| 1 | !!Professor Charles Francis Xavier / Professor X |
| 2 | %% Image restored per Image Pickin' thread: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=1617989191026341400 |
| 3 | %% Please do not replace or remove without starting a new thread. |
| 4 | %% |
| 5 | [[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/professor_x.jpg]] |
| 6 | %% |
| 7 | !!!'''Nationality:''' American |
| 8 | !!!'''Species:''' Human mutant |
| 9 | !!!'''First Appearance:''' ''X-Men'' #1 (September, 1963) |
| 10 | |
| 11 | Professor Charles Xavier, also known as Professor X, is a Creator/MarvelComics character created by Creator/JackKirby and Creator/StanLee, first appearing in ''ComicBook/XMen'' #1 (September 1963). |
| 12 | |
| 13 | Widely considered the father of the mutant rights movement in the Franchise/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. |
| 14 | |
| 15 | Xavier, himself a mutant with the power of {{telepathy}}, is often compared to UsefulNotes/MartinLutherKingJr, especially in the context of alternating friend / rival ComicBook/{{Magneto}}'s UsefulNotes/MalcolmX. Highly regarded within the Marvel Universe by mutants and non-mutants alike for his intellectual endeavors, Xavier's intelligence [[GoodIsNotNice isn't always utilized for pure altruism]], and he's often depicted as a member of ComicBook/TheIlluminati, for better or worse. |
| 16 | |
| 17 | Regardless, Xavier remains an enduring figure of leadership within the mutant community, even after his death in ''ComicBook/AvengersVsXMen''. While still ''technically'' dead as of 2018, Creator/CharlesSoule's ''[[ComicBook/AstonishingXMen2017 Astonishing X-Men]]'' brought Xavier back to the land of the living, albeit in the body of a consenting Fantomex. Now calling himself "X", Xavier eventually revealed his new status to the rest of the X-Men, and emerged as a major figure of Creator/JonathanHickman's dual ''[[ComicBook/XMen2019 House of X / Powers of X]]'' series. |
| 18 | |
| 19 | As the founder of the ComicBook/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''. |
| 20 | |
| 21 | 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 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. |
| 22 | |
| 23 | ---- |
| 24 | !! Professor X appears in: |
| 25 | |
| 26 | [[foldercontrol]] |
| 27 | |
| 28 | [[folder: Notable Comics]] |
| 29 | * ''ComicBook/XMen'' (various titles and volumes) |
| 30 | * ''[[ComicBook/TheIlluminati New Avengers: Illuminati]]'' (2006 -- 2008) |
| 31 | * ''[[ComicBook/AstonishingXMen2017 Astonishing X-Men]]'' vol. 4 (2017 -- 2018) |
| 32 | * ''[[ComicBook/XMen2019 House of X / Powers of X]]'' (2019) |
| 33 | [[/folder]] |
| 34 | |
| 35 | [[folder: Anime]] |
| 36 | * ''Anime/MarvelAnimeXMen'' |
| 37 | [[/folder]] |
| 38 | |
| 39 | [[folder: Live-Action Films]] |
| 40 | * ''Film/XMenFilmSeries'', portrayed by Creator/PatrickStewart & Creator/JamesMcAvoy: |
| 41 | ** ''Film/XMen1'' (2000), portrayed by Stewart |
| 42 | ** ''Film/X2XMenUnited'' (2003), portrayed by Stewart |
| 43 | ** ''Film/XMenTheLastStand'' (2006), portrayed by Stewart |
| 44 | ** ''Film/XMenOriginsWolverine'' (2009), portrayed by Stewart |
| 45 | ** ''Film/XMenFirstClass'' (2011), portrayed by [=McAvoy=] |
| 46 | ** ''Film/TheWolverine'' (2013), portrayed by Stewart |
| 47 | ** ''Film/XMenDaysOfFuturePast'' (2014), portrayed by Stewart & [=McAvoy=] |
| 48 | ** ''Film/XMenApocalypse'' (2016), portrayed by [=McAvoy=] |
| 49 | ** ''Film/{{Logan}}'' (2017), portrayed by Stewart |
| 50 | ** ''Film/Deadpool2'' (2018), portrayed by [=McAvoy=] |
| 51 | ** ''Film/DarkPhoenix'' (2019), portrayed by [=McAvoy=] |
| 52 | * ''Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse'' |
| 53 | ** ''Film/DoctorStrangeInTheMultiverseOfMadness'' (2022), portrayed by Stewart |
| 54 | [[/folder]] |
| 55 | |
| 56 | [[folder: Live-Action Series]] |
| 57 | * ''Series/{{Legion|2017}}'' (2019), portrayed by Creator/HarryLloyd |
| 58 | [[/folder]] |
| 59 | |
| 60 | [[folder:Western Animation]] |
| 61 | * ''WesternAnimation/XMenTheAnimatedSeries'' (1992 -- 1997), voiced by Cedric Smith |
| 62 | * ''WesternAnimation/XMenEvolution'' (2000 -- 2003), voiced by Creator/DavidKaye |
| 63 | * ''WesternAnimation/WolverineAndTheXMen2009'' (2009), voiced by Creator/JimWard |
| 64 | [[/folder]] |
| 65 | |
| 66 | [[folder: Video Games]] |
| 67 | * ''VideoGame/SpiderMan2EnterElectro'', voiced by Creator/DaranNorris (NPC) |
| 68 | * ''VideoGame/X2WolverinesRevenge'', voiced by Stewart (NPC) |
| 69 | * ''VideoGame/XMenLegends'', voiced by Stewart (NPC) |
| 70 | ** ''X-Men Legends 2: Rise Of Apocalypse'', voiced by Stewart (NPC, unlockable playable character) |
| 71 | * ''VideoGame/MarvelUltimateAlliance'', voiced by Creator/TomKane (NPC) |
| 72 | ** ''VideoGame/MarvelUltimateAlliance3TheBlackOrder'', voiced by Creator/KeithFerguson (NPC) |
| 73 | [[/folder]] |
| 74 | |
| 75 | ---- |
| 76 | !!Professor X provides examples of: |
| 77 | |
| 78 | [[folder:A-H]] |
| 79 | * AbledInTheAdaptation: The ''Film/XMenFilmSeries'' gives Xavier a serum that he can take which allows him to regain his ability to walk at the cost of his powers. Nothing like this exists in the comics, although he has come up with numerous other off-the-wall ways to regain his mobility (none of them ever stick, though). In ''{{Series/Legion|2017}}'', Creator/HarryLloyd's version of the character lacks any disability and is always seen walking. |
| 80 | * AbusiveParents: |
| 81 | ** His stepfather Kurt Marko was strict and abusive. [[RedemptionEqualsDeath He still died trying to save Xavier from a fire.]] |
| 82 | ** Xavier himself is regarded by his son David Heller as neglectful at best. By the [[ComicBook/XMenTheKrakoanAge Krakoan Age]] their relationship had degraded to the point where Xavier refused to resurrect David because he viewed him as too unstable to live in the mutant nation. David, being an Omega level reality warper, was able to resurrect himself just fine. Since then, Xavier has tried to read his son's mind without permission and even forbid him from leaving Mars/Arakko and returning to Krakoa despite David helping to save mutantkind from Onslaught. |
| 83 | * AcademicAthlete: As a teenager, Xavier received excellent grades and was also an accomplished track athlete. |
| 84 | * AdaptationalAttractiveness: He's bald and average-looking at best in the comics, but the younger Charles in the ''Film/XMenFilmSeries'' and ''{{Series/Legion|2017}}'' is a PrettyBoy with a head full of hair. |
