# Professor X - Evil Genius? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 21, 2004, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/professor-x-evil-genius/230299 "2004-02-21T00:38:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![audreyayn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@audreyayn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/audreyayn)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2004, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/professor-x-evil-genius/230299/41 "2004-02-24T00:11:07Z")
> [@Ranchoth](#): > > I think that’s the oddest definition of evildoing that I’ve seen in my _life._ Depends on how you feel about knitting, I suppose. ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2004, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/professor-x-evil-genius/230299/42 "2004-02-24T00:24:59Z")
> [@noname](#): > > In the movie, Pryo explains that it is the male of the species that spreads the mutant gene. So going by that analogy, they should be the Y-Men To use an obvious example that proves that theory wrong, Nightcrawler was born to Mystique by a normal human aristocrat. If it were passed along soley by the males, then Nightcrawler would have been wholly human. Pyro was just tweaking the parents since they were obviously bigoted towards mutants. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2004, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/professor-x-evil-genius/230299/43 "2004-02-24T00:29:29Z")
> [@Aesiron](#): > > To use an obvious example that proves that theory wrong, Nightcrawler was born to Mystique by a normal human aristocrat. If it were passed along soley by the males, then Nightcrawler would have been wholly human. > > Pyro was just tweaking the parents since they were obviously bigoted towards mutants. Not necessarily. The gene could have been recessive in the aristocrat. Or it could be a different continuity in the movie. ---
**Author:** ![Buran](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a88e57/32.png) [@Buran](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Buran)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2004, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/professor-x-evil-genius/230299/44 "2004-02-24T00:59:35Z")
Professor X is _British_?!? btw what happened to him that left him in a wheelchair? Surely theres some mutant out there with healing powers? ---
**Author:** ![Morbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morbo/32/389_2.png) [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2004, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/professor-x-evil-genius/230299/45 "2004-02-24T01:02:29Z")
Watched it again over the weekend. It’s damn funny watching **X2** thinking Xavier is evil. I amused myself by adding an evil slow-building laugh after some of his more evil sounding lines. “Let’s just say I know a little girl who can go through walls. [sub]huh huh heh heh heh[/sub] HEH HEH HAH!! AHHHHH HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!” Here’s a couple more nods in that direction: • Why didn’t he impose more safeguards on his search-engine-thing? If I were a good guy, and I had access to a machine that could KILL every single other mutant, or for that matter every single human as well, wouldn’t I throw in some error handling just to be on the safe side? • So much for his former student Jason. Sorry you were so horribly manipulated by your Father…um…yeah, we’re going to leave you here to die. ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2004, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/professor-x-evil-genius/230299/46 "2004-02-24T01:04:08Z")
Well, it’s obviously a different continuity. Hank McCoy is a human, not a furry blue ape, Bobby Drake and Rogue are teens instead of thirtysomethings, Nightcrawler has blue skin instead of blue fur, Pyro was an X-Man, and Jean Grey is torn between Cyclops and Wolverine whereas in the comics, Logan’s affections were unrequited. While the aristocrat may’ve had recessive mutant genes and thus contributed to Nightcrawler’s mutations, I was just giving that as an example that this is something that, according to the comics, is pretty much false. ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2004, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/professor-x-evil-genius/230299/47 "2004-02-24T01:21:18Z")
> [@Dooku](#): > > • Why didn’t he impose more safeguards on his search-engine-thing? If I were a good guy, and I had access to a machine that could KILL every single other mutant, or for that matter every single human as well, wouldn’t I throw in some error handling just to be on the safe side? I read somewhere that the time gap between the two movies (in that universe) was about three weeks or so. Granted, your point is something he could’ve/should’ve thought of before the events of the first movie, but that sorta depends on how much of a leap it takes to even consider that Cerebro could be used that way, especially when he was the only being on Earth who COULD have used it that way. Perhaps Xavier’s greatest crime in this regard was hubris, thinking that because he was such a powerful telepath, no one could possibly trick or force him into using Cerebro to kill. > [@](#): > > • So much for his former student Jason. Sorry you were so horribly manipulated by your Father…um…yeah, we’re going to leave you here to die. That wasn’t Xavier’s fault; he was pretty out of it by that time. It was primarily Nightcrawler’s decision, I’m sure. He either deliberately left Jason behind because of his mind manipulations (unlikely, given his faith) or he felt he only had time to get two people out before the chamber filled with debris too much for him to 'port safely, and obviously Storm and the Professor were going to be those two. ---
