The Scott and Jean Archives
In this issue, Professor Xavier sheds some light on his past as he finally decides to share it with his students.
His father was killed in an atomic blast on a government site when Xavier was a young boy. His father’s colleague, Dr Kurt Marko seized the opportunity to woo Xavier’s grieving and vulnerable mother. In reality, the young telepath knew that Marko saved himself in the blast and left his father to die.
Marko married Xavier’s mother to gain the family’s fortune and power. Marko also had his son from a previous marriage, Cain Marko, move in with the Xaviers. Cain picked on Xavier frequently. When Xavier’s mother realised that Marko only sought to take advantage of her through marriage, she died heart-broken within months.
One day, Xavier walked into an argument with his step-father and Cain. The argument led to an explosion in Marko’s lab. Marko sacrificed his life to save the two boys. Before his death, Marko told Xavier to keep his powers a secret from Cain.
As Xavier grew up, he realised what Marko meant by him having powers. He lost his hair and acquired telepathic powers. This gave him extra leverage to excel in school, sports and other endeavors. Cain grew extremely jealous of his step-brother but he could never defeat Xavier in a fight because Xavier could read his every move.
The two brothers stayed mostly out of each other’s lives, but one day Cain offered to drive Xavier back to the university after the break. Xavier looked to try and patch things between them during the drive, but Cain’s intentions was to drive Xavier over a cliff. Xavier was injured in the accident. From then on, he chose to ignore Cain, and Cain moved out of the Xavier mansion.
The brothers were only reunited when they served together in the Vietnam War. They stumbled across the Temple of Cyttorak. Xavier warned Cain about coming into contact with the gem of Cyttorak, but Cain ignored him and gained the powers of the gem. He was henceforth known as the Juggernaut. Suddenly, the cave collapses on them both, but only Xavier managed to make it out alive.
Cain Marko, whom Xavier had thought dead, is now “very much alive”, as he confides in his students.