| 85 | * AdaptationalNationality: The original comic book iteration is American, but Xavier is half-British through his mother in the ''Film/XMenFilmSeries'' where it's implied that he has dual USA/UK citizenship. In ''{{Series/Legion|2017}}'', he's a full-blooded Englishman who was a British army officer during UsefulNotes/WorldWarII. [[note]]To further emphasize his English background, when discussing tomatoes with his LoveInterest and hearing her pronounce it as "to-may-to," Charles responds with, "Well, we say 'to-mah-to'." The "we" refers to the British.[[/note]] It's worth noting that Creator/PatrickStewart, Creator/JamesMcAvoy and Creator/HarryLloyd are all Brits, and the general audience has become [[invoked]][[AudienceColoringAdaptation accustomed]] to hearing the character speak with a [[SmartPeopleSpeakTheQueensEnglish posh English accent]]. Even though Professor X is TruerToTheText in ''Film/DoctorStrangeInTheMultiverseOfMadness'', his Received Pronunciation accent is retained (and the role was reprised by Stewart, no less). |
| 86 | * AdaptationalNiceGuy: His more negative traits (ManipulativeBastard, GoodIsNotNice) are often downplayed in most adaptations such as the [[WesternAnimation/XMenTheAnimatedSeries 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. |
| 87 | * AdaptationDyeJob: The comic book character was blond before he lost his hair, but Xavier is a brunet in the ''Film/XMenFilmSeries'' and ''{{Series/Legion|2017}}''. |
| 88 | * AesopAmnesia: Modern Charles has a bad habit of assuming he knows best, trying to use his powers to fix whatever the problem is and making the situation so much worse. And he never learns. |
| 89 | * AlcoholicParent: His mother Sharon Xavier started [[DrowningMySorrows Drowning Her Sorrows]] following her failed marriage to Kurt Marko. She became an alcoholic and died young. Xavier still has fond memories of her. |
| 90 | * 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 were directly and indirectly responsible for parts of their respective teams suffering (and proceeded to get disowned by said teams). |
| 91 | * AlternateUniverseReedRichardsIsAwesome: ''ComicBook/WhatIf'' vol. 2 #13 (May, 1990), depicts Earth-905. During 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. |
| 92 | ** ''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 loses 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. |
| 93 | ** The ''Mutant X'' series (1998-2001) depicts Earth-1298. Xavier fought the Shadow King, killed him, and managed to somehow absorb the powers of the rival telepath. This was the StartOfDarkness for him, as he also absorbed some of the Shadow King's corruption. He set out on a campaign to capture all the world's telepaths and absorb their powers. He later formed an alliance with Mister Sinister, took control of ComicBook/{{SHIELD}}, and unleashed a major attack on the X-Men. This was the prerequisite on his actual plan to terrorize the civilian population of planet Earth and feed on their fears, a power he had inherited from the Shadow King. He had an argument with Sinister and killed him. He was eventually defeated by the combined forces of the X-Men (led by Magneto), the Six (led by Havok), and the Horsemen of the Apocalypse (led by Apocalypse). He escaped and remained an active threat. |
| 94 | ** The one-shot ''What If Magneto Had Formed the X-Men With Professor X?'' (February, 2005) depicts Earth-523004. Xavier, Magneto, and Gabrielle Haller have their fated meeting in Israel. But in this world, a passionate speech by Gabrielle inspires Magneto to become a hero, rather than a WellIntentionedExtremist. He and Xavier become firm allies and active players in world politics. Their greatest achievement is helping to end the UsefulNotes/ArabIsraeliConflict. On the other hand, Xavier fails to construct Cerebro. Consequently the two only managed to locate a hand full of mutants over the decades. They form the X-Men to face the plans of Larry Trask. Trask stands as one of the world's richest men, his company provides advanced technology for global governments, he is a Lord Cardinal of the Hellfire Club, and his father provides him with mutant-hunting Sentinels. Making him much more dangerous than his Earth-616 counterpart. |
| 95 | * AmbiguouslyEvil: Something isn't right about him as of the Krakoan age. Not only has he inexplicably abandoned his philosophy of integration and equality in favor of isolationism and looking down on normal humans, but he’s suddenly willing to work with villains like Mystique, Sabretooth, and Toad 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. ''House of X'' #2 indicates that he's not actually evil at all, but is willing to sacrifice his initial dream for the sake of ensuring a lasting future for all mutants. There's still a lot that's shady and unpleasant about what he does, though. |
| 96 | * AmicableExes: With Moira (at least before the big retcon of the Hickman era). Significantly less so with Gabrielle Haller, Amelia Voght and Lilandra, though with Amelia things have progressed so that they can have a conversation with one another. |
| 97 | * AmnesiacDissonance: After getting shot in the head by Bishop, a lot of Charles' memories were slow to come back. It did prove valuable in a BattleInTheCenterOfTheMind with Mr. Sinister, though, since his attempts at demoralising Charles didn't have the same punch without the emotional connection. |
| 98 | * AntiClimacticUnmasking: An odd example since he’d been wearing the Cerebro helmet, considering that it follows [[spoiler:his assassination]] in ''X-Force'' #1, but ''X-Force'' #2 showcases that [[spoiler:his face is completely normal when he's not wearing Cerebro]]. |
| 99 | ** The more traditional example occurs in X-Men #4, removing Cerebro during the economic summit. |
| 100 | * AntiHero: As of the Krakoa era. 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. |
| 101 | * ArchEnemy: He has several. ComicBook/{{Magneto}} serves as his longest-standing enemy and is also his rival in proposing a different dream for mutants, one of mutant supremacy (which is against everything Xavier stands for). The Shadow King is another, being the first evil mutant he fought and a telepath of power comparable to him who has returned over and over again to haunt the X-Men. Mr. Sinister became this to him in ''X-Men Legacy'', where it was retconned that he had manipulated Xavier when he was a child. And then there's Jack Winters, the evil mutant who adopted Cyclops and steered him towards a life of crime before Xavier stepped in. |
| 102 | * TheAtoner: During his journey WalkingTheEarth in ''X-Men Legacy'' he spent most of his time trying to make amends with various X-Men. |
| 103 | * BadassTeacher: However one feels about his personal morality, he's undoubtedly one of these to the students under his charge. |
| 104 | * BaldOfAuthority: He is a ChromeDomePsi and the original founder and first leader of the ComicBook/XMen. As the leader of the X-men and the headmaster of Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters, he's idealistic, empathetic, paternalistic, and a perennial MentorArchetype to every student. Depending on the adaptation, how he became bald changes, but most describe it as a consequence of him developing his abilities as a teenager. |
