History Characters / MarvelComicsProfessorX

* {{Realpolitik}}: The laconic summary of realpolitik reads like a one-sentence summary of modern-day Charles's character. Even before he was truly established as a ManipulativeBastard, he was quite ruthless (in that uniquely ProtagonistCenteredMorality way that way common to comics from before UsefulNotes/TheDarkAgeOfComicBooks) and not above {{Superdickery}} tricks such as BrainwashingForTheGreaterGood and MindControl in the service of his dream. He was also unusually politically savvy for an outsider to politics, using his privileged social position to present himself to the public as a mutant rights proponent while keeping it hidden from most of the world that he was in fact a mutant himself. It wasn't even his choice when he finally did 'out' himself as a mutant: that was done by his EvilTwin.

* BlessedWithSuck: The flip side to being such a powerful telepath is that Charles struggles mightily to be a moral man despite having an ability that could let him find out anything from and control almost anyone with little effort, and he finds sometimes himself falling to the temptation. As shown with his son David, having such a powerful mind can also supercharge emotional reactions in catastrophic unforeseen ways, which is how Onslaught came into being when Xavier had [[CantGetAwayWithNuthin an understandably furious response]] to seeing Magneto mercilessly rip out all the admantium from Wolverine's body during the ''Fatal Attractions'' arc. Not helping his internal conflict is that those same powers make him a target of other psychics of similar skill and fewer scruples like the Shadow King and his own sister Cassandra Nova who view him as either a potential threat to their self-centered schemes or as potential fuel to make them even stronger. Even dead, he can't catch a break, as some villains have gone so far as to harvest his brain to exploit its capacity to dominate that he was too righteous to use when he was alive.

* ''Anime/XMen''

* BlessedWithSuck: The flip side to being such a powerful telepath is that Charles struggles mightily to be a moral man despite having an ability that could let him find out anything and control almost anyone with little effort, and he finds himself falling to the temptation. As shown with his son David, having such a powerful mind can also supercharge emotional reactions in catastrophic unforeseen ways, which is how Onslaught came into being when Xavier had [[CantGetAwayWithNuthin an understandably furious response]] to seeing Magneto mercilessly rip out all the admantium from Wolverine's body during the ''Fatal Attractions'' arc. Not helping his internal conflict is that those same powers make him a target of other psychics of similar skill and fewer scruples like the Shadow King and his own sister Cassandra Nova who view him as either a potential threat to their self-centered schemes or as potential fuel to make them even stronger. Even dead, he can't catch a break, as some villains have gone so far as to harvest his brain to exploit its capacity to dominate that he was too righteous to use when he was alive.

As the founder of the Franchise/XMen, Xavier has (obviously) appeared quite often in other media based on the characters, to the point of [[SpotlightStealingSquad virtual omnipresence]]. He features in just about every possible animated adaptation of the X-Men franchise, most notably in [[WesternAnimation/XMenTheAnimatedSeries original animated series]] and ''WesternAnimation/XMenEvolution''.

* Fiction500: The X-Mansion and related equipment comes from his inherited fortune, so he might be as rich as [[Comicbook/IronMan Tony Stark]]. Under Creator/GrantMorrison, he even headed an international MegaCorp to fund his team's heroism and projects.

*** Also, ''everything'' on this list -- Cerebro, the mansion, the Blackbird, and other smaller planes and helicopters -- gets destroyed whenever the plot requires them not to have it or wants to show "this villain is serious." And ''everything'' on this list will be replaced, often with a better version that more closely matches whatever it looks like in [[Film/XMenFilmSeries the most recent film]], by the next time it's needed. This in addition to the sprawling facilities and Franchise/StarTrek-level gadgetry. That places Professor X in Tony Stark's tier, but unlike the other characters with unlimited resources, we never hear about his business ventures, or trouble with any companies of his during the times Xavier is in space or [[ComicBookDeath believed by all to be dead]]. Was his dad ''so'' rich that the X-Men can keep this up indefinitely without it being replenished, or is there an unseen Xavier Industries comparable to what [[Franchise/{{Batman}} Bruce Wayne]] or Tony Stark has?
*** Comicbook/EmmaFrost is known to have used her telepathy to get insider information for playing the stock market. Given that in his younger years, Xavier was decidedly less ethical about invading (and even altering) people's minds, one wonders if he did the same thing in order to enhance his wealth. Simply being heavily invested in other people's companies could give Xavier vast wealth without having to run a company of his own, if he picked the right companies.

