In X-Men mutants, people with genetically endowed superpowers, are a persecuted by a hateful and fearful populous. One shelter from this is Professor Xavier's Academy for Gifted Children. But the school has a secret function as a training centre for mutants to control their abilities so they can function in regular society. It also serves as a secret headquarters of a superhero team, called the X-Men - formed both to be a positive example of mutants and as an opposing force against those mutants who seek to force the world to kneel to their perceived superiority.