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Marvel continues to go out of its way to tarnish the legacy of a former X-Men leader. Charles Xavier, better known as Professor X, was the founder of the X-Men and introduced to readers as a wise sage paving a path to greatness for his pupils. Audiences who are particularly fond of his mainstream portrayals onscreen in television and movies continue to view him as a wise mentor.
However, X-Men fans who haven’t read the comics would fret to learn that, today, Charles Xavier is unquestionably a villain. While heroes often undergo a villain arc, even if briefly, Xavier has committed heinous acts that he can’t recover from, forever obscuring him from the hero community. For all he’s done in recent memory, the Marvel Universe may forever view Professor Xavier as a jerk.
Arguably, his latest villainous run is a natural progression of Xavier’s most unfavorable traits coming to light. Alternatively, it does create dissonance for fans who still look fondly upon the Professor X of old.
Marvel Has Totally Made the X-Men’s Leader a Villain, And There’s No Going Back
Charles Xavier Has Betrayed Both the X-Men and His Dream
In recent years, Professor X solidified his villainy by betraying the X-Men. The former school headmaster had always made decisions that may be deemed questionable or unfavorable by his students, but it was usually framed as the sternness of a teacher and a father figure. Besides, Xavier hadn’t done anything that was outright evi – until the past twenty-or-so years of his Marvel history started to re-shape how X-Men readers view him.
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Xavier’s turn toward villainy was inevitable, but it never should have happened in the first place. It’s okay for some characters to be perfect.
The final nail in the coffin for Xavier’s reputation was his alliance with the mutant-hate group, Orchis, which made him out to be worse than even Magneto. His most notable pupils, like Cyclops, have vowed to turn their back on Xavier for good. Wolverine in particular felt betrayed, calling for Xavier’s death. What made Xavier’s villainy stand out so egregiously for both in-universe characters and readers is that so many of Xavier’s most controversial decisions started to contradict his original dream of peace between humans and mutants. Rather than push for the greater good, Xavier’s worst decisions have promoted further division.
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Professor X’s Crimes as a Hero Paved the Way for Further Evil
The worst part of it all is that Xavier’s villainy didn’t begin with aligning with Orchis or even founding Krakoa. Instead, his misbehavior has a longer history that dates back to when he was still coaching the original X-Men. X-Men: Deadly Genesis by Ed Brubaker, Trevor Hairsine, and Pete Woods is a prime example that’s often referenced in-story, as the 2006-era story arc revealed how Xavier wiped the minds of anyone who knew he sent his X-Men to their deaths. Even one of Marvel’s editors, Tom Brevoort, cites this as a turning point for Xavier, one that first tainted his character.
Before he ever failed as a hero, Charles Xavier failed as a mentor, coach, leader, and father figure all in one fell swoop. The children that he swore to protect had died because of him and, rather than face his biggest sin, he chose to hide it. These aren’t the characteristics of a leader; they’re the characteristics of a coward. Marvel has spent years chipping away at Xavier by building upon this singular moment, showcasing how Xavier continued to slowly slip away from who he had been for years. Now, that evolution is complete, and he can never be redeemed.
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Should Marvel Be So Adamant About Committing to Xavier’s Evil Path?
Marvel Comics loves to tie in with whatever is happening in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It’s why the comics version of Kamala Khan was revealed as a mutant shortly after the MCU’s Kamala was unveiled as the franchise’s first confirmed mutant in Ms. Marvel. Additionally, Agatha Harkness was rejuvenated in the comics following Agatha All Along, and now her on-the-page character resembles and embodies her MCU counterpart more than her original comic-book self. Meanwhile, numerous comic book characters have been designed and re-designed with their MCU depictions in mind.
Those same fans who were inspired to start picking up X-Men comics after watching ’97 are going to be utterly confused to see their favorite new hero be such an irredeemable villain.
The practice has its pros and cons, and most certainly its critics, but it’s understandable why Marvel commits so heavily to the comics reflecting the far-more-popular MCU. Given how popular the MCU is, a drastically different portrayal in the comics risks alienating new fans. Unfortunately, Professor X’s heel turn does just that for television and movie fans. Today, the Professor X character likely has new fans based on his current, more heroic depiction in X-Men ’97. Those same fans who were inspired to start picking up X-Men comics after watching ’97 are going to be utterly confused to see their favorite new hero be such an irredeemable villain.
In other instances of Marvel’s synchronicity with the MCU, the comics change the characters based on what’s happening onscreen and, in some cases, revert the characters to their former selves if their latest comic evolution contradicts the MCU. For Xavier, he’s too far gone to change back. He’s fractured his relationships to the point of no return and his good faith is tarnished. Plus, now that he’s on the brink of death in 2025’s X-Men storyline, maybe it’s already too late for him to rekindle his relationship with the X-Men, if it were even possible. Marvel tarnishing Xavier’s X-Men legacy costs his mainstream legacy as well.
X-Men: Deadly Genesis is available now from Marvel Comics.
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