X-Men

X-Men
Variant cover of X-Men (vol. 6) #2 (August 2021) depicting the first elected Krakoan X-Men team (clockwise from left): Synch, X-23, Sunfire, Marvel Girl, Rogue, Polaris, and Cyclops. Art by Mahmud Asrar.
Publication information
Publisher	Marvel Comics
First appearance	The X-Men #1 (September 1963)
Created by	Stan Lee Jack Kirby
In-story information
Base(s)	Current: The Morlocks' Alley New York Sewer System New York City Former: Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters Westchester County, New York The Treehouse (Krakoan base) New York City
Member(s)	Current: Beast Cyclops Gambit Juggernaut Kid Omega Magik Nightcrawler Psylocke Rogue Temper Wolverine Former: See List of X-Men members

The X-Men are a superhero team in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer/editor Stan Lee and artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby, the team first appeared in The X-Men #1 (September 1963).^[1] Although initially cancelled in 1970 due to low sales, following its 1975 revival and subsequent direction under writer Chris Claremont, it became one of Marvel's most recognizable and successful franchises.^[2] They have appeared in numerous books, television shows, 20th Century Fox's X-Men films, and video games. The X-Men title may refer to the superhero team itself, the eponymous comic series, or the broader franchise, which includes various solo titles and team books, such as the New Mutants, Excalibur, and X-Force.

In the Marvel Universe, mutants are humans born with a genetic trait called the X-gene, which grants them natural superhuman abilities, generally manifesting during puberty. Due to their differences from most humanity, mutants are subject to prejudice and discrimination; many X-Men stories feature social commentary on bigotry, justice, and other political themes. The X-Men have fought against various enemies, including villainous mutants, human bigots, supervillains, mystical threats, extraterrestrials, and evil artificial intelligence. In most iterations of the team, they are led by their founder, Charles "Professor X" Xavier, a powerful telepath who runs a school for mutant children out of his mansion in Westchester, New York, which secretly is also the headquarters of the X-Men. Their stories have frequently involved Magneto, a powerful mutant with control over magnetic fields, who is depicted as an old friend of and foil to Xavier, acting as an adversary or ally.