20 Characters For X-Men: First Class 2

Cable

The Character: Cable, the estranged son of Scott Summers, has a bizarre comic-book history. After his birth he was raised in the future, and he returned as a gruff, no-nonsense mercenary with a techno-organic arm. Telekinesis and telepathy are his main powers.

Could He Hold His Own Against Magneto? Those are two pretty powerful powers to have in combination, as long as Magneto's not wearing that pesky helmet. His stoic hardman character would make a pleasing contrast to Fassbender's Bondian brand of villainy.

'60s Version: They'd need to cut out the time travel for a start, perhaps reinventing him as a Summers ancestor. He could meet the X-Men as a soldier for hire after becoming disillusioned by the events of the Cold War.

Gambit

The Character: Remy LeBeau, one of the most popular X-Men ever, was underused when he appeared in X-Men Origins: Wolverine , so Vaughn's reboot (which is largely ignoring what has come before it) would be a perfect platform to relaunch the card-slinging dude.

Could He Hold His Own Against Magneto? Gambit's skill with kinetic energy makes him pretty lethal with a playing card, and he's also handy with a staff (a weapon that isn't exploited nearly enough on the cinema screen) so he wouldn't embarrass himself in a face-off with the big bad. A not unattractive sort, he could also give Fassbender a run for his money in the hunk du jour stakes.

'60s Version: Ladies' man Gambit would be in his element in the swinging sixties...

Bishop

The Character: Another mutant from the future, Bishop commands the rather natty ability to absorb any energy that's directed at him and release it however he sees fit (which is generally the most bombastic way imaginable).

Could He Hold His Own Against Magneto? He is surrounded by a near inexhaustible amount of fuel for his firepower so he'd stand a pretty good chance.

'60s Version: With Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters up and running, they could do with a powerful security guard.

Psylocke

The Character: Psylocke was another character who got short shrift in the previous X-movies, and she deserves another outing. As a member of the Hellfire Club (led by Kevin Bacon's Sebastian Shaw in First Class ), she'd fit snugly into the Vaughn-iverse (and she's a Brit, to boot).

Could She Hold Her Own Against Professor X? She possesses a powerful telepathic brain, able to read and control minds as well as using psi-bolts aggressively. Add small-scale precognitive powers to that and she'd be able to give Xavier's super-bonce a run for its money.

'60s Version: Having escaped from the clutches of the Red Skull during WW2, Psylocke is angry, confused and directionless until Shaw takes her in...

Polaris

The Character: An interesting one, as throughout the comics her allegiances were known to flit between the X-Men and their enemies, which could give First Class 2 a neat dynamic. The fact that she turns out to be Magneto's daughter would provide further dramatic fuel.

Could She Hold Her Own Against Magneto? She can control magnetism (and related metals) much like Magneto, as well being able to create pulse blasts and force fields, so the two could have a pretty epic showdown. Until his Darth Vader moment that is…

'60s Version: Magneto is thinking that the spirit of free love has absolutely no downsides, until he's slapped with a paternity suit…

Sunfire

The Character: An X-Man of Japanese origin, he'd bring a decent slice of Oriental cool to the proceedings. His hot-headed nature meant he wasn't ideally suited to being a part of Xavier's team, and he created much drama during his limited tenure.

Could He Hold His Own Against Magneto? He may not be a team player, but as he comes packing such a cool power, you'd definitely want him on your side. He can basically create and release red-hot plasma, which would look hella cool if he and Magneto went head-to-head for a metal/magma slinging match. Imagine the visuals…

'60s Version: Concerned about the devastating side effects of the Hiroshima atom bomb, Professor X heads to Japan to investigate the fallout, meeting the young Shiro Yoshida in the process.

Dazzler

The Character: A singer with the ability to absorb sound and turn it into light, making her pretty much a human disco ball on stage (seriously). After an attack on the X-Men during one of her performances, she embarks on a personal vendetta against the Hellfire Club.

