Professor X - Powers and Abilities

Powers and Abilities

Professor X is a mutant who possesses vast telepathic powers, and is among the strongest and most powerful Earth-born telepaths in the Marvel Universe.

• Telepathy: Xavier can read the minds of others within a 250 mile radius.
  • Telepathic Illusion: the ability to cause others to see or experience events which are not actually occurring.
  • Telepathic Cloak: the ability to hide one's presence from others by making oneself invisible by clouding the minds of others.
  • Psi Link: Xavier can create psychic links with others.
  • Telepathic Camouflage: Xavier can make others see him as someone else by manipulating and controlling the minds of others to make them see him with another appearance.
  • Mind Blast: Xavier is able to place massive amounts of information inside the mind of others to cause extreme mental pain on them.
  • Mind Control: Xavier can also manipulate the minds of others.
  • Mind Possession: the ability to possess the minds of others, controlling someone's mind for oneself.
  • Mind Alteration: the ability to alter the minds of others.
  • Mental Amnesia: Xavier can cause people to forget certain memories. He can cause large groups of people to forget things.
  • Psionic Shield: the ability to erect a shield that is used to protect one's mind.
  • Psionic Blasts: the ability to emit blasts of psionic energy which don't harm its victims physically but mentally instead.
  • Astral Projection: the ability to control one's astral self.
  • Mental Detection: Xavier can detect nearby mutants.
  • Mind Transferral: If Xavier were to die, he could transfer his mind and powers to a host body.
  • Information Absorption: He is able to quickly absorb and store information.
• Rudimentary Telekinesis: He possesses minor telekinetic abilities; able to move, control and manipulate inanimate objects telekinetically.

Professor X is able to perceive the thoughts of others or project his own thoughts within a radius of approximately 250 miles (400 km). Xavier's telepathy once covered the entire world but Magneto altered the Earth's electromagnetic field to restrict Xavier's telepathic range. While not on Earth, Xavier's natural telepathic abilities have reached across space to make universal mental contact with multiple alien races. With extreme effort, he can greatly extend the range of his telepathy. He can learn foreign languages by reading the language centers of the brain of someone adept, and alternately "teach" languages to others in the same manner; Xavier once trained a new group of mutants mentally, subjectively making them experience months of training together, while only hours passed in the real world.

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 or total amnesia, 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. He can also telepathically take away or control people's natural bodily functions and senses, such as sight, hearing, smell, taste, or even mutant powers. A side effect of his telepathy is that he is gifted with an eidetic memory. He has displayed telepathic prowess sufficient to confront Ego the Living Planet, while aided by Cadre K as well as narrowly defeat Exodus. However, he cannot permanently 'reprogram' human minds to believe what he might want them to believe even if he wanted to do so, explaining that the mind is an organism that would always recall the steps necessary for it to reach the present and thus 'rewrite' itself to its original setting if he tried to change it. However, his initial reprogramming of Wolverine lasted several years, despite how Wolverine's healing factor works around such a reprogramming much faster than an ordinary human mind.

He is able to project from his mind 'bolts' composed of psychic energy, enabling him to stun the mind of another person into unconsciousness, inflict mental trauma, or even cause death. These 'bolts' inflict damage only upon other minds, having a negligible effect on non-mental beings, if any. The manner in which Xavier's powers function indicates that his telepathy is physical in some way, as it can be enhanced by physical means (for example, Cerebro) and can be disrupted by physical means (for example, Magneto's alteration of the Earth's magnetic field).

Xavier can perceive the distinct mental presence/brain waves of other superhuman mutants within a small radius of himself. To detect mutants to a wider area beyond this radius, he must amplify his powers through Cerebro and subsequently Cerebra, computer devices of his own design which are sensitive to the psychic/physical energies produced by the mind.

Professor X can project his astral form into a psychic dimension known as the astral plane. There, he can use his powers to create objects, control his surroundings, and even control and destroy the astral forms of others. He cannot project this form over long distances.

Uncanny X-Men writer Ed Brubaker has claimed that, after being de-powered by the Scarlet Witch, and then re-powered by the M'Kraan Crystal, Charles' telepathy is more powerful than was previously known. However, the extent of this enhancement is unknown.

Charles is a genius with multiple doctorates. He is a world-renowned geneticist, a leading expert in mutation, possesses considerable knowledge of various life sciences, and is the inventor of Cerebro. He possesses a Ph.D. in genetics, biophysics, and psychology. He is highly talented in devising equipment for utilizing and enhancing psionic powers.

During his travels in Asia, Xavier learned martial arts, acquiring "refined combat skills" according to Magneto. When these skills are coordinated in tandem with his telepathic abilities, Xavier is a dangerous unarmed combatant, capable of sensing the intentions of others and countering them with superhuman efficiency. He also has extensive knowledge of pressure points.

Charles Xavier was also given possession of the Mind Infinity Gem. It allows the user to boost mental power and access the thoughts and dreams of other beings. Backed by the Power Gem, it is possible to access all minds in existence simultaneously. Like all other former Illuminati members, Xavier has sworn to never use the gem and to keep its location hidden.