* GoodIsNotNice: While still in the womb, Xavier sensed that his twin sister Cassandra Nova was evil. So his first conscious act was trying to kill her (she did, however, try to kill him first by strangulation ''after'' punching him). He has performed memory wipes on {{Muggles}} and his own students. He has on occasion faked losing his powers or even dying to suit his plans, consequently leaving his students fending for themselves and feeling emotional pain. He was part of the covert group ComicBook/TheIlluminati, and participated in their at best questionable decisions. All behind the back of his students. He covered up the death of the inexperienced X-Men Darwin, Petra, Sway, and Vulcan (albeit when he had to focus on saving the rest of the team). He brainwashed Wolverine into joining the team (although this also involved stopping Wolverine from completing an earlier mission to ''kill'' Xavier, and Wolverine has since learnt about this and forgiven him). He knew that the Danger Room had become sentient and chose to keep it enslaved (although he claimed that he couldn't find a way to transfer its consciousness into a new form). He put a lot of effort into the Xavier Protocols, identifying the weaknesses of each student and devising plans to kill them if they went bad (to be fair, he included plans for his students to kill ''him'' if need be). He has also at times not hesitated to demote a number of X-Men while criticizing their perceived flaws. One of Comicbook/KittyPryde's most famous phrases summarizes well what all this means: "Professor Xavier Is a Jerk!"

* IdenticalGrandson: ''[[Comicbook/BattleOfTheAtom X-Men: Battle of the Atom]]'' introduces Charles Xavier II, a grandson of Xavier from an alternate future. He looks exactly like his grandfather, has the same powers, and was crippled by Colossus, confining him to a wheelchair just like his grandfather.

** Also his relationship with Comicbook/{{Wolverine}}. Wolvie was born in the 19th century and is old enough to be Xavier's ancestor.

* IDidWhatIHadToDo: Years after the fact, Ororo's a little incensed at Charles's arrogance in thinking fighting Krakoa was more important than using her powers to help feed starving people in Kenya. Charles's defense is his students were in danger.

* BigBadSlippage: In his earliest days he had some {{Jerkass}} moments but was generally portrayed as the BigGood of the franchise, guiding the world to his dream of human and mutant co-existence by training his teams to be heroes and "protect the world that hates and fears them". Then over time he became more and more manipulative and unscrupulous at times even becoming a full on SociopathicHero. Then after going through several CynicismCatalyst's we eventually got to the Krakoan Era in which he leads the Quiet Council of Krakoa, who could be considered as much the BigBad's of the era as Orchis. From their FantasticRacism towards humans, A.I's, clones and precogs, SelectiveEnforcement of their rules and general mistreatment of anyone on their island who steps out of line. The era turns Xavier into a HateSink with virtually none of his previous positive traits on display, the best you could call him now is VillainWithGoodPublicity.

* FlorenceNightingaleEffect: ''Uncanny X-Men'' #161 (September, 1982) is a WholeEpisodeFlashback to 20 years before, back to Xavier's younger years. He is in Haifa, Israel when asked to treat Gabrielle Haller, a Holocaust survivor who has been catatonic since the days of UsefulNotes/WorldWarII. Xavier uses his telepathy to enter her mindscape, demolish the mental walls present there, and awaken her for the first time in decades. Over the following weeks, he keeps treating her as his patient and they fall in love.

