History Characters / MarvelComicsProfessorX

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}}, ComicBook/{{Beast|MarvelComics}}, and Angel were among his first-ever pupils.

* KnightTemplar: At his worst, he will do whatever he feels is the right thing, anyone else's objections be damned. In a conversation with Storm, Magneto explains this is one of Charles's traits that scares him the most; Charles running lose with no-one willing or able to reign his worst instincts in, utterly determined to do ''anything'' to prove his righteousness.

* AntiHero: Gone are the days of the PatrickStewartSpeech-delivering idealist that we once knew, although that isn't to say he's turned bad. X is still very much someone with noble intentions and still believes in coexistence, but he's become a lot more pragmatic in response to learning the full extent of the problems facing mutantkind.

* BigGood: Professor Xavier is TheLeader of the X-Men, principal of the Xavier Institute for Gifted Youngsters, and the standard-bearer of the campaign for mutants and {{Muggles}} to co-exist peacefully. Even though he doesn't play a direct leader role in all of the Marvel Universe's mutant teams, the Verse's various teams of mutant heroes (the X-Men, ComicBook/XFactor, ComicBook/XForce, ComicBook/GenerationX, etc.) have occasionally been collectively referred to as "The Disciples of Xavier."
** In actuality, it turns out that he's part of a [[BigBadDuumvirate Big Good]] [[InvertedTrope Duumvirate]] with Moira X, who is using her knowledge to ensure that mutants never have to worry about going extinct ever again... And Magneto, who has played along with their plans this whole time.

** ''Uncanny X-Men'' #309 (February, 1994) id another a WholeEpisodeFlashback, back to Xavier's younger years. Xavier has recently lost use of his legs and his injuries are treated in a hospital in India. He has sunk into depression. His primary caretaker is American Red Cross nurse (and fellow mutant) Amelia Voght. During a therapy session, Amelia surprises him by confessing to love him and giving him a [[TheBigDamnKiss passionate kiss]]. He falls in love with her. Eventually they move in together, back in his Westchester mansion.

* 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 in the so-called 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!"

* KilledOffForReal: In the ComicBook/UltimateMarvel universe, during ''ComicBook/{{Ultimatum}}''.

* MalevolentMaskedMen: His signature helmet, which looks a lot like [[ComicBook/UltimateFantasticFour The Maker]]. Downplayed in the sense that he's not actually evil, but he is more ruthless than he's ever been.

* MindRape: Currently, the worst he's done is [[spoiler:messing with Reed Richards' mind to prevent him from building a device that hides the X-Gene again]]. He points out that this is a CruelMercy as he could have just erased his mind of the entire debacle, but he wants to prove a point.
** His narration in ''Immortal X-Men'' #10 has him point out that if he wanted to, he could implant a psychic suggestion in every human to kill themselves. [[spoiler: he then reveals that he ''did'' implant a suggestion in the human race - the inability to launch any sort of nuclear weapon.]]

** Xavier's counterpart in ''ComicBook/UltimateXMen'' is also telekinetic. Per his profile in the Marvel Database: "He is capable of lifting himself and his wheelchair up a flight of stairs, shunting Magneto into Earth's atmosphere and exploding the ball of metal which Magneto was (presumably) contained within, and levitating a Sentinel."

* RelatedInTheAdaptation: While Charles always has an attraction to Moira, they never got married. In ''ComicBook/UltimateXMen'', they are divorced.

* GeniusCripple / HandicappedBadass: For much of his history. As a teenager he was a track athlete. He then devoted himself to his college studies. His genius-level intellect made him a leading expert in genetics, the study of mutations, and psionics. He possesses considerable expertise in other life sciences. He is also a tactician, strategist, and a GadgeteerGenius. He is responsible for the creation of technological achievements such as the mutant-tracking computer Cerebro and the Danger Room. His legs were crippled following a fight with [[HumanAliens Human-looking Alien]] Lucifer, making him a Genius Cripple. He has been able to walk on several occasions, but this tends to be short-lived. He always seems to return to being confined in a wheelchair. Despite his handicap, Xavier remains a Badass fighter.

