The X-Men Origin Story is Told Right in "X-Men: First Class"

Of all of the villains in the Marvel universe, my favorite was always the X-Men's foe, Magneto. Not only was he cool because of his powers, but there was something about him that made him sympathetic. He was a Holocaust survivor and, although his methods were completely wrong, he ultimately just wanted to protect his people - his fellow mutants. Having been through World War Two, he had seen how one group of people could rise up against another group of people and did not want humans to rise up against mutants and he wanted to use his vast power to prevent that from happening.
In a way, you could understand that. And if you had enough power to reshape the entire globe with a gesture from your hand, you might just think that human beings were beneath you. You might think you were the next phase in human evolution and think that it would be better to rise above, and rule, human beings than to try and work with them. Of course, he was as wrong as the Nazis who had murdered his family, but it's sometimes tough to see those things when you are so lost in the cause.

So, it was with great delight that Magneto played a central role in the latest film version of the X-Men in the prequel X-Men: First Class. This is the story of how Charles Xavier became Professor X and a man named Erik became Magneto. It also tells the "alternative" story of what really happened during the Cuban Missile Crisis.

Set in the 1960s, the world is about to learn that mutants exist. In the Marvel universe, mutants are people born with their powers. While humans are part of Homo Sapiens, the mutants are known as Homo Superior, and are a new genetic off-shoot of the human race. The various forms of radiation the atmosphere has caused the genes of the human race to mutate, creating super powered beings born with amazing abilities. Most of the time, the powers manifest themselves when the mutants reach puberty. So, not only are they saddled with hormones and pimples, but suddenly they can fire beams from their eyes or have hands for feet.

In this version of the X-Men, Charles Xavier is a young man who can still walk, has all of his hair and is just learning how powerful a telepath he really is. He is played by James McAvoy and he initially is using his powers to pick up women in bars, when he learns that there are more mutants in the world and that some of them do not have the world's interests at heart. He soon teams up with the CIA to try and hunt down the emerging population of mutants to help train them and, perhaps, turn them into the CIA Mutant Division.

The real powerful story is that of Erik Lehnsherr, or Magneto. He was rounded up with the rest of his family when the Nazis invaded Poland. His parents were sent off to Auschwitz and he first manifests his powers as he sees his family locked beyond some metal gates. This act of bending the gates is seen by a vicious doctor working at the camp. This man goes by the name Dr. Schmidt and, later on, he is known as Sebastian Shaw. He is a very, very bad man.

Magneto becomes a Nazi-hunter. He uses his powers to exact revenge against those who harmed his family. The one he really wants, however, is Shaw, who now runs a club known as the Hellfire Club and has recruited fellow mutants of his own. Shaw envisions setting the United States and the Soviet Union against each other in a nuclear war. He believes the radiation released by the missiles will create more mutants and that he will soon rise up to rule them.

Once Magneto and Xavier realize that their true enemy is the same person, they team up. They track down other mutants who are little more than teens. Fans of the comic book will know the names Banshee, Havok, Darwin, Mystique and Beast. There is also a Angel, but it is not the same Angel you remember if you ever read the first issues of the X-Men.

Soon, the mutants are trying to stop the United States and the USSR from blowing each other up. Meanwhile, Xavier is realizing that his friend Erik is willing to use lethal methods and that he does not agree with the vision Magneto has of ruling humans. Xavier believes that human and mutant kind can live together in peace.

The story moves along quickly and is exciting. The bad guys are very bad as played by Kevin Bacon and January Jones. The good guys are good and you end up rooting for them. Then, you wait to see what happens that turns Xavier into a wheelchair-bound teacher of mutants. And you wait to see what turns Magneto into such a creature of hate that he wants to wipe out the human race.

Fassbender is outstanding as Magneto. He manages to bring real weight to a role. He portrays the conflict within the character that has always made Magneto less of a super villain and more of a misunderstood monster (think King Kong). If there was ever a movie just about this character, the depths one could plumb would be remarkable.

McAvoy also does well with Xavier. However, there was always something about the character of Professor X that was a little underwhelming. Being able to read minds just isn't as cool as being able to lift a submarine out of the water with your mind.

The rest of the characters are all there and they are interesting, but they really end up being more window dressing than compelling participants in the action. However, as setting up the team for future adventures, the movie does a great job.

The problem with the X-Men is that they are a team. It is tough to get the audience to love and care about an entire team. The way Marvel is handling the Avengers is more interesting, by giving each member their own film before putting them all together. However, despite this, X-Men: First Class is one of the best of the X-Men movies. X2 still manages to wow a bit more, but this is a solid effort and worth every bit of the price of admission.