Cyclops (Scott Summers)
First Appearance: X-Men #1 (1963)
The Born leader, Cyclops was Xavier's first X-man. Prof. Xavier quickly realized Scott's most amazing ability lay not in his powerful optic blast, but his ability to lead others
Orphaned along with his brother, Alex, Scott Summers grew up in an orphanage alone and unwanted. His father, Major Christopher Summers, known to his Starjammers as Corsair, was kidnapped by the mad Shi'ar Emperor D'Ken. Scott's mother Kate Summers, was killed by D'Ken, and Scott was not to learn that his father survived for many years to come.
Cyclops' status as an X-Man has been the most important thing in his life since the day Xavier found him. As an leader of the X-men, He has experienced the triumph of being a successful leader and fighting for a lofty ideal. he knows his limitations and he knows his potential. It is with the X-men that Scott Summers met the women he loves: Jean Grey. It is from the X-men that Scott derives his identity, his very being. Without cause that Xavier taught him to fight for what would he be?

Iceman (Robert "Bobby" Drake)
First Appearance: X-Men #1 (1963) Bobby Drake, the light-hearted X-man, is torn between his duty to the X-Men and his desire to lead a normal life. Unlike Cyclops, Bobby led a rather typical life up until the day he joined Xavier's school for gifted Youngsters. Yet he has always found that his best interests lay in using his ice powers for the benefit of humanity
The Beast (Henry P. "Hank" McCoy)
First Appearance: X-Men #1 (1963)
With a quick wit, an impressive Vocabulary, and amazing bestial agility and strength, the blue and furry Beast is ready for action. The oldest of the X-men's original roster, Hank McCoy has recently questioned his mortality a bit. He knows his rightful position is with the X-Men.
In Addition to he's status as a superhero and former Avenger, Hank McCoy is a respected chemist. While in the occupation, the Beast mistakenly increased the accuracy of his namesake when a chemical concoction of his own making made him blue and furry. Ironically this event brought Hank McCoy an inner peace. With a shocking visage to go along with his apelike build and oversized hands and feet, there were no more mysteries. What you have before you is pure Hank McCoy, the Beast.

Archangel (Warren K. Worthington III)
First Appearance: X-Men #1 (1963)
Formerly the high-flying Angel, whose mutant characteristics were his powerful feathered wings, aerial agility, and keen bird-of-prey eyesight, Warren Worthington was transformed into an angel of death with razor-sharp metal wings, capable of slashing off a limb in a split second.
Born to a wealthy family, Warren was as light hearted as the feathers on his wings until he lost them. Cameron Hodge a resentful schoolmate hated Warren for becoming a mutant. Hodge had Warren's wings damaged so badly that they had to be surgically removed. The suicidal Warren was taken in by the mutant master Apocalypse, who transformed him into "Death," the fourth horsemen of the Apocalypse. Renaming himself Archangel, he escaped from Apocalypse, but Warren Continues struggling to cope with his transformation into a blue-skinned killing machine

Jean Grey (a.k.a. Marvel Girl, Phoenix)
First Appearance: X-men #1 (1963)
The powerful telekinetic and telepath Jean Grey first became aware of her power as a child, when she witnessed the death of her friend Annie Richardson, and telepathically experienced Annie's Death while inside her playmates mind.
Jean's capacity for love was so great that she was willing to sacrifice her life for her teammates in a plummeting Starcore shuttle that she piloted to a safe crash landing. Safe for her teammates, anyway. Jean would have died from the exposure to radiation if the omnipotent Phoenix entity had not taken notice of her and placed her in a healing capsule, which kept her in suspended animation for years, while the life that could have been hers was lived by the Phoenix and Madelyne Pryor.

The Mimic (Calvin Rankin)
First Appearance: X-Men #19
The Mimic, whose career with the X-Men was short-lived, had the ability to assume the mutant powers of those around him. Not a mutant himself Rankin's powers were the result of a chemical accident. Rankin later became a member of the team for a time, mimicking all the X-Men's abilities at once. His powers were permanently stolen in battle with the Super-Adaptoid.

