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This article is about the mutant team. You may be looking for the film series or 2000 film of the same name.

"Forget everything you think you know. Whatever lessons you learned in school... whatever your parents taught you... none of that matters. You're not kids anymore. You're not students. You're X-Men."
Mystique to the new X-Men team[src]
"Whatever happens today, I need you to promise me something. You looked into my mind and you've seen a lot of bad, but you've seen the good too. The X-Men. Promise me you'll find us. Use your power, bring us together. Guide us, lead us. Storm, Scott, Jean. Remember those names. There's so many of us. We will need you, Professor."
―Wolverine to 1973 Charles[src]

The X-Men were a team of mutants created to defend the world and maintain peaceful human-mutant relations.

History

X-Men: First Class

The group that came to be known as the "X-Men" was founded in 1962 by a young Charles Xavier and Raven Darkholme, working in conjunction with a secret department of the U.S. government called Division X.

X-Uniforms

The X-Men's first mission involved stopping Sebastian Shaw and the Hellfire Club.

Xavier then brought in Erik Lehnsherr to help lead the team, which also consisted of Havok, Darwin, Beast and Banshee. The team came into conflict with another group of mutants called the Hellfire Club, who were vying for world domination. Following this, Erik and Charles' views regarding the path of the emerging mutant race diverged resulting in the end of their friendship. Erik - now going by the name "Magneto", and Darkholme - now going by the name "Mystique", left the X-Men to form the Brotherhood of Mutants. The group was then disbanded before being reestablished sometime prior to the 21st century.

Original Timeline

X-Men

Sent by Professor X, Cyclops and Storm head North to save two mutants, Wolverine and Rogue, from an attack by a Brotherhood member Sabretooth. He was defeated, and the two mutants are taken to the X-Mansion, where Xavier informs Wolverine of Magneto's plans. Logan decides to stay at the Institute. When Rogue, deceived by a disguised Mystique, leaves the Xavier Institute, Wolverine goes after her, while Cyclops and Storm follow him at the train station. Here, the team battles the Brotherhood, this time led by Magneto himself, who defeats the X-Men and kidnaps Rogue - who was his real objective.

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The X-Men use Cerebro to locate mutants.

Using Senator Kelly's memory, Xavier is now aware of Magneto's real plan: He intends to transfer his powers to Rogue and use her to activate his new machine, which would transform normal humans into mutants. Trying to locate Magneto, Xavier falls into a trap set by Mystique and enters a coma. Jean Grey uses Cerebro, and learns that the Brotherhood is on Liberty Island, wanting to use the machine on the world leaders gathered on nearby Ellis Island.

The X-Men reach Liberty Island and battle the Brotherhood again, during which Wolverine defeats Mystique and Storm kills Toad. The entire team is later imprisoned by Magneto's powers, binding them to the Liberty Statue. Only Wolverine manages to free himself, using his healing factor and stabbing himself in order to break the bindings. After defeating Sabretooth, Wolverine frees the rest of the team and, with the assistance of Cyclops, Storm and Jean, frees Rogue and destroy the machine.

After the mission at Liberty Island, Wolverine leaves the team in order to learn something about his past, following the advice of an awakened Professor X.

X2: X-Men United

After an unsuccessful search at Alkali Lake, Wolverine returns to the Xavier Institute, where he once again joins the X-Men. Following the attempted assassination of the President of the United States, Xavier tracks down the mutant responsible of it, and sends Storm and Jean Grey to take him. The two arrive in an abandoned church, where they find Kurt Wagner, the mutant responsible for the assassination attempt. Wagner seems to have been brainwashed in some way and forced to do what he did by someone else. Meanwhile, Professor X and Cyclops are captured by William Stryker, who, thanks to the information taken with force by Magneto, attacks the X-Mansion and hunts down the students. Wolverine, along with Rogue, Bobby Drake and John Allerdyce, manage to escape the Institute after a brief confrontation with Stryker. The group reaches Drake's place, in which they are attacked by the Boston police - who were tipped off by Bobby's brother. After a fight - in which Pyro almost kills the policemen, the X-Jet arrives and takes them aboard. The plane is soon tracked down and attacked by military forces, which manage to shoot it down. The X-Men are then saved by Magneto, freed from his prison by Mystique. The two members of the Brotherhood offer the remaining X-Men an alliance, since their united powers may have a chance to defeat Stryker's army, free Xavier and the other mutants.

