As far as X-Men Group Editor Tom Brevoort is concerned, there’s one moment in Professor X’s history that fundamentally altered him for the worse. Professor X has done some sketchy things to friend and foe alike, but one shocking moment completely violated everything the mutant’s beloved leader claimed he stood for.
In a post on Tom Brevoort’s Substack, the editor responded to a reader discussing Professor Charles Xavier’s role and why he’s often benched in storylines. Brevoort admits that Charles represents authority and most stories come from an anti-authority point of view.
Consequently, on multiple occasions, Xavier has been shown to be not just flawed but actually abhorrent in his actions, betraying the morality that he’s meant to represent. Speaking for myself, I feel as though
Joss Whedon
and
John Cassaday’s
Danger story tainted the character in a permanent way, and then the reveal of the Deadly Genesis X-Men team that he’d sent to their deaths and wiped everybody’s memory of completed that process. There’s flawed, and then there’s being a monster, and especially in a world in which Magneto is more and more often presented as being on the right side of their philosophical argument.
But Brevoort goes deeper into his analysis of Professor Xavier, saying Charles has often displayed behaviors not suitable for a real leader. Brevoort specifically mentions Joss Whedon and John Cassaday’s “Dangerous” storyline from Astonishing X-Men “tainted the character in a permanent way“. Brevoort also brings up Charles’ actions in X-Men: Deadly Genesis as further evidence of Professor X’s monstrous side.
Professor X’s Past with Danger Changed Him Forever
Charles Xavier Keeps Proving He Lacks Humanity
Charles Xavier has done everything he can to make the world a better place for mutants, and that has taken him to some dark places. But every once in a while, something emerges from his past that is less about improving the world and more about hiding his own misdeeds and failures. One such event was seen in the “Dangerous” storyline which revealed Professor X discovered that the team’s Danger Room was sentient. But instead of passing this information along to the X-Men, Charles experimented on it in secret for years.
This, of course, was just one moment in a long line of events that indicate just how secretive and manipulative Professor X can really be. As Brevoort mentioned, X-Men: Deadly Genesis was another low point for the X-Men’s leader, as it was revealed Charles sent a team of mutants that got all of them except for Cyclops killed. His way of handling the situation was to simply mind-wipe Scott and pretend that the team never existed (which only served to further damage Professor X’s relationship with the X-Men years later).
Brevoort is Correct, Professor X’s History Undermines His Message
Featuring Charles Xavier is Hard When He Keeps Betraying His Team
Professor X may be an idealist, but just because he dreams about a better world, that doesn’t mean he’s absolved of the many, many awful things he’s done. Brevoort is right on the money when he says it’s hard to prominently featured a man like Charles when he’s constantly doing things that are better suited for a supervillain than a hero. If the X-Men’s stalwart leader is willing to oppress a life like Danger, it’s hard to see Professor X as someone who can usher in an era of peace.
Of course, Professor X is never going to completely go away and for all he’s done, his team is almost always going to bring him back into the fold. But as the X-Men franchise continues to grow and change, it’s going to be increasingly difficult finding a place for Charles, especially if more things like the Danger situation or his past in Deadly Genesis come to light. For the X-Men’s sake, hopefully, the worst things Professor X has done have already been revealed.
Source: Substack
X-Men
The X-Men franchise, created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, centers on mutants with extraordinary abilities. Led by the powerful telepath Professor Charles Xavier, they battle discrimination and villainous mutants threatening humanity. The series explores themes of diversity and acceptance through a blend of action, drama, and complex characters, spanning comics, animated series, and blockbuster films.