* SuperpoweredEvilSide: He has demonstrated a more powerful dark side three times. First there was "Dark Xavier" in ''X-Men'' #106 (August, 1977). It 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.

* SuperpoweredEvilSide: He has demonstrated a more powerful dark side three times. First there was "Dark Xavier" in ''X-Men'' #106 (August, 1977). It 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 (January - April, 1984) ,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.

* SuperpoweredEvilSide: He has demonstrated a more powerful dark side three times. First there was "Dark Xavier" in ''X-Men'' #106 (August, 1977). It 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/XMenAndTheMicronauts'' #1-4 (January - April, 1984) ,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.

* SuperpoweredEvilSide: He has demonstrated a more powerful dark side three times. First there was "Dark Xavier" in ''X-Men'' #106 (August, 1977). It was able to create copies of the Angel, Beast, Iceman, and Jean Grey, using them to fight against the current X-Men. Second, in ''X-Men and the ComicBook/{{Micronauts|MarvelComics}}'' #1-4 (January - April, 1984) ,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.

* MoralMyopia: His use of devices like Cerebro, which enhance his abilities enough that he can potentially read and control the minds of everyone on Earth, is by itself a good reason as to why normal humans fear mutants. What's more is that Xavier uses Cerebro to identify and keep track of the world's mutant population, rank them on their individual power levels and to intervene if he feels they present a potential danger to themselves or others, something that's not too dissimilar from mutant registration.

** On the flip-side, in recent years ''he's'' been the one whose needed to be forgiven, as all sorts of revelations about how manipulative he has been over the years have come to light, to say nothing of the fact that he apparently had a crush on Jean Grey since she was 6 (something, admittedly, that is generally quietly ignored as a product of the DorkAge). Cyclops and many members of the team have had trouble forgiving him. Another reason is general loss of faith as his dream of peaceful human-mutant co-existence seems to have gone down the crapper, and Cyke thinks a tougher policy than EasilyForgiven is in order. Thirdly, he himself broke this rule when he shot his EvilTwin Cassandra Nova dead; though she absolutely deserved it, it was mainly because of the threat she represented, and not (just) her previous genocidal actions.

* TeacherStudentRomance: In the earlier days, Xavier had a secret love for Jean, but feared she would never reciprocate because of his handicap. Later, it was revealed that he had a crush on her since she was ''six''. Since this was part of a DorkAge, it's generally ignored.

Xavier also appears as a primary character in most of the ''Film/XMenFilmSeries'', portrayed initially by Creator/PatrickStewart (who was already [[ComicBookFantasyCasting popular fancast]] by fans and creators for many years) starting with 2000's ''Film/XMen1''. Creator/JamesMcAvoy was later cast as a younger version of the role in 2011's ''Film/XMenFirstClass'', a role he'd continue in further prequel-sequels. Both Xaviers would eventually interact in 2014's ''Film/XMenDaysOfFuturePast''. Xavier was alluded to in a Season 1 episode of Creator/{{FX|Networks}}'s ''Series/{{Legion|2017}}'', based on [[Characters/MarvelComicsLegion the character of the same name]]... who just so happens to be his firstborn offspring. He finally appeared in the third season, played by Creator/HarryLloyd.

* AlternateUniverseReedRichardsIsAwesome: ''ComicBook/WhatIf'' vol. 2 #13 (May, 1990), depicts Earth-905. During the UsefulNotes/TheKoreanWar, Xavier and not Cain Marko finds the Crimson Gem of Cyttorak. He is transformed into the Juggernaut. In this incarnation being a GeniusBruiser, {{Nigh Invulnerab|ility}}le, a near InvincibleVillain, and hinted by Uatu to be {{Immortal|ity}}. He uses his powers to take over the United States and sets up a mutant-dominated regime, founding the X-Men to serve as its de facto ruling class. Among those defeated by him are ComicBook/{{Daredevil}}, ComicBook/DoctorDoom, the ComicBook/FantasticFour, the [[ComicBook/TheIncredibleHulk Hulk]], ComicBook/IronMan, and ComicBook/SpiderMan. His tyranny turns a hand full of his X-Men against him. He is eventually defeated by an alliance of [[ComicBook/JuggernautMarvelComics Cain Marko]], ComicBook/{{Colossus}}, ComicBook/{{Cyclops|MarvelComics}}, ComicBook/JeanGrey, ComicBook/{{Magneto}}, ComicBook/{{Quicksilver}}, and the ComicBook/ScarletWitch, who manage to launch him into space.