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The X-Men rescued Cyclops, Professor X and other students.

The two teams start an attack at Alkali Lake base, forcing Stryker to try and escape. While Jean Grey fights a brainwashed Cyclops while Storm and Nightcrawler free the kidnapped students, Magneto reaches Dark Cerebro, in which Xavier is forced by Jason Stryker to kill all the mutants on the planet. Thanks to his helmet, Magneto is immune to both Xavier's mental attack and Jason's illusion manipulation, and reprograms Dark Cerebro so that the humans are eradicated, then leaves. Later on, he confronts Stryker, who's trying to escape the base, and chains him to a rock.

Storm and Nightcrawler then reach Dark Cerebro and manage to stop Mastermind and free Xavier. Meanwhile, after a fight with Lady Deathstrike, Wolverine confronts Stryker and refuses to free him in exchange on information about his past, leaving him chained while the dam is collapsing. Pyro decides to leave the X-Men and to join the Brotherhood, and accompanies Magneto and Mystique on Stryker's chopper.

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The X-Men reach the White House and talk with the President.

The reunited team returns to the X-Jet, but problems with the engine put them at risk of being killed by the immense water pressure of the collapsing dam. Jean Grey decides to leave the jet and, using her powers, stops the water for a while and makes the jet take off, sacrificing herself in order to save her teammates.

Immediately after the Alkali Lake battle, Xavier and the X-Men reach the White House and talk to the President, who's about to make a speech about the mutant issue. Xavier gives him Stryker's files so that he can see that the assassination was part of Stryker's plan, and warns him that humans and mutants should work together to build peace, or else they'll end up destroying each other in a war. From that day on the X-Men left behind their status of working in the shadows, making the group's existence public.

X-Men: The Last Stand

By this point, Cyclops has become quite depressed and ignores his duties as both a teacher and a team leader, while Logan tries to act as his substitute. Worthington Labs announces that a "Cure" for mutants has been developed, which prompts ex-team member Dr. Hank McCoy (aka "Beast") to return to the X-Mansion and discuss the situation with his old mentor, Xavier.

Caught up in his grief, Cyclops leaves the Mansion alone and returns to Alkali Lake where, in rage, he blasts the water. Hitting the lake, surprisingly, he awakes Jean - who protected herself with a telekinetic cocoon. The "old" Jean has been replaced by her murderous and almost all-powerful persona Phoenix, who seemingly kills Scott. Feeling the disappearance of Scott's mind from his perception, Xavier sends Storm and Wolverine to investigate. The two find Jean unconscious and take her back to the Institute, where it becomes clear that the Phoenix is now dominant: after knocking Wolverine unconscious, Jean leaves the Mansion and returns to her childhood home.

Worried about her potentially unlimited powers, Xavier, accompanied by Storm and Logan, reach the Grey family home, but discover that Magneto too has been acknowledged of Jean's resurrection, and wants to make her join his newly reformed Brotherhood. While Xavier and Magneto confront Jean - both trying to recruit her into their respective camps, a battle occurs outside the house: Storm easily defeats Arclight and Quill, but is beaten by Callisto, while Wolverine is vanquished by the Juggernaut. During the battle, Jean becomes enraged and kills Xavier, almost destroying the whole house in the process. While Logan and Storm mourn their mentor's death, Magneto takes Jean with him and leaves.

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The X-Men mourn of the death of Professor Xavier.

