266. X-Men

Title: X-Men
Genre: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
Year: 2000

Summary: In 1944 German-occupied Poland, a 13-year-old boy – the young Magneto – is separated from his parents upon entry to a concentration camp. In attempting to reach them, he causes a set of gates to bend towards him, as though attracted by a magnetic force.

In the not too distant future, a girl named Marie is studying with her boyfriend at her house in Meridian, Mississippi. They hug and kiss, which causes the girl's mutant superhuman ability – to absorb the life force and mutant abilities of anyone she touches – to activate, knocking the boy out.

In Congress, Senator Robert Kelly attempts to pass a "Mutant Registration Act", which would force mutants to publicly reveal their identities and abilities. Present are Magneto and the telepathic Professor Charles Xavier, who privately discuss their differing viewpoints on the relationship between humans and mutants.

At a bar in Canada, Marie, who has run away from home and now goes by the name of Rogue, meets Logan, also known as Wolverine. Wolverine possesses superhuman healing abilities, heightened senses, and metal claws that extend outwards from between his knuckles. Suddenly, both of them are attacked by Sabretooth, a fellow mutant and an associate of Magneto. Cyclops and Storm arrive and save Wolverine and Rogue, and bring them to the X-Mansion in Westchester County, New York. They are introduced to Xavier, who leads a group of mutants called the X-Men, who are trying to seek peace with the human race, educate young mutants in the responsible use of their powers, and stop Magneto from starting a war with humanity.

Senator Kelly is abducted by Magneto's allies Toad and the shapeshifter Mystique and brought to their lair. Magneto uses Kelly as test subject of a machine that artificially induces mutation. Kelly uses his new mutant abilities to escape imprisonment. After an accident causes Rogue to use her powers on Wolverine, she is convinced by Mystique (disguised as classmate Bobby Drake) that Xavier is angry with her and that she should leave the school. Xavier uses his mutant-locating machine Cerebro to find Rogue at a train station. Mystique infiltrates Cerebro and sabotages the machine.

At the train station, Wolverine convinces Rogue to stay with Xavier, but a fight ensues when Magneto, Toad and Sabretooth arrive to take Rogue. Kelly arrives at Xavier's school, shortly before dying due to the instability of his artificial mutation.

The X-Men learn that Magneto was severely weakened in the test of the machine on Kelly, and realize that he intends to use Rogue's power-transferring ability so that she can power the machine in his place, putting her life at risk. Xavier attempts to use Cerebro to locate Rogue, but Mystique's sabotage causes him to fall into a coma. Fellow telepath Jean Grey fixes and uses Cerebro, learning that Magneto plans to place his mutation-inducing machine on Liberty Island and use it to mutate the world leaders meeting for a summit on nearby Ellis Island.

The X-Men scale the Statue of Liberty, defeating Toad and incapacitating Mystique, before Magneto and Sabretooth incapacitate the group and continue with their plans. Magneto transfers his powers to Rogue, forcing her to use them to start the machine. Wolverine escapes and defeats Sabretooth.

Storm uses her weather-controlling powers and Jean her telekinesis to lift Wolverine to the top of Magneto's machine. Wolverine saves Rogue, defeats Magneto, and destroys the machine. Wolverine touches the dying Rogue's face, and his regenerative abilities are transferred to her, causing her to recover.

Professor Xavier recovers from his coma. The group learns that Mystique is still alive, and impersonating Senator Kelly. Xavier tells Wolverine that near where he was found in Canada is an abandoned military base that might contain information about his past. Xavier visits Magneto in a prison cell constructed entirely of plastic, and the two play chess (Xavier seems to have the upper hand). Magneto warns that he will continue his fight, to which Xavier promises that he and the X-Men will always be there to stop him. As Xavier is being taken away from the prison by a guard, Magneto pushes his king chess piece over.