| 105 | * BeneathTheMask: Toward the end of the Krakoa era, while Charles acts aloof and smug, it's repeatedly shown he's cracking quite badly under the pressure of ruling an entire nation. |
| 106 | * BewareTheNiceOnes: Charles is a kind father figure to his students and truly believes in a world where humans and mutants can live together in peace. But he's also an extraordinarily powerful psychic who can rip your mind apart without breaking a sweat and even his team are shocked at just how ruthless he can be when pushed. |
| 107 | * 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 Cynicism Catalysts]] 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, 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. |
| 108 | * BigGood: |
| 109 | ** 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." |
| 110 | ** As of the Krakoa era, 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. However, after ''Inferno'', with Moira gone and Magneto in recusal, Charles tries to take up the position... but his arrogance prevents him from being there. |
| 111 | * BigOlEyebrows: Charles is usually drawn with full, dark eyebrows that stand out even more due to his baldness. |
| 112 | * 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 sometimes 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. |
| 113 | * BodyHorror: When the Brood Queen inside him revealed herself, she tears her way out of Charles's body like it was made of tissue paper. |
| 114 | * BodySurf: Charles Xavier's mind is possessing Fantomex's body, although Fantomex is completely fine with this. As such, he's no longer disabled and can walk again. |
| 115 | ** According to WordOfGod, he's back in his own body after his assassination. |
| 116 | * BoomHeadshot: At the end of the ''Messiah Complex'' storyline, Bishop accidentally hit Charles while firing madly at a disappearing Cable. He got better thanks to Exodus and his Acolytes. |
| 117 | * BrainwashingForTheGreaterGood: He's more than willing to do this if he feels it's necessary (though over time he's developed at least [[MindOverManners a token reluctance]] to brainwashing people willy-nilly). An infamous case is his brainwashing of the villain known as the Vanisher, who he brainwashed into a DirtyCoward because he considered his powers of {{Teleportation}} to be "too dangerous". Vanisher '''never''' recovered, and even to this day, many decades later, his character is still defined by what Charles Xavier forced him into being. |
| 118 | * BreakHisHeartToSaveHim: An interesting platonic version - Moira makes Charles read her mind to see that throughout her lives, he's never changed; and if mutants are to survive as a species, his conceptions need to be broken, and built anew. |
| 119 | * BrokenPedestal: He definitely became one of these to Cyclops after ''Deadly Genesis''. |
| 120 | * CainAndAbel: Has an evil twin sister (Cassandra Nova), had an evil stepbrother (Juggernaut, who had a HeelFaceTurn, and was actually called [[MeaningfulName Cain]]), an evil former best friend (Magneto), and an evil ''son'' (David "ComicBook/{{Legion|MarvelComics}}" Haller, not actually evil but misguided with severe mental problems)! |
| 121 | * CameBackWrong: He resurrected himself using Fantomex' body but it's implied he's not quite the same person, and Psylocke decides to keep an eye on him. |
| 122 | * CatchPhrase: "To me, my X-Men!" The phrase debuted in the final page of ''X-Men'' #1 (September, 1963) and would be reused for decades. |
| 123 | * ChickMagnet: Xavier is certainly usually one. He ends up hooking up or marrying incredibly attractive women like Alien Shi'ar Empress Lilandra Neramani, hot mutant nurse Amelia Voght, Moira Kinross, Gabrielle Haller, and even Mystique. |
| 124 | * TheChessmaster: Nearly everything that's happened since the X-Men's formation has been a part of a larger, previously-unseen plan with Moira, with the foundation of a mutant state on Krakoa serving as one of the most important steps toward an end goal of ensuring that Mutants are not driven extinct by Sentinels. |
| 125 | * ChromeDomePsi: He had blond 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." |
| 126 | * ComicBookFantasyCasting: According to an interview with Creator/StanLee, the visual appearance of Xavier was originally based on Creator/YulBrynner. In more recent years, he's been based on Creator/PatrickStewart. |
| 127 | * CommutingOnABus: After his stint as the main character of ''X-Men: Legacy'', having been made ''Persona Non Grata'' among most of the X-Men, Charles spent the next few years disappearing and reappearing. |
| 128 | * ControlFreak: One of his flaws. Apparently being able to read the minds of others makes for difficulty dealing with dissenting opinions. Decades of growth and the occasional serving of humble pie means he's gotten ''slightly'' better about this. |
| 129 | * CrazyPrepared: Professor X had at one point plans to be put into play in the event that any given X-Man executed a Face Heel Turn. For example, the plan for dealing with Wolverine was immolating his entire body, severing his head with a laser and sealing it in an adamantium safe. |
| 130 | ** [[PopularityPower Of course, nowadays, all that would do to Wolverine is make him chuckle.]] The severing the head part, in particular, only applies when he doesn't have an indestructible adamantium skeleton. |
| 131 | ** Oddly, almost every single X-Man ''has'' pulled a FaceHeelTurn at some point or another, though most of these have been MindControl, MoreThanMindControl, BrainwashedAndCrazy or DemonicPossession, or an AntiVillain turn of varying sorts. Still, something of a subversion given that none of them were ever used. |
| 132 | * CrimefightingWithCash: He can't always directly fight crime (paraplegia is a bitch that way), but he still uses his mountains of cash to help his students do so. |
| 133 | * ADarkerMe: Xavier [[ComicBook/ThePhoenixSaga has 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. |
| 134 | * DeathIsCheap: |
| 135 | ** He was killed by Grotesk in ''X-Men'' vol. 1 #42 (March, 1968). But in issue #65 (February, 1970), it was revealed that the [[VoluntaryShapeshifting Shapeshifter]] Changeling had died in his place. The real Xavier was just in hiding, preparing to face the AlienInvasion of the Z'Nox. Jean Grey was the only one who knew of the ruse. |
| 136 | ** He was killed by Doctor Doom in ''ComicBook/SecretWars1984'' #11 (March, 1985). He was brought back to life in issue #12 (April, 1985). |
| 137 | ** [[spoiler:After being killed by a Phoenix-possessed Cyclops in ''ComicBook/AvengersVsXMen'' and Red Skull using his corpse in ''ComicBook/UncannyXMen'', Xavier came back in ''ComicBook/AstonishingXMen2017''--which also involved [[GrandTheftMe taking over Fantomex's body]].]] |
| 138 | ** Killed in the opening issues of 2019's ''X-Force'', but thanks to Krakoa's resurrection protocols he's back on his feet pretty quickly. |