After the deaths of Xavier and Cyclops, Storm takes the lead of the X-Men, and decides to battle the Brotherhood, who plans to destroy Worthington Labs and stop the "Cure". The team is joined by Beast and some of the students (Iceman, Shadowcat and Colossus). Arriving on Alcatraz Island, where the labs are located, the team joins the army stationed there in the fight against the Brotherhood: Storm finally kills Callisto, while Angel manages to save his father from the Omegas and Kitty stops the Juggernaut from killing Leech, the young mutant whose DNA is the source of the "Cure". After a brief fight, Wolverine, Beast and Colossus manage to defeat Magneto and inject him with the "Cure", depowering him. When the battle seems to be won, Phoenix becomes enraged and starts destroying everything around her - buildings, vehicles and people. While everyone escapes, only Wolverine manages to go near her due to his healing factor and, after declaring his love for her, kills her.

After the Alcatraz battle, there is generally greater cooperation between humans and mutants. Beast leaves the X-Men and becomes the new US ambassador to the United Nations, while Storm becomes the new headmistress of the Xavier Institute. During the Post-credits, Charles manages to transfer his consciousness into his twin's body before his old one was disintegrated by the Phoenix.

X-Men: Days of Future Past

Future X-Men

The remains of the X-Men in the original 2023

In an apocalyptic future, most of the mutants and humans have been killed by the unstoppable Sentinels and the remaining X-Men are scattered. Due to the threat, even Magneto has allied with his former enemies. In this future, using Cerebro, the few surviving X-Men and the Free Mutants unite to try to change time by using Shadowcat's powers to project Professor X's mind back to 1973 to stop Mystique from killing Bolivar Trask and starting the chain of events that led to this dark future. As Shadowcat can only send someone safely back a month before their mind is destroyed, including Professor X, the X-Men send Wolverine back instead as his healing powers will allow him to survive. While Wolverine attempts to change the past, the X-Men are forced to defend the monastery they are hiding out at from a massive Sentinel attack to buy Wolverine the time he needs. All the X-Men fall until only a mortally wounded Magneto, Professor X, Shadowcat and the time-traveling Wolverine are left. With no choice, Shadowcat cuts the connection keeping Wolverine in the past and the apocalyptic future is erased due to Wolverine's actions in 1973. In the new future, the X-Men once more exist as they previously had as does the Xavier Institute which is again run by Professor X. Wolverine's changes to the timeline have seemingly affected more of the X-Men's past than just the Sentinel program as both Jean Grey and Cyclops are shown to be alive as well.

Revised Timeline

X-Men: Apocalypse

X-Men Danger Room

The new generation of X-Men training in the Danger Room

In 1983, 10 years after Wolverine altered the timeline, Charles Xavier and Hank McCoy reopened The Xavier School for Gifted Youngsters where they took in many students including Jean Grey and Jubilation Lee. Sometime later Alex Summers brought his younger brother Scott so he could receive help in controlling his powers. Later at night, Jean has a nightmare about the end of the world after calming her, Xavier and McCoy decide to investigate and learn that an earthquake occurred in Cairo, Egypt that coincided with Jean's nightmare. The next day Charles and Alex travel to Washington, D.C. so that they can learn more about what happened from Moira who was also present in Cairo investigating a group of followers who believe in an ancient mutant of great powers. That same day, Raven returns to the mansion and brings along Kurt Wagner whom she had rescued and tells Charles that Erik has resurfaced after his family was killed by police. Using Cerebro Xavier manages to locate Magneto and finds out he has joined Apocalypse and his Horsemen. Apocalypse then proceeds to take control of Xavier through Cerebro to make all the Earths governments launch their nuclear missiles into space. In a desperate attempt to cut the connection Charles tells Alex to destroy Cerebro.

Apocalypse and his Horsemen then arrive and kidnap an unconscious Xavier. Alex tries to stop them by firing an energy blast but misses and ends up hitting the X-Jets fuselage which causes an explosion. While Peter Maximoff is able to get everyone to safety Alex who was the closest to the blast range is killed. William Styker then arrives and captures Raven, Hank, Moira and Peter. 

Jean, Scott, and Kurt sneak aboard and free a experimented on Logan who proceeds to slaughter most of the soldiers before finally being calmed down and having Jean restore his memories before he finally escapes the facility. Freeing the others the group travel to Cairo with a Jet stored in the facility and dawn flight suits, determined to stop Apocalypse plans.