* HeroesWantRedheads: He is a hero and two of his love interests are redheads: Amelia Voght, and Mystique.

* JumpingOffTheSlipperySlope: Due to suppressing his dark side, Charles often teeters on the edge of dangerous megalomania as seen when a single act of mindwiping Magneto led to the entire ''Onslaught Arc.''. As of the recent ''House of X/Powers of X'', he's officially jumped off the slope thanks to Moira [[BreakTheCutie wearing down his idealism for co-existence]], in that not only has he seemingly abandoned his philosophy of integration and equality with baseline humans in favor of xenophobic isolationism and looking down on normal humans with mutant supremacy, but he's suddenly willing to work with mutant villains like Mystique, Mister Sinister, Sabretooth, and Apocalypse to get things done. One of the first things we see him do is send them to steal valuable data from Damage Control, seemingly not caring when Sabretooth kills several innocent security guards in the process even if he does punish him for it later as a scapegoat. He's even resorted to mindwiping politicians and playing God with mutant lives, something the old Xavier abhorred, by resurrecting X-Men and former mutant allies from death and using them as his pawns. Apocalypse of all people even expresses approval of Xavier's recent change. At this point, the only difference between him and Magneto anymore is that he happens to pay lip service to pacifism and diplomacy.

* UnrelatedInTheAdaptation: He has no relation with Juggernaut in ''ComicBook/UltimateXMen'' and the "Last Stand" film. Marko is just another mutant.

* GoodIsNotNice: While still in the womb, Xavier sensed that his twin sister Cassandra Nova was evil. So his first conscious act was trying to kill her, even though she had yet to hurt him. He has performed memory wipes on {{Muggles}} and his own students. He has on occasion faked losing his powers or even dying to suit his plans, consequently leaving his students fending for themselves and feeling emotional pain. He was part of the covert group ComicBook/TheIlluminati, and participated in their at best questionable decisions. All behind the back of his students. He covered up the death of the inexperienced X-Men Darwin, Petra, Sway, and Vulcan (albeit when he had to focus on saving the rest of the team). He brainwashed Wolverine into joining the team (although this also involved stopping Wolverine from completing an earlier mission to ''kill'' Xavier, and Wolverine has since learnt about this and forgiven him). He knew that the Danger Room had become sentient and chose to keep it enslaved (although he claimed that he couldn't find a way to transfer its consciousness into a new form). He put a lot of effort into the Xavier Protocols, identifying the weaknesses of each student and devising plans to kill them if they went bad (to be fair, he included plans for his students to kill ''him'' if need be). He has also at times not hesitated to demote a number of X-Men while criticizing their perceived flaws. One of Comicbook/KittyPryde's most famous phrases summarizes well what all this means: "Professor Xavier Is a Jerk!"

* ADarkerMe: Xavier [[ComicBook/ThePhoenixSaga had a history]] [[ComicBook/TheXMenAndTheMicronauts of his dark side]] taking on a life of its own. [[ComicBook/{{Onslaught}} One of these times]] led into a freaking CrisisCrossover.

* ADarkerMe: Xavier [[http://www.uncannyxmen.net/character-related-topics/the-road-to-onslaught-the-darker-side-of-xavier had a history of his dark side]] taking on a life of its own. [[ComicBook/{{Onslaught}} One of these times]] led into a freaking CrisisCrossover.

* SuperpoweredEvilSide: He has demonstrated a more powerful dark side three times. First there was "Dark Xavier" during "ComicBook/ThePhoenixSaga", who was able to create copies of the Angel, Beast, Iceman, and Jean Grey, using them to fight against the current X-Men. Second, in ''ComicBook/TheXMenAndTheMicronauts'' #1-4, a crossover mini-series, there was the Entity, another personification of his dark side. Within the Microverse, it was able to enslave entire races, and to manipulate and restructure matter. Later there was the supremely powerful ComicBook/{{Onslaught}}, who also contained elements of Magneto's evil side.