| 139 | ** Dies in ''Immortal X-Men'' issue #10 thanks to Sinister tricking him into looking in a psychic trap. He's quickly revived, [[CameBackWrong more or less]]. |
| 140 | * DeusExitMachina: Professor Xavier also tends to suffer this fate as, at his full potential, he should be able to just sense and mindwipe any sentient problem that's heading the X-Men's way. Hence, most major threats in the X-Men comic books will begin with Xavier either disappearing, losing his powers, falling into a coma, turning evil, or otherwise being rendered useless for the rest of the story. |
| 141 | ** Believe it or not, a lot of the early battles came down to the X-Men distracting the villain long enough for Professor X to get in range and defeat them with his mental bolts. |
| 142 | * DidNotGetTheGirl: In his college years, Xavier was involved in a LoveTriangle. Both Xavier and Joseph "Joe" [=MacTaggert=] courted the lovely [[Characters/XMenMutants Moira Kinross]]. Xavier seemingly won her heart, but was then [[{{Conscription}} drafted]] to serve in UsefulNotes/TheKoreanWar. In his absence, Moira got back with Joe. So, a soldier Xavier received a DearJohnLetter. Moira went on to marry John and they had a son. |
| 143 | * 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, although even Onslaught acknowledged that this wasn't something Xavier had been carrying for years but more of a minor affection that he had long ago suppressed and forgotten about. |
| 144 | * EasilyForgiven: It does not matter how many times you've tried to kill him; if you claim repentance, he'll welcome you with open arms. Sometimes this works out really well, and sometimes... not. |
| 145 | ** Not really that surprising, [[FridgeBrilliance considering he's a telepath, and therefore likely to know whether you're sincere about it or not.]] |
| 146 | ** This gained Charles a WhatTheHellHero speech from ''the entire team'' when he decided to allow former foe (for former, read "they still considered her one") Rogue onto the team. It was only when Charles threw Storm's assessment of Wolverine (to wit: "he may be a psychopath, but there is good in him") back in her face and gave a PatrickStewartSpeech to the effect that he'd rather be stabbed in the back than stand by and spurn a suffering mutant that the X-Men backed down. Worth noting that he was one hundred percent ''right'' in this case, as Rogue has proven herself a worthy hero and loyal friend many times over. |
| 147 | ** 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 AudienceAlienatingEra). 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. |
| 148 | *** The last one has been subverted. The first time he threatened her (by threatening to shoot himself in the head), she was trying to take control of him and Cerebra, so it ''was'' an impending menace. The second time [[spoiler:she had just succeeded. Nova's mind was in Charles' body and vice-versa]]. |
| 149 | * EliteSchoolMeansEliteBrain: Professor Xavier has a doctorate from Oxford and is well-known among others in the universe for his intelligence. |
| 150 | * EvilCounterpart: A lot of them. His ideology against Magneto’s. His evil sister Cassandra Nova. His evil step-brother with the Juggernaut. His evil psychic counterpart the Shadow King. His evil knockoff Onslaught. At one point Emma Frost had an evil counterpart to Xavier’s school. Making her an evil headmistress counterpart to Xavier’s good headmaster. |
| 151 | * EvilCripple: While the regular Xavier is not this (being at worst morally grey and prone to making bad choices) he has a number of alternate universe counterparts that are this. One limited issue series even made a plot out of its cast traveling from universe to universe battling various evil Xaviers. |
| 152 | * EvilEyebrows: Many of his classical depictions have him with sharply upturned eyebrows, not unlike ComicBook/{{Namor|TheSubMariner}}. Nowadays, it's more DependingOnTheArtist. |
| 153 | * EvilFormerFriend: ComicBook/{{Magneto}} and he used to be friends, before Magneto chose to go on the warpath and become a terrorist. Whenever Magneto has a HeelFaceTurn, they tend to act as best friends. |
| 154 | * FakingTheDead: He faked his death from ''X-Men'' vol. 1 #42 (March, 1968) to issue #65 (February, 1970). Two years. |
| 155 | * FatalFlaw: While he is not a BadBoss like Magneto, he shares some of his ideological rival's ItsAllAboutMe attitude, as evidenced by his inability to step aside after his students have outgrown him until forced to do so. It should be noted that this is due to Executive Meddling out of universe however, and ''X-Men'' maestro Creator/ChrisClaremont did intend for Xavier to eventually step back and allow his first generation of student to take the reins [[spoiler:before being KilledOffForReal and turning leadership of the X-Men over to Magneto]]. |
| 156 | * 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. |
| 157 | ** His inherited fortune made him able to turn the basement of a mansion into an ElaborateUndergroundBase with an absurdly advanced holodeck room, as well as building various vehicles, including helicopters and [[CoolPlane a really advanced jet]]. Plus the Cerebro. Those can't come cheap. [[note]]Although, with Magneto's help, all labor costs would pretty much become zero, meaning he's only really paying for parts. At least during the times when Magneto was his ally and not his arch-enemy.[[/note]] Eventually, his even richer wife, Shi'ar Majestrix Lilandra (who owns an entire ''galaxy''), provided upgrades to much of Xavier's facilities. |
| 158 | *** Note that the jet in question was a custom-modified SR-71 Blackbird, bought straight from Lockheed. Lockheed in real life never sold Blackbirds to anyone except the US government, since the technology was largely top secret. This illustrates that Xavier is both ludicrously rich and even more ludicrously well-connected. Or he just used his psychic powers to convince whoever was responsible to get him what he needed. |
| 159 | *** 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 [[ComicBook/{{Batman}} Bruce Wayne]] or Tony Stark has? |
| 160 | *** 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. |
| 161 | * FightingFromTheInside: During their fight with the Brood Queen, there's just a tiny little bit of Charles left, begging for them to kill him before the alien takes over. |
| 162 | * FlorenceNightingaleEffect: |
| 163 | ** ''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. |
| 164 | ** ''Uncanny X-Men'' #309 (February, 1994) in 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. |
| 165 | * ForWantOfANail: His life is the nail between the world as we know it and the ComicBook/AgeOfApocalypse. |
| 166 | ** A similar plot was presented in ''WesternAnimation/XMenTheAnimatedSeries'' 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. |
| 167 | * GadgeteerGenius: He is responsible for the creation of technological achievements such as the mutant-tracking computer Cerebro and the Danger Room. |