On the way a nervous Jean ask Raven if she was scared on that fateful day in Washington D.C. in 1973. Raven says no but tells them that she was scared on her first mission and fondly recounts the heroic efforts of her allies. Arriving in Cairo Jean discovers Apocalyspe plan is to transfer his mind into Xavier which would allow him to control everyone. The group splits up as Raven and Peter go to stop Erik and the others go to rescue Charles. Nightcrawler teleports into the pyramid where he is attacked by Archangel. After a grueling battle Nightcrawler manages to defeat Archangel and rescue Charles before the mind transference process can be completed but not before Xavier loses all of his hair.

Meanwhile Mystique and Quicksilver locate Magneto. Raven proceeds to tell Erik that while he thinks he has lost all his family tells him that he still has Charles, herself, and Peter who does not directly tell him that he is his son. On board the Jet the others attempt to escape with Xavier only for Psylocke and Archangel to send the jet crashing but Nightcrawler is able to teleport everyone to safety. Apocalypse calls out Charles only to be attacked by both Quicksilver and Mystique who he subdues and tortures to call out Charles. Xavier reminded that through the mind transference process he and Apocalypse are still connected enters Apocalypse mind and proceeds to brutally beat Apocalypse. However, Apocalypse gains the upper hand and proceeds to brutally thrash Xavier. Meanwhile, Cyclops and Beast try to hold off Apocalypse physical body and are aided by a reformed Magneto. However, Apocalypse still proves to be too powerful and advances until Jean having unlocked the power of the Phoenix comes and changes the tide and proceeds to burn away Apocalypse armor and body. Apocalypse tries to escape but Storm then also comes to their aid as Jean fully vaporizes Apocalypse.

In the aftermath, Xavier and Moira rekindle their relationship. Erik and Jean help reconstruct the school, but Erik refuses Xavier's offer to stay and help teach. Hank, Scott, Jean, Ororo, Kurt, Peter, and Raven become the new X-Men, and Hank and Raven train the new recruits for the battles ahead.

Dark Phoenix

In 1992, nearly a decade after defeating Apocalypse, the X-Men have been recognized as national heroes, and thus operate openly as superheroes. However, as a result of their new-found fame professor Xavier's ego has been greatly inflated, and he has begun urging the team into increasingly risky and dangerous missions.

One such mission takes them into space to rescue the astronauts on the space Shuttle Endeavor. While the X-Men save all of the astronauts, Jean ends up stranded and absorbing all of the energy into her body. Fortunately, Jean survives the event, but her psychic powers are greatly amplified as a result. After returning to the mansion the mental block placed by Xavier in Jeans mind to help her with the traumatic car crash that killed seemingly both her parents is destroyed, and Jean ends up accidentally attacking the mutants celebrating at Xavier's school after a mental breakdown, passing out afterward. When Xavier goes inside her mind to find out what’s wrong using Cerebro, Jean manages to resist Charles attempts which severely injure him as she pushes him out of her mind and discovers that her father is indeed alive. Jean travels to her childhood hometown of Red Hook and the team follows. The X-Men attempt to take Jean home, but she ends up injuring Peter Maximoff and accidentally kills Mystique and several policemen before escaping.

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X-Men in their space rescue mission.

The X-Men mourn the loss of Raven and begin to fracture as Hank blames Charles for Raven's death and Jean's actions, and Storm tells Scott that Jean might not be able to be saved.

Hank, wanting to get revenge for Raven's death, allies with Erik and his mutant refugees in Genosha which Jean had previously wrecked havoc in before Erik told her to leave and the two decide to bring down Jean in New York City. The remaining X-Men consisting of Kurt, Scott and Ororo and Erik's faction battle each other before Erik confronts Jean, only to be overpowered by her enhanced abilities. Xavier is attacked by Jean, and nearly killed but he manages to convince her to read his memories, allowing her personality to resurface as she discovers that while her father did not want her and believed her a monster and lost cost Charles always genuinely cared for and had faith in Jean. Feeling remorseful, Jean asks Vuk to take the power of the Phoenix force away from her, though it turns out that doing this would kill her. Before Vuk can fully extract the Phoenix Force , Xavier and Scott stop Vuk before both mutant factions are captured by the U.S. government and placed in a train headed towards a secret containment facility.

