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This weekend, Professor X and his band of mutant heroes make their cinematic return in X-Men: Days Of Future Past, a thrilling time-travel saga that connects the original X-Men series with the universe of X-Men: First Class. Inspired by a 1981 storyline from The Uncanny X-Men, the movie follows a lone survivor from a bleak future who journeys back in time to avert a catastrophic event threatening both mutants and humanity.
As Days Of Future Past hits theaters, reigniting interest in Marvel’s legendary mutants, explore this curated list of 20 intriguing facts about the X-Men, the new film, and the classic comic arc that started it all.
1. Initially, Stan Lee and Jack Kirby designed the “X” in “X-Men” to represent the enigmatic “X-Gene,” the source of their unique powers. Over time, the “X” evolved to symbolize the “extraordinary” abilities that set them apart from ordinary humans.
2. Within the Marvel universe, “mutant” describes individuals born with or later developing extraordinary abilities naturally, without external intervention. Conversely, “mutates” are those whose genetics were altered by external factors like radiation or chemicals. For instance, Spider-Man is a well-known mutate, having gained his powers from a radioactive spider bite, whereas the founding X-Men members are all mutants, as their abilities emerged without outside influence.
3. Stan Lee initially proposed naming the team “The Mutants,” but publisher Martin Goodman feared readers might not understand the term, leading to the change to “X-Men.”
4. Magneto made his debut as the X-Men’s primary antagonist in the inaugural issue of The X-Men in 1963.
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5. Stan Lee revealed that the iconic appearance of Professor X was inspired by the bald actor Yul Brynner.
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6. Jean Grey was Charles Xavier’s first student, joining him at the age of 12 to master her powers. Years later, Xavier recruited Scott Summers (Cyclops), followed by Bobby Drake (Iceman), Warren Worthington III (Angel), and Henry McCoy (Beast). Together, these five formed the original X-Men team.
7. Iron Man was the first non-mutant superhero the X-Men faced in their early missions, clashing with Angel after the winged mutant briefly turned to the dark side.
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8. Stan Lee once planned to reveal Magneto and Professor X as brothers later in the series. However, Lee never developed this storyline, and it remained unexplored in the comics.
9. The X-Men’s first new recruit was Calvin Rankin, known as “Mimic,” a non-mutant who gained the ability to duplicate the powers of nearby mutants after a chemical accident. Initially an adversary, he briefly joined the team before losing his powers and departing shortly after.
10. In a 1966 issue of The X-Men, Spider-Man was invited to join the team, but the iconic hero declined, choosing to continue his adventures independently.
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11. In The X-Men #3, Stan Lee included a subtle moment where Professor X privately admits to harboring feelings for his first student, Jean Grey. This scene has been revisited occasionally by later writers but is often overlooked due to its controversial nature.
- 12. Havok, Cyclops’ brother, and Polaris, later revealed as Magneto’s daughter, became the first new mutants to join the team in 1969.
- Their addition aimed to boost the series’ declining sales, but the strategy failed to reignite significant interest in the X-Men.
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13. The cover of The Uncanny X-Men #141, which introduced the “Days Of Future Past” arc, is one of the most frequently referenced images in comics. Its depiction of Wolverine and Kitty Pryde against a backdrop of “Slain” or “Apprehended” X-Men has been echoed in series like Guardians of the Galaxy, Iron Man, Superboy, Darkwing Duck, Star Trek: The Next Generation, G.I. Joe, Captain America, and The Avengers.
14. The original “Days of Future Past” storyline, which inspired the film, is set in a dystopian 2013 where mutant-hunting robots dominate the future.
15. The 1991 issue of X-Men #1, featuring five variant covers and selling over 8 million copies, holds the Guinness World Record for the best-selling comic book ever. Chris Claremont and Jim Lee, the writer and artist, received the award at San Diego Comic-Con International in 2010.
16. To ensure the continuity of Days Of Future Past, director Bryan Singer spent two hours discussing time travel, string theory, and multiverses with The Terminator director James Cameron, gaining a deeper understanding for the film’s complex narrative.
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17. Hugh Jackman’s role as Wolverine in X-Men: Days Of Future Past marks his seventh appearance as the character, making him the actor with the most portrayals of a single superhero in widely released films. He surpasses Samuel Jackson’s six appearances as Nick Fury and Patrick Stewart’s six as Professor X.
18. A 2003 issue of The Uncanny X-Men reveals that mutants with the X-Gene are immune to HIV/AIDS, though the reason for this immunity remains unexplained.
19. Quicksilver, who debuts in Days of Future Past, will also appear in the next installment of The Avengers. Evan Peters portrays the character in the X-Men film, while Aaron Taylor-Johnson takes on the role in Avengers: Age Of Ultron. Following a legal dispute over the character’s rights, Fox and Marvel Studios agreed to feature distinct versions of Quicksilver in each film, with no crossover references to The Avengers or the term “mutant.”
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20. The early working title for X-Men: Days Of Future Past was “Hello Kitty,” a nod to Ellen Page’s character, Kitty Pryde, who plays a pivotal role in the movie.
