created by writer [[Stan Lee]] and artist/co-writer [[Jack Kirby]], the character first appeared in [[Uncanny X-Men|''The X-Men'']] #1 (September 1963). The character is depicted as the founder and occasional leader of the [[X-Men]].

Xavier is a member of a subspecies of humans known as [[Mutant (Marvel Comics)|mutants]], who are born with superhuman abilities. He is an exceptionally powerful [[telepath]], who can read and control the minds of others. To both shelter and train mutants from around the world, he runs a private school in the [[X-Mansion]] in [[Salem Center, New York|Salem Center]], located in [[Westchester County, New York]].<ref>{{cite book|last = Sanderson|first = Peter|title = ''The Marvel Comics Guide to New York City''|publisher = [[Pocket Books]]|year = 2007|location = New York City|pages = 214|isbn = 978-1-4165-3141-8}}</ref> Xavier also strives to serve the greater good by promoting peaceful coexistence and equality between humans and mutants in a world where zealous anti-mutant [[bigotry]] is widespread. However, he later abandons his dream in favor of establishing a mutant nation in Krakoa.

Throughout much of the character's history, Xavier has been depicted with [[paraplegia]] and uses a wheelchair. One of the world's most powerful mutant telepaths, Xavier is a scientific genius and a leading authority in [[genetics]]. He has devised [[Cerebro]] and other equipment to enhance psionic powers and detect and track people with the mutant gene.

Xavier's [[pacifist]] and [[assimilationist]] ideology and actions have often been contrasted with that of [[Magneto (Marvel Comics)|Magneto]], a mutant leader (initially characterized as a [[supervillain]] and later as a complex [[antihero]]) with whom Xavier has a complicated relationship. Fans and commentators often compare Xavier and Magneto to [[Martin Luther King Jr.]] and [[Malcolm X]] respectively, though the amount of [[authorial intent]] supporting this comparison is disputed.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Lynskey |first=Dorian |date=2016-04-06 |title=Exclusive: X-Men’s Chris Claremont talks through five key storylines |url=https://www.empireonline.com/movies/features/x-men-wolverine-jean-grey-chris-claremont-five-key-storylines/https://www.empireonline.com/movies/features/x-men-wolverine-jean-grey-chris-claremont-five-key-storylines/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20190127033932/https://www.empireonline.com/movies/features/x-men-wolverine-jean-grey-chris-claremont-five-key-storylines/ |archive-date=2019-01-27 |access-date=2025-05-27 |website=Empire}}</ref> Writer [[Chris Claremont]], who originated Magneto's backstory, compared the politics of Xavier to [[David Ben-Gurion]] and that of Magneto to [[Menachem Begin]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Foege |first1=Alex |title=The X-Men Files |url=https://nymag.com/nymetro/arts/features/3522/ |website=New York Magazine |publisher=Vox Media, LLC |access-date=4 April 2022 |date=17 July 2000}}</ref> Later writers have additionally emphasized secretive, ruthless, and manipulative aspects of Xavier, while the later "[[Krakoan Age]]" storyline sees him align with Magneto to establish a [[sovereign state|sovereign]] mutant nation.

[[Patrick Stewart]] portrayed the character in the first three films in the [[20th Century Fox]] [[X-Men (film series)|''X-Men'' film series]] and in various video games, and [[James McAvoy]] portrayed a younger version of the character in the 2011 prequel ''[[X-Men: First Class]]''. Both actors reprised the role in the film ''[[X-Men: Days of Future Past]]''. Stewart would reprise the role in the film ''[[Logan (film)|Logan]]'' (2017), while McAvoy would further appear as his younger iteration of the character in ''[[X-Men: Apocalypse]]'' (2016), ''[[Deadpool 2]]'' (2018), and ''[[Dark Phoenix (film)|Dark Phoenix]]'' (2019). [[Harry Lloyd]] portrayed the character in the third season of the television series ''[[Legion (TV series)|Legion]]''. Stewart returned to the role again, portraying an alternate version of the character in the 2022 [[Marvel Cinematic Universe]] film ''[[Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness]]''.<ref name="Illuminati">{{Cite web |last=Garbutt |first=Emily |date=May 5, 2022 |title=The Illuminati members in Doctor Strange 2, listed and explained |url=https://www.gamesradar.com/illuminati-doctor-strange-2-list/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220505133231/https://www.gamesradar.com/illuminati-doctor-strange-2-list/ |archive-date=May 5, 2022 |access-date=May 5, 2022 |website=[[Total Film]] |publisher=[[GamesRadar+]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Andreeva |first=Nellie |date=July 11, 2024 |title=Sam Claflin & Patrick Stewart To Star In 'Barbaric' Series Based On Comic In Works At Netflix From Sheldon Turner; Michael Bay Circling To Direct |url=https://deadline.com/2024/07/sam-claflin-patrick-stewart-barbaric-netflix-sheldon-turner-michael-bay-1236006871/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240711161034/https://deadline.com/2024/07/sam-claflin-patrick-stewart-barbaric-netflix-sheldon-turner-michael-bay-1236006871/ |archive-date=July 11, 2024 |access-date=July 11, 2024 |website=[[Deadline Hollywood]]}}</ref>