X-Men Mania Part 1

Happy Birthday to Andrea and Rachael Chang

In the days before and after the release of X-Men Origins: Wolverine, 2 movies were shown on Channel 5 on different weeks... X2: X-Men United last Sunday and X-Men 3: The Last Stand just last night. Also, we saw the debut of "Wolverine and The X-Men" on Friday. Here is a brief lowdown on the characters who have appeared in the X-Men Trilogy...

The X-Men
Professor Charles Francis Xavier aka Professor X
He is the founder of Xavier's Institute of Higher Learning, a safe haven for mutants. Although he is paraplegic, his body houses one of the world's most powerful mutant minds. As a high-level telepath, Xavier can read, control and influence human minds. Xavier's 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 and/or physical paralysis in others. Within close range, he can manipulate almost any number of 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 one of the few telepaths skilled enough to communicate with animals and even share their perceptions. A scientific genius, he is also a leading authority on genetics, mutation, and psionic powers.

Logan/Wolverine
Born James Howlett in the mid 19th century and commonly known as Logan, Wolverine is a mutant, possessing animal-keen senses, enhanced physical capabilities, retracting bone claws, and a healing factor that allows him to quickly recover from virtually any wound, disease or toxin, also enabling him to live beyond a normal human lifespan. This healing ability enabled the supersoldier program Weapon X to bond the near indestructible metal alloy adamantium to Logan's skeleton and claws without risk of killing him, wiping out his memory in the process. Wolverine was typical of the many tough anti-authority anti-heroes that emerged in American popular culture after the Vietnam War; his willingness to use deadly force and his brooding nature became standard characteristics for comic book anti-heroes by the end of the 1980s. As a result, the character became the clear favorite for fans of the increasingly popular X-Men franchise.

Scott Summers aka Scott Summers
He is the leader of the X-Men, and one of Professor X's first students. Cyclops posesses the ability to emit powerful "optic blasts" from his eyes, but due to his inability to turn off the beams, he consequently wears ruby-quartz lensed glasses at all times and a specialized visor in combat. He is an expert pilot due to an uncanny sense of trigonometry, in this sense used to describe his observation of objects around himself and the angles found between surfaces of these objects. His powers may have led to his inhibited, meticulous character. However, it is these qualities that make Cyclops a master strategist and tactician with excellent leadership skills. In most incarnations, Cyclops has often been shown to be not only Charles Xavier's most loyal student, but also the one who most believes in his dream of mutant and human equality.

Ororo Munroe aka Storm
Storm is an extremely powerful mutant hailing from Kenya, having demonstrated a plethora of abilities, most of which are facets of her power to control all forms of weather over vast areas. She has been able to control both Earthly and extraterrestrial ecosystems on several occasions. She can control the temperature of the environment, control all forms of precipitation, humidity and moisture, generate lightning and other electromagnetic atmospheric phenomena, and has demonstrated excellent control over atmospheric pressure. Storm can incite all forms of meteorological tempests, such as tornadoes, thunderstorms, blizzards, and is capable of summoning a hurricane, as well as mist. She can dissipate such weather to form clear skies as well.

Jean Grey
Jean Grey-Summers is a mutant born with telepathic and telekinetic powers. She is a caring, nurturing figure, but she also must deal with being an Omega-level mutant and the physical manifestation of the cosmic Phoenix Force. She faces death several times in the history of the series, but due to her connection with the Phoenix Force, she, as her namesake implies, rises from death. When bonded to the Phoenix, Jean is said to outclass mutants, granting her complete control over matter, energy, thought, and unlimited psionic energies. She can tap into reserved energies for future generations, denying them existence. Jean is best known as the love interest of Scott "Cyclops" Summers, though she also has to deal with romantic advances from Wolverine.

Marie D'anCanto aka Rogue
More so than any other mutant, Rogue considers her powers a curse: she involuntarily absorbs the memories, physical strength, and (in the case of superpowered individuals) the abilities of anyone she touches. This absorption usually leaves its victim weakened, and sometimes unconscious, the victim's powers may also be temporarily weakened or removed. This transfer is usually temporary, lasting for a period of time relative to how long contact is maintained, but if Rogue holds on to her victim for too long, the transfer may become permanent and even have near-fatal effects on the victim. This potentially fatal power prevents Rogue from making any physical contact with others, and so she has to cover up most of her body with thick layers of clothings.