**Author:** ![Morbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morbo/32/389_2.png) [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2004, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/professor-x-evil-genius/230299/48 "2004-02-24T02:22:08Z")
> [@Leaper](#): > > I read somewhere that the time gap between the two movies (in that universe) was about three weeks or so. Granted, your point is something he could’ve/should’ve thought of before the events of the first movie, but that sorta depends on how much of a leap it takes to even consider that Cerebro could be used that way, especially when he was the only being on Earth who COULD have used it that way. Perhaps Xavier’s greatest crime in this regard was hubris, thinking that because he was such a powerful telepath, no one could possibly trick or force him into using Cerebro to kill. Hubris…or nefariousness? 😉 > [@](#): > > That wasn’t Xavier’s fault; he was pretty out of it by that time. It was primarily Nightcrawler’s decision, I’m sure. He either deliberately left Jason behind because of his mind manipulations (unlikely, given his faith) or he felt he only had time to get two people out before the chamber filled with debris too much for him to 'port safely, and obviously Storm and the Professor were going to be those two. Well sure - Nightcrawler, being one of his minions and all… ---
**Author:** ![Beauty\_Personified](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e480ec/32.png) [@Beauty\_Personified](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beauty_Personified)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2004, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/professor-x-evil-genius/230299/49 "2004-02-24T04:49:53Z")
> [@Aesiron](#): > > To use an obvious example that proves that theory wrong, Nightcrawler was born to Mystique by a normal human aristocrat. If it were passed along soley by the males, then Nightcrawler would have been wholly human. Actually, it’s recently been revealed that Nightcrawler’s father was a demon. Mystique didn’t know this when they were “courting” though. And Nightcrawler has a LOT of half-siblings through his father… ---
**Author:** ![Beauty\_Personified](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e480ec/32.png) [@Beauty\_Personified](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beauty_Personified)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2004, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/professor-x-evil-genius/230299/50 "2004-02-24T04:54:16Z")
> [@Aesiron](#): > > Well, it’s obviously a different continuity. Hank McCoy is a human, not a furry blue ape, Bobby Drake and Rogue are teens instead of thirtysomethings, Nightcrawler has blue skin instead of blue fur, Pyro was an X-Man, and Jean Grey is torn between Cyclops and Wolverine whereas in the comics, Logan’s affections were unrequited. They may not have actually spelled it out in X2 that he was a mutant, but Dr. McCoy (Hank, not Bones) originally didn’t have blue fur. I believe, in an experiment of some sort, that he caused his own mutation to… um, “mutate”, giving him his more beast-like appearance. ---
**Author:** ![RandomLetters](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8edcca/32.png) [@RandomLetters](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RandomLetters)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2004, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/professor-x-evil-genius/230299/51 "2004-02-24T04:56:03Z")
> [@Dooku](#): > > Well sure - Nightcrawler, being one of his minions and all… But in the movie, Xavier doesn’t meet Nightcrawler until the rescue scene, so there is no way you can claim his actions are due to being one of his minions. Of course, that’s exactly what he wants you to think. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Beauty\_Personified](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e480ec/32.png) [@Beauty\_Personified](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beauty_Personified)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2004, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/professor-x-evil-genius/230299/52 "2004-02-24T04:59:42Z")
As for Rogue’s age, when she made her first appearance (as a villian), she was clearly a mid-aged woman. One can assume that the white in her hair (originally at the temples) was age-related. Only later did they retroactively make her a younger woman. As for Logan and Jean Grey, I believe she did return his affections sometime within the last five years (of real-time, not Marvel-time). Some heavy petting did occur; whether they went all the way, I’m not sure. (I believe they may have.) Anyhoo… ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2004, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/professor-x-evil-genius/230299/53 "2004-02-24T05:30:47Z")
