X-Men facts for kids
Quick facts for kids X-Men |
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_No._2_Mahmud_Asrar_Variant_(Textless).jpg)
Variant cover of X-Men (Vol. 6) #2 (October 2021) (representing the first elected Krakoan X-Men team).
Depicting (clockwise from left): Synch, Wolverine, Sunfire, Marvel Girl, Rogue, Polaris, and Cyclops. Art by Mahmud Asrar. |
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| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Marvel Comics |
| First appearance | The X-Men #1 (September 1963) |
| Created by | Stan Lee Jack Kirby |
| In-story information | |
| Base(s) | Current: The Treehouse (Krakoan base) New York City Former: Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters Westchester County, New York |
| Leader(s) | Professor X |
| Member(s) | Current: Cyclops Jean Grey Synch Firestar Iceman Havok Forge Magik Former: See: List of X-Men members |
The X-Men are a team of superheroes who appear in American comic books. These comics are published by Marvel Comics. The X-Men also appear in many TV shows, movies, and video games.
In the Marvel Universe, some humans are born with a special gene called the X-gene. This gene gives them natural superhuman powers. These people are called mutants. Because they are different, mutants often face unfair treatment and discrimination. Many X-Men stories teach us about fighting against prejudice and standing up for what is right.
The X-Men have battled many different enemies. These include bad mutants, humans who hate mutants, supervillains, magic threats, aliens, and evil robots.
Most of the time, the X-Men are led by their founder, Charles "Professor X" Xavier. He is a very powerful telepath, meaning he can read minds. Professor X runs a school for mutant children at his mansion in New York. This mansion is also secretly the X-Men's headquarters. Another important character is Magneto. He is a powerful mutant who can control magnetic fields. Magneto is an old friend of Professor X, but they often disagree. Sometimes he is an enemy, and sometimes he helps the X-Men.
Today, the official X-Men team is based in The Treehouse. This is a special base on the mutant island of Krakoa in New York City. The mutants vote to choose who gets to be on the team at events called Hellfire Galas. The X-Men no longer work in secret. They publicly fight to keep mutants safe. They also work to build good relationships between Krakoa and human nations. And they protect Earth and our solar system from threats from space.
Contents
How the X-Men Started
In 1963, Marvel Comics had many successful superheroes. These included Spider-Man, the Hulk, Thor, Iron Man, and the Fantastic Four. Co-creator Stan Lee wanted to make another superhero team. But he didn't want to keep inventing new ways for heroes to get their powers.
Stan Lee thought, "I can't have everyone bitten by a radioactive spider." So he decided to make them "mutants." He said, "They are born that way."
The first name for the comic was "The Mutants." But Marvel's publisher, Martin Goodman, thought readers wouldn't know what a "mutant" was. So, Stan Lee came up with the name "X-Men."
In the Marvel Universe stories, the X-Men are named after Professor Xavier. In the very first comic, The X-Men #1 (1963), Professor X explained the name. He said mutants "possess an extra power... That is why I call my students... X-Men, for EX-tra power!"
Early Stories and Characters
The first X-Men comics introduced the original team. This team included Cyclops, Marvel Girl, Beast, Angel, and Iceman. Their main enemy was Magneto and his Brotherhood of Evil Mutants. This group included Mastermind, Quicksilver, Scarlet Witch, and Toad.
The comics often focused on the idea of good versus evil. Later, they also explored themes like prejudice and racism. These important ideas have stayed a part of the X-Men stories ever since.
Over time, new characters joined the X-Men. These included Havok and Polaris. However, the comic's sales were not very high. So, Marvel stopped making new X-Men stories for a while. They reprinted older comics instead.
Who is on the Team?
The X-Men team has changed a lot over the years. Many new teams have also formed from the original group.
The first team had Cyclops, Jean Grey, Beast, Angel, and Iceman. Of course, Professor X was also there.
Later, many popular characters joined the team. These include Wolverine, Storm, Colossus, Nightcrawler, Rogue, Kitty Pryde, Jubilee, Gambit, Emma Frost, Psylocke, Havok, Dazzler, Polaris, Bishop, Forge, and Banshee.
X-Men's Enemies
The X-Men face many different enemies. Their most common foe is Magneto. He was once Professor X's friend, but now they are often on opposite sides.
Other villains include Mystique, Emma Frost, Apocalypse, and Mister Sinister. They also fight the Sentinels, which are giant robots made to hunt mutants. Villain teams like the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants and the Hellfire Club also cause trouble. Most importantly, the X-Men often fight against racism and discrimination from humans.
Where the X-Men Live and Train
The X-Men live in the same world as other Marvel Comics characters. This world is called the Marvel Universe. The part of the Marvel Universe where the X-Men and mutants live is sometimes called the "X-Universe."
For a long time, the X-Men were based at the Xavier Institute of Gifted Youngsters. This school is in Salem Center, Westchester County, New York. The X-Men are often shown as a family living together. For many years, the X-Mansion looked like a regular school to the outside world. But in the 2000s, Professor X was publicly revealed to be a mutant. After that, the mansion became known as a special boarding school for mutants.
The X-Men use advanced technology to help them. Professor X uses a device called Cerebro. It makes his mind-reading powers much stronger, helping him find other mutants. The X-Men train in the Danger Room. This room used to be full of traps and weapons. Now, it creates realistic holographic simulations for training. The X-Men also travel in their special jet, the Blackbird.
Awards and Recognition
The X-Men team has received many honors over the years:
- In 2012, Complex ranked the X-Men 4th on their "10 Best Superhero Teams In Comics" list.
- In 2016, Screen Rant ranked the X-Men 3rd on their "15 Best Superhero Teams Of All Time" list.
- In 2020, CBR.com ranked the X-Men 1st on their "Marvel: 10 Most Powerful Teams" list.
- In 2021, CBR.com ranked the X-Men 2nd on their "Every Marvel Superhero Team" list. They also ranked them 2nd on their "Marvel: The 10 Strongest Superhero Teams" list.
- In 2022, Newsarama ranked the X-Men 3rd on their "Best superhero teams of all time" list.
See also
In Spanish: X-Men para niños
- List of Marvel Comics superhero debuts
- Doom Patrol, a similar team of super-powered misfits from DC Comics.
- Harbingers/Psiots, another group of superpowered outcasts from Valiant Comics.
