
The X-Men are fictitious mutants who, as a result of a sudden leap in evolution, are born with latent superhuman abilities that generally manifest themselves at puberty. In the stories, many ordinary humans harbor an intense fear or distrust of mutants (often referred to as Homo superior), who are regarded by a number of scientists as the next step in human evolution.
They are thus widely viewed as a threat to human civilizations; mutants who use their powers for criminal ends exacerbate the tensions. The X-Men were formed by the benevolent Professor Charles Xavier, (a.k.a. Professor X), a wealthy mutant who founded an academy to train young mutants to protect themselves and the world from Magneto, the Brotherhood of Mutants and other mutant threats.