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The X-Men ready to fight the D'Bari forces.

The train is attacked by Vuk and her D'Bari forces. When the soldiers are overpowered by the shapeshifters, all the mutants are freed from their restraints to combat the threat. As both sides fight off the D’Bari Xavier confers with Jean within his mind, allowing Jean's personality to gain control of the force within her. Vuk once again attempts to drain Jean of the force, but Jean unleashes her full potential and kills Vuk before disappearing into outer space. In the aftermath of the incident, the school is renamed Jean Grey's School for Gifted Youngsters In Jean's honor, with Hank as the new dean, and Charles feeling remorseful for his actions retires after decades in the fight for mutant rights.

Deadpool

Despite their best efforts and helping him defeat Ajax, Colossus and Negasonic Teenage Warhead were unable to convince Deadpool into joining the X-Men. Although Deadpool did promise that, in return for Colossus and Negasonic Teenage Warhead helping him defeat Ajax, he would think about joining the X-Men.

Deadpool 2

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Deadpool joins the X-Men as a trainee.

When Deadpool blew himself up after blaming himself for the death of Vanessa Carlysle, Colossus brought him to the X-Mansion to recover. While there, Deadpool began complaining that he never saw other X-Men around the mansion apart from Colossus and Negasonic Teenage Warhead. While ranting, Deadpool was unaware that Professor X, Cyclops, Storm, Nightcrawler, Beast, and Quicksilver were in a room behind him. Beast quietly closed the door so that he did not notice them.

Logan

Some time in 2028, an aging Xavier's mental instability led to a seizure, during which he lost control of his powers and let out an involuntary psychic attack. In the attack he experienced in Westchester, the location of the X-Mansion, he harmed 600 people, and killed seven mutants, including several members of the X-Men.

By 2029, the X-Men had been disbanded with the only known members alive being Xavier and Logan, the latter of whom was resilient enough to survive Charles's seizures and became his caregiver alongside fellow mutant, Caliban. Additionally, no new birth of mutants had occurred in 25 years while existing mutants were forced to hide after many of them were persecuted or killed by the Reavers, the security force of the company Alkali-Transigen. However, the adventures of the X-Men over the years were documented and published into comics for the large public.

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The last X-Man.


The New Mutants

Throughout The New Mutants, Dr. Reyes keeps mentioning her "superiors". Whilst having free time, the mutants (Wolfsbane, Magik, Mirage, Sunspot, Cannonball) try to guess who these "superiors" were. Sunspot taps his fingers to the side of his head (whilst in a wheelchair) saying that it "should be obvious", implying that her superiors might be the X-Men.

Members

X-Men: First Class

Original Timeline

X-Men

X2: X-Men United

X-Men: The Last Stand

X-Men: Days of Future Past

Revised Timeline

X-Men: Days of Future Past

X-Men: Apocalypse

X-Men: Dark Phoenix

Deadpool

Deadpool 2

Trivia

  • There are some characters from the comics who was planned to be included in the movie team but didn't make it:
  • Professor X and Beast are the only characters to be founding members of the X-Men in both the comics and film franchise.
  • Moira MacTaggert is the only non-mutant in the films to serve as a member of the X-Men.
  • Angel, Deadpool, Negasonic Teenage Warhead, Quicksilver and Yukio were part of the team in different timelines: Angel in the Original Timeline while Quicksilver, Negasonic Teenage Warhead, Yukio and Deadpool in the Revised Timeline.
  • Deadpool called the X-Men a "dated metaphor for racism in the '60s."[1]
  • The Free Mutants were members of the team as they helped Shadowcat and Logan to erase their timeline

References

  1. Deadpool 2 (2018). David Leitch (director) & Rhett Reese, Paul Wernick, Ryan Reynolds (writers). 20th Century Fox.

External links

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