The
X-Men are a fictional team of
superheroes appearing in
American comic books published by
Marvel Comics. Created by writer
Stan Lee and artist/co-writer
Jack Kirby, the characters first appeared in
The X-Men
#1 (September 1963). They are among Marvel Comics' most popular and
lucrative intellectual properties, appearing in numerous books,
television shows,
films, and
video games.
The X-Men are
mutants,
a subspecies of humans who are born with superhuman abilities. The
X-Men fight for peace and equality between normal humans and mutants in a
world where antimutant bigotry is fierce and widespread. They are led
by Charles Xavier, also known as
Professor X, a powerful mutant telepath who can control and read minds. Their archenemy is
Magneto, a powerful mutant with the ability to generate and control
magnetic fields.
Professor X and Magneto have opposing views and philosophies regarding
the relationship between mutants and humans. While Professor X works
towards peace and understanding between mutants and humans, Magneto
views humans as a threat and believes in taking an aggressive approach
against them, though he has found himself working alongside the X-Men
from time to time.