The ‘X’ factor

Mutants meet Mad Men this Friday as the X-Men franchise goes back to the early 1960s and the very beginning of the complex relationship between two future foes: the mind-reading Professor Charles Xavier and metal manipulating Holocaust survivor Magneto. Before they were bitter rivals, they were friends facing the greatest threat the world had ever seen and discovering the lengths of their powers and the talents of others like them. Set during the Cuban Missile crisis, a young team of humans with superhuman abilities must put a stop to the diabolical plans of a billionaire and secret mutant himself named Sabastian Shaw. Among the first class are familiar faces like Mystique and Beast and new ones like Havoc, Banshee and Riptide. Directed by Matthew Vaughn, the film is lead by Michael Fassbender and James McAvoy as Magneto and Professor X with Kevin Bacon, Rose Byrne, January Jones and Jennifer Lawrence co-starring. Rated PG-13. (Image courtesy Murray Close)