* ILoveNuclearPower: Creator/StanLee toyed the idea that Mutants were the result of exposures to radiation. Which is why the X-Men were the so-called "Children of the Atom." In ''X-Men''#1 (September, 1963), Xavier gives a brief mention of both of his parents working in the Atomic bomb project. Which resulted in his birth as a mutant. In ''X-Men'' #12 (July, 1965), Xavier receives his first OriginsEpisode. His father Brian Xavier is confirmed to have worked (and died) as a scientist in a nuclear facility in Alamogordo, New Mexico. His mother Sharon Xavier, on the other hand, was retconned into a common {{Housewife}}. Xavier thus gains his mutation from his father.

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/XMen original animated series]] and ''WesternAnimation/XMenEvolution''.

* AdaptationalNiceGuy: His more negative traits (ManipulativeBastard, GoodIsNotNice) are often downplayed in most adaptations such as the [[WesternAnimation/XMen 1990s animated series]] and the ''Film/XMenFilmSeries,'' where he is a lot more noble and wise. Creator/JamesMcAvoy takes it up a notch in terms of likability by portraying the younger Charles as TheCutie. Creator/HarryLloyd's interpretation in ''{{Series/Legion|2017}}'' is also a sympathetic NiceGuy.

** A similar plot was presented in ''WesternAnimation/XMen'' during the two-parter episode "One Man's Worth" -- if a mutant traitor kills Xavier in the past, it winds up leading to a ''ComicBook/DaysOfFuturePast''-esque future where the Sentinels rule.

* AlternateUniverseReedRichardsIsAwesome: ''ComicBook/WhatIf'' vol. 2 #13 (May, 1990), depicts Earth-905. During the UsefulNotes/TheKoreanWar, Xavier and not Cain Marko finds the Crimson Gem of Cyttorak. He is transformed into the Juggernaut. In this incarnation being a GeniusBruiser, {{Nigh Invulnerab|ility}}le, a near InvincibleVillain, and hinted by Uatu to be {{Immortal|ity}}. He uses his powers to take over the United States and sets up a mutant-dominated regime, founding the X-Men to serve as its de facto ruling class. Among those defeated by him are ComicBook/{{Daredevil}}, Doctor Doom, the ComicBook/FantasticFour, the ComicBook/IncredibleHulk, ComicBook/IronMan, and Franchise/SpiderMan. His tyranny turns a hand full of his X-Men against him. He is eventually defeated by an alliance of Cain Marko, Colossus, ComicBook/{{Cyclops}}, ComicBook/JeanGrey, ComicBook/{{Magneto}}, ComicBook/{{Quicksilver}}, and the ComicBook/ScarletWitch, who manage to launch him into space.

* 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 best you could call him now is VillainWithGoodPublicity.

* WeakButSkilled: DependingOnTheWriter, Xavier may just be an average telepath at best who uses Cerebro to boost his powers to god-like levels, or genuinely enormously powerful. Recently, it's been leaning towards the latter, with his classification as an Omega Class mutant. But no matter the writer, he is consistently the most experienced and skilled psychic in the Marvel Universe, so sometimes he becomes this. Other times he's powerful enough without Cerebro but still has mad skills, thus averting this. Even at his peak, said skills are important - they were all that kept him from being fried when he made the very decision to sneak up on the extremely jumpy [[PhysicalGod Nate Grey]].

** According to ''Uncanny X-Men'' vol. 3 #24 (September, 2014), Xavier was married to Mystique at the time of his death. Again he was not attractive, while his spouse was a redhead, blue-skinned woman with model looks.
* UnrelatedInTheAdaptation: He has no relation with Juggernaut in ''ComicBook/UltimateXMen'' and the "Last Stand" film. Marko is just another mutant of the lot.

