Stan Lee's 20 Greatest Marvel Comics Creations

Professor Charles Xavier is the leader of the X-Men and one of the most somber characters Stan Lee ever created. Debuting in 1963, he represents the Martin Luther King of the mutant movement, with his friend and rival Magneto as the Malcolm X.

This connection with Magneto is a huge part of Professor X’s character. He doesn’t even view his arch nemesis as a rival; at times he even thinks of him as his brother. The X-Men movies haven’t always been note perfect, but the dynamic between Stewart/McKellen or McAvoy/Fassbender has always struck a chord with audiences.

A pacifist confided to a wheelchair hardly seems like a thrilling superhero, but it’s the uniqueness and depth Lee could instill in his characters that have seen them last until today. Through the Cerebro machine, Xavier has the power to telepathically track down individuals with the mutant gene. He has visions of the perfect world, but he’s smart enough to know it doesn’t exist, and so offers them solace in school.

This nurturing nature has had a lasting impact on the X-Men series too. Cyclops, Wolverine and Jean Grey’s care for students in later stories are clear homage to Lee’s initial characterisation of Professor X.