Could She Hold Her Own Against Magneto? Her best bet would probably involve projecting one of her incredibly realistic holograms as a distraction, rather than facing him directly.

'60s Version: She'd be quite easy to incorporate, with either Magneto or Professor X lounging in a 'Gentlemen Only' bar where she would be performing.

Forge

The Character: A native American mutant gifted with a superhuman brain. After joining the military he became a weapons designer for the government, and helped Xavier develop and improve technology at the X-Mansion.

Could He Hold His Own Against Magneto? He probably wouldn't be suited to going one-on-one with Erik Lehnsherr, but he could build some pretty powerful weapons in the overall fight against bad mutants. Particularly if he can produce some metal-free devices...

'60s Version: As Forge served in the Vietnam War, that conflict would be an ideal way to introduce the character within a real historical context. As he has been romantically involved with Mystique, that's another angle that could be exploited.

Cannonball

The Character: Born and raised in Kentucky, Cannonball (AKA Sam Guthrie) has the ability to fly at supersonic speeds whilst surrounded by a force field. The hardworking lad discovered his ability spontaneously when he was trapped in a collapsing coal mine, and he was then press-ganged into the Hellfire Club before his good nature won out and he became an X-Man.

Could He Hold His Own Against Magneto? The metal-manipulating bad'un would have to summon a goodly amount of the shiny stuff if Cannonball was rocketing his way towards him.

'60s Version: The comic lore would require some tweaking to fit him into the vintage setting, but it could easily be done. Professor X could spot him putting his jet-propelled powers to righteous use during the Cuban Revolution.

Dr Cecilia Reyes

The Character: A reluctant X-member who yearned for a simpler life free from superheroics. She was a trauma surgeon, and as she faced racial adversity, Vaughn could smoothly segue her into the 1960s Civil Rights context.

Could She Hold Her Own Against Magneto? She can create a force field to use as a safety cocoon for herself and others who are in close proximity. The field can be melded into various shapes for attacking purposes, so you wouldn't want to bet against her in a smackdown.

'60s Version: Distressed by the violence surrounding the continued Civil Rights movement, Professor X uses Cerebro to hone in on one particularly committed young doctor.

Thunderbird

The Character: An Apache tribesman, John Proudstar was a mutant gifted with impressive speed, strength and sensory powers. Not a showy X-Man by any means, but a force to be reckoned with.

Could He Hold His Own Against Magneto? As a tribesman, Thunderbird would be able to acquit himself admirably without the use of any mod cons. If he could face Magneto in a metal-free environment, he'd take some stopping.

'60s Version: Another Vietnam draftee, Thunderbird could sit comfortably in Vaughn's vision of the comics. Disillusioned by the conflict, he could actively seek out Charles in order to join the X-team and right some of the world's wrongs. His simple but effective powers would also be pleasingly straightforward and wouldn't jar with the '60s setting.

Kitty Pryde

The Character: Another popular character heinously underused in the original X-trilogy (with Ellen Page going a small way to restore that in The Last Stand ). Best-known as a young student at the X-Mansion, Kitty's (AKA Sprite/Shadowcat) power is 'phasing', the ability to pass through solid substances.

Could She Hold Her Own Against Magneto? That power of hers would come in pretty useful if there was a mentalist launching giant metal objects at you…

'60s Version: She could easily be introduced as an early recruit to Xavier's school, and her arc has the added resonance of Jewish ancestors who suffered Nazi concentration camps, giving her an intriguing emotional link to Magneto and the events of First Class .

Wolfsbane

The Character: Yep, she's a werewolf. Though the Scottish mutant has learnt to control her transformation, so she can make the most of her animal abilities as the situation dictates.

Could She Hold Her Own Against Magneto? The shock factor of, y'know, turning into a werewolf would probably give her a momentary advantage.