| 168 | * GeniusCripple: 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. |
| 169 | * GeniusesHaveMultiplePhDs: He is the psychic mastermind behind the titular team. He's usually written as having finished school early and completed multiple doctorates. The [[https://www.marvel.com/characters/professor-x/in-comics Marvel website]] claims he has four (in genetics, biophysics, psychology, and anthropology, explaining his expertise in mentoring the X-Men) ''and'' an M.D. in psychiatry. |
| 170 | * GentlemanSnarker: As written by Claremont, Charles is not one for levity, but that doesn't mean he's not above dry quips from time to time. |
| 171 | * 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!" |
| 172 | * GrandTheftMe: [[spoiler:Xavier's return in ''ComicBook/AstonishingXMen2017'' involved taking over Fantomex's body.]] |
| 173 | * GuileHero: His intellect is his greatest weapon. Aside from being a telepath, he keeps secrets even from his own team, has faked his own death as a ruse, and has employed secret operatives for [[ShootTheDog when dogs need to be shot]]. |
| 174 | * HandicappedBadass: Despite being in a wheelchair, Xavier remains a badass fighter. |
| 175 | * HeroicBSOD: The events of ''Fall of X'' completely ''wreck'' him. [[spoiler:After Orchis makes him supposedly kill nearly everyone on Krakoa, he remains on the island a broken man, using his powers to drive off any Orchis agents who come close.]] |
| 176 | * HowDareYouDieOnMe: Post-''Judgment Day'', he accuses [[spoiler:Magneto]] of dying on him, as if it was a personal act of spite. |
| 177 | * {{Hypocrite}}: A recurring flaw of Charles' is that he often doesn't ''quite'' practice what he preaches. For example, after Magma first joined the New Mutants, he explained to her he would never use his powers to spy on her without permission. Moments later, he told himself "although... just to be on the safe side..." Needless to say, Amara was pretty angry when she found out. |
| 178 | [[/folder]] |
| 179 | |
| 180 | [[folder:I-Z]] |
| 181 | * IDidWhatIHadToDo: |
| 182 | ** 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. |
| 183 | ** Charles admits to Cypher that he still believes in human-mutant coexistence and despises the current state of Krakoa as a mutant-essentialist ethnostate. He only goes along with it because he knows from Moira that every other path ends in their extinction. |
| 184 | * 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. |
| 185 | * IfYouKillHimYouWillBeJustLikeHim: A strong believer in the idea that using the tactics of those the X-Men oppose will make them no better, and something he tried to impress upon his students. Of course, Charles's own morality can... waver a little. |
| 186 | * IKnowYoureInThereSomewhereFight: Averted in ''ComicBook/AvengersVsXMen''. [[spoiler:He makes a brief, almost token attempt to appeal to his former fatherly relationship with Cyclops when he confronts him, but quickly turns to threatening and trying to overcome Cyclops through psychic force. While Cyke ''was'' pretty far gone by this time, trying to take him down without the help of any other telepaths was not the wisest of ideas, as demonstrated when Cyclops toasts him for his trouble]]. |
| 187 | * 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. |
| 188 | * 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 (although the events of ''Genesis'' were explicitly described as an extreme situation where Charles had to fast-track a team for an important mission, and the relative failure of their subsequent effort likely put him off doing that on a regular basis). |
| 189 | * 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 (although he remains in the prime of life after a period where Magneto was de-aged to infancy and then returned to adulthood). |
| 190 | ** Also his relationship with ComicBook/{{Wolverine}}. Wolvie was born in the 19th century and is old enough to be Xavier's ancestor. |
| 191 | * InterspeciesRomance: More so than the average mutant, since his steady relationship is with Lilandra Neramani, the Empress of the Shi'ar, alien bird people with PsychicPowers. |
| 192 | * JerkassBall: He has a habit of occasionally grabbing it. Case in point, his return to the X-Men at the beginning of the Dark Phoenix saga. Within days of his joyous return, he begins drilling the X-Men in the Danger Room, treating the experienced, capable team of adults like children, even handing out demerits to ''Wolverine'' when he finally takes as much as he can stand. When Cyclops tries pointing out that what he's doing isn't sensible, the Professor somehow manages to turn this around to mean [[InsaneTrollLogic Scott has failed his duties as team leader]]. |
| 193 | * 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. |
| 194 | ** ''Immortal X-Men'' elaborates on this, [[spoiler: with it ultimately being revealed that these perspectives and viewpoints came from a place of sheer desperation. After hearing of all the bad futures Moira revealed to him, Charles concluded that this was the only alternative to genocide, and he put on a show to get the mutant extremists on his side. Personally, he still loathes the notions of mutant separatism and supremacy, and is deeply troubled that such views have basically become the bedrock principles of Krakoa. He even acknowledges that all this really served to do in the end was prove the anti-mutant groups right, and turn the world against mutant kind even more.]] |
| 195 | * 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 loose with no-one willing or able to reign his worst instincts in, utterly determined to do ''anything'' to prove his righteousness. |
| 196 | * LaserGuidedAmnesia: He employs this much more often than MindRape. |
| 197 | * LastNameBasis: Far more people call him by his last name than his first. |
| 198 | * TheLeader: He serves as the Leader of the X-Men whenever he is around. Though he appoints field leaders to serve in combat situations. |
| 199 | * LikeASonToMe: Considers Cyclops to be this, which is why it breaks his heart when Cyke takes a FaceHeelTurn in ''ComicBook/AvengersVsXMen''. |
| 200 | * LiteralSplitPersonality: While Xavier's dark side, as noted, has taken on a life of its own before, ComicBook/{{Onslaught}} became this halfway through his self-titled crossover. |
| 201 | * LongDistanceRelationship: Recurring use. He has a lasting relationship with Lilandra Neramani, a Shi'ar alien. She has spend time on Earth, and he has joined her in space. But when separated, the distance between them is the vast one separating Earth from another galaxy. |
| 202 | * LukeYouAreMyFather: Xavier had a brief relationship with Gabrielle Haller, a Holocaust survivor. When it ended, he was unaware that Gabrielle was pregnant. The result was a mutant son called David Haller. Xavier only found out in ''ComicBook/NewMutants'' #27 (May, 1985), when he entered the mindscape of the catatonic David. The boy called him "father." |