* AbusiveParents: His stepfather Kurt Marko was strict and abusive. [[RedemptionEqualsDeath He still died trying to save Xavier from a fire.]]

* AlternateCompanyEquivalent: He and the Chief of Creator/DCComics's ''ComicBook/DoomPatrol'' are this to each other. Both Charles and Niles Caulder are wheelchair bound leaders of teams consisting of those rejected by society, who were only morally questionable early on and -- thanks to retcons -- got revealed to be horrible people who's directly and indirectly responsible for parts of their respective teams suffering (and proceeded to get disowned by said teams).

** ''ComicBook/WhatIf'' vol. 2 #77 (September, 1995) depicts Earth-77995. Legion time travels to UsefulNotes/WorldWarII and kills a harmless Magneto. Legion then fades from existence. Without Magneto there is no mutant terrorist threat and no noticeable anti-mutant sentiment. Xavier still goes on to found the X-Men, who become media darlings. There is even a film series based on their adventures. Xavier looses control of the team to Forge, who barely tolerates Xavier's continued presence among the team. When ComicBook/{{Apocalypse}} and an army of his followers emerge, the X-Men have to face their first major battle in years. They are severely outclassed. Apocalypse points out the difference in their strengths: "For mine was tempered in fire, and yours went untested and became a joke." A mortally wounded Xavier still manages to kill Apocalypse. Jean Grey then uses the Phoenix Force to incinerate all of Apocalypse's army, except for Vanisher and Gideon who manage to escape. The cost is great, much of UsefulNotes/WashingtonDC burns in the Phoenix flames and 100,000 civilians die. Jean takes over the X-Men and the school they run, but now the public has turned against them. Iron Man proposes anti-mutant legislation, while Gideon takes up Apocalypse's cause and recruits a new army of followers.

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

* 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.
* TheIlluminati: As mentioned above, he's a member of the Marvel Universe's version of them. Strangely, it's ''not'' the usual OmniscientCouncilOfVagueness but instead a sort of 1% club consisting of the ([[InformedAbility supposed]]) smartest people in the Marvel U.

** He was killed by Doctor Doom in ''ComicBook/SecretWars'' #11 (March, 1985). He was brought back to life in issue #12 (April, 1985).

* MindControl: He has an unfortunate habit of this, one made more noticeable when he has to act through someone else, like ComicBook/RachelSummers.
* MindManipulation: He's scary good at this. In one notable instance, he disabled Exodus's Acolytes completely by implanting post-hypnotic suggestions in them [[DreamWalker via their dreams]] days before he even faced them. The only Acolyte he refused to manipulate in this way was Amelia Voght, his old lover.

* {{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 MindManipulation 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.

* ChromeDomePsi: He had blonde hair as a child, but as one character profile has it: "One side effect of his powers was that he lost his hair while he was still in his late teens." His powers being telepathy, making him "able to read thoughts, communicate with others psionically, manipulate thoughts and memories, control the actions of others, mentally induce pain, paralysis, or unconsciousness in other people, project his astral form and enter the psychic plane."

Xavier also appears as a primary character in most of the ''Film/XMenFilmSeries'', portrayed initially by Creator/PatrickStewart (who was already [[ComicBookFantasyCasting popular fancast]] by fans and creators for many years) in 2000's ''[[Film/XMen1 X-Men]]''. Creator/JamesMcAvoy was later in cast as a younger version of the role in 2011's ''Film/XMenFirstClass'', a role he'd continue in further prequel-sequels. Both Xaviers would eventually interact in 2014's ''Film/XMenDaysOfFuturePast''. Xavier was alluded to in a Season 1 episode of Creator/{{FX|Networks}}'s ''Series/{{Legion|2017}}'', based on [[Characters/MarvelComicsLegion the character of the same name]]... who just so happens to be his firstborn offspring. He finally appeared in the third season, played by Creator/HarryLloyd.

** ''[[Film/XMen1 X-Men]]'' (2000), portrayed by Stewart