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Hello and welcome to another week of Marvel greatness right here in Marvel Snapshot! In this week’s spotlight, I’ll be looking at none other than Professor Charles Xavier himself! Yes, the long time leader and mentor to the X-Men will be getting the royal treatment, so let’s get to it!

Charles Xavier was born into a wealthy family in New York City. His father, Brian Xavier, was a brilliant scientist, and his mother was Sharon Xavier. At a young age, Xavier lost his father to an accident. His mother was then picked up on the rebound by her late husband’s partner, Kurt Marko. She became an alcoholic after Kurt ignored her, because he only shacked up with her for her money. Kurt had a son named Cain, who would eventually become the Juggernaut. After Kurt died in a lab experiment gone wrong, Xavier became a phenomenal student, attended Harvard, and then Oxford. After that, he met Moira Kinross (MacTaggert). They fell in love, but then Xavier was drafted into the military and served in the Korean War.
After things broke down between him and Moira, he left for Cairo where he met a young girl (Storm) who was employed by the Shadow King. Xavier battled the Shadow King on the Astral Plane, and eventually defeated him. Next, Xavier traveled to Israel to see a friend who ran a hospital. Once there, he met Erik Lensherr (Magneto), and also Gabrielle Haller. Gabrielle was in a coma, but Xavier brought her out of it using his mutant powers. One day, Gabrielle was abducted by HYDRA, and Xavier and Erik went after her and wound up fighting side by side and revealing their mutant powers to each other. They both soon figured out that they had very different opinions on the future of their race, and soon parted ways.
Xavier soon after lost the use of his legs in a confrontation with Lucifer. After this, he began to form the X-Men, and under the guise of a school for gifted youngsters, he started to train his team that would help mutants all over the world. Xavier pushes these young mutants to the breaking point and beyond in his “Danger Room.” Their first battle is with Xavier’s long lost friend Magneto (Erik). After that one, they fight against the mutant hunting Sentinels. These two foes would plague Xavier and his X-Men over and over again in the coming years. The original team is then dispatched to stop the living island known as Krakoa. They are defeated and captured, so Xavier recruits a new team to save them.

Later on, Xavier meets and falls in love with Lil’Andra, fights the Brood, an evil Jean Grey (Dark Phoenix), is almost assassinated by Stryfe (posing as Cable), and then rips out the mind of Magneto and inadvertently cause the creation of Onslaught. This proves to be a pivotal point in the life of Xavier. After this, he seems to become more cynical about everything, but specifically his ability to help his students and fellow mutants. The enemies, friends, etc., of Xavier are too large in number to count, but suffice to say that even though right now Xavier is more of a B-lister while Cyclops is running the show on Utopia, Xavier will have his day when he returns as rightful leader of the X-Men. The team he created.
As usual, check out my recommended reading list below, along with some covers featuring the Professor’s highlights. See you next week!
Recommended Reading
Essential X-Men vol.’s 1- 9 – Tpb
X-Men: Deadly Genesis – Tpb
X-Men: X-Cutioners Song – Tpb
X-Men: Fatal Attractions – Tpb
X-Men: The Complete Onslaught Epic – Books 1-4 – Tpb
Uncanny X-Men: Rise and fall of the Shi’Ar Empire – HC
X-Men Legacy: Sins of the Father – Tpb
X-Men: Schism

For more X-Men, check out The Uncanny X-Piles, and see where Xavier ranked in the X-Men Power Rankings!
Billy Dunleavy
billy@comicattack.net