The X-Men are the comic-book team that includes Cyclops, Storm, Wolverine, and Jean Grey.
Stan Lee and Jack Kirby created the X-Men, who first appeared in The X-Men #1 in 1963. The team consists primarily of mutants, people born with extraordinary abilities that make them targets of fear and discrimination. Professor Charles Xavier organizes the group around the goals of education, protection, and peaceful coexistence.
The original lineup included Cyclops, Marvel Girl, Beast, Angel, and Iceman. Storm, Wolverine, and several other internationally popular characters joined later, especially after the team was relaunched in Giant-Size X-Men #1 in 1975. That issue introduced or reintroduced a more diverse international roster.
The X-Men are sometimes grouped with the Avengers or Fantastic Four because all are Marvel teams, but their central concept is mutant identity and the social conflict surrounding it. Team membership changes frequently across comic eras.