Widely considered the father of the mutant rights movement in the MarvelUniverse, Xavier is the founder of his [[SuperheroSchool School for Gifted Youngsters]], where young mutants can learn to hone their amazing abilities in a safe environment. ComicBook/{{Cyclops|MarvelComics}}, ComicBook/JeanGrey, ComicBook/{{Iceman|MarvelComics}}, ComicBook/{{Beast|MarvelComics}}, and Angel were among his first-ever pupils.

* DirtyOldMan: In ''The X-Men'' #3 (January, 1964) it is revealed that Xavier is romantically attracted to his teenaged student Jean Grey. "'Don't worry!' As though I could help worrying about the one I love! But I can never tell her! I have no right! Not while I'm the leader of the X-Men, and confined to this wheelchair!" This was actually part of a running gag about how every male in Jean's range was in love with her, and could be dismissed as a throwaway joke. It was dropped and nearly forgotten until 1996, when ComicBook/{{Onslaught}} brought it up again, presenting it as if it was serious.

* GoodIsNotNice: While still in the womb, Xavier sensed that his twin sister Cassandra Nova was evil. So his first conscious act was trying to kill her, even though she had yet to hurt him. He has performed memory wipes on {{Muggles}} and his own students. He has on occasion faked losing his powers or even dying to suit his plans, consequently leaving his students fending for themselves and feeling emotional pain. He was part of the covert group ComicBook/TheIlluminati, and participated in their at best questionable decisions. All behind the back of his students. He covered up the death of the inexperienced X-Men Darwin, Petra, Sway, and Vulcan. He brainwashed Wolverine into joining the team. He knew that the Danger Room had become sentient and chose to keep it enslaved. He put a lot of effort into the Xavier Protocols, identifying the weaknesses of each student and devising plans to kill them if they went bad (to be fair, he included plans for his students to kill ''him'' if need be). He has also at times not hesitated to demote a number of X-Men while criticizing their perceived flaws. One of Comicbook/KittyPryde's most famous phrases summarizes well what all this means: "Professor Xavier Is a Jerk!"

* InstantExpert: He can "quickly process and store information by mental transference", an ability which he used in school to rise above his peers in academic achievement. His stepbrother, who knew he was telepathic, strongly suspected him of doing this and bullied him relentlessly over it. He can also transfer information between minds, as was established in ''Deadly Genesis'' when he infamously [[spoiler:put Vulcan's team through a psychic cram-session on being X-Men, including a week's worth of Danger Room training that happened nowhere but in their own minds]]. It probably wasn't intended by ''Deadly Genesis's'' writers, but adding that little detail made Charles's entire history as a teacher suspect, leading readers to wonder how much of his successes with his students were by their own merit and how much was just Charles mentally grafting whatever his students needed to know into their minds.
* IntergenerationalFriendship: With ComicBook/{{Magneto}}, though this is a result of the [[ComicBookTime sliding timescale]]. Creator/ChrisClaremont established the two to be close age-wise and having a friendship going back decades. But Magneto's origin has him as an Holocaust survivor and this is not affected by the timescale. According to ''X-Men: Magneto Testament'' #1 (November, 2008), Magneto was born in either 1925 or 1926. He is currently supposed to be 90-years-old and will only appear to get older as the decades pass. On the other hand, Xavier's birth period is affected by the timescale and moves forward in time. In more recent stories, Magneto is old enough to be Xavier's father.

* LiteralSplitPersonality: While Xavier's dark side, as noted, as taken on a life of its own before, ComicBook/{{Onslaught}} became this halfway through his self-titled crossover.

* MindRape: He is perfectly capable of performing one, although he is reluctant to use it. Performed on Magneto in ''X-Men'' vol. 2 #25 (October, 1993), to shut out his mind and leave him in a vegetative state.