'60s Version: Moira MacTaggart (played by Rose Byrne in First Class ) took the young lycanthrope under her wing, so that would be an obvious route to get her through the doors of the X-Mansion.

Longshot

The Character: Longshot was actually created by an experiment in a parallel future dimension. As well as having superhuman speed and abilities, his mega-powered brain can compute probabilities to such an accurate degree that he's able to vastly increase his own luck.

Could He Hold His Own Against Magneto? With luck on his side, he'd probably have better odds than your average mutant. Not sure it would make for the most cinematic showdown though.

'60s Version: Some of the elements of the character's creation would have to be altered quite drastically to fit into the First Class universe, but Longshot could gain his powers as the result of the experiments of a surviving faction of Nazis.

Avalanche

The Character: A Greek immigrant who became a member of Magneto's Brotherhood, Avalanche's back story is shrouded in mystery. He was known to abuse his power (the ability to create seismic waves from his hands) for ransom, and often went off on his own.

Could He Hold His Own Against Professor X? It would be hard for anyone to get too close to him on his destructive terrain, and that helmet could be adapted to provide him with some protection from Xavier.

'60s Version: Avalanche could come to the attention of the opposing mutant factions when it's discovered that he was behind the 1968 Illinois earthquake.

Blob

The Character: An obese villain, whose substantial mass grants him near invincibility from body blows and adds considerable force to his own attacks. Sure, he has already appeared in Wolverine , but it seems like Vaughn is ignoring that movie (as are the rest of us).

Could He Hold His Own Against Professor X? He'd stand a chance if he could get an insulating layer of fat built up around his head.

'60s Version: He could be introduced as a circus freak, as the full extent of political correctness hadn't kicked in by then.

Sage

The Character: Sage (AKA Tessa Hartley) was discovered in Afghanistan by Professor X around the time he was assembling his school's first class. Rather than admitting Sage into the school, he sent her to spy on Sebastian Shaw and the Hellfire Club.

Could She Hold Her Own Against Magneto? She could be invaluable if she approached the attack as a slow-and-steady espionage mission rather than a singular assault. She has an incredible memory (her brain is practically an endless hard drive) so she could help to bring down the bad guys from the inside.

'60s Version: She could easily slot into the First Class universe as a member of the Hellfire Club, before her true allegiances are revealed.

Quicksilver

The Character: One-time Avenger Pietro Maximoff was originally recruited into Magneto's Brotherhood before he switched sides. Matters became complicated when he discovered he was actually Magneto's son (that old dog did get around a bit…)

Could He Hold His Own Against Professor X? The processing speed of his brain would make him a worthy foe for Xavier, but as Quicksilver can run at supersonic speeds, it's unlikely that they would have many face-to-face clashes.

'60s Version: A young sprinter, who's smashing world records at the 1964 Olympics in Tokyo, catches Magneto's eye…

Nocturne

The Character: In the comics she was the daughter of Nightcrawler and Scarlet Witch. Vaughn would need to do some editing of the chronology to make it work, but as Nightcrawler had some of the greatest powers of the original trilogy, it'd be great to see them on screen again.

Could She Hold Her Own Against Magneto? Her agility would mean she could handle herself well in a close-quarters scrap, and her ability to possess another's mind could be very useful.

'60s Version: As mutants with combat skills are being unwillingly drafted to form an experimental corps for fighting in the Vietnam War, Nocturne seeks refuge at Xavier's recently-formed School for Gifted Youngsters.

Northstar

The Character: Jean-Paul Beaubier was a French Canadian living in Montreal. He was part of the Canadian superhero team Alpha Flight before he was recruited by Xavier.

Could He Hold His Own Against Magneto? He comes packing some pretty formidable powers (flight and super-strength among them) so he could certainly give Magneto a run for his money.

'60s Version: As one of the first openly-gay comic-book superheroes, it would be fairly simple to posit Northstar in the context of the sexual revolution of the 1960s, and there'd be plenty of space for meaningful discrimination allegories.