| 203 | * MalevolentMaskedMen: His Cerebro helmet in the Krakoa Age, 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. |
| 204 | * ManipulativeBastard: At his worst moments, Charles is shown to be a particularly immoral one with a tendency to make bad or counterproductive decisions that ruin the trust of his students and loved ones. He has manipulated the minds and memories of his students at times for his own benefits, unapologetically faked his own death and disappeared for years for his own agenda, and created emergency protocols to kill his own students if they turn evil without their permission or knowledge. It comes to a head in ''Deadly Genesis'' where it's revealed Charles manipulated a new team of X-Men to save the original team when they were lost during a mission and wiped all memories of the new team's existence when they all supposedly died during the rescue attempt. |
| 205 | * MayDecemberRomance: With Gabrielle Haller, though this is a result of the [[ComicBookTime sliding timescale]]. Her origin established her as an Holocaust survivor and this is not affected by the timescale. On the other hand, Xavier's birth period is affected by the timescale and moves forward in time. So while the original story had the two lovers close age-wise, due to the timescale Gabrielle is supposed to be decades older than Xavier. And they had a son together. |
| 206 | * MentorArchetype: He is the experienced hero and teacher who takes in young boys and girls, training them to be heroes in their own right. Several of his students start out as teenagers. |
| 207 | * MentorOccupationalHazard: He's been killed more than once to show that the stakes are really serious this time, but [[DeathIsCheap it never really sticks]]. |
| 208 | * MilitarySuperhero: In ''X-Men'' #12 (July, 1965), Xavier receives his first OriginsEpisode. Among the background elements established is his military service in UsefulNotes/TheKoreanWar. Being a veteran has remained an essential part of his background and characterization. Though due to the [[ComicBookTime sliding timescale]] some retellings of the origin story replace the War with an unnamed Asian conflict. |
| 209 | * AMindIsATerribleThingToRead: Charles' brain is psionically shielded due to his time in Korea, where the sheer level of suffering had threatened to drive him insane. |
| 210 | * MindControl: 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. He also has an unfortunate habit of acting through someone else, like ComicBook/RachelSummers. |
| 211 | * MindLinkMates: His romance with Lilandra began when their minds touched across interstellar distances. Charles spent several months having horrific visions of the battle she'd been in when it happened, until she arrived on Earth. |
| 212 | * MindOverManners: He often prefers to "ask" before he reads your mind. Often, however, is by no means 'always'. And sometimes, it's not even 'often', with ComicBook/RachelSummers snippily commenting when acting as his telepathic proxy, since he was depowered at the time that it's funny how it's now okay for her to do it because he wants her to. It's separately wondered if he used to be so inclined to MindControl, or if it's just more obvious because he has to work through Rachel. |
| 213 | * MindOverMatter: Used only in ''X-Men'' #1 (September, 1963). Creator/StanLee had some problems defining what the powers of his characters allowed them to do. So in that issue, Xavier uses his telepathy to pilot an airplane. This is actually telekinesis. |
| 214 | * 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, when Xavier was suitably enraged over Magneto's recent attack on Wolverine. |
| 215 | ** 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. |
| 216 | ** 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.]] |
| 217 | * MissedTheCall: The what-if where Charles became the Juggernaut was alluded to after his death when Cain was up to become the Juggernaut again. Cyttorak told him he intended for Xavier to become the Juggernaut, but things didn't work out that way. |
| 218 | * MissionControl: More often than not, Xavier is not physically present in missions. He stays in telepathic communication with his students and provides assistance from a distance. When he does insist on leading or participating in a mission, it usually means he intends to have a LetsGetDangerous moment. |
| 219 | * 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 example 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. |
| 220 | * MrExposition: When written by lazy writers (or Stan Lee) he had a bad habit of being used this way. If he's appearing as a floating disembodied head, it's usually to deliver an exposition dump. |
| 221 | * MundaneUtility: As mentioned above, he used his telepathy in school to earn high marks. |
| 222 | * MyGreatestFailure: When his old lover Amelia Voght decided to leave him he used his powers to compel her to stay. It was only a second's moral failing and he immediately took it back, but the damage was done. |
| 223 | * NuclearMutant: 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. |
| 224 | * NonIdleRich: Xavier has more money than God and it's almost ridiculous how bottomless his pockets are, but never let it be said he lays around and does nothing with all his cash. |
| 225 | * OlderThanTheyLook: When first introduced, Xavier was only meant to be about ten years older than his students, making him at most, 30 years old. That he's both bald and wheelchair-bound has made him seem far older for almost his entire existence. |
| 226 | * OldMoney: He inherited his wealth and has never worked for a living. No matter how much damages the Mansion and its equipment suffer, Xavier always has enough money to restore them. |
| 227 | * OmnidisciplinaryScientist: A mild version. He is at least an expert in genetics, and a proficient inventor. He created the mutant-searching computer Cerebro and the [[DeadlyTrainingArea Danger Room]]. Where his X-Men train with fully-fledged simulations of combat. He's not a half bad medic either. |
| 228 | * OmniscientMoralityLicense: A lot of his actions come off as this. For example in Beast's origin story, Xavier wipes out the memories of everyone who knew Hank [=McCoy=]. Including his friends and girlfriend. His questionable activities tend to be given a pass because he is the BigGood. He does get called out on it eventually. |
| 229 | * TheOneThatGotAway: Xavier has two of them, Moira Kinross [=MacTaggert=] and Amelia Voght. He had relationships with both of them, and they both left him at the end, leaving him with lasting bittersweet memories and regrets. Their paths crossed again but there was no rekindling of passion. Averted with Gabrielle Haller, who he parted on friendly terms with and there were no hard feelings about it. |
