X-Men

The X-Men

The X-Men is a team of fictional superhero characters in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The team first appeared in Uncanny X-Men #1 (Sept. 1963), and was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. The X-Men are superpowered mutants who, as a result of a sudden leap in human evolution, are born with latent superhuman abilities that generally manifest themselves at puberty. In the stories, many ordinary humans harbor an intense fear or distrust of mutants (often referred to as Homo superior), who are regarded by a number of scientists as the next step in human evolution. The X-Men are thus widely viewed as a threat to human civilizations; mutants who use their powers for criminal ends exacerbate the tensions. The X-Men were formed by the benevolent Professor Charles Xavier, (a.k.a. Professor X), a wealthy mutant who founded an academy to train young mutants to protect themselves and the world from Magneto, the Brotherhood of Mutants and other mutant threats.

The X-Men comic book series was one of comicdom’s earliest and most influential trendsetters in adopting a multicultural central cast; during the 1970s, the roster was diversified, adding characters from Canada, Germany, Ireland, Japan, Kenya, the Soviet Union, and Native American. Characters representing many other ethnicities and cultural backgrounds have subsequently been added to the X-Men. The stories themselves have often included themes relating to the status of minorities, including assimilation, tolerance, and beliefs regarding a "superior race".

The X-Men series has been adapted in various media, including animated television series, video games and a successful series of films.