In "X-Men: First Class" who is the founder of the X-Men?

In "X-Men: First Class," Charles Xavier is the founder of the X-Men. The film shows Xavier, later known as Professor X, bringing together a group of young mutants to help prevent a nuclear confrontation during the Cold War.

Xavier’s founding partner is Erik Lehnsherr, who becomes Magneto. Although the two initially work closely together, their opposing beliefs split them apart: Xavier argues for peaceful cooperation between mutants and humans, while Magneto believes mutants must protect themselves through strength and superiority.

The movie presents the X-Men as a government-supported team assembled in 1962, with members including Beast, Mystique, Havok, Banshee, Darwin and Angel. This is an origin story, so the team is not yet the familiar school-based organization seen in later films.

A common mix-up is answering Magneto because he is central to the team’s creation and leads many mutants later. However, Charles Xavier is the recognized founder and the character who gives the group its mission and name.