| 230 | * OpposedMentors: He's forever locked in opposition with his rival mutant mentor Magneto. |
| 231 | * PapaWolf: Success results may vary considerably, but Charles does care about all his students, even if he is often quite terrible at showing it, or expressing it in a healthy way. When [[spoiler:his daughter was assassinated by the Kin Crimson, Charles immediately leapt into action to bring her back.]] |
| 232 | * ParentalNeglect: As he explicitly admitted to Nightcrawler in 2021, one of his (many) failings is that, ironically for a man who has dedicated his life to playing the MentorArchetype, he's an absentee and disinterested father when it comes to his ''own'' children. This comes back to haunt him when his son David decides to become a WellDoneSonGuy -- unfortunately, David has also inherited his dad's uber-psi powers, leading him to become the insane supervillain Legion. |
| 233 | * ParentalSubstitute: For Cyclops, what with his actual father Christopher Summers having been off in space not knowing Scott was alive. Sadly, Charles's relationship with Scott isn't exactly any better than it is with his flesh-and-blood kids. |
| 234 | * PatrickStewartSpeech: While he ''is'' played by Creator/PatrickStewart in the movies, he's been making these sort of speeches for years before the movies ever came out. |
| 235 | * PeoplePuppets: He's capable of this, although he prefers not to use it unless absolutely necessary. Weirdly, his ''Film/XMenFilmSeries'' counterpart makes something of a shtick out of it, frequently puppeteering entire crowds to get his students out of trouble or speak to a single person. |
| 236 | * PoorCommunicationKills: He managed to alienate [[ComicBook/XMan Nate Grey]] from the X-Men shortly after the latter arrived in the 616 universe simply by snooping on him via the Astral Plane rather than speaking to him up front. Granted, he had the disadvantage of not knowing that he was dead in Nate's universe (meaning that his identity was treated with extreme scepticism, to put it mildly), or that Nate was incredibly paranoid about people he perceived to be out to use him ([[PhysicalGod and with good reason]]), but he didn't exactly handle the exchange well. This led to Nate only once linking up with the X-Men in earnest (and that at his [[ComicBook/JeanGrey mother's]] [[MamasBoy request]]) before circumstances forced him to do so as a member of the ''ComicBook/NewMutants'', and reacting very badly to any suggestion of Xavier's involvement from there on out, denying him sorely needed guidance. |
| 237 | * PowersDoTheFighting: Averted, as while Xavier ''mostly'' relies on his mutant powers, he is in fact a trained soldier and refuses to let his paraplegia hold him back. In one memorable incident, he even decked a then-rookie Wolverine right in the jaw, telling him that while his mindblasts could "shrivel (him) where (he) stands" that his fist contained all the power Wolverine deserved. |
| 238 | * PrematurelyBald: Many stories have Charles losing his hair while still in his teens as a result of his powers. |
| 239 | * PresidentSuperhero: Essentially is this for Krakoa. |
| 240 | * TheProfessor: It's [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin right there in his name]]. |
| 241 | * PstandardPsychicPstance: So much so that an image of ol' Chuck currently provides the trope's page image. |
| 242 | * PsychicPowers: One of the most powerful psychics in the franchise. |
| 243 | ** PsychicLink: He can initiate this at will with anyone, telepath or non-telepath. |
| 244 | ** PsychicRadar: Like most high-end Marvel telepaths, he is capable of this. |
| 245 | ** PsychicSurgery: Despite being psychic, Xavier's never used this ability. He's had it used ''on'' him though, as the KnightTemplar mutant Exodus reassembled his brain after it was shot to pulp by Bishop using this. |
| 246 | * PuttingThePalInPrincipal: As the founder and dean of Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters, his wise and pacifistic attitude makes him well suited to run a school for the betterment of mutant teenagers. |
| 247 | * QuitYourWhining: When the surviving original X-Men gather for an anniversary dinner and discuss how much being X-Men took out of them, he crashes it as X and takes them to thwart Lucifer's attempts to conquer the world starting in a small town. He then basically tells them to suck up the trauma, because he brought them together to stop threats like that, and then wipes their memories of the encounter. |
| 248 | * ReallyGetsAround: He's got his fair share of kids. In addition to Legion listed above, there's his son by Mystique introduced during [[OutOfCharacter Bendis's run]], who apparently is destined to lead the [[Characters/XMenBrotherhoodOfMutants Brotherhood]] in at least one possible future. Then there's Xavi, his non-canon son by Lilandra from ''X-Men: The End'', and most recently Xandra, a rather blatant DistaffCounterpart of Xavi introduced in 2018's ''ComicBook/MrAndMrsX''. |
| 249 | * {{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 MediaNotes/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. |
| 250 | ** He abandons his long-held dream of peaceful coexistence between mutants and humanity for the time being in order to establish Krakoa as a mutant state that can operate as a global superpower. To accomplish this goal, he's willing to greatly aid humanity with miracle drugs as long as they recognize Krakoa as a sovereign state. However, this also comes at a cost of giving amnesty to known Mutant criminals and terrorists that can abuse their diplomatic immunity. At least at first, as Sabretooth finds out [[AndIMustScream the hard way]]. |
| 251 | * RebuiltPedestal: After ''Messiah Complex'' he started on a journey of becoming this, at first literally (as Exodus literally reconstructed his brain and restored his ability to walk) and then figuratively (as he decided to go on a journey WalkingTheEarth and reconnecting with the students he'd alienated). Slowly but surely he rebuilt his standing with most of the X-Men, though Cyclops (admittedly the X-Man he hurt the most) and he could not reconcile. [[spoiler:This ultimately led to his death when he confronted a power-mad Cyclops in ''ComicBook/AvengersVsXMen'']]. |
| 252 | * ShelteredAristocrat: To a high degree. He grew up in a mansion and his family wealth sheltered him from many of the hard realities children from less privileged backgrounds have to worry about. And while his parents both died young, his stepfather (an abusive {{Jerkass}} to [[TheJuggernaut his own son]]) favored him despite not even loving his mother. Only his stepbrother's bullying and the loss of his actual parents kept him from having a picture-perfect childhood. |
| 253 | * SinglePowerSuperheroes: Telepathy is his only power. This is rather notable in the Marvel Universe where many telepaths (especially ones in the X-Men franchise) have ComboPlatterPowers. |
