To cover all of the key characters in one entry would take not only forever but would probably crash your browser. So, I have decided to cover this in separate parts. We are first starting off with the Original "Pre-Giant Sized X-Men" team. This era is from Uncanny X-Men #1 to #93).

The one thing you gotta know is that the original X-Men were a lot different than the team they are now. The team was more of the clean cut heroes that everyone was familiar with in the golden and very early silver age. In fact, the book was not a success at all, and was nearly canceled.

So, we are covering the main characters in that era, including the original team and the first version of The Brotherhood of Mutants.

The Original X-Men

Professor X aka Charles Francis Xavier

The paraplegic founder and leader of the X-Men, and also the Headmaster of the X-Mansion (which has gone by several different names over the years). He has very advanced telepathic powers. His hope for the world is for humans and mutants to co-exist. Also has more skeletons in the closet than you can shake a stick at.

Cyclops aka Scott Summers:

He is a team leader and basically the guy in charge when X-Men go to battle. His power that he constantly shoots optic blasts from his eyes when they are open. He has special goggles for when he is on assignment and special sunglasses when he is in street clothes to protect both himself and others. He has notable relationships with Jean Grey, Emma Frost, and Madelyne Pryor.

Angel aka Archangel aka Warren Worthington III

Angel has the ability to fly and later developed healing powers. Also is the mutli-millionaire Has an alter ego known as Archangel that was developed after he was transformed into Death, one of Apocalypse's Four Horsemen.

The Beast aka Hank McCoy

The Beast has both super strength and and beast-like abilities, hence the name. He started off as just a freakishly sized human, but then after several experiments gone wrong, he was transformed into the look most people are familiar with, a blue furry beast.

Iceman aka Bobby Drake

The irony here is that Iceman is the original team hot head (oh, I just kill myself sometimes). Iceman has the ability to shoot out Ice, and transform his body into pure ice.

Jean Grey aka Marvel Girl aka Phoenix aka Dark Phoenix

Here is where everything gets complicated. Jean Grey, who started off as Marvel Girl, has the power of telekinesis and some telepathic powers (although the latter is not as strong as Professor X's). She had died and her body was taken over by the Phoenix. She then became the Dark Phoenix due to manipulation by the Hellfire club. AFter awhile, she became just plain old Jean Grey again. Then recently, she died again at the hands of "Magneto." In a nutshell, it is almost impossible to sum up Jean Grey in just one paragraph.

Polaris aka Lorna Dane

She was not one of the original X-Men, but she joined during this era. Polaris has the power to control magnetism, and has speculated for a long time to be the daughter of Magneto.

Havok aka Alex Summers

Like Polaris, Havok was not an original X-Men, but joinned during the era I am covering. Havok is the brother of Scott Summers aka Cyclops. Like his brother, he shoots beams, but these are plasma blasts from his hands.

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The Original Brotherhood of Mutants

Magneto aka Erik Magnus Lehnsherr

Magneto has the power to control magnetism. He was/is the friend of Professor X, but they both have different beliefs. While Xavier has hope for the world to unite someday, Magneto feels that humans will never accept mutants and will eventually try to exterminate them. Much of these extreme feelings is due to his time suffering at a concentration camp during the Jewish Holocaust.

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Quicksilver aka Pietro Django Maximoff

Quicksilver can run at super speeds and is the son of Magneto.

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Scarlet Witch aka Wanda Maximoff

Wanda has the power to alter probable fields, and the ability to warp reality. She is better known for her time as an Avenger.

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Toad aka Mortimer Toynbee

Toad has the abilities of a toad. He can jump at insane heights and has a wicked tongue.

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Mastermind aka Jason Wyngarde

Mastermind has the ability to generate illusions. He is best known for his time in the Hellfire Club during the Dark Phoenix saga.

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Well, that is all we are covering for this edition. In the next edition, we are going to cover the Giant Sized X-Men version of the team and adversaries.