Name:
Dr. Charles Francis Xavier
Age:
26, born December 19th, 1920
Alias:
Professor X
Position in School:
Headmaster / Mutation 101 Teacher
Appearance:
Height:
5'7" when he leans on his cane, 5'11" at full height
Costume (if any):
Abilities:
Telepathy:
Easily one of the most powerful telepaths in the world, Charles is able to perceive the thoughts of others or project his own thoughts within a radius of approximately 150 miles, able to access even one's deepest secrets should he push deep enough.
Charles' vast psionic powers enable him to manipulate the minds of others, warp perceptions to make himself seem invisible, project mental illusions, cause loss of particular memories, and induce pain or temporary mental/physical paralysis in others, though he will rarely use the latter two powers.
Charles can also form mental links with another that remains as a connection to that individual. To this end he can also communicate with others telepathically, though this power is much more effective if used with other psychics.
Within close range, Charles can manipulate up to fifty minds for such simple feats. However, he can only take full possession of one other mind at a time, and must strictly be within that person's physical presence. He is able to communicate with animals telepathically, but is not yet skilled enough to share their perception. He can also, to a limited effect, take away or control people's natural bodily functions and senses, though the more he takes dominance of, the less individual control he has.
As a side effect of his telepathy, Charles has an eidetic memory, only furthering his ability as a telepath and a scientist.
One of Charles' more offensive capabilities is the ability to project bolts of psychic energy from his mind, such bolts capable of stunning an opponent's mind to cause severe pain, unconsciousness, and even mental trauma if powerful enough.
Charles is capable of perceiving the distinct mental presence of mutants within a small radius of himself, (e.g. New York) though in order to detect mutants of a wider area beyond this radius requires an artificial amplification of his powers.
Despite all his powers, Charles is incapable of permanently reprogramming a human mind to believe what he might want them to believe, even if he did want to do so. His reasoning for this is because the mind is an organism that would always recall the steps necessary for it to reach the present, and thus will rewrite itself to its original state if he tried to change it. Nevertheless, should he reprogram one's mind, his reprogramming can last several years before rewriting itself.
Skills:
A natural genius, Charles is highly-educated in mutation, psionics, and biology while also possessing considerable expertise in other life sciences. He possesses Ph.D's in Biology, Biophysics, Psychology, and Anthropology, as well as an M.D. in Psychiatry.
A masterful strategist and tactician, Charles can quickly evaluate and analyze decisions before swiftly devising a response. Likewise, despite his physical handicap, he is also somewhat of a capable fighter in his own right, using his own telepathic abilities to sense the intentions of others and counter with superhuman efficiency. With this also comes extensive knowledge of pressure points, not to mention his cane packs quite a swing...
Charles is a skilled speaker and mediator, possessing a wide range of vocabulary, as well as his own neutral demeanor making him an excellent diplomat, though he can and will be forceful if necessary, holding a commanding presence that belies his humble appearance.
Charles has an almost superhuman amount of focus, due both to his telepathy and his personality. He rarely panics and always remains composed, even under great stress or pressure. Likewise he also displays great patience, never rushing and thinking out his decisions before executing them.
Lastly, Charles is fluent in both English and Latin, though is capable of hearing the thoughts of anyone in English.
Personality Traits:
A caring and compassionate man aged far beyond his years, Charles Xavier is the type of man to see good in everyone, no matter where they've come from or what they've done. He refuses to give up on people, always believing that no matter how far one has fallen, they can always be picked back up again.
Charles is known throughout the school as being reasonable and kind, but firm, oftentimes serving as a mentor and father figure to many of the students, despite his relatively young age. He can be stern and practical when the need calls for it, but is capable of extreme forgiveness and warmth as well.
Unlike many mutants, Charles holds no animosity or hatred towards humans, offering them the same courtesy and respect he will give to mutants. He remains highly hopeful that one day, humans and mutants can peacefully co-exist together without need for prejudice or discrimination.
Charles also has a penchant for mischief and practical jokes, believing that having a sense of humor helps to ease the students into their new homes, as well as making him more approachable.
Branching off from this, Charles is never arrogant, self-important, or pompous when it comes to his intelligence or powers. He is aware of his great abilities and does not hold back when reminding people of this fact, but he acknowledges that everyone has their weaknesses, including himself, and that one becomes strong by accepting their weaknesses.
Though hiding it from the students and even from Erik and Logan, Charles is also somewhat frustrated by his physical condition, yearning to be able to walk without the reliance of a cane. With these feelings of frustration comes bouts of pessimism and cynicism as well, in which Charles will become very pensive, wondering if his hopes for peace and coexistence will ever be truly realized. During these periods, he will typically shut himself away for a period of time in which to think by himself, only to emerge hours later acting as though nothing happened.
Backstory:
Born in the town of Salem in Washington County, New York at the start of the Roaring Twenties, the young Charles Xavier lived a life of luxury since infancy.
Raised by a British father and an American mother, both well-renowned and wealthy scientists, Charles showed signs of his mutant gene since he could barely speak, randomly talking aloud, as if in conversation, even if he was the only one in the room, or spending hours upon hours playing against himself in chess as opposed to romping about outside as most children did, or even seeming to read his parents' thoughts.
Brian and Sharon Xavier were initially somewhat wary of Charles' reclusive and bizarre behavior, but simply blamed such trifles on children's imaginations as they continued their work, day-in-day-out.
