Marvel’sX-Menfranchise is known for some pretty controversial and inappropriate romances, ranging from the pairing of Rogue and Magneto to the recently introduced relationship between Beast and Jennifer Starkey. However, the marriage between Professor X and Mystique may be the most unhinged romance in X-Men history.
The X-Men movies established an extremely close relationship betweenMystique and Xavier inX-Men: First Class(2011), introducing them as childhood companions who formed a brother-sister bond. This made Raven’s decision to side with Magneto all the more tragic.
However,some fans may be surprised to learn that the comics took this bond even further.In Brian Bendis, Kris Anka, and Joe Caramagna’sUncanny X-Men#24, it was revealed that Xavier and Mystique had secretly married, a shocking twist that blindsided both fans and the X-Men, while drawing a significant amount of criticism from the former.
Charles Xavier’s Marriage to Mystique Explained
Comic Page Comes From Brian Bendis’Uncanny X-Men#24 (2014) - Art by Kris Anka
Charles Xavier and Mystique are usually portrayed as being on opposite sides, with Xavier promoting peaceful coexistence between humans and mutants, while Mystique often acts in opposition to that ideal.The idea that they had a relationship, let alone were married, seems almost laughable.Yet this bizarre twist really did happen in the comics.
At the climax of 2012’sAvengers vs. X-Menevent,Xavier was killed. InUncanny X-Men#24 (2014), his students gather for the reading of his will, which is delivered by attorney Jennifer“She-Hulk”Walters. This came during an already tense period for the X-Men, with a growing rift between mutant factions, and the will’s contents only added to the discomfort.
Reading Xavier’s final words, Jennifer states,“I, Charles Francis Xavier, of the town of Salem Center, County of Westchester, and State of New York, being of sound mind and memory, do hereby make, publish and declare this to be my last will and testament, hereby revoking all wills and codicils previously made by me.I declare that I am married as of the date of this will and that my wife’s name is Raven Darkholme.”
This surreal moment stunned both fans and the X-Men, who had never suspected that Xavier was married, let alone to Mystique. As one of his most dangerous and persistent enemies, this couplingranks as one of the most outrageous that Marvel has introduced.There is, however, a twisted sense of humor in the fact that both Wolverine and Iceman had, technically, slept with their professor’s wife.
Where Does Professor X’s Marriage to Mystique Fit Into Continuity?
It’s Way More Complicated Than You Might Think, But Ultimately Amounts to Nothing
The reveal was a bombshell for fans and understandably raised questions about how this secret marriage fit into continuity and what impact it might have on future storylines. Yet, despite the enormous potential, this plotline ultimately amounted to nothing due to another unexpected twist.
By the end of the arc,it is revealed that Xavier had hidden the existence of a powerful mutant for decades.to deal with this threat, theX-Men were forced to use time travelto erase the mutant from history. This action had unintended consequences, subtly altering Xavier’s own past.
The most notable and anticlimactic of these changes was thatXavier’s marriage to Mystique was erased, meaning it technically never happened. Eventually, Marvel returned to the classic antagonistic dynamic between Xavier and Mystique, with bothresiding inthe mutant nation of Krakoa.However,Mystique secretly plots against Xavier and the fragile peace he helped create.
Still, it is worth mentioning that at the time of Xavier’s death and the reveal of his marriage, this development offered a possible explanation for Mystique’s increasingly erratic behavior in comics. Her kidnapping and impersonation of Dazzler for several months, in particular, wasinterpreted by the X-Men as her unhealthy and unhinged way of grieving Xavier’s passing.
What Was the Fan Reaction to Professor X and Mystique’s Marriage?
Ultimately, This Twist Was a Major, Unexplored Letdown
It may be surprising, but the majority of the outrage surrounding the union between Xavier and Raven had little to do with the two mutants getting married. Instead, the frustration stemmed from the complete lack of follow-throughand consequences tied to what, by both romance and character standards, should have been a monumental development.
As previously mentioned,Xavier and Raven’s marriage ultimatelyamounted to nothing in the larger narrative, as it was quite literally erased from continuity. It was this abrupt dismissal that sparked widespread dissatisfaction across discussion boards.X-Men fans voiced their frustration with how this era often introduced major plot threads that ultimately led nowhere.
It was because of twists like Xavier and Raven’s marriage being rendered meaningless and without consequence that many fans felt this entire era of X-Men storytelling lacked purpose.The dissatisfaction around their union was not rooted in the pairing itself, but rather in how poorly the story handled it.
It actually could have been incredibly compelling if Marvel had released a prequel exploring how Xavier and Raven’s relationship developed, especially since the marriage reveal came with almost no buildup. Such a story would have made for a far more satisfying payoff than simply erasing it from the timeline. Who knows, though, maybe these twoX-Menwill find each other again in the future.
