Charles Francis Xavier, better known as Professor X, first appeared in The X-Men #1 (September 1963), created by writer Stan Lee and artist/co-writer Jack Kirby. Born the son of wealthy nuclear researcher Brian Xavier and his wife Sharon, Charles endured a troubled childhood following his father's death and his mother's remarriage to the abusive Kurt Marko, whose son Cain became his stepbrother. Manifesting powerful mutant telepathic abilities early in life, Xavier pursued advanced studies in genetics and mutation, eventually establishing the Xavier School for Gifted Youngsters in Westchester, New York, as a sanctuary and training ground for mutants. Driven by a dream of peaceful coexistence between humans and mutants, he assembled the original X-Men team—Cyclops, Iceman, Angel, Beast, and Marvel Girl—using the mutant-detecting device Cerebro to protect a world that fears and hates them.
Professor X is regarded as one of the most powerful telepaths in the Marvel Universe, capable of reading minds, projecting thoughts, inducing illusions, controlling actions, and engaging in astral projection across vast distances. His abilities extend to global-scale psychic feats, memory alteration, and psychic shields, augmented by genius-level intellect in fields such as genetics, engineering, and strategy. Confined to a wheelchair following a spinal injury sustained in a confrontation with the alien Lucifer during his travels in the Himalayas, Xavier has employed advanced technology, including hoverchairs and the supercomputer Cerebro, to enhance his effectiveness. Periodically, he has regained the use of his legs through scientific interventions, clone bodies, or external aid, though paralysis remains a defining aspect of his character.
Xavier's narrative has encompassed profound philosophical conflicts with his former friend Magneto, alternating between alliance and opposition over mutant rights. Major developments include the Onslaught saga, where suppressed psychic energies merged with Magneto's to create a destructive entity; multiple deaths and resurrections, such as his apparent demise during the Phoenix-related events and subsequent returns; leadership of teams like X-Factor and Genosha's mutant population; and the Krakoan era initiated in House of X/Powers of X, establishing a mutant nation before its fall amid the Orchis conflict. These arcs have portrayed him as a visionary mentor, occasional morally ambiguous figure willing to employ ethically questionable methods for mutant survival, and enduring symbol of hope amid prejudice.