Havok (Alexander Summers)
First Appearance: X-men #54
Havok's latest mutant ability to channel cosmic rays into powerful energy blasts was activated when Pharaoh used Havok's powers to transform himself into the Living Moniolith. Much like his older brother, Scott, Alex had difficulty controlling his power. For many years he was forced to wear a special suit to keep his powers in check.
While Scott was confined to an orphanage for his entire childhood, Alex was adopted and raised by a foster family. As a result he is not as solemn as his older brother by any means. Cyclops, the accomplished X-Man, and natural leader, is considered by Havok to be a tough act to follow. He loves and despises Scott at the same time, while searching for his own identity and method of leadership as the current leader of X-Factor, the U.S. Government-sponsored mutant group.

Polaris (Lorna Dane)
First Appearance: X-Men #49
Initially thought to be Magneto's daughter because od her mutant ability to control magnetism, Polaris was Bobby Drake's girlfriend. Lorna became a member of the team for a short time, During which she met and well in love with Havok. While the two planned to have a normal life, going to graduate school together in New Mexico, They were pulled back into the fold by events beyond their control. Lorna was possessed by the Marauder Malice, while Alex, under the mind control of Mr. Sinister, was with the X-men for a time.
When the opportunity arose to be a founding member of a U.S. government-sponsored team of superheroes, Polaris jumped at the chance knowing that Havok would also be there, and that the opportunity to rekindle their love- and to make a difference in the world - would present itself.

Wolverine (Logan [presumed real name])
First Appearance: Incredible Hulk #180
Discovered in the Canadian Wilderness by James and Herbert Hudson, the savage Wolverine was turned into a super spy for the Canadian Government. working along side fellow mutants, Sabretooth, Maverick, and others, Wolverine fought without question until the wild man in him began to feel caged.
Resigning his commission with the Canadian government, he came to the X-men, seeking freedom with a more just cause. While a savage killer and a misfit by some standards, Wolverine gradually came to find his niche among the team.
Wolverine's dominant trait is his status as the loner. While he has learned to work with the team. He has always maintained a private life, apart from the X-Men. Wolverine has lost many loves: Silver Fox to the clutches of Sabretooth, Mariko Yashida to the poison of Tsurayaba Matsuo, and Jean Grey, who remains with Cyclops. He has no past to cling to. As a member of the Canadian Weapon X project, Wolverines mind clouded with events and images that never actually happened, events which were programmed into his brain. The lost soul of the X-Men, Wolverine is a man marked by pain, solitude, and savagery.

Colossus (Piotr Nikolaievitch Rasputin
First Appearance: Giant-Size X-men #1
Colossus is a man strangely divided into separate beings: the peaceful peasant boy taken from his rural home in the Ordynski Collective of Ukraine, the artist who seeks an inner peace; and the powerful organic steel-armored X-man. Taught to respect life in all shapes and forms, Colosuss swore never to take a life. That changed when he encountered Proteus, The mutant son of Moira MacTaggart. Here was a mutant whose power required constant feeding on human life. To save lives Piotr found he had to take a life.
Time and again, Colosuss has found his morals and beliefs tested as an X-Man. Recently with the deaths of his long-lost brother, Mikhail, and then his parents Colosuss finds that his sister, his little "Snowflake," Illyana is dying of a mutant-infecting plague. Her death could be as crucial as an event in Colosuss' life as the first time he had to inflict death on another. Piotr Rasputin is a man whose wishes to have a simple life as a painter, a life among his loved ones, but who has been compromised by his duty to serve the world as the powerful X-man Colosuss.

Nightcrawler (Kurt Wagner)
First Appearance: Giant-Size X-Men #1
The mysterious Nightcrawler, finally realizing his full potential as the leader of the British mutant group Excalibur, was not always self assured. Feared by many because of his blue an furry body, a prehensile tail, his ability to blend in with the shadows, and the frightening brimstone "Bamf!" which has become his teleport trademark, Nightcrawler has had to cope with the highly visible mutant characteristics.
As an member of the X-Men, his beliefs were sorely tested. The X-Man with the most faith, Nightcrawler is a devout believer in God.
His beliefs were shaken when he encountered the outworldly being, the Beyonder, who brought his faith into question. More than ever he craved the answers about his origin. The mysterious Margali Szardos, whom Mystique claims has the answers to Nightcrawler's questions, is not to be found. Having dealt with one of the more difficult hands a mutant can be dealt, Kurt Wagner has arisen as a strong and powerful leader, whose faith and beliefs are now stronger than ever.