As Charles grew older and more independent, he found himself somewhat detached from his parents, as their busy work schedule made it difficult for them to spend quality time with their son.
The years went by quietly, but slowly. Charles was alone more often than not, wandering the hallways with nothing to accompany him but his thoughts (and sometimes others thoughts).
With nothing else to occupy his time except for the creaks and groans of the old mansion, Charles devoted himself to study and to learning, his genius intellect giving him a huge advantage over his classmates. It was for this reason that, by the time he was 16, Charles graduated from Harvard University with honors.
Holding his home in contempt, Charles decided he would spend the next years of his life traveling, absorbing different cultures with a ravenous hunger for knowledge. By the time he turned 18, Charles realized he would need to settle down and find a career.
Taking the first ship he could to Britain, the home of his father, Charles quickly sent in an application to Oxford University to be a professor of biology. Though astounded by his young age and lack of experience, the academic achievements Charles had amassed were enough to sway the school board into giving him the position.
Young enough to be a college freshman and possessing the look of a vagabond, Charles was nonetheless an excellent professor, his sheer knowledge and method of teaching quickly making him a favorite among students.
It was during this time that Charles, still curious about his own relatively unexplored telepathic abilities began to use the university's resources to do research into Homo sapiens superior, mutants, humans born with a rare genetic trait called an X-gene that granted them superhuman powers and abilities.
Research furthered into borrowing books from the library; borrowing books from the library furthered into writing thesis paper upon thesis paper on the subject, containing remarkable theories regarding the existence and genetic makeup of mutants.
Word was spread of Charles' work, and he quickly turned from being a marvel of teaching to a mentally deranged lunatic, "swaying his students away from science with talks of fictitious magic."
Charles knew it wouldn't be long before the school board eventually stripped him of his degree and reputation before promptly terminating his employment. Deciding to try and preserve as much of his dignity as he could, Charles turned in his resignation, now jobless on the streets of Britain while being the laughingstock of Oxford.
Using what money he had to buy a small, sparse apartment, Charles would oftentimes spend the cool nights wandering the streets to think by himself. During one of these calm nighttime walks, Charles felt something inside his mind...panic, fear, pain.
Somehow managing to trail the source of such thoughts to a dark alleyway, where two large men were shouting and hurling curses, kicking and spitting on a fallen individual who's features could not be seen in the flurry of feet and fists.
In a rare moment of both stupidity and heroism, Charles shouted at the men, grabbing their attention. His moment of bravery passed, however, the moment both of them charged him at once.
Charles reflexively shot his arm out, his other hand moving to the side of his head. The first mugger fell to the ground in excruciating pain, the other shocked shocked, but undeterred as he hurried after Charles, holding a rather sharp knife in hand.
What next proceeded was an unintelligible mess of fighting, dodging, and tackling. Charles did his best to avoid getting hit, somehow even managing feats of dodging that surprised even him.
But his luck wasn't to last as the mugger's knife found its way into Charles' back. At that moment, all sensation in his right leg became fuzzy and numb, more like a dead weight than a limb. Little did he know at the time that his leg would be permanently crippled as a result.
Succumbing to unconsciousness, the first thing Charles saw upon waking up was a tailed blue man staring back at him with virulent yellow eyes, flashing a somewhat weak, blue-tinted sharp-toothed smile.
Nearly anyone who would have woken up to such a sight would have been frightened, shocked, terrified...but Charles was intrigued. It didn't take a genius to guess that his savior was, in fact, a mutant.
Charles learned that the mutant (who identified himself as Meteu) was the individual being mugged in the first place, only for his appearance. That, in fact, there were mutants scattered all across the globe, hidden, shunned for their unique gifts and powers, some even killed by hate groups.
From that moment on, Charles realized what he had to do, what his mission was. He had to peacefully unite mutants and humans, one way or another. There were many like him, able to pass off as regular humans while hiding their powers away from society; but others like Meteu have truly little choice, left to be slandered, prejudiced, and beaten by those who would cause harm to those who are different.
Forced to walk with a cane from the injury he sustained in Oxford, Charles devoted himself to finding mutants wherever he went, starting with Great Britain as a whole. His journeys were not always easy, and he was a lone man on a large mission, but Charles would be dealt a good hand as he met the man who would become a close friend and co-founder of the X-Men: Erik Lehnsherr.
Charles learned that Erik, who was Jewish, had escaped the SS in Germany, that he had lost both his wife and children to execution, having used his extraordinary abilities to slaughter his captors and escape with his life.
Charles could do little but offer Erik solidarity and compassion, revealing that his mission was to unite mutants together in a haven they could live without worry, without fear of prejudice. Erik, having seen firsthand how even regular humans were treated by each other, accepted Charles' offer to join him, the two of them spending the next year-and-a-half recruiting young mutants around the world, finally settling in Charles' home state of New York, occupying a refurbished bar and military bunker as their home and school, Professor Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters: The X-Men.
Other:
Much of Charles' personal life before the War is unknown. Whether he had any romantic interests or not is open to much speculation, as Xavier himself speaks little of it. Secondly, Charles is an avid fan of music, having an affinity towards playing the piano, keeping a rather immaculate grand piano kept in his office/bedroom which he will play as the whim strikes him. During these periods he is incredibly open to allowing students inside to listen. Some even say he plays as a way to distract him from his handicap. Lastly, Charles suffers bouts of phantom pain from his bad leg, enough to keep him awake at night should they be severe enough.