> [@TOTBP](#): > > Actually, it’s recently been revealed that Nightcrawler’s father was a demon. Mystique didn’t know this when they were “courting” though. And Nightcrawler has a LOT of half-siblings through his father… Hm. Well, I haven’t been reading comics for about ten years now so that, in addition to Wolverine and Jean Grey finally hooking up are total surprises to me. Friggin’ retrocons. And I did know about Hank McCoy originally looking mostly human before becoming a blue ape (I think it was by taking a serum that he hoped would reverse his mutations but ironically advanced them) but even when he was first recruited by Xavier, there would have been no way for him to pass as a normal human. ---
**Author:** ![Beauty\_Personified](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e480ec/32.png) [@Beauty\_Personified](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beauty_Personified)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2004, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/professor-x-evil-genius/230299/54 "2004-02-24T05:45:34Z")
> [@Aesiron](#): > > And I did know about Hank McCoy originally looking mostly human before becoming a blue ape (I think it was by taking a serum that he hoped would reverse his mutations but ironically advanced them) but even when he was first recruited by Xavier, there would have been no way for him to pass as a normal human. How much of Hank did they show in X2? (I haven’t picked up the DVD yet.) I believe he was only seen on a monitor from the shoulders up. That said, there are a lot of strange looking “normal” humans out there, and the original Hank didn’t look that strange, IMO. He probably would have needed special shoes for his enormous feet (which I’m sure caused a lot of gossip amongst the girls 😉 but I can see people thinking he was some kind of dwarf or inflicted with some sort of growth disorder. Anyhoo… ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2004, 6:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/professor-x-evil-genius/230299/55 "2004-02-24T06:05:09Z")
Granted, before the further mutation, the only thing really different about McCoy was that he had large hands, feet, a lot of body hair, and a somewhat misshappen head so he could conceivably pass for human but from what I remember from the movie, he looked like a totally normally and pretty attractive human, which doesn’t mesh well with the fact that even when he was first recruited, he looked like a neanderthal. Just a minor nitpick on my part. ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2004, 6:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/professor-x-evil-genius/230299/56 "2004-02-24T06:22:12Z")
> [@TOTBP](#): > > Actually, it’s recently been revealed that Nightcrawler’s father was a demon. Mystique didn’t know this when they were “courting” though. And Nightcrawler has a LOT of half-siblings through his father… Actually, IIRC, his father LOOKS like a demon, and at first claims to be one, but is actually an ancient and powerful mutant. That’s what I remember, but I may be wrong. ---
**Author:** ![smiling\_bandit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@smiling\_bandit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smiling_bandit)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2004, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/professor-x-evil-genius/230299/57 "2004-02-24T14:11:47Z")
> [@](#): > > thinking that because he was such a powerful telepath, no one could possibly trick or force him into using Cerebro to kill. Well, it was a pretty good assumption. I don’t think the possibility ever seemed even remotely possible. > [@](#): > > So much for his former student Jason. Sorry you were so horribly manipulated by your Father…um…yeah, we’re going to leave you here to die. I wouldn’t feel to sorry for him. I believe Stryker when he said [spoiler]that Jason used his powers to terrorize his family and torture them. And drove his momma insane. Stryker is a bastard and an evil man, but on some level he’s very straight and narrow about it. He is Magneto’s equal and opposite. [/quote] ---
**Author:** ![smiling\_bandit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@smiling\_bandit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smiling_bandit)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2004, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/professor-x-evil-genius/230299/58 "2004-02-24T14:14:01Z")
Son of A! Moderators! I screwed it up _again_! ---
**Author:** ![MrMyth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e19b73/32.png) [@MrMyth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrMyth)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2004, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/professor-x-evil-genius/230299/59 "2004-02-24T14:56:40Z")
> [@Ranchoth](#): > > I think that’s the oddest definition of evildoing that I’ve seen in my _life._ I meant that Charles could take away all free will, and reprogram everyone into an idyllic version of life. ---
**Author:** ![noname](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/58f4c7/32.png) [@noname](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/noname)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2004, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/professor-x-evil-genius/230299/60 "2004-02-24T18:35:03Z")
> [@MrMyth](#): > > I meant that Charles could take away all free will, and reprogram everyone into an idyllic version of life. If he did that, then he would be The Architect from the Matrix. Ergo. vis-a-vis. concortedly 😃 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/professor-x-evil-genius/230299.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/professor-x-evil-genius/230299.md?page=4)