Storm (Ororo Munroe)
First Appearance: Giant-Size X-Men #1
No other X-man has experienced the highs and lows Storm has. As an orphaned child, Storm was taught by the master thief, Achmed El Gi'bar, to pick pockets to survive on the streets of Cairo. As her mutant powers manifested themselves in her adolescence, Storm became revered as a goddess by natives of the African Veldt.
Losing her powers to a weapon designed by Forge was a devastating blow. Bereft of her powers for a long period of time, Storm went through the worst of identity crises. Wandering through the African desert and steppes once again, Storm found her answer in the form of an African tribal Shaman named Mjnari, who willingly gave up his life so that a new born baby could live. In death there was life. While she was cursed spiritually it was still some time before she got her powers back at the hand of Forge, the man who took them away.
The return of those powers, and her status as the leader of the X-men's Gold Team, returned to Storm the identity that she forged for herself.

Psylocke (Betsy Braddock/Kwannon)
First Appearance: New Mutants Annual #2
While the identity of Psylocke is uncertain, we can be sure that Betsy Braddock, sister of Brian Braddock, a.k.a. Captain Britain has paid her dues with the X-men. Betsy impressed the X-Men enough to make her a full-fledged member.
Psylocke underwent an apparent transformation when she was captured by the Hand's Tsurayaba Matsuo, who transformed her physically and mentally into a oriental ninja warrior. The new Psylocke first served Mandarin as lady Mandarin, his chief assassin. Psylocke broke free of the grasp of Matsuo and Mandarin with Wolverine's help.
The mysterious new Betsy has made no secret of her strong attraction for Cyclops, the leader of the X-men's Blue Team. Not long ago, a Mysterious stranger appeared who seemed to be the original Betsy Braddock, and called herself Revanche. The mystery continues to unfold.

Rogue
First Appearance: Avengers Annual #10
The Mysterious Rogue, whose real name is unknown, was raised by Mystique, of the second generation Brotherhood of Evil Mutants. Rogue permanently drained the powers and memories of Carol Danvers, formerly Ms. Marvel, and thereby gained great strength and invulnerability. On the downside,she has suffered identity crises, with Danvers' memories frequently clouding her mind to the point where she no longer sure of who she is.
When She came to the X-Men, she was unwelcome. Prof. Xavier explained to the team that if they did not give each and every mutant the opportunity to make amends for any past crimes and to prove themselves worthy of the title X-Man, then there was no point to go on fighting for the mutant cause. Gradually, she earned the trust of her peers and time and time again has proven that she is indeed worthy of the title X-Man.

Gambit (Remy Lebeau)
First Appearance: Uncanny X-Men #266
The Suave Cajun Gambit, with a mysterious origin in the city of New Orleans, first became an X-man after he rescued Storm from the clutches of the Shadow KIng. Gambits ability to empower common objects with explosive energy is most often used on playing cards, which he hurls wit deadly force at opponets.
A former theif by trade, Gambit is suspected by the X-Men to be the insidious traitor who is to attack the X-Men in the near future.

Jubilee (Jubilation Lee)
First Appearance: Uncanny X-Men #244
A Los Angeles Mall rat originally, the youngest member has the ability to create powerful light energy, which she most often uses to blind, confuse or blast opponents. Particularly close to Wolverine, Jubilee sides with him in all arguments, and admires his toughness. In recent times Jubilee has formed the beginning of a surrogate father-daughter relationship with Prof. Xavier.

Forge
First Appearance: Uncanny X-Men #184
Formerly an employee of Henry Peter Gyrich, this Dallas designer of deadly weaponry has the mutant ability to repair or create sophisticated high-tech machinery. Forge created a weapon which was intended to take Rogues power's powers away, but inadvertently drained Storm of hers. Driven by guilt. Forge sought to cure Storm and return her powers to her. In his attempted rehabilitation of Storm he fell in love with her and she with him. Forge recently left the X-Men after he received what he perceived as a rejection of his marriage proposal to Ororo.

Bishop
First Appearance: Uncanny X-Men #282
Transported to our time from a distant future in which he served in the XSE, the legacy organization of the X-Men. He and his two soldiers Randall amd Malcolm, came through a time portal created by the dimension-hopping mutant and Upstart, Trevor Fitzroy. Fitzroy, who has an unholy fear of Bishop, sought to escape the deadly energy absorbing mutant's wrath, but Bishop continues to hunt him with a fury.
While Randall and Malcolm are dead, Bishop continues to serve the X-Men in our time, while attempting to adjust to the different style of fighting they employ. While he was trained to be a cold Blooded killer of evil mutants in the future, the X-men of present maintain that life is sacred and must therefor be preserved at all costs.