Evil mutants. Hate-driven human enemies. Armies of Sentinels. Twisted siblings.
It ain’t easy being Professor Charles Xavier.
The X-Men founder is enjoying a strange new life in the pages of ASTONISHING X-MEN. The rebirth made us think about the deaths, rebirths and strange life of Xavier.
Faking It
Xavier first appeared to die in battle with the sub-human monster called Grotesk. It was later revealed the Professor recruited former villain Changeling impersonate him. The Professor was working on a plan to stop an invasion by aliens known as the Z’Nox.
Pregnant?
The Brood are parasitic aliens that infect hosts with eggs to reproduce. During the X-Men’s fight with the Brood, Xavier was captured and implanted with an egg putting him under Brood control. The Professor’s body was destroyed by the Brood Queen’s infection. The Professor’s still intact soul is put into a new clone body – complete with fully functioning new legs. It’s good to date the head of a alien empire. (Lilandra of the Shi’ar Empire.)
Xavier’s legs would be crushed again during a battle with The Shadow King.
Possessed.
Onslaught was a mysterious evil mutant stalking the X-Men who was revealed to be the Professor?
After a battle in which Magneto ripped out Wolverine’s adamantium off his skeleton, Professor mind wiped his old ally/rival. Magneto was left in a coma. Logan went all animal. Professor was secretly hiding a painful price for victory that the entire Marvel Universe would pay.
This evil entity was born from the Professor using his powers so viciously, Magneto’s anger and his own repressed anger.
Possessed and Outed
Xavier has a twin sister? Cassandra Nova emerged claiming to be the Professor’s sister. She was even bald. Nova seized control of a Sentinel arsenal and launched it on Genosha killing millions of mutants. Nova was a Mummadrai spirit. Charles tried to kill his “sister” while they were still in the womb. Nova eventually rebuilt herself in the guise of her twin. Nova took over his body, outed him as a mutant to the world then took off for outer space where she/he seized control of the Shi’ar Empire.
Shot in the head?
After fighting to save a mutant messiah baby, Bishop shot Professor X in the head. He was presumed dead. Turned out Charles was kidnapped by Exodus. The Professor attempted to made amends for mistakes of his past and mend fences with his students.
Death by Phoenix
The Professor and Magneto both followed Cyclops’s lead when Scott united the mutant race on a island Utopia. The Avengers vs X-Men erupted when the Phoenix Force came to Earth to claim Hope, the aforementioned mutant messiah. Because of Iron Man’s interference the Phoenix was split into five hosts: Cyclops, Emma Frost, Namor, Colossus and Magik. Scott eventually seized controlled of the Phoenix. A possessed Cyclops killed the Professor.
The Great Brain Robbery aka the biggest scream I ever uttered reading a comic book!
In the first Uncanny Avengers issue Red Skull stole the Professor’s body, cut out his brain and was able to take his telepathic powers. The mutant mind of Professor X in the body of the Nazi Red Skull.
Heaven
When the X-Men went to save Nightcrawler and stop Azazel’s invasion of Heaven, we see a glimpse of Xavier. The Uncanny Avengers eventually defeat Red Skull.
Astral
When the current Astonishing X-Men launched it was revealed the Professor’s body may be dead but his soul was captured by his old enemy The Shadow King on the astral plane. Call it chess, call it war – the X-Men were pawns and knights in a battle between the Professor and The Shadow King. It ended with….
Man Called X
Before we continue here’s a SPOILER ALERT!
If you have not read ASTONISHING X-MEN #7 stop reading now and get to the comic book shop!
Seriously.
OK.
Here it comes.
Professor X lives…in the body of Fantomex?!
Xavier is alive again and walking the younger body of the mutant known was Weapon XIII, Charlie-Cluster One and Jean-Phillipe (he liked pretending to have a French accent.) Fantomex was produced by the Weapon Plus program that created Wolverine. Fantomex’s powers include illusion casting, having multiple brains, nano-active blood and had a nervous system that could go outside his own body as a ship called E.V.A. He has great fighting and weapons skills. Fantomex once had a female clone of himself and had a strange romance with Psylocke.
The big question:
Did Xavier mentally manipulate Fantomex into giving over his body – really?
Is one of Fantomex’s brains or clones still out there or in control?
Is Fantomex actually in control of Xavier?
Not to say I told you so but remember in EXTRAORDINARY X-MEN when Storm appeared to have visions of Xavier guiding her? Was the Professor helping her while trapped in the astral plane?
The Professor’s story continues in ASTONISHING X-MEN #8 as a MAN CALLED X gives us his all-new Xavier.
By Editor