Bobby Drake aka Iceman
Iceman is a mutant with the ability of cryokinesis where he can freeze anything around him and can also turn his body into ice. In this manner he is able to quickly form a great variety of ice structures, including projectiles, shields, ladders, baseball bats, etc. He often makes ice slides which form rapidly beneath and behind his feet, pushing him along the slick surface at high speeds. Iceman is immune to sub-zero temperatures; he is also able to perceive the thermal energy level of objects around him. Because cold is the absence of heat, Iceman does not actually 'emanate' cold; rather, he decreases thermal energy. Although he is an Omega-level mutant, Bobby has yet to tap his full mutant potential; he has, however, begun to take more interest over the years in developing his abilities. Iceman is also able to reconstitute his organic ice form if any part of it is damaged, or even if it is completely shattered, without permanently harming himself. He can survive not only as ice, but as liquid water and water vapor.

Kitty Pryde aka Shadowcat
Kitty possesses a "phasing" ability that essentially allows her and objects or people with which she is in contact to become intangible. In this way she and the object through which she is passing can temporarily merge without interacting, and each is unharmed when Shadowcat has finished passing through the object. This power also disrupts any electrical field she passes through, and lets her simulate levitation. Besides her mutant powers, Kitty is a genius in the field of applied technology and computer science. Shadowcat is highly talented in the design and use of computer hardware. She is a skilled pilot of piston and jet engine aircraft, and a competent pilot of certain advanced interstellar vehicles.

Peter Rasputin aka Colossus
A mutant hailing from Russia, Colossus has the ability to transform his entire body into a form of 'organic steel', with properties analogous to osmium but of still unknown composition. Colossus cannot transform a portion of his body into this armored state; he must either transform completely or remain within his normal state. When he transforms, he gains around a foot in height and his weight is at least doubled. In his armored form, Colossus possesses superhuman levels of strength, as well as superhuman stamina and durability. While in his armored form, Colossus requires no food, water, or even oxygen to sustain himself, and is extremely resistant to injury. He is capable of withstanding great impacts, high caliber bullets, falling from great heights, temperature extremes of hot and cold, electricity, and certain magical attacks.


Kurt Wagner aka Nightcrawler
A mutant of German extraction, Nightcrawler possesses superhuman agility and the ability to teleport. He does this by means of displacing himself through an alternate dimension briefly and reappearing in a desired location. He has been shown to be able to teleport distances of up to two miles (3 km) under optimal conditions, although it is at his extreme limit, and he can become severely fatigued if he tries to teleport that distance. After Nightcrawler teleports, he leaves behind smoke and a faint scent of burning brimstone; this is a small portion of the atmosphere of the dimension he travels through when he teleports. His physical mutations include blue fur, three-toed and fingered feet and hands, yellow eyes, and a prehensile tail. Nightcrawler is depicted as Catholic and while this is not emphasized as much in his earlier comic book appearances, in more recent depictions Nightcrawler is more vocal about his faith.

Hank McCoy aka Beast
When first introduced, Hank McCoy possesses ape-like superhuman physical strength and agility and oversized hands and feet, though he otherwise appears to be a normal human being. Throughout his history, Beast undergoes progressive latent transformations to his physiognomy, permanently gaining increasingly animalistic physical characteristics. These include blue fur, feline facial features, pointed ears, fangs, and claws. His physical power increases to even greater levels, as do his senses. Despite his savage appearance, Beast is a brilliant man of the arts and sciences; he is a world authority on biochemistry and genetics, the X-Men's medical doctor, and the science and mathematics instructor at the Xavier Institute. He is also a mutant political activist. Fighting his bestial instincts and fears of social rejection, Beast dedicates his physical and mental gifts to the creation of a better world for man and mutant. He also has a witty sense of humor.

Warren Worhington aka Angel
One of the original mutants in Xavier's Institute, Angel originally possessed a pair of large feathered wings extending from his back enabling him to fly. As a result, his strength, speed, agility, endurance, reflexes, eyesight, and hearing are at their peak. His superhumanly sharp eyes can withstand high-speed winds which would damage the average human eye. His lungs can extract oxygen from the air at high velocities or altitudes, and he can cope with the reduced temperatures at high altitudes for prolonged periods of time, giving him a greater-than-normal capacity to endure low temperatures in areas such as the Arctic. He is the heir and CEO of the multi-billion dollar Worthington Industries. This privileged background resulted in Warren being stereotyped as an arrogant and self-absorbed playboy during his early years with the X-Men. This personality would ultimately be replaced with a more introspect and brooding personality in the late 1980s, when the character was revamped into the more grim and gritty "Archangel" persona.