| 254 | * SmartEqualsPsychic: Inverted, as Xavier became smart ''because'' he was psychic. Specifically, he was noted to academically excel in his teenage years, driving his resentful step-brother TheJuggernaut to suspect he used his telepathy to become such a BadassBookworm. Charles eventually confirmed it, though his powers only "greased the skids" and he likely would have become a smart person with or without them (just not, you know, ''as'' smart). |
| 255 | * SplitPersonality: As noted under "A Darker Me", "Literal Split Personality", and "Superpowered Evil Side", Xavier's tendency to suppress every negative thought and feeling tends to result in those forming their own personality. |
| 256 | * StatusQuoIsGod: It's almost a RunningGag in the X-Men mythos for Charles to find new and unusual ways to regain his ability to walk, only for something to come along and cripple him again. |
| 257 | * StrongerSibling: To ''both'' of the [[CainAndAbel Cains]] in his life. He defeated his EvilTwin Cassandra Nova in the womb and was Cyttorak's first choice to become the Juggernaut, as noted in the Missed the Call entry above. |
| 258 | * SuperWheelChair: His famous golden hoverchair which he was gifted by his Shi'ar lover Lilandra. |
| 259 | * SuperpowerLottery: A subdued case of it compared to some of the more fantastical mutants, but when it comes to just plain getting to live a charmed life it's hard not to argue that Charles won even over [[ComicBook/JeanGrey technically]]-[[ComicBook/LegionMarvelComics more]]-[[ComicBook/XMan powerful]] [[ComicBook/{{Magneto}} mutants]]. His mutant powers manifested at 10, slightly earlier than those of other mutants and right before he, as an American, would have entered intermediate school where adolescent awkwardness usually begins. And luckily for Charles, his mutant power just so happened to be one that handily allowed him to skate over all those growing pains handily. The rigors of learning to study, the social difficulty of being a bright child, bullies, Charles's telepathy essentially made all of that null. This is a big reason why, although he was originally designed as the BigGood to the X-Men, he came to be viewed as more and more UnintentionallyUnsympathetic as time went on, until writers finally made it canon that he wasn't just a nice guy motivated by IncorruptiblePurePureness but rather a privileged ideologue who happened to be quite the ManipulativeBastard. |
| 260 | * 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 Angel, Beast, Iceman, and Jean Grey circa the early days of the X-Men, 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. |
| 261 | * TheSvengali: Has arguably become this in the modern age, as the general comics DarkerAndEdgier creep resulted in Xavier being written as becoming more and more willing to use his psychic powers to manipulate his students. While never outright resorting to MindControl, he has been known to repress the memories of his charges when he sees fit, most infamously in the ''Deadly Genesis'' story. He's not interested in monetary gain, unlike most Svengalis, but is definitely interested in keeping his students in their X uniforms. |
| 262 | * TeamDad: Several of the X-Men view him as their father figure, especially Scott and Jean. |
| 263 | * 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 an AudienceAlienatingEra, it's generally ignored. |
| 264 | * {{Telepathy}}: He is one of the most powerful telepaths in the Franchise/MarvelUniverse. Able to contact minds on a global scale. |
| 265 | * VillainRespect: He gained the respect of Exodus after [[DefeatMeansRespect defeating him]] in ''X-Men Legacy'' and later showed that he reciprocated that respect when he returned to (successfully) convince Exodus to disband the Acolytes. |
| 266 | * WalkingTheEarth: |
| 267 | ** Forms a part of his backstory. After being "Dear John"'d by Moira, he started traveling, which led to his encounters with Magneto, Gabrielle Haller, and Amahl Farouk, the latter of which inspired him to fight evil mutants. |
| 268 | ** Later this becomes a story arc for him in ''X-Men Legacy'', where he decides to do this again after being healed and restored to his prime by Exodus. |
| 269 | * 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 stupid decision to sneak up on the extremely jumpy [[PhysicalGod Nate Grey]]. Granted, he didn't know ''how'' stupid this was, but given that he suspected Nate might be a young Stryfe, this was still pretty stupid. |
| 270 | * WeaksauceWeakness: He can do many things, but he can't climb stairs. Making them an effective obstacle for him. |
| 271 | * WhatTheHellHero: His habit of using his powers on people he cares about and keeping secrets often ends up biting him in the ass. A special shout-out goes to everything he does in ''Deadly Genesis'', especially the part where he put a new group of students through a week's worth of Danger Room training '''in their heads''' thinking it would be enough to send them on a rescue mission with (spoiler alert, it wasn't). |
| 272 | * WhoYouGonnaCall: If you have a victim who is seriously damaged by a psychic attack or any mutant powers such as what happened to [[ComicBook/MsMarvel Carol Danvers]] after she was attacked by Rogue with her power and mind stealing powers, Xavier is usually the only expert who can treat such casualties. |
| 273 | * XtremeKoolLetterz: |
| 274 | ** There's all the adaptations that pronounce it "Professor Ex-avier," just to make it clear to stupid viewers that there's an X in his name. "Xavier" is an archaic Spanish spelling of "Javier," so it should be "khavi-air" (or "zavvy-ay", in French); or if you don't know your foreign pronounciation, "Zay-vier" would be fine. ("Ex-avier" is a common (mis)pronunciation of "Xavier" in Real Life, though). |
| 275 | ** The Spanish dubs fortunately make a point of pronouncing his name "Xavi-air". |
| 276 | ** There is a comic where Xavier admits that technically it isn't pronounced like that — he just prefers it. |
| 277 | * YouAreWhatYouHate: The final act of the Krakoan Age has Xavier tearfully admonishes the very concept of the island, its symbolism and support of mutant separatism and essentialism, as utterly anathema to everything he's ever believed in. That is, that mutants ''are'' humans. In essence, by supporting the nation and all it stands for so that they can survive, he and the rest of the X-Men are agreeing with every bigot, opportunist, and violent fearful that they were always something alien to be wary of. |
| 278 | -->''"It is our oppressors who say that because we are mutants, we are not human. For us to agree is loathsome."'' |
| 279 | * YourMindMakesItReal: During ''The Muir Island Saga'', when Xavier battled the Shadow King on the astral plane, the Shadow King's attacked Xavier's legs, causing him to become crippled (once again) in the real world. |
